Battlefield on the tablecloth (1)

It was the first week of December when the school break began. A flat-tone three-quarters dance song was flowing through the living room of the Asel mansion. Its sound quality was poor, and the playback time was short as the gramophone was a new bit of technology. Of course, it was enough for Kleio’s pathetic dance skills.

“Raise your heels! No! Lead! Don’t rely on me! Ah, really!”

“Ah!”

Kleio stepped on Dione’s feet for the fourth time today before pulling back and bowing apologetically.

“I’m sorry, Lady Dione…”

Dione slammed her feet, commanding Kleio to get back into position.

“It’s still not very good, so you have to master it by turn today. If you can’t, you’ll be staying up all night.”

“Why…”

“Otherwise, you’ll never be able to dance in a ballroom for the New Year’s party! All Lundane has come to know you as my disciple, and I can’t tolerate being embarrassed!”

Already, invitations for New Year’s banquet began to pile up in the Asel mansion. Although Kleio was reluctant to socialize at all, he had to attend a banquet held by the Monk Merchant Association and a charity banquet hosted by the Defense Force to obtain information about the nobles and royalty.

‘If I knew it would be like this as soon as I told Dione, I would’ve just gone without consulting her…’

His regret was already too late. Behemoth spread out in the front of the fireplace and, yawning, looked over.

“Meoooow (From the view of this cat, this one has no prospects).”

Cel and Arthur, who had been sharing fresh wine, talked ill of him as well.

“Hey, Lei.”

“Is it too much to say that the basic steps are always wrong? You memorized them, right?”

In the meantime, the gramophone’s discs turned around. Exhausted, Kleio released Dione’s arm and fell on the sofa. He was too tired, even for a drink. Since Dione was such a great teacher, he quickly memorized the steps he saw. With the increase in narrative intervention, all of Promise’s functions had advanced a step, so it wasn’t even work on memorizing such simple moves. However, even the enormous power of Promise didn’t help put those memories into action with his body…

‘I knew it, but that’s how it is? Where is this body’s motor nerves?!’

“Cel, you try it. Is this easy?”

Seeing Kleio exhausted, Dione placed both hands on her waist and raised her chin.

“Ha, you’re weaker than me, but you want to live in this harsh world?”

“Yeah. This slender lady is dancing all night in those shoes. Lei, you have no guts! Lady Dione, how about dancing with me?”

Cel gracefully bowed to Dione as she asked to dance.

“The young Tanpet de Neju’s request is always welcome. Look, young master, you request a dance like this, don’t crouch at the waist!”

“Ah… Yeah…”

Arthur grabbed the handle of the gramophone and closed it as Behemoth jumped up and pushed the tonearm with his front foot to touch the record skillfully. With that fantastic collaboration, the music started again. After greeting Dione, Cel put her hand on the back of her dance partner in a textbook posture.

“Lady Dione, call me Cel.”

“How exciting.”

“Oh, this lady only speaks good words.”

They flowed according to the music, both their steps meshing together.

“What should I do? When I see Cel, you compare poorly to her.”

“…Why would you compare me to that socialite elite?”

Cel was one of the most popular socialites. Everyone knew that Cel was a woman, but none questioned the fact that she wore a suit and tailcoat and took the lead when dancing. She wasn’t from Albion, but a foreigner from Carolinger, so it would be strange to raise any objections.

‘If you told her to wear a dress, you’d be asked for a duel.’

“It may seem strange to you who hates dances, but Cel is expanding her network for a reason.”

“Ah, expanding her voting power…”

“Oh, you knew?”

He knew it from the last manuscript, but Kleio, now accustomed to it, picked a reasonable reason with a calm expression.

“I don’t know much, but… I don’t think that Cel will ever marry.”

She had been single to the end. In the future, the title she would acquire was ‘Thunder Goddess of Heaven,’ the same title as a saint who was a virgin for life, which was passed down as legend throughout Dernier.

‘That’s why Cel raised Arthur.’

In Albion, under King Philippe, only men over the age of 25 who had a fortune of 100,000 dinars or more, or a married woman over the age of 35 with similar wealth, had the right to vote.

‘Relative to the total population, only 15% can vote…’

Cel had no intention of becoming married to any man, but she didn’t want to lose that right to vote. So, she chose reform as the fastest way to win that right while remaining true to her way of life. The king’s right to pass legislature was a powerful weapon, after all.

‘It’s a very aristocratic idea, but Cel was born as a noble.’

“Is that a prediction, or did you just think of it?”

“I’m a person with eyes too; I don’t need a stigma.”

Arthur and Kleio’s gaze naturally turned to Cel and Dione, who were lightly dancing. After making a nice reverse turn in time to the music, Cel skillfully led Dione. Even to Kleio, who knew nothing, Cel’s skills were outstanding. For the first time, a real smile had appeared on Dione’s face after she had frowned all afternoon.

“Anyway, did you decide to become Zebedee’s research student?”

“Since they’ll let me use the research annex at the west end of the school for demonstrations.”

He was still at level 4, but even Kleio felt level 5 wasn’t far away. He couldn’t continue to use the on-campus practice room for his magic.

‘I worry about others’ prying eyes and breaking the building. I need room to practice.’

“But I said I would think until graduation on becoming a formal student.”

“Why?”

“It’s too much responsibility to be a disciple who will inherit his mantras. Once I get it, I can’t leave it.”

Zebedee had devoted his entire life to the study of healing and regeneration, so he should have a more appropriate disciple. Kleio shouldn’t be the successor to the arch-mage known as the [Wizard of Mercy].

‘Most of what I will do with magic will be destruction.’

“Your shoulders are too small to carry such things.”

“It’s true, but it feels bad when you say it.”

Arthur laughed.

“Oh, the music’s over!”

Kleio’s Spartan dancing classes had to continue after that.

***

On the 31st of December, on the last day of the Festival of Lights, a winter dinner was held at the palace. The summer birthday party and winter dinner party were the largest events held by the Albion royal family.

‘The dinner party has fewer invites than the birthday party, but there’s still plenty of traffic.’

It took a long time to pass through the royal palace’s entrance, which was packed with wagons carrying foreign diplomats, celebrities, nobles, and lawmakers. After leaving his coat in the parlor, Kleio met the Angellium twins wearing red-velvet dresses in the hallway past the atrium.

“Lei!”

“It’s been a while!”

The twins, who said their aunt had taken them to the castle, were excitedly wandering around. The hems of their dresses fluttered around with their lively movements, and behind them was a sharp-looking middle-aged woman who smiled in greeting. She disappeared into the parlor, greeting several people on the way.

“It’s only been a month. How’re you?”

“Oh, we’ve been practicing in ice-cold water every morning.”

“Or studying.”

“I just waited for the dinner party.”

“Meoow (You call that living?).”

“There’s a cat too!”

“Wow, he’s cute.”

“That white tie is perfect.”

Behemoth, wearing a stiff bow tie, took a polite posture. The appearance of a large cat walking alongside the two girls stunned the other guests. Of course, Behemoth had his head raised as he enjoyed the gazes upon him.

“Meow (Ahem).”

As they passed through the lengthy corridor, Kleio’s party grew.

“Ah, you’re here.”

“Have you memorized all the waltz steps now?”

The first to join them was Cel and Isiel.

“Oh, my junior also got an invitation~. As expected~.”

An unwelcome face popped up next; that of Ezra Sergey, the vice-captain of the Defense Force’s magic group.

“Vice-captain Sergey.”

“Why so formal~? Call me Ezra. Ezra~.”

“Ah, would your seat be situated by ours?”

“No, just say hello to your junior…”

Ezra, with a groan, was dragged away by a wizard with copper-colored hair.

‘Is that the wizard named Daria?’

That wizard grew in Kleio’s eyes just because she removed some troubles from his path. He planned to visit Ezra’s lab sooner or later, but that would be after the New Year. He couldn’t just leap into the enemy camp with his bare hands. Kleio continued to talk with the children and walk carefully, looking out into the empty garden outside the window. It was decorated with lanterns of all shapes and colored glasses that recreated scenes of myth gleamed in the dark.

“Wow, pretty.”

“I think it’s more gorgeous than last year!”

“There’s the Goddess!”

The twins, excited by the festive atmosphere, were pointing at everything they could see. Looking into the open door, the huge hall was decorated for dinner. There were three rows of tables running from the entrance to the end of the hall. Everything on the white tablecloths was golden, from the bowl stand to the dessert spoons. All the chandeliers were lit up, and at the edge of the hall, a tall human-sized candlestick reflected gold.

‘They said the royal dinner party was great. Even if it’s only gold plating, how much is that?’

The entry method was the same as the summer party. A junior official standing by the entrance checked Kleio’s face and invitation, but from there, the response was different. The official took a short breath, checked the medal on Kleio’s collar, and announced his arrival at a tremendous volume.

“Sir Kleio Asel is entering.”

A brief silence passed between those already inside. Dozens of eyes darted to the entrance, and Kleio realized that sometimes an intangible gaze could be as sharp as a forged blade. The excitement subsided as he walked in, and the tension made the air thick.

“Kleio Asel?”

“The wizard who destroyed the demon and the remembered world!”

“He’s the second son of Baronet Gideon Asel. He looks a lot like his father. He’s been absent from these dinners for more than ten years, right?”

“Master Zebedee’s research student…”

“I heard the second prince is digging into his past.”

“Did you hear the crown prince supported him?”

“I heard Duke Cruel opposed it…”

“He’s the youngest knight.”

The hall before him was a battlefield.