Chapter 129: Nadan Royal Academy (5)
Beautiful.
No, stunning.
That was the universal impression of everyone who saw Sheratiya Viyan.
Even the knight students who had clashed with her couldn’t hide their feelings. Their dazed eyes and slightly flushed faces proved it.
It was only natural.
Outside the ball, Sheratiya had been weary from the long journey, not properly dressed up.
But now, it was different.
With a vibrant blue dress adorned with white accessories and subtle makeup, she looked like an entirely different person.
“Oh…”
“Who is she? That lady?”
“Was there soone like her among the invitees?”
“Is she an academy student? Or a noble lady?”
“Well… we can find out from now on, can’t we?”
So n spoke in hushed voices.
They might let other ladies go, but they couldn’t let this lady be taken by the knight students!
Exchanging glances, a few gentlen adjusted their attire, steeling their resolve.
“Oh my.”
“That man…”
“Is he a knight student?”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
“Why?”
“Because… he’s charming?”
“Hey, how can you say sothing so rude? Are you saying all the other knight students are charmless?”
“Yup.”
“Honestly, too.”
It wasn’t just the n stirring.
The female students and ladies, who had been frowning at the knight students’ antics, now looked at with the eyes of hawks spotting prey. The difference was so stark compared to how they viewed the knight students that so n even felt deprived.
Truthfully, my outfit wasn’t anything special.
Just a bit fancier than what I wore when eting Sheratiya Viyan’s parents?
But it wasn’t overdone. Considering the lavish and extravagant nature of the ball, it was just right.
‘Right, it’s odd, isn’t it? Just that much. Not like he put in a ton of effort, just picked clothes that fit the occasion, yet…’
Sheratiya glanced at , thinking.
My vibe was drastically different from usual.
If I’d previously given off the air of a wandering ronin or drifter, now I felt like the refined, dignified heir of a prestigious noble family.
‘Of course, the contrast with those idiots helps too.’
Sheratiya looked at the knight students she’d clashed with.
It was a spectacle.
If they’d just worn their student uniforms, they’d have been average, but they made the worst possible choice. Overdoing every detail, they showcased clownish fashion sense.
‘At this level, I almost feel bad for Andy Shepler… Well, whatever.’
That’s right.
They weren’t close, and there was no need to care about their situation.
In fact, they needed to be crushed more decisively, more ruthlessly. Showing the gap in power would ensure they wouldn’t dare挑 a fight again.
“Excuse , beautiful lady?”
While she was thinking this, a voice ca from ahead.
It was a male attendee of the ball. One of those too intimidated by the knight students’ presence to approach had mustered the courage to co up to Sheratiya.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m Cain Lenuar, studying in the advanced business division at Nadan Royal Academy. May I have the honor of knowing your na?”
‘…My junior?’
Sheratiya broke into a cold sweat.
He looked about her age, but she must have graduated far faster than others, so they hadn’t crossed paths.
‘Well, no matter.’
She glanced at again.
Seeing surrounded by countless ladies, she felt an odd sensation. If she had to describe it… it wasn’t exactly pleasant.
But no ti for stray thoughts.
Lingering in a daze would be rude to the man in front of her.
With a radiant smile, Sheratiya responded with a pseudonym instead of her real na.
“I’m Latiya Yan.”
“Oh, Lady Yan! Would you grant the honor of a dance?”
“Of course. Shall we?”
With light steps, Sheratiya headed to the dance floor with her partner.
Watching her blankly, I muttered to myself.
‘Nobody told this would happen…’
It was bewildering.
Honestly, a bit awkward.
Sure, I’d thought about chatting with the ball’s attendees, but… this was too much. Ladies sward like clouds, vying to talk to as if in competition.
“Hello! I’m Emilia, daughter of the Elroz Baron Family! If it’s not too rude, would you like to dance with …?”
“I’m Lubias Shulden! Want to dance with ?”
“Um, I’m…”
“Hey, what’s that! Respect the order! I was here first!”
“Order? There’s no such thing. What matters is catching this gentleman’s eye.”
“What? Are you saying I’m not pretty enough to catch his eye?”
“That’s not what I ant, but he might like better.”
“This jerk, just like at the last ball…!”
“Um, while they’re fighting, how about dancing with …?”
“Who are you, cutting in line?”
‘It’s chaotic.’
It wasn’t just bewildering—it was disorienting.
The attention I was receiving surpassed all the attention I’d ever gotten in my life combined, and I couldn’t adjust. I had no idea what to say or do.
“Excuse for a mont…”
Swish!
“Oh!”
“Where are you going? I wasn’t done talking…!”
“Huh, where’d he go?”
In the end, I chose “stealth.”
Slipping through the ladies like an eel, I hid behind a pillar, lowering my presence.
Letting out a sigh, I thought.
‘The ballroom is scarier than I expected.’
I’d have to be careful, very careful.
Muttering quietly, I began to move stealthily around the ballroom.
***
At that mont, Andy Shepler, seeing two outsiders disrupt the ballroom’s ecosystem, wore a troubled expression.
He thought to himself.
‘I hoped for a savior to appear, but I never imagined those two would be it…’
But he had to admit it.
Right now, they exuded a far more captivating aura than they had at the tavern.
The problem was his friends, who were even more demoralized because of them.
They had realized.
Why the ladies avoided them wherever they went.
Why people frowned whenever their eyes t.
Because they were unattractive.
And because they couldn’t even dress properly.
This belated realization pained the knight students’ hearts.
That much was fine.
People sotis face painful, bitter experiences and grow through them.
But perhaps because their hearts were as flawed as their looks, instead of reflecting on their actions, they chose to vent their anger on others to cope.
Naly…
“How do we take that guy down?”
“Andy, are you just gonna let him strut around like that?”
“…”
‘…Were they always this petty?’
Andy Shepler wore a dumbfounded expression.
He understood, of course.
Seeing ladies who’d been cold to them flock to one man like bees must have twisted their insides—it was only natural.
But to co whining to him like this?
To beg him to do sothing about it?
‘And their anger’s only directed at the guy. The root of the conflict was the woman…’
Because she’s pretty, they let it slide?
Muttering to himself, he shook his head. A sudden wave of fatigue made him want to ditch the ball and go ho.
But he couldn’t.
‘These guys will be my support base in the future. They’re petty, narrow-minded, and pathetic, but… connections are connections.’
That’s right.
Ability and character weren’t what mattered. It was the backgrounds behind them that Andy Shepler coveted most. To surpass his elder brother in the succession race, he needed a solid support base.
Of course, separately, he didn’t like these guys either.
‘I tossed them an invitation to let them fend for themselves, and they turn it around like this?’
It was outrageous. He was a bit annoyed, too.
And Andy Shepler was not soone who let those who annoyed him off easily.
He racked his brain.
One second, two seconds… five seconds.
After a brief mont of thought, Andy Shepler spoke.
“We can’t openly challenge them to a duel or drive them out with force. There’s no justification.”
“That’s true…”
“So, what do we do?”
“Got any good ideas?”
The losers pressed him eagerly, and nodding, Andy Shepler continued.
“Alcohol.”
“Alcohol?”
“Yes, alcohol. Invite them to a private room and make them drink. A lot. A lot.”
“Then what?”
“Pick a fight again. Not openly, but subtly, with words. Make the drunk opponent cross the line first.”
“Oh.”
“That’s not bad.”
“We’re all confident with alcohol.”
“Exactly. Even if just Alexon steps up, he could probably get that guy completely wasted.”
“No kidding. You think I’d lose to a pale weakling like him in a drinking contest?”
Smiles spread across their faces.
It wasn’t a ticulous plan, but it seed plausible.
And why not? The people gathered here were so of the academy’s most notorious drinkers. Making one person drunk was child’s play.
They had plenty of pretext to set up the occasion. A vague apology for the previous rudeness would suffice to lure them in.
“Alright. Then we need to find that guy again… Oh! There he is!”
“I’ll go talk to him.”
“No, I’ll do it. You’re too worked up right now.”
“Oh, sorry. It’s just that I feel so bad for the ladies being chard by that vile guy…”
‘What a load of crap.’
Andy Shepler muttered inwardly.
Contrary to his thoughts, he flashed a clean smile and said to everyone.
“Then I’ll set up the place.”
***
‘…Amazing.’
Surrounded by ladies again, I wore an utterly astonished expression.
I had no choice.
I hadn’t gone all out, but I thought I’d hidden my presence pretty well. At least, I figured I’d be free from the gazes of ladies untrained in swordsmanship.
I was wrong.
They, the ladies, were not to be underestimated.
They were persistent.
Relentless.
Obsessive.
I didn’t know what drove them to this.
But one thing was clear: in that mont, they surpassed their “limits.”
‘I thought only a Graduate could spot … Maybe if these ladies took up the sword, they’d outshine most swordsn?’
That thought crossed my mind briefly.
That’s when it happened.
Soone approached with loud, purposeful steps.
Looking closely, it was one of the knight students from the tavern. A negative aura oozed from him.
‘…A sharper presence than Andy Shepler’s?’
The level of his aura was low.
But strangely, it felt far more threatening. Wondering where that difference ca from, I tilted my head.
“Hey, you.”
“Oh, hello. We et again.”
“Yeah. Uh… what was your na?”
“Harang. I’m with the Eddy rcenary Corps, active in Marzen…”
“Yeah, whatever… Isn’t it too noisy here?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
I nodded.
Sure, I could move more quietly by suppressing my presence further, but I was wondering if I really needed to do that at a ball.
Then, a welco proposal ca.
“Wanna go upstairs?”
“Upstairs?”
“Yeah. Andy’s set up a place. To apologize for last ti… we can have a quiet drink and clear up any bad feelings.”
“…”
“How about it?”
“Hm.”
I didn’t get it.
It wasn’t disdain or contempt.
The emotion I sensed from the student was clear hostility.
Yet he was speaking so mildly, which made think he had ulterior motives.
But.
“What’s with that ugly guy?”
“What’s his deal?”
“Is he bullying him?”
“Should I say sothing?”
‘I just want to get out of this situation.’
The ladies whispering with glaring eyes behind were even more uncomfortable.
Plus, I was curious about the kind of alcohol the ball’s host was offering.
“Alright. Let’s go. But…”
“But?”
“I need to inform my escort charge, Lady Latiya Yan…”
“Oh, no worries. We’ve already told Lady Yan. Look.”
The student pointed behind him.
I saw Sheratiya heading to the second floor. Nodding, I answered.
“Got it. Let’s go.”
And so, shortly after.
Harang and Sheratiya entered a lavish room at Andy Shepler’s invitation.
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