The Coming-of-Age Ceremony
The coming-of-age ceremony marked the beginning of the aristocracy’s social season. There was nothing particularly special about it. In the end, it was essentially a debutante ball—your official entry into external activities as a fully recognized noble.
I scanned the nobles staring at me with eyes wide in astonishment. Even setting aside those settled in the southern territories, I could see aristocrats from other regions as well. As part of my basic noble education, I had been force-fed knowledge about the various noble houses across the land. Even now, I was recalling the pre-gathered information on the invited guests.
The southern region’s power was largely split between our Franz family and the Boreng family, but that didn’t mean there weren’t smaller estates and their lords. Since I had rarely attended official functions, I still recognized a few familiar faces. Yet even excluding them… there were nobles from the eastern region, the western region, the northern region, and the capital.
Though the Brahms dynasty had unified the realm and barely maintained peace, the families gathered here had been at war with one another mere decades ago. They smiled when their eyes met, wrapping their hostility in polite laughter, but the cold tension beneath it permeated the entire banquet hall.
Being called the ruler of the land of abundance in the south ultimately meant I had won countless wars to claim it. As the acting head of the family and current master of this land, I could not afford to show any weakness.
Watching them chatter among themselves, I identified which houses had sent representatives. As expected, no one from the true central families of each region had come. For an event like this, proper etiquette would normally require contacting them months in advance, not throwing it together at the last minute. The fact that so many had still shown up for this hastily arranged ceremony was simply because I… because we were the Franz.
Even without members of the great houses, I confirmed the presence of lower nobles who served as their subordinates.
“Grace,” I whispered, using a magic barrier so no one else could hear. “It’s okay now.”
“…Yes. But you’re still not fully recovered.”
The continuous strain of controlling the fireworks, the massive sun, and all the other magic had twisted my insides with pain. Grace was easing it through the hand she held. Her Hemilion bloodline had that unique property—synchronization that shared burdens and lent strength. Leaving the Marquis family had halved those traits, but even the remnants were powerful enough.
The magic flowing from her hand healed my core. I could feel her will, fully entrusting the guidance of that power to me. Our eyes met, and the gaze we shared carried a tender, affectionate emotion. I gave her hand one last firm squeeze.
Sharing body heat and the lingering traces of each other’s magic, we slowly let go. With that final gesture, I bid Grace farewell and turned to face the countless eyes watching from every direction, keeping my expression perfectly composed.
Honestly, standing in front of crowds had always been something I despised. I’d hated giving PPT presentations back on Earth, so there was no way I’d enjoy this. But it seemed the time had come for me to stand on my own.
“Ha, hahaha! As expected of the Golden Lion family! What incredible skill!”
“That enormous sun… The magic power was tremendous.”
“…Hmm. The Franz family truly possesses strength beyond the rumors.”
“The story that unfolded across the night sky earlier was a truly impressive performance!”
“Can we even call that a performance? I’m not even sure what to name it…”
The moment I released Grace’s hand, the surroundings erupted into noise. Conversations about me, whispered discussions, and talk of the night sky spectacle all blended together. I listened to their words with a calm smile, slowly walking forward as Grace followed a step behind.
It was now time to greet the nobles and build connections, but everything had its proper order.
“Princess Amelia. Thank you for attending my coming-of-age ceremony today and gracing us with your presence.”
Though she was from another nation, Princess Amelia held the highest status here. Even by this world’s standards—where bloodline mattered more than national borders—she was someone worthy of greeting first. I offered her a perfectly courteous bow, and she received it with impeccable posture.
“Lord Leoric Franz. Thank you for the invitation. The night sky performance I witnessed moments ago was truly beautiful.”
For this occasion, Lena had raided the wardrobes of every reputable designer in the city, Grace’s collection, my absent mother’s closet, and every suitable noble house in the territory to create the stunning dress the princess now wore. She was still the same expressionless, otherworldly beauty as always, yet I could see a slight flush on her cheeks that wasn’t usually there. Her more formal speech was likely due to the official setting.
…Wait. Then why does she always speak so casually to me in private?
“Like Bollywood, the culture and arts of Franz seem truly remarkable.”
“You flatter us. It’s all thanks to the hard work of Franz’s artists.”
We exchanged greetings as if meeting for the first time. The gazes fixed on us were sharp. Amelia surely felt them too, yet she continued our conversation with perfect composure.
“I’ve heard about your investments in the arts, Lord Leoric. Your support for music and theater, beginning with Bollywood, was quite impressive.”
“Hahaha. It’s merely a hobby.”
To any observer, the scene was suspicious. The Franz and Bachn Kingdom had little prior interaction, so the sudden appearance of royalty was noteworthy. The Franz family, who had never held coming-of-age ceremonies before, suddenly doing so was equally strange. Whispers spread through the crowd.
Most of it was meaningless small talk, but the faint traces of magic woven into their voices made the secret conversations easy to detect.
“Then let us speak again another time…”
“Yes. Thank you, Lord Leoric.”
We ended the conversation after dropping just enough bait to suggest an exchange had taken place. When our eyes met at the end, we gave each other a subtle nod, following the script we had prepared beforehand, and parted ways.
After Princess Amelia left the area, a new voice rang out.
“It’s been so long! Leo-nim!”
“My, my. Thank you for responding to such a sudden invitation, Lady Irina.”
Her sparkling eyes and confident stride made it feel less like a ballroom and more like she was entering a knight’s duel. She walked with such presence that nearby nobles unconsciously stepped aside. The strained expression on her accompanying maid’s face showed exactly how much trouble she was causing.
Still, seeing a familiar face helped ease some of my tension.
“Are you enjoying the evening, Lady Irina?”
“Of course! Especially that night sky display earlier—it was magnificent!”
“It was a movie thrown together on short notice, but I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Movie… That’s right! So that’s what you call it.”
Since we hadn’t seen each other in quite some time, there was much to talk about. The girl who still carried some childish features before had now fully blossomed into a woman. I would have to treat her as such from now on.
“I’m preparing for my own coming-of-age ceremony soon. I hope you’ll attend and grace the occasion with your presence.”
“Ah, yes.”
This was exactly why I had avoided these kinds of events until now. Having officially debuted in high society through this ceremony, completely hiding away was no longer an option. The second reason was the flood of invitations that would now come my way.
“Ha, haha.”
A laugh slipped out before I could stop it. It wasn’t impossible to refuse, but declining every single one would be difficult. Without a proper excuse, attending would be better for my reputation…
Noticing my reaction, Irina smiled brightly as if to say I shouldn’t worry.
“Of course, I understand it must be difficult for you to leave your territory given the current circumstances.”
“Hm?”
“That’s why, Leo-nim!”
She clasped her hands together and looked up at me with shining eyes. This little lady meant no harm, but her boundless curiosity and ability to follow through on her ideas meant getting involved with her was always exhausting.
I felt a twinge of anxiety, but this was an official setting. It should be fine, right?
“I’m planning to hold my coming-of-age ceremony in Muller. Would you permit it? Especially since the movie you displayed in the night sky left such a deep impression, I was wondering if the very person who created it—Lord Leoric—might help illuminate me as I stand upon that stage?”
“…Oh?”
There was no magic barrier, no secret message. The music playing throughout the hall and the nobles engaged in conversation were all secretly paying close attention to our exchange. Several of them flinched visibly, and the number of eyes on us increased.
“What do you think?”
“Hmm. I see.”
Irina smiled, waiting for my answer. No matter how unconventional she was, she clearly distinguished between public and private matters. She was a remarkably intelligent and wise noble’s daughter. In other words, this proposal had been prepared in advance by the Boreng family.
If one were to name the hottest topic among the nobles right now, the appearance of Bachn royalty in Franz territory would be high on the list. But even before that, the territorial conflict with Muller had been the main subject of discussion. This was the first time the involved parties had directly addressed it.
I had received no specific instructions regarding this matter, but… hmm. I see how it is.
I reached out, took Irina’s hand, and pressed my lips to the back of it.
-Chu!
“To entrust me with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a jewel like yourself to shine brilliantly… I will prepare accordingly to meet those expectations.”
“My goodness. Thank you so much for accepting my unreasonable request, Leo-nim. I shall look forward to that day alone!”
Our eyes met as she greeted me with joy, and we shared a smile. In the end, this conversation was essentially a public declaration to all the surrounding nobles.
The ongoing war would naturally end in Franz’s victory, and the master of that land would be none other than Leoric Franz, the second son of the Franz family.
Feeling the weight of the gazes upon me grow heavier, I parted with Irina and turned my attention to the remaining nobles, steeling myself for the political battlefield ahead.
Whew. Still, I had Grace to support me, along with Princess Amelia and Irina. I hadn’t socialized with them after my entrance for nothing.
Alright. Let’s do this.