Chapter 141 : Chapter 141
Chapter 141
“Martin! You’re amazing!”
A single girl clapped her hands together for the boy she loved, spreading courage with her enthusiasm.
It was Luri. From beyond the Emperor’s Gate, she clapped with such fervor it seemed her palms might break. I looked at her, and this time, I couldn’t help but be astonished.
And then—
Clapping sounds followed from nearby. Princess Adela, dressed in a softly glowing golden dress, clapped rhythmically—clap, clap, clap—while gazing at me.
Then, Prince Kazaks’ faction and the protagonist’s party joined in, all of them.
“Heh heh heh.”
Soon, even the Emperor raised his hands and began to clap.
…Clap.
Clap clap.
Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap.
The sound of applause filled the banquet hall like a flock of migratory birds taking flight. There were no cheers, but it was enough. The atmosphere was created by the courage of a single person.
Of course, there were still quite a few people standing with their arms crossed heavily.
But what did they matter?
There were people looking at me.
People clapping for me.
That was enough.
I felt my sinking mood lift just a little.
There was a seat at the round table with my name written on it. It wasn’t right next to the Emperor or directly across from him, just an ordinary seat. As I took my place, the applause died down.
Then, the next person’s entrance began.
Luri, in a pink dress, Elisha in a red dress, followed by Bord, Mary, Muller, Shuga… and then Prince Kazaks and Princess Adela, who couldn’t seem to yield to each other, entered together.
Naturally, the banquet hall erupted with cheers and applause loud enough to shake the walls.
Once all the heroes of the Fog Island conquest were seated, the Emperor finally rose from his throne.
‘…!’
I saw the Emperor stumble. It was just a slight movement of his feet, but it was unmistakably an attempt to regain his balance.
Wild Instinct assured me of it, so there was no doubt. That skill might chatter nonsense often, but it wasn’t one to lie.
‘Is his condition worsening…?’
The current Emperor, who had led the Imperium Empire to its golden age, had been enduring a dire illness like a tenacious weed, only to collapse all at once, unable to rise from his sickbed.
That moment might not be far off.
“Dear jewels of the continent,”
The Emperor’s voice rang out, his golden eyes flashing. A golden aura spread in all directions, filling the banquet hall.
“Today, we, humanity, can proudly declare that we have taken one step further in our progress.”
Everyone was overwhelmed by the Emperor’s presence.
“Do you all remember the fall of the Cosmos Empire?”
Gilbert flinched.
“To protect ourselves from the vast, numerous, and indiscriminate Time Chaos Dungeons, humanity had no choice but to unite. When the Humanity Alliance was formed, what was the first thing we did? Was it not planting a single tree? We gathered the world’s greatest talents and entrusted their education to the finest teachers to prepare for the future. Behold, today’s Academy has finally proven that our past selves were not mistaken.”
The young nobles just entering high society, the spirited young aristocrats, and the wise elders all listened intently to the Emperor’s words.
“Fog Island was a land ruled by the World Tree, who has protected the world from distant eons. Reflect on humanity’s history. The Great Famine, alien invasions, the descent of the Demon King. In countless calamities, the World Tree always aided us. But did we repay that grace? When Fog Island was eroded by the calamity of the Time Chaos Dungeon, what did we do? We merely wallowed in grief. Seventy years ago, after the Platinum Knight and twenty Gold Knights failed to conquer it, we sealed it away as if forever.”
The Emperor’s speech was so powerful and wise that it was hard to imagine it came from an ailing old man.
“But! The tide has turned! Have you all heard the trumpets of triumph?! Fog Island, occupied by evil for a century, has finally been liberated! The revival of the World Tree resounds across the continent! Demons tremble in fear! Our continent has at last reclaimed the Mother of Life and her paradise! Who achieved this? None other than the proud knights, young cadets though they are, who bear the spirit of heroes!”
The Emperor raised his goblet. The golden goblet was filled with pure white wine.
Following the Emperor, everyone in the banquet hall raised their goblets, each filled with the same white wine.
“Now! Let us commemorate this with this wine!”
It was the most precious wine on the continent, said to ward off illness for those who drank it—a medicinal elixir. Brewed solely from the rare grapes of Fog Island, it was practically a discontinued item.
Consuming such a precious white wine in large quantities signified the liberation of Fog Island.
“For the six heroes and the Mother of Life!”
The Emperor drank first.
“For the Mother of Life!”
“For the liberation of Fog Island!”
The nobles in the grand banquet hall raised their goblets and drank. Luri did the same, as did Adela.
I, too, raised my goblet and drank the white wine. It was truly sweet and fragrant… a heavenly taste I might never experience again.
“Now!”
The Emperor set down his goblet and declared,
“Let the banquet officially begin! Enjoy yourselves, everyone!”
The Emperor announced the start of the festivities. The orchestra began playing the triumphant waltz, and beautiful lights focused on the center of the grand banquet hall.
Couples holding hands stepped forward. Parents and children, teachers and students, moved to the center, dancing to the gentle melody.
‘I don’t really need to dance.’
Was it worth investing points in the ‘Dance’ skill? Absolutely not.
“Lord Harmadun!”
“Look this way, Lord Anette!”
“Lord Mary! I request a dance with you!”
“Lord Lina! You are beautiful!”
Looking below the round table, I saw young noble heirs reaching out toward the heroes seated at the Emperor’s table.
“Lord Gilbert! Please look this way!”
“Please, Lord Bord, grant me your favor.”
Young ladies adorned with beautiful jewels and dresses were no different.
They all longed for the honor and dance with the young heroes who had advanced humanity. Yes, honor. That was why we were called ‘Lord.’
“Ah, I, um, Lord Gilbert!”
“Alright, Mary. Let’s dance.”
I was free, but the heirs of the Four Great Ducal Families had to fulfill their duties by dancing. They were objects of admiration for many young lords and ladies.
The most popular among them was the female knight with the red bow.
“Lady Harmadun!”
“Oh, beautiful Lord Elisha! Dance with me!”
The object of admiration, dressed in a passionate red dress, didn’t reach out to the men below but instead extended her hand to the shield knight seated at the same round table.
“Lord Bord, will you dance with me?”
Bord grinned playfully.
“Of course, Lord Elisha!”
Mary danced with Gilbert, Elisha with Bord, Shuga with Muller. Prince Kazaks and Princess Adela remained seated at the round table, overlooking the banquet hall.
‘The tradition of the Empire.’
Those who carried the blood of the Imperial Family were expected to step back and observe the whole rather than participate in the banquet.
‘No one will ask me to dance…’
I didn’t want to stay in the spotlight forever. Just as I was about to step down—
“Um, valiant knight.”
I turned my head… and saw Luri, in her pink dress, smiling shyly.
“Would you… dance with me?”
Seeing her trembling hand slowly extended, a thousand thoughts raced through my mind, but… I couldn’t refuse Luri’s request.
“Yes.”
I took her outstretched hand. Luri’s expression lit up as if she had gained the whole world.
“Tch.”
I heard Princess Adela click her tongue behind me, but what could I do? Holding Luri’s hand, I headed down to the central stage, the focus of all attention.
“Um, Martin.”
“Yes.”
“Sorry for asking late, but… do you know how to dance?”
“No.”
It’s better to be upfront about these things to avoid trouble later.
“Heehee, I’m not that great at dancing either.”
Upon arriving at the central stage, I first observed my surroundings. Fresh-faced couples held one hand together while placing the other on each other’s waist or back, stepping in time. It was clearly a beginner-friendly pace.
‘So that’s how it’s done.’
The waltz music playing was a popular tune suitable for both fast and slow dances, so it didn’t matter. For someone like me with no expertise in dancing, this was just right.
Know-It-All (Lv 4) says this is a dance suitable for beginners. It has perfectly memorized the dance moves.
Movement (Lv 10) is ready. It will perform the most perfect physical motions in the world.
Looking at Luri, she seemed ready and looked back at me. We raised one hand and clasped them together. Luri’s other hand rested on my back, and mine supported her waist. The height difference was stark, but we managed to make it work.
It was almost like a delicate beauty dancing with a rugged beast, wasn’t it?
Following the waltz’s melody, we plunged into the world of dance.
Wild Instinct (Lv 4) is astonished.
‘Urgh…?!’
Luri suddenly pulled me close. From the start, she spun me around once, then pulled and released my hand, overwhelming me with dizzying speed.
Movement (Lv 10) is confused, saying this isn’t in the script!
Know-It-All (Lv 4) hurriedly analyzes Luri’s dance!
‘Ugh, what strength?!’
My body was being manipulated like a rag doll. This wasn’t fair, I thought, but the moment I looked at Luri, I gave up on protesting. Her face was flushed red, and she seemed completely lost in the moment, as if nothing else existed. Sparks were practically flying around her.
I hurriedly followed Movement to keep up with the steps.
‘Is this it?!’
Following the dance moves Know-It-All provided, Movement guided my body.
“Oh my, look over there.”
“Hmm…”
“Hm. Luri of the Elidore and…”
“Princess’s Black Knight, Martin.”
Our dance couldn’t be called artistic even as flattery.
But it looked dynamic and powerful. We moved our steps as if performing a choreographed cheer to the music. Sparks emanating from Luri’s entire body enveloped us, creating a visually striking scene at every moment.
“Ho.”
“Hm, a dance befitting young heroes.”
“It lacks refinement but overflows with vitality.”
Surprisingly, we received decent praise.
When the waltz ended, we immediately stepped off the stage. Luri’s cheeks were still flushed. It’s awkward to say, but she looked like a girl in love… I couldn’t just let it slide, so I said something.
“Lord Luri, didn’t you say you weren’t good at dancing…?”
“Ah! Well, so I tried to imitate the coolest dance!”
“Uh… why?”
“I thought if I followed the coolest moves, even if I messed up, it’d still be worth watching!”
Somehow, I felt I understood Luri a bit better.
“Phew, I-I need to rest, Martin. My body’s burning…”
As Luri staggered out to the terrace, I headed to the drink corner I’d scoped out earlier.
Grilling or frying meat on the spot wouldn’t suit a banquet, but squeezing fresh juice and mixing cocktails was apparently considered cultured.
‘Unexpected.’
There was a coffee corner too, but it looked particularly unpopular. In that sense, it suited me perfectly.
“W-Welcome! Oh, Black Knight!”
The barista was visibly nervous.
“One Einspänner.”
“Y-Yes, yes! One Einspänner coming up.”
The barista prepared the coffee, but the skill was… lacking. The coffee wagon was far better.
‘Still.’
The nostalgic aroma alone was enough to put my mind at ease.