“So what are banquets like in this neighborhood? Do you like, dance around in circles? That’s what I saw in the movies back in my place . Or is it different, since it’s a completely new place?”
Both Isaac and Rivelia were unaccustomed to banquets filled with smiles, chats, drinks, and dances . Isaac never had anyone to invite him, while Rivelia prioritised her swordsmanship over the countless invitations she had received in the past .
“…”
“Hm? You don’t know?”
“I’ve never had any interest in banquets . ”
Rivelia, still mad about before, replied in a cold tone without even looking back .
“But you should still know the basics of dancing right?”
“I don’t . ”
“What a boring life you have . ”
Rivelia finally exploded, and Isaac quickly escaped her room .
Even so, one needed to be properly dressed when attending a noble’s banquet . But the two didn’t bring clothes fit for a banquet, considering that they’d come here on official business . That was when the branches of the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds doing business inside Wolfgang’s lands approached the troubled two and solved the issue .
It was unknown when they’d received word, but the guilds showcased hundreds of dresses designed specifically for occasions like this . The designer was greatly disappointed when Rivelia coldly rejected all of his recommendations, opting for a knight’s ceremonial uniform .
“So you chose that in the end?”
Isaac dashed his lips in disappointment and scanned Rivelia from top to bottom . Rivelia shivered and sent a sharp glare at Isaac, who in turn shrugged and averted his eyes elsewhere .
The banquet didn’t have the atmosphere Isaac expected, where nobles gathered and talked with a smile as people danced to music in the background . The entire banquet was filled with hairy men, with not a single woman in sight .
“It is an honour to see you . I am Rhineland . ”
“Nice to meet you . It is an honour to meet Sir Rhineland, who has risen in fame as ‘The Flash . ’”
“Oh! You know of my name!”
“Ahem! My name is Pount . ”
“Ah! The Knight of Destruction . Greetings!”
It was disgusting to see two middle aged men, one skinny and the other the size of a mountain, squirm their bodies because a girl around the same age as their daughters acknowledged them . But nobody else minded; they just wanted to get just a single word in with Rivelia .
Rivelia would have coldly cut them off if they were trying to make moves on her through whatever means, but the group only showed sincere respect and camaraderie to a fellow swordsman . She had no choice but to respond kindly to them, and when the greetings were over, a heated debate about swordsmanship was opened .
As fellow knights on the path to swordsmanship, they were eager to receive advice from Rivelia, who was by far ahead of them . The magic knights couldn’t join in the conversation, but they stayed around to sneak just a couple more glimpses at the famous Rivelia .
While everyone’s attention was on Rivelia, Isaac dragged a chair to the corner of the room and sipped his wine alone, wondering if he was looking at a banquet or a lecture on swordsmanship .
Rivelia gave brief and formal replies at first, but she soon got invested in the debate and continued it with a keen interest . Isaac clicked his tongue when the debate progressed to a sophisticated theory regarding the pros and cons of using a weapon that did not adhere to a typical body-to-weapon size ratio .
“Still so much to learn . ”
To be completely invested in a debate without thinking about identifying or at the very least be on guard against those suspected to be turncoats .
“Hm?”
Isaac continued to sip alone in perfect isolation, when he felt a familiar tugging on his feet . He looked down to see eye to eye with a girl he’d never seen before .
The cute child with chubby cheeks and sparkling eyes smiled brightly when their eyes met and put her finger on her mouth as she said ‘shh!’ . She then crawled under the chair .
“…”
While Isaac contemplated on how to react, a taller girl who seemed to be her elder sibling appeared with light footsteps .
“Found you! Now Julia is it!”
“Hinh!”
It seemed the two were playing a game of tag . The new girl tapped Julia’s butt and ran away, and Julia crawled out of the chair to chase her sister, circling the banquet . Isaac muttered as he watched the two children scream with joy, holding on the skirt of their well decorated dresses as they ran about .
“As usual, the children are so energetic . ”
“Kya!”
“Hueeeng!”
“Uaaang!”
The two chasing each other ran into Rivelia from behind . There was no way Rivelia would even budge at being hit by children, so the older girl was thrown onto the ground . She cried out of surprise, and Julia began crying with her .
“Oh dear . Lailia, Julia, you should have been careful . ”
Rivelia was stumped watching the two children cry in front of her, but Count Wolfgang soon appeared and picked up his two children . The two seemed to calm down in their father’s arms as they dug themselves deeper into his chest with a sob .
“I’m so sorry about this . ”
“Don’t be . It seems the children were quite surprised . ”
“Hahaha . It’s nothing . They are quite the energetic children . ”
While Rivelia accepted Count Wolfgang’s apologies, the knights took the moment to straighten their postures . How shameful, to be so invested in the lecture that they were completely unaware of their Lord’s presence .
Count Wolfgang put his children on the ground and introduced his wife who stood silently behind him .
“This is Elena, my wife . She said she needed to greet Lady Rivelia personally…”
Even before Count Wolfgang finished his words, Elena bowed as she grabbed at her skirt .
“I give you my greetings as a woman of Dorothy Family . ”
“Dorothy…”
Elena seemed to suspect what Rivelia was about to say, so she smiled and spoke .
“The branch family is free of that atmosphere, you see . ”
Rivelia nodded as if she understood now . Viscount Dorothy was a vassal family under Duke Pendleton . But usually, nobles under Pendleton line married each other . Well, they didn’t openly oppose anyone who decided to marry an outsider, but everyone tended to shun such a practice .
“Wow! It’s a pretty lady!”
“So pretty . ”
Both Laila and Julia looked up to Rivelia with their sparkling eyes, and Rivelia seemed uncomfortable . Count Wolfgang realised this and quickly changed the topic .
“Now, now . The meal is ready . Though this is cuisine from a rural region of the Western Provinces, our chef has taken great care in his work . I’m sure you’ll be satisfied . ”
The meal finished in a warm, friendly atmosphere . Rivelia seemed awkward with Laila and Julia, who stuck themselves to her calling ‘unni, unni’ . But there was a warm smile on Rivelia’s face, showing her liking to the children .
EDN: “Unni” is a very non-formal way to address an older girl in Korean, usually used between people who are familiar with each other . Just imagine two girls enamored by a star-studded older sister around .
This rare sight stole the feast’s spotlight immediately; no combat knight could avert their eyes from such a gentle sight, even when they had spent their entire lives hardening themselves with the sword . Count Wolfgang would cough to bring his knights back to their senses, but that was just a momentary interruption . On the other hand, Count Wolfgang and Elena smiled warmly as they looked at Rivelia and their two children .
“Wow! It’s as if I don’t even exist . This is the first time I’m feeling so sad . ”
Isaac muttered, sitting on his chair at the corner of the room . The curious eyes from a nearby servant seemed to ask why this man was even here .
The next day . After Count Wolfgang profusely apologized to them for his act of impropriety, Isaac and Rivelia left the castle and headed straight to the nearest airport .
Isaac looked down on the Wolfgang Castle from the observatory of the airship heading to New Port City with a cigar in his mouth . He then spoke to Rivelia, who was lost in her thoughts next to him .
“So, how was it?”
“About what?”
“I’m asking what your thoughts were after seeing Count Wolfgang and his knights, who are suspected demonic turncoats, in person . ”
“…”
Rivelia was on guard with all her senses on full alert at the thought that this could be her first contact with demons, even if she couldn’t identify them . But Count Wolfgang seemed nothing like a demon .
She met the combat knights who were suspected of turncoats, but all she received were overbearing stares of respect and awe . Not a single flicker of demonic power or hostility could be detected .
And thinking about the two adorable children and his wife, Rivelia began to think if Central’s information was wrong, but she quickly shook her head .
“This could be a scheme to hide their identity . The growth of Count Wolfgang has many suspicious points . ”
“If that’s what you really think, then you’re not much of a noble too . ”
Rivelia’s heart ached looking at Isaac’s disappointed face . Which brought an even greater urge to retaliate .
“It’s impossible for a mere Baron to expand his territory this large unless they’ve joined hands with turncoats . ”
Rivelia made her argument, but Isaac looked back with belittling eyes .
“How arrogant . ”
“Are you saying Central’s information was wrong?”
“Use the given information as reference, and only believe in what you’ve seen with your own eyes . Can’t you tell why I decided to move personally? Erase all your preconceptions and think . How would you rate Count Wolfgang from what you’ve seen alone?”
He was worthy to be a great lord . No doubt about it . A man so gifted that he would have founded a kingdom of his own if he was born in the days before the 7 Days of Calamity .
Although their meeting was short, she confirmed the infinite trust and affection he received from his subjects . Even the merchant employees that brought the dresses subtly mocked Marquis Lichten while praising Count Wolfgang, trying to put him in a positive light .
His vassals and subordinates swore respect and loyalty with their lives, while his soldiers were elites who would die with a smile for him .
It was a monument built not by magic that seduced someone, but built purely by his charms and dignity . Which made it all the more powerful and absolute .
But Rivelia shook her head . If she admitted this, that meant she didn’t trust Central’s information . Isaac witnessed Rivelia’s response and grinned .
“Alright . This is homework . Central said he’s a demon . But your answer was different right? Why? What’s the reason? Well, you’ll find out by the end of this mission, but do think about it until then . ”
Rivelia frowned in response to Isaac .
“I will request that Central open a second investigation . If we rely on Directorate of Analysis’ deep analysis, we will be able to deduce for certain if Count Wolfgang is related to demons . ”
“No . Reinvestigating is cheating . You must decide with the information given to you and what you saw with your eyes alone . ”
“But if the information is wrong…”
“What does that matter?”
“Sorry?”
“Whether the information is wrong or we’ve been tricked, the outcome has been decided now that I have moved . ”
“… What outcome are you talking about?”
“An outcome that will carve a message into your bones – that you have to be prepared if you want to use me . ”
“…”
The smile on Isaac’s face seemed sinister, which brought the two children of Wolfgang in Rivelia’s mind .
There was no need to visit Marquis Lichten . The single letter requesting a month’s delay to the war was accepted immediately .
Just like that, the war was delayed for a month, and Isaac being the reason was spread throughout the Empire . There were many rumors because of it, but Isaac’s position was beyond needing to care about the rampant conspiracy theories .
“They seem rather haphazard . ”
Isaac muttered as he looked at his soldiers ready for deployment . Isaac ordered Rizzly to give compensation to those that give up, but the rumours quickly spread and every man, woman and child began volunteering .
Infuriated, Cordnell announced only those who survived more than 3 days would be compensated . In truth, Cordnell was the real boss of New Port City, who was overshadowed only by Isaac and Rivelia .
“So what are banquets like in this neighborhood? Do you like, dance around in circles? That’s what I saw in the movies back in my place . Or is it different, since it’s a completely new place?”
Both Isaac and Rivelia were unaccustomed to banquets filled with smiles, chats, drinks, and dances . Isaac never had anyone to invite him, while Rivelia prioritised her swordsmanship over the countless invitations she had received in the past .
“…”
“Hm? You don’t know?”
“I’ve never had any interest in banquets . ”
Rivelia, still mad about before, replied in a cold tone without even looking back .
“But you should still know the basics of dancing right?”
“I don’t . ”
“What a boring life you have . ”
Rivelia finally exploded, and Isaac quickly escaped her room .
Even so, one needed to be properly dressed when attending a noble’s banquet . But the two didn’t bring clothes fit for a banquet, considering that they’d come here on official business . That was when the branches of the Seven Grand Merchant Guilds doing business inside Wolfgang’s lands approached the troubled two and solved the issue .
It was unknown when they’d received word, but the guilds showcased hundreds of dresses designed specifically for occasions like this . The designer was greatly disappointed when Rivelia coldly rejected all of his recommendations, opting for a knight’s ceremonial uniform .
“So you chose that in the end?”
Isaac dashed his lips in disappointment and scanned Rivelia from top to bottom . Rivelia shivered and sent a sharp glare at Isaac, who in turn shrugged and averted his eyes elsewhere .
The banquet didn’t have the atmosphere Isaac expected, where nobles gathered and talked with a smile as people danced to music in the background . The entire banquet was filled with hairy men, with not a single woman in sight .
“It is an honour to see you . I am Rhineland . ”
“Nice to meet you . It is an honour to meet Sir Rhineland, who has risen in fame as ‘The Flash . ’”
“Oh! You know of my name!”
“Ahem! My name is Pount . ”
“Ah! The Knight of Destruction . Greetings!”
It was disgusting to see two middle aged men, one skinny and the other the size of a mountain, squirm their bodies because a girl around the same age as their daughters acknowledged them . But nobody else minded; they just wanted to get just a single word in with Rivelia .
Rivelia would have coldly cut them off if they were trying to make moves on her through whatever means, but the group only showed sincere respect and camaraderie to a fellow swordsman . She had no choice but to respond kindly to them, and when the greetings were over, a heated debate about swordsmanship was opened .
As fellow knights on the path to swordsmanship, they were eager to receive advice from Rivelia, who was by far ahead of them . The magic knights couldn’t join in the conversation, but they stayed around to sneak just a couple more glimpses at the famous Rivelia .
While everyone’s attention was on Rivelia, Isaac dragged a chair to the corner of the room and sipped his wine alone, wondering if he was looking at a banquet or a lecture on swordsmanship .
Rivelia gave brief and formal replies at first, but she soon got invested in the debate and continued it with a keen interest . Isaac clicked his tongue when the debate progressed to a sophisticated theory regarding the pros and cons of using a weapon that did not adhere to a typical body-to-weapon size ratio .
“Still so much to learn . ”
To be completely invested in a debate without thinking about identifying or at the very least be on guard against those suspected to be turncoats .
“Hm?”
Isaac continued to sip alone in perfect isolation, when he felt a familiar tugging on his feet . He looked down to see eye to eye with a girl he’d never seen before .
The cute child with chubby cheeks and sparkling eyes smiled brightly when their eyes met and put her finger on her mouth as she said ‘shh!’ . She then crawled under the chair .
“…”
While Isaac contemplated on how to react, a taller girl who seemed to be her elder sibling appeared with light footsteps .
“Found you! Now Julia is it!”
“Hinh!”
It seemed the two were playing a game of tag . The new girl tapped Julia’s butt and ran away, and Julia crawled out of the chair to chase her sister, circling the banquet . Isaac muttered as he watched the two children scream with joy, holding on the skirt of their well decorated dresses as they ran about .
“As usual, the children are so energetic . ”
“Kya!”
“Hueeeng!”
“Uaaang!”
The two chasing each other ran into Rivelia from behind . There was no way Rivelia would even budge at being hit by children, so the older girl was thrown onto the ground . She cried out of surprise, and Julia began crying with her .
“Oh dear . Lailia, Julia, you should have been careful . ”
Rivelia was stumped watching the two children cry in front of her, but Count Wolfgang soon appeared and picked up his two children . The two seemed to calm down in their father’s arms as they dug themselves deeper into his chest with a sob .
“I’m so sorry about this . ”
“Don’t be . It seems the children were quite surprised . ”
“Hahaha . It’s nothing . They are quite the energetic children . ”
While Rivelia accepted Count Wolfgang’s apologies, the knights took the moment to straighten their postures . How shameful, to be so invested in the lecture that they were completely unaware of their Lord’s presence .
Count Wolfgang put his children on the ground and introduced his wife who stood silently behind him .
“This is Elena, my wife . She said she needed to greet Lady Rivelia personally…”
Even before Count Wolfgang finished his words, Elena bowed as she grabbed at her skirt .
“I give you my greetings as a woman of Dorothy Family . ”
“Dorothy…”
Elena seemed to suspect what Rivelia was about to say, so she smiled and spoke .
“The branch family is free of that atmosphere, you see . ”
Rivelia nodded as if she understood now . Viscount Dorothy was a vassal family under Duke Pendleton . But usually, nobles under Pendleton line married each other . Well, they didn’t openly oppose anyone who decided to marry an outsider, but everyone tended to shun such a practice .
“Wow! It’s a pretty lady!”
“So pretty . ”
Both Laila and Julia looked up to Rivelia with their sparkling eyes, and Rivelia seemed uncomfortable . Count Wolfgang realised this and quickly changed the topic .
“Now, now . The meal is ready . Though this is cuisine from a rural region of the Western Provinces, our chef has taken great care in his work . I’m sure you’ll be satisfied . ”
The meal finished in a warm, friendly atmosphere . Rivelia seemed awkward with Laila and Julia, who stuck themselves to her calling ‘unni, unni’ . But there was a warm smile on Rivelia’s face, showing her liking to the children .
EDN: “Unni” is a very non-formal way to address an older girl in Korean, usually used between people who are familiar with each other . Just imagine two girls enamored by a star-studded older sister around .
This rare sight stole the feast’s spotlight immediately; no combat knight could avert their eyes from such a gentle sight, even when they had spent their entire lives hardening themselves with the sword . Count Wolfgang would cough to bring his knights back to their senses, but that was just a momentary interruption . On the other hand, Count Wolfgang and Elena smiled warmly as they looked at Rivelia and their two children .
“Wow! It’s as if I don’t even exist . This is the first time I’m feeling so sad . ”
Isaac muttered, sitting on his chair at the corner of the room . The curious eyes from a nearby servant seemed to ask why this man was even here .
The next day . After Count Wolfgang profusely apologized to them for his act of impropriety, Isaac and Rivelia left the castle and headed straight to the nearest airport .
Isaac looked down on the Wolfgang Castle from the observatory of the airship heading to New Port City with a cigar in his mouth . He then spoke to Rivelia, who was lost in her thoughts next to him .
“So, how was it?”
“About what?”
“I’m asking what your thoughts were after seeing Count Wolfgang and his knights, who are suspected demonic turncoats, in person . ”
“…”
Rivelia was on guard with all her senses on full alert at the thought that this could be her first contact with demons, even if she couldn’t identify them . But Count Wolfgang seemed nothing like a demon .
She met the combat knights who were suspected of turncoats, but all she received were overbearing stares of respect and awe . Not a single flicker of demonic power or hostility could be detected .
And thinking about the two adorable children and his wife, Rivelia began to think if Central’s information was wrong, but she quickly shook her head .
“This could be a scheme to hide their identity . The growth of Count Wolfgang has many suspicious points . ”
“If that’s what you really think, then you’re not much of a noble too . ”
Rivelia’s heart ached looking at Isaac’s disappointed face . Which brought an even greater urge to retaliate .
“It’s impossible for a mere Baron to expand his territory this large unless they’ve joined hands with turncoats . ”
Rivelia made her argument, but Isaac looked back with belittling eyes .
“How arrogant . ”
“Are you saying Central’s information was wrong?”
“Use the given information as reference, and only believe in what you’ve seen with your own eyes . Can’t you tell why I decided to move personally? Erase all your preconceptions and think . How would you rate Count Wolfgang from what you’ve seen alone?”
He was worthy to be a great lord . No doubt about it . A man so gifted that he would have founded a kingdom of his own if he was born in the days before the 7 Days of Calamity .
Although their meeting was short, she confirmed the infinite trust and affection he received from his subjects . Even the merchant employees that brought the dresses subtly mocked Marquis Lichten while praising Count Wolfgang, trying to put him in a positive light .
His vassals and subordinates swore respect and loyalty with their lives, while his soldiers were elites who would die with a smile for him .
It was a monument built not by magic that seduced someone, but built purely by his charms and dignity . Which made it all the more powerful and absolute .
But Rivelia shook her head . If she admitted this, that meant she didn’t trust Central’s information . Isaac witnessed Rivelia’s response and grinned .
“Alright . This is homework . Central said he’s a demon . But your answer was different right? Why? What’s the reason? Well, you’ll find out by the end of this mission, but do think about it until then . ”
Rivelia frowned in response to Isaac .
“I will request that Central open a second investigation . If we rely on Directorate of Analysis’ deep analysis, we will be able to deduce for certain if Count Wolfgang is related to demons . ”
“No . Reinvestigating is cheating . You must decide with the information given to you and what you saw with your eyes alone . ”
“But if the information is wrong…”
“What does that matter?”
“Sorry?”
“Whether the information is wrong or we’ve been tricked, the outcome has been decided now that I have moved . ”
“… What outcome are you talking about?”
“An outcome that will carve a message into your bones – that you have to be prepared if you want to use me . ”
“…”
The smile on Isaac’s face seemed sinister, which brought the two children of Wolfgang in Rivelia’s mind .
There was no need to visit Marquis Lichten . The single letter requesting a month’s delay to the war was accepted immediately .
Just like that, the war was delayed for a month, and Isaac being the reason was spread throughout the Empire . There were many rumors because of it, but Isaac’s position was beyond needing to care about the rampant conspiracy theories .
“They seem rather haphazard . ”
Isaac muttered as he looked at his soldiers ready for deployment . Isaac ordered Rizzly to give compensation to those that give up, but the rumours quickly spread and every man, woman and child began volunteering .
Infuriated, Cordnell announced only those who survived more than 3 days would be compensated . In truth, Cordnell was the real boss of New Port City, who was overshadowed only by Isaac and Rivelia .
