Banquet

Having eaten too much after waking up, Havent had no appetite for the food before him.

Holding a glass of Blackthorn Wine, he leaned against a pillar in the hall and watched the crowd at the banquet.

Since this was ostensibly a welcome banquet for the Dawn Guard, who had come from afar to offer support, the attending nobles and knights had brought many of their female relatives along.

After a few drinks, some young men and women could no longer bear the loneliness and began dancing in the open space at the center of the hall.

"Young Master Havent, thank you for earlier. Otherwise, I might have said something I shouldn't have."

Seeing Baron Raven approach with a wineglass, Havent raised his own glass and clinked it against his.

"It's nothing, no need to be so polite. My father always says that we people of the Northern Frontier are the most united. Helping each other is only natural.

What are your plans? The war is over, and the Church of Death has fled. Aren't you going back to take a look at your territory?"

Baron Raven, still dressed in armor, shook his head with a bitter smile. He tipped back his head and drained his glass in one gulp before speaking to Havent in a low voice.

"No. My barony is nothing but ruins now. The vast majority of my people never made it out."

After saying that, he gave a self-deprecating laugh and patted his armor.

"Other than this armor and the sword at my waist, I only have a few attendants left.

I've dismissed them all. I entrusted the territory to the count. At dawn tomorrow, I'll set out for the Armor Defense Line."

After listening to Baron Raven's account, Havent raised his glass sympathetically in salute and took a large gulp.

Faced with this down-and-out nobleman, Havent offered no comforting words. He merely patted Raven on the shoulder.

"I hope that next time we meet, I'll be able to call you Viscount Raven."

"Thank you. I'll gladly accept your good wishes."

Watching Baron Raven's departing figure, Havent could not help but sigh. He had nearly become a wandering noble himself.

Sigh... no, that wasn't right. He did not seem to have it quite that bad. He could go to the Imperial Capital and find his mother.

Hiss... speaking of finding his mother, he really needed to put that on the agenda. The old man looked like he still had plenty of troublesome matters waiting for him.

He probably would not be able to get away for at least half a year, so his fine eldest son could only handle it for him.

Still, the old man really was something. As a count with such a vast Hailan Territory, he was poor as dirt.

If he had even a little money, he could have raised more mages and bought more magical equipment. Then he could have just bombarded them from the city walls.

Instead, he had nearly let a tiny ghoul army wipe him out. It would be humiliating to even say it aloud.

"Young Master Havent, may I have this dance?"

Just as Havent leaned against the pillar, letting his thoughts wander aimlessly, he heard a clear voice greeting him.

He came back to himself and looked over. A young girl in a pale green banquet dress was speaking to him. Her dark brown hair had been woven into a fluffy braid that rested behind her, and several freckles dotted her cheeks as she looked at him expectantly.

"Um...

Nice to meet you, but I can't dance. You should find someone else."

Havent did not even ask her name before declining her invitation. The young girl looked a little hurt, turned around, and left dejectedly.

"Hehehehe~

Young Master Havent~ That was quite a lovely girl. You rejected her just like that?"

Hearing the voice behind him, Havent turned around and saw Aurelion in white robes, holding a wineglass as he looked at him.

"Greetings, Lord Aurelion."

Mm... although he had just heard his father and Count Mori condemn and curse the Eternal Fire, the polite Young Master Havent still respectfully bowed to Aurelion.

"Hahaha, no need to call me lord. Just call me Aurelion."

With that, he casually clinked glasses with Havent.

"Can clergy drink alcohol too?"

"Hmm?"

Aurelion had clearly not expected the Hailan heir's focus to be so unusual.

"Ah, yes, they can.

The Eternal Fire's doctrine is not that strict.

Some of our monks can even marry and have children."

"Ah! It's that free? I thought you had to be like monks—no meat, no drinking, no women."

Although he did not quite understand some of Havent's phrasing, Aurelion still replied with a smile.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean by monks, but there is indeed a kind of ascetic in the church who fits the description you just gave.

Young Master Havent is truly a learned person."

That sunny smile of his somehow felt awkward. It gave Havent the stifled feeling of having a teacher sitting beside him during class.

"No, no, Lord Aurelion, you flatter me.

By the way, shouldn't you be with my father and the others right now? After all, this is your welcome banquet."

Aurelion drained the wine in his hand and, imitating Havent's earlier posture, leaned against another pillar.

"Count Hailan and Count Mori said they had important matters to discuss and would not be back for a while.

I saw you from the dais and felt that we were kindred spirits, so I came over to chat with you for a while. You don't mind, do you?"

Listening to Aurelion's words, Havent could not help giving him a huge middle finger in his heart. You've put it like that. How can I say I mind?

"Um...

Hahaha...

Of course I don't mind. Being able to chat with Lord Aurelion is something worth being very happy about."

After saying that, Havent felt it sounded a little fake, but he did not know what else to say. The atmosphere gradually became awkward.

In the end, Aurelion was the one who broke the somewhat chilly silence.

"Havent, you're a mage, aren't you? Why haven't you enrolled at the Royal Academy of Magic?"

"Yes, a low-rank mage. I'm planning to go in a while."

"Mm, you're so clever. I believe your journey along the path of magic will be very smooth as well.

By the way, the Eternal Fire's main cathedral is in the Imperial Capital. You can pay it a visit. Amanata blesses every visitor."

"Alright. If I have time when I go to the Imperial Capital in the future, I'll definitely pay a visit."

As the two chatted idly about this and that, Count Hailan and Count Mori returned to the banquet with grim expressions.

Seeing the two of them return, Havent let out a long breath of relief and quickly said,

"Lord Aurelion, my father and the others are back. Let's go over. I'm terribly sorry to have kept you waiting so long."

Without waiting for Aurelion's reply, Havent made a welcoming gesture and headed toward the dais.

Watching Havent's retreating figure, Aurelion's smile grew even gentler as he followed a few steps behind him back to the dais.

The two men, seated in their chairs and still processing the news brought back by the soldiers, looked up to find Havent rolling his eyes toward the heavens and Aurelion a few steps behind him, smiling brightly.

"Ah~ My apologies for keeping you waiting so long, Lord Aurelion."

"It's alright, Count Mori. I had a pleasant conversation with Havent just now. It has been a long time since I met such an interesting young man."

As he spoke, he even gave Havent a friendly nod.

"Seeing that the two of you are not looking well, have you encountered some problem? The Dawn Guard is willing to offer its full assistance~"