Chapter 243
"Simon."
On the way to the ballroom, Loraine quietly approached and spoke.
"Do you know about the tradition of the ball?"
"......?"
Simon looked completely clueless. Princess Molly clapped her hands and chimed in.
"If it’s alright, I’ll explain it myself!"
This tradition originated from the time when the old Talhern Empire conquered the Dresden Kingdom and held a ball in their palace. The ball was intended to comfort the soldiers who had suffered through the war, and it was said to be grotesquely debauched.
In particular, a large execution platform was prepared at the center of the ballroom, and the King of Dresden, dressed in tattered clothes, was dragged up there.
It was the highlight of the event.
The Talhern Emperor personally operated the execution platform and said:
—Speak your final wish.
Of course, the Emperor had no intention of granting any wishes. This was a form of entertainment.
Several royal captives had already met their end here, and the sight of those noble bloodlines wetting themselves, begging for their lives, was said to be quite the spectacle.
The Emperor laughed heartily and carried out the execution, which delighted the guests.
At the same time, the Emperor wanted to give a lesson to the people of Dresden.
That those they once revered were, in truth, this insignificant. That it was inevitable they had been conquered.
But the King of Dresden was different.
He climbed up to the execution platform himself, lowered his head, and said:
—Please make sure my people have three meals a day.
Then he activated the execution platform himself.
The Emperor was genuinely impressed by this, and banned the rampant looting and criminal acts occurring in the capital, Langerstine. He also ceased the exploitation of the conquered kingdom and implemented relief policies, even allowing for partial autonomy.
Afterward, the royal family, who were all fated to be decapitated, survived that banquet, and their bloodline continues to this day.
To honor the king who sacrificed himself for his people, the royal family held a ball every year on the day Langerstine was captured.
On that day, royalty bearing the king’s blood were allowed to make a “wish” to the guests who attended the ball.
Of course, it could not be excessive, related to money or property, or disrespectful.
—Sir Ronan, I worry for your health, so please quit smoking starting now.
That was about the level of it.
It was an unspoken rule that both the wisher and the recipient had to enjoy the exchange. That’s why so many people participated in the ball without pressure.
‘So that’s the tradition.’
Now that he understood the story, Simon saw the ball in a new light.
At first, he thought it was a lavish social gathering for the royal family to flaunt their wealth and connections, but in truth, it was a long-standing event grounded in historical fact.
More than anything, the fact that their kingdom had been conquered and their king killed was undoubtedly a painful memory, and yet they transformed that into a tradition and enjoyed it—that, Simon found impressive.
‘Then I wonder what wish the princess will make? I’m curious.’
Soon, the three of them arrived at the entrance to the ballroom.
Princess Molly said,
"I’ll go in last. You three go in first."
"Yup."
As Simon nervously stared at the door, Serne subtly moved to his side.
Then she extended her slender hand toward him.
‘...Why is she asking to hold hands again?’
When Simon didn’t react, Serne smiled with her eyes and gently waved her hand.
"My arm hurts, Simon~"
The reason Serne had bothered to attend this bothersome ball was because she wanted the names Simon and the Ivory Tower to be spoken together in front of many people. From the start, she had planned to enter with Simon.
Of course, Loraine wouldn’t let that happen.
She stepped between them, grabbed Serne, and said,
"Go first, Simon."
Simon nodded in gratitude and quickly moved toward the door.
Serne tried to follow, but was blocked by Loraine’s tight defense.
"What the heck! Let me go!"
"Only married couples enter together, so don’t throw a tantrum. Students are supposed to enter alone."
"Like I care!"
Loraine was solely focused on stopping Serne’s scheme.
But seeing the wicked Serne working so hard to recruit Simon to the Ivory Tower, she began to reconsider a bit.
‘I’d like Simon to work with me in Keyzen after graduation.’
In the end, she would have to respect Simon’s decision two years later, but she thought there was no reason for Keyzen, the top of the top, to just stand by with arms crossed.
She was confident Simon would grow into a talent needed by Keyzen, so she decided to be more proactive.
‘Simon to the Ivory Tower.’
‘Simon belongs to Keyzen.’
While the two girls envisioned different futures, Simon, walking ahead alone, opened the ballroom doors and stepped inside.
‘Wooooaaaah…!’
The place glittered in all directions. It was the first time he’d seen such a grand and dazzling ballroom.
The ballroom had three floors, and the center was open, allowing one to look down from above. Each floor had different themed food prepared, and there were wide areas where guests could dance.
At that moment, the head butler holding a voice-amplifying crystal loudly announced,
"Simon Follentia, current number one special admittee to Keyzen from the Kingdom of Baldwin, is entering!"
Clap clap clap clap clap.
Applause rang out from various corners. Among the murmurs, the word “Keyzen” could be heard.
Then, the doors swung open again.
"Serne Eindark, official successor of the Ivory Tower and number two special admittee to Keyzen, is entering!"
Serne, who had finally appeared after Simon, walked in with her radiant ivory hair fluttering.
She was annoyed that their names weren’t announced together, but with a graceful smile, she looped her arm around Simon’s and waved her hand.
"The daughter of Lady Neftis, the Witch of Death, Loraine Arkbold, is entering."
This time, even among the high-ranking nobles, gasps of shock erupted. Loraine, who almost never appeared in official gatherings, had shown up in a black dress.
"Even Neftis’ daughter is here!"
"The scale has grown. The royal family really went all out this year."
The appearance of the three Keyzen students was sensational. Nobles from the upper floors began coming down to greet them.
Some nearby guests approached to talk or requested dances, but the three only smiled and didn’t actively respond.
That was because the three of them were currently on duty, and this place was their mission site.
"Princess Molly is entering!"
At last, the royal figurehead of this ball appeared.
All the nobles rose from their seats and applauded. Molly, dressed in a white gown, bowed gracefully.
"I thank all the honored guests for gracing us with your presence."
She bowed to the nobles, then slowly walked toward the center.
Simon realized what was set in the middle of the ballroom.
‘That’s the execution platform from the story!’
At first, he hadn’t even recognized it as an execution platform.
No wonder—its blade had been removed, and it was decorated in a lavish manner with vines, ribbons, and lighting.
The royal Princess Molly stepped up onto the execution platform and rang a bell. A clear tone rang out.
"I truly thank the students who visited at my insistence, despite your busy lives at Keyzen, and I would like to make a wish."
With her resonant voice, she continued,
"The three of you are here under escort duty, but just for tonight, I hope you will enjoy this ball as honored guests. May I ask the guests for their understanding?"
The nobles chuckled good-naturedly and raised their glasses.
Princess Molly raised her glass, and Simon, Serne, and Loraine discreetly lifted nearby glasses as well.
"For the prosperity of the kingdom!"
"To the kingdom!"
Everyone emptied their glasses, and Princess Molly rang the bell once more. Applause broke out from every corner.
‘She used her wish for us.’
There was no reason to refuse such a wish. Now there would be no rumors saying the escorts partied at a ball, and since it was a direct request from the client, Keyzen wouldn’t have any objections either.
While Simon was thinking that, Molly’s gaze quietly turned in his direction.
‘Truthfully, I wanted to make a different wish.’
She had wanted to ask him to come to the Dresden Kingdom after graduation. If not that, she had wanted to ask to open her Core and become a necromancer.
But those were personal desires, and not something she could wish for under the tradition of the ball.
Thus, the atmosphere of the ball became increasingly festive.
Thanks to Molly’s wish, the three of them could now roam freely among the guests, sampling food and enjoying conversations.
"I’m Simon Follentia."
"I’ve heard of your exploits. My own son is a first-year, so I was at Roke Island too."
Being invited to a royal ball meant every single person here was impressive, and it wouldn’t hurt to leave a good impression.
Simon conversed with many people, broadening his knowledge.
Loraine, finding the party atmosphere incompatible with her nature, quietly slipped away, while Serne spoke with only a select few people nearby.
Those people seemed to be blocking others from approaching Serne, and it turned out they were all repeating the same phrase to her over and over.
As the party reached its peak—
Rumble!
Thunder roared, and the ballroom lights went out.
Guests gasped and murmured in confusion. The bright, cheerful atmosphere settled into a calm hush, and the sound of heavy rain could be heard outside.
‘Rain?’
Simon looked out the window to see thick raindrops pouring down.
"The stewards have gone to check the mana generator and magic circles. Please wait a moment!"
With the lights out in the old castle, a gloomy atmosphere took over. Guests stopped dancing and quietly sat down at nearby tables to talk.
Simon, his legs aching, also sat down—only to feel Serne suddenly clutch his arm and cling to him.
"I’m scared~"
Chills ran down Simon’s arm as he calmly replied,
"I’m more scared of you."
"That’s so mean!"
At some point, Loraine, who had been out on the terrace, also returned to Simon’s side.
She was glancing around with her ruby-like eyes. In the darkness, her pupils glowed even redder.
"Something wrong, Simon?"
"Seems like there's a little issue with the lighting."
Loraine nodded casually and sat down to sip her wine.
Splish, splish.
Just then, the sound of wet boots echoed from the entrance. The ballroom had gone quiet, so the sound of someone walking down the corridor stood out sharply.
Craaaack!
Another lightning strike made everyone flinch.
Before long, all the guests on the first floor turned their attention toward the entrance, where the sound of squelching boots was coming from.
Bang!
The door swung open.
Drip, drip.
A man soaked in water appeared.
He wore ragged clothes, his cheeks were sunken, and he gave off a spasmodic laugh with twitching shoulders. His breath reeked of alcohol, and one eye was unfocused.
"You all look very happy, hmm. Uhuhuhu..."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The wet man clapped three times. Then, with a cold gaze, he swept his eyes across the room.
"I’m not, though."
Craaaaack!
Lightning flashed, briefly lighting up the surroundings, then faded again. In that moment, those who had seen the man’s face covered their mouths in horror.
He was none other than the third prince expelled from Keyzen, a second-year student, and former president of the Noble Club.
Prince Andre.
"But this is something. Never expected to see you here."
He turned to Simon with a twisted smirk.
"Simon Follentia."
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters
Very good story and translation but half the chapter aren't for free and it is wayyyy too expensive will it stat like tjis foreve or will it get free after some time