In Tepno, within the sprawling expanse of a grand manor, beneath the glow of a lavish thirty-two-branch magical crystal chandelier, a modest banquet was underway.
Plates gleamed with chicken breast, beef tenderloin, salmon, and fresh lake shrimp, while buttery bread, cheese, and lemon cake were stacked high. Pork sausages and vegetable stew rounded out the feast.
Sean and Stella sipped their soup in silence, stuffing their mouths with food to keep quiet. As adventurers from Baharuth, what was it like to suddenly find themselves dining with Re-Estize's esteemed Golden Princess? They'd rather not answer a question that could get them killed.
For years, Baharuth and Re-Estize had avoided open war, but a century of bad blood lingered, and the two nations remained enemies on the surface.
EeDechi had dragged Sean and Stella to this table. At first, they thought it was just a typical noble's dinner, meant to smooth things over between adventurers and their employer. They hadn't expected the host to be Re-Estize's princess—Renner herself.
Now, the two could only keep their heads down, eating and drinking in silence, terrified of letting a single word slip. One hint of their Baharuth accents, and they'd be done for.
Kuuderika and Ureirika, the blonde twin sisters, sat beside Stella.
Stella didn't dare leave the twins alone at the inn, so she brought them along. Looking flustered, she occasionally leaned forward, grabbing delicate pastries from the plates to share with the blonde sisters, hoping to keep them quiet and well-behaved.
If Princess Renner noticed the twins and asked about their background, it'd spiral into a long, messy story.
The banquet was small, with only Princess Renner, Climb, and the six members of the Last Defender of the Way adventurer team. At the long table, Renner sat at the center, Climb to her left, EeDechi to her right. The rest were scattered around the table.
Luckily, Sean and Stella didn't have to worry about Renner questioning them—someone else was stealing the show. EeDechi, bold as brass, was the center of attention.
She clapped Renner on the shoulder, then grabbed a bottle of red wine, filling the princess's goblet until it overflowed.
Raising her own glass, EeDechi flashed a wide, encouraging grin. "Kid, I've got high hopes for you! Cheers!"
Renner gave a reluctant smile, her slender fingers lifting the goblet to clink with EeDechi's before taking a small sip.
EeDechi downed her wine in one gulp, then plopped a fresh shrimp into Renner's bowl, saying, "Eat up, kid. Gotta bulk up to stay strong and handle all that kingdom business."
Barrett, napkin tucked into his collar, stared slack-jawed, a sausage dangling forgotten on his fork. This was no orichalcum-level adventurer's behavior toward a kingdom's princess—it was like some busybody auntie coaxing a neighbor's kid to drink! EeDechi showed not a shred of respect for royalty, acting as carefree as she would with her own adventurer crew.
Climb, seated to Renner's left, furrowed his golden brows, his face a mask of fury. If the princess hadn't seemed unbothered, he'd have already marched over and kicked this rude adventurer out of the banquet. Savior or not, anyone who upset Renner was his enemy.
As glasses clinked and more dishes arrived, the maids slipped away. With a creak, a side door opened, and a tall, blue-haired swordsman strode in.
A unique longsword hung at his waist, its slender blade sheathed. Unlike the straight longswords common here, this blade had a subtle curve—not as pronounced as the scimitars of the southern grassland nomads, but distinct.
When the blue-haired swordsman entered, Princess Renner seemed to relax. She stood, introducing him to the group and explaining to him why she'd invited these adventurers to dine.
After Renner's brief introduction, Barrett was stunned. He hadn't expected this sharp-looking swordsman to be the legendary Brain Unglaus.
Brain Unglaus, a genius swordsman on par with the former Warrior Captain Gazef, was a master of the blade. He'd once fought Gazef to a draw in the kingdom's royal tournament. Later, craving the thrill of life-or-death combat, he'd spent time as an adventurer and even joined a mercenary band.
Brain gave the group a friendly smile, his curious gaze lingering on EeDechi, whom Renner described as having "caught an enchanted arrow single-handedly to save Climb."
He mentioned he hadn't eaten dinner yet and, with Renner's permission, pulled up a chair next to Barrett. A maid brought him a set of cutlery.
Barrett scooted over to give Brain some room, and Brain thanked him quietly. Barrett was taken aback—far from the arrogant, overbearing figure of the rumors, this legendary swordsman seemed downright approachable.
With one more at the table, the banquet rolled on.
EeDechi carried on as if the word "princess" meant nothing to her. She chugged wine, tore into her meat, and yammered away at Renner, ranting about how that fat pig Earl Kurar bullied the poor and beggars, only to turn tail and flee in a panic when he saw the princess.
In her excitement, she even slapped Renner's back like they were old drinking buddies. The princess's slender frame swayed from the force, her wine glass trembling in her hand.
Barrett shot desperate looks at his captain, begging her to tone it down, but EeDechi just blinked at him, utterly clueless.
Brain, the newcomer, was visibly pissed. He couldn't stand EeDechi's reckless, disrespectful attitude toward the princess. Though he worked for Renner, he was more a guest than a servant, his status close to the adventurers at the table.
After glaring at EeDechi to no effect, Brain shot to his feet, facing her with a sharp tone.
"You, orichalcum-level adventurer, show the princess some damn respect. If you don't know how to behave at a royal banquet, go back to the Adventurer's Guild tavern and ask the receptionist for a lesson before you sit at this table again."
"Oh?" EeDechi set down her wine glass. "What, you expect me to talk all prim and proper, maybe bow and scrape like some court jester?"
Renner, ever the smiling princess, stayed silent, cutting a piece of cake with her silver knife and chewing slowly. As the host, she showed no interest in stopping the brewing fight.
Brain shook his head. "You're too damn cocky. Orichalcum-level, big deal. I've met all three of the kingdom's adamantite-level adventurers, and none of them act like they're hot shit like you do."
"Hmph." EeDechi snorted, brushing it off.
Barrett, Sean, and Stella froze mid-chew, and even the usually rowdy Kuuderika and Ureirika fell silent. They all felt the tension, like a powder keg about to blow.
Brain locked eyes with EeDechi. "I've met three legendary powerhouses, people I genuinely admire, each with unmatched strength. But even they were far humbler than you, an orichalcum-level adventurer."
"That so? Sounds like you haven't met enough truly impressive people," EeDechi shot back, shaking her head.
"Heh, you know what they say back home? A pig-man thinks his skin's the toughest armor 'til a spear rips right through it!" Brain mimicked her head-shake with a mocking smile.
EeDechi stood, glaring at Brain, her face dark as a storm cloud. The banquet's vibe turned razor-sharp.
"What's that? You wanna throw down?"
"A duel, you mean?" Brain smirked. "Suits me just fine. I'm no true legend, but I can sure as hell show you what the doorstep of one looks like."
EeDechi didn't waste another word. Both shoved their chairs back, grabbed their weapons, and stepped into the open space beside the long table.