Soon, the lights at the center of the hall converged, and the band struck up a cheerful, passionate melody.
The host stepped onto the raised platform and announced with a smile that the ball had officially begun, then invited the evening's three guests of honor to speak.
"Please welcome Viscount Ange, Miss Janice, and Viscount Jennings to give us a brief address!" As the host finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted below.
Ang stepped forward first. He stood still and looked over the varied faces below without the slightest hint of timidity.
He gave a small nod and said, "Tonight's glory does not belong to the three of us alone, but to everyone present. Perhaps you did not set foot on the battlefield, but it was your support, resources, and trust from behind the lines that allowed us to advance the development of the Milaginbi Mountains without worry."
His tone was neither hurried nor slow, yet it carried a steady confidence.
He then thanked the Northern Council and the Empire's grand dukes for their tacit approval and tolerance. His words were polished and appropriately diplomatic without sounding hollow, earning another round of cheers.
Then Janice stepped forward.
Without deliberately embellishing her words, she spoke plainly. "I joined the development team because I wanted to prove that women could earn respect on the battlefield as well. Not as Noble Ladies, nor as anyone's accessory, but as warriors."
Her speech was concise yet struck straight at the heart, filling the eyes of many young women with admiration.
Jennings was more practical. He described in detail how he had initially considered his family's future, and why he had ultimately abandoned the peaceful life of his estate to devote himself to the unfamiliar and dangerous development of the mountains.
He also mentioned his experiences building