Fireworks at the Banquet
The Deadwater Pirate Alliance is an alliance of outlaws centered around the Serpent Tail Archipelago in the eastern seas of the continent. With countless pirate fleets under its command, the alliance has gained infamy by indiscriminately attacking forces bordering the sea.
We shall eradicate these pirates who violate the order and peace of the oceans.
Zigrinde made the request for the campaign, and the nobles of the Imperial Capital accepted it unanimously. The pirates' rampant tyranny threatened their own territories and businesses. If the Steel Lorelei took charge, they could finally sleep soundly at night.
It was a diversionary tactic to avoid the crumbling front lines of the colonial empire. Yet the nobles of the Imperial Capital and the War Council sent fervent support to the Steel Lorelei, who had boldly declared the extermination of the Deadwater Pirate Alliance in a strong voice.
"To think that the noble heroes representing the Holy Empire have deigned to grace us...! Please protect our Luxor family and Caldera Rock from those vile pirates! If you wipe out the Pirate Alliance, the Luxor family will never forget your grace!"
A middle-aged man in resplendent robes groveled as he pleaded. His face gleamed with oil, his obese frame protruding like a potbelly, adorned with dazzling jeweled trinkets dangling everywhere. The epitome of a corrupt official.
Bastian von Luxor. As a powerbroker who had ruled the port city for generations, Bastian fawned obsequiously over the Steel Lorelei and her protagonists. They were colossal figures who could shatter his family and the port city in an instant.
"That lecherous gaze he was giving Linde... I should've gouged his eyes out right then."
"Calm down. The Luxor family are wealthy merchants who revived intermediary trade centered on Caldera Rock. Harm the count, and the nobles of the capital will swarm like bees."
Zigrinde followed the portly noble's guidance toward a mansion as grand and opulent as a palace in the Imperial Capital. What an unpleasant sight. A grubby pig like that ogling the Steel Lorelei.
Zikfried and Kasian each reacted with disgust.
"That showy noble should just stick to commanding the troops from the capital. Hosting a banquet with the famous eastern nobles? A seat like that doesn't suit the likes of him."
"Understood."
The heir to the Sword Duke, greatsword slung over his back, sneered darkly as he spoke. He accepted the order without protest.
"I was puzzled when Sir Valtenstein recommended Caldera Rock as our base, but it's one of the most beautiful resort areas even in the Theodor Holy Empire. The emerald sea stretching on three sides and the vibrant cityscape are impressive."
"Haven't Prince Zikfried and Prince Kasian been handling heavy duties? We selected Caldera Rock, which the Pirate Alliance has never invaded, so Lady Levanfalt could rest comfortably with you both."
"An excellent decision. Perfect for a steward's role."
"……."
The young master of the Red Tower was polite and deferential. But he treated him thoroughly as a servant, revealing his sense of chosen superiority. Noble beings command; lesser ones obey and serve. True to a grand archmage of the Red Tower, who prized privilege and superiority, he brimmed with arrogant self-esteem.
"Such heartless people, aren't they, Sir Valtenstein?"
"Prince Sturts."
After Zikfried and Kasian entered, the chief of staff who served the Steel Lorelei appeared. Sturts von Baldemar. He chided his colleagues as if scolding problem children. Kailun shrugged noncommittally at the probing question, offering a silent reply.
"You can ignore Zikfried's outbursts. If Sir Valtenstein skips the banquet, Linde will grumble in that curt voice of hers."
"I don't have formal attire prepared, but... I'll attend."
The Baldemar ducal family was a prestigious house of the Holy Empire that produced brilliant staff officers and operated the Special Forces specialized in assassination and espionage. Proving it, Sturts had deployed Special Forces agents to monitor the third-rate noble treated as expendable.
What a sly fox.You're the worst of the rotten lot.
Gazing at Sturts' benevolent smile, Kailun burned with resolve to crush that brazen face.
The Luxor Family Castle stood far from the port city outskirts. It was to leisurely enjoy the stunning vista of the eastern sea's emerald horizon, away from the fishy stench and clamor of the harbor.
Groooar—
The heavy rumble of wheels rolling never ceased. They were nobles of the Holy Empire invited to the banquet. A celebration to welcome the Steel Lorelei, the beautiful war heroine.
Nobles queued along the road connecting the port city and the Luxor castle, desperate to make connections with the war heroine.
"I heard her beauty makes even goddesses and fairies jealous..."
"Isn't she the enchantress who captivated the crown prince, the Sword Duke's heir, the Red Tower's young master, and peerless geniuses? She must be blindingly stunning."
"Crown Prince Ergon is absent due to the western expedition? Ha ha, the ambitious ladies and maidens full of dreams will be bitterly disappointed. They all schemed to seduce the prince and snag the position of imperial crown princess."
The Luxor family's celebration for the Steel Lorelei and the prestigious heirs was a spectacle of extravagance and indulgence that left even seasoned nobles wide-eyed. Over a thousand servants and maids. Dulcet, elegant music from skilled musicians. Tables laden with delicacies and sweet, bountiful wines. Was this not paradise on earth?
Creeeak—
The banquet hall, adorned in pure gold, swung open. Noble men and women in antique formalwear and dresses stepped inside with clicking heels.
"The Steel Lorelei...!"
"A gem the one God accidentally dropped into the mortal world."
"A being crafted from all the brilliance in existence. Truly the Holy Empire's treasure!"
Numerous alluring noblewomen and maidens attended. Yet none could approach the Lorelei. As Zigrinde entered with her lovers, every noble's gaze locked on her.
Golden hair in an elegant chignon. Amethyst eyes gleaming like radiant gems. A fresh apple-green evening dress accentuating her slender, graceful figure. The Steel Lorelei received very courteous escorts from the peerless genius and the Red Tower's young master as she stepped to the center of the hall. Finally, she clasped hands with the Sword Duke's heir, flaunting her affection.
"I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Count Luxor for preparing this banquet and to all the distinguished guests who graciously attended. As a legion commander of the imperial army, I feel unworthy of such lavish treatment, but as the Steel Lorelei who safeguards the Holy Empire... I shall exterminate the Pirate Alliance threatening the continent's seas and live up to Count Luxor and all your expectations."
Her voice, pure yet resolute with conviction, echoed through the hall. Thunderous applause erupted.
"We trust only in the Steel Lorelei!"
"Smash the Pirate Alliance scum who've plundered the seas!"
"For Lady Levanfalt... we'd offer our family fortunes and soldiers! And if ordered to join the fight, we'd gladly obey!"
It was like a cult leader and fanatics in rapture. Emotion and agreement. An ecstatic trance that stirred the soul. Her beauty and voice, bordering on brainwashing, captivated the crowd. Greedy nobles shed tears of emotion. cheering wildly. Even the jealous noblewomen and maidens pulled out handkerchiefs, weeping in sympathy.
Boom!Boooom!!
As the mood peaked, fierce explosions rang out beyond the windows. Explosions. Fireworks for the celebration? The nobles thought of splendid displays lighting the night sky.
But it wasn't the boom of fireworks—it was the roar of cannons. A brutal barrage bombarded the Luxor castle during the grand banquet.
Deafening shrieks pierced the air amid a ferocious blast wind.
"Kyaaak!"
"My arm! Aaaagh!"
"Fire! The tablecloths and carpets are burning!"
The hall of emotion turned into a living hell in moments. Noble ladies and maidens covered in abrasions. A middle-aged noble screaming with his arm severed. Count Luxor trembling under a table, stuffing his massive bulk away. Shattered glass shards from the bombardment claimed countless noble lives. They met tragic ends, their ostentatious finery caked in filthy dirt.
"Damn it! What the hell is going on?!"
A young man with tousled brown hair bellowed harshly, striding forward. He shoved aside the shattered wall to survey the sea beyond Caldera Rock.
The coastal night sky had been serene moments ago. But now Caldera Rock blazed brighter and noisier than ever.
Hundreds of warships swarmed in. All fleets hostile to the Theodor Holy Empire.
Witnessing the devastation, the Sword Duke's heir roared in fury.
"The Pirate Alliance...! And the colonial empire's fleet too? Am I seeing things? How are our enemies banding together, and targeting us here in Caldera Rock of all places?!"
Deadwater Pirate Alliance. Eisenreich Colonial Empire. Forces hostile to the Holy Empire had deployed massive fleets. Their target was clear: the utter annihilation of the Steel Lorelei and the prestigious young lords. Malice toward the Holy Empire's rampaging war heroine rained down.