EP6. The Night Before the Storm (2)
A few hours before the banquet, two men were talking in the office.
“What does that mean?”
“It is literally. Those children don’t know what variables they will act on each other. It’s just easier for both of us to exclude them altogether.”
“But.”
“I’ve already talked to Dordan. Accepted that too. He seems to have judged that they had no chance of being on his side.”
“·······.”
“Hector, do you have a crush on the little ones you’ve only known for a week?”
Even at Dios’s words, Hector remained silent.
“Know that. Take a good rest at the banquet, it will be soon.”
Dios leaves first. For a while, Hector stood still for a while.
***
Shaun kept twisting and turning in a mess.
It’s because the clothes I’ve been wearing for the first time in my life don’t fit my body.
Of course, since the majority of non-nobles at the banquet were commoners, it wasn’t formal, but it’s good to pay attention to basic attire.
At Shriegel’s recommendation to try on the clothes, Sean and Levy couldn’t refuse much, and they were putting on clothes and dressing up like this.
Fortunately, the man didn’t take that long, so Sean was waiting for Levy after dressing up.
The door to the room Levy entered slowly opened after waiting for a while.
And then Levy shyly showed up to Shawn.
“How are you Sean?”
Shaun suddenly remembered having had these similar feelings before.
Yes. When Uncle Paul put on the hairpin he had given Levi as a gift and looked back at himself, he seems to have felt this way too.
Levi came out wearing a modest dress in gold and green that wasn’t too flashy.
However, it seemed that her simple clothes rather highlighted Levi’s beautiful appearance.
Especially the color went so well with her levi that it was like her expertly made clothes just for her.
Her hairpin, which Levy always wears, also went very well with her look.
Seeing her like that, Shawn just stared at her with his mouth wide open. Perhaps embarrassed by Sean’s reaction, Levy said as if he was trying to tease her.
“Oh, how are you?”
“····Uh, pretty.”
“Is that the end?”
“·····The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
When Shawn said that, Levy grinned. When Shawn saw Levy’s bright smile, she couldn’t remember what she had just seen.
Because that smile was so deeply embedded in Sean’s mind that it overpowered all others.
Levy came closer to Shawn. She then put her hand gently on Sean’s cheek.
Sean couldn’t take any action at Levy’s actions, and he froze. Levi tried to swallow her shame.
“Did you flip your hair?”
She sees Levi right in front of her eyes. Looking at her girl’s flawless white skin, Sean met Levi’s fresh emerald eyes. For a moment, the two exchanged glances.
She sensed a sweet scent emanating from Levi that she hadn’t noticed before.
Levy laughed again.
“Shaun is cool too. As always.”
A strange current flowed from the atmosphere of the two. The two just looked into each other’s eyes without saying anything.
And at that moment, someone appeared next to them clearing their throat.
“Now that we’ve finished dressing up, let’s move on to the banquet hall.”
***
Should I call it a splendid banquet hall?
This was the garden of Baron Dios. It would be more accurate to say that it was an outdoor banquet hall that was temporarily transformed into a banquet hall for today’s banquet.
The sun had already completely set, and it was nighttime.
Originally, banquets are held at night. Shawn thought for a moment, but there was no way Shawn, who was from the country, knew that.
Still, the atmosphere of the banquet itself was not too different from what Sean had been thinking.
It was not very flashy as it felt like a festival for the well-being of the city, not a banquet for nobles, but seeing the smiling faces in a lively atmosphere, it seemed that the word banquet was well captured.
And Shawn and Levy stepped into the banquet hall as well.
The two were holding each other’s hands tightly. However, there was no excuse that there were a lot of people like last time.
We just naturally held hands without asking who came first.
The two walked around the banquet hall. I couldn’t put my feet in one place. In the first place, the two of them had no idea what to do at the banquet.
Shriegel, who said he would teach you things to be careful of at a banquet, left a mysterious answer saying, “Just enjoy the banquet, since there is no formality or decency at this banquet anyway.”
But maybe he was right, there were hardly any people dressed like them when he looked around.
In the first place, most of the banquet was made up of adventurers and mercenaries, but they were just busy gathering themselves in groups of twos and threes, eating food and drinks prepared at the banquet, and chatting.
“What shall we do now?”
Levy couldn’t answer Sean’s question. Well he doesn’t even know
“Umm…”
“Shaun! Levi!”
So, while Sean and Levy were hanging out at the banquet, someone called them.
When I turned around, it was Gania who had called them.
“Oh! Sister!”
Levi seemed happy to see Gania and ran right towards her. Sean, who was naturally holding hands with Levy, was also dragged away.
From noble mtl dot com.
Gania looked at Levi and admired her.
“Wow, Levi is really pretty.”
“····Oh, what’s wrong… hehehe.”
“Shaun is cool too. You are quite manly.”
“Thank you.”
As we exchanged greetings like that, Gania’s expression suddenly darkened a bit. It was so fleeting that Sean and Levy didn’t notice, and Gania immediately told Levy.
“Oh no! Levi. Do you know where the bathroom is here?”
“Yes? Restroom····? Uh, no?”
“Then I have to tell you! It’s a waste if you don’t know along the way! Oh, Sean, wait here!”
“Yes? . . . Uh, yes.”
Before Gania could even hear Sean’s answer, she dragged Levy and headed for her somewhere.
The place she headed to was a quiet place with no one far away from the banquet hall.
“····Sister? Is there a bathroom here?”
“········.”
Despite Levy’s natural question, Gania just looked around her. As if checking to see if anyone is around.
Only after she was sure there was no one, Gania grabbed Levi’s shoulder and said.
“Levy. Listen carefully.”
“・・・・Yes?”
“Leave right now. It might not be too late.”
“····What do you mean by that?”
Seeing Levy’s dumbfounded question, Gania said hurriedly.
“I don’t know exactly. But you guys could be in danger now.”
“·····It’s too sudden.”
“Yes. I’m not sure either. But the leader…”
The moment I was about to say that, I heard someone’s footsteps.
Gania immediately stopped talking and looked around her.
The footsteps were getting closer. Someone is walking straight in this direction.
Finally, the footsteps stopped and he appeared in front of Gania and Levi.
“What are they talking about in a place like this?”
Gania was speechless at the words of Dordan, the branch manager of the Adventurers Association. Dordan said, looking at Levy as if he didn’t care about that.
“I was looking for it.”
“・・・・Yes? Me?”
“Yes. We decided to talk about how to praise you guys. With the heads of the council coming together.”
“·······.”
“Your friend is already here, so you should come quickly.”
Levy looked back and forth between Gania and Dordan for a moment. Gania bit her own lip and she couldn’t do anything.
I don’t know, but she wouldn’t have warned Gania for no reason.
But she had no reason to reject him. Besides, Sean has already been put in the position, she says.
She leaves Sean and she can’t go by herself. Levi nodded her head at Dordan’s words.
“Yes. I’ll go.”
***
Levi followed Dordan like that. Entering her mansion, Dordan headed to a place that Levi already knew.
The drawing room where she met Baron Dios. Dordan opened the door there.
There were two people in the drawing room.
Shrigel and Sean. Sean stood up as soon as he saw Levy coming through the door.
“Levy! Where did you go, for a long time, leaving only the word that you would come back here…”
While he was saying that, Sean saw Levy’s face and stopped her.
She knew right away when she saw her reaction.
Shrigel lied to himself.
She had been deceived by the lie that she had come here earlier to share her story and then went out to get some fresh air.
Shawn turned his body to look at Shriegel, who was sitting carefree. Here, even if he argues and listens, he will pretend not to know and try to get over it.
The purpose was to somehow get them to sit at this table.
So, after that? Shawn felt a sense of uneasiness creeping in.
From Dordan and Shriegel’s point of view, this was the enemy camp. They didn’t stand out because of the banquet, but now the two of them are so carefree even in enemy territory.
They even dragged themselves into the mansion. What if they sided with the Baron?
To put it bluntly, those two are in an unknown state no matter when or how.
There’s no way they can’t think of things that even an ordinary boy can think of. What on earth did you bring them here for? Why can you be so carefree?
Before Shawn could put an end to the question, the door opened and another person appeared.
The owner of this mansion was Baron Dios. He took one look at the people in the parlor and smiled.
“Is everyone enjoying the banquet?”
“·······.”
No one answered his words, but he didn’t care and continued.
“Then, as I said, let’s talk about how to compliment Sean and Miss Levy’s department.”
With those words, something happened that Shawn couldn’t understand.
Dordan and Shriegel got up from their seats and went outside.
What the hell does this mean? Those who have worked so hard to embrace themselves now throw them into the enemy’s mouth like this and then just leave?
It was hard for Levy to understand this situation as well, watching them leave immediately after making room for them.
As Dios sat across from Shawn and Levy as if nothing had happened, Levy immediately asked.
“Why are they just leaving? I heard that all three of the council presidents will be talking together.”
“Ah, we already had a conversation before you guys came. Right now, I just called to ask about your intentions.”
“······.”
Sean and Levy struggled to figure out what to do. However, in the current situation, no solution has been found. In the first place, I didn’t even know what this situation meant.
“Then, how about we start off with a cup of tea?”
Dios immediately clapped twice. Then the baron’s butler, who had been waiting outside, came and poured tea into Shawn and Levy’s front plate.
“The same tea as the tea prepared before. It’s a pretty expensive tea, so don’t be shy.”
Dios said with a gentle smile.
At that, Shawn raised the teacup in his hand. Dios’s grin grew wider as Sean brought his cup of tea closer to his mouth.
Beep-
At that moment, someone suddenly opened the door to the living room with force.
“Who, who!? I would have told you not to let anyone in now! . . . Hector?”
At Hector’s words, Dios forgot to even get angry.
“Baron, monsters are attacking.”
“·······What····?”
“Now our mercenaries are chasing us. I came here because I thought it would be good to inform the baron.”
After saying that, Hector said as if he had finally found Shawn and Levy in the drawing room.
“You guys were there too. Great. Follow me With your help, even monsters will be easily captured.”
Sean and Levy were at a loss for what to do with the sudden change of circumstances. As for who to trust, the two looked back and forth between Dios and Hector.
Then Levi remembered Gania’s warning. Okay.
Levy looked at Shawn and nodded his head. Sean, who was confused by the appearance, also agreed with Levy’s nod. Levi opened his mouth.
“Yes. I’ll go.”
Levy grabbed Sean’s arm and left the drawing room without even looking at Dios behind him. Hector glanced at the Baron for a moment before closing the parlor door.
His eyes were colder than ever. But he didn’t care about Hector and closed the drawing room door.
Dios, who was left alone, sat there for a long time, not even moving.
Sean and Levy followed Hector and chased after him.
But he didn’t leave the mansion. The place he headed to was a terrace with no one there.
“·····Where are the monsters·····.”
“Listen carefully. Get out of here right now And leave this city as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”
“······.”
Levy asked as if he didn’t understand Hector’s words.
“Why are you helping us? Weren’t you on the same team as the baron?”
At the girl’s question, Hector looked at her for a moment. In the end, he didn’t answer Levi’s question.
“I will tell the baron that he chased the monster all night and he missed it. You all went straight to the dorm after chasing monsters all night. It won’t matter if you leave the city anyway.”
“Mr. Hector…”
“Go. Don’t hesitate and avoid me too.”
At his firm words, the boy and girl slowly turned back. Hector watched for a while from the terrace as the children ran out of the mansion.
Hector leaned forward on the terrace as Sean and Levy disappeared from sight.
He put his arms over the railing of the terrace and raised his head.
It was a bright full moon.
Suddenly, Hector laughed.
He didn’t bother to block it.
“Why did you do that…? Tsk. Why? I don’t know either.”
He didn’t even know what was going to happen next.
So he decided to just enjoy the moment.
Like that, Hector stared blankly at the banquet hall under the moonlight for a while.