<Multiple proficiency requirements fulfilled. [Long-Range Spell Enhancement Lv. 5] [Delayed Cast Lv. 2] [Spear Mastery Lv. 5] [Piercing Enhancement Lv. 7] [Probability Correction Lv. 7] [Air Walk Lv. 5] [Mid-Air Maneuvering Lv. 5] [Lightning Resistance Lv. 6] [Holy Resistance Lv. 10] [Wind Resistance Lv. 9] [Water Resistance Lv. 3] [Dark Resistance Lv. 2] gained>

<Skill requirement fulfilled. [Holy Resistance Lv. 10] evolved into [Sacred Resistance Lv. 1]>

<Ability gained: [Gale Steps]>

Looking at what I was wearing with Tasianna’s ice mirror, I had to suppress my urge to gawk at the beautiful dress I had on. “Wow, I really look pretty mature in this ball dress.”

Although I was initially reluctant to accept King Drangleic’s invitation to his ball, at the end of the day, I thought it might be “fun” to experience something new. As such, I had to fit in with the aristocrats. Also, with how Papa and Mama always went to their concerts in the best suit and dress they had, respectively, I should do the same as their daughter.

The gown I was wearing was colored red and black, fitting perfectly with my hair and horns. The length of the dress’s flared skirt, which flowed down to the ground, was enough to completely hide my tail. Since I wouldn’t attend with my wings, this left all the attention to my human features.

The dress had an off-the-shoulder neckline, leaving my shoulders and collarbones exposed but hiding my solar core completely. I was showing off my scaled forearms with the dress, using them similarly to sleeves. Black mana threads were used for the top of the gown, slowly transitioning over to a rose red skirt. With my hair groomed and combed back, exposing some of my forehead, I felt that it made me look more like an adult than I had expected.

The most prominent design of the dress had to be the metal sequins Grimnir made for me. Saori stitched these black voldunna sequins onto my dress, forming them into flower petals that sparkled under light almost as if they were bits of flickering flame. Elegant and beautiful. Of course, since they were made from metal while my dress was sewn using mana threads, if I were to transform while wearing this dress, the sequins would break apart.

Twirling on the spot like a ballerina to see my dress’s skirt whirl around, I couldn’t help but smile. “How do I look, Svena? Awesome, right?”

My temporary maid clapped in response, looking at me with glittering eyes. “It is immaculate, Lady Hestia. You are enthralling and I am sure any nobleman would be enamored by your appearance.”

“I agree without a single doubt, Lady Hestia.” Turning around, I saw Tasianna imitating Svena’s clapping, now wearing a colorful blue and green dress with a laced butterfly-motive skirt instead of her usual maid outfit. “I am really glad you like it, Lady Hestia. Miss Saori was quite worried you would dislike it for not being ‘you.’”

“I mean, that is true. I’m used to cute and casual clothing. Just asking, but couldn’t I have worn the dress I used for that tea party two months ago?” As I asked my innocent question, somebody’s voice suddenly ringed in my ear.

“You dress for the occasion, Hestia, come on! I thought I managed to make you appreciate fashion more; made you understand the value of clothing for social events.” It was Saori, looking at me with a hint of disappointment. “You have been invited to a formal ball by the King of Artorias which numerous nobles from all over his kingdom will attend. The dress I made for you was for a tea party, not a ball. If you wore that dress again, I bet you would feel awkward and underdressed, especially considering your personality.”

I grumbled with a sigh. “Yeah, that’s true. Plus, it’s not like I hate this gown. In fact, I love it! Svena and Tasianna made my hair, and I’m wearing a pretty dress. Even if I’m not intending to socialize a lot, I still think I’ll make an amazing first impression!”

Saori, just like Tasianna and I, was coming along to the ball in formal wear. Using [Humanize Lv. 8]’s form so that she only had fur around her tail, ears, and forearms, Saori designed her dress to be strapless with a flared skirt that went to her ankles like mine. Using a lighter tone of black, the dress contrasted well with her pink skin and the arm sleeves she used to slightly cover the white fur. Finishing the outfit off by tying her long hair into a ponytail, Saori exuded the beauty of a mature woman.

“While I do understand Lady Hestia and Miss Saori appearing in dresses, why must I wear one too? I am a simple maid,” Tasianna wondered, looking a bit conflicted about being in such a stunning dress.

At first, King Drangleic had only invited me to the ball, since Ellaine was obviously already invited as she was an aristocrat of Artorias. However, going to the ball with only the Helvas family was kinda lonely, so I sent the King a message requesting permission to bring Saori, Tasianna, and Grimnir with me. They were my retainers, after all.

“Why, obviously, you may, Princess Hestia. A lady should not appear without her attendants,” was the message I got back. It helped being a VIP; the reply came back before the next bell. Ellaine, later on, did mention I could have just asked her or anybody among her family for the same answer. I guess my noble common sense wasn’t there just yet.

Now, the rest of Aurora, barring Ellaine, weren’t required to attend the ball like I was, but we each had a reason to be there. Saori wanted to attend the discussion between Count Helvas and Duke Greenveil about the spread of yeast and Maverina informed Tasianna her alchemist teacher would be attending the ball. Only Grimnir had no reason to accompany us, sadly, so he declined my invitation.

After assuring Tasianna she was coming with me as a friend rather than a maid, since there should be enough people serving at the ball, the four of us left my room and went over to Ellaine’s. After Svena rang the bell and somebody let us in, we were greeted by the sight of Ellaine cradling her new sword, protecting it from her mother.

“Ellaine, leave your sword at home! I will not allow you to attend the ball with it!” Marianne, dressed in a brilliant yellow and green noble gown made of mana threads, ordered her daughter with a stern voice. Her usual dresses were all quite beautiful, but the one she was wearing now really gave her that medieval noblewoman appearance, coupled with the authoritative tone she was speaking in.

Ellaine, also wearing a blue and white mana thread dress Saori designed for her, was clutching onto her whip sword as if it was her one-and-only treasure, looking reluctant to hand it over to her mother. “Mother, please, you said this sword is heirloom-quality, right? Father even expressed his desire for it! Considering I missed my social debut at the Origdiviel Arashan ball, wouldn’t appearing with this sword create awe? I mean, it isn’t uncommon for noble ladies to bring decorative swords?”

“They are military women, Ellaine. Commanders, captains,” Marianne rebuked. “You’re not even a squire yet, let alone knighted, so I expect you to act like a lady for now. If you wish to bring something for self-defense, your spell rings will have to suffice.”

Ah, right, I haven’t exactly knighted her in a ritualistic setting.

Josine, Ellaine’s maid, looked anxiously between the two, finally noticed us entering the room and tipped Marianne off to our presence. She smiled, but I could see the tension on her face.

“Oh, everyone, my apologies. Lady Hestia, Madam Saori, Madam Tasianna, you all look enchanting. Now, if you may, please, tell your party member here to leave her sword behind.”

Don’t say no to a mother’s wrath.

After her mother’s side, Ellaine gave me her sword to keep in my storage as a compromise. We then left Ellaine’s room with all us ladies dressed up and ready, heading to the living room to wait for Jonathan and the Count. After sipping some tea and tasting some of house Helvas’s bread—now made with yeast—the men finally appeared.

“Marianne! Marianne, how do I look?” Count Helvas rushed into the room wearing a colored suit with numerous emblems and military awards decorating his chest, giving him a very distinctive military commander look with the sword around his waist. Draped across his chest was a purple sash made of the purple mana cloth I’d given him during our first meeting.

Meticulously adjusting his clothes, the Count was anxiously waiting for his wife to answer. Marianne, contrary to her husband’s emotional state, chuckled at him and showed him a teasing smile. “Oh, you look fantastic, dear. Lord Duke Greenveil will be very impressed, especially with that sash.”

“Marianne, I mustn’t look ‘fantastic,’ but respectable. We are meeting and discussing with our lord about a lucrative economic prospect. This will change our house! Father, mother, and brother will be singing the Goddess’s praises once I’m done with this deal, but I cannot do it if I appear shabby!” He then turned around to Saori after his wife adjusted his sash for him, looking at my wolfkin friend with excitement. “Madam Saori! You look marvelous in that dress. May I assume you have all the treats and taste samples ready in your [Storage Magic]?”

“Yes, I do. Please, you must calm down, Lord Helvas.” Saori chuckled softly, before pointing the Count’s attention behind himself. “However, while the discussion with Lord Greenveil will be interesting, I believe it is prudent to worry more about your second half, Lord Helvas.”

Letting out an “Eh?” the Count turned around, only to flinch when he saw his wife looked at him with a terrifying smile.

“Andre, now, while I understand treating Madam Saori, our guest, with courtesy is not a sin, I believe you have forgotten something, no? I mean, your wife and daughter are both dressed beautifully… right?”

Showing a twitching smile, Count Andre desperately began to apologize to his wife and began praising everybody’s dresses.

Considering how stern he acts whenever he trained Ellaine—even when he helped me learn [Gale Steps]—he sure can bend quickly when his wife is ordering him around. Papa is like that as well. Are all husbands like this?

“Lady Hestia. Lady Tasianna. It is a privilege to see you two in such dresses.” As enchanting as ever, Ellaine’s brother, Jonathan, came over while his mother scolded his father, bowing and flattering us. Unlike his father, Jonathan was only a squire and had no reason to wear a military man’s suit, so he wasn’t bringing a sword with him nor was his outfit filled with medals.

After Tasianna and I thanked him for his words, he turned around and simply mentioned Ellaine looked good and that their house was about to reach new heights on this day before turning silent. Ellaine too only gave a simple response.

What is going on between those two? Where is the siscon brother? Where is the brocon sister? I need my wholesome family interactions!

I wanted to ask them, I really did, but I kept the question to myself. Neither Ellaine nor Jonathan really seemed to want to talk about it.

Everybody attending the ball left the mansion, where we saw Grimnir taking a break outside his RV, covered in sweat. I still asked the stubborn dwarf if he really wanted to stay behind, yet he replied with, “I don’t like repeating myself, lass. This whole ball thing ain’t for me. I’m a craftsman, I’d rather dedicate my time on making myself new armor, draw the blueprints for a new weapon, and figure out how to turn your [Room] into a rune.”

Early tests of the space-time spell [Room] went great, as the size of the resulting room was only limited by how much mana I was willing to spend. We were able to transport objects in and out, similar to [Storage Magic], making it possible for us to live inside it. Unlike my storage, however, living things could go into this room and the time wouldn’t freeze, so we could expand the interior of the RV without needing to expand its exterior.

Having heard Grimnir’s rejection once again, I wished him luck and everybody, aside from Count Helvas, boarded a flying carriage. Making our way to the royal palace, I noticed crowds of people celebrating on the streets in the afternoon. Considering everybody in Griffonpeak would be celebrating the kingdom’s founding for an entire week, it was only to be expected.

Speaking of events, Ellaine had invited everybody to come to the royal academy tomorrow, since the students were preparing shows to show off to their parents. Ellaine herself would be participating in an event planned by the mage’s course of the academy. Apparently, her appearance with me during the Chezaic twins’ tea party really catapulted Ellaine’s reputation by a great deal among the Greenveil students.

Which reminded me of something Ellaine mentioned about her brother. “Oh, Jonathan, I heard you will be doing something during the academy festivities, correct? Well, aside from the ball, of course.”

“That is true, yes,” Jonathan said with a brilliant smile. “As you know, I’m a squire for my father, training under him at home while attending practice at the Order of the Lionheart’s training field, where I spar with future lords and ladies, including their knights. As such, we will be holding a miniature tournament amongst us squires, demonstrating Artorias’s future prospects.’”

“The tournament is mostly held for the senior year students, as this will be their chance to show off the fruits of their training from their time at the academy,” Marianne continued the explanation. “It also serves as an appetizer for the colosseum fights in three days, where nobles and commoners, knights or mages, may participate to find glory. As it is bloodless and the rewards include both honor and Davi, adventurers and nobles from around Artorias attend to spread their reputation.”

A tournament, huh? Too many shows have tournament arcs on Earth, but maybe I’ll understand why people like tournaments so much by experiencing it myself.

As we flew up the mountain, numerous other flying carriages, griffons, and hippogryphs were flying up with us. Knights riding their mounts were coordinating the traffic, making sure none of the griffons and hippogryphs suddenly broke into aerial fights. Just the thought of a griffon dropping a carriage was pretty scary to me; thankfully, everything went by smoothly.

Once at the citadel, the aristocrats riding on their griffons and hippogryphs, like Count Helvas, began flying away from the carriages. Marianne explained that the griffons and hippogryphs were having their own “ball '' inside the dungeon of Griffonpeak, where they will be meeting the Griffon king—the beastial ancestor of the Artorian royalty.

The citadel was split up into three layers—the lowest was like a small town where the families of servants and attendants lived, the middle was where the garrison and the Order of the Lionheart’s headquarters were stationed, and the top belonged to the king’s palace alone. We landed in a wide, open area next to the palace’s massive garden.

Looking out the window, countless griffon carriages were landing and flying off once their passengers disembarked. Their shriek cries were like trumpets, heralding all these people. The sight of men in fine suits and women wearing gorgeous dresses was all I could see. The vast majority were humans, but there were a few arvisians mixed into the crowd as well.

Marianne explained these were mostly Lecartiglio aristocrats, as despite the duchy’s general dislike for beastmen, they still considered arvisians a “pure” race like humans. Mostly due to their relationship with the Artorian royalty, Lecartiglio nobles would scorn you for having a wolfkin or katzune concubine but would be accepting if it was an arvisian.

That duchy is so weird.

Due to this being a noble event, when we wanted to leave the carriage, we had to exit it by rank and gender according to Marianne. Jonathan left first to “help” us ladies out, guiding Saori, Tasianna, Ellaine, and his mother down the steps. Once it was my turn, I pinched the skirt of my dress and held it up, making sure I wouldn’t trip on it.

As I came out of the carriage, I let my tail appear from under my skirt and cast [Shine] on it, creating a bright background, attracting people’s attention. Creating some sparks with my scale-dust, I simulated the camera lights of paparazzi, making my entrance similar to a pop star. It was a bit excessive, something Jonathan seemed to agree on considering his facial expression, but I wasn’t attending this ball just as a noble.

“Father, it’s her! She changed her hairstyle but those horns are too conspicuous.”

“Is she not the same young lady we saw in Cedaraille, my love? The rumors say she’s a greifnoble ranked noble from Loatryx.”

“Hold on, isn’t she that girl who kidnapped Professor Richard? Why is she here attending the ball? Who is she anyway?”

Noise and gossip. It was exactly what I wanted, even if the stares were a bit uncomfortable right now. Still, against all the eyes, our group continued into the garden and finally made it to the palace. The reception welcomed us wholeheartedly with wine glasses, handing them to all attendees. When I jokingly wondered if they would even give it to children, Ellaine interrupted my thoughts.

“Only adults are allowed to attend a royal ball. So, only those who are at least 15 years old.”

As you would expect from being in the presence of the royal family, every attendee had to have mastered being a noble before they would be invited. When I asked Ellaine what if a 14-year-old already knew how to act properly, Ellaine simply shook her head.

“A 14-year-old is still a ‘child,’ nobody expects children to behave properly in front of others. However, the moment you become an adult at 15, your social debut is supposed to showcase your ability to interact and fit in. Adults are expected to have mastered proper etiquette. Even the royal family isn’t above this rule, and if any of their children were under 15, they would not be invited.”

This was a social event, after all, where nobles would compete against each other in favor of their own interests, whether it was through politicking or by courting. In this environment, people would just want to have fun and further their agenda without noisy brats running around causing problems. It made sense now that I thought about it. I had nothing against kids, but there was a difference when you expect everybody to be well-behaved compared to the chance somebody could just scream like a banshee just because somebody took away their toy.

As we watched groups of nobles go even deeper into the palace, Count Helvas finally reunited with us. After we showed a butler our IDs to confirm our identities, he had another servant lead us through a hallway. At the end of it, a tall door was kept open, inviting us inside.

Once inside, my eyes widened once again at the opulence of the noble’s culture of maximalism. The small glimpse I received when I ate in one of the palace’s dining rooms was already pretty impressive, but the royal family was flaunting their wealth and status with this ball.

The room was large and spacious, wide enough to allow hundreds of nobles to move around. Made with fairnite, the floor and walls resemble marble, shining brightly under the light of the chandeliers, accentuating the decorations hanging on the walls.

Speaking of the size of the ballroom, there was actually another room right next to it, where long tables with white table cloths were placed with large banquets filled with food, dessert, and lots and lots of alcohol ranging from ale, spirits, to wine. In both rooms, musicians were playing, livening the festivities up.

According to Saori, a ball without food and drinks was a pretty dull affair, something the nobles in our group agreed with. We expected to be guided to our designated tables in the banquet room, where we would eat, drink, and socialize merrily while the ballroom was dedicated for the dances later on. Even the most stoic nobles would be more talkative after a glass of wine and a filled belly.

“Come, let us first go to our table. I wish to know who we are to be seated with,” Count Helvas suggested, leading our group to the dining room.

Due to the vast number of nobles attending this ball, it wasn’t possible to provide every single house a table for themselves. As such, they would share it with people of the same rank within their duchy, aside from houses feuding with each other. It was also a good way to make connections or strengthen bonds.

Only landed nobles and knights were invited to this event, meaning if you didn’t have a title or were knighted, you were left out. For example, Count Helvas’s older brother couldn’t attend unless the Count wished for it. Even then, he would come as an attendant, not a proper aristocrat, which was how people would treat Saori and Tasianna

Finally, due to the caste system, you would only sit with those inside your rank. Schwertnobles, the lowest tier, sat with other barons and baronets, for example. As House Helvas had the rank of Count, they would normally be seated with viscounts, other counts, and arcanuesses.

However, something surprising happened.

“Excuse me, but we are to be seated with the Greenveil greifnobles?” Count Helvas raised his voice a bit when a butler informed us of our seats.

“Yes, my lord. Lord Duke Greenveil had ordered House Helvas to be seated with him and the other marquesses and honorary guests. Would I have your permission to guide you there?” After Count Helvas agreed to the butler’s suggestion, he led us to a table where we met up with Marquess Sirius and his brother, High Bishop Theodore.

“L-Lord Marquess Sirius! It is an honor!” Count Helvas bowed, followed by Jonathan and curtseys from Marianne and Ellaine.

“Ah, it is good to meet you once again, Lord Helvas. Lady Marianne, you look charming, as always. Lord Jonathan and Lady Ellaine, it has been a while, but you’ve both grown into fine adults. May I introduce my wife, children, and brother?” The two noble houses began to give their introductions, greeting each other as if it was totally normal. The anxiousness the members of House Helvas showed at the beginning quickly faded, but I still noticed small signs they weren’t completely comfortable.

After the greetings were over, he prompted everybody to sit down. “Please, let us sit down and enjoy some of the feast. Marquess Westfalls and Lord Duke Greenveil should arrive soon enough, and we won’t have time to enjoy ourselves when the talks begin, right?” After showing a hearty laugh, he then turned around to Saori, Tasianna, and me. “My most earnest apologies, Lady Hestia. I hope you may forgive me for not introducing myself to you first. I hope the ball has been to your liking so far.”

I’ve barely just arrived, dude! However, I kept that comment to myself. Instead, I introduced myself and my friends to Marquess Sirius, mentioning it was nice to meet him once again after all that happened in Firwood. I was also introduced to his family and made small talk with them all before deciding I wanted to check out the banquet.

As much as I wanted to hold it in, I was hungry. Not ’cause I actually was hungry, but my gluttonous desire to eat while not under the sun had awakened when I saw all the food on the banquet table. With Saori and Tasianna, I left the nobles to their talks. Ellaine couldn’t come with us as it seemed her mother wouldn’t allow her to miss out on socializing.

“Ooh, this is a bit overwhelming,” I admitted to my companions, to which they nodded.

“I thought wearing this dress would make me feel as if I fitted in, but this is even worse than when I was teaching at Shirako High. I feel so out of place,” Saori stated, frowning a bit. She might have a strong side to her, but even Saori had insecurities.

“I believe you two will become accustomed to the nature of a feast quite promptly,” Tasianna encouraged us. “Maybe filling our stomachs would allow us to settle in better. I may not be a maid today, but please allow me to serve you two.”

Butlers and maids were wandering around the dining hall with plates of food and wine, presenting them to hungry nobles sitting at their tables. The banquet tables were also manned by servants, serving the food the nobles chose on plates before bringing them to their tables. Tasianna declined their help and instead brought out her catalyst to create two floating ice plates.

As we went through the banquet, placing more food onto our plates as Saori and I were gluttons, to be honest, we began attracting more attention. I mean, since I appeared as a dragonewt, Saori a wolfkin, and Tasianna as a wind elf, we already stood out quite a lot. We were just attracting even more eyes than before.

Despite doing our best to ignore everything, eventually somebody did approach us. And it was somebody we already knew.

“Lady Hestia, Madam Saori, Madam Tasianna! Isn’t it a fine day to meet you here, and I can see you three have large appetites.” We stopped placing food on our plates and turned around, only to meet Maverina, the guild master of the local mage’s guild.

“Lady Maverina? What are you doing here?” I wondered.

Maverina waved her hand, looking as if the answer was obvious. “I’m a representative of the Empire. Of course I would come to a ball dedicated to my fellow guests. It wouldn’t do me good if I simply ignored them, no?” She then pointed at our dresses, winking. “Hmm, your three have amazing tastes. I presume all of them are made from mana threads? Pray, would you inform me of the tailor who made these beautiful dresses?”

“That would be me, Lady Maverina. I am happy to hear you like my work. Are you interested in one yourself?” Saori moved forward, showing a devilish smile, causing Maverina to flinch.

“O-Oh, you are, well, I think I very much like my own seamstress? Uhm, well, I have been able to find out that you three are responsible for the … recent luxuries, correct? Well, the fines are a product of rules the Magical Capitel set up, ladies, so I will not apologize for it. Still, the fulinoe leaves are well worth the raised price, so I thank you.” Maverina smiled, friendly. “Now, Tasianna, if you have the time. I would like to introduce you to the alchemist I had in mind. Lady Hestia. Miss Saori. I would love it if you would come, too.”

With nothing else to do, we walked with Maverina through the dining room, ending at a small table for four people, where a white-haired, dark-grey skinned man was sitting by his lonesome, eating his meal quietly. The moment he noticed us, he gave us a wink and stood up.

“Lady Hestia. Madama Saori. Madam Tasianna. May I introduce you to one of the Folschreck Empire’s imperial alchemists, Sir Krymdar. Sir Krymdar, these are the lovely ladies I told you about,” Maverina introduced us.

The well-dressed man bowed, revealing two long, pointy ears underneath his messy hair. “It is a pleasure to meet all of you during this auspicious occasion. May shadows keep you safe on this calm DarkDay, and may God Marsven chase the shadow’s taint away for us. My name is Krymdar Anyxi Blackshroud and, as I think you might have already presumed, a dark elf.”

Pausing for a moment, he then suddenly walked up to me, bowed deeply before kneeling. Instead of words, a telepathic voice entered Saori’s, Tasianna’s, and my minds. [“It is a great honor to meet the illustrious lost princess of Kargryx, Lady Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor.”]

… You try keeping a secret and people just begin figuring it out as if it’s nothing!

AbyssRaven

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