Chapter 10:  The Time of the Banquet (2)

At the room at the far end of the dormitory, three men were standing.

However, a silent stillness lingered, as though no one was there.

“Lucun, this is between the two of us.”

The one who broke the silence first was Tobang, whose wrist was caught by Lucun.

He spoke in a trembling voice, as if he were in pain.

“So you stay out of this and go back…!”

Just as he had tried to win me over first, Tobang knew the giant before him all too well.

Even if the secretary’s abilities might still be average…

When it came to sheer strength, he was the strongest among our classmates.

But.

Simply knowing that didn’t mean one could do anything about it.

A secretary, by nature, must understand what the other person wanted.

And be able to provide it immediately.

“No. You grated on my ears, so now this is between the three of us.”

Between Lucun’s brown hair, blue eyes flashed.

That gaze was like a beast’s, about to punish an intruder who had trespassed into its territory.

“Don’t cause trouble and create a reason for everyone to lose points, Tobang.”

A subtle twitch appeared under Tobang’s eye.

He also believed he had nothing to shrink away from as the son of a prestigious knight family.

“If you do, I’ll crush all of you and get evaluated alone.”

However, the air around Lucun was entirely different from his own.

It was a murderous aura, shaped by surviving countless fights and standoffs with criminals on the streets.

“…”

Sensing this instinctively, Tobang obediently let go of me.

Then, naturally, Lucun also released him.

“Fine, I get it…”

The blond man regained his composure and stared straight at me.

With eyes like a snake brimming with venom.

‘The Arman family certainly has a fierce look in their eyes.’

Of course, it was just a pity that all that impressive momentum was wasted on a mere fellow secretary.

“I don’t want to cause any more problems on the day we’re being graded.”

Tobang lightly patted Lucun’s shoulder.

At the same time, he slowly stepped back and spoke.

“So today, I’ll let it slide for your sake. Who knows, maybe someday we’ll be on the same side?”

“If you keep repeating such disgraceful behavior, that day will never come.”

The blond man shrugged his shoulders and gradually walked away.

Behind the door, Brook, who had been cowering, finally came to his senses and followed after him.

“…”

In front of room 204, only Lucun and I were left.

“You made an excellent choice, Lucun. As I thought, my judgment wasn’t wrong.”

“I haven’t made up my mind completely yet.”

He bit his lip, as if he knew exactly how troublesome Tobang’s group was.

It seemed he thought he’d been caught up in a bothersome affair.

“Come on, after humiliating them like that, there’s no way they’ll come back.”

I clicked my tongue like an old man and patted his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be grateful for today’s choice for the rest of your life.”

“We’ll see about that…”

The giant man calmly returned to his room.

His door closed firmly behind him.

Once he went inside, the hallway grew quiet.

From each room, only faint sounds drifted out—

the noise of people exercising,

someone humming a song.

“…”

While everyone else enjoyed their free time, I changed into a new formal jacket.

Afterward, I tightened the most expensive tie I had and left the dormitory.

I walked along the dimly lit paved road.

Along the roadside, lanterns placed at intervals glowed gently.

When I arrived in front of the mansion, I instinctively looked up at the second floor.

Up there were the Grand Duke’s office and the dining room where the banquet was being held.

Seeing both rooms brightly lit, it seemed they were already dining with their guests.

“Coming early really was the right call.”

While my classmates were spending their leisure hours,

I, with a clean face, had arrived at the mansion an hour early.

And, as always, I stood upright in perfect posture in the designated waiting space.

――――――

A group of young maids hurried past, preparing the meal.

So there I was, deliberately suffering by coming early.

Then I heard the familiar, sharp sound of dress shoes from the second floor stairs.

“Julius Roger.”

I lowered my head quietly to show respect to the approaching Head Secretary.

The steward of the mansion descended the stairs with a puzzled expression.

“There’s still quite some time left before dinner.”

“In case His Lordship summoned me, I came early to wait on site.”

Hearing my resolute answer, Debier slowly blinked his deep black eyes.

“To want to respond quickly to a summons… That’s a commendable thought.”

The Head Secretary glanced between me and the second floor.

Then, after hesitating a moment in thought, he raised his elegant hand and gave an order.

“Go up to the second floor. His Lordship is dining with distinguished guests.”

“Myself as well?”

Hearing that I was to attend the dinner meeting, I asked again, meeting his black eyes.

“Yes. Didn’t you say you wanted to respond quickly to a summons? Then you should wait right at his side.”

“Understood.”

I followed behind him, my steps flustered.

Inside, I hid a sly smile, as though I were a cunning courtier.

――――――

“My Lord, this is Debier Luton.”

While the steward received permission, I quietly looked around the familiar space.

Vases worth nearly as much as a hundred tenant farmers, and beautiful paintings decorated the front of the second floor hall.

“May we enter for a moment?”

Receiving approval, Debier grasped the beautifully carved door handle.

And when he slowly pushed open the enormous door…

「――――――」

At last, it unfolded before me.

The pride of the Luton mansion, and the largest room within…

‘The Banquet Hall.’

At the long wooden table, countless influential figures were seated in two rows.

Not only the children of the Grand Duke, but also high-ranking generals of the Empire and heads of the merchant guilds.

All the people who moved the vast northern territories of the Empire had gathered in one place.

「…….」

At the head of the table, seated in the center, was Duke Luton.

He wore his snow-white hair swept back over his forehead, and over his white shirt, a cardigan embroidered with golden thread.

On either side of him sat Freya and Edward, whom I had seen earlier in the day.

“From here on, do not act rashly under any circumstances.”

Was it because I had entered a forbidden domain where no candidate was ever allowed?

Debier warned me in a voice even more severe than usual.

“I will bear it in mind.”

I quietly followed him, passing by the powerful figures.

After that, I approached the Duke of Luton, who sat at the master’s seat.

「Who is that child, Debier.」

Certainly, the Duke’s gaze had never once turned to me.

Yet, while sipping his wine, Luton asked about me.

The Head Secretary signaled me with a glance.

I raised my head firmly and answered in a restrained voice.

“Secretary candidate Julius Roger, my lord.”

“He was waiting about an hour before dinner, so I brought him along.”

「I see… And the reason.」

Perhaps the Duke had found the conversation in the hall dull so far; he tossed out the question indifferently.

I cut out all unnecessary words and replied concisely.

“I arrived early to respond immediately in case I was summoned.”

Maybe it was my composed manner of answering that struck them as curious.

The influential figures sitting along the table glanced at me and chuckled softly.

“That’s a commendable mindset.”

“Indeed. He looks barely twenty years old.”

「There’s nothing so impressive about that. It’s the attitude one should always maintain.」

The Duke let out a short laugh and set his glass down.

At this, the generals lining both sides of the table clicked their tongues and waved their hands dismissively.

“No, my lord—there are hardly any young men like that these days.”

Most of the guests were about the same age as Duke Luton.

However, among them was one who stood out with her youth and fresh presence.

Golden hair gleaming brilliantly beside Director Gilbert’s seat.

And when she glanced at me, her blue eyes shone like a lake.

“But to think a candidate would already possess the eyes of a seasoned secretary…”

Her gaze met mine.

Then, the blonde young lady smiled beautifully.

“Even I find him desirable.”

“So Lady Helena thinks so as well.”

At the remark of the woman who appeared about my age, the dignified generals all laughed together.

They seemed to recognize her, dressed in her white gown, as a member of the gathering.

‘Lady Helena…?’

She was someone I hadn’t had any connection with in my previous life.

But at least her name was familiar to me.

Helena Yekaterina.

The eldest daughter of Duke Heriot, the Grand Duke of the West who governed the western provinces of the Empire.

‘Did she attend in her father’s stead?’

“I’d like to send my secretaries to receive training from him separately someday.”

“Indeed!!”

「Out of the question. Do you think Debier here is someone with that much free time?」

The Grand Duke of the North let out a short laugh and shook his head.

Then, raising his wine glass, he addressed the honored guests.

「If you really wish to learn, each of you will pay 100 gold coins. I’ll consider it then.」

“As expected of the illustrious Grand Duke of the North—!! To be thinking of business even in a situation like this!!”

Director Gilbert, who was the closest to him, clicked his tongue and raised his glass.

Thanks to that, the atmosphere of the banquet grew quite warm.

「Debier, have the candidate wait here. I will summon him if needed.」

“Yes, Your Grace.”

At the Grand Duke’s order, the Head Secretary motioned for me to step back toward the wall.

Thanks to that, I stood in a line with the first-class maids, quietly observing the banquet of these powerful figures.

Yet I felt neither moved nor awed.

‘I have a reason why I deliberately followed this far.’

Among all those under the splendid chandeliers, I alone did not smile.

No—when I looked carefully, there was one more.

A blonde woman seated far from the Grand Duke of Luton.

Helena too was quietly savoring her tea amid the laughter of the influential guests.

‘It seems she didn’t come here just to boast about her father’s children.’

Indeed, though the Grand Duke’s daughter of the West appeared to be smiling as she sipped her wine,

from time to time, she scanned the surroundings with a sharp gaze.

Especially, her eyes would often drift toward the sword hilts of the Empire’s generals seated closest to Luton.

「By the way… everyone’s tongues seem particularly loose tonight.」

The Grand Duke of Luton looked over at the mustached generals and spoke.

Beneath their uniform caps, the middle-aged soldiers’ keen eyes were clearly visible.

「Usually, when you liven up the mood like this, you always follow up by apologizing.」

“As expected, nothing escapes Your Grace.”

“Indeed.”

「Speak freely. When have I ever made you uncomfortable?」

Duke Luton set down his glass as he said this.

On the plate before him, the steak remained untouched, not a single cut in it.

“To be honest, starting this quarter, it seems we’ll be placing the Imperial standard longsword orders with another supplier.”

「…….」

At the general’s courageous words, the bright atmosphere of the banquet instantly froze.

Edward and Freya, seated on either side of the Grand Duke, also went expressionless.

「What do you mean by that, Director Gilbert.」

The Empire’s Black Lion’s eyes flashed with a deadly glint, like those of a predator.

At this, even Edward, who had long overseen the munitions industry, looked startled and questioned Gilbert.

“That’s right. Until now, we’ve had a good relationship with Luton Armaments…”

「As far as I know, the military longswords have been supplied by us Lutons for decades…?」

At that gaze, even the generals who had been so affable a moment before turned pale and tense.

Because of it, a heavy silence settled over the hall.

「Say it again, Director.」

In the suffocating stillness, no one lifted their glass or dared to speak.

They only watched each other warily, holding their tongues.

“…”

However.

Among them, there were some who found this situation deeply entertaining.

This banquet hall where the greatest fortunes of the Empire changed hands.

This place would soon become the paradise where I would gather wealth and honor.

‘This is the moment the North’s munitions lose ground to the Western Grand Duke’s.’

I forced down the corners of my lips that threatened to curl upward and kept my face blank.

Then, by chance, my eyes fell on someone wearing the same expression I was.

The Western Grand Duke’s daughter, Helena, her fresh red lips pressed tight.

When our eyes met, I saw a hunger in her blue gaze that rivaled my own.

In that instant, I instinctively understood she was my rival.

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