Chapter 382: The Succession Ceremony (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 382: The Succession Ceremony (2)
“Presenting the worthy successor to the Holy Sword, Lady Delia Pendragon! And the hero, Sir Kang Hyun-woo!”
Rumble—
As the grand sound of instruments echoed through the hall, the massive doors began to slowly swing open.
Beyond them, Kang Hyun-woo, dressed in neat formal wear, and Delia, in a pure white dress adorned with jewels, appeared side by side.
As the undeniable stars of the ball, their entrance drew every eye in the hall.
However, faced with a crowd that dwarfed the one at the party held at Duke Winchester’s estate, Delia was momentarily intimidated.
It was the first time she had ever been the sole focus of so many people's gazes and attention.
Ssk-
But in that instant, Kang Hyun-woo quietly took her hand.
With a composed expression, as if completely unconcerned by the surrounding stares, he led her forward.
“If it’s too much, just look at the floor. I’ll escort you.”
“...Okay.”
Under the bright lights of the ballroom, the tips of Delia’s ears turned a faint crimson.
Of course, an event like this was overwhelming for Hyun-woo as well.
But he wasn’t nervous.
He had a solid network of connections, forged through all sorts of hardship.
Holding Delia’s hand, Hyun-woo walked straight into the center of the ballroom.
A familiar face was waiting there.
“You’ve arrived?”
Duke Winchester greeted the pair with a bright smile.
“Glory to the Empire.”
“G-Glory to the Empire...!”
As it was an official occasion, Hyun-woo offered the duke a polite greeting. His posture was so perfect that even the most fastidious nobles would find no fault in it.
Delia, on the other hand, was so nervous that she stammered.
Of course, the duke, who regarded her as his own granddaughter, didn't point it out. He simply watched her with a pleased smile.
While the two exchanged brief greetings, Hyun-woo slowly raised his head and shifted his gaze to the person beside Duke Winchester.
His eyes met a familiar face.
“Your Grace, the Duke of Rutland. It is an even greater pleasure to see you at such a meaningful event.”
“Tsk.”
The Duke of Rutland, upon meeting Hyun-woo’s eyes, instinctively furrowed his brow.
It was a perfectly natural reaction, not strange in the least.
After all, what grandfather in this world would smile brightly upon seeing the man promised to his only granddaughter confidently enter a ballroom holding another woman's hand?
“Glory to the Empire...! Delia Pendragon greets Your Grace, the Duke of Rutland!”
“...”
However, upon seeing Delia, who was trembling slightly as she offered her careful greeting, the duke couldn't help but retract the hostile aura he had directed at Hyun-woo.
Though he didn't show it, the Duke of Rutland had also always cherished Delia like his own granddaughter.
A fact, of course, that Delia herself was completely unaware of.
“Where are you going?”
“Mind your own business.”
The Duke of Rutland curtly retorted to Duke Winchester and promptly left.
Seeing this, Delia grew anxious and fidgety, but the other two reacted calmly, as if it were nothing.
“Tsk, tsk. That bastard never changes, no matter how old he gets.”
“He’ll probably come back later.”
“I doubt it.”
Duke Winchester scoffed.
“He probably won’t show his face until the Queen arrives at the palace. It’s a trick he always uses to avoid annoying nobles.”
With the Duke of Rutland gone, Duke Winchester freely bad-mouthed him.
His tone was somewhat undignified for a duke, but no one present dared to rebuke him.
If anything, his informal attitude provided the perfect opening for the nobles who had been eagerly watching for an opportunity.
One by one, they began to gather around the trio, including Hyun-woo.
Sensing their presence, Hyun-woo tried to slip away quietly, but he was already surrounded.
“A pleasure to meet you for the first time, Your Grace, Duke Winchester! I am Jephron of the Usalana Barony! We have succeeded in cultivating Plankiria, the main ingredient for refined mana water, in our territory. Might I have a moment of your time to discuss this?”
“It is an infinite honor to meet the great Archmage, Duke Winchester. I am Count Essex. I wonder if you recall our meeting at the academic conference in Edinburgh half a year ago?”
“Haha, Your Grace! It has been too long! I have a matter of urgent business to discuss regarding the proposal I made last time. Could you spare me a moment?”
“My! If it isn't the Dragon Slayer, Lady Delia Pendragon?! It is a true honor to meet you. To achieve such a feat at your young age is truly remarkable. Thanks to you, the future of Britain and the Round Table is sure to be bright! Haha!”
“Lady Delia, if you don't mind, may I introduce my son? It's not just because he's my son, but at the tender age of twenty-five, he was appointed Vice-Commander of the knight order under Sir Gawain! He is of a similar age and exceptionally talented. Wouldn't this be a fine opportunity to become acquainted and form a good connection?”
As the ballroom instantly became as chaotic as a marketplace, Hyun-woo began to understand why the Duke of Rutland had made such an early escape.
He had been wiser than anyone.
‘...How blatant.’
Most of the nobles who had suddenly swarmed them were actively speaking to and flattering Duke Winchester and Delia, but they showed little interest in me.
No, to be precise, it wasn't that they weren't interested.
They were intentionally not speaking to me, but their eyes were constantly scanning me up and down, as if appraising my worth.
Thanks to that, I had a rough idea of what they were thinking.
They were probably debating whether I, Kang Hyun-woo, was worth swallowing their noble pride to try and form a connection with.
Honestly, I could understand.
No matter if I was called a genius mage, it would be hard for them to readily believe that a mere 5th-Circle mage like me had played a key role against the executives of Belmoras, who had inflicted massive damage across all of Britain.
No, perhaps they just didn't want to believe it.
It was a matter of emotion rather than reason.
Britain, a global superpower known as the land of mages, had its capital and major cities ravaged by a mere terrorist organization.
That alone must have been an unbearable humiliation for the nobles.
And among the heroes who resolved the crisis was an Easterner with no noble title or pedigree?
It was only natural that the nobles, for whom pride was everything, would be displeased.
Of course, for my part, I was quite pleased with the current situation, with not a single annoying noble bothering me.
Above all, the connections I had built in Britain so far were more than enough.
There was Duke Winchester, the Archmage; Delia, who would officially become the head of the Round Table through today's succession ceremony; and Uncle Gawain, the strongest knight of the Round Table.
I had no need to deal with each and every noble, nor did I have to struggle with formal etiquette.
So, I planned to just show my face for a bit and then quietly leave.
But—
“My son happens to be attending the ball today. How about having a brief conversation with him...”
Making a move on my woman was something I couldn't let slide, not even for a king.
Furthermore, to make such a suggestion while I was standing right next to her was a complete and utter dismissal of my presence.
I took Delia’s hand and quietly took a step back.
Then, from an angle where others couldn't see, I subtly shoved the pig-like noble who had been pestering me to introduce his son.
Thwack.
No, I stand corrected.
It wasn't subtle; I pushed him a little harder.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
The man was so fat, even down to his ankles, that he lost his balance and fell in a disgraceful heap.
To others, it probably looked like he had simply failed to support his own weight.
And just as I expected...
As the surrounding gazes fell on him, the pig-faced noble's face instantly turned beet red.
“Y-You bastard!! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Pardon?”
He pointed a finger at me and fumed, but I just tilted my head with an expression of pure ignorance.
“Don’t play dumb! You just pushed me—”
“Viscount Swain.”
“?!”
At that moment, Duke Winchester glared at him with an icy expression.
A hush fell over the entire ballroom.
“He is a hero who risked his life for Britain and the savior of my granddaughter. Should I take your baseless insult toward him as a declaration that you wish to make an enemy of House Winchester?”
Under the pressure of the duke's magic, Viscount Swain trembled from head to toe.
He looked like a terrified pig before a slaughterhouse.
“...Th-That was not my intention.”
“Then apologize to him politely at once.”
“...”
Viscount Swain clenched his fists and slowly bowed his head toward Hyun-woo.
“S-Sir Kang Hyun-woo. Please, forgive my rudeness...!”
Outwardly, his posture was polite and followed etiquette, but behind the viscount's eyes, the unconcealable emotions of anger and humiliation were clearly visible.
Despite the viscount's attitude, which seemed to vow revenge, Hyun-woo simply offered him a handshake with a good-natured smile.
“It’s quite all right. Misunderstandings can happen to anyone. So please, don’t worry about it.”
This too was an act of magnanimity on the surface, but Hyun-woo, avoiding the gazes of others, secretly sent a telepathic message to Viscount Swain.
“...”
A moment later, the viscount's face turned deathly pale, as if he might stop breathing at any second.
He nodded his head vigorously at Hyun-woo and then hastily departed, as if being chased by something.
The nobles who had been watching the scene exchanged glances and quietly swallowed.
“Well then, I shall excuse myself for a moment. It seems my partner is quite nervous.”
Completely unfazed by the chaotic atmosphere, Hyun-woo took Delia’s hand and quietly exited the hall.
The nobles just stared blankly at their retreating figures.
*
After leaving the ballroom with Delia, I headed straight for a nearby balcony.
“Are you okay?”
Delia's complexion, caressed by the cool night breeze, looked much better than before.
“...Yes.”
Delia looked at me with a faint smile.
I stroked her hair and handed her a wine glass I had secretly brought along.
“Here.”
“What’s this...?”
“It’s non-alcoholic champagne.”
“Ah...”
Delia’s face flushed slightly.
“...Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
For a while, we stood in silence, sipping from our glasses against the backdrop of the London nightscape.
Perhaps it was because we had grown much closer over the past few days.
An indescribable, subtle atmosphere flowed quietly between us.
Placing my glass on the railing, I gently wrapped my arm around Delia’s waist.
“Ah...”
Delia melted into my embrace without the slightest resistance.
I could feel her warm, soft body and her slightly trembling breath.
I gently caressed her pale white cheek.
Her golden eyes were trembling faintly.
Then, as she slowly closed her eyes, I carefully tilted my head and leaned in.
In that moment, when one second felt like an eternity—
Knock, knock.
*
-Sir Hyun-woo.
The voice of Lady Ophelia came from beyond the door.