Chapter 279 - Human Empire’s War on Exhibition

  Katherine Evenhart:

  A short distance away, Margaery was chatting animatedly with the dukes. The atmosphere between them was light, ughter exged as they praised the event’s success. They had pnned everything together, and it seemed to have been a fun experience for them—a rare relief from the stant pressures of their duties.

  closely over the years, I had seen how the position of duchess weighed on Margaery. She never had a moment of rest, her routine an endless cycle of responsibilities, w every single day without vacations or breaks. She had to be unshakable, emotionally strong, as she upheld the pilr of the entire duchy.

  And even knowing all of this, I couldn’t help but worry about Nathan and Chloe’s future.

  At the very least, my child won’t be alohey will share this burden together.

  As these thoughts echoed in my mind, I tinued sipping from my wine gss slowly, positioned in a more secluded er.

  I didn’t like the clothes I was wearing.

  They were too luxurious—a dress so expe felt like a fortune, something I never would have touched in my life as a oner. Even after all these years, I had never gotteo it. The jeweled neckce around my neck, for example, could probably buy every house in the vilge where I was born.

  I raised my gss to my lips again, only to realize I had fihe wine.

  "I noticed yss is empty. Would you like me to fetother for you?" a male voice sounded beside me.

  "I would love to…" I began to respond, but then I turned and realized—he wasn’t a servant.

  My smile faded, turniral.

  "No, I’ll get it myself."

  That approach wasn’t mere courtesy. It was obvious it was an attempt at courtship—one of many I had received that night.

  I took a step to move away, but the man insisted, stepping closer.

  "Wait, Lady…" He hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and tinued.

  "The truth is… I was captivated by you. I know this might sound cliché, but I swear you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life. I serve in the military, I’ve eveo the pace, but I’ve never seen anyone as stunning as you."

  I stared at him, unwavering, trying not to let my growing disfort show.

  "Sorry, but I’m not ied."

  "Lady, at least tell me your name?" he pressed, trying to keep his posure. "Someone as young and enting as you clearly es from a noble and respectable lineage. I would like to formally present a proposal to your parents for a dinner with you… or perhaps something more serious?"

  "I have no i in starting a retionship."

  This time, my response came even colder, my tone sharp enough to sever any lingering hope.

  I quied my pace, but he still followed.

  "At least your name…"

  "Ah!" he suddenly yelped in pain.

  Looking down, I saw a small gray cat growling and lightly biting the man’s ankle.

  "Cyl…" I muttered, sighing. "That wasn’t necessary…"

  She kept growling at him, her fur bristling, ready to pounce again.

  "O-okay! My apologies for b you…" the man stepped back, rubbing his ankle.

  "But… could I at least know what displeased you about me?"

  I stared at him, expressionless.

  "Everything."

  His face paled with embarrassment.

  "If you want to please me, just jump off a building or slit your own throat."

  He said nothing else. He simply turned a quickly, his hurried footsteps fading into the distance.

  I crouched down and stroked Cyl, who had finally rexed.

  "Good job..." I whispered, gently running my fingers over her head.

  Nathan Evenhart:

  I reached my friends, who were chatting near a fountain.

  "Would you like me to fetch you a drink?" I asked, slightly ging the tone of my voice to cateone off guard.

  "No..." the woman replied dryly, but as soon as she saw me, her face turned red.

  "Ah, Nate. I didn’t know it was you," Chloe said, embarrassed.

  a drink to a woman like that was often seen as a courtship gesture. Though I had do as a joke, and our friends ughed, unaware of our retionship.

  "You’re te. I heard you were w," Edmund ented.

  "I was handling some administrative matters at my family’s offiearby," I expined casually.

  Everyone was there.

  "Master Nathan," said a familiar voice, and when I turned around, I saw Kinue.

  I was a little surprised.

  "We’re among friends, Ki’s not sidered disrespectful to call me that," I joked, watg her face turn even redder.

  "I got nervous and mixed up," she said, ughing as she realized her mistake while handing Chloe a pte with a dessert.

  Athena appeared and gave me a light elbow jab while coughing dramatically.

  "Ahem!" She poi Chloe’s pte with a mischievous smile.

  Damn glutton…

  I moved closer to Chloe.

  "What’s that?" I asked. "Looks great."

  "It’s cake with ice cream. It’s really good," she answered, holding the pte up for me to see.

  I quickly touched the bottom of the pte, and without aig, a copy appeared in Athena’s hands. She immediately sat on the edge of the fountain, giggling happily as she started eating.

  I deserve this… I thought, sighing.

  "This dessert is typiy duchy," Viktor ented.

  "It really is delicious," Chloe agreed, sav another bite.

  We tialking, and some of my friends started discussing the treasures their families had brought for the exhibition.

  "What about you, Melina? Didn’t the royal family tribute anything to the event?" I asked curiously.

  "No. My family usually anizes a like this only with our own items, but that only happens when a royal heir is born," she expined.

  So, I must have been a baby—or maybe still in my mother’s womb—whe event took pce. A shame.

  Of course, I already khat only the duchies' items would be dispyed, since I had been involved in security, but I asked out of curiosity about their treasure exhibitions.

  At that moment, a servant approached Viktor and whispered something in his ear.

  I was distracted, eating an appetizer one of the servants had brought earlier.

  "Looks like the ship has docked, everyone. I think we’ll finally get to see the exhibition," Viktor announced.

  While w, I hadn’t had the ce to see the items up close.

  My role was to hahe security of the cargo, but the internal arras had been supervised by the dukes’ guards.

  At every stop, more treasures had been loaded onto the ship.

  At that moment, the master of ceremoook his p stage.

  Some of the nobles, eager for the event, had already begun moving the moment they saw him.

  He picked up a gss and tapped it lightly with a spoon, the sound reverberating through the soundstones spread across the venue, drawing everyone’s attention.

  "Good evening, lords and dies," he began in a voice. "As the host of this honorable event, it is my pleasure to annouhat the ship holding the exhibition is now open for visits."

  His words were met with enthusiastic appuse.

  "The event staff is ready. Please follow the red carpet, which will lead directly to the ship, where you may admire the treasures," he cluded, gesturing toward the path.

  The event staff stood aligned, indig the dire.

  The red carpet stretched through a long corridor, decorated with flowers and floating water bubbles gently drifting through the air—released by magical items—creating a truly enting atmosphere.

  We began walking toward the exhibition, following the red carpet as the excited murmurs of the nobles filled the air around us.

  "Good evening, Princess Melina," a maid said as she approached her. "We will be at the table, arranging your dinner with your favorite dishes. But after the exhibition, you are free to return to the pace whenever you wish."

  "Thank you, Joana," Melina replied.

  Beside Joana stood another maid, a bit younger, who seemed to be around my age.

  I observed them carefully, thoughtful.

  "These are Joana and Anastasia," Melina introduced. "They are personal servants of my family."

  "It’s a pleasure to meet you," both said, bowing.

  Could these two be Night Killers?

  "These are my dormitory friends," Melina said.

  "I feel like I’ve seen you at the academy before," Edmund ented, addressing the younger maid.

  She nodded. "Yes, I’m a fourth-year student," Anastasia replied.

  Princess Melina smiled.

  "Anastasia is very talented. Did you know she’s also a lightning user, just like Nathan?"

  Another one? We’re really rare.

  "Really?" Edmund asked, surprised.

  "I’m impressed to meet anhtning user," I ented.

  "Ah, you must be the one who gave that advielina. She always talks about this friend," Anastasia said.

  I noticed Princess Melina looking a bit nervous, silently pleading for her to stop talking.

  Advice? Oh, it must be from that time Melina was g in our first year at the academy… I thought.

  But before I could reflect further, I noticed Kinue and Chloe narrowing their eyes at me.

  I might be in a little trouble…

  At Melina’s request, Anastasia stepped forward and made her hand glow blue.

  "See? She’s very talented," the princess ented.

  "Show yours too, Nathan," Edmund suggested. "It’s rare to see a lightning user, and even rarer for two of them to meet."

  "Alright..." I agreed.

  I raised my hand, positioning it o Anastasia’s, releasing a small burst of blue sparks.

  Everyoched with i—until something ued happened.

  "Ow!" we both excimed at the same time, shaking our hands.

  "Our energies actally cshed," I expined, looking at her. "Did it hurt?"

  "No problem," she replied with a peculiar smile. "I like pain."

  Viktor cleared his throat discreetly, clearly eager to ge the subjed move things along.

  He could barely wait to show us his family’s arsenal.

  We said oodbyes to Anastasia and Joana as they withdrew from the area.

  "I always eat with Anastasia and Era in their private dormitory," Melina expined.

  That expins why she and Alice always disappear during lund diheir maid probably prepares meals for them in Era’s dormitory s food directly from the cafeteria.

  We tinued walking with the other nobles when a gray cat appeared, walking beside me.

  "Katherine and Margaery are a bit further ahead in line for the exhibition," she discreetly told me.

  The path was beautifully adorned with various magical decorations. Small water bubbles floated gently in the air, released by a magical device. Along the way, there was also an ented gss wall, dispying an animated painting of a stunning ndscape that moved as we passed. Soft breezes were emitted by crystals on the ground, providing a refreshing ess as we walked. Further ahead, snow began to fall delicately, creating a magical se.

  Probably my aunt’s doing.

  With each step, it became evident that every part of the path had been decorated by one of the dukes, making the journey even more impressive.

  We kept moving forward, passing through more ented decorations until we reached the massive ship adapted for the exhibition. The first se showcased rge war ons—imposing and well-preserved. The path tinued into the interiuided by staff, as we admired the relics.

  Atop a small stage, o a gigantic war on, a familiar figure stood out.

  "Professor Sincir," urmured beside me, and I reized her instantly.

  The professor was dressed in the uniform of the event staff, and I realized she was ag as a historical sultant at that moment.

  "Good evening, my esteemed nobles," she said in a serene voice. "This entrao the exhibition tains great war ons, collected during the st great war, belonging to the True Humans."

  I noticed she didn’t identify herself as a True Human, whidicated that not everyone here was meant to have access to her real identity.

  "This piece beside me is a Crystal on," she tinued, pointing to the massive, wheel-mounted on with an aged-gold hue. "This devastating on fires ented crystals that cause massive explosions. It was created by the True Humans and is capable of obliteratiire squadrons, even those with mages in their ranks."

  Some people in the group made disgusted expressions upon hearing the term True Humans—no one liked them very much, and the disfort alpable.

  "The True Humans excel in teology. That’s how they mao keep up with our ti," she tinued, maintaining her cover. "Our war remains stagnant at the border—her side advances. However, the True Humans are masters at maniputing all kinds of magical minerals and transf them into war ons."

  She paused and, with a solemn tone, cluded:

  "One of the most distinguished peoples among the True Humans is renowned for their unparalleled skill in engineering and crafting war armaments. This people is called… Dwarves."