As they walked closer to the courtyard, the first thing that hit them was the sound.

A soft, unfamiliar tune drifted through the air, unlike anything they had ever heard before.

It was…strange. But not in an unpleasant way.

It was soothing, yet carried a rhythm that made them subconsciously want to sway their bodies. It had a kind of slow, smooth charm, as if it were meant to draw people in, captivate them.

Julie, for the first time in a long while, found herself…intrigued.

It was one thing if Aisha and Skadi hadn’t heard of this music—after all, neither of them had much interest in the arts, nor did they come from prestigious backgrounds.

They were warriors, not nobles…Extravagant live music performances weren’t something they had ever been exposed to.

But Julie was different. She had grown up in high society.

She had been taught about every type of music that existed. She had attended countless banquets, sat through orchestras, and listened to grand compositions performed by some of the best musicians in the kingdom.

And yet—

This?…This was completely new.

A slight furrow formed in Julie’s brow.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Isabelle? What…kind of music is this?” She murmured aloud, her voice carrying genuine curiosity. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it before.”

Hearing Julie speak, Isabelle immediately straightened, her usual cheerful expression brightening. “Do you like it, Captain?” She asked eagerly.

Julie hesitated for only a second before nodding.

“Yes.” She admitted. “It’s…rather addictive to listen to.”

Aisha, who had been half-focused on the tune, nodded along.

“It’s nice on the ears.” She said, her eyes gleaming with mild surprise. “Has a good vibe to it.”

Skadi, ever the more energetic one, spun around on her heel, her silver hair twirling with her.

“I can’t help but want to dance!” She grinned, her tail wagging enthusiastically.

Seeing their growing interest, Isabelle giggled softly.

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“I’m glad you like it…It’s called jazz.” She said warmly. “And it’s only natural that you haven’t heard it before.”

Julie raised a brow. “Why’s that?”

Isabelle’s smile widened.

“Because it was created by my young master.”

Julie and Aisha both froze.

For a moment, neither of them reacted.

And then—

“…Wait, what?” Aisha said, blinking in disbelief.

Even Julie, who had trained herself to never be easily shaken, found herself momentarily at a loss for words.

Cassius—Cassius Holyfield—composed this?

Skadi, meanwhile, had zero hesitation.

“Whoa!” She exclaimed out loud, her silver eyes wide in pure awe. “So Master isn’t just strong—he’s super talented too! As expected of my master!”

Aisha, still reeling, crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Isabelle. “Hold on.” She said slowly, tone laced with suspicion.

“Are you telling me.” She continued, her voice growing more incredulous by the second. “That the same Cassius Holyfield—the one who was called the wastrel of the Holyfield household—created this piece?”

Isabelle, without an ounce of hesitation, nodded proudly. “Of course.” She said. “Master is not the man he once used to be. He’s changed for the better in so many ways that you can’t even imagine.”

Aisha let out a low scoff, shaking her head in disbelief. “Okay, fine.” She muttered. “So how did this even happen? What—did he just wake up one day and decide to become a composer?”

Isabelle, clearly enjoying their reactions, let out a small giggle. “Actually…” She said. “A few days ago, while Master was eating dinner, he got bored of hearing the same slow orchestra pieces playing in the background.”

Julie’s head tilted slightly.

“And?”

Isabelle’s smile deepened.

“No matter how many times they changed the songs, he wasn’t satisfied.” She explained.

“So instead.” She continued, voice full of admiration. “He decided to create something himself that would perfectly satisfy his needs.”

Julie immediately closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

“So you’re telling me…” She said in exasperation as she listened to beatiful tune that was blessing her ears. “…that he made an entirely new genre of music because he didn’t like the music he listened to while eating?”

Isabelle nodded.

“Yes!” She chirped.

Julie rubbed her forehead.

This man is completely insane.

“Master always says.” Isabelle went on, mimicking his tone. “‘Eating is one of the great joys of life, and the perfect atmosphere is necessary to accentuate the dish.'”

Julie didn’t even know how to respond to that.

Aisha, however, simply let out a laugh of disbelief.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She muttered.

But Isabelle wasn’t finished yet.

She clasped her hands together and continued. “So one evening, while waiting for his food, he grabbed some sheet paper, scribbled down some musical notes that I couldn’t understand, and handed them over to the maids in charge of the orchestra.”

Aisha, clearly not expecting this level of absurdity, scoffed. “And they actually played it?”

Isabelle shook her head.

“They wanted to.” She corrected. “In fact, when they read through the sheets, they were fascinated—they said it was revolutionary.”

Julie’s brow furrowed slightly.

“But…?” She prompted.

“But…” Isabelle echoed, her expression turning slightly amused. “They also said that the instruments they had probably wouldn’t be able to produce the right sound to play the song.”

Julie, Aisha, and Skadi all stared at her.

Skadi was the first to speak.

“So…what happened?”

Isabelle’s smile returned.

“That’s why.” she said cheerfully. “Master decided to take it a step further—and actually created a new set of instruments from scratch.”

Hearing this, Julie felt her breath stop, Aisha’s eye twitched, while Skadi’s tail slowly wagged in pure amazement.

“…He did what?!” Julie finally asked, her voice sounding slightly strangled.

Isabelle’s eyes sparkled with pride.

“Master invented new instruments.” She repeated happily.

Isabelle didn’t say anything else. Instead, with a small, knowing smile, she lifted her hand and pointed toward the courtyard.

“There.” She said simply, her voice brimming with pride. “Those are the instruments that Master created himself.”

Julie, Aisha, and Skadi followed her gesture, their gazes shifting forward towards the party that they had finally arrived.

The outdoor courtyard where the parth was taking place was brightly illuminated, the golden glow of Aether-powered lanterns casting a warm, almost dreamlike atmosphere over the space.

Even though the sun had long set, the party was very much alive. And the moment they took in the full scene before them, they realized—

There was so much happening that they couldn’t even keep track of everything.

Julie’s sharp green eyes flickered across the expansive courtyard, taking in every detail.

Her first thought?

This ridiculous.

Her second thought?

What kind of strange party was this?

The first thing that caught their attention was their comrades.

The very same knights who had been badly injured just hours ago—who had been groaning in pain, clinging to life—

Were now happily seated at fancy tables, drinking tea and eating snacks like they hadn’t been on the brink of death earlier.

Julie narrowed her eyes. “Are they really the same people we just dragged off the battlefield?” She muttered.

Aisha, still trying to process, clicked her tongue. “Angel’s Tears, huh?” She sighed. “Damn thing really is miraculous.”

Skadi, meanwhile, was distracted by something else. “Hey, hey.” She pointed excitedly. “What’s that?”

Julie and Aisha turned their heads and immediately froze. There, in the middle of the courtyard, was something they had never seen before.

A net was set up, standing high between two groups of knights.

On either side, two teams had formed, each player standing at the ready.

And in the air—

A bouncy-looking ball was being smacked back and forth across the net.

“…What in the world?” Julie’s brows furrowed as she watched this bizzare that seemed to be some kind of sport.

Aisha, who had seen many things in her life, stared blankly. “What are they even doing?”

“Having fun, obviously!” Skadi grinned, watching one of the knights jump high into the air, spiking the ball over the net with a loud smack.

The crowd cheered, and one of the players pumped their fists in triumph. Julie, still completely thrown off, turned to Isabelle.

“…What is that game?”

Isabelle smiled.

“Master calls it volleyball.”

Aisha, still watching in sheer confusion, let out a scoff.

“He just made up a sport?”

“Apparently.” Julie muttered.

Before they could question it further, another sight caught their attention.

On one side of the courtyard—

There was a small orchestra playing.

And right there, in the center of it all, were the instruments that Isabelle had pointed to earlier and Julie’s eyes went wide as they were unlike anything she had ever seen.

Sleek, unfamiliar shapes.

Some with metallic strings, others with strange curved tubes, and even one that seemed to be producing sound through a series of keys being pressed through it’s tubular structure.

It was…fascinating.

She had seen thousands of instruments before—harps, violins, pianos, flutes.

But these?

These were completely new.

Aisha, who had less musical knowledge than Julie, simply frowned.

“…Why do they look so weird?”

“Who knows?…We’ll probably have to ask the person who made them that question.” Julie shook her head slowly as she wondered just how her master knew and created so many bizzare things.

And then, next her eyes flickered to something else.

A group of knights—her own knights—

Dancing.

And not in the stiff, formal ballroom way.

They were moving to the rhythm, swaying their bodies smoothly to the slow, hypnotic tune of Cassius’s music. Some were laughing, others were simply enjoying themselves, letting their bodies flow freely to the unfamiliar beat.

It was unlike any noble gathering Julie had ever attended.

It was…Relaxed…Free…

And something they had never experienced before.

And the moment Julie, Aisha, and Skadi stepped fully into the courtyard, their presence did not go unnoticed.

It started with one voice—a loud, boisterous cheer from the knights gathered at the long tables.

And then, in an instant, it spread like wildfire.

“Oi, look who finally decided to show up!”

“Took you long enough, Captain!”

“Aye, chiefs! We were wondering if you two ran away from the party!”

A wave of laughter followed, along with the clinking of mugs as the knights raised their drinks in welcome.

Julie barely had a moment to process before a group of particularly enthusiastic knights rushed forward, grinning from ear to ear.

“Captain, come sit with us!” One of them exclaimed, already motioning toward an empty seat at their table.

“We’ve been waiting for you!” Another added, cheerfully sloshing his drink around.

Aisha blinked, looking around at the knights who were, just hours ago, on the verge of death.

“…Are you guys seriously this lively?” She muttered.

“Of course!” One of them laughed, raising her mug. “What, you thought we’d be moping around after getting our asses kicked?”

“We almost died.” Aisha pointed out flatly.

“Exactly!” The knight shot back with a grin. “All the more reason to drink and celebrate!”

Aisha let out a small scoff, but there was an amused glint in her eyes like she found it rather funny to see the very knights that were on their death beds an hour ago, partying with no care in the world.

Skadi, meanwhile, drawn by the excitement and heeding their words to join the fun, rushed towards the game they were playing that looked so interesting in her eyes. By the time she reached the edge of the makeshift court, her eyes were practically glued to the ball as it soared across the net.

She then turned to the nearest knight, a tall, strong-looking woman, and pointed at the game.

“Oi, oi, what kinda game is this?” Skadi asked, her ears perking up, unable to tear her eyes away from the match. “It looks really fun!”

The female knight chuckled, adjusting her grip on her own drink before answering.

“It’s called volleyball.” She explained, her voice carrying an amused lilt. “It’s a new game created by Young Master Cassius.”

Skadi’s silver eyes widened. “Master made this too?!” She gawked. “He just keeps getting cooler, huh?”

The knight laughed, shaking her head. “Apparently, he didn’t want his maids to be stuck inside all the time.” She explained. “So he came up with this game to help them get fresh air and exercise.”

Hearing that, Skadi grinned. “Hah! Now that’s what I like to hear!” She exclaimed. “No wonder it looks so fun!”

Her tail wagged even faster, her body already itching to join in..”Hey, let me play!” She declared, stepping onto the court.

One of the knights, a muscular woman with a confident smirk, tossed her the ball. “You wanna serve?” She asked, demonstrating how it’s done.

Skadi, brimming with excitement, nodded eagerly.

“Yeah, yeah, just gimme that!” She said, already bouncing on her feet.

The knight grinned, handing over the ball.

“Alright, just toss it up and hit it over the net.”

Skadi, not really paying attention to the finer details, immediately threw the ball high into the air.

And then she leaped so high that she looked like she was flying. And then with the full force of her raw strength—

She smacked it.

Hard.

The ball rocketed forward like a meteor, whistling through the air at a speed no volleyball should ever reach.

It shot across the net, hurtling straight toward—

A poor, unsuspecting knight’s face on the other side and before she could even react to the ball that was coming towards her at full speed—

THWACK~

A deafening silence fell over the entire courtyard.

Julie, watching from the sidelines, immediately froze, seeing her own chief attempt murder on one of her own.

Aisha, holding her drink, blinked once, wondering if her head was still in place after getting hit so hard.

Skadi’s tail stopped wagging, as she too felt that she hit the ball a little too hard.

The entire crowd also stared in stunned horror as the knight who had been hit directly in the face stumbled back, nose bleeding, but still somehow standing.

Then, just when they thought she was about to kneel over after the burst of adrenaline that was allowing her to stay up, she shouted.

“I’M FINE!” The knight suddenly shouted at the top of her voice, raising a fist.

There was a brief pause and then, despite the blood running down her nose, she pointed at the ball still bouncing in the air.

“BALL’S STILL IN PLAY! KEEP GOING!”

The shock broke instantly.

“SHE’S RIGHT! PLAY ON!”

The game resumed immediately, as if nothing had happened.

Julie covered her face, inhaling deeply.

“Of course, they’re still playing.”

Aisha snorted, shaking her head.

“That’s what you get for letting a dog play, Captain.”

Skadi, meanwhile, had been scolded by her teammates to hold back next time.

“Okay, okay, I got it!” She whined.

And from then on, she toned it down—though she still played with her full enthusiasm.

The match continued, this time without any accidental fatalities, and Skadi quickly got the hang of the game.

She was naturally athletic, and the moment she realized that jumping high and slamming the ball down was an option, she was hooked.

“I LOVE THIS GAME!” She howled, jumping and spiking the ball so aggressively that the knight on the other side had to dive to save it.

The players cheered and laughed, enjoying the intensity that Skadi brought to the game, while at the same time placing bets to see who would get slammed by Skadi’s serve next.

Julie, watching from afar, sighed in relief. “At least she’s having fun without breaking more bones.”

Aisha, leaning against a nearby table, smirked. “It’s an appropriate game for a dog like her.” She muttered.

Julie gave her a side-eye glance to which Aisha just shrugged.

“She’s jumping around, chasing a ball, smacking it with all her strength.” She took a sip from her drink before smirking.

“Tell me that’s not exactly what a big dog would love doing.”

Julie exhaled, shaking her head.

She wasn’t about to say it out loud, but Aisha had a point.

It truly was the perfect game for a oversized puppy like her…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep