As the banquet got underway, the atmosphere stayed lively.
Soft music played through the main hall.
After a while, with the servants bustling around, a circular area in the middle of the hall was cleared out.
Seeing that, Luke asked Fiora beside him, "What are they doing?"
Fiora's gaze stayed on the area as she replied, "Getting ready for the entertainment."
Luke asked curiously, "What kind of entertainment?"
"Fencing."
That brief answer was enough for Luke to get the idea.
Just then, the music stopped abruptly. For a moment, the only sound left in the hall was the chatter of the young nobles.
Then that chatter gradually faded too.
Soon the room fell completely quiet, and everyone's attention shifted toward the center.
Wearing a smile, Charela stepped into the middle of the space. "Ladies and gentlemen, just like every year, the fencing duels are about to begin. Who would like to take the stage first?"
"I will!"
The moment he finished speaking, a brown-haired man strode out first with his head held high. He tossed his hair back, then pulled off the somewhat tight formal coat he was wearing.
Next, he changed into a set of fencing armor.
The armor was made of silver scale plating. Looking closely, one could see small, tightly packed holes worked all across it.
It protected the key areas well without hindering movement.
At that point, Charela said to him, "By the rules, Lord Alg, you may choose an opponent."
Without much thought, Alg looked toward Ammdar in the crowd and issued his challenge.
"Ammdar, please take the stage."
Ammdar stepped out from the crowd.
Fencing duels were an ancient art in Demacia. The two duelists met on the platform and decided victory through fair and honorable combat.
Most of the time, a proud Demacian would not refuse a challenge.
And in Demacia, that kind of duel was often used to settle disputes.
In those cases, it was often a matter of life and death.
But the fencing duel at a banquet like this was just ordinary sparring, a way for young nobles to pass the time and amuse themselves.
Soon enough, Ammdar had changed into his own armor as well, and both sides took up blunted weapons.
Then each of them stepped forward, rolled their shoulders, and gave a few swings in the air with their swords.
That signaled they were ready, and that the duel was about to begin.
The onlookers enthusiastically discussed the two duelists.
On the platform, the two men circled each other, shifting footwork and sword posture according to the formal movements of the duel ritual, until the air itself seemed to take on a trace of tension.
Three people stood around the edge as judges, there to oversee the fairness of the duel and score the attacks of each participant.
"Last year I only got two points off you. This year I'm taking all of them."
Alg looked at Ammdar, serious battle intent and a desire for victory filling his eyes.
Compared to him, Ammdar looked calm. Hearing that, he smiled faintly. "It may not be that easy."
"We'll see."
The instant Alg finished speaking, he lunged forward.
The blade in his hand shot toward Ammdar with sharp precision.
Faced with that attack, Ammdar shifted a step to the left and slipped past it.
At the same time, he swung his own sword. Alg immediately pulled back his thrust and raised his weapon to block.
Their weapons clashed twice in midair. Then Ammdar found an opening and drove his sword out with speed, striking Alg's helmet cleanly.
A wave of cheers immediately rose from the crowd, and applause broke out for Ammdar's precise attack.
"Your sword's still just as fast. I lost."
Alg stopped, sighed helplessly, and lowered his weapon.
In an ordinary fencing spar, victory was usually determined by points.
The judges around the platform scored attacks according to where they landed.
A strike to the legs was worth one point, an arm one and a half, the stomach two, the chest three, the neck four, and the head five.
Reaching five points meant winning the duel.
"My thanks."
Ammdar smiled.
The two gave each other a slight bow. Alg stepped off the platform, while Ammdar remained where he was, waiting for the next challenger.
It did not take long for another person to step up and issue a challenge.
The second match also ended in Ammdar's victory.
Then came a third challenger, and with one elegant strike from Ammdar, that fight ended too, drawing another burst of cheers from the crowd.
"Nice!"
"Ammdar's swordsmanship looks even better than before."
"No one's even managed to score on him yet."
"I don't think he's even getting serious. If he really went all out, he'd be even more ridiculous."
As the eldest son of House Laurent, once a famously renowned family, Ammdar had always been somewhat well known among the younger nobles.
It had become rare to see Laurent swordsmanship on the dueling platform these days.
So from childhood onward, his obvious talent had drawn constant attention, and he was considered the family's greatest hope for restoring the Laurent name in the future.
Bathed in applause, Ammdar smiled, removed his helmet, bowed to the audience, and stepped down, giving the platform to someone else.
Watching from below, Luke had to admit that, as the eldest son of House Laurent, Ammdar did have some real ability.
These days, though, Luke was not all that interested in this type of duel.
Back when he had been in the swordsmanship enthusiast training camp, he had gone through similar matches himself, though the rules there had been looser.
The fencing duels here were simply noble entertainment, and Luke did not feel particularly drawn to them.
After three straight wins, Ammdar stepped down and was immediately surrounded by people, looking quite popular.
Soon, two more people stood on the platform and began a new round of fencing.
Fiora, for her part, kept watching the whole time.
Luke could tell from her eyes that she was actually interested, so he asked, "Why don't you go up and have some fun too?"
Fiora kept watching the stage and shook her head. "No."
This was not like the training camp, where she could wear a mask and spar with other swordsmen.
Bearing the identity of the youngest daughter of House Laurent, she could not simply do whatever she pleased.
From the time she was little, the family had forbidden her from learning swordsmanship and forced all kinds of expectations onto her that she had never wanted.
The reason Fiora had picked up a sword in the first place was to rebel against those expectations.
The more the family wanted her to do something, the more determined she became not to do it.
Later, though, Fiora learned the truth.
Her childish resistance, her anger, all of it meant nothing to them.
They would not let her touch a sword anymore, and so she knew she had to change methods.
She became perfect at every expectation they imposed on her—study, dance, art...
She became exactly what they wanted her to be.
And behind their backs, she silently fought back by coercing Ammdar into teaching her swordsmanship in secret.
They did not want her to learn the sword, so she would become the very best with it.
She knew that if she followed the path laid out for her, her final fate would be the same as that of most noble daughters.
Once she sensed that future, Fiora wanted to change it. She refused to become just another piece on the board.
That was why she longed to grow stronger, strong enough to change her own fate.
And right now, the time for that had not yet come.
Luke turned his gaze back toward the platform and casually watched the fencing duels continue one after another.
At that moment, after Charela claimed five points and won his match, a fresh wave of lively discussion rose from below.
"That's four wins in a row now."
"Compared to last year, Charela's swordsmanship has improved a lot too."
"Who do you think is stronger, him or Ammdar?"
"No idea. I don't think they've ever dueled in a formal setting."
House Byrne and House Laurent had always been close, and both were sword families.
But compared with House Laurent, which had declined somewhat in recent years, House Byrne still retained considerable prestige. The family had quite a few strong swordsmen, and Charela was the best among the younger generation.
In terms of reputation, he was about on par with Ammdar.
At that moment, Charela turned on the platform and looked in Luke's direction with a smile.
"Your Highness, would you have any interest in coming up for a spar?"
Luke answered directly, "No interest."
Charela's smile did not change.
"It's only a friendly match. If Your Highness isn't familiar with the rules of fencing duels, I'd be happy to explain them."
Many eyes turned toward him.
The young nobles present were all very curious about the prince, especially about his skill.
After all, they had heard that he had faced down a group of cultists before without losing his composure.
"Fine, then."
Luke stopped refusing. The offer had already reached this point, and turning it down again would only sour the mood.
Not that refusing again would have really mattered, but Charela probably would have kept insisting.
Luke could already sense a trace of hostility coming off him because of Fiora.
The reason was obvious enough.
So Luke stood up, stepped onto the platform, and changed into protective gear.
As the two men faced each other on stage, the crowd's anticipation rose immediately.
Across from him, Charela held a Demacian saber and said with gentlemanly politeness, "If Your Highness isn't familiar with the rules, I can spot you three points."
"No need."
Luke casually lifted the slender sword in his hand and gave it two light swings.
Fencing duels were different from ordinary sparring. There were a lot of rules, and breaking them meant losing points.
The three judges at the sides were watching closely.
But Luke did not think he would break any.
"Very well."
Charela said no more and swung his saber twice as well.
The two began circling, each shifting posture as they moved.
Charela studied Luke, took a deep breath, and his eyes sharpened with focus.
He wanted to see just what made this prince so formidable.
Why someone like Fiora, who had always treated him coldly, would allow this prince so close.
The next second, he lunged in and swung his saber with great speed, the blade leaving an afterimage in the air as it came down at Luke.
Luke calmly twisted his body aside and evaded it.
The saber swept across again in the air.
Luke raised the slender sword in his hand. Its edge flashed in a streak of light.
With a clang, the saber hit the ground.
The next moment, the tip of the slender sword was already suspended before Charela's helmet.
Shock flashed across Charela's eyes, and his face went blank for an instant.
All he could remember was that the strike had been so fast he had not even had time to react.
And then he had already lost.
Seeing that Luke's expression had remained casual from start to finish, Charela let out a breath, stepped back, and lowered his head.
"I lost."
If this had been a real duel, perhaps he could have lasted a little longer.
But fencing matches were scored by points, and Luke's single strike had taken all five at once, which meant the duel was over.
From just that one attack, Charela had realized the gap between them.
Even in a real duel, he probably would not have been a match.
The crowd watching fell silent for a moment, all of them staring blankly at the platform.
No one had expected the duel they had been looking forward to to end so quickly.
And no one had expected Charela to lose that cleanly.
Ammdar watched from below and was inwardly startled as well. From that single move alone, he could already tell Luke's swordsmanship was no joke.
Fiora, meanwhile, looked at Luke on the platform with a calm face, as if this outcome had been entirely expected.
"His Highness is that good?"
"That sword was so fast!"
"I didn't even see it clearly before Charela lost."
"No wonder he's His Highness."
Once the crowd recovered, applause spread again. Quite a few noble ladies looked at Luke with even brighter eyes than before.
This spar had not been the sort of dramatic back-and-forth blade exchange people had imagined, but the truth was that most fencing duels were like this.
Often, a single instant, a single mistake, was enough to decide everything.
"My thanks."
Luke removed his helmet and said the usual line to Charela.
Charela looked bitter for a moment, then sighed and smiled again.
"Your Highness is truly strong. It was my honor to spar with you."
He had originally thought that by using this duel to show himself off a little in front of Fiora, perhaps she might look at him differently.
Now it seemed he had just been indulging in wishful thinking.
From the very start, he had never had a chance of winning.
Then again, losing to a prince was hardly shameful.
And now that he had seen Luke's ability with his own eyes, he had to admit it—Luke really was strong.
He accepted the loss wholeheartedly.
Luke smiled, removed the protective gear, left the platform, and returned to sit beside Fiora.
The fencing duels did not go on much longer after that and soon came to an end.
People discussed the finer points of the matches as a topic of conversation.
The music began again, preparing the way for the dance that would start shortly.
Compared with earlier, nothing looked too different.
But if anything had changed, it was that there were now many more girls around Luke than before.
"Your Highness, do you already have a dance partner for later?"
"I'm actually a pretty good dancer."
"After the banquet ends, do you have any time? I have a few personal questions I'd love to ask you."
"Your Highness, your swordsmanship is incredible. Would you teach me?"
"Your Highness, are you free tomorrow? May I visit your residence?"
One pretty young noble lady after another surrounded Luke, their voices soft and bright, perfume of every kind drifting toward him from all directions.
Some of the bolder ones even edged closer, trying to lean against him.
"Thanks, but no time."
"Really, no time."
"I don't know how to dance."
Out of politeness, Luke could only answer one by one while keeping a careful distance and turning down every invitation.
Even so, his rejections could not have been more obvious, and yet the noble ladies still did not care. They kept him surrounded, chatting away with him about one topic after another, each one more flirtatious than the last.
Fiora, meanwhile, had long since been squeezed off to the side.
She watched from where she stood.
When she saw one noble lady press her chest right against Luke's arm, her brows lifted slightly.
After taking a sip of wine, she only felt more and more annoyed.
For the first time, she found herself regretting bringing Luke to the banquet at all.
"His Highness is really popular."
At that moment, Ammdar walked over, smiling as he looked toward the group surrounding Luke. "Though I suppose it makes sense. If I were a woman, I'd probably be just as enthusiastic."
Fiora suddenly set down her glass and shot him a cold look.
"If you don't know how to talk, then don't."
With that, she stood up and strode directly toward the crowd.
Ammdar, who had just been snapped at for no obvious reason, stood there feeling a little wronged.
But when he saw Fiora push into the crowd and drag Luke out of it, he suddenly understood something.
"We're leaving."
Fiora grabbed Luke by the arm. She had no intention of staying any longer. After saying a brief word to Ammdar, she led Luke straight out of the banquet hall.
Once outside, it was much quieter.
Luke finally let out a breath of relief. The way those girls had been looking at him, like they wanted to devour him whole, had been genuinely terrifying.
Being popular was a good thing.
Being too popular, maybe not so much.
Looking at Fiora ahead of him, he thought for a moment and said, "We're leaving before the banquet ends?"
At that, Fiora stopped walking and turned around, her cool eyes slanting toward him as she let out a cold laugh.
"What? Haven't you had enough yet?"
"Not exactly. I just feel like if I stayed a little longer, there wouldn't be any bones left."
Luke looked at Miss Fiora, who seemed to be in a rather bad mood. "I just mean—if you leave like this, what are you going to say when you get home?"
Walking out of a banquet early for no reason was considered extremely rude by noble standards.
And this banquet was one her family had insisted she attend. Leaving like this meant she would need an explanation later.
"Then I just won't explain. Ammdar will take the hit for it."
Fiora released Luke's arm and continued walking.
Hearing that, Luke asked curiously, "How much has your brother covered for you over the years? Do you have some kind of leverage over him?"
Fiora walked ahead and said, "When we were kids, he snuck off to meet a noble girl in secret. I caught him kissing her."
Luke could not help laughing.
That really was the kind of secret you could dine out on for life.
Before long, the two of them left the estate and boarded the carriage back home.
By evening, the carriage rolled to a stop outside the courtyard gate.
Inside the yard, Lux and Kahina were playing five-in-a-row.
Lux had one hand on the board and was trying to undo a move. "Just give me one more chance! I really didn't see it!"
"No!"
Kahina firmly held her hand down. "You've already undone like ten moves."
"Ugh... Huh? They're back!"
Seeing that she was about to lose and spotting the carriage at the same time, Lux's eyes lit up. She immediately abandoned the game and ran over.
Kahina sighed helplessly and got up as well.
As Luke and Fiora stepped down from the carriage, they saw Lux already standing at the gate.
She looked at the two of them curiously. "What were you doing?"
Luke answered casually, "Went to a banquet."
"Was it fun?"
"No."
"Oh."
Lux instantly lost interest. Then she brightened right back up and said eagerly, "Want to play mahjong?"
For the last half month, there had only been her, Kahina, and Fiora in the yard. They had not even had enough people to make a full table.
After going so long without playing, Miss Crownguard's hands had long since started itching for it.
Luke glanced at her face and saw that her outrageous lucky streak was still going strong. After a moment's thought, he said, "Sure. But we need to wait a bit."
Lux asked in confusion, "Wait for what?"
"For someone."
Luke smiled.
They sat in the yard, talking about what had happened at the coast while they waited.
Not long after, another carriage arrived.
Kahina jumped up happily and ran over.
"Big sis!"
Sona stepped down from the carriage, and the moment she saw Kahina, she hugged her just as tightly.
The sisters looked close and harmonious together.
A little while later, Quinn arrived too, with Poppy following behind her.
The moment Luke saw Poppy, he instantly came alive. He sprang to his feet and declared with utter confidence, "The one I was waiting for is here. Let's get this mahjong started!"
Lux had no idea why he had suddenly become so bold, but she was not the slightest bit intimidated. She lifted her chin proudly.
"Bring it on!"
Before they sat down, though, Luke gave a quick introduction to Poppy.
The moment Lux saw the adorable little yordle, she instantly liked her. She walked over, rubbed her head, and in her best big-sister voice asked, "How old are you?"
Poppy tilted her head up at the girl in front of her and only felt like Lux was sparkling all over, glowing like she was made of light.
She liked bright things.
People included.
So she gave an innocent smile and answered, "Seven hundred."
"Seven, huh? That's so cute."
Lux automatically ignored the "hundred" part and assumed Poppy was just being a child and exaggerating.
She had absolutely no idea that Poppy was telling the truth.
Watching Lux treat Poppy completely like a little kid, Luke laughed to himself.
In terms of age, Poppy was probably older than everyone present put together.
But he could hardly blame Lux. Poppy really did look like a child, and she acted like one too.
At that age, even among yordles, she was probably not all that different from Lux in terms of temperament.
"Don't treat her like a kid. When she fights, she swings that hammer harder than Garen."
Luke reached over and rescued Poppy from Lux's persistently rude little hand, which had been parked on her head.
Lux's bright eyes widened as she looked at Poppy. "You're really that strong?"
Poppy scratched her head shyly, a little embarrassed under that stare. "Not that strong."
Seeing that, Lux immediately reached out again and started happily rubbing her head all over again.
Kahina noticed two people were missing and asked curiously, "Where are Vayne and the others?"
Luke answered, "They went to take care of something. It'll be a while before they're back."
"Oh."
Kahina nodded and did not ask further.
Soon, Luke, Lux, Kahina, and Fiora were seated around the mahjong table.
Luke then had Poppy pull over a little stool and sit beside him.
Poppy did not mind at all. She simply blinked her big eyes and watched the four of them shuffle the tiles, extremely curious about mahjong.
Luke picked up his opening hand.
The very first moment his eyes landed on the tiles, a smug grin spread across his face.
The three-year exile was over.
All hail the return of the Mahjong God!
Seeing a starting hand that was practically one tile from ready, Luke felt a surge of heroic confidence rise inside him.
With Poppy by his side, the world was his.
He knew he had not brought this lucky charm along for nothing.
Thinking that, he lifted his eyes and glanced across at Lux, a cold laugh in his heart.
Blondie, from this day on, your reign over the mahjong world is finished.
At the same time, in the royal capital prison...
Sylas was dragged back to the dungeon by two guards. They tossed him behind the bars and withdrew.
Dierde walked in holding a torch and looked at Sylas, who was sprawled there in utter exhaustion and weakness.
"Twenty-five laps, and you fell short by six. Real shame. No dinner for you tonight."
With that, he paid him no further mind and stepped back out of the cell.
The door slammed shut, and the inside fell dark again, lit only by a dim scrap of light.
Sylas's chest rose and fell violently. He panted heavily, drenched in sweat, his heart hammering like it was trying to leap right out of his chest.
Not a trace of strength remained in his body.
An immense tide of fatigue crashed over him, with his legs especially aching.
And yet, staring up at the dim ceiling, the corner of his mouth slowly curled upward.
He did not hate this feeling.
Running beneath the open sky again, in sunlight, like that...
The last time he had felt anything like it was already so distant it had become blurry.
Fresh air. Mild sunlight. Cool wind.
Everything tied to the outside world had rekindled his desire for freedom with full force.
Freedom. Freedom. Freedom.
Those two syllables repeated through his mind again and again, and in that moment, his yearning for freedom reached a level it never had before.
Sylas clenched his fist and raised it, his gaze turning even firmer.
He absolutely could not fall so easily.
One day, sooner or later, he would reclaim his freedom, and he had to hold on until that day came.
And when it did, it would not be only him.
All of Demacia's mages would win their freedom too.
At House Laurent, several family members from High Silvermere were sitting in the parlor.
Among them were a few older relatives seated on the sofas, chatting idly.
"These two kinds of liquor really are excellent. Especially this beer. The first time I tasted it, I was genuinely impressed."
An old man with half his hair gone white held up his glass and looked at the amber liquid inside with open praise.
"Agreed," another person beside him said. "These two drinks can sustain strong sales for a long time. That means the family's finances won't have to stay so strained, and we can hurry up and start brewing in High Silvermere too."
"Where did the two of you get the recipe for this?"
Another elder spoke up, clearly curious.
Sébastien and Elma sat together on the opposite sofa, listening.
Elma answered, "We were fortunate, that's all. But as for where the recipe came from, I think it's best if our uncles don't ask."
"Fair enough. Having the recipe is enough."
The white-haired elder did not press the matter. Then, as if remembering something, he casually added, "Speaking of which, that girl Fiora must be nineteen and a half now, yes?"
"She's at the age where it's time to start arranging a marriage."
"That's one of the reasons we came this time too."
The old man seated in the middle looked at the couple across from him and said, "Fiora has reached marriageable age. It's time to find her a suitable match."
Hearing that, Elma could only force out a small smile. "She's only nineteen. Isn't it a little too early to start talking about marriage? We can wait a little longer."
"That's what you told us last year."
The white-haired elder took a sip of beer and said, "I know, as her mother, you don't want to let her go. But once a woman gets older, she has to be married off sooner or later."
An elder beside him added, "If we find her a strong marriage alliance, it will benefit the family as well."
"She's that beautiful. Suitors will be lining up. I think we should make the announcement soon and see who comes to ask for her hand."
"She's going to marry eventually. It's not as though she can stay unmarried forever."
"We spent all these years raising her precisely for a time like this."
The three old men discussed the matter one after another.
Elma's face was full of helplessness, and she could barely get a word in.
These three were senior elders of the family, several of the brothers of Sébastien's father, his own uncles, men of great seniority and influence within the house.
Even though Sébastien was the current head of the family, there were still many matters in which he had to defer to them.
And now it looked like the three of them were on the verge of settling the matter outright.
After staying silent for a long while, Sébastien finally spoke.
"Our three uncles have only just arrived in the capital. Why not take a few days to rest first? There's no need to discuss this matter before the national celebration."
Hearing him speak, the white-haired elder nodded.
"That's true enough. A few days won't make any difference."
"Then we'll talk about it after the celebration."
"But this should be settled quickly. The younger a girl is, the more desirable she is as a match."
The three of them moved on from the subject and began discussing other things.
At that point, Elma rose and walked out.
When she reached the hallway outside, she let out a troubled sigh.
From the look of things, there was a very good chance the girl's engagement would be decided this time.
There was no way to drag this out much longer.
Most daughters of noble families were born already destined to become tools for political marriage.
That was how Elma herself had married into House Laurent, and now the same fate was threatening to fall upon her daughter.
And there was nothing Elma could do to stop it.
Among the nobility, seniority and family rank outweighed everything.
If the three men in that room truly decided to settle Fiora's marriage, then even if they made the decision on their own, she and her husband would have little power to oppose it.
She walked to a window and stared outside, lost in thought.
Her daughter and that prince did seem to have a good relationship.
But Elma did not know how far it had gone.
Which was why she had not been able to mention it openly just now.
Still, seeing how often that girl ran over there whenever she had the chance, how could a mother fail to notice where her heart had already gone?
But the other side was royalty.
And House Laurent was only a declining first-tier noble family, sometimes not even as strong as a second-tier one.
Elma did not think they were in any position to marry upward that far.
And from what she had seen, the precious jewel of the Crownguard family, as well as the two young ladies of House Buvelle, all seemed to have good relationships with that prince too.
Compared to them, her own family had no real advantage at all.
With another sigh, Elma turned and headed out.
No matter what, once the national celebration passed, they would have to find some way to resolve this matter.
Back at Luke's house—
"Sorry, Kong on the draw, one suit, four stepped triplets. Fifty fan total!"
With a cold laugh, Luke slapped his mahjong tiles down on the table and began pushing his hand open one tile at a time.
A long-awaited self-draw, and a huge hand on top of it, filled him with pure joy.
He almost wanted to shout it to the heavens.
Poppy, eternal goddess.
"Pay up, pay up."
Luke extended his hand, a smug grin hooked at his lips as he looked down at the three girls across from him.
Ever since Blondie's fortune turned around, he could not even remember the last time he had gotten to act this cocky.
"Ugh, can the two of you stop winning so much?!"
Kahina gloomily took out five gold coins and handed them over, then slumped across the table with a look that said she no longer wanted to play.
Against those two obviously cheating monsters, she could not find even a scrap of enjoyment in the game.
After paying too, Fiora simply stood up.
"I'm done!"
After several rounds, she had only won once or twice. Anyone would be furious at that point.
Lux, on the other hand, casually pulled out five gold coins and remained as enthusiastic as ever as she looked at Quinn and Sona.
"Two spots open. Want to play mahjong?"
With absurd luck still on her side, there was no way Lux was going to lose.
She and Luke had practically been trading wins hand for hand, steadily harvesting Fiora's and Kahina's little coin stashes.
Faced with Lux's invitation, Quinn and Sona immediately shook their heads.
Neither of them had the slightest interest in participating in an activity that amounted to donating money for free.
Seeing that she could not gather enough players, Lux sighed, still not feeling satisfied.
Then she looked across at the innocent-faced Poppy, stood up with a bright smile, and said, "Poppy, let me teach you five-in-a-row."
Poppy nodded. "Okay."
And just like that, Lux took Poppy off to the front yard to play.
Luke glanced at Miss Crownguard, who was far too enthusiastic about bullying new players, and laughed as he stood up in a good mood and started preparing dinner.
It had been quite a while since he had cooked personally.
As time passed, the scent of food gradually spread through the entire courtyard, tugging at every girl's nerves.
By the time Luke finished making dinner, the dining room was already full, with the girls seated and waiting.
After dinner, they all sat together on the couches in the parlor, chatting while enjoying dessert.
And by the time the dessert was gone too, everyone there wore the same deeply satisfied expression.
At that point, Luke remembered something and said, "Yurna, bring over the finished clothes."
"Yes."
Yurna turned and headed to the room.
Lux asked curiously, "What clothes?"
"You'll see in a minute."
Luke answered casually.
Not long after, Yurna brought out the custom-made clothes from the tailor shop.
There was one for Lux, Kahina, Sona, Fiora, and Quinn. Yurna had already changed into her own.
There was none for Poppy, since she had not been there yet before Luke left.
Still, her body was so small that Yurna said the tailor still had some silk satin left over, so they could make one for her later.
Once the clothes were handed out, Lux lifted hers up and examined it curiously. "This feels amazing."
She touched it a few times and found it incredibly smooth and surprisingly elastic. Even when she tugged at it hard, there was not the slightest sign of stretching damage.
Fiora also studied the clothes in her hands and looked toward Luke.
"What made you suddenly decide to have base layers made for all of us?"
The clothes were clearly meant to be worn beneath outer garments, like fitted underlayers, only with a much better material.
The moment one touched them, the difference was obvious.
Luke answered, "This stuff's called silk satin. I happened to get some by chance. It has a lot of good qualities—waterproof, fireproof, heatproof, coldproof, and extremely durable. After thinking it over, making it into base layers seemed like the best use."
The girls all liked the clothes quite a bit.
After all, who did not like comfortable clothing?
Especially when it was a gift from Luke.
And as it happened, once they finished soaking in the hot spring later, they could try them on immediately.
The moment hot spring bathing came up, they all immediately gathered their clothes, changed locations, and headed to the back courtyard.
By then it was already night, and the temperature in the air had dropped even further.
As steaming hot spring water poured into the pool, the contrast between warmth and cold made the mist thicken all at once.
The moisture-laden steam brushed across their faces, and Luke found himself getting eager already.
He had been gone for half a month, which meant he had gone half a month without a proper hot spring soak.
He had missed it dearly.
Once some medicinal liquor had been poured into the spring, and the white privacy curtains had been drawn, Luke stripped and immediately sank his whole body into the pool.
His skin, still slightly cool from the night air, met the hot spring water, and the sensation of the two blending together brought him instant bliss.
"Oh, that's good."
He could not help letting out a groan as he leaned back against the edge of the pool, closed his eyes, and soaked it all in.
To the right, splashing sounds followed one after another as the girls entered the water too.
"Poppy, come on in!"
Lux looked at Poppy, who was still standing above the pool.
"I'm not really a fan of water."
Poppy said that awkwardly.
"Oh, come on, hot springs are amazing." Lux stood up from the water, droplets sliding down her slender, smooth body. Then she walked over to Poppy with a beaming smile. "If you get wet, I'll dry you off later."
With that, she simply grabbed Poppy and pulled her into the hot spring, hugging her affectionately.
Poppy was soaked at once, leaning against Lux as she reflexively struggled twice.
Then she settled down again. As she soaked, she realized it actually did feel pretty good. Warmth spread through her whole body, and it was very comfortable.
The reason yordles disliked water was simple. Once they got wet, all their fur got soaked too, and it was a nightmare to dry.
The ones who knew magic had it easy. One spell and they were dry again.
But Poppy knew absolutely nothing about magic. Back in Bandle City, she had never been interested in it at all.
Still, now that she was already in the water, there was nothing more to say about it.
On the left side of the pool, Luke felt the heat of the hot spring loosen every muscle in his body until he no longer wanted to move at all.
He opened his eyes.
Thin mist drifted around him.
He lifted his gaze toward the night sky.
The autumn moon was especially full tonight, and especially bright.
For anyone who loved moon-gazing, it was a lovely sight.
Luke enjoyed the moonlight and sank deeper into the peacefulness of the spring.
Then suddenly, Lux's startled cry rang out from the other side.
"Oh no! Poppy passed out!"
Panic-stricken, Lux shot upright in the water and looked at the dazed little yordle, completely unsure of what to do.
Beside her, Fiora, Kahina, Quinn, Sona, and Yurna were all startled too.
The instant Luke heard that cry, he suddenly remembered—they had added liquor to the bath tonight.
He immediately shouted, "Get her out of the pool!"
The girls sprang into action at once.
Poppy was quickly carried out of the hot spring.
And because of Poppy fainting, tonight's soak ended early.
Everyone returned to the parlor, dried her off, changed her clothes, and laid her out on the couch.
"She's fine. She's just drunk. Same as Lux the first time."
After checking her over, Luke said it casually.
Poppy's alcohol tolerance was no better than Lux's had been.
And today had happened to be a liquor bath, with a generous amount of medicinal alcohol poured into the spring. With Poppy soaking in that, it would have been stranger if she had not gotten drunk.
The situation was basically the same as the first time Miss Crownguard had tried a liquor bath.
The first time Lux soaked in one, she had nearly passed out too. Her body absorbed the medicinal effects strongly, and the longer she soaked, the more tipsy she became.
The moment she heard that, Lux protested, "I was not that bad."
Luke shot her a glance and let out a dry laugh. "If nobody had stopped you back then, you would've drunk the whole spring dry. You really don't remember?"
Lux was instantly speechless.
In the end, she just huffed, turned her face away, and stopped talking to him.
Luke looked at the still woozy Poppy and smiled.
Truthfully, Poppy's way of getting drunk—just blacking out on the spot—was a lot more alarming than Lux's half-dizzy, half-tipsy state had been.
But yordles were heaven's favorites. They did not go down that easily.
Once everyone saw that Poppy was fine, the girls relaxed.
Since Lux had been the one to drag Poppy into the water in the first place, she was put in charge of taking care of her.
Then Fiora stood up and glanced at Luke.
"Come with me. Sona too."
With that, she headed outside.
Luke and Sona got up and followed her all the way to the back courtyard.
He could not help asking, "What for?"
"Didn't I tell you already? I'm teaching you the waltz."
Fiora turned around, her cool eyes fixed on him.
"Oh. Then let's do it."
Luke immediately perked up with interest.
"In the waltz, the man's steps and the woman's steps are different, but the basics are largely the same. I'll teach you the fundamentals first."
Fiora stepped forward, lifted her left hand, and placed it on Luke's shoulder.
"In a standard partner waltz, your right hand goes on the lady's left shoulder blade. After that, where it rests shifts depending on the movement."
Luke followed her lead, raising his right hand and placing it on her left shoulder.
"Then the other hands come together."
Fiora raised her right hand, and Luke slowly lifted his left to meet it.
Their hands closed together.
The space between them was less than three feet.
In that posture, they could each see the other's face from very close range.
Luke could smell the fresh scent of someone who had only just stepped out of a hot spring. He saw the faint flush against Fiora's cool features, the dampness in her hair, and felt the slight chill in her small hand.
Fiora could feel Luke's breath, sense his scent, and the warmth of his hand.
Her heart, as always, began to beat faster.
But she did not dislike the feeling.
At the side, Sona watched the two of them and blinked.
Fiora was a little shorter than Luke, so from that close distance, she had to tilt her head up as she looked at him.
"From here on, however I move, you move the same way. Just follow my lead."
Luke nodded, ready.
Then Fiora stepped back, and Luke stepped forward. She stepped forward, and Luke stepped back.
This was the most basic part. Put simply, the first thing was to understand the rhythm.
Luke felt he was learning seriously enough.
But before long, he stepped forward without thinking and planted his foot squarely on Fiora's.
"Sorry."
"It's fine."
Fiora did not seem to mind. "In a partner waltz, you have to pay attention not only to yourself, but also to your partner's rhythm. If the rhythm goes wrong, this is what happens."
"Right, right."
Luke nodded repeatedly.
"Next, you need to adapt to the rhythm of waltz steps within the music."
As she said that, Fiora looked toward Sona. "Could I ask you to accompany us?"
Sona nodded, sat down to one side, set the etwahl across her lap, and began to play a waltz melody.
"Same as before. Just follow how I lead."
As Fiora spoke, she started feeling out the rhythm.
Once she had it, her body began to sway lightly, drawing Luke into the waltz steps.
The first few movements went quite smoothly.
But at one point where the steps were meant to turn, Luke's foot paused—and he stepped on Fiora's foot again.
He instantly apologized.
"Sorry."
"It's fine."
Fiora still kept her composure as she reset the rhythm. "Again. The important thing is rhythm. You need to know clearly what movement happens on which beat, and how you're supposed to step."
She remained patient.
"Right, right."
Luke nodded again, looking extremely serious and eager to learn.
One minute later—
After getting stepped on again, Fiora took a deep breath. "It's fine. Beginners make mistakes like this all the time."
Five minutes later—
Fiora's brow twitched. "You've made the exact same mistake here three times in a row."
Fifteen minutes later—
Fiora took another deep breath, making a determined effort to stay calm. "It's fine. Just pay attention next time."
Thirty minutes later—
Fiora looked down at the footprint marks on her shoes, then raised her eyes to Luke. "Do you have some kind of grudge against my feet? Why is something this simple so impossible for you to learn?"
Forty-five minutes later—
"I already told you, you turn here! You do not step forward!"
Fiora had long since lost her calm, and there was anger in her eyes now as she looked at the innocent-faced Luke standing opposite her.
An hour later—
"Stop stepping on my feet already!"
She practically ground the words out through clenched teeth, staring at him from the edge of emotional collapse.
She had assumed, given Luke's talent, that learning the waltz would be easy for him.
What she never could have imagined was that when it came to dancing, he would be this clumsy.
"I don't want to either."
Luke looked completely innocent and spoke weakly. "Why don't you let me practice alone for a bit?"
Even he was starting to feel bad about it.
"No!"
Fiora's face was icy. She refused to believe this was beyond him. "I am going to teach you!"
And Sona, who had been playing for nearly a full hour by then, was not especially tired.
Watching one of them grow fiercer and fiercer while teaching, and the other somehow become more and more hopeless at learning, she could not help laughing to herself.
It was the first time she had ever seen His Highness be this bad at something.
In a way, it was rather entertaining.
Twenty minutes later, the two of them finally managed to run through several of the basic movements smoothly, and Luke had at last stopped making mistakes.
Fiora came to a stop and released his hand, which had become damp with sweat in her own.
Her cool, beautiful face was full of exhaustion.
"That's enough for today..."
The moment she thought about how many waltz steps still remained to be taught after this, a wave of pure mental fatigue washed over her.
Luke finally let out a breath of relief. Looking at the frosty-faced Fiora, he gave her an awkward smile.
"Thank you for your hard work, instructor."
Fiora shot him a look, then could not even be bothered responding. She turned and headed straight back to the parlor.
Inside, Lux, who had been in charge of watching Poppy, was already asleep on the couch, the two of them curled together and snoring softly.
As for Kahina and Quinn, since they did not want to disturb Luke's waltz lesson, they had been training out in the front yard.
Fiora drank a glass of beer to cool off, and after that she, Luke, and Sona all went to the front courtyard, where they stretched out on the rocking chairs and watched the moon.
Around ten-thirty, Lux was woken up and sent home half-asleep by Yurna.
Fiora returned to House Laurent as well.
And Kahina, Sona, and Quinn took Poppy with them.
Luke's courtyard immediately felt much quieter and emptier.
He lay on the rocking chair, sipping sake and gazing at the moon, thoroughly at ease with the peace and quiet.
In just a few more days, it would be Miss Crownguard's birthday.
He wondered whether her birthday present was ready yet.
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