Chapter 66: A Night of Celebration at the Tavern
In one of the largest taverns in the capital of the Kingdom of Holfort, a massive crowd of students was drinking and celebrating their admission to the academy. Almost everyone present was a noble—more precisely, the offspring of barons. Nobles from more prestigious families, such as viscounts, counts, marquises, and earls, preferred not to mingle with barons, considering them little more than commoners with slightly larger farms.
However, among the lively crowd filling the tavern, there was a single viscount who stood at the center of attention, surrounded by all these young nobles. More than that, he was the very reason for their celebration.
This viscount was none other than Leon Bartfort—the Hero and a figure revered among barons as their Savior. He had freed them from the rule of women from the Forest of Ladies, and ever since, every future baron saw him as their ally. This situation raised concerns among certain factions, including the royal family. However, since Leon's actions ultimately benefited the kingdom, and he even shared part of his spoils with the royal family, the monarchy soon stopped seeing him as a threat. The same could not be said for other factions—some openly opposed him, while others, such as House Redgrave and House Roseblade, sought to form alliances with him.
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The tavern was alive with noise and merriment. Young nobles were drinking, talking loudly, and some were already swaying, having had too much to drink.
Among them was Leon himself... who was barely holding himself back from rushing to the restroom. He already felt nauseous.
"Why am I even here...?" he thought in despair, grimacing.
Not only had he been dragged to this celebration, but he had also been forced to drink! Neither the first Leon nor the second one had ever enjoyed alcohol, and now his stomach was in absolute turmoil.
His gaze swept across the excited students surrounding him. They laughed, cheered, and raised their glasses in his honor. Leon gave them a weak nod, doing his best to ignore the growing nausea.
"If I had known that popularity would lead to this, I would have done all my heroic deeds while wearing a mask!" he thought bitterly.
But then...