Edsac

The prey that had been brought down was not wasted. A dedicated team had been collecting it all along.

From the moment the prey was felled, nobles stepped forward to confirm it, took commemorative photographs, and then specialists transported and processed it into food. There was an entire sequence of procedures.

What Altair and the others had eaten at noon had been this very prey, and the start of today's hunt marked the banquet's official entry into its climax.

At twelve noon, people began gathering in the banquet dining hall, waiting for lunch to begin.

The theme of this banquet, the Third Prince, Edsac Augustus, also made his formal appearance before the luncheon began.

He was not wearing the distinctive attire of a Royal Family member. Instead, he wore a dark blue naval uniform, complete with the insignia of a major.

His attire directly hit the lively banquet with a pause button, gradually calming the atmosphere. After all, when everyone else was dressed in formal civilian attire, the sudden arrival of someone in military uniform made him stand out like a crane among chickens.

The high-ranking officials seated at the front, especially Duke Negan, began to look troubled.

He was the navy's representative, and Edsac appearing in a naval uniform meant that his enlistment in the navy was now an established fact.

Although it was not uncommon for princes to serve in the military, they generally attended officer academy first, then graduated and received appointments as captains, at most reaching the rank of major general.

Yet this Prince Edsac Augustus had never attended an officer academy at all, and he had now been appointed a major without following the proper procedures.

Altair could understand Duke Negan's expression. After all, a drama of an illegitimate son fighting for succession was about to unfold.

Edsac wearing a naval uniform was practically a declaration: I am navy now, and you will support me from now on.

Blending into the crowd, Altair watched this grand show. To be honest, Edsac Augustus looked remarkably like Henry Augustus I, the King on the five-pound note. He had been the fifth King of the Loen Kingdom and George III's direct ancestor, with a round face and narrow eyes.

That was the wrong thing to focus on. Altair hurriedly cut off his wandering thoughts.

This had nothing to do with his future. As for seeking cooperation with him, forget it. If the future remained unchanged, this prince was destined to become a scapegoat.

As for why he would become an abandoned pawn, that had nothing to do with Altair.

He was certainly curious, but not curious enough to investigate. No matter what, it was a Royal Family secret, and excessive curiosity could kill the cat.

The protagonist, Edsac Augustus, gradually walked onto the stage. When his father, King George III, introduced him and appointed him a naval major, everyone had no choice but to applaud.

This Third Prince was shrewd as well. He had brought a large number of reporters with him, and now they crouched low as they rapidly worked their cameras, taking photographs of those onstage. For a time, the entire banquet hall was filled with the dazzling flashes of cameras.

George III and Edsac Augustus were impressive too. Even under such intense flashing lights, neither of them blinked once, maintaining their smiles throughout.

Altair truly admired them. Cameras still needed flash lighting for photographs these days, and being hit by one so suddenly was extremely unpleasant.

As for Duke Negan and the others nearby, their expressions were far from pleasant. One could say they had kept straight faces the entire time.

By comparison, Uncle Leif and the others showed no changes in expression, though they were probably bursting with delight inside.

Since the arrival of the Great Age of Navigation, the navy's special nature had caused its status to rise without limit, while the military funding granted by the empire increased year after year.

Correspondingly, the army's status and funding continued to decline. After all, the nation only had so much money; it could not conjure extra funds out of thin air for them.

Although the leaders of the two branches had once been related by blood to varying degrees, ever since the navy had split off with the advent of the age of navigation, the relationship between the two sides had begun to change, becoming worse and worse.

Now that the navy was being embarrassed, it was only natural for a representative of the army to be pleased.

This little interlude lasted for over half an hour before the luncheon officially began.

Because of the hunt, this lunch consisted mostly of roasted meats and the like. Marinated with various spices, they had a distinctive flavor.

After lunch, the big shots formed groups and left to discuss matters. The remaining guests gradually went their separate ways. Some returned to their rooms for an afternoon rest, while others formed small groups to find their own activities.

Meanwhile, the protagonist, Edsac Augustus, was chatting and laughing with several young nobles, attracting quite a few others to join them.

That evening, Altair dressed in full formal attire as usual and attended the ball. When people came to invite him to dance, he gave them the same excuse as yesterday: he had twisted his ankle and could not dance with them.

He casually found a corner and sat there waiting for the ball to end. After speaking with her father, Audrey happily came over to Altair as well.

Seeing how happy she looked, Altair could not help being curious. He asked, "Why didn't you go dance with the others? Why did you come sit with this 'injured person' instead?"

Audrey smiled. "I told my father I was coming to look after you, and he agreed. So I don't need to dance with anyone else. Dancing at balls once or twice a month is enough. I couldn't stand doing it every day."

Altair had no intention of disputing Audrey's answer. At her age, she was at her most energetic, and she would certainly grow tired of repeating the same thing every day.

While the two were chatting, Edsac Augustus walked straight over and invited Audrey to dance. Seeing the pitiful look in her eyes—

Altair said to Edsac Augustus, "My apologies, Your Highness the Third Prince, but Miss Audrey has been temporarily requisitioned by me. I was unfortunate enough to twist my ankle and cannot take part in the ball. As a gentleman, surely you would not wish to see an injured young lady sitting alone in a corner."

Only after Altair said this did Edsac Augustus notice him.

As far as Edsac Augustus was concerned, he did not know Altair.

Before coming over, he had merely taken him for one of Audrey's close female friends.

To maintain his image, Edsac Augustus still asked politely, "May I ask who this young lady is?"

Audrey began introducing them. "Third Prince Edsac, this is Earl Altair Sheffield."

"Earl Altair, this is Third Prince Edsac Augustus."

For most people, Altair was still basically unknown. After all, he had not yet received his formal investiture from the King in person, and only a small number of informed people knew about him.

Edsac happened to be one of them. He gave Altair a long look and said helplessly, "I am truly sorry, Earl Altair. I did not understand your situation clearly when I came over."

He then turned and said, "Then, Miss Audrey, I will have to trouble you to take care of Earl Altair."

Only after Edsac had left did Audrey return to normal. She took Altair's hand and said, "Thank you so much this time, Earl Altair. If it weren't for you, I would have been dragged off to dance. That would have been so boring."

Looking at her expression, Altair asked curiously, "That's not the only reason, is it? I get the feeling you don't really like being around him."

Having had her thoughts exposed, Audrey deflated like a punctured balloon. Her shoulders drooped slightly as she cautiously looked around. After confirming that no one was nearby, she whispered to Altair:

"I really don't like those princes much. They feel like a bunch of restless male peacocks putting on displays in front of me. You should understand that feeling."

Altair could understand that. The phrase "the most dazzling jewel" already explained everything simply enough. A jewel was valuable no matter when or where it was.