Chapter 5: Banquet, Day 1
Thanks to the plenty of rest they got after returning to the castle, Rio and the others were able to welcome the first day of the banquet in perfectly alert condition. Shortly after they got up at midday, a light meal was brought to their dining room to serve as breakfast and lunch, which the three of them ate.
“Before we dig in, let me tell you the plans for today that were passed on to me. We’ll be preparing for attendance at the banquet in the dressing room after this, but Miharu and I will take longer to get dressed up, so we’ll be separated for a while. Haruto, once you’re done changing, you’ll be meeting up with Liselotte. The details will be given to you by your assigned guide, so ask that person anything you have questions about,” Satsuki informed Rio. Servants of the castle had brought a light meal to their room earlier and passed that message onto Satsuki.
“Understood. Please look after Miharu before and during the banquet.” Rio smiled with a nod, looking at Miharu.
“Of course. But it’ll be your role to escort Miharu during the banquet, so make sure you fix yourself up real handsomely to be worthy of standing next to her.” Satsuki puffed up her chest and winked at Rio to urge him on.
Several hours later, Rio changed into his formalwear early and was led to the waiting room of the hall for social events, which was adjacent to the royal castle. He entered the waiting room to see the members of the Duke Cretia family present.
“Hello, Haruto. Good to see you again.” The head of the family, Cedric Cretia welcomed Rio warmly.
“I apologize for my tardy arrival. Thank you very much for your hospitality yesterday. I’m also very sorry for causing an inconvenience by suddenly changing our plans. Please forgive me,” Rio said, placing his right hand over his chest and bowing his head deeply.
“Hahaha, how sincere. There’s no need to let it bother you. It was an order from His Majesty and the hero, after all. No one imagined you’d be invited to stay in the hero’s quarters, but it’s fine. Now, come this way. I shall introduce you to the family members you haven’t met. This is my son George and his fiancée, Colette,” Cedric said, inviting Rio over to the sofa where they were seated. There, seated beside Liselotte and Cedric’s wife Julianne, was a young man in his twenties and a girl in her mid-teens, each wearing formal outfits.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Liselotte’s older brother, the second son of the Cretia family, George. It’s an honor to meet the rumored hero. Thank you for saving my little sister from her predicament.” George stood up and introduced himself to Rio cheerily.
“I’m Lord George’s fiancée, Colette Valier. I’ve heard Sir Haruto is the same age as me—it’s very nice to meet you.” Colette also stood up, pinching the hem of her dress in a graceful greeting.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Haruto. I unfortunately do not have a last name I can offer you, but I ask that you treat me well today nonetheless,” Rio said respectfully with his right hand over his chest.
“No one here will look down on you for not being of nobility. Please, have a seat,” Cedric said warmly.
“Thank you very much. Excuse me, then.” Rio approached the sofa where Cedric’s family was gathered.
“Sir Haruto, your outfit suits you very well,” Liselotte complemented, then offered Rio the seat beside her. “Please, sit here.”
“I’m honored. I purchased this from a Ricca Guild branch, actually. I’m sure you’ve heard this many times already, but you look very beautiful today, Lady Liselotte.” Rio smiled as he praised Liselotte. She was truly a lovely sight all dressed up — elegant and somewhat mystical. Her pale blue hair that reached her back was set in an upswept style, held in place with a rose hair brooch. Furthermore, her dress was an even paler shade of blue, matching her similarly-colored hair. A large ribbon was attached to her back in a way that resembled another rose. There was no doubt she would attract the attention of all the men present as soon as she entered the banquet.
“Why, thank you very much.” Liselotte smiled happily.
“Oh? It’s rare to see Liselotte this shy,” her brother said with a teasing smile.
“George?” Liselotte looked at him cheerfully.
“Hahaha, pretend you didn’t hear that, Haruto.” George laughed loudly to cover up his comment.
Liselotte pouted faintly, then pulled herself together. “Geez. That aside, how was your stay in Lady Satsuki’s chambers?”
“Yes, we had the privilege of chatting about many things. Lady Satsuki was also delighted to be reunited with Miharu and be able to speak to her again. She said it was all thanks to your efforts, Lady Liselotte,” Rio said. For the record, Liselotte wasn’t aware of their plans to sneak out of the castle.
“That’s good to hear, but I was merely the mediator. If anything, I was given the chance to meet the hero before the banquet through you, Haruto, so I was very happy with that,” Liselotte said with a pleased smile.
“I did nothing... but Lady Satsuki was also delighted to be able to talk to you, Lady Liselotte. She seemed to hold quite some interest in the Ricca Guild, so Miharu and I told her all about it.”
“Is that so? Thank you very much.”
To an outsider listening in their conversation would have seemed mundane, but in reality, Rio was informing Liselotte that Satsuki had noticed the secret of the Ricca Guild through his words.
Just then, someone knocked on the waiting room door.
“Oh, that must be Lady Satsuki and Miharu,” Cedric said, prompting Rio and the others to look at the door. The soldier that had been posted before the door entered the room.
“Excuse me. Sir Hiroaki Sakata, Princess Flora Beltrum, and Lady Roanna Fontaine from the Kingdom of Beltrum are requesting permission to give their greetings before the banquet. Shall I allow them entry?”
“Why, if such important people are visiting, we must greet them. Please, let them through.”
“Right away!” At Cedric’s order, the soldier swiftly exited the room and invited Hiroaki and the others inside. Cedric and his family, meanwhile, stood up to await their entrance.
When Hiroaki entered the room and spotted Liselotte, he greeted her with a pleased expression. “Hey, Liselotte.”
Liselotte raised her head. “It’s been three weeks, hasn’t it? Welcome, great hero,” she replied with a smile pasted on her face.
“...Yeah, but that aside...” Hiroaki stared at Liselotte in her dress. He seemed to become a bit shy. “That dress looks really nice on you,” he said in a somewhat flustered tone.
“Thank you. It’s my favorite dress.”
“Huh — is that so. Well, I think it’s cute.”
“Hehe, you flatter me as always. Princess Flora, Lady Roanna — I’m glad to see you are well,” Liselotte replied to Hiroaki with a friendly smile, before turning to address Flora and Roanna cheerfully. Of course, Hiroaki was also in his formal outfit: a pure white military-style suit with gold embroidery.
“I apologize for intruding on your valuable relaxation time. And, umm, it’s nice to see you again too, Sir Haruto.” Flora apologized for the sudden visit while looking around the room in search of someone. When she spotted Rio’s face, she addressed him nervously.
Flora was currently wearing a pale purple dress to match her hair color, which was half-tied up. Her appearance was cute enough to compare favorably with Liselotte.
“It’s been a while, Princess Flora, Sir Hiroaki, Lady Roanna.” Rio showed no particular change in expression as he greeted Flora and the others.
Hiroaki belatedly noticed Rio was beside Liselotte and spoke up with a small shrug. “Ah, I knew you’d be accompanying Liselotte here to this banquet.”
“Both Lady Liselotte and Sir Haruto took great care of us during our stay in Amande. I’m delighted to see you both again.” Roanna grasped the hem of her yellow dress and addressed Liselotte and Rio in a friendly manner.
“No, you helped us out a great deal then too. Is Duke Huguenot doing well?” Liselotte asked, frowning.
“Yes, the injury in his abdomen has healed completely, so he will be in attendance tonight at the banquet. I believe you’ll be able to meet him yourself later,” Roanna informed her.
“I look forward to that. Oh, that aside, allow me to introduce you to my family. This is my father, Cedric, and my mother, Julianne. And this here is my older brother, George, and his fiancée, Colette.”
“I am Cedric, Liselotte’s father and the current head of the Duke Cretia house.” Cedric respectfully placed his right hand over his chest. “I have had the honor of being in the presence of Princess Flora several times while fulfilling my duties as the ambassador of the Galarc Kingdom. It has been a long time since we last met. Furthermore, I believe this is my first time meeting the hero and Miss Roanna.”
“It’s been a long time, Duke Cretia,” Flora said.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Roanna Fontaine.”
Flora and Roanna both returned the greetings in an experienced manner, acting like the royal and noble ladies they were. Meanwhile —
“Yeah, sure. Oh, I’m Hiroaki Sakata. Nice to meet you.” Hiroaki seemed to be a little nervous in front of Liselotte’s father, as his tone was a bit stiffer than usual as he introduced himself.
“Please don’t feel nervous before me, great hero,” Cedric said in a friendly manner.
“No, it’s my bad. I’m just not very good at speaking politely and there’ll be tons of other kingdom royals in attendance at the banquet, so Roanna warned me to be aware of things like that.” Hiroaki gave a bitter grimace as he looked at Roanna, who heaved a small sigh.
I see. Like Liselotte said, there’s no mistaking that she’s practically acting as the hero’s assistant, Cedric thought, seeing through Hiroaki, Flora, and Roanna’s relationship in an instant.
“However, the one dubbed as hero is an existence on par with the king. While it wouldn’t be favorable to be too disrespectful, I doubt there will be any problems with how you spoke just now,” Cedric said with a sociable smile.
“As expected of Liselotte’s father. You sure get it.” Hiroaki’s mouth turned upwards in a pleased smile. Just then, another knock came from the door.
“Oh, it must be Lady Satsuki and Miharu this time. Enter.” Everyone inside the room turned their gazes towards the door as it opened.
“Excuse me. The hero, Lady Satsuki Sumeragi, her friend, Lady Miharu Ayase, and Princess Charlotte have arrived. Please enter,” the guard said. With the exception of Hiroaki and Flora, everyone present lowered their heads in wait.
“My, this is quite a gathering. And if it isn’t Princess Flora. Long time no see,” Charlotte said.
“It’s good to see you again, Princess Charlotte,” Flora said, bowing. Meanwhile, Hiroaki was entranced by the sight of Satsuki, Miharu, and Charlotte in their dresses, ogling them intently. Satsuki was in a deep purple dress, Miharu was in a pale black dress, and Charlotte was wearing an orange-tinted dress, each emitting a mature feminine charm.
“Everyone, please raise your heads. There’s still a little time before the banquet commences, but I’d like to introduce you all first. This is the hero, Lady Satsuki, and her good friend Lady Miharu,” Charlotte said.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Sumeragi. I am the head of the Duke Cretia house, Cedric. By your leave, please allow me to introduce everyone to you. From the Beltrum Kingdom, this is the hero, Sir Sakata, the second Princess Flora, and Duke Fontaine’s daughter Lady Roanna. Everyone else aside from Haruto are my family members. This is my wife Julianne, my son George, and his fiancee Colette. I believe you are acquainted with Liselotte from the other day?” Cedric said succinctly.
“Pleased to meet you. It’s an honor to be meeting the three of you, who have come all the way from Beltrum Kingdom, as well as the nobles that represent Galarc Kingdom,” Satsuki said respectfully.
“There’s no need to stay on our feet for any longer. Please, let us have a seat,” Cedric urged.
At the same time, the members of the Cretia family immediately decided on the seating based on social status and affiliation in their heads. They shuffled from the places they had been sitting at moments ago, encouraging Satsuki and Hiroaki and the others into their spots. In the end, everyone had their seats and faced one another.
Satsuki sat down and faced Hiroaki, immediately talking to him with a friendly voice. “I had heard there were heroes summoned to every area just like me, but I’m happy to be able to actually meet one in person, Mr. Sakata Hiroaki. I doubt there’s even a need to confirm this, but you’re from Japan too, correct?”
“Well, yeah. It’s strange to meet another Japanese person in a fantasy world, but the main hero summoned to the Beltrum Kingdom also had a Japanese name, so there must have been some kind of rule behind it. Though I’m a little surprised to see a Japanese person other than a hero in this world,” Hiroaki said, looking at Miharu.
“Miharu was dragged into the summoning along with me and another person, our friend, who probably ended up as a hero as well,” Satsuki explained.
“Huh, dragged into a summoning. Well, that’s the typical way things go. But if you’re not a hero, then you don’t have a divine arms, right?” Hiroaki seemed to have an interest in Miharu’s circumstances, as he questioned her out of his own curiosity.
“Yes. I couldn’t understand the language of this world when I first arrived.” Miharu nodded.
“Oh, damn. Seriously? Being summoned to another world without any cheat-like benefits sounds more like a punishment... What a tragedy,” Hiroaki said heartily. Satsuki pouted a little unhappily to hear Hiroaki’s insensitive remarks to a girl he was meeting for the first time.
“No, thankfully Haruto took me into his care.” Miharu shook her head with a frown.
“Huh? Haruto, you say?” Hiroaki narrowed his eyes in suspicion and looked at Rio.
“Miharu was summoned to a location completely separate from me and our other friend. She was thrown into a grass field in this world and was wandering, lost, when Haruto saved her, or something.” Satsuki had lost a lot of her original friendliness, explaining things with a rather prickly tone.
Hiroaki accepted the explanation, then stared at Rio’s face once more. “Hmm, so that’s why you asked to accompany Liselotte to the banquet... But you said your parents were immigrants, right? Were they actually from Earth? Face aside, your name sounds a little Japanese. Hmm... Wait, hold on. You couldn’t possibly... be a hero, right? Is that enchanted sword a divine arms?” He seemed to have misunderstood the reason as to why Rio had taken care of Miharu.
“You jest. As I informed you when we first met, my parents are immigrants and I am a human born and raised in this world. I have friends I have known for a long time, too. The enchanted sword is not a divine arms.” Rio shook his head as though to dismiss the ridiculous thought.
“Ah, right. It was just a thought. I thought it was a pretty fantastic deduction, but now that you mention it, you knew one of Liselotte’s attendant girls already. Still, that was a lucky break. If you hadn’t been the first one to find her, wouldn’t her life pretty much be over?” Hiroaki said jokingly.
“Please stop being so insensitive. Slave merchants actually tried to abduct Miharu because she didn’t know the language,” Satsuki said to Hiroaki harshly.
“Hey, hey, are you serious? Well, not knowing the language would certainly be a disadvantage, but...” Hiroaki’s eyes widened as he stared closely at Miharu. He didn’t say it out loud, but his gaze was clearly stating: “Looks like that would definitely sell high.”
“But?” Satsuki asked cheerfully.
“Ah... Nope, it’s nothing. By the way, how old are you guys?” Even Hiroaki realized that would be a bad comment to make and changed the topic.
“I just turned sixteen years old.”
“...I’m seventeen this year.” Miharu and Satsuki told him their ages.
“Heh, so you’re former high schoolers.” Hiroaki grinned.
“And how old would you be?” Satsuki asked.
“...Nineteen.” Hiroaki offered his age after a delicate pause.
“So a former university student?”
“Ah, you shouldn’t ask anyone who’s nineteen if they’re in a university or not — it’s generally considered tactless. There might be people who failed their exams out there.”
“Oh, so you failed your entrance exams. Sorry about that.”
Just who was the one lacking tact here? Satsuki thought as she ducked her head with a friendly smile.
“Tch, must be nice to be a student that doesn’t have to do their exams anymore. Just so you know, I’m only in this situation because I wouldn’t take anything less than my first choice school. I did get a B-grade. I simply passed up on my backup school. The high school I went to is a famous one too.” Hiroaki clicked his tongue.
“I don’t think there’s anything to be ashamed of, though. It isn’t rare for a prep school to have people take their exams multiple times.” Satsuki said incredulously.
“I’m not ashamed of it,” Hiroaki said, growing even more displeased. A tense air descended upon the room.
Satsuki had nothing more to say to Hiroaki, instead looking at Rio to question him curiously. “That aside, what do you think of our dresses, Haruto?”
“I think they suit the two of you very well,” Rio replied to the sudden spotlight with a faint smile.
“I see — thank you.” Satsuki laughed pleasantly. Miharu looked bashful. Hiroaki watched the two of them and snorted.
“Well, in that case, what do you think of my dress, Sir Haruto? There are so many beautiful people here, I’ve lost my confidence a little,” Charlotte asked, also seeking Rio’s opinion.
Rio sat up straight with a troubled expression. “I think it suits you extremely well,” he replied simply.
Charlotte grinned widely. “Why, thank you very much. In that case, I’d like you to attend one of the three days of the banquet with me as my partner,” she asked suddenly.
“No, while that would definitely be an honor...” Rio trailed off, struggling for words. It was disrespectful to decline, but he didn’t think it was something that he could accept lightly, either.
“Oh? In that case, I would like to have Haruto as a partner for one day too,” Satsuki said, jokingly stepping forth as another candidate.
“Then, Lady Miharu and Liselotte can have Sir Haruto for today, while the second and third day will be monopolized by Satsuki and I with one day each,” Charlotte summarized, completely on board with the idea.
Rio was at a complete loss as he attempted to interrupt. “I believe the two of you may be getting a little hasty there...”
“Haha. You’re in great demand, Haruto.” Cedric laughed heartily.
“Meh!” Hiroaki grumbled in disgust.
“...” Flora looked somewhat envious, frowning as she watched their exchange. Seated opposite her, Miharu noticed.
...Is the princess watching Haruto? She wondered, before Flora’s eyes suddenly turned to the front. When she made eye contact with Miharu, she gave a slightly uncomfortable bow as she realized she had been caught looking at Rio.
Miharu watched Flora questioningly as she returned the bow.
“...It was mentioned that Lady Miharu is under Sir Haruto’s protection, but you weren’t present at Amande, if I recall correctly?” Flora questioned Miharu nervously as she watched Rio.
“Yes. I was living elsewhere with Haruto’s friends,” Miharu replied honestly.
“Ah. Come to think of it, you had some fairly pretty followers with you in Amande. Are those two not here today?” Hiroaki had clear memories of Aishia and Celia accompanying Rio at the time.
“Yes. They’ve swapped places with Miharu and are visiting my friends instead,” said Rio.
“I see. While it’s against my principles to show interest in another man’s women, I would have liked to see those two in gowns,” Hiroaki said a bit shyly.
“Oh? Are those of us here not enough for you, great hero?” Liselotte laughed mischievously.
Hiroaki looked back at Liselotte, who was seated a fair distance from him. “Ah, no, that’s not what I meant. If, say, Liselotte was sitting before me as a conversation partner, then I probably wouldn’t show any interest in any other woman,” he said smugly. In other words, he wanted to be the center of attention.
These two Japanese chicks — especially that stuck-up Satsuki one — don’t seem like they’ll be as considerate as Liselotte can be. While Flora has the looks, the way she speaks is... Well, I don’t mind her beside me, but the order we’re in just doesn’t cut it.
At present, Satsuki was seated opposite Hiroaki in the seat of honor, and beside her was Miharu. Meanwhile, the quiet Flora was seated beside Hiroaki. Because of that, Hiroaki wasn’t the center of attention like he usually was, which he found quite dull.
Honestly, what a rude man. He’s basically saying that it’s a drag having me seated before him. Well, I feel the same way about having you before me. I’d much prefer Haruto there. Satsuki saw through Hiroaki’s true intentions and raged on the inside while maintaining her smile.
“You have two such pretty and adorable girls with you already, how greedy of you to make a pass at Liselotte as well,” Satsuki said to Hiroaki with sarcastic exasperation.
“Oh? This is a polygamous world, you know. I’d appreciate it if you keep irrelevant comments to yourself.”
“You mean you have no intention of choosing one person?”
“I don’t want to rank the women who adore me. I have no intention of rejecting anyone, y’know?” Hiroaki replied with a huff and a sneer.
“...Is that so.” Satsuki couldn’t find anything else to say through her exasperation and ended the conversation there. She couldn’t imagine Liselotte adored Hiroaki by any means, but she chose not to voice that out loud.
Just then, someone knocked on the door, and a guard entered the room. “Excuse me. It is almost time for everyone to enter the venue.”
The first floor of the social hall used as the venue for the banquet — the largest hall in the Galarc Kingdom — was crowded with royalty and nobility.
The venue was decorated extravagantly from floor to ceiling in a show of the king’s power. The chandeliers lit by the sorcery in them alone were enough to qualify the hall itself as a palace.
The hall could accommodate a maximum of 5,000 people in a stand-up buffet arrangement, but for a banquet to be held comfortably, roughly half that number was best. Tonight, about 1,500 elites had gathered at the venue, so there was plenty of room to use the hall comfortably.
The first day of the banquet was limited to the royalty and nobility affiliated with the Galarc Kingdom and Beltrum Kingdom’s Huguenot faction, so that number would increase by several hundred by the second day on.
“So, it’s finally time to unveil the hero of our kingdom.”
“The rumors say she’s a young girl, only seventeen years of age.”
“I’ve heard that she’s extremely beautiful.”
“Oh, I look forward to it. Perhaps a younger person would be more desperate to be married, too.”
The extravagantly-dressed guests held such conversations all over the venue. While a normal party would be filled with small talk, shameless bragging, and probing into each others’ lives, tonight, every noble was completely immersed in sharing rumors about Satsuki.
That being said, since Satsuki had closed off contact with practically everyone except the Galarc royalty since she was summoned to the castle and had been given strict orders to stay silent, it was understandable that the nobles wanted to gossip about her and were looking forward to her arrival. As the guest of honor, Satsuki was to enter the venue with the king after all the attendees had arrived. As most of the invited guests were already within the venue, her appearance was due soon.
Incidentally, it was normal at these types of parties for those with the highest rank or influence to arrive the latest, so the only ones missing besides Satsuki and the king were the leading royals and nobles from the Galarc Kingdom and Duke Huguenot’s faction.
Those already within the venue were all the elites selected from each power faction, but those about to enter were even more elite than them. Among them were the Duke Cretia family members, including Rio, Miharu, and Liselotte, as well as Hiroaki, Flora, and Roanna.
“It looks like Duke Gregory’s people are here. Which means Duke Cretia’s family should be next, followed by Her Highness, Princess Flora, and the hero affiliated with the Huguenot faction,” a noble of the Galarc Kingdom said, chatting with a noble from Duke Huguenot’s faction as Duke Gregory, a middle-aged man with good physique, entered the venue.
“Oh, speaking of Duke Cretia, I have heard that his daughter, Lady Liselotte, has made quite a few spectacular achievements. Something about how Amande was under attack by monsters just the other day...” the noble from Duke Huguenot’s faction replied.
“Apparently, Amande was restored splendidly in no time at all. That woman is the living embodiment of intelligence and beauty. She still has no fiancé, so you could say Duke Cretia would be the ideal person to become close to...”
“She would certainly be out of reach of the average youngster. I constantly hear rumors of marriage proposals, but I wonder who will be the one to eventually win her heart.” With her influence both internally and externally to the kingdom, her marriage partner was a topic that was almost always gossiped about.
“The Duke Cretia family has arrived!” The voice of the noble in charge of announcements at the venue echoed throughout the hall. Those in the hall immediately fell silent at the name of the most prosperous noble family in the Galarc Kingdom, currently surpassing Duke Gregory’s family by a fair amount.
“Hmph.” The already-present Duke Gregory snorted in displeasure. The arrival of the Cretia family after the Gregory family meant that King Francois held the Cretia family in higher esteem. As the head of his family, it was certainly unpleasant for Gregory to see.
The door on the upper floor of the hall opened, revealing Duke Cretia and his family members. Leading the way was the head of the family, Cedric, and his wife Julianne.
The nobles in the venue had continued chatting with each other during his appearance, but now, everyone’s attention was naturally focused on the Cretia family.
“So the head of the family, Sir Cedric, and his wife, Lady Julianna have arrived first. I’m so envious of their beauty as a couple.”
“I’ve heard they get along extremely well as a couple too. Well, with a lady as wonderful as Lady Julianne, it’s no wonder they can remain so devoted regardless of age.”
The nobles conversed lightly until Liselotte’s older brother George and his fiancée Colette appeared after.
“Looks like the next head of the Cretia family has arrived. And the second son Sir Pascal seems absent after all.”
“Sir Pascal is currently occupied with the command of our army by the Proxia Empire border. The recent state of tension must have made him prioritize his duties more.”
“Hmm, then his absence could not be helped. However... I don’t see Lady Liselotte following behind them. Could she be absent too?” Pascal aside, when the members of the Cretia family cut off after George and Colette’s arrival to the venue, the nobles present started murmuring to each other in surprise.
George, meanwhile, sensed the confused air in the venue and grinned cheerfully. “Oh my, as expected of my little sister’s reputation. Causing a fuss simply with her absence alone. However, I’m sure there’ll be an even greater fuss when she appears after this.”
“I look forward to the response,” Colette agreed with a giggle.
At any rate, with the Cretia family’s arrival, all the nobles of the Galarc Kingdom attending tonight should have been accounted for. The next guests to enter would be Hiroaki and the other members of Duke Huguenot’s faction, or so everyone expected. However —
“Next, may I announce the arrival of Lady Satsuki Sumeragi’s close friend, Lady Miharu Ayase, her savior Sir Haruto, and finally, Lady Liselotte Cretia!”
“What?!” Hearing the announcement of the appearance of Satsuki’s close friend, her savior, and even Liselotte had the whole hall in turmoil.
The door at the upper floor of the hall opened once more, revealing one man and two women. They were, of course, Rio, Miharu, and Liselotte. Rio had a dressed-up Miharu and Liselotte on each side of him, which earned him the attention of the entire venue.
“How... young...”
“There’s no mistaking that one of them is the young Lady Liselotte, but I wonder which is Lady Satsuki’s friend and which is the savior between the gray-haired boy and black-haired girl?”
“While it isn’t too unusual to bring two women as partners to these events, who would have thought one of the women would be Lady Liselotte... Just what kind of relationship is that?”
“That is also a point of interest... My my, Lady Liselotte aside, the other boy and girl are another remarkable couple and easy on the eyes.”
Liselotte was already deemed to be the most unattainable woman in the Galarc Kingdom, having a reputation as an iron wall of a beauty who had never had any love affairs rumored of her, so for her to appear along with Satsuki’s friend was naturally a huge shock to the nobles.
“...Does anyone know who that boy and girl are?” The nobles asked each other, searching for someone who knew of Rio or Miharu.
“No, I don’t know them.”
“Same here.”
No one knew of the two of them. There was no way anyone would know Miharu, who had been living in the spirit folk village until recently, and Rio’s notable activities started and ended at Amande.
Normally, nobles that entered the hall through the upper floor would proceed to move towards the lower floor, but Rio and the others remained on the upper floor.
“If they’re not coming downstairs, then there might be an explanation of the circumstances later.”
“It makes me even more impatient to see Lady Satsuki.”
The nobles waited in anticipation for what would happen next. They were beginning to gather around Duke Cretia’s family to hear what they had to say, being aware of the situation.
However, the announcement for the next guest arrival began instead.
“The hero, Sir Hiroaki Sakata, Second Princess of Beltrum Kingdom, Princess Flora, eldest daughter of Duke Fontaine, Lady Roanna, and Duke Gustav of the Huguenot family have arrived!” The noble acting as the presenter announced loudly as Hiroaki’s group appeared from the door on the upper floor. In contrast to Hiroaki boldly taking the lead with Flora and Roanna on each side of him as his partners, Duke Huguenot brought up the rear as a supporting role.
For the Huguenot faction, the banquet was the perfect stage to make a public relations show of Hiroaki as the hero belonging to them. Because Hiroaki’s existence wasn’t a secret like Satsuki’s, he had been used widely and proactively in propaganda, but this was the first time he was making an appearance at such a large gathering.
“Her Highness Princess Flora is as beautiful as ever.”
“As expected of Beltrum Kingdom’s top beauty.”
“Lady Roanna is also quite intimidating.”
The nobles naturally focused their attention on Flora and Roanna accompanying Hiroaki as his partners. The two of them followed one step behind Hiroaki as he headed straight for Rio and the others. Flora approached Rio and quietly watched his side profile.
“The hero, Lady Satsuki Sumeragi, His Majesty, and the royal family have arrived!” The hall fell silent in an instant, everyone facing downwards as they waited for their appearance with humble expressions.
Immediately, the door to the upper floor opened slowly, echoing through the silent hall.
“Everyone may raise their heads!” Francois’ words were passed on by the presenting noble. At that, the nobles released their suppressed curiosity and looked up at the floor above them.
There stood Francois alongside Satsuki, surrounded by the members of the royal family. Among them were the First Prince Michel and Second Princess Charlotte.
“Ooh...!” The nobles all raised their voices to cheer at the sight of the Galarc royal family symbolizing their authority. Satsuki’s back was ramrod straight as she asserted her presence, comparable to King Francois’.
Francois raised his right hand. “Thank you for gathering today, everyone. This is a moment to celebrate,” he said from his elevated position on the upper floor. His voice was low and calm, but elegant, and it carried well in the grand space.
“Everyone has gathered here from inside and outside of the kingdom for one reason. As you all know, there is someone I would like to introduce you all to,” Francois said, looking at Satsuki as she stood beside him.
“Allow me to introduce you to the hero that was summoned to the Galarc Kingdom, Lady Satsuki Sumeragi.” Satsuki smiled faintly and grabbed the hem of her dress.
“Oooh!” Cheers echoed throughout the hall.
“Beautiful!”
“What dignity!”
“Truly a goddess among women! As expected of a hero!”
Voices praising Satsuki could be heard from every corner of the hall. The male nobles were particularly excited at how much sweeter her appearance was than they’d expected. There were even some throwing exaggerated comments around.
“Hmm.” Seeing the venue react to Satsuki’s figure with songs of praise made Hiroaki frown slightly in displeasure. Beside him, Roanna noticed Hiroaki’s slight change in demeanor.
“Sir Hiroaki, is something the matter?” she whispered in his ear.
“Nothing, I just thought they’re being a bit over the top. The hall is more interested in Satsuki than they were with me,” Hiroaki said, looking down at the hall below him.
“What are you saying? The spotlight is just temporarily shifted to her because this is her first public appearance, and everyone is curious. Everyone here is just as expectant and attentive to you as well, Sir Hiroaki,” Roanna said with a smile.
“Ah, well, if you say so, then perhaps... I personally don’t want to be in the spotlight, though...” Hiroaki said with an exasperated and bitter smile. However, contrary to his words, his expression said that he was more than willing to play the part of a hero.
“Well, weren’t you talking so passionately about how you would save us before? There’ll be no going back once we formally declare your position at this banquet,” Roanna said with a cheeky smile and uneasiness nonetheless.
“Hey hey, don’t make that face. I promised you, didn’t I? That I would be the one to protect you and Flora. Well, a man doesn’t go back on his words,” he said with a small, awkward shrug. His desire to protect others seemed to be stimulated.
“In that case, I will continue to serve at your side with what little power I have,” Roanna declared resolutely.
Ah, at first I wanted to become a carefree adventurer and form my own harem, but now it seems like I have no other choice than to be a hero. The noble class girls are cute, and above all, devoted. There’s no guarantee I’d meet women as fine as this if I became an adventurer, too. I guess the hero route ain’t that bad, then. Hiroaki directed a smile at Roanna with a huff before looking back on how his own change of heart and letting out a heavy sigh.
“Silence! You are before His Majesty!” The noble presenter’s voice echoed loudly, seeing the commotion in the hall. The tumult came to a stop, cutting off Hiroaki and Roanna’s conversation too.
“It is fine. Everyone’s cheers are most understandable,” Francois stated in a cheerful mood. “It has indeed been over a thousand years since the Strahl region was last graced with heroes. Perhaps this is a sign of prosperity from the Six Wise Gods. At any rate, there is good news to be shared tonight. Many of you may be aware, but there is another hero in our presence. The hero, Sir Sakata Hiroaki, Princess Flora Beltrum, and Duke Huguenot. Step this way,” Francois said, and Roanna remained where she was.
Hiroaki nodded a bit nervously before walking forward. Things were progressing as they had discussed in advance, but he had never been in the spotlight before so many people while he was living on Earth. It was no surprise that he was a bundle of nerves.
“Beltrum Kingdom’s Second Princess, Princess Flora, and the well-renowned Duke Huguenot have an important announcement to make. Everyone, listen carefully,” Francois said, stepping back. Duke Huguenot assumed his place and looked down at the nobles in the hall. He gave a reverent bow.
“As introduced just now, I am Gustav Huguenot. As His Majesty King Francois stated, we wish to borrow this space today to make an extremely important announcement to the people of the Galarc Kingdom. As you all know, the Kingdom of Beltrum was divided internally into two factions of nobility after the occupancy by the Proxia Empire at one of our military bases. One of them is the faction led by Duke Arbor, currently using the royal capital as their base, and has real power over all things by using His Majesty King Philip as a puppet,” he began, speaking openly and eloquently.
The nobles in attendance silently lended their ears towards Duke Huguenot’s words.
“Inexperienced as I am, the faction I lead is formed of those who were unfortunately driven out by Duke Arbor’s purification activities, barely escaping to Rodania alive. Outwardly, the reason for Duke Arbor’s purification activities was the denouncement of one of the military bases being occupied by the Proxia Empire. However, we possess evidence that Duke Arbor has been colluding with the Proxia Empire for some time.”
The hall stirred a little. It was an unspoken agreement shared within the Huguenot faction, but this was the first time they were declaring their stance in a public setting.
“Unfortunately, it isn’t conclusive proof, but in regards to the occupation — no, cession of territory to the Proxia Empire, we suspect with near certainty that Duke Arbor exchanged some form of secret agreement. In reality, the faction that formerly asserted a hard line towards the Proxia Empire has, whether they hold true power or not, completely changed their attitude towards them and formed an alliance. At the same time, they have completely distanced themselves from the Galarc Kingdom,” Duke Huguenot said, skillfully mixing conjecture with facts into his speech to present a convincing argument.
“...” No one in the hall showed any particular negative attitude to Duke Huguenot’s speech, the plausibility hanging in the air.
“However, the current distance between the Beltrum Kingdom’s current administration and the Galarc Kingdom is not the desire of our beloved King Philip. As I mentioned before, His Majesty has been made a puppet of the treacherous Arbors. Anyone who makes light of the royal authority bestowed by the Six Wise Gods should not be overlooked. Her Highness, Princess Flora, is also aware of the situation His Majesty has been placed in and greatly laments the current state of things,” Duke Huguenot said with a regretful expression, stressing his point with a look at Flora standing beside him. The audience in the hall gulped and listened intently regardless of their own nationality.
“Thus, I have taken Her Highness under my own protection. On top of that, a base has been established in Rodania to recruit like-minded individuals who cannot accept Arbor’s misgovernment. Our goal is to hand over the power of the kingdom to the rightful ruler with the royal bloodline and restore Beltrum to its former glory. In other words, we have stood up for the great cause of restoring the Beltrum Kingdom to its rightful monarchy. Princess Flora is a symbol of that. That is why I am declaring, here and now: with Her Highness Princess Flora as the representative, we are forming the Beltrum Kingdom Special Administration, named Restoration.” Duke Huguenot grandly declared the formation of a new organization, looking at Flora and the Galarc Kingdom King Francois behind him.
Francois stood in line with Flora and Duke Huguenot and officially approved of the formation of Restoration as witness. “I hereby declare that the Galarc Kingdom recognizes the formal establishment of the Beltrum Special Administration, Restoration.”
“Ooh...!” The nobles in the hall made a great stir. Until now, Duke Huguenot’s faction had been in an unofficial position, but there was great meaning in forming an official organization and having a large kingdom’s recognition.
“Furthermore, Sir Hiroaki Sakata, the hero summoned by the divine stone, has also acknowledged the formation of Restoration and given his firm promise to assist us in our activities,” Duke Huguenot added, motioning towards Hiroaki. Hiroaki raised his right hand with a smirk, and the venue broke into cheers.
“As stated before, the representative of the organization will be Her Highness Princess Flora, but Sir Hiroaki will also be formally affiliated with Restoration. By their leave, I will be acting as an advisor to the two.” At this moment, Duke Huguenot’s face was that of a man that had regained his glory, as he spoke with true eloquence. Hiroaki was also riding the high. Having heard the cheers echoing throughout the hall, his mouth was turned into a truly pleased smile.
...So this situation is exactly what Duke Huguenot planned, huh... The hero from the Beltrum government will arrive tomorrow. Looks like I’ll have more things to report to the Professor, Rio thought, looking on at Duke Huguenot and Hiroaki’s confident smiles.
If the hero, Sakata Hiroaki, hadn’t descended upon them, the Huguenot faction would never have managed to form the Restoration so smoothly. Even with the backing of the Second Princess and the possession of the divine stone, it was doubtful that that would have been enough to put them back into the spotlight once more.
However, whether it was by coincidence or inevitability, Sakata Hiroaki appeared before the Huguenot faction.
The general public was a mass of simple creatures. Even though they had the same role in personifying the authority of the Six Wise Gods, a disciple as the personification was thankfully easier to understand than a divine item like the sacred stone.
As a result, Duke Huguenot obtained two hands in the form of the Second Princess and the hero, gained the backing of the large Galarc Kingdom, and managed to form the Restoration successfully.
For the current Beltrum Kingdom, where the power of the crown had weakened, the aim of regaining the glory of the past sounded like nonsense, but a just cause was required.
Though he had been handed a blessing, Duke Huguenot’s overall capabilities were truly magnificent. The current situation was proof of that.
Fortune is finally in my favor. Haruto... While it is unfortunate that he’s forming a closer relationship with the Galarc Kingdom, I suppose that cannot be helped. Duke Huguenot glanced at Rio, smiling at the cheers of the venue.
Francois raised his right hand high to silence the venue. “Furthermore, with the establishment of the Restoration, our Galarc hero Lady Satsuki Sumeragi will be officially forming an alliance with the Restoration along with Sir Hiroaki Sakata. I hereby recognize this as fact.
“Our future, as we walk alongside these two heroes, disciples of the Six Wise Gods, will surely be bright. That is why I ask the two heroes: will you follow us along our path?” He asked Satsuki and Hiroaki in an exaggerated manner.
“Yes. As long as you walk the righteous path, I, Satsuki Sumeragi, promise to assist your kingdom with my humble power,” Satsuki answered smoothly with the script prepared in advance. Because she had plenty of experience standing in front of others as a member of the student council in high school, she was used to the gazes of the people before her and didn’t seem nervous. Applause rang through the hall.
Then, the gazes of the audience gathered on Hiroaki next.
Ah, if they’re asking for a favor they should really watch their wording. Kings are so full of themselves — I can’t stand it, Hiroaki thought to himself. Perhaps because of the position as king, Francois’ pompous speech touched upon his nerves. Hiroaki hated being looked down on. However —
“Ah, sure. I vow to assist you as long as your actions are righteous,” Hiroaki nodded calmly and said.
Well, it’d be more generous of me to respond calmly here, he thought to himself. Applause welcoming Hiroaki’s vow resounded loudly.
“That is all. Now, you may all enjoy tonight’s banquet as you please. Or so I would like to say, but first, I have a few people to introduce. As was said before, this is Lady Miharu, a friend of Lady Satsuki, and her savior Haruto. The two of you, come forth,” Francois said, calling Rio and Miharu over.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Rio bowed his head respectfully. Meanwhile, Miharu replied with stiff fear.
“Y-Yes.”
“This elegant girl is Lady Miharu Ayase. Though she was summoned here from the same world as Lady Satsuki, she found herself in a deserted grassland instead of the royal castle. The one who protected Lady Miharu and brought her to the castle was this young man — Haruto. You may have heard of how Amande was under the attack of monsters just recently. There were harmful creatures such as demi-dragons among them, but Haruto drove them away with his enchanted sword. It was on that occasion that he rescued Princess Flora and formed a friendship with Liselotte. Though he is a wandering swordsman traveling through the lands, he is another hero in his own right. Do make sure that you do not underestimate him for being a commoner and show impoliteness,” Francois said, praising Rio greatly while strongly warning the nobles away from acting rude. The nobles who listened to the king’s direct statement of his heroism stirred noisily.
Liselotte smiled proudly as the audience looked to her. Most of the nobility at the venue quietly decided to treat Rio as their superior that night, beating the name Haruto into their heads.
“That is all. This time, you may all enjoy the banquet for real,” Francois said, finally signaling the official start of the banquet.
Afterward, Rio, Miharu, and Liselotte joined up with Satsuki, Francois, and the other royals to receive the surge of nobility that came climbing up the stairs from the hall. Although the conversations were short and only involved a simple greeting exchange, there were a great number of people to get through, unfortunately.
Rio formed a group with Miharu, Liselotte, and Charlotte separate from Francois or Satsuki beside them, but many people came to greet Satsuki — who was, of course, the guest of honor — as well as her friend Miharu. Rio, who’d been directly introduced by Francois as a hero, was also a point of interest.
The guests included great lords such as Duke Gregory and Duke Valier, father of George’s fiancee Colette, and while conversation with royalty and nobility was tiring for the inexperienced, Liselotte and Charlotte skillfully offered their banquet experience and support to lessen the burden on the others.
Nevertheless, greeting the guests took one to three minutes each, so although the thousands of nobility hadn’t come one by one, they had to repeat the same greetings at least a hundred times. Thus, even with short breaks in between, the time added up until Rio and the others had conversed with the nobility for nearly four hours. As a result, by the time they were done greeting most of the nobility, it was nearly time for the banquet to wrap up.
“Would anyone like a refreshment?” A waitress carried around drinks within gold goblets which Miharu and Rio, who was also fatigued for once, accepted.
“...Yes, I’ll take one.” Gulping down the well-iced cocktail, their throats were quenched in an instant. At the same time, a huge wave of fatigue came upon them.
Charlotte gulped down her drink before expressing her appreciation towards Rio and Miharu with a smile. “Thank you for your hard work today, Sir Haruto. Lady Miharu.”
“Yes, even I feel a little tired,” said Rio.
“We’ll be ending tonight’s event soon, but I think you should have an idea as to why the banquet takes place over three days. The first day always ends after greeting everyone you don’t normally see, so we limit the attendees to those within our circles and prepare for outside guests on the second and third day. You two must have been especially busy, as the banquet ends with just the greetings for us royalty and guests of honor. I’m sorry for that,” Charlotte explained, holding a hand against her cheek as she apologized to Rio and Miharu. Seeing how the members of the Restoration were permitted to attend the first day, it showed just how much special treatment they were receiving.
“Not at all. We’re the ones causing trouble with our abrupt attendance, so please make use of us whenever you need to,” Rio said willingly.
“Yes, I’ll do my best as well!” Miharu agreed.
“However, position-wise, the first day is probably the toughest day for you two. You’ve already finished greeting the nobility from the Galarc Kingdom and Restoration tonight, and there’ll be other heroes in attendance from the second day onwards, which will scatter everyone’s attention. You should have a little bit of time to move around freely tomorrow,” Liselotte added.
“Yes, it’s our job as royalty to greet important figures from the other kingdoms. Please relax and enjoy yourselves tomorrow. Would you like to join the dance? If there’s time to spare, I’d love to have Sir Haruto as my partner for a song,” Charlotte said, inviting Rio with a flirtatious look.
Normally, the unspoken rule was for the man to make the invitation for a dance, but it was also acceptable for the woman to do the asking, depending on their relationship. For such exceptional cases, it was considered a breach of manners for an unmarried man to decline a dance invitation from an unmarried woman.
All the more so for Rio, who despite being Miharu’s savior, was still merely a commoner. There was no way he could decline. Or rather, there would be disadvantages in declining the offer, whereas there wouldn’t be any in accepting.
“Yes, it would be my honor,” Rio agreed without hesitation.
“Oh, I’m happy to hear that. In that case, it’s a promise — please ask me out tomorrow, Sir Haruto,” Charlotte said, grasping Rio’s arm as she drew closer to him.
“...Yes.” Rio almost stiffened up by impulse, but nodded amiably. He suddenly looked around to gauge the reactions of their surroundings, and Miharu startled in unrest. Liselotte sighed quietly so that Rio wouldn’t hear.
“Well then, I shall head over to Father’s side for a while. It looks like Lady Satsuki is heading this way now, so please continue your conversation.” Charlotte glanced at Miharu and smiled, bowing gracefully before looking in the direction of King Francois. Satsuki had just finished her wave of greetings and was left free to make her way towards them.
Charlotte grasped the hem of her dress and elegantly bowed to Rio and the others before calling out to Satsuki, who was about to replace her spot. “Thank you for your hard work, Lady Satsuki. I’m going to head over to Father, so please enjoy what little time is left in Sir Haruto’s company.”
“Yup, thank you. Good work today, Char.” After Satsuki smiled and nodded, Charlotte headed over to Francois. “Great job today, you three. Thank you for staying right beside these two for the whole time, Liselotte. I felt reassured,” Satsuki said to Rio, Miharu, and Liselotte.
“Not at all. Her Highness Princess Charlotte was present as well, and these two were answering all inquiries very smoothly without my assistance.” Liselotte shook her head with a smile.
“That’s not true. It was a big help to have you there,” Miharu said, and Rio agreed.
“What they said. And besides, I wanted to thank you for bringing Miharu to the banquet in the first place, Liselotte,” Satsuki said.
“I brought Lady Miharu to the banquet because I owed Sir Haruto a debt. If anything, bringing Lady Satsuki’s friend here has ultimately benefited me as well, so I should be the grateful one. I’ve been able to form a new bond with Sir Haruto as well,” Liselotte smirked devilishly and glanced at Rio. The four people present could tell what kind of relationship she meant without any further detail.
“I’ve heard that you have memories of your previous life, including the story behind the Ricca Guild. Of course, I don’t know the specific details of your past life...” Satsuki said as she carefully watched Rio and Liselotte’s reactions. She could only imagine herself what it was like to have memories of a past life, but she figured the topic of a dead person’s memories was rather delicate and found it hard to ask about it directly.
That being said, it was the perfect topic to dig into how close the relationship was between Rio and Liselotte, and depending on what was discussed, it could give her a clearer view of Liselotte as a person. With the four of them gathered together, it was the optimal timing to bring up the topic, even in a roundabout way.
“Actually, while part of the reason is due to how I’ve been too busy to make the time, we haven’t really sat down and discussed our past lives with each other in detail,” Liselotte said with a wry smile, glancing at Rio.
“It could also be because of the difficult topic,” Rio added with a slightly guilty look. As a matter of fact, the reason why Liselotte hadn’t discussed her past life in great detail was due to Rio hinting at his connection to Miharu in his previous life — he’d requested that he be the one to tell Miharu and the others the truth about how Miharu was from a world four years before Haruto and Rikka died.
Until Rio told Miharu the truth, she wouldn’t say anything. She drew a line there out of consideration for Rio, which he was somewhat aware of.
“Yes. However, I’ve wanted to talk to you too. If it’s okay with Sir Haruto, I would like to discuss this more in the future,” Liselotte said.
“...After the third night of the banquet, sometime in the near future, I’d like to have some of your time to discuss it,” Rio declared to Liselotte eloquently.
“Is that really okay with you?” Liselotte widened her eyes a bit and looked at Rio.
“Yes. My goal was this banquet to begin with. I won’t put it off anymore,” Rio said, showing a fleeting smile. Incidentally, the goal he was referring to was his deadline to reveal the truth to Miharu and the others. However, Miharu and Satsuki had no idea what he was talking about, and tilted their heads in confusion.
“...I see. Well then, I’ll be looking forward to it. There’s a lot of things I want to talk about with you,” Liselotte rejoiced with a kind smile.
“It seems like these two are lost in their own world. Right, Miharu?” Satsuki narrowed her eyes at Rio and stepped closer to Miharu, who was similarly being left out of the conversation. Miharu looked panicked and stumbled over her words.
“Ah, no... Umm...”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to tell you as well, Satsuki.” Rio said with a bitter smile.
“Hmm, I don’t intend on prying into things forcefully...” Satsuki had an apologetic but conflicted look on her face.
“It’s something relevant to you too.”
“...Hmm. Well, all right then.” At Rio’s words, Satsuki’s eyes widened as she nodded. Meanwhile, Miharu was silently and idly watching Rio, when their gazes suddenly met.
“Of course, I’ll tell Miharu too. I’ve stayed silent about it until now, and I know it’s completely at my convenience to tell you now... But I’d appreciate it if you could listen,” Rio explained awkwardly, frowning at Miharu.
“O-Okay...” Miharu gulped, nodding her head.
“...It feels like the air got a bit heavy. Okay! Let’s set this conversation aside for now. Oh yes, that’s right. Liselotte, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you in person.” Satsuki clapped her hands together as she changed the subject, looking at Liselotte.
“Sure, what is it?” Liselotte cocked her head.
“Does the Ricca Guild handle rice and miso?” Satsuki asked, looking at Liselotte’s face expectantly.
“Ah, of course you would miss that,” Liselotte seemed to sense Satsuki’s emotions and laughed a bit sadly in empathy.
Satsuki assumed there was little hope from Liselotte’s reaction. “I guess you don’t have it, then...?” she asked helplessly.
“Technically speaking, we do have rice. However, we lack an appropriate method to cook the rice grains into white rice. I eat it as risotto, but I do miss the taste of white rice. Unfortunately, I don’t have the knowledge of how to produce miso, so it doesn’t exist at present,” Liselotte replied regretfully.
“I see. I asked around in the castle, but they said they didn’t know, so I didn’t have high hopes... Ah, I want to eat white rice and miso soup...”
“...Yes, I want to eat it too.”
Meanwhile, Rio and Miharu exchanged a slightly awkward glance with each other, unsure of how to react when they had been eating that on a daily basis. Rio realized it would be bad to stay silent and spoke up to the two of them. “...In that case, shall I prepare it for you?”
“...Huh?” Satsuki and Liselotte both widened their eyes, looking at Rio in unison.
“I have rice and miso, so I can share some with you. And with some pickled vegetables too, if you’d like,” Rio said with a strangely strained smile as he explained his previous statement in more detail.
“Y-You have them?!”
“And with pickled vegetables?!”
Satsuki and Liselotte reacted in unison once more, drawing close to Rio.
“Well, yes, actually...” Rio nodded awkwardly.
“You! If you had them you should have said so earlier!”
“That’s right! Do you know how long I’ve spent searching for those?!”
Satsuki and Liselotte were completely synchronized in their pouting. Even the normally courteous and well-spoken Liselotte was showing her true self at the prospect of a white rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables set.
“I-I understand. Then, sometime in the near future, if you could find the time to have a meal with just the four of us. I would be happy to prepare the food.” Rio was overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and made a firm promise, though he left all the minor details to them.
“A meal with the four of us... No, I got it. It’s for the sake of rice and miso soup and pickled vegetables. I’ll negotiate a way to hold a dinner party in my quarters.” Satsuki hummed in thought, refusing to back down.
“Please do, Lady Satsuki,” Liselotte said with a serious expression.
The first night of the banquet came to an end, and they all fell into a deep sleep, too tired to visit the stone house.
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