Ch.112112. The Ball

Albert’s worries proved unfounded, as dinner concluded smoothly without any issues. After Charlotte spoke first, Rex and the others took turns introducing themselves.

“Rex von Calibrant.”

Those who crave power exist everywhere, and for those aiming to become the next head of the family, Rex was a sudden obstacle. Charlotte’s lover? Though it was a groundless, far-fetched idea, they couldn’t ignore even the slightest possibility.

Still, if they were foolish enough to voice such questions aloud, they wouldn’t have gotten close to the core of the family in the first place. The Edenhar bloodline members did cast wary glances, but they didn’t directly ask any questions.

That was fortunate, if anything.

It was irritating to be entangled in such suspicions from the start. With so many other concerns to deal with, there was no time to be held back by trivial matters.

Clearing his mind, Rex sighed and opened his mouth.

“You.”

In his mental realm, the specter stood in the middle of the snowfield again today, staring blankly at the ground with an unfocused face. Murky gray hair and dull red eyes. Before, Rex hadn’t felt any threat from it, but after experiencing the vision, he saw it differently.

The scene from the vision remained vivid. That overwhelming martial prowess that had single-handedly driven back twenty apostles. Kaiserion’s most famous epithet was the Undefeated, and he never suffered a single defeat until his final years.

All of that was now empty, with only a shell remaining.

“What… did you hope to achieve by dwelling within me?”

As always, the specter did not respond. Kaordix had said that the human Kaiserion and the ascended Sword God were different entities. “That thing” was the remnant of Kaiserion’s grudges and nature from when he was human. Strictly speaking, it was a personality, but after many years, its sense of self had scattered.

“You won’t answer, will you?”

[It’s a futile effort, my warrior. Didn’t I tell you? Though it maintains Kaiserion’s form, that thing is no longer Kaiserion.]

“I know.”

It’s just frustrating. Rex glared at the specter with irritated eyes. It felt like talking to a doll. Actually, it wasn’t much different from a doll. What else would you call something that doesn’t move, doesn’t speak, and just stays still if not a doll?

“It would have been nice if we could at least communicate.”

Even Kaordix didn’t know how the specter had infiltrated Rex’s inner world. The reason he chose Rex was because he discovered Kaiserion’s remnants within him. This meant that the specter had been with Rex even before he became a Sacred Knight.

There are no effects without causes in this world. Even though the specter had lost its reason, it had dwelled within Rex with some intention. Just as bees fly in search of honey, and plants tilt their stems to reach sunlight… by some kind of instinct.

Rex wondered what that purpose was.

***

For now, he postponed resolving his questions.

He couldn’t remain fixated on problems without answers forever.

The specter. The vision of the statue. The great war from hundreds of years ago. There were many questions, but he decided to focus on what he could do now rather than wasting energy on those concerns.

Having come all the way to the imperial capital, it would be a waste of time to stay cooped up in his room brooding. Charlotte had also suggested sightseeing if he was bored.

While continuing his training, Rex occasionally ventured into the streets of Elysium with his companions. Elin didn’t seem particularly interested, perhaps because she had visited before, but she followed along without complaint.

Her favorite things were flowers and plants. After that, she liked small animals like dogs and cats. Fortunately, while Elysium might lack plants and flowers, it had plenty of small animals.

“Cute.”

Elin murmured, looking down at a cat. The cat was comfortably stretched out, licking its tail. Just as Elin bent her knees and reached out as if entranced, a sudden commotion erupted from somewhere in the distance. The cat bristled its fur and fled into a secluded alley, leaving Elin to drop her shoulders in disappointment as she watched it go.

“…Ah.”

“It must have been startled by the noise.”

Chloe turned her head with a bitter smile.

“It’s so crowded with people.”

As the imperial capital, Elysium had the largest population of any city on the continent. The city’s size was also greater than ten ordinary territories combined. Yet everywhere they went, they saw streets teeming with all kinds of people.

“There are even more people than when I first came. Is it because the coming-of-age ceremony is approaching?”

The princess’s coming-of-age ceremony was a week away. It was about time for nobles from the farthest regions of Elysium to arrive. Technically, they could attend the ceremony even if they arrived just one day before.

Just attend, that is.

While the nominal purpose of the ceremony was to celebrate the princess’s birthday, nobles wouldn’t come just for that. They would forge connections with other nobles they rarely met, and sometimes engage in secret conversations that shouldn’t be exposed to the public. They needed time to prepare for the ceremony and arrange gifts for the princess.

Today was precisely the last day to arrive without missing out on all those benefits.

Naturally, those invited to the princess’s coming-of-age ceremony were high-ranking nobles even within the continent. Including attendants and guards, each noble would bring dozens of people.

It was no wonder Elysium was reaching capacity.

“At this rate, we won’t be able to walk around anymore.”

Chloe grumbled, looking at the line of carriages densely filling the open street. It seemed to carry someone particularly important among the nobles, as soldiers were controlling the passing pedestrians.

“It’s still far from sunset.”

“There’s not much else to see anyway.”

Rex replied with a slight smile.

Though Elysium was vast, two weeks had been enough time to explore the city’s main facilities. At first, they had marveled at how every building was white and examined everything with curious eyes—but now they were somewhat accustomed to it. They had long since visited the famous buildings and attractions. The only remaining entertainments were revelry and gambling, but those had never been options to begin with.

“Still…”

Chloe pouted with a disappointed face. Meanwhile, Elin was already moving her legs on her own.

“Where are you going?”

“To see the puppies.”

She meant returning to the mansion. The Edenhar mansion kept several dogs for security, all of which were fierce-looking mastiffs. However, to Elin’s eyes, they were all equally adorable animals, and she had spent the past two weeks playing with the dogs.

‘More like the dogs are playing with her.’

Rex thought as he returned to the Edenhar mansion. As he was about to pass through the main gate, he suddenly felt someone’s gaze.

“Hello.”

“Lady Vivienne?”

And Charlotte. She stood with her arms crossed, shrugging her shoulders with an indifferent expression.

“She says she has something to tell you.”

“I thought you said you were too busy to come…”

As Rex awkwardly scratched his cheek, Vivienne leaned forward with sparkling eyes. Chloe’s eyebrows twitched, and Rex unconsciously took a step back at the suddenly narrowed distance.

“What is it?”

“You’ve grown stronger. It’s only been two weeks since I last saw you, but I’m amazed. The change is too distinct to be from steady training alone, given the short period.”

Vivienne’s eyes were tinged with gold. Rex responded with a sour expression.

“It’s nothing special.”

He hadn’t expected to be figured out so quickly, but he denied it anyway. Certainly, as Vivienne said, Rex’s skills had improved significantly compared to before arriving in Elysium.

It was thanks to the specter.

It remained silent as ever. It wouldn’t answer any questions. Rex had given up on inquiring about Kaiserion’s past. Instead, he focused on the vision itself that the statue had shown him.

The man who swept through war and fought alone against apostles. Kaiserion was a vassal of the War God, just like Rex. The blessings he used were also those of the War God. The same applied to his swordsmanship and sacred arts. Though he became a separate entity upon ascension, his techniques had been passed down through generations in the Order of the Sword. Among them, the Kaiserion Style and Heavenly River Technique that Rex had learned were the main lineage—techniques that Kaiserion himself had created and refined.

And Kaiserion was superior to the current Rex in every aspect. Even Charlotte couldn’t match him.

Though Rex had seen it only once, the vision was so intense that it was clearly imprinted in his mind.

For the past two weeks, Rex had been recalling Kaiserion’s movements from the vision—how he utilized sacred power, how he wielded his sword, how he blocked attacks coming from all directions and counterattacked. He had been striving to make all of these his own.

He created mental constructs of the apostles Kaiserion had faced and fought them. Of course, he couldn’t win, but he did make some progress.

However, he couldn’t explain this situation straightforwardly.

“If you say so, I won’t ask further.”

Vivienne replied with a raised corner of her mouth.

“About what you wanted to tell me…”

“The ball.”

“Pardon?”

Rex tilted his head with a puzzled expression.

Charlotte cut in with a nonchalant tone.

“You’re aware that many nobles have gathered in Elysium right now, aren’t you?”

They had just seen the procession filling the streets moments ago. When Rex nodded, Charlotte clicked her tongue and explained.

“Most are heads of their families, but they didn’t come alone. The coming-of-age ceremony of an imperial family member is a massive event that occurs only once in several decades. Not only the renowned nobles of the empire but also the prestigious families from kingdoms under imperial rule—this is the only time they all gather in one place.”

“What does that have to do with a ball?”

“It means that not only the family heads but also their designated heirs have accompanied their parents. Don’t you understand? Just as the family heads network with each other, the heirs also have their own social gathering.”

The ball is a gathering where the children of high-ranking nobles mingle.

“Anyone with a functioning brain would try to build connections with the children of prestigious families for their future when they become family heads. Fools will just strut around flaunting their family’s prestige.”

There are also those who come purely for “socializing.” Most nobles, through generations of careful bloodline management, tend to be exceptionally good-looking. When attractive, passionate young men and women gather in one place, what might happen?

It wasn’t uncommon for noble heirs who met at balls to develop feelings for each other. It was fortunate if a night’s indiscretion remained just that, but occasionally unexpected accidents occurred. Some approached with exactly that purpose in mind.

“Go attend it.”

“…Why?”

Rex asked with a dubious expression. He understood the purpose of the ball but couldn’t comprehend why he should attend. It seemed like it would only be troublesome.

“You may not realize it, but your official status is that of a noble. Once your name and surname are recorded in the genealogy, you must live in the world of nobility whether you like it or not. While you’ve learned etiquette, you haven’t had the opportunity to put it into practice.”

Charlotte answered in an indifferent voice.

“The ball is a microcosm of imperial nobility. For someone like you who hasn’t experienced the noble world yet, the ball will be a good experience. Besides, I told you before coming to Elysium that I would broaden your horizons. Attending a ball where the children of prestigious families gather will expand your perspective. So don’t complain and just go.”

“I wasn’t complaining…”

“Talking back again? Do you want a spanking?”

Rex closed his mouth. Finding his reaction amusing, Vivienne chuckled and said:

“You act like you don’t want to go, but once you’re there, you’ll probably end up charming all the girls. Everyone dresses up beautifully for the ball, so they’re all pretty.”

“…Pretty?”

At those words, Chloe’s eyes blazed with fire.