The Birthday Party, Part Two

Strolling along the broad stone path in the garden, Isolte took the initiative to speak. "I never expected your family's title to be so high, Dolin. So many important people came to your fifth birthday banquet. I think I even saw the prince himself. Before this, I could only see him during the Victory Day Festival. If I'd known so many adults would be here, I wouldn't have come."

(Note: The Victory Day Festival was held to celebrate the three heroes' defeat of the Demon God Laplace and the return of peace to the world.)

"Why wouldn't you come just because there are important people here? Did you come to my birthday banquet to meet unimportant people? It has nothing to do with those big shots. I don't actually like attending balls either. Places like this make me feel restless. If you don't join other people's conversations, you feel isolated, but if you do join them, they're unbearably boring. It's really contradictory."

After pondering for a moment, I continued, "We're martial artists. We're used to doing things that improve ourselves. We practice swordsmanship to make our swordsmanship stronger. We practice magic to become more proficient with magic. That's why we're not interested in this kind of ball. We don't need to make friends or build connections through this sort of thing. So it doesn't matter if we're bad at attending balls. Didn't you come here today to celebrate my birthday? Don't tell me you came for those pastries you wanted to eat but never had before?"

Isolte rolled her pretty eyes at me without saying anything. She didn't seem particularly convinced by my attempt to comfort her.

I stared at Isolte for a while, then burst out laughing. Her brows drew together as she angrily asked, "What are you laughing at? Are you making fun of me?"

"I'm laughing because that dress doesn't suit your temperament at all."

Isolte was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; she instantly bristled. "I'm going back. You can wander around by yourself!" she snapped, turning to leave.

I hurriedly grabbed her. If I let her go now, I'd be done for. It would probably take at least ten days or half a month to placate her.

"Don't go. I'm not finished yet, so don't be so hasty. Don't get angry after hearing only half of what I have to say. At least wait until I finish before getting mad."

Isolte glared at me furiously. Her eyes seemed to be glistening with tears.

"I said the dress doesn't suit you because you look much prettier in your swordsmanship uniform. Your swordsmanship is so good, so why compare yourself to others in something you aren't good at? Of all the girls wearing dresses today, I think none of them are as beautiful as you are in your swordsmanship uniform. When you wear it, you're full of confidence. You seem unafraid of any failure or setback. Your confidence is what makes you most beautiful. Who wouldn't praise a swordswoman full of confidence and courage?"

"And honestly, among every guest here today—including the prince and my grandfather—there's one person none of them can compare to. Can you guess who?"

"I don't know. Do you mean the king?"

"Not the king. I mean our master, Water God Reida Reia."

"Think about it. Would you remember the name of a crown prince or minister from a neighboring country? But I believe every knight, adventurer, and ruler knows the Water God's name. She represents humanity's strongest level of combat power at present, nearly on par with the Seven Great Powers. The Aras Kingdom with her in it and the Aras Kingdom without her are two completely different countries. She's like the National Foundation Stone."

"Isn't your goal to become the Water God? When that happens, you'll be the Pillar of the Nation. Which noble would dare not take you seriously? They'd all have to butter you up. Doesn't that sound exciting just thinking about it?"

"Get lost. Butter you up, my ass. As a noble, can't you stop using such vulgar language? Did all your etiquette lessons go into your stomach?"

It wasn't the bashful reaction I had imagined, but seeing confidence fill Isolte's eyes again put me at ease.

After that, we walked through the garden and discussed many topics related to swordsmanship and magic. Because I'd been busy, I hadn't been going to the Water God Style dojo every day. Isolte told me about her progress in learning magic. She really was a diligent child. As I remembered, Eris had also studied magic under Rudy for a time in the original story, though she seemed to have forgotten it all in the end.

After wandering around for about an hour, we returned to the venue. By then, the ball had entered its latter half, and some guests had begun to leave.

Naturally, I needed to see the guests off at the entrance. That was the responsibility of the host.

Isolte also said goodbye. Seeing her carrying a package of pastries made me laugh even more. If only there had been a camera. Once she became the Water God, this could become a funny story to tell.

After all the guests had left, the butler came to relay a message: Grandfather wanted to see me.

That surprised me, because whenever Grandfather had something to tell me, he normally had the butler pass it along or brought it up at the dinner table.

This was the first time he had asked me to meet him in his study. My instincts told me it was something important, like when my father had told me to come to Ars.

I had never been permitted to enter the villa at the back, which belonged exclusively to my grandfather.

There were very few servants in that building, and it looked cold and deserted. The few servants there had gloomy eyes when they looked at people. They were probably specially trained "talents."

Still, no one gave me any trouble, and I easily arrived at the study door.

After knocking three times and receiving permission from within, I entered Grandfather's study.

"Grandfather, the butler said you wanted to see me."

"Ah, Dolin. Don't be nervous. It's not bad news. I heard that both the Water God and Bradycond think highly of you. Your Water God Style swordsmanship and magic studies have both been going very well?"

"You flatter me, Grandfather. I have been following your instructions and studying the Water God Style and magic diligently, but I have not reached a level worthy of praise."

"Haha, you brat, don't be so modest. That old man Stephen told me your reading, writing, and arithmetic have all been excellent too. Since it's your birthday today, I'm going to reward you."

"Thank you, Grandfather. I'm very happy to receive a gift from you."

"Do you like the girl you danced with at the ball today?"

"No, Grandfather, I don't particularly like her. She was simply more distinctive than the other ladies there, so I chose her."

Grandfather looked at me with the teasing gaze of someone who had been through it all.

"Haha, it's fine, Dolin. If you like her, just say so. But that woman won't do. You can't get close to her, and you can't have any thoughts about her."

"Yes, Grandfather. I won't have any thoughts about her."

That old pervert. I wouldn't be interested in a little girl who's only a few years old. I'm a normal man, and I only like normal women.

Grandfather seemed quite satisfied with my answer. He stood and said, "Follow me. You must keep everything you see next strictly confidential."

I nodded seriously.

After standing up, Grandfather pressed a book on the bookshelf, then turned the oil lamp beside a painting one full circle. The oil in the lamp did not spill, as though something was holding it in place. A rumbling sound immediately rose, and the wall beneath the painting suddenly sank inward. Looking closer, it was actually a stone door.

There was a tunnel here. The design was truly ingenious. It was easy enough to find the book on the shelf that needed to be pressed, but who would have thought an ordinary oil lamp needed to be turned? This oil lamp had to be a magical tool.

Once the stone door opened, Grandfather called out, "Hurry up and follow me," then swaggered inside. I immediately followed. About a minute after I entered, the stone door closed on its own.

After walking down the stone stairs for around ten minutes, the view suddenly opened up. This was a huge underground chamber, over two hundred square meters in size and as tall as a two-story building. Many people moved back and forth through it.

The moment everyone saw my grandfather, they immediately dropped to their knees and shouted, "Leader!" This was clearly an underground organization, and my grandfather was its leader.

Grandfather turned to me and said, "This is Nightingale, an underground organization our family has operated for three hundred years. It mainly gathers intelligence and carries out assassinations. Every assassin in this organization has been carefully cultivated. We hold leverage over every one of them, so we never have to worry about them leaking secrets. Only direct descendants of the Prodia Family may know this secret, and they will only obey the orders of direct descendants of the Prodia Family. Of course, you're still young. I'm only letting you know about this for now. You don't need to do anything. Once you grow up, you'll have the chance to interact with this organization. Follow me."

I followed Grandfather for quite a distance, passing through many rooms and secret passages before arriving at a room that looked like a prison cell. Behind iron bars were all kinds of "prisoners"—young girls, ordinary adult women, and various demi-human races: Long-ear Race, beastfolk, Dwarf-kin, and more.

Every one of them looked pale and listless. They wore tattered rags that barely covered them. Some wept softly, while others had vacant eyes, as though they might collapse and die at any moment.

I said nothing and asked no questions. There was legal slave trading in this world, and such things were not unusual outside either. There was just a greater variety here, and the merchandise was of better quality.

They were probably all Grandfather's collectibles.

Although I had long known that the person in front of me was scum, I did not yet possess the strength to oppose him. I could only endure.

I acted like a child visiting this place for the first time. Though somewhat afraid, I looked around curiously. Seeing that I did not ask questions, Grandfather ignored me and walked straight inward.

At the innermost room, Grandfather opened the door. There were three females inside—or rather, three girls.

After entering, Grandfather took the initiative to explain. "I don't need to explain what kind of place this is. This is the pleasure power brings. If you want all this in the future, then you must continuously work to raise your prestige, make more allies, improve your abilities, and climb higher. Then you too will possess power like mine."

I did not respond, waiting for Grandfather to continue.

"The ones outside are all leftovers I've already played with, so I won't give them to you. These three are the newest 'products' offered from below. Their family backgrounds are clean, and one is even the daughter of a minor noble. I can spare one for you as a birthday present. From now on, you have full authority over her. You can enjoy her however you wish. Remember, Dolin: the greater one's ability, the stronger one's desires. A person without desires will never have great ambitions."

That's nothing but sophistry, I refuted him inwardly. This old pervert wants to train me into a little pervert too.

I was somewhat tempted. As a virgin in my twenties who had never touched a woman, it would be a lie to say I had no desires in that regard. Otherwise, I would either be impotent or gay.

But when it came to right and wrong, I took such matters very seriously.

When I lacked the power to stop evil, I could permit myself to turn a blind eye to it. But I would never permit myself to join in and become an abuser. That would violate my bottom line.

Just as I was about to find an excuse to refuse Grandfather's birthday gift, one of the three girls looked at me with hopeful eyes.

She had the common wheat-colored short hair of an Aras native, and her eyes were swollen red from crying. Though she was a little dirty, her skin looked very fair.

I suddenly understood. Grandfather had said I possessed authority over her. Then how I treated her was entirely up to me. As long as I did not abuse her and gave her hope of living, that would be enough.

Between saving someone and not saving someone, I chose the former.

The other two had already lost the light in their eyes. Even if I chose them, I probably could not save them anymore. Then I would save this girl, who still retained a trace of humanity before she fell completely. At least there was still light in her eyes.

I raised my hand and pointed at the girl looking at me.

Grandfather followed my finger and said with a smile, "Not bad. You have a good eye. You picked the most expensive of the three. She's the daughter of a noble. But don't worry, play with her however you like. Her parents already sold her to me."

He ordered his subordinates to untie the girl and bring her to my side.

Just as the girl was about to speak, I gave her a warning look. She immediately shut her mouth.

Grandfather watched my expression with amusement. "Don't be too rough. It won't be fun if you play her to death."

The girl shuddered from head to toe. I replied, "I will heed Grandfather's teachings."

Grandfather did not respond. Instead, he instructed one of his subordinates, "Raven, take my grandson back. I'm going to enjoy my 'dessert' here."

A person in a black cloak beside him answered, "Yes," then came over and led me out.

After the door closed, I looked back once and felt a little sick.

For the first time, I felt the helplessness of being weak. Evil was right in front of you, yet you could only turn a blind eye to it. It felt awful.

After winding through countless turns, we returned to the surface. We were no longer inside the villa. I did not know the exact location, but it seemed to be inside a single-story house.

We were still within Ars City. I got into the carriage waiting outside, but since I had never visited the outer city, I had no idea of our precise location. After a twenty-minute carriage ride, I returned to the villa with this "birthday present."

I felt mentally exhausted. This birthday had left me completely worn out, body and soul.