Grand Banquet [3]

Niveus moved his shoulders and let a sigh escape his mouth.

Whenever Edward Albus was around, Seele would put up her arrogant and annoying mask. In actuality, she was a kind but clumsy noblewoman.

Most people in Chrysantheus already knew of her antics. So when Seele started acting arrogant and obnoxious, they would not be too bothered.

In fact, people seemed to like it when Seele was acting like that. They said her masquerade was more adorable than annoying.

She was the fool of Chrysantheus.

If not for her twin, Kevin, other nobles would have made her a puppet a long ago.

'However, they're wrong.'

Even without Kevin, the nobles could never control her, no matter how hard they tried.

Among the players, Seele was known as the 'Trickster Lady of Thousands Face' due to her ability to fool and manipulate people to achieve her goal. She was a multi-faceted character whose true face was unknown even to Niveus, her creator.

But...

["She's currently observing you."]

Niveus had someone—something that could read Seele like a book.

On the outside, Seele was bowing several times while asking for an apology from Niveus for mistaking him for Edward Albus.

That clumsy and innocent Seele was a mask she wore and showed to people. But inside, she never stopped observing people and her surroundings while masquerading. Nothing could hide from her ears or eyes.

Seele was an ideal choice for players who played a gameplay full of schemes.

Niveus accepted her apology, and the instant he did it, Seele swiftly shifted her expression. He felt chills run down his spine when looking at her ear-to-ear grin.

"If you're not Edward, then... Niveus Albus, perhaps?" she said, her smile widening, eyes gleaming.

In reply, Niveus decided to play along, mimicking her twin brother's indifferent and nonchalant demeanor.

"Yes, that I am."

Seele leaned closer, her eyes sparkling like stars. "Really?! You're that Niveus Albus? The second strongest after Knight-Commander Starling?!"

Noticing her hands were getting nearer his, Niveus pulled away from her and raised his hand to stop her.

Unless one was clueless about Seele's true nature, it was a no-brainer to let her approach and examine one closer. Even without Nono's warning, Niveus could feel that it would be a problem if he let Seele grab his hand and inspect him.

Seemingly not expecting Niveus to avoid her, Seele was left dumbfounded. Her face was blank, and her eyes rapidly blinked as if saying, 'Eh? Why would he do that?'

For a brief second, confusion clouded her features, but just as quickly, she snapped back into her clumsy facade, pressing her index fingers together

"Ah...haha... sorry... Did I surprise you?"

At this point, Kevin was already pointing a dagger with his stare at Niveus, but Niveus ignored it anyway. He could not afford to divert his attention elsewhere when dealing with the most cunning character.

Slowly moving his head left and right, Niveus spoke in a low, almost whisper voice.

"No, sorry. I just don't allow anyone to touch me."

Chills went through her spine when Seele felt the cold and unexplainable aura exuding from Niveus. It was dark and ominous. She'd thought she had seen it somewhere. But Seele could not remember where.

She blinked and froze when her gaze shifted and tried to meet the seemingly glowing indigo orbs behind the plain white mask.

'Huh, indigo?'

Seele recalled something after pondering briefly. She was sure they were not indigo but golden-colored when she first saw them. How did they change color?

Making sure she was not hallucinating, Seele focused her eyes at Niveus's again. This time, however, she was meeting golden eyes through the mask socket instead of purple.

'Am I hallucinating, or...'

But she did not think too much about that. Instead, she quickly put on her usual face before speaking, "O-oh... I see..."

Seele clasped her hands together, head slightly hanging as she tried presenting herself as a vulnerable, clumsy lady.

"I'm sorry. I really, really did not know that. And yet, I..."

Slowly flailing his hand in the air, Niveus said, "Never mind that. More importantly, we'd better hurry unless you want to keep other important guests waiting."

Niveus turned around and walked away, not taking another glance at the Goetha twins, whose gazes were glued to him as his figure turned smaller and smaller.

Still looking in the direction where Niveus had gone, Seele let a chuckle escape her mouth and talked to her twin.

"He is human, right?"

Following his twin's line of sight, Kevin squinted his eyes and gritted his teeth.

"Niveus Albus, an 8th-class [Sword Master] Ascendant, was what I glimpsed using my Forte," Kevin retold his evaluation of Niveus, which he had told his twin in a whisper earlier.

Kevin was an 8th-class Ascendant with an Epic-rank Forte [Apotheosis]. Although he was lacking in firepower, his brain, mind, and intellect-related aspects were enhanced. He was like a supercomputer. Though compared to Nono, he was still far below her.

His first boon, [Quintessence Analysis], allowed him to collect information about the subject or object he had analyzed with his boon. Hence, he knew about Niveus, his Ascendant class, Forte, Boons, etc., at the surface level.

However...

"After seeing that..." Kevin glanced at his twin, and Seele glanced back.

"...yeah. That was not something an 8th Class could muster..."

...Of course, what Kevin had gathered from Niveus was false information that Nono had masked.

Unlike Kevin, who was shaking after analyzing Niveus, Seele looked exhilarated.

Seele had a tendency that when she found something intriguing, would do everything to obtain or uncover it. It was the third time she felt piqued by something that made her chest thump nonstop.

"Hey, Kevin."

"Yes?"

Seele's eyes were already wide, while her irises shrunk, and her pupils resembled a cat, turning slit-like like a predator eyeing their prey.

"Why is it always the Albus that makes my chest feel ticklish? Am I cursed by them or what?"

Kevin shut his lips tight. His hand was over his chest, trying to grasp his heart that suddenly felt a sting as if it was stabbed by a dagger.

"Yeah..." he muttered lowly. "You're cursed, sis."

...

Niveus finally arrived at the hall where several people had already gathered around the huge door.

Following behind were the Goetha twins. Seele was already wearing her facade mask as she clumsily and energetically bowed and apologized to the other guests. Meanwhile, Kevin was less enthusiastic. He had his stare down the floor.

"You're finally here, Goetha and Albus."

The other guests who were waiting for them were nobles from neighboring countries. They scrutinized Niveus and the twins, urging them and the other neighbor Dukes, who had been waiting, to enter the grandeur hall behind the door.

Among the guests who had been waiting, Niveus spotted a particular figure who exuded the most stand-out aura.

The figure had black, slightly brown hair. Two centimeters from the root of his hair was silver-colored like a gradient.

Two gleaming silver orbs were subtly examining Niveus. When they met with the mysterious golden glints behind the plain white mask, they quickly shifted toward the door.

'Nono?'

Even without saying his request, Nono understood what her host wanted. Instantly, a floating transparent screen appeared in his vision, revealing the identity of the figure.

'Luke Clerio Rand, sixth class?'