At the Birthday Party

A noble's life was dull. Nobles without power spent their days attending balls, horse races, tea parties, hunts, and the like.

To me, all of that was meaningless. I had no intention of joining them once this body grew up.

While adult nobles had plenty of leisure time, child nobles were the exact opposite. My life was packed with all kinds of lessons.

Since I was about to turn five, my grandfather had found me a whole pile of tutors.

Some taught me etiquette, some taught me reading, writing, and arithmetic, some taught me dancing, and some taught me horseback riding. On top of that, I was already learning magic and Water God Style swordsmanship.

My daily life was crammed full of studies. I did not have the slightest bit of private time left.

Fortunately, I had gone through middle school entrance exams and college entrance exams in my previous life. This little academic pressure could not even compare to the hellish cram school I attended in high school.

Besides, I had taught myself reading and writing from a young age, so there was no pressure at all. The teacher who taught me literacy was called Stephen Hamilton, a highly learned old man. According to the butler, even the royal family hired him to teach princes and princesses.

He was extremely knowledgeable and spoke several languages. To avoid learning things I already knew, I asked him to teach me Battle God Language.

Teacher Stephen was very kind toward young people who enjoyed learning. He did not refuse my suggestion. He was also quite surprised to learn that I had already studied Demon God Language and Beast God Language.

Naturally, arithmetic lessons were incredibly boring. The level of mathematics in this world was too low. With the math knowledge I had learned in elementary school, I could become a mathematician here.

Dragon God Calendar 407 / November 11

Today was my fifth birthday. In this world, children did not celebrate their birthdays every year. People only held celebrations for a child's fifth, tenth, and fifteenth birthdays. Once the fifteenth birthday was over, it meant you had become an adult.

The celebration was quite grand, and many people came. Everyone wore colorful, varied formal attire. Although I had an excellent memory, there were simply too many guests. Before every guest entered, I stood at the entrance with my father to greet them and exchange brief pleasantries. Adults praised me for being handsome or looking spirited so often that my ears were practically callused from hearing it.

Remembering people's names was truly painful. They were always some Baron This or Viscountess That. Not only did I have to remember their given names and family names, but also their ranks of nobility. It was miserable work.

For most people, I remembered them long enough to exchange a few pleasantries. Once they entered the ballroom, I forgot every last bit of information about them.

Still, two groups left a particularly strong impression on me.

The first was Pilemon Notos Greyrat and his son, Luke Notos Greyrat. This should have been my first time meeting Luke. Just looking at that face, I could tell he would grow up to be a pretty boy. Perhaps because he was still young, he kept his head lowered in front of me and did not dare meet my eyes. Was my presence really that overwhelming? The Prodia Family and the Notos Family disliked each other over all sorts of beliefs and matters, so we parted after only a few brief pleasantries.

The second group was James Boreas Greyrat and the group of sons following behind him. The Boreas family was politically allied with the Prodia Family. Although my grandfather seemed to dislike Saulros Boreas Greyrat, the current head of the Boreas family, James Boreas Greyrat, his heir, was very friendly toward our family. He even seemed somewhat eager to ingratiate himself with us. Several boys followed behind him. They should have been all the boys of the Boreas family's third generation. Their family had a rule that all male bloodlines, whether from the main branch or collateral branches, were placed under the household head's management. I could not say which system was better. Eris's older brother should have been among those boys, but I had no idea which one he was.

Of course, the Crown Prince, Gravel Zaffin Asura, also came. However, my grandfather personally went out to greet him, so I did not say anything from the side. Nor did I want anything to do with the Crown Prince. Beside him was a girl who looked slightly younger than me. She seemed to come with her own soft-focus filter. Her golden hair was like satin kissed by sunlight, her deep blue eyes clearer than the purest polar ice crystals, and her porcelain-white skin carried a peach-like flush. I did not hear the prince introduce the girl. They simply walked into the ball together.

Since it was my birthday banquet, my father and mother gave me a present after wishing me a happy birthday. It was a gift box wrapped in elaborate ribbons, and I opened it with the delight of a child.

Inside was a sword with a scabbard. The sword itself looked rather ordinary and not at all ornate, but the scabbard was exquisitely crafted. Its core was made from century-old golden-thread nanmu wood and wrapped in dark green sharkskin for added durability. A diamond-shaped recessed setting sat in the middle of the scabbard, equipped with a magnetic mechanism that could hold a gemstone the size of an egg, such as an emerald or amethyst. The edges of the recess were bordered with pure silver carved into scrolling vine patterns, while a spring clasp was hidden at the bottom. Pressing both sides would pop the gemstone out. The blade itself was a simple sword gleaming with a deep blue sheen. A dragon-shaped pattern was carved into the hilt. The blade was one and a half feet long and roughly ten centimeters wide.

My father explained that this was a magic sword crafted by the swordsmith Julian Harris, called "Starfall." Its blade was forged from meteorite iron, giving it excellent mana adhesion and tremendous hardness. It had never been worn down. The clasp on the scabbard could hold a mana crystal. Depending on the crystal's attribute, it could grant the sword different elemental properties.

Then I heard my father say:

"Son, today I want to tell you this: a true man must carry a 'sword' in his heart—not to hurt others, but to protect those who matter. That sword is called responsibility. It keeps you standing firm through wind and rain, and clear-headed when you are lost.

"First, you must walk the road of growth yourself. Your parents will grow old. They can accompany you, but they cannot choose your direction for you. Independence is not coldness. It means understanding that even mountains can collapse when you rely on them. Only by becoming strong yourself can you protect the people you love.

"Second, hardship is a whetstone. Do not fear suffering. Running away will only make your difficulties more vicious. Grit your teeth and endure it, and you will discover that responsibility is not a shackle—it is the strength that lets you straighten your back.

"Third, be clear-minded between right and wrong. Kindness does not mean weakness. Respect women and protect what you cherish. That is what it means to stand tall and take responsibility.

"Finally, whether you succeed or fail, the family will always be your roots. Come home when you are tired, but remember—responsibility is not a burden. It is the fuel that makes your life shine. I am proud of you, not because you are perfect, but because you dare to shoulder your own mission."

I was a little stunned when I heard those words. Perhaps this was why every man in the Greyrat family gave his child a sword at the age of five—a family tradition. In the novel, I had never heard Paul finish that speech. Zenith had interrupted him halfway through. Perhaps what Paul wanted to say differed from what my father had said, but I believed the meaning behind their words was the same.

Paul was one of the characters from the original story that I found most regrettable. Perhaps it was the price he paid with his life that ultimately made him embody a man's "protection" and "responsibility," showing what it meant to be a good father or husband. Although he was somewhat flirtatious, and his abilities in every regard were far inferior to Rudeus's, compared to the life described in Rudeus's diary, Paul was more responsible than Rudeus. He protected his family and fulfilled his duties. He truly was a good father. He should still be serving as a knight in Buena Village now. I hoped that in this life, he would also be able to protect what he cherished and keep his family safe.

After receiving my gift, it was time for dancing. As the star of today's banquet, I ought to invite a lady for the opening dance.

Originally, I wanted to invite Isolte, since she was the only girl around my age whom I knew. But when I saw her, I found her staring at me with terror in her eyes. That look seemed to be saying, Don't come over here. Please don't come over here!

I nearly burst out laughing. She probably had never learned to dance. If I invited her to dance, she would likely never attend another ball I invited her to for the rest of her life.

My gaze drifted through the crowd. Many poised young noble ladies looked at me expectantly, which made me feel a little embarrassed. Just as I was about to close my eyes and pick one at random, I saw the golden-haired little girl the Crown Prince had brought today. I thought to myself that my grandfather and the Crown Prince were on such good terms, and this little girl was more than ten years younger than the Crown Prince, so she could not possibly be his partner. No sooner thought than done—I boldly invited the beautiful girl to dance the opening number.

Stopping half a meter in front of her, I extended my right hand outward, palm up, my elbow naturally bent. I dipped slightly with a smile and said gently, "Beautiful lady, would you honor me with this dance?"

The girl was not shy. She looked like she had experienced this kind of thing often. Keeping a natural smile, she replied softly, "The honor is mine." Then she slowly rose. Her right hand rested lightly in my left, while her left hand naturally settled on my right shoulder. The music began. Though the girl looked younger than me, her dancing was far more practiced. Whenever my steps were a little too fast or too slow, she adjusted with ease. The opening dance was an exceptional success.

Yet while we danced, whenever my gaze swept over the other guests, I found many of them looking at us with amused expressions. I could not quite make sense of it.

Once the dance ended, I escorted her back to where she had been standing. Then, all of a sudden, a great many boys appeared to invite her to dance. I had been nervous while dancing because it was an opening solo and so many people were watching, so I had not had the chance to ask her name. After the dance ended, with so many people crowding around her, I had even less chance to go speak with her.

Looking around, I saw many girls watching me with expectant eyes. It was a little awkward. Though my soul was twenty-six years old, I was still a virgin. Those eager looks made me feel secretly pleased, but also embarrassed. I scanned the entire venue, spotted my target, and quickly trotted over.

The girl I had just danced with did not react much when she saw me leave. She gave me one curious glance, then went to deal with the swarm of boys eager to dance with her.

Isolte felt very lucky to be able to attend such a high-class ball. Both her parents were knights, not truly part of the nobility. As such, she had never attended any balls before. This was her first time at such a grand event, and she had been looking forward to it. She had even begged her parents to buy her a beautiful dress. Though she was obsessed with swordsmanship, that did not mean she disliked pretty clothes. It could be said that swordsmanship and being a happy girl were the two things she loved most.

However, once she arrived at the ball in her beautiful formal dress, she was dumbfounded. Every girl here was dressed better than she was. The complexity and colors of their dresses were unlike anything she had ever seen. Though her dress had cost an entire month's wages for her parents, here it still made her look like a country bumpkin, completely unable to fit into the surroundings.

Then she realized she had never learned to dance. Why come to a ball if she could not dance? It was incredibly embarrassing. She could only avoid everyone's eyes and pretend she was invisible, as though nobody could see her. When Dolin was about to begin the opening dance, Isolte saw his gaze lock onto her. She had nearly cried on the spot. If she tripped and fell because she could not dance, the entire Ars would probably know her name by tomorrow. Fortunately, Dolin did not come to invite her for the opening dance. That made her feel relieved, but also somewhat downhearted. She did not know what that feeling was. In any case, she was in a bad mood. So much so that she did not even watch Dolin dance with the sweet-looking golden-haired girl. Instead, she headed for the refreshment area, planning to use delicious food to fill her young, shattered heart.

The food here was all things she had never seen outside. Macarons, madeleines, Black Forest cake, almond turrón, caramel pancakes, scones—these were all treats she had wanted to eat for a long time but had never had the chance to try.

When the music stopped, a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Isolte, you were here? I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Ah, Dolin. What are you here for? Don't think about inviting me to dance. I can't dance. Please ignore me. Just pretend I don't exist."

With Dolin's arrival, many young noble ladies turned their eyes in this direction. The pressure on Isolte was enormous—greater even than when she sparred with the Water God.

"I'm not good at attending balls either. Those women look at me like I'm prey, and it makes my skin crawl. It's very uncomfortable. If you're free, come take a walk outside with me."

"No, I haven't finished eating the pastries yet. I've wanted to try these for a long time, but I never had the chance."

Dolin smiled. So this girl was a little foodie after all. "Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll tell the butler to pack up a large portion for you later, so you can take it home to eat. You can share it with your family too."

At the thought of bringing delicious food home to share with her parents, Isolte felt happy. She gladly accepted Dolin's invitation and walked out of the ballroom with him.