Rudeus took a deep breath and quickly broke the deadlock:
" Eris, so... what exactly was the gift you were talking about?"
Eris breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Rudeus's question.
She instantly crossed her arms over her chest, slightly raised her chin, and reverted to her signature haughty pose:
"Hmph, Alphonse, go and get 'that'!"
The butler, standing in the shadows, bowed slightly and walked mysteriously behind a huge knight statue.
When he turned around again, he held a magnificent staff that emitted a faint blue light in his hand.
" Alphonse, give this young lady a proper introduction!"
Eris raised her eyebrows smugly.
"As you wish, young lady."
Alphonse, holding his staff with both hands, walked solemnly to Rudeus:
"This wand is named—'The Arrogant Water Dragon King.' The wand's shaft was crafted from the arm of the ' Elder Treant,' which inhabits the eastern part of the Great Forest of the Millis Continent. As learned as Lord Rudeus is, this is a Advanced Rank subspecies born from a small magic tree absorbing nutrients from the Fairy Spring, belonging to the A-rank monsters capable of manipulating water magic. The magic stone at the top was obtained from a lone 'Sea Dragon' in the northern part of the Begaritt Continent, also an A-rank masterpiece. As for its maker—it is the foremost wand-forging master of the Asura Kingdom's court magic guild, Quan Brocion."
After a lengthy and sophisticated introduction, Alphonse respectfully handed the staff back.
"Young Miss, please present it to Young Master Rudeus personally."
Eris solemnly accepted the staff and took a deep breath.
He stared intently at Rudeus with his bright, star-like eyes and handed it to him:
"Hurry up and accept this! It's a 18th birthday gift from the Greyrat family!"
"It was specially ordered from the capital by my father and grandfather!"
"Because... Rudeus is such a powerful magician, yet he doesn't have a decent wand. That's so strange!"
Rudeus stretched out both hands and accepted the staff with the same solemnity.
It was cold and heavy, yet contained a terrifyingly powerful water-attribute magic.
This was the first real magic wand he had ever possessed since he came into this world.
" Eris... thank you, thank you so much."
"Hmph, no need to be so polite! Alright! Let's get back to the party, before the carefully prepared food gets cold!"
Eris grabbed Rudeus's hand and excitedly pulled him toward the dining table.
Her mouth never stopped, chattering incessantly about each dish on the table—
How was this made? What spices were used in that dish? Which dish did she personally help prepare?
Seeing her beaming with joy as she wholeheartedly celebrated for me, and hearing the crisp, noisy sounds around me...
Rudeus was momentarily dazed.
This man before us is a "violent maniac" feared like a tiger by outsiders, who readily throws punches at us.
She was holding his hand tightly at that moment, the warmth emanating from his fingertips was intense and real.
Her crimson lips parted and closed, her captivating eyes blinked, exuding a breathtaking, wild beauty.
(Damn it... Eris is just too cute.)
(I really want to push her down right now, and then do this and that...)
(No, no, no! What utterly immoral things am I thinking! I must be drunk!)
He suddenly shivered, and taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he secretly activated a Voiceless Incantation "antidote spell" in his palm.
As a chill ran through my brain, most of the hangover was forcibly dispelled.
The banquet lasted until late at night.
Old Master Sauros got completely drunk and had to be carried back by four guards.
Before leaving, Mrs. Hilda generously placed a tender, maternal kiss on Rudeus's forehead.
Eris, exhausted, eventually fell asleep on the table and was carried back to her room by Ghislaine like a sack of potatoes.
The maids quickly and efficiently cleaned up the messy room and then withdrew one by one.
Finally, the noise subsided, leaving only the flickering candlelight in the empty restaurant.
Philip sat alone in the shadows, holding his wine glass, sipping it slowly and deliberately.
Rudeus straightened his clothes, walked over, and sat down opposite him.
Actually... Eris originally had an older brother and a younger brother.
Philip spoke abruptly, his voice sounding somewhat lonely in the empty room.
Rudeus raised an eyebrow, displaying just the right amount of curiosity:
Where are they now?
"In the capital..."
Philip chuckled self-deprecatingly, and seeing Rudeus's puzzled look, continued:
"This is also because I lost the battle for the family headship back then."
"According to the rules of the House Boreas, the sons of the losers must be sent to the main family in the capital to be raised as hostages and future retainers."
As soon as he finished speaking, he tightened his grip on the wine glass.
The veins on the back of his hand were faintly bulging, and even his knuckles were slightly white from exertion.
Rudeus remained silent, not interrupting him, simply being a good listener.
Philip took a deep breath, his sharp gaze piercing like a hawk's as he stared directly at his opponent:
" Rudeus, you like Eris, right?"
"Uh... why are you suddenly asking this?" Rudeus was slightly taken aback.
"Hmph, if I didn't even have this much insight as the mayor of Roа, I would have been devoured by those vampires in the capital long ago, leaving not even bones behind."
Philip tilted his head back, downed the liquor in his glass in one gulp, and a glint of ambition flashed in his eyes:
I'll get straight to the point.
"If you can help me regain my position as head of the House Boreas... I will agree to formally marry Eris to you."
Upon hearing this, Rudeus's previously tense body instantly relaxed.
He picked up the wine jug, poured himself a cup of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Ha--"
The pungent liquor stung his throat. Rudeus wiped his mouth and gave a knowing smile.
"Father-in-law, you're being too polite."
"We're all one family, why be so formal?"
"Oh?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Philip's eyes.
"Father-in-law, you can rest assured. Your request is, in my opinion, a trivial matter."
As Rudeus spoke, he focused his consciousness into the [System Backpack] in his mind.
"Perfect timing! I have a few insignificant yet quite practical little toys here. Please take a look..."
With a flash of light, a pair of high-end, streamlined sleeves radiating an antique silver sheen appeared out of thin air on the table.
Rudeus patted the gloves and began to enthusiastically introduce them like a salesman:
"This item is called -- ' Sorylia's Sleeves '."
"It is an extremely rare magical item that can store and instantly cast magic."
"To be honest, I've already pre-stocked this place with two thousand top-tier ' Rock Bullet,' two thousand ' Great Fireball,' and two thousand ' Frost Strike ' rounds."
"Even an ordinary person without any magical powers could destroy an army in an instant if they wore it."
Next, Rudeus laid out two rings engraved with intricate spatial inscriptions and two delicate brocade pouches the size of a palm on the table.
"And these two rings, please make sure you and your wife wear them carefully. They can absolutely withstand physical and magical attacks at the Saint Rank, and even those approaching the King Rank."
"As for the accompanying magic crystals, I've put them all in this 'magic pouch'."
"By the way, this brocade pouch contains a separate space inside."
"It's about the size of our House Boreas compound, and I've stockpiled enough high-end survival supplies and medical equipment to last for several years."
Looking at the terrifying props that appeared out of thin air on the table, each one more illogical than the last.
Philip, who was always unfazed even by the collapse of Mount Tai, was completely out of control at this moment.
[ Emotion Points +1000 from Philip ]
His mouth was slightly open, his hand holding the wine glass froze in mid-air, and his eyes were filled with unparalleled shock.
" Rudeus... you, I really can't understand you anymore," Philip said in a hoarse voice.
Rudeus smiled slightly, then looked at the other person with a calm and composed expression:
"Aren't you going to ask where these things came from?"
Philip stared at Rudeus for a full half minute, then slowly exhaled and shook his head.
"No... I won't ask anymore. Great people all have secrets. I'm already incredibly grateful that you've provided me and this family with these trump cards."
"In that case, let me give you one last piece of advice."
Rudeus's face darkened, and his tone became extremely serious and solemn:
"Gloves, ring, and a brocade pouch—one for you, and one for the lady."
From this moment forward, please keep this with you at all times, whether you are eating or sleeping!
"To be honest, I've had a terrible premonition lately, a feeling that some irreversible catastrophe is about to happen to this world."
"Therefore, just in case, please be sure to follow my advice."
Philip gave the other person a deep look, put away his usual scheming, and nodded solemnly:
"Since it's a prophecy made by someone as top-tier magician as you... I will naturally follow it."
Hearing his assurance, Rudeus finally breathed a sigh of relief, and a confident smile returned to his face.
"Well then... goodnight, father-in-law."
He stood up, took the new wand Eris had given him, and walked toward the door.
From the shadows behind him came Philip's sigh, a mixture of amusement and weariness:
"Hmm... Goodnight."