Chapter 137. Banquet (2)
I silently surveyed the hall.
Waiters with silver trays wove through white tables, food being set out, the atmosphere growing lively.
The special banquet doubling as a social event was true.
Attendees weren’t just seated—many stood, chatting freely, confirming it.
Groups with notable figures were sward, hard to approach.
From my seat, I could see the unexpectedly vibrant scene.
My assigned seat was near the terrace, on the second floor’s lowest tier.
Coincidentally, I wasn’t alone at this low-tier table.
“Hm, as expected, we’re both at the bottom?”
Ariadne Elsyde.
Assigned next to , she muttered in her languid tone, leaning back.
A seventh-rank direct descendant, above my ninth rank and Dionil’s eighth. Yet her relaxed deanor belied her status.
I replied briefly.
“Result of the family’s rit calculations.”
“Well, our achievents pale compared to others here.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“For you, the exemption mission was personal, so it doesn’t count as family rit. Only joint and nomination mission results count, and as a first-ti attendee, you’re courteously placed at the bottom.”
Her detailed knowledge of my exploits nearly made comnt, but I held back. Ignorance would be stranger.
Ariadne pointed to herself, adding.
“Sa for . Just minor dispatch missions. There’s a reason we’re both here.”
Smiling lazily, she drained her wine glass. Watching her silently, I found it quite a spectacle.
Her refilled glasses numbered seven or eight.
No snacks, nearly a bottle. Yet she kept drinking.
“Phew, sweet wine.”
Smiling contentedly, she swirled her glass, the liquid sloshing.
Tipping her head back, she gulped it down, her cheeks flushing as she pressed a hand to them, grinning.
“Ha, expensive wine’s the best~”
“…”
“No missions, no funds. A direct descendant’s asly stipend can’t buy good wine. ss hall wine’s awful, but banquets nail this.”
As I narrowed my eyes at her tension-free complaints, she turned, offering her glass.
“Too tense? Want so wine?”
“No, thanks.”
“Right, not of age yet? Soda?”
“I’ll get what I need. Waiters are around.”
“You’re missing out not eating here. Way better than ss hall or kitchen food.”
Her gesture made glance around.
The mood was heated, with wine and drinks served, lavish dishes displayed on trays.
Attendees’ approaches varied.
So sat to eat, others in suits or dresses leaned on tables, chatting casually.
Despite being a banquet, as Lien said, it prioritized mingling over formal dining.
The high-society vibe was palpable, a new facet of the Main House.
One relief: as the banquet began, the crowd shielded from excessive attention.
A good thing. With Ariadne beside , I had questions.
‘She seed to know the old Enoch.’
Lien said she didn’t know much about Enoch before thirteen. If true, Ariadne, a direct descendant, might know sothing.
I ca here for two reasons.
One was to find soone who knew Enoch’s past.
Clear on my goal but wary of direct questions seeming odd, I eased into conversation.
“You complained about no mission funds, but being here ans high rit, right?”
“Oh, I lucked into a good dispatch near Victoria Kazimieśi. Was getting risky.”
“Risky?”
She nodded repeatedly.
“You know? No mission results, and everyone nags. There’s an unspoken quota.”
“Guess so.”
“Even if I hate missions, not eting the quota gets family complaints. So, smart had an idea.”
She tapped her wine glass, the liquid rippling with a clear chi.
“Laze in my room, take easy missions to et the quota. Like now.”
“…”
“I hate hassle, and I’m content, so no need to overdo missions~”
I shook my head slightly.
“Pretty half-hearted.”
“That’s the thing. Hard work needs a world that rewards it, right? Moderation’s best. No losses.”
Her words made Elsyde’s future seem dazzlingly grim. Unfazed, she grinned languidly, glass in hand.
“Moderation’s unbeatable.”
Her flushed cheeks suggested low tolerance, prompting my dry remark.
“You say moderation, but you’re already drunk?”
“Of course, drink moderately. But my sole follower family nags, so when else can I indulge? Right, Pyra?”
Smiling at the woman behind her, I glanced back.
A young woman, fists clenched, trembled with anger.
“Lady Ariadne, even at the banquet… restrain yourself!”
“Don’t yell, Pyra, you’re always so harsh…”
“Who else would I be harsh with?!”
I sighed softly.
Despite her laziness, Ariadne was in the original story.
Hoping her mild nature would yield info, she proved useless.
Unfazed, she raised her glass, grinning.
“Anyway, Enoch, if you’re not after the head’s seat, drinking and chilling’s nice. Oh, do you like wine?”
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t covet the head’s position, but I had tasks.
To prepare for the future, I needed to use ti efficiently.
I wouldn’t abandon my direct descendant role, the fastest route to empire events and mission assignnts.
“Enoch, ignoring your sister? That’s sad.”
Ariadne drooped her shoulders. I’d zoned out, unintentionally snubbing her. She smiled lightly.
“Well, your cold streak hasn’t changed. I didn’t know you well, but I rember that vibe.”
Intrigued, I asked.
“You said it’s the first ti since I was thirteen. Before that?”
Sipping wine, she nodded.
“Duh. After you were confined, I didn’t see you. But you haven’t changed much.”
Not changed much?
Her words made tilt my head. She knew the old Enoch a bit, but sothing felt off.
I glanced back.
Lien stood poised, hands clasped over her maid outfit.
How did she know Enoch had changed?
Was it because she was always by his side, or was Ariadne just oblivious?
Shelving unanswerable questions, I pressed.
“How did I seem back then?”
“Hm? Well…”
Ariadne groaned, face contorting as if struggling to recall, then slumped.
“Sorry, can’t rember well. I only saw you from afar. You avoided getting close to anyone.”
“Avoided?”
“Yeah. You couldn’t, given your position, but that’s all I know. You were cute but super cold.”
Couldn’t get close. Guessing her aning, I lowered my head slightly.
Perhaps Enoch had already sensed he wasn’t a mage.
Not precise info, but it sketched his past. A decent gain.
Cold, though? What did that an?
“Are direct descendants not close?”
Half-curious, I asked.
The original barely detailed direct descendant relations, portraying them as strangers.
Swallowing wine, Ariadne replied wearily.
“Hm, not great or bad, mostly. Varies. For you, it’s different, though.”
“How?”
“You know? Even before you were labeled a non-mage, there were issues…”
Thud.
Mid-sentence, she slamd her head on the table. Dishes rattled with a dull sound.
I watched impassively as she giggled, forehead on the table, looking up.
“Wow, everything’s spinning. Wine’s kicking in.”
Just when I thought she’d share sothing useful, she was hopeless.
“Ugh, Lady Ariadne! You can’t handle wine, so why…!”
Her follower, Pyra, scolded, propping her up. Ariadne snapped to, looking at .
“Oh, right. There’s news you should know.”
Her eyes sharpened.
“Not for others, but you need to hear.”
“What?”
“During my mission, I got a connection. Info from there…”
Struggling up, she asked.
“Pyra, can you tell him?”
Pyra nodded, looking at seriously.
“It’s about your battle with Tantalus, a Vendetta officer, where you won and killed him. True?”
“Yes. What’s the issue?”
I nodded. Pyra pulled photos from her pocket.
“We found these during our mission, and they seem related.”
Several white photos landed on the table.
They showed sothing eerily familiar. My eyes sharpened instantly.
“Humanoid magical beasts?”
“Yes. They match descriptions in past family operation logs…”
As I opened my mouth, a loud noise erupted from the hall.
“Enoch, is Enoch here?!”
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