Chapter 31
I didn't take a single sip from my wine glass and instead poured it over the balcony where no one was around.
My mind was creating various excuses.
Self-justifications like, "This wasn't for me" or "I preferred being alone."
I lied about feeling sick from accidentally drinking too much and left those noble young ladies in the banquet hall.
I had to admit it in the end. I had run away.
I looked over the tailcoat I was wearing. Though it was said to be custom-made for me, it felt ill-fitting and suffocating.
These people had lived in a completely different environment from me from the start.
When I was eating oatmeal meant for livestock, they were dining on lamb and honey wine.
I wondered if there could be any common interests between us, or if we could really have a conversation and find common ground.
"Why are you alone out here? You've been given a rare opportunity."
I turned around to see Silveryn walking towards me on the darkened balcony.
"Teacher."
"From the looks of it, you won't have to worry about being embarrassed for not finding a partner at the ball."
Is she mocking me with sarcasm?
"Is that because I’m alone right now?"
"No, it's because I saw the faces of the girls you left behind. They looked devastated. You're already going around stabbing girls in the heart."
"..."
For some reason, Silveryn seemed to be in a good mood.
"What's the problem, my disciple? Are your standards too high to be satisfied? Or is there another girl you like?"
Living with Silveryn had indeed raised my standards presumptuously, but that wasn't the problem.
"Those girls think I'm some kind of prince."
I showed her the palm of my right hand.
"They think these calluses came from training in a prestigious family and wielding some great treasured sword. In reality, they're from hammering away in a workshop covered in iron filings."
Silveryn came closer to me. She also poured out the contents of her glass over the balcony railing.
"They're caught up in a fantasy and only see me for what I am on the outside. I don't really want to play along with that. It's not my true self, is it?"
"Human relationships are like a masquerade ball in general. Even more so for nobles. If they see you as a prince, just play the prince role a bit and mingle appropriately."
"I'm not sure if that would be meaningful."
Silveryn spoke as if admonishing me, "You don't need to look for meaning from the start. And do you think wearing a mask has no meaning?"
"..."
I couldn't answer Silveryn's sudden question.
"Those girls have probably been used to getting attention and courtship from men all their lives. When they put aside their pride to approach someone, how do you think they feel when this happens?"
"...Will they come to dislike me?"
"Maybe not now, but if they feel they're not getting anything in return for the attention and affection they've poured out, they might start to resent you at some point."
"..."
"The attention of women is a double-edged sword. Treat them moderately without leaning too much to one side. Even that much will make them your allies."
How those young ladies thought of me had no impact on me whatsoever. I had to leave anyway, and even if I maintain good relationships here, it would be difficult to even exchange a single greeting once I went to the academy.
What was important to me was Silveryn.
Suddenly, a question arose.
Is Silveryn herself included in the "women" she mentioned?
"And the Knight Order wants to sponsor you."
"Suddenly?"
"Yes, they say they'll support you every semester. It could be in the form of money or herbs you need. The point is they’ll help you get anything they need."
It probably wouldn't be given for free.
"What's the catch?"
"They want you to attend this social gathering every year."
The reward was quite generous compared to the effort of coming once a year.
"What do you think, teacher?"
"Take it if you're confident you can keep the promise. It shouldn't be too difficult since you just need to come down and attend once during the holidays. Having noble connections could be beneficial for you in many ways."
There wasn’t much to lose.
If Silveryn said so, there was no reason to refuse.
***
Silveryn said she was sick of the crowds and went into the VIP room assigned to her.
No one could say anything even if she went in with such an excuse.
I was still in a position where I had to be mindful of the nobles.
I was thrown back into the banquet hall alone.
Nancy and Bologna brightened up when I returned.
I decided to follow Silveryn's advice exactly.
And they seemed to have noticed that I was averse to dancing, so they didn't force it.
They were trying to please me.
As we slowly walked on the grass of the training ground, they bombarded me with various questions.
"How did you meet Lady Silveryn?"
"When did you start learning swordsmanship?"
"Tell us about the ghoul subjugation."
I made up answers, mixing in some lies.
They listened attentively to my stories, reacting politely.
The topic of conversation gradually flowed toward swordsmanship, and I struggled to answer their questions.
I hardly knew anything about swordsmanship myself.
Bologna pointed to a corner of the training ground where a crowd had gathered.
People were surrounding one spot in a circle as if there was some spectacle.
Occasional exclamations and applause burst out.
"Would you like to go take a look?"
***
A small tournament was being held in one part of the training ground.
As this was a social gathering hosted by the Knight Order, duels were their greatest entertainment and spectacle.
In the center of the crowd, two men had taken off their outer clothes and were fiercely fighting with wooden swords, their white shirts and pants rolled up.
The crowd gasped with every exchange of swords.
The dueling knights had smiles on their faces, and the audience was enjoying it lightly.
After several exchanges between the knights, one knight's wooden sword flew away, unable to withstand a strong hit.
The crowd cheered, and applause followed.
"Julian's third consecutive win!"
Felix stood among the crowd, glaring at a boy on the opposite side.
He hadn't noticed Felix's presence at all. There was a familiar face next to him.
Nancy had shown interest in Felix, but as soon as Damian arrived at the social gathering, she immediately clung to him.
Now, she didn't even glance at Felix.
To him, Damian was an unwelcome guest. This social gathering was for the Knight Order and its knights. Yet someone who wasn't even part of the Knight Order was acting like the main character at this event, riding on his teacher's coattails.
You don't deserve to be here.
Felix had explained to Nancy how much of a fraud Damian was.
After investigating the traces in the basement where the ghouls were subjugated, he found that Damian's swordsmanship skills were a sham, and he was pretending to be a sword genius while catching ghouls with the power of an enchanted sword received from his teacher.
Nancy had seemed to believe Felix's story when she heard it, but it seemed she had been thinking differently inside.
Now, she was talking excitedly with Damian, shoulder to shoulder.
Felix gritted his teeth.
He just needed to prove he was right here.
In a knight's way.
"Next challenger!"
As the man in charge of proceedings shouted, Felix entered the arena and picked up a wooden sword from the ground.
Felix stood in front of Julian, who had won three consecutive matches.
This was a wooden sword duel, meaning it was different from a real sword match. Getting hit by a wooden sword would only leave bruises, not serious injuries.
For Felix, with his build and stamina, it was a match he could end by overpowering his opponent.
The match began.
After a brief probing phase, Felix thrust his body forward.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
Felix recklessly struck down Julian's wooden sword.
Julian's wooden sword hit Felix's body, but he didn't even feel it.
Some in the crowd cheered at this overwhelming display, while others sighed.
"Take it easy, damn it."
In the end, Julian acknowledged defeat and put down his sword.
"Felix wins!"
Lukewarm applause spread through the crowd.
"Any challengers?"
Because Felix had shown such an overwhelming performance using his build and strength, no one stepped forward.
In the quiet training ground, the crowd's gaze suddenly focused on one spot.
Soon, people began to part around a boy.
At the center of this parting stood Damian, Nancy, and Bologna.
They had been there all along, but because the crowd parted as if they had come for the duel, it naturally created a situation where the next challenger had appeared.
Soon, murmurs covered the training ground.
Everyone in the crowd seemed to be expecting something from him.
Damian looked troubled. He hesitated for a moment but eventually entered the arena, unable to resist the crowd's gaze.
Felix smiled inwardly. Things were going as he wanted.
He was a head taller than Damian.
He had a clear advantage in weight, and because it was a wooden sword duel, Damian couldn't use his main weapon, the enchanted sword.
Now, all that remained was for Damian's sham swordsmanship to be exposed.
The murmuring in the crowd gradually grew louder.
"Just a moment!"
"Let us watch!"
News of Damian, Silveryn's disciple, participating in the duel spread instantly, and those enjoying the party set aside what they were doing and crowded around the dueling area.
In an instant, the number of spectators had nearly tripled.
Everyone was watching with sparkling eyes, expecting to see what skills Damian would show.
Seeing the crowd gather, the man in charge of proceedings slightly changed the rules of the duel.
"Alright, the rules of the duel are best of five!"
He, too, seemed to think it would be a waste to end it in a single match.
Damian picked up the wooden sword from the ground and briefly checked its condition.
Felix snorted at this sight.
What are you going to do by looking at that?
After taking off his tailcoat and handing it to Nancy, all his preparations were complete. Damian finally faced Felix and took his stance.