“Arghh–! How tight, darling!”

Raeligh and his family were getting ready for the evening celebration at Aliberto's palace, at the invitation of his majesty.

“But this way, I can untangle the wrinkles in your jacket, Rae.” replied his wife.

"Father! Father-!" Emmett, Raeligh's only son was running towards him.

"Don't run, Emmett, otherwise your mother will have to deal with you too– Arghh–!"

“Kindly dear!” Raelig exclaimed.

…

After finishing getting ready, Raeligh and his family head to a carriage that is guided to the castle.

“Who would have thought... a celebration, in the midst of all this chaos...!” asked Raeligh's wife.

“Even I was a little surprised by your majesty's invitation, Selene. There is no justification for celebrating a small advance like this.”

“Well, we simply can’t make a slight like that. After all, it’s a real 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, darling.”

Emmett had his head out, watching the road to Aliberto's Palace.

“Wow… Dad! 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 under the serene and busy night in the upper city, due to the celebration.

Meanwhile, from another perspective, Faulhault and Lunis, who were closer, followed Tiuroreisen to the Palace, also in a royal carriage.

“Are you nervous, kid?” – I ask Tiuroreisen

“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, other than on business. Faulhault kept his thoughts to himself, while Tiuro teased the well-adorned young man.

“I heard~... that there will be many well-dressed maidens at the party.”

“Wha– Why are you saying that!?”

“Relax, kid, you’re not going to lose your temper over something as banal as this, right?”

“Isn’t that right, Squadron General Faulhault?”

Faulhault looks at Tiuro and then turns his head back to the window.

"...What was this…"

“Aren’t you excited for this celebration?” - asks Tiuro.

“…”

“How will a celebration that only serves to fatten the bones of mediocre nobles solve our problems?”

“Our troops are still recovering from severe wounds, and I still have to deal with events like this…”

“...” – Tiuro’s silence expressed how astonished he was.

"Teacher…"

The journey continued with the heavy and shallow atmosphere that had set in 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 the barracks and training with the master…”

“–Damn general, not even to bring him here for a walk.”

“It’s not like I got a free pass from your highness to bring anyone here.”

“Humm… makes sense.” – Tiuro nods.

The three got off the carriage and headed towards the open gates of the palace that were being guarded by paladins, high-ranking soldiers of the imperial guard.

“Sir Faulhault–!” spotted one of the guards.

"Rest." replied Faulhault 

Despite 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 Tiuro.”

“Come in, the servants will guide you to the party room.”

So it was done. The three were guided to the party room. Lunis couldn't contain his excitement and nervousness as Tiuro and Faulhault walked towards the hall.

Nobles here and there, very well adorned and elegant. The hall was full of guests of the Voros monarch, most of whom were relatives of his allies and long-time acquaintances who had some relevance in his career. Tiuro's generals, officers and fellow sergeants were present.

“Boy, behave yourself. The nobles here are a pain to deal with anyway.”, warned Tiuro to Lunis, who was quite nervous.

“I–I’ll try.”

As Lunis, Faulhault and Tiuro approached the throne where Voros was sitting, the young soldier felt a mix of nervousness and excitement. As they knelt and bowed to the monarch, he greeted them with a solemn gesture.

"Tiuroreisen, Faulhault... and Lunis, young man. I am aware of your recent deeds on behalf of our nation. Congratulations on your performance, Lunis," Voros said, with an expression of appreciation.

"T-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 Tiuro 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 your family entered the room, attracting curious glances and warm greetings.

“It seems that the guests of honor arrived before us” – Raeligh stressed to his wife Selene.

Lunis felt even more enveloped by 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. Upon approaching the throne where Voros was, the princess greeted her father graciously, 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 start of a night of festivities and intrigue at the court of Aleonia.

Lunis, amid the hustle and bustle of the celebration, found himself alone at the table, while Tiuro was absent, probably in the bathroom. Feeling a little out of place, he decided to get up and go 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 manners.

"Excuse me Miss. I didn’t mean to be a bother,” Lunis began, trying to be courteous.

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 despite her apparent restlessness.

"It's not bothering Me." she replied, her voice soft and melodious.

Lunis noticed the refined accent in his speech, indicating a noble origin. He wondered who she could be and what she was doing there alone on the balcony.

“Sorry for my intrusion. 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 responding, her clear eyes shining in the starlight.

"I understand. I also feel a little suffocated by all this pomp and circumstance,” she confessed, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Lunis nodded in understanding. It was comforting to find someone who shared her feelings of discomfort amid the extravagance of the party.

“F–Forgive my lack of manners. My name is Lunis; I am the disciple of–”

“–Faulhault, the general. We all already know that” The maid interrupts him before he could finish his introduction.

“S–So… could you tell me your name?”

The maiden hesitated for a moment, as if pondering whether to reveal her identity.

"My name is-"

"My daughter-!"

Before the maiden could finish her introduction, a nobleman caught her attention.

"Father? What there was?"

“Hurry in; 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 statement. Voros raises a golden cup in his left hand while speaking.

"Sit down, please".

“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 everyone is aware of the events that occurred in our attempt to retake Hault from the hands of 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 is superior to the old generals, what would a general be without his army?”

“It would be an easy target for tens of thousands of enemy soldiers”

Tiuroreisen raised his fork and said:

“But these rules do not apply to General Faulhault, Your Highness.”

“That guy could easily decimate hundreds of thousands of soldiers with just that stupid big sword–!”

Everyone in the hall, including the monarch, laughed at Tiuroreisen's statement. Already Raeligh at his table thinks to himself about his words.

“...How does this Garden Dwarf speak like that in the presence of the monarch...?”

The monarch returns his attention to himself, tapping his spoon on the body of his cup.

“Ahem–! An excellent observation, Counselor Tiuro. It got a good laugh out of me.”

“However, I refer to our remarkable 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 broad and ambitious steps like these that lead us to the reconquest of our territories, and we will continue in this way!”

“Cheers! To our great achievement!”

“Cheers!!” everyone cheers.