As the deepening night set in, the atmosphere of the banquet became more vibrant.
“Don’t we have to eat outside? The food here is nice, but it doesn’t actually fill you up.”
“Well, it’s not that late yet.”
Just enjoying this atmosphere is good enough.
A peaceful world.
The vision of the continent that my companions and I wanted to create.
Of course, new threats have emerged on this continent, but the situation is much better than it was a millennium ago. Even in a world without gods, the humans of this continent have established their own system and are ready to fight against the demons. And there’s also the external help from “adventurers from the stars.”
Chris gently touched my slightly bare shoulder, causing me to jump in surprise and retract her hand.
Chris had been blushing a bit all day. Besides staring at me, she suddenly lost herself and let out an excited sigh.
Not just Chris, even the young nobles around us were reacting oddly. Whenever I made eye contact with them, they turned red and quickly looked away.
I quietly looked down at the pure white dress adorning my body.
Is it because of this?
Is it really true that clothes can make the person? Sure, my face is pretty, but I didn’t get this kind of reaction when I wore my adventurer outfit.
As the food was cleared away, only a few drinks remained. Then the music in the hall changed.
The movement of the nobles and their young ones shifted. Men began to ask women to dance, and they held hands as they moved to the center of the hall.
“Oh, dance time!”
Chris clenched her fists, her eyes sparkling.
This is the flower of high society, the ball.
Gentle music, and elegant dancing. An atmosphere that doesn’t quite fit with bumbling adventurers like us.
As their dance reached its climax, the faces of the guild members gathered around paled.
“…Is it really okay for us to be here? It feels like a party for really high-ranking folks.”
“Hey, what did you hear earlier? The commander said to enjoy ourselves regardless of etiquette, remember?”
“It’s not the commander; it’s the emperor, right? Oh, the music’s changed.”
As a livelier tune began to play, the majority of the nobles dancing in the center withdrew, leaving only a few. They began to step rhythmically to the music, their partners following suit.
Watching them dance filled me with a strange feeling.
That dance, I remember it.
It was a traditional dance of the people living in the region that is now the Alparion Empire in the eastern land.
Even after a millennium, the dance and music in my memory still existed in this world.
I can feel nostalgia for the past even in a place like this.
My vision blurred slightly.
Chris hurriedly covered my red eyes, wiping them gently.
“Oh, that’s!”
“If it’s that kind of dance, I think we could do it too.”
Seob Seop Yi and Go Seung Woo, the ranger duo from Hong Baek Guild, rolled up their sleeves and stepped forward.
“That dance! Hehehe!”
“Wahaha!”
The warrior duo, Gandal and Hopkins, laughed while holding their stomachs.
Is it called a corner dance? I remember seeing celebrities dance it in an old-school comedy. It might look silly at first, but despite that, the nobles gathered around clapped in admiration at their surprisingly well-synchronized dance.
“Oh ho, even the NPCs are responding well?”
“Kyaa! Show us a traditional dance, Go Seung Woo!”
“It’s not really traditional, is it? Ugh, so embarrassing.”
The female guild members of Hong Baek, led by Bae Merong, Red Hot Chicken, and Dal Borom, were also reacting and giggling.
Even the ordinarily composed Skada raid group started to move. It was amusing to see Skada tugging at the hair of tank Park Jeong-kwon as he tried to step forward awkwardly.
Swoosh.
“Rain.”
“Eh.”
Chris’s gaze as she held my hand and looked toward the hall was intense.
Could it be?
“Do you want to go out and dance?”
“…Sister, can you dance?”
“Um…? Isn’t it just a matter of going and shaking a bit?”
I had my mouth slightly open. But Chris’s expression was serious.
“Chuckle.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
Sister, shouldn’t a dance request be a bit more polite?
“Sure.”
Leaving behind the applause for Go Seung Woo and Seob Seop Yi, I brightly smiled, grasped Chris’s hand, and moved to the center of the hall.
Music.
Footwork.
Tap, tap, tap.
“Okay, like this, tap tap, step to the beat. This is the basic step of the traditional dance from the eastern continent.”
“Ra, Rain. That’s amazing. When did you learn how to dance?”
“Oh no? I haven’t learned, but I can do this just by watching.”
For me, it was a few years ago; for them, it was a millennium in the past.
I had once watched soldiers dancing in the tent for quite a while.
The same dance as back then.
Clapping sounds erupted from the surroundings.
The music echoed.
But they felt far away.
What I felt was only Chris’s touch.
What I saw was just her feet.
Holding Chris’s hand and leading her, I took the lead with her in my grasp, even though she was taller than me.
A light dance, not really wrapping my hand around her waist, but our bodies felt so close that my heart raced.
It’s fun. And my heart is fluttering.
Chris seems to be enjoying the dance too. With a bright smile and slightly flushed cheeks, she met my gaze directly.
Thump thump.
The pleasant beat of my heart.
Sister Chris.
For others outside of this, the synchronization rate of this continent is limited, right?
Wouldn’t it be the same for you, sister?
But still, doesn’t everyone here feel 100%?
Sister, do you feel your heart racing like I do right now?
Do you feel the fluttering that I’m feeling too?
I danced with Chris.
With my legs moving freely.
The ball was coming to a close.
The music changed a few times, and the center of the hall was cleared. The men and women who had danced were taking their time.
So were we.
For some reason, after that, Chris and I had fallen into silence.
Chris’s cheeks were reddened as she fidgeted with her fingers. Was the dance exhausting?
I chuckled at Chris.
“Sister, how about we get some fresh air and have dinner at home?”
“Ugh, uuh!? Should we!? …Ah, I’ve really… enjoyed a lot today…”
With a startled response that made her jump, I almost got surprised too.
Chris let out a deep sigh. She seemed to have lost all her energy despite being the one most looking forward to the banquet.
I again grasped Chris’s hand. It felt slightly warmer than before.
As I locked eyes with her, slightly trembling, I was just about to head outside when…
“Hmm…?”
Rising from my seat, I caught sight of someone entering from the entrance of the banquet hall.
That person is… a knight?
A tall woman with teal hair braided in a ponytail. She was quite a beauty upon first glance. However, her figure was obscured by solid armor.
Neatly arranged armor, but not for show. It was clearly battle armor.
A magnificent scabbard was strapped to her waist, and naturally, a sword was sheathed within it. But bringing a real sword into the banquet hall? Even the users all put theirs away!
With a combat-ready appearance as if she had just stepped off the battlefield, not only I but others seemed slightly taken aback.
“Marquis Roede.”
“The only master of the current empire? The only one permitted to carry a sword in front of the emperor.”
“Even so, showing up in armor and with a real sword at a banquet.”
Clink, clink.
The knight known as Marquis Roede paid no mind to the whispers of the nobles and advanced, producing the sound of her greaves.
She arrived at the emperor’s front.
Thud.
The sound of her greaves touching the banquet hall floor echoed sharply. As silence fell over the hall, her clear voice rang out.
“Your Imperial Majesty, this is Marquis Roede.”
“Oh, Marquis Roede, I’m glad you could come. But it’s a banquet, don’t you think armor is a bit too much? Haha! I wanted to see the marquis in a dress.”
Not caring about the emperor’s jest, Marquis Roede continued to speak.
“I understand well your concern for the empire, Your Majesty. However, your intention for my house to lend a hand against these ‘impostor adventurers’ in the east is something I find hard to comprehend, given my position.”
Her sharp gaze turned toward the users.
Ah, such a person always exists. Stubborn and overflowing with confidence, yet completely oblivious to the atmosphere.
Calling the users impostors, she must have quite the confidence in her abilities, huh?
“It’s unfortunate that you cannot march to the north. But the situation in the east isn’t looking great either, is it? You are a blessing to our empire; I hope you take care of yourself.”
“Having devoted my body to the sword since birth, when called by Your Majesty, I will head there. A deity doesn’t care where the battlefield is.”
Her loyalty is commendable.
Despite being somewhat oblivious to their surroundings, she would be the model knight otherwise. However, that flaw is significant. We came here to enjoy the banquet, not to become a meal for the atmosphere.
“I guess she’s the one they intended to send to face the northern commander?”
“Um, a master, was it? Impressive. Do you think a select team of users who have finished farming legendary gear can handle her?”
“She’s probably the top class among NPCs. I wonder how her fighting style is? She might even be on par with a named raid dungeon boss.”
Skada Raid Group and the Hong Baek guild members began to chime in with their comments about the knight.
I felt irritated.
Setting aside her antagonistic attitude towards the users, I could not forgive her for ruining the sweet atmosphere between Chris and me.
And was it perhaps her overflowing confidence or her being a human of these peaceful times? She lacks a sense of the dangers posed by demons. No matter how strong she claims to be, how can an NPC with only one life against a commander leading numerous demons hold up? Didn’t I also fight alongside strong comrades in the past?
Thump.
I took a step forward. I wanted to say a word to that knight.
As I shifted my gaze, the symbol engraved on her scabbard caught my eye.
“Oh.”
I had seen that symbol in this continent’s past, and I’ve seen it again after returning.
That’s…
The symbol of a knight who was once a companion in the hero party.
It belongs to Melissa’s family, doesn’t it?
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