Manuke FPS - Chapter 89

Chapter 89

The banquet at La Vienne Rose – the largest ballroom in the city – was about to begin . As we waited at our table for the last group, the first to arrive was Veneer’s City Lord and his wife . Along with the Veneer couple, another person arrived; maybe one of their sons . Marquis Venato’s group sat at the head of their tables as hosts of the event . The Marquis took the sit to my right, probably thinking the other chairs were taken . With this, the group had been seated… As for Lord Dragrange’s group…

“This should be our table, Leader!”

“Please have a seat!”

“Ooh-, is it here, or here?”

I heard voices behind me… As the voice came closer and closer, I turned my head and found—-

A short-statured man in a tuxedo with a raccoon face . His white undershirt was prominent due to his protruding potbelly, while his black jacket was made scarce as it’d been pushed off to the side . And standing next to him was a woman with a… . Slender rat face…? Behind them was a 2-meter tall car-eared man— I mean woman, in a brown evening dress… . E? Was this person a transvestite? I stayed seated, making sure that I was ready to stand at a moment’s notice as I watched the trio warily .

“Oh, the Dragrange family has arrived . Please, have a seat . ”

Marquis Veneer, who’d been seated next to me, greeted the trio . So these weirdos were the people from the Degrange frontier?

My eyes followed their movement . So far, they seemed docile, but that cat-eared woman made me wary… Unaware of how I felt, Laptiricia-sama greeted her as she sat beside her . Somehow, I felt something strange . What about Ashley who’d been seated closer? She didn’t seem to hold any suspicion of them, or did she?

“Oo, if it isn’t Laptiricia Barga!”

“Nice to meet you, I am Laptiricia-sama . ”

“I am the eldest daughter of Lord of the Degrange frontier, Ophelia De Lagrange . This man here is my escort—” 

“Escort Virginia Parrenberg . ”

“I am also an escort, my name is Edelhart!”

In return, Laptiricia-sama introduced both Ashley and I . Ashley replied without trouble, but I was at a loss for words . Because I felt stifled when Ophelia’s eyes and mine met . However, it was only for a moment as the venue’s lighting dimmed . Marquis Venato, as the host, emerged on the stage; probably signaling the beginning of the event . Ophelia had turned away, as ‘she’ didn’t seem to hold any interest in me anymore . ‘She’ clapped her hands in response to Marquis Venato’s speech .

After the greetings, a small orchestra began to play beside the stage . Their elegant and flowy music played as the servants distributed the food . The first served was a soup . The Marquis and Laptiricia-sama spoke as they enjoyed it slowly . The Degrange trio drank it at once . One even asked for seconds . Next came the main course, dishes of fish followed by other meat dishes . Then salads and lastly, desert . There were 10 or so dishes being served .  

It may have been the first time I’d attended a banquet, but I knew enough to keep it simple; to enjoy just enough of the dish . But one thing prevented me from enjoying my meal was Ophelia . I watched her and the other two eat, specifically, I kept my eye on the silverware in their hands . I’d made sure that my knife was ready to be thrown at a moment’s notice . Unfortunately, no matter how I concentrated, the display on the panther mask showed no guiding line . Apparently, the targeting system only worked with VMB’s weapons .   

I watched them diligently, too high strung to even remember the taste of the meat I ate tasted like .

The first time I’d met them was at the Fort City of Barga . Back then, I thought they were just some adventurers . The second time I’d met them was when I took the request for the Marida Company . While those guys had given themselves a cool sounding name, they were the first to flee the moment the bandits appeared . The third time was at this very banquet . I thought to myself as I watched the giant of a person, who seemed confused on whether they’d be a he or she, enjoyed the dishes joyfully .     

From their attitude, I could clearly tell them apart from a real noble like Laptiricia-sama . Don’t tell me they only attended the banquet just to eat? Did they really have to disguise themselves as a giant cat-eared lady with her escorts, the rat faced lady and little raccoon man just for that? I didn’t know which unnerved me more . Me realizing who they were, or everyone else not having the smallest inkling of suspicion of them . Not only those who sat at the table, not even the wait staff seemed to see the strangeness of these guests .

 What was going on here?

In the end, the banquet ended without any incident . After arriving back at the inn, I finally had time for a break and asked Ashley .

“Degrange territory? It’s in the furthest most north of the kingdom . If we take a carriage there, it’d take two months to get there . ”

“Have you ever met a member of the Degrange family before this?”

“No, I haven’t . But Ophelia’s beauty was famous even in the capital . She’s a beautiful elf just as rumoured . ”

Elf…?

But what I saw back at the banquet was a beastkin . Meanwhile, the elf race was part of a very different fairy race… So that Ophelia was a fake . But why did no one else notice? They couldn’t have possibly mistook a beastman for an elf, right? It’s so ridiculous it must’ve been magic— 

Magic?

Of course, in other words, they’d used some sort of magic spell or tool to conceal themselves . However, it didn’t work on me who was a ‘Manuke’ . Perhaps it was an illusion that interfered with the sight and sound of those with magic, making them see something different . I would’ve been deceived as well if it’d been a shapeshifting ability instead . But one that worked by interfering with one’s magic wouldn’t work on me . But what was their purpose? Just to attend the banquet?

In any case, those were the same trio of adventurers and that I encountered during the Marida escort request . Could anyone else see through their illusion? The trip to Veneer ended with that quest in my mind . We would leave tomorrow to return to the capital . There wasn’t another attack either that night . This journey might prove more difficult as we had another five days ahead .  

We had a talk with the convoy leader . He’d mentioned that the most dangerous area would be the rest area, since we’d spend the night there . And it wasn’t just Laptiricia-sama we had to protect . It was also the horses and carriages as they were equally as important to keep our schedule . If we failed to attend the ball held in the capital, that’d been a major blunder . No only would the meeting of the Third Prince be delayed, it’d put a huge obstacle for her to become his fiancee .  

With so many other nobles attending the banquet, her chance of getting to know the prince would plummet . And regardless of her rank, another person would replace her if she missed it . Therefore, although protecting Laptiricia-sama was important, keeping our transportation intact was just as vital .