As the time for the ceremony drew near, nobles from various countries were beginning to gather in a room…… in the Banquet Hall in the Royal Castle of Hydra Kingdom.
There isn’t much time before they would have to move to the ceremony venue, but for the nobles, this short time is also a good opportunity to expand their connections. In fact, here and there in the banquet hall, there are nobles exchanging small talk.
While catching such scenes out of the corner of her eye, a young lady, who is also the heiress of a marquisate in Archlesia Empire, was quietly thinking.
(Even though I have been entrusted to represent my father, I’m not the head of my family, but a representative, so it would be impolite to suddenly approach a high-ranking noble. If that’s the case, I should avoid the Dukes and Marquises and interact with Counts and Viscounts. I should only talk with high-ranking nobles who have connections with Father at the evening party……)
This lady was one of the first to discover, albeit by chance, Kaito’s stall at the previous Archlesia Empire’s Founding Festival, and was able to acquire the teacups from the Miyama brand, which is now a secret topic of conversation among the nobles.This also helped her Father, the Marquis, socially, and his opinion of her rose considerably, so much so that she was entrusted with the task of representing him at this Founding Festival, which he was unable to attend due to work commitments.
In fact, although the young lady was a bit of a tomboy and liked to go out on her own to the city, she was quick-witted and quite an excellent noble.
Even now, she had calmly assessed the situation, and had identified a number of potential partners who might be of benefit to their marquisate in the future, she was about to move and call out to them.
At that moment though, the door to the banquet hall opened and Lilia entered with King Laguna.
(……That is…… Duchess Lilia Albert…… Entering together with the King, as to be expected of a person of her status. There’s no doubt she has a very strong connection to the Hydra Kingdom as well. The genius who has developed her Duchy to the point where it has more influence than the royalty in just a few 10 years…… Even just her presence seems to command a strong sense of authority.)
Lilia Albert’s name is very well known in social circles. She not only renounced her right to the throne, establishing her own Duchy and achieving development in just a few years, but rumors suggest she has strong connections with the God Realm and with the Six Kings, earning high evaluation from them. She’s already considered the most influential noble in Symphonia Kingdom, wielding tremendous authority.
(What’s especially impressive is her strong connection with the God Realm. Not only has she received the True Blessing of the God of Time and Space, but it’s also rumored that God of Fate has also visited her Duchy…… Furthermore, she has even been bestowed with the unprecedented honor of receiving a floating castle from Shallow Vernal-sama herself, earning her extremely high regard even in the God Realm…… Needless to say, she’s the most important person in this venue.)Lilia’s connections are greatly influenced by Kaito’s existence, but while those directly involved may understand this, those on the sidelines may not be aware of the intricate details.
However, the fact remains that Lilia is the only one among the nobility to have received the True Blessing of a Supreme God and the only one in history to have received something directly from Shallow Vernal.
……Furthermore, since Kaito is widely recognized as some kind of singularity, it has become common for him to be excluded from such consideration, making her the only individual in history, excluding Kaito, who has directly received something from Shallow Vernal.
(What’s remarkable about her is that, despite the tremendous authority she has been bestowed by Shallow Vernal-sama, she refrains from using it solely for herself…… She immediately entrusted it to the country, opening it widely as a tourist destination. What a spectacular move…… When matters especially involve a topic like religion, things often do go as planned. If she had used the floating castle bestowed upon her as her personal residence, it likely would have attracted much envy her way.)
Many people have intense faith in the God of the world, Shallow Vernal. With that castle having been given to Lilia by Shallow Vernal, there would have been strong jealousy not only among the nobility, but also among such believers.
However, the fact that Lilia immediately entrusted the castle to the country and opened it to the public as a tourist attraction was, on the contrary, praised by the believers, making Lilia highly regarded by the church.
(……I don’t like the word “genius”, as it seems to be an excuse to convince oneself of defeat, but the word genius is too apt for her. Not only does she have exceptional combat talent, but her talent as a noble is truly a gift…… To be born in the same generation as a formidable being……)
Generally, the evaluation of Lilia by the nobles of other countries was something like this: she was a top-notch genius as a warrior and a noble.
(I wonder what she’s talking about with Her Majesty Laguna? They seem to have bitter expressions on their faces…… Are they mutually constraining each other? For King Laguna, who has been king for a thousand years, who is said to possess cunning enough to hold the rulers of Symphonia and Archlesia in her hands, to alter her expression that much, being able to argue with her on equal terms…… She’s truly tremendous. I admire her…… I wish I could have the chance to talk to her at the evening party if possible……)
Unaware that Laguna and Lilia were spending even the smallest amount of their time discussing the matter of the date between Kaito and Shallow Vernal, with their stomachs aching, the Marquis lady gazed at Lilia from a distance with a mixed expression of admiration and yearning.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [……I see, from the readers’ or Kaito’s point of view, she’s a young lady writhing around in stomach ache, having the disposition to draw trouble her way…… but from the outside, she’s an extraordinary person of legend who has gained more power than even the royalty in just a few years……]
