Chapter 46: Pretending To Be Diamond
"Diamond Rank..."
"So that’s one of the ranks above ours..."
Knight Handrid lowered his sword and allowed it to disappear.
The two men wore looks of astonishment. They struggled to fathom the strength of the man standing before them.
They didn’t even notice that their wives were looking at the human with admiration in their eyes.
Meanwhile, Kalon continued to play it cool.
He stepped over to a table in the room and poured himself a glass of wine from a decanter.
It was orange, with bits of fruit floating inside.
As he took a sip, a wide smile spread across his face.
Delicious!
Josinia watched the whole ordeal with a smile and sat back in her chair. She found it admirable how effortlessly Kalon had taken control of the situation.
「Josinia +10 Seduction」
Seduction Stage Four: 60%
「Vhariella +0.5 Seduction」
Seduction Stage One: 0.5%
「Bethaniu +0.75 Seduction」
Seduction Stage One: 0.75%
Woah, slow your roll, System. I have no intention of seducing their wives.
「Apologies, Host, but I do not make the rules. I simply document what goes on in the minds of others.」
...
"Sir Kalon, if it’s not a bother, could you tell us the rank above Gold?" Lionedis suddenly asked in a respectful tone.
"Sir...?" Kalon repeated.
"Yes. It is the proper title to use for someone who is our superior."
...
Is it really that easy here?
Also... don’t you already know the ranks?
「Space Seducer System Tip!」
[On Venduros, the highest rank ever reached is High Gold.]
This was new information.
It also put him in an advantageous position.
Kalon took another sip of the wine before speaking.
"After High Gold comes Platinum, and then Diamond."
The two knights’ eyes widened.
They quietly repeated the words under their breaths.
"Are you sure?" Handrid asked, struggling to believe they were being given this knowledge so freely.
"Positive. I’ve seen it myself, after all."
"Is it common to reach those ranks on Earth?" Lionedis followed up.
"Yes. And even higher."
"H-Higher?!" the two knights exclaimed in unison.
They desperately wanted to ask about the ranks above Diamond, but they held themselves back.
After all, even Kalon didn’t know what came after that.
Instead, he decided to take control of the conversation.
He refilled his glass from the decanter before walking over to Josinia and sitting beside her.
Then he casually draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as though she were his partner.
The four Vendurions stared at him in surprise.
Josinia’s cheeks deepened to a darker shade of purple.
「Josinia +5 Seduction」
Seduction Stage Four: 65%
「Space Seducer System Appraisal!」
[Good move, Host. Josinia loves it when men show public affection toward her!]
"Come on. Let’s drink and talk. I’m sure you have plenty of questions about me... and Earth."
The two knights remained standing for a moment, exchanging uncertain glances.
Kalon shrugged.
"Don’t be afraid. We’re all enemies of the Empire, and we’re all friends of Josinia. Let that unite us today."
His words seemed to win them over.
The knights were still somewhat on edge, but that was understandable. They believed they were in the presence of an alien who was vastly stronger and more knowledgeable than themselves.
Eventually, they sat down and finished their drinks in an attempt to calm their nerves.
...
The night was awkward at first.
That was only natural. Meeting an intelligent alien species for the first time would throw anyone off.
Eventually, however, the conversation began to flow as they realized humans and Vendurions had far more in common than they had expected.
On top of that, everyone except Kalon had become pleasantly tipsy from the wine. Humans had a much higher alcohol tolerance.
Questions came at him from every direction.
He only answered some of them.
If he revealed everything he knew about Earth, he wouldn’t have much to talk about in the future. Right now, much of their fascination with him came from the knowledge he possessed.
The main topic became the lack of dangerous creatures on Earth, since humanity had eliminated nearly every major threat centuries ago.
Now, people focused almost entirely on entertainment.
Kalon told them he was a professional fighter.
They admitted they would be honored to watch him compete one day.
Not entirely sure how that would work, Kalon simply told them he’d see what he could do.
Eventually, the conversation shifted to the Resistance and the civil war against the Empire.
It seemed they were preparing for a major battle. The Empire was expected to lay siege to the city.
No one knew exactly when it would happen, but they were convinced it would be soon.
Kalon understood why they were telling him.
They hoped he might help.
He didn’t tell them whether he would or wouldn’t.
The evening ended with Handrid becoming drunk enough to ask Kalon if he would demonstrate his strongest skill in the garden.
Lionedis punched his fellow knight on the shoulder.
"Fool! Sir Kalon needs to keep his existence a secret for now. Besides, it’s disrespectful to ask something like that."
Handrid’s expression turned worried.
"I’m sorry. The wine is making me act strangely. I only thought..."
Kalon waved a hand, cutting him off with a laugh.
"I’m not offended. Trust me. The next time we meet, I promise I’ll show you."
The two knights turned to their wives.
"When can we have dinner with Josinia again?" they asked in unison.
Their wives tilted their heads.
"Earlier, you wanted to stay home. Now you’re asking when you can come back."
"That’s men for you..."
...
Eventually, Kalon and Josinia said goodbye to the two couples and showed them out.
The knights swore an oath not to reveal Kalon’s identity unless he gave them permission.
It was the same oath they had sworn to the Resistance, so Kalon trusted that they would honor it.
Afterward, Kalon was left alone in the room with Josinia.
He let out a deep sigh and flopped onto the sofa.
"That," he said after a pause, "was more exhausting than a sanctioned fight."