The dining hall was brighter than usual.
Chandeliers lit the long table.
Voices filled the room.
Adrian stopped at the entrance.
"…This looks expensive."
"Try not to embarrass the family."
Adrian glanced sideways.
Leonhardt.
Of course.
"…I'll do my best to survive," Adrian replied.
Entering the Hall
Nobles had already gathered.
Well-dressed.
Calm.
Watching.
Adrian could feel it instantly.
Yeah… I'm being judged.
At the far end—
Count Rosenberg sat calmly.
Beside him—
Seraphina.
Her gaze briefly met Adrian's.
Then moved away.
Introductions
"Lord Adrian Ardent."
The announcement echoed lightly.
A few reactions:
Some indifferent
Some curious
Some amused
"…Isn't he the useless one?"
A whisper.
Not very quiet.
Adrian ignored it.
[+2 Reputation: Composure]
The Nobles
Across the table—
A young man observed quietly.
"Lord Edwin Halver, son of Count Halver," someone introduced.
Edwin gave a small nod.
His eyes sharp.
He's watching closely, Adrian noted.
Nearby—
Another young noble leaned back with a smirk.
"Cedric Vale, heir of Viscount Vale."
"…So that's him," Cedric muttered.
Not impressed.
On the other side—
A girl tilted her head slightly.
"Lady Elena Morcant, daughter of Baron Morcant."
"…You look less disappointing than expected," she said casually.
"…I'll take that as praise."
She smiled faintly.
Further down—
A man remained silent.
"Viscount Harren."
He said nothing.
Just observed.
Dinner Begins
Servants moved smoothly.
Food was served.
But the real focus wasn't the meal.
It was Adrian.
First Probe
Cedric spoke first.
"…So," he said lazily,
"…you're the one everyone's talking about."
Adrian didn't look at him.
"I hope not everyone."
"…They say you predicted the bandit attack."
"…I guessed."
Cedric smirked.
"…Then guess something now."
A small tension formed.
Adrian sighed internally.
Here we go.
Calm Response
"…There's nothing to guess," Adrian said.
"…Problems don't always need complicated answers."
He took a sip calmly.
"Most people just ignore simple ones."
Silence.
Edwin's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…That's true," he said.
Cedric frowned.
"…You're avoiding the question."
"…I'm avoiding pointless ones."
A few nobles hid smiles.
[+6 Reputation]
Shift in Atmosphere
The tone changed slightly.
Less mocking.
More curious.
Elena leaned forward slightly.
"…So you prefer simple solutions?"
"…I prefer effective ones."
"…Confident."
"…Practical."
She smiled again.
"…I like that answer."
[+3 Reputation]
Seraphina's View
Seraphina watched quietly.
He's not trying to stand out…
But he still does.
Count's Presence
At the head of the table—
Count Rosenberg observed everything.
Without speaking.
But noticing.
Final Exchange
Cedric leaned back.
"…We'll see how long that confidence lasts."
Adrian finally looked at him.
"…I'm not confident."
A pause.
"…I just don't panic."
Silence.
Edwin smiled slightly.
"…That might be better."
Ending
The dinner continued.
But something had changed.
The whispers were different now.
Not mockery.
Interest.
Adrian leaned back slightly.
That went better than expected.
[Reputation Increased]
At the far end—
Seraphina looked at him once more.
This time—
She didn't look away immediately.