"Arghh–! That's tight, honey!"
Raeligh and her family were getting ready for the evening celebration at Alviberto's palace, at the invitation of his majesty.
"But this way, I can untangle the wrinkles in your jacket, Rae." his wife replied.
"Father! Father–!" Emmett, Raeligh's only son, was running towards her.
"Don't run, Emmett, or your mother will have to deal with you too– Arghh–!"
"Kindly dear!" Raelig exclaimed.
…
After finishing getting ready, Raeligh and her family head to a carriage that is driven to the castle.
"Who would have thought… a celebration, in the midst of all this chaos..!" Raeligh's wife asked.
"Even I was a little surprised by your majesty's invitation, Selene. There is no reason to celebrate a small step forward like this."
"Well, we just can't be so rude. After all, it's a royal invitation, isn't it?"
"Emmett was only at the palace once or twice as a child, Rae. Those were good times."
"Look how fascinated he is, looking outside, dear."
Emmett had his head out, watching the road to Alviberto's Palace.
"Wow… Father! Is it true that there are many knights and soldiers inside the king's castle?"
"Yes– Yes! They are strong, skilled and very well trained."
The carriage continued through the serene and busy night in the upper city, due to the celebration.
Meanwhile, from another perspective, Faulhault and Lunis, who were closest, followed Willbur'reisen to the Palace, also in a royal carriage.
"Are you nervous, boy?" I ask Willbur'reisen.
"I… I– I'm not!"
Lunis showed clear nervousness on his face, as this would be the first time he would go to the Palace, not on business. Faulhault kept his thoughts to himself, while Willbur teased the well-adorned young man.
"I heard~... that there will be many well-dressed maidens at the party."
"Wh– Why are you saying that!?"
"Relax kid, you're not going to lose your temper over something as trivial as this, are you?"
"Isn't that right, Squadron General Faulhault?"
Faulhault looks at Willbur and then turns his head back to the window.
"...What was that…"
"Aren't you excited for this celebration?" Willbur asks.
"..."
"How will a celebration that only serves to fatten the bones of mediocre nobles solve our problems?"
"Our troops are still recovering from severe injuries, and I still have to deal with events like this…"
"..." – Willbur's silence expressed how astonished he was.
"Teacher…"
The journey continued with the heavy and shallow atmosphere that had been established due to Faulhault's words. Passing through the large ornate gates that guard the entrance to the palace.
Lunis was quite amazed by the amount of decorations in the gardens, the sculptures in the smallest details.
"Have you never been inside Aleonia's palace, boy?"
"I spent most of my time serving in the barracks and training with the master…"
"–Wow general, not even to bring him here for a walk."
"It's not like I have a free pass from His Highness to bring anyone here."
"Hmm… makes sense." – Willbur nods.
The three of them got off the carriage and headed towards the open palace gates that were being guarded by the paladins, high-ranking soldiers of the imperial guard.
"Sir Faulhault–!" one of the guards saw.
"Rest." replied Faulhault.
Despite it being a festive day, the general still maintained a lot of influence over his subordinates.
"I imagine these are the disciple and the commander and advisor Willbur."
"Come in, the servants will guide you to the party hall."
So it was done. The three were guided to the ballroom. Lunis could not contain his excitement and nervousness as Willbur and Faulhault walked to the ballroom.
Nobles here and there, very well adorned and elegant. The hall was filled with guests of the monarch Voros, most of them relatives of his allies and long-time acquaintances who had some relevance in his trajectory. Generals, officers, sergeants and colleagues of Willbur were present.
"Kid, behave yourself. The nobles here are a pain to deal with anyway.", Willbur warned Lunis, who was quite nervous.
"I–I'll try hard."
As Lunis, Faulhault, and Willbur approached the throne where Voros sat, the young soldier felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement. As they knelt and bowed to the monarch, he greeted them with a solemn gesture.
"Willbur'reisen, Faulhault... and Lunis, young man. I am aware of your recent deeds on behalf of our nation. Congratulations on your performance, Lunis," Voros said, his expression one of appreciation.
"O-Thank you, Your Majesty," Lunis replied respectfully, his heart pounding at the king's words.
After the brief meeting with the monarch, they dispersed throughout the hall, where some nobles approached to greet Willbur and Faulhault, being the most notable figures and for their notable contributions to Aleonia.
Lunis, still somewhat embarrassed by the attention he was receiving, was also the target of compliments, as his role as a disciple of Faulhault was recognized.
Meanwhile, Raeligh and her family entered the room, attracting curious glances and warm greetings.
"It seems the guests of honor arrived before us," Raeligh pointed out to his wife Selene.
Lunis felt even more involved in the atmosphere of nobility, between the euphoric pressure and the oppression of attention.
Then, at the height of the celebration, the second princess, Grace, made her majestic entrance into the hall, immediately capturing everyone's attention with her beauty and elegance. As she approached the throne where Voros sat, the princess greeted her father gracefully, taking her place next to him on the chair.
"Your Majesty. I apologize for my delay."
With the princess present, King Voros officially declared the beginning of the celebration, marking the beginning of a night of festivities and intrigue at Aleonia's court.
Lunis, amidst the hustle and bustle of the celebration, found himself alone at the table, while Willbur was absent, probably in the bathroom. Feeling a little out of place, he decided to get up and head to the balcony to admire the view of the kingdom outside.
When he got there, he came across a maiden a little shorter than him, who seemed a little uncomfortable with his presence, but didn't expel him out of politeness.
"Excuse me, miss. I didn't mean to disturb you," Lunis began, trying to be polite.
The young maiden with light brown hair and elegant robes looked at him curiously, her amber eyes revealing a mixture of surprise and caution. She had a distinct aura of nobility about her despite her apparent uneasiness.
"It's not bothering me," she replied, her voice soft and melodious.
Lunis noticed the refined accent in her speech, indicating a noble origin. He wondered who she could be and what she was doing there alone on the balcony.
"Sorry for intruding. I just wanted a moment of peace away from the hustle and bustle inside," Lunis explained, looking up at the starry sky above.
The maiden watched him for a moment before answering, her clear eyes shining under the starlight.
"I see. I feel a little suffocated by all this pomp and circumstance too," she confessed, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Lunis nodded in understanding. It was comforting to find someone who shared his feelings of discomfort amidst the extravagance of the party.
"P–pardon my lack of manners. My name is Lunis, and I am the disciple of–"
"–Faulhault, the general. We all know that already." The maiden interrupts him before he can finish his introduction.
"S-So… could you tell me your name?"
The maiden hesitated for a moment, as if debating whether to reveal her identity.
"My name is-"
"My daughter-!"
Before the maiden could finish her introduction, a nobleman caught her attention.
"Dad? What happened?"
"Come in quickly, his majesty will make an announcement to everyone."
And so the maiden went to her father, without finishing introducing herself.
Everyone gathered in the hall, where the Monarch would make a speech. Voros raised a golden cup in his left hand as he spoke.
"Please sit down."
"Dear brothers, I thank you all for your presence. This festive and pleasant evening serves to remind us of our progress on the battlefield."
"I believe that everyone is aware of the events that occurred in our attempt to retake Hault from our bloodthirsty and barbaric enemies. Therefore, I ask for a round of applause, for our squadron General, Faulhault Clayserfelt–!"
So everyone gave Faulhault a round of applause.
"Ahem–! Although his strategic and functional leadership are superior to the former generals, what would a general be without his army?"
"It would be an easy target for tens of thousands of enemy soldiers"
Willbur'reisen raised his fork and spoke:
"But those rules do not apply to General Faulhault, Your Highness."
"That guy can easily decimate hundreds of thousands of soldiers with just that stupid big sword–!"
Everyone in the hall, including the monarch, laughed at Willbur'reisen's statement. Raeligh, at his table, thought to himself about his words.
"...How can this Garden Gnome speak like that in the presence of the monarch..?"
The monarch turns his attention back to himself, tapping his spoon against the body of his cup.
"Ahem–! An excellent observation, Councilor Willbur. Got a good laugh out of me."
"However, I refer to our notable heroes, the soldiers and knights who fought bravely in the trenches to oppress the Galèsia front."
"I congratulate all those who lost many nights of sleep, and dedicated themselves to regaining our most efficient military position in decades."
"In this way, it is large and ambitious steps like these that lead us to the reconquest of our territories, and we will continue to do so!"
"A toast–! to our great achievement!"
"Cheers–!" everyone cheers.