The lavishly decorated banquet hall, with every brick and tile exuding an air of elegance, featured a long table covered with a red cloth embroidered with gold patterns.
It was laden with an array of exquisite delicacies and fine wines.
Guests in formal attire mingled, holding wine glasses as they moved around, occasionally stopping to greet and chat with others.
For the nobility, networking was of utmost importance.
Noble family heads would instill in their heirs from a young age the principle of making friends with other nobles and hosting banquets.
To unite allies and concentrate power, friends were needed.
Family alliances also required friends.
Seeking benefits alone was not feasible; friends who shared common enemies were necessary.
Even to wage war, the support of allies was essential.
This is why, in the eyes of commoners, nobles seemed to love hosting banquets.
When a prestigious noble hosted a banquet, nobles from all over the country would attend, ensuring their heirs had the opportunity to make friends and build networks.
Even the royal family wouldn’t miss such events.
For nobles, hosting a banquet was not just about celebration.
It was more about making friends with other nobles, scouting for marriage prospects, and allowing their heirs to recognize the faces of subordinate nobles.
After all, great nobles usually had a group of lesser nobles following them.
Not remembering what their subordinates looked like was unacceptable.
Thus, at a noble’s banquet, it was customary to walk around with a wine glass, greeting and toasting others.
This was one of the key areas of focus for training in prestigious families.
While they didn’t expect an endless capacity for alcohol, at least one’s conduct and demeanor should be proper, creating a good impression on others.
Of course, besides socializing, one could also find a suitable marriage partner at a banquet.
If both families found each other agreeable and well-matched, the marriage would be settled, and they would become allies, sharing weal and woe.
If a member of the royal family was present at a noble’s banquet, they would often be the center of attention.
For example, at the head of the long table, a certain princess was being toasted and engaged in lively conversation with many noble youths.
Mo Li stood silently for a moment, then took a step back, feeling a storm brewing in his heart.
Damn, why is it her!? This is bad! How did I end up running into this sadistic, manipulative, lesbian princess again? With less than a five percent chance, what kind of luck is this to encounter her?
Everyone has their nemesis, and for Mo Li, it was undoubtedly the girl named Emilia Arelinde.
She was the one who had driven Mo Li to despair in his previous life and left a deep psychological shadow in this one.
Her breathtaking beauty, which could make one forget to breathe, was nothing short of a nightmare for Mo Li.
He would often wake up from dreams of Emilia’s stunning face, drenched in sweat.
All dreams about her were nightmares.
Some were about returning to his past life and being killed by Emilia again.
Others were about accidentally revealing his dragon form in front of her, being collared and kept as a slave, or having his limbs cut off and being tortured.
The dreams were bizarre, but they gradually deepened his fear of Emilia.
Why… at such a critical moment, did I end up in the same group as this woman, who is more twisted than a creature from the abyss, uglier than a cultist, darker than a vampire, and more malevolent than a demon? This is truly terrifying, like a horror story unfolding!
No, I can’t approach this mentor for now.
If that woman recognizes me, I’m done for.
I need to get out of here quickly!
With this thought, Mo Li’s other foot stepped out of the room.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, someone grabbed his hand.
“Hey! Another future classmate has arrived.
Come on in, the banquet has just begun!”
“Huh?!”
“Don’t be shy.
We’re all meeting for the first time, all future classmates.
Don’t be a stranger.
Introduce yourself to everyone.”
“I… this?”
And so, Mo Li, bewildered, was dragged into the banquet by this enthusiastic guy.
What the hell, what the hell, what the hell?! What’s going on here?
“Hey, let go first.
I need to use the restroom!”
“The restroom is inside.”
“I’m a bit hungry and want to get something to eat…”
“What are you talking about? Aren’t there plenty of good food and drinks at the banquet?”
“I, I have something to do.
Let go of me first…”
“Come on, what could be so important? I think you’re just shy!”
Shy my ass, I just don’t want to die!
Keeping an eye on Emilia’s direction, Mo Li breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the banquet was lively, and the noble youths were busy flattering the princess, surrounding her in layers, leaving no room to notice him.
“Alright, alright, let go.
I can walk by myself.” Mo Li shook off the enthusiastic guy’s arm.
“Nice to meet you, classmate.
I’m Pan Lin Kendi, son of Viscount Kendi from the Kendi Viscounty.
May I know who you are?”
“Me? I’m Mo Li, from the Minster Viscounty, over by the Norma County…”
“Mo Li? Oh, I see! You’re the rumored illegitimate son who caused a stir in the Minster Viscounty recently!” Pan Lin, perhaps being the straightforward type who liked to speak his mind, directly mentioned the term “illegitimate son.”
“…Has this news spread throughout the entire Holy Empire?” Mo Li’s expression turned peculiar.
“Well, I’m not sure if it’s spread throughout the Holy Empire, but in places like Kendi and Trika, which are close to the Minster Viscounty, any little movement is quickly heard about,”
“…I’m not a Norma, nor am I a noble.”
“Hey, that’s not right, Norma.
Your father, Count Norma, was wrong to abandon you and your mother, but he must have had his reasons.
Look, he’s now so eager to atone for his past mistakes, helping you to this extent.
Don’t you recognize him as your father?”
Damn, what kind of stories have you all been imagining in private? Mo Li was at a loss for words at the imagination of these nobles.
A few days ago, he was just an illegitimate son, and now they’ve even filled in the backstory.
He couldn’t help but admire their creativity.
Mo Li didn’t want to struggle anymore.
Even if he repeatedly emphasized that he wasn’t an illegitimate son or a noble, Pan Lin took it as Mo Li’s misunderstanding and resentment towards his biological father.
He didn’t want to explain anything further.
“Come, everyone, let me introduce you.
This is Mo Li from the Norma County.” With that, Pan Lin introduced Mo Li to his small group.
“Nice to meet you, Lord Norma.
I’m the son of Viscount Camus…”
“Lord Norma, you’re truly a young hero.
As they say, seeing is believing.
Meeting you today is truly inspiring…”
Surrounded by a group of young nobles, Mo Li could only brace himself and respond.
It seemed that his identity as the eldest son of the Norma County was now firmly established.
“Come, come, even if we’re not in the same class, we’re all classmates of the same year.
Don’t be a stranger, sit down and have a few drinks, haha.” After everyone finished their long-winded noble introductions, Pan Lin pulled everyone to sit down and raised his glass first.
“To the bright future of all of us, cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Mixed in with a group of nobles, Mo Li couldn’t have felt more awkward.
He hadn’t received any noble education, and while the act of raising a glass and drinking seemed simple, it was quite sophisticated.
However, he was just a rough guy, so he could only imitate them, afraid of making a mistake and being noticed.
Mo Li wasn’t quite used to the taste of red wine, as it was his first time drinking such an expensive vintage.
Pan Lin, sitting next to him, noticed Mo Li’s awkwardness.
In his view, it was normal for an illegitimate son not to have learned these noble manners.
“By the way, Lord Norma, have you met the son of Marquis Campbell?”
“Marquis Campbell?” Mo Li was puzzled, not understanding why the other party suddenly mentioned this noble.
“No.”
“Haha, you should definitely meet him.
The marquis’s son would surely appreciate someone like you who dares to challenge authority.” Pan Lin laughed, and the other nobles present agreed.
“Alright, I understand.” In a few seconds, Mo Li figured out what was going on.
Nobles swore allegiance to the king, and under great nobles, there were many lesser nobles, forming one faction after another within the kingdom.
These young nobles with viscount and baron titles, led by Pan Lin, were likely the subordinates of Marquis Campbell.
By saying this to Mo Li, they were probably trying to recruit him, hoping to bring the Norma County under the same banner as the Campbell Marquisate.
“After all, the young marquis is one of the few who doesn’t care about one’s birth, only about ability.” Pan Lin added.
“Alright, I’ll definitely make an effort to meet him.”
“Haha, Lord Norma is indeed a straightforward person!”
Nobility was all about circles.
Joining one side meant you couldn’t join the other.
Trying to please both sides was something nobody liked.
So Mo Li sat with these people in a corner of the banquet, feeling a bit tipsy after a few drinks.
“Lord Norma, to be honest, your story is the first of its kind I’ve heard! When I heard it, I was truly shocked.
Despite not having many resources, you managed to beat the son of Viscount Minster, who schemed on the field, to a pulp.
Wow! You really have the flavor of a hero from an epic!” After drinking, Pan Lin became more talkative.
“Not bad…”
“By the way, Lord Norma, which group are you in? I’m in the ninth group, and our mentor is an old man with a perpetually stern face.
It’s so boring.
What about you?”
“Eighteenth group.”
“Oh, what a pity!”
“Pity about what?” Mo Li was puzzled.
“Ah, you don’t know.
All the selected candidates from the Holy Empire are here, and there are only eighteen groups in total.
You’re in the last group, but that’s not the point…”
“The point is…” Pan Lin gradually shifted his gaze to the center of the banquet.
“Our beloved Princess Emilia, she’s in the eighteenth group.”
“Whoosh!” Mo Li almost spat out his drink.
“Hey, hey, don’t get excited.
I misspoke! I meant to say Princess Emilia, she’s in the seventeenth group.” Pan Lin sighed and patted Mo Li’s shoulder, looking empathetic.
“I understand, I understand.
Knowing that the princess isn’t in the same group as you, and only one group apart, it really doesn’t feel good…”
Mo Li remained silent.
Damn, I dodged a bullet!
“Ah, what a pity, truly a pity.
To be at the same banquet as the princess, yet only able to watch from afar, so close to being in the same group as your dream girl… you feel the same way, don’t you?” Pan Lin sighed deeply.
“Hey, hey, don’t say that, brother.
I know you, we all understand you, because everyone here… isn’t in the same group as the princess.” As Pan Lin finished speaking, Mo Li felt the atmosphere here grow heavier.
Most of the young nobles present covered their faces, either drinking in silence or looking longingly in the direction of the princess, their eyes filled with yearning.
What the hell, what is this nonsense?? Mo Li began to question the mindset of these people.
Shouldn’t you be relieved that you weren’t grouped together, jumping for joy and popping champagne? Why do you all look so gloomy? I don’t get it, are you all masochists? Do you enjoy being abused? Any normal person wouldn’t think that kind of woman is an angel, right!?
“Sigh, those guys who got grouped with Princess Emilia, how lucky they are!” Pan Lin watched the nobles fawning over Emilia, pounding his chest in frustration.
“Brother Pan Lin, do you… like the princess?”
“Isn’t it obvious? From the offspring of the great nobles to the common folk in the entire Holy Kingdom, who doesn’t like the flawless yet kind and passionate Princess Emilia?” Pan Lin replied irritably.
Kind and passionate, flawless?? Are we even talking about the same person??
“Brother, to be honest, you’re on the wrong path.” Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but Mo Li started to speak more freely, saying things he wouldn’t dare say in front of Emilia.
“The wrong path? What do you mean?”
“To be honest with you, that woman… Princess Emilia isn’t as perfect as you think.
How should I put it, I think there’s absolutely no way she would fall for you.”
“Huh? Why is that?” Pan Lin was stunned, not understanding.
Even though he knew his own worth, saying it so definitively seemed unreasonable.
As a man, he should have at least a tiny chance, right?
“Because… let’s not even talk about some of the princess’s private interests, she could never fall for a man like you because she’s… this…” Saying this, Mo Li bent a fork in front of Pan Lin.
“What do you mean?…”
“You don’t get it?? Let me be blunt, she’s into women…”
“Oh, so the princess is into women~~”
Suddenly feeling a breath on his back, Mo Li broke out in a cold sweat.
