episode_0089

The Imperial Ball was so crowded that I was out of my mind. Or, more accurately, we were all out of our minds.

There were nobles everywhere, some approaching us to become friends, some introducing their daughters or sons to the females of Nana’s group as an obvious ploy, some just trying to have a word with us, and some just wanting to hear tales of Tri-Conflict.

But among those nobles, the noble who left the deepest impression was…

“…”

“…”

Me and a large female bull.

The female bull with snow-white fur is none other than Duchess Moira Wintercrest, the Northern Grand Duchess who protects the northern part of the Perion Empire.

In any media, the Northern Duke is associated with great power and status, and Moira is no different, so when Moira and I were facing each other, most nobles would look around and avoid the area.

The reason I’m silent is because I don’t really have anything to say to her, and the reason she’s silent is… well, I don’t know.

“Ain.”

“…Meet Archduchess Moira Wintercrest, Guardian of the North.”

Grand Duchess Moira nodded faintly after receiving my greeting.

“You’ve grown so much that I didn’t even notice.”

“Thank you.”

“You always sneaked out to combat zones even when your parents and I told you not to.”

Since it’s just the character’s background setting, I don’t remember much about it, so I just stay still, but the females in the group react to those words.

“Really?”

Grand Duke Moira nodded to Bandi’s question.

“Ain, who had developed a spell slot along with recovery magic at the young age of five, has been wandering around the battlefield since then. No matter how much you tried to stop him, it was no use.”

“Wow…”

Hoyo looks at me in surprise at Grand Duchess Moira’s answer. No, I said I don’t know the past.

“Wherever there was even the slightest bit of fierce fighting, there was Ain in the infirmary. Where there was blood and screams of pain, the young male was not afraid.”

“That’s a very noble act, regardless of gender.”

Lulu listens to Grand Duchess Moira’s words. It wasn’t my fault, so I was too humble to answer, so I just stayed still.

“The northerners called him the ‘Black Angel of the Battlefield’. He always wore white clothes and went around treating soldiers.”

“Raincoat, cool.”

“The northerners all saw you stand against Goliath at the last moment in Tri-Conflict. They took it for granted. The sight of the black angel of the battlefield standing against Goliath was no different from the courage you showed when you were young.”

I didn’t understand why Grand Duchess Moira suddenly appeared and gilded me out of the blue, but I expressed my gratitude.

“You are too kind.”

“Ain. After you graduate from the academy, can you come back to the North?”

“That’s…”

I couldn’t answer the main point of Moira’s argument. As a male of the elfin herd, I should have been in the imperial palace as I was in the position of a minor official.

“Northern Grand Duke, that’s difficult. However, I will positively consider strengthening support in the North.”

At her request, Elfin steps forward and speaks. Moira’s Archduchess smiled faintly, seemingly satisfied with Elfin’s words.

“That’s what I wanted, 4th Princess. Even so, it would be difficult for an Ain with the status of a small country to come to the North.”

“…Haa, Grand Duchess Moira. You must have been trying to use a trick because the northern support was delayed. ”

“I would appreciate it if you thought of it as an old man’s trick.”

Archduchess Moira did not urge him any further, as if she really did not intend to take me with her as Elfin had said.

“You’ve become so resolute that you can’t even recognize me, Ain, apart from the northern support. Your parents will be surprised if they see you.”

“I just hope my parents think well of me.”

“Ain’s parents, why didn’t Baron Frostgarm come to the ball?”

Grand Duke Moira answers the night’s question with a serious expression.

“Baron Frostgarm is a very important figure in the defense of the North. It would be difficult for him to leave since both his wife are in charge of important work in the North. I came in his place.”

Grand Duchess Moira, who answered like that, winked at me slightly.

“You don’t know how much Abel and Cain wanted to see you, Ain.”

Baron Abel Frostgarm and Lord Cain Frostgarm are the names of my parents. I have not been able to meet them or hear from them until now.

“But let’s see… I think I can give them both a vacation during the second half of the academy vacation. It would be nice to visit them with the females.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.”

“Don’t thank me. Then, enjoy the ball.”

After finishing her business, Grand Duchess Moira comes out and greets the females of the group, then leaves to speak with Empress Alexandra.

“It’s vacation in the second half of this year…”

Lulu takes out a notebook from somewhere she doesn’t know where and writes something down. Looking around, Bam is also taking notes of what Grand Duke Moira had said in a notebook she doesn’t know where she got it from.

“…Where did you get that notebook?”

“It’s not that important. But Ain, your parents…”

Lulu magically erases the notebook and thinks deeply.

“This must be the most important moment in my life.”

“What on earth is the important moment?”

I asked back because I didn’t understand, but the females in the group looked like they didn’t understand me.

“Looking good to the parents of the males in the group is one of the most important things for the females in the group. We don’t have a hierarchy, so it’s less so, but in a normal group, attacking the parents of the males is part of the fight for hierarchy.”

I nod my head to Ion’s words. The saying that a son-in-law’s love is like a mother-in-law’s love is a concept that seems to apply to some extent here as well.

“Well, if that’s what you guys are like…”

Since all the females in the group were like that, I was at a loss for words and just sipped my wine.

As time passed, the number of nobles coming to visit us increased, and we had some time to rest.

“Wait…what is that?”

A nobleman whose name I don’t remember points to the sky. At the tip of his finger, as if something was somewhere it shouldn’t be, an eyeball was staring at us…!

“Please give me a look?! Why here?”

As I get up like lightning, all the females in the group and their parents quickly gather around.

“No, why is that?!”

Marquis Jude shouted in surprise, while Duke Moratium and Marquis Anastasia had already drawn their weapons. Count Iron Foxtrot also had a steel-colored aura surrounding his entire body.

“Your Majesty, I am the liberator!!”

At the same time, several more observers appeared, each of whom was thought to be the same as the one Duke Moratium had shouted.

“Liberator!!!”

In an instant, the room becomes chaotic and the ceiling of the Imperial Ballroom collapses.

“Hey-ass!!”

Count Miho jumped up, drawing a steel-like line, shattering the collapsing ceiling, and Sir Kino, Lulu’s father, created a wind with his magic and blew the shattered fragments toward the uninhabited area.

“It’s the enemy, it’s the enemy! Flying monsters and liberators!!”

Imperial soldiers rush in from all the corridors in the ballroom, some helping the nobles escape, while others begin to deal with the monsters that have swarmed like bees.

“You bastards, how dare you violate the imperial palace!”

Empress Alexandra, her hair in anger, swings her weapons in a large manner, holding a greatsword while wearing the Perion Great Dual Shield, which is said to be passed down only to members of the Imperial Family, and two small shields in each hand.

“Soldiers, keep the monsters from approaching the nobles! And evacuate quickly!”

Following Empress Alexandra, Princess Elizabeth, who also holds two shields and a greatsword in her hands, also gives instructions to the soldiers and responds to the monsters, while Princess Mary, who is unable to fight, leads the evacuation with the soldiers.

“Oh my, a monster! Luna, watch out!”

Princess Eleonora can also handle weapons, carrying a shield and a greatsword, but her training is shallow, so all she can do is kick away the monsters that attack Prince Luna.

“Ain!”

At the urgent elfin call, I shouted to the females of the group.

“Ion, Lulu, Hoyo! Deal with the monsters! Night, help us evacuate. Bandi, Hela will be outside. Bring her!”

The magic fired by nobles who can respond and the thorns, saliva, and magic fired by monsters all intersect in a frenzy. There were more than a few nobles who suffered damage as a result.

I started running, frantically pouring out spells that would help in battle to the females, the Empress, the First Princess, and the Second Princess.

“Ain, it’s dangerous!”

“Response comes first, Elfin! Focus!”

Despite my attempts to dissuade me, I shout at Elfin and quickly approach the nobles who were in critical condition due to the monster’s attack.

“Ugh… ahh… face…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll treat you, so evacuate quickly!”

I quickly recovered the nobles who had been attacked on the face, legs, back, and body, and called in the nobles who were relatively healthy and had them support me.

“That passage is safe! Hurry up…”

“Oh my, Mr. So-Guk-Seo!”

As I was frantically evacuating the nobles, I looked up at the sky at the soldier’s startled cry and saw numerous spine-like thorns flying towards me…

‘No… I don’t have time to use the spell!’

In a split second, I shield my head with my shoulder and turn around to minimize the damage, but there is no pain. Instead, a tremendous blast resonates behind me.

-Kwaaang!

“Master!”

When I look back, I see Hela cutting off all the thorns with her greatsword and handing me a mace, shield, and rapier.

“Hella!”

“I almost got into big trouble. I’ll protect you!”

“Thank you for coming so quickly. I’ll place a flight order, so please respond!”

“Please leave it to me.”

I hugged Hela happily after saving her, then took her weapon and used a flight spell on her.

“There are a lot of them, so don’t go too deep. I’ll continue the treatment!”

“I’ll clean up the area around you, Master!”

Hela nodded at my words and flew up, and I ran to where there were other injured people. There were still monsters rushing at me, but Hela was tearing them all in half in the air.