Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Dracain
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“It suits you very well.”
I frowned at Durel's words. The red-and-white dress fluttered slowly in the hazy breeze. Over my shoulders, I had draped nature's gift like a cape.
If the invitation hadn't specified a dress code, I never would have worn such cumbersome clothes. But what could I do? It was necessary to attend the party. With a sigh, I stepped out of the cabin.
Sima and Olbern were already waiting outside. Olbern was bouncing in place, clearly excited for the party—her cute dress flapping with every hop.
“Master! You look so pretty!”
“Beautiful.”
Praise I'd heard many times before, yet it never felt familiar. Leaving my excited disciples behind, I headed to the deck's edge and activated the turtle golem.
Thud-!
“Everyone, nothing forgotten?”
This was just a quick trip to attend the party and have some fun. There weren't any special supplies to pack, so my disciples hadn't brought anything beyond their party attire. At most, Durel's sword and Sima's wrist bracer.
Olbern had brought the Wolf Queen. The invitation allowed escort golems, so I'd permitted it—somehow, it fell within the approved size limits.
“Let's go.”
I leaped lightly, landing atop the turtle golem's shell. I confirmed my disciples landed safely behind me. The turtle golem began to move.
Thud-!
'Bigger than I expected.'
That was my first impression upon facing the venue of the party: the grand mansion of Silver Light's lord, Archduke Azariel. Was this how a lord ruling an entire city lived? It felt less like a mansion and more like a massive fortress. The towering outer walls symbolized the lord's prestige, while the enormous, ornate structure displayed his amassed wealth.
“Elf mage Lumia and party... Invitation confirmed. Please enjoy your time...”
We showed the invitation and passed through the massive front gate. At once, a vast garden and neatly maintained path stretched out before us. It was too far to walk, yet we had nothing to ride. The invited guests were hurrying along the path each in their own way.
'Eyes on us...'
Gazes prickled from no great distance. The mana in the area churned, so they weren't hiding it. The stares came from the direction of the mansion.
“They're watching us.”
“Testing us, maybe?”
They'd set up this suspicious place to observe the guests' reactions. What was the goal? After a moment's thought, I cast Blink to leap forward a set distance. Before the mana flow could even dissipate, my three disciples followed suit, Blinking right behind me.
Fwoosh-!
Blink's proficiency showed in distance and cast speed. Durel arrived first, then Olbern, followed by Sima. Though Sima had started learning Blink before Olbern, his innate bloodline held him back overall.
Blink was short-range spatial leap magic. To cover long distances, multiple casts were needed. Each time sparkling mana warped space for a brief jump, the gazes from the mansion swiftly tracked us.
We passed the mansion's entrance in an instant. The doors stood open, unguarded by servants. The corridor stretched freely ahead, as if inviting casual passage.
My disciples and I entered the hallway lined with a red carpet. It formed a cross shape. Straight ahead led directly to the party hall; turning left or right opened into various rooms. Guests moved freely in and out, suggesting the entire first floor was dedicated to the party.
“So this is where nobles hold their parties...”
“I'm so excited...! I've never been to a place like this!”
Among us, Durel seemed the most accustomed to such venues. He fiddled indifferently with his cuffs, showing little interest in the party itself.
“No one's confiscating weapons or asking us to refrain from magic. It's a bit unusual. Best to stay cautious.”
“That's what I was thinking.”
I nodded at Durel's words and walked along the corridor. No servants guided us to guest rooms. Were we meant to pick any at random?
'It almost feels designed to provoke clashes between guests...'
Maybe coming wasn't such a good idea. The thought crossed my mind just as we entered the party hall. Eyes flew at us from all directions. Olbern reacted first among the group.
“Wow!”
She shouted energetically and scurried to a small table, stuffing a perfectly baked cookie into her mouth. Durel watched her for a moment before stepping forward.
“No host in sight, no servants announcing arrivals. Seems like a free-for-all party. No hostility either. Feels like a place to naturally build connections.”
“Sounds familiar to you?”
“Given my background...”
Durel speaking so confidently suggested no need for major tension. I strolled naturally, scanning the room. As my star-etched eyes swept the interior, countless mysteries flooded my mind.
Insight and analysis fired simultaneously. My overheating brain sparked a faint headache, dropping various tomes into the vast library of my mindscape. But it wasn't perfect. Without witnessing spells cast firsthand, these collected mysteries were mere half-formed theories.
“Greetings, Lady.”
At first, I thought the words weren't for me. Ignoring him, I picked up a cookie and ate it. Then a Dracain man in flashy attire approached me.
“Talking to me?”
“Who else would I mean, with you here?”
I glanced around at his words. Who else? Durel was here, Olbern too, and Sima. His attitude ignored my entire group, naturally furrowing my brow.
“What do you want?”
“Isn't it obvious why someone approaches at a party like this? To build rapport, of course.”
“Not interested...”
“I am Polores Arobe.”
Assessing Dracains' strength had been tricky when I first arrived in this city. But now? The man before me was weaker than Sima.
“Might I have the lady's name...?”
“Step aside. You're bothering my master.”
Before Arobe could finish, Sima blocked his path, unleashing his aura. Arobe stepped back at Sima's fierce scowl.
“A lowly bloodline dares interfere?”
“What? Lowly? You look weaker than me, and you're talking bloodlines?”
The mood turned hostile in seconds, yet no one intervened. Instead, they watched with thrilled expressions. This seemed routine for them.
'No one's stepping in...?'
I'd felt those gazes since entering the mansion, and they persisted here in the hall. Still watching, but not intervening yet. Perhaps the party's host wanted this.
As the guests buzzed, the tension thickened. With no one inclined to stop it, Arobe finally spun around, unable to hold back.
“Follow me. Today, I'll teach you the importance of bloodlines.”
Glance.
Sima turned to me at Arobe's words.
“Not like you to get worked up.”
“I don't get along with nobles...”
“Confident?”
“Of course.”
“Not picking fights with just anyone, right?”
“I know my place. And he insulted me first, didn't he?”
With such confidence, I saw no reason to intervene. I nodded, and Sima followed Arobe. He headed to a slightly secluded corner of the vast hall, where a square arena stood as if prepared for duels.
“So it really wasn't a normal party.”
“Nothing like this in Ber Kingdom?”
“No...”
Mid-conversation with Durel, Arobe mounted one end of the arena and pulled out a coin, shouting.
“We start when it hits the ground!”
“Hurry up.”
“You... don't expect to walk out intact...!”
Ting-!
The coin soared into the air, drawing all eyes to the arena. Moments passed, and as it clattered to the floor—Sima vanished. Thwack-! Arobe's body slammed into the arena's center.
Thud-!
Dust billowed, revealing Sima belatedly. Crimson crystal enveloped his right hand, stretching like wings behind his back. As he shook it off, the crystal shattered and slowly dispersed.