episode_0065

Responding to Ethan’s request, about 5 minutes after starting to slowly synchronize our steps at the center of the stage.

Holding my partner’s hand, following the choreography, as we were about to finish the first song, the thought that came to my mind was simpler than I expected.

“Surprisingly easy to follow, huh?”

Of course, Ethan was aware that he was moving slowly to accommodate me, a novice at the ball. We were moving together, and he noticed that I wasn’t completely clueless.

However, following the choreography wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.

Firstly, the song itself wasn’t too fast, so there was no need to rush the dance moves.

Moreover, perhaps I had become accustomed to the dance without even realizing it while wandering around the game with Agnes and other characters. Dance events at the ball were common in the game, so maybe I had gotten used to it there.

With a playtime of 2000 hours, there must have been at least 1-2 hours of dance-related events included.

So, thinking that I might have unknowingly become accustomed to it, I moved calmly in sync with Ethan to the slow music.

“You’re dancing well, Lily. Where did you learn to dance?”

“Well, maybe I got used to it just by watching. Or maybe it’s because Edgar leads me well.”

“Thanks for saying that.”

“Feeling better now? Or do you want to dance another song, Edgar?”

“Do you think it suits you?”

“If it’s just one or two songs.”

“Then, please, Lily.”

“Got it, Edgar.”

After exchanging a brief conversation following the end of the first song, we started moving our bodies to the second song.

When the orchestra entered the middle part of their performance, suddenly, the door to the hall opened, and ten soldiers rushed in one after another.

-Boom!

“Ladies and gentlemen! Please pay attention for a moment!”

“…?”

Nobles chatting at the edge of the ballroom, people like me and Ethan dancing in the center, and the orchestra playing classical music gathered on one side of the Rose Hall.

Everyone stopped their actions and focused their attention on the knight who seemed to be the leader of the soldiers who had entered through the door.

And the words that suddenly came out of his mouth were enough to make everyone in the hall panic.

“We have confirmed abnormal monster proliferation at Lake Verdan, south of the palace! There is a possibility of a monster wave, so all guests are requested to gather at the main hall of the palace and receive protection from the palace guards!”

“A monster wave?!”

“…Lake Verdan isn’t that far from here!”

“No, I don’t want to…!”

The guests at the masked ball showed various startled reactions to the sudden declaration by the guard.

Well, considering the composition of the people gathered here, such reactions were expected.

As it was the birthday celebration of the Third Princess, most of the attendees were guests of a similar age to Seraphine.

Most of the people gathered here were likely not even Academy graduates, let alone having entered the Academy.

If they had entered, they would probably only be at the level of first or second-year students.

Especially for noble magicians who grew up in the greenhouse, it was not uncommon for them to encounter monsters for the first time after entering the Academy. So, upon hearing the term “monster wave,” they would naturally panic immediately.

“Aaah! I-I’m getting out of here quickly! Get my carriage ready!”

“No! It’s dangerous outside the palace right now! You must stay inside the palace and under our protection until the situation is resolved…”

“Let go of me! I’m going to escape from here quickly…!”

As I was enduring the anxiety, a young man who couldn’t bear it any longer burst out in anger and struggled against the guards.

Just as I was worried that his actions might cause even more chaos among the already anxious crowd, a moment of concern washed over me.

A man emerged from the crowd and, with a recited spell, she fell asleep like a limp doll.

“Nature, grant her a peaceful night’s rest.”

“Turn off the lights… now…”

As the young man collapsed into the arms of the soldier, a green-haired man began to move forward.

Upon seeing his appearance and hearing his voice, I was certain that he was a character from the “Luminor Academy.”

“He seemed to be in trouble, so I put her to sleep for a while.”

‘…Ah.’

With his green short hair, neutral voice, and the sleep magic, one of the natural magic means, there were countless ways to identify him, and it would have been strange not to recognize him at first glance.

Orion, the sage of the verdant, was one of the main characters who could also join the party if needed.

It was the moment when Orion, the sage of the verdant, first appeared before my eyes.

“W-who are you…?”

“I’m Orion, a 2nd-year student from the Luminor Academy’s Magic Department.”

As if to prove that my guess was correct, Orion introduced himself briefly in front of the soldiers.

I had my own speculations about whether he was participating in the party or not.

However, finding Orion in the crowd was more difficult than finding Agnes, who used transformation magic, so I had given up searching long ago.

Specialized in natural magic, Orion was capable of hiding his presence in the crowd.

He enjoyed meeting people, so he always attended such parties, but he showed no interest in individuals who did not interest him.

Therefore, to avoid unnecessary attention, Orion always erased his presence and wandered around.

In other words, he was an individual who was impossible to find from my side before revealing his true identity.

‘Maybe it’s even a more valuable discovery than meeting Agnes…’

No matter how Agnes was one of the main heroines of the work, her presence was at a level that was difficult to hide wherever she went.

In contrast, Orion would probably not even be able to watch such an emergency situation.

My gaze was solely focused on him, the second main character I encountered after Seraphine.

It didn’t make my heart race like when I first met Seraphine, but meeting the main character of the “Luminor Academy” was always a pleasant experience for me.

“…”

For some reason, I felt a sudden uncomfortable gaze from Ethan’s direction.

…Well, it must be my imagination.

“Orion…?”

“You’re the top student of the 2nd year Magic Department, right…?”

“We’ve never seen you at the ball earlier…?”

Orion’s appearance caused quite a stir among the audience within the academy, probably because he was already quite famous within the academy.

Thanks to his presence, the interest in the unknown young woman who was sleeping in the arms of the soldiers had completely disappeared.

Seeing the momentarily bewildered soldiers, Orion continued speaking.

“I will also participate in the battle to repel the monster wave. While others evacuate to the shelter, I will guide them to the front line where the external soldiers are.”

“No, Orion! You can’t put Princess Seraphine’s lady-in-waiting in such a dangerous situation!”

“Don’t worry. I’m the top student of the 2nd year Magic Department at the academy. I’ll probably be quite helpful.”

“But…”.

“Narrowing down the nobles and waiting for them all to gather is not the best solution. It’s better to select the participants who can join the battle and resolve the monster wave. You know that, right?”

“Well, that’s… a valid point…”

Orion, who takes the lead in the conversation with the knights as soon as he appears.

Seeing his refreshing and straightforward demeanor, I couldn’t help but think that he must be a popular character from the ‘Luminor Academy.’

While Seraphine tends to elongate the main story with unnecessary subplots to extend the playtime, Orion is the type to skip annoying episodes with his straightforward wit.

For example, there might be an episode where the party members participate in a quest to subdue a monster together.

In the process of progressing through such episodes, the presence of Orion within the party sometimes made a difference in the playtime itself.

There were times when certain episodes, like those requiring a demonstration of skill to capture a dangerous monster with an additional quest attached, could be skipped if Orion was among the party members.

Using his unique eloquence and the position of the Academy’s Magic Department Chief.

“He’s essential for speedrunning. Thanks to Orion, I’ve skipped a few episodes and progressed quickly.”

…If only he didn’t look slightly suspicious with those sharp eyes, he would have been even better if he didn’t have a somewhat effeminate appearance.

Perhaps half of the female players in ‘Luminor Academy’ were created thanks to Orion.

Having such ridiculous thoughts while observing him, Orion turned towards us and flashed a subtle, mysterious smile.

He immediately began openly recruiting attendees at the ball.

“Any of you have experience subduing monsters or are confident in your skills? I want to gather people to help me stop the monster wave.”

“….”

“If you have experience subduing monsters or are confident in your skills, you don’t have to be an Academy student. Of course, I may not be able to offer any rewards, but I might show some gratitude to those who work hard in battle later on.”

“…Th-the palace…”

“B-but the monster wave is a bit…”

“Hmm, really no one?”

Despite Orion’s enthusiastic efforts to recruit noble mercenaries, the guests hesitated to step forward.

Most Academy students would have experience in capturing monsters, and even those who hadn’t enrolled yet would likely have some experience.

However, the reason for not easily stepping forward was probably due to the intimidating nature of the monsters or the unfamiliarity with the situation.

If there were a few more upperclassmen in this party, there would have been some volunteers even if they were Academy seniors.

Since the group consisted mainly of Academy prospective students and lowerclassmen, it was likely that they lacked confidence in their skills.

“I’d like to step forward the most in my heart, but…”

The problem was that the moment I did so, my true identity under the mask would be revealed, and the fact that I was not a noble but a common maid would also come to light.

I had just casually received greetings from other nobles while pretending to be one, but now revealing that I was a commoner would probably not end well.

Moreover, I didn’t have a dagger to use as a weapon at the moment, and considering other people’s gazes, I couldn’t freely use magic either.

As I lamented deep in my heart, watching Orion, suddenly…

“…Ahem.”

Unexpectedly, a voice next to me responded to Orion’s ‘recruitment’ with, “If it’s okay not to be an Academy student yet, I’ll participate.”

“Oh, really?”

“….?”

Abruptly, I was pushed aside by the familiar black hair that suddenly sprang forward, leaving me feeling slightly confused.

Focusing my gaze on the back of his head, I eventually heard my ‘partner’ begin to speak towards Orion.

“Edan Richard Blackwood, the eldest son of the Blackwood Duke family. Specializes in magic swordsmanship using body enhancement magic.”

“Hmm…”

“Although my strength is modest, I promise not to be a hindrance.”

…What’s going on all of a sudden?