Chapter 43: On The Way To The Banquet Hall 

Not all elves who left the Great Forest caused incidents in the Empire.

In fact, those who did were only a small portion of those who left.

However, their negative influence spread so quickly and widely that it seemed otherwise.

The rest quietly satisfied their curiosity and returned to their villages.

Some went a step further and got involved in human affairs.

Some briefly taught as professors at the Academy, while others instructed in spirit arts.

Eventually, some even became close to the social elites.

That last part, of course, was always met with harsh criticism from fellow elves.

There was no need to soil themselves with the filth of the human world, or so they said.

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is that our Elenia is one of them.

Her mentor is Sir Noah, and she herself is quite an open-minded elf.

“…Even so, stepping into high society seems like too much.”

“Elenia, if you say that two more times, it’ll be a hundred. Do you want to round it up?”

“But I can’t help worrying! Some of our kind have formed ties with powerful humans before, but this is the first time an elf is openly stepping into the spotlight.”

“Then humans will simply think, ‘Ah, so there are elves like this too.’”

Elenia’s expression grew even more complex with my casual words.

She asked if I wasn’t worried about what the elves back in the forest would say when I eventually returned.

“Of course, I’m worried.”

“Huh?”

“Compared to breaking the Bow of the Mother Forest or luring young elves into the Empire, this will earn me far worse scorn. Until now, I at least stayed within certain limits, but once they hear I entered high society of my own will, they’ll pile every kind of slander on me.”

“…And you still intend to go through with this? Tyreal, please, just this once—”

“Elenia.”

If I back down now, the Empire will simply think, ‘Well, of course, that’s how it is with elves.’

The only path left is forward.

If I stop, I won’t be able to escape the fate of Kanph.

“I told you before. On the path to making elves great again, I have no desire to become great myself. Even if that path dirties and taints me, I don’t care.”

“Tyreal…”

“I already declared that if an elf ceases to be an elf, I won’t remain among my kin. That wasn’t just empty talk.”

If change isn’t possible, then leaving is the right choice.

But conversely, saying such things means I believe change is possible.

“Besides, Elenia, honestly? I can handle all the slander and rumors our kin can throw at me.”

“Don’t be so sure, Tyreal. It’s frighteningly easy to turn an elf into a fool in the eyes of others.”

Maybe so, Elenia. But what you don’t know is that, on the inside, I may be an elf, but I was once human.

And back when I was human, I suffered through real smear campaigns.

I promise you, no amount of elven gossip can compare to the depths of human filth I’ve witnessed.

“It’s fine, Elenia.”

“…”

“I’ll be fine.”

I smirked with confidence.

Sir Noah, who had been walking ahead, suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Yes, yes, that’s how a real man should be! Whether it’s those sword-wielding bastards from the lower world or those pointy-eared foreigners—only those with that kind of resolve deserve to be called men! Hahaha!”

“Master, please, instead of encouraging him, try talking him out of it…”

“Look at that gaze, my student. Does that look like someone who can be reasoned with? The only way to stop him would be to half-kill him and break his spirit completely.”

With that, Sir Noah walked up and clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder.

“So, Tyreal, what’s your plan? Even I, a warrior, know that the world of nobles is a treacherous battlefield. The air reeks of perfume and blood, and words cut sharper than swords.”

“…”

“How do you intend to fight in that arena? I’d like to hear your strategy.”

Oh, Sir Noah, you’ve completely misunderstood something.

“Sir Noah, I’m sorry, but I don’t have a plan.”

“…What?”

“I don’t have any strategy. My only intention is to throw myself in and deal with whatever comes my way.”

“…What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that?”

It must seem absurd. 

Unbelievable.

But it is what it is.

The place we’re going is filled with cunning, well-seasoned nobles.

No matter what I predict or plan, it will likely all amount to nothing.

“Thinking ahead won’t do any good. The only real solution is to face it head-on and break through it myself.”

For some reason, Sir Noah was now looking at me the same way Elenia had earlier.

*

High society gatherings and noble banquets were more than just social events.

Banquets weren’t just about eating, drinking, and making merry—only on the surface.

In reality, these gatherings were where all noble interests began, intertwined, and were resolved.

More than that, they were where people exchanged information and assessed each other’s worth.

“Have you heard the news?”

One day, an unexpected rumor began circulating among the nobility.

“Sir Noah is attending the upcoming banquet.”

“Did I just mishear that? You’re saying that Sir Noah is coming?”

“It’s certain. You know I’m close to the host of this banquet. I heard that they didn’t even send Sir Noah an invitation, but he personally expressed his desire to attend.”

Sir Noah. 

A mysterious figure who had suddenly appeared near the borders of the empire.

His hair color, eye color, overall appearance, the way he spoke, and the aura he exuded—everything about him was so unusual that it was hard to believe he was from this land.

Since no one knew his origins, the nobility had no reason to treat him with courtesy.

It was fortunate enough that they hadn’t expelled him outright, given that they weren’t even sure if he was truly a citizen of the empire.

However, those who knew Sir Noah were extremely cautious, fearing they might offend him in some way.

“This is quite the surprise. He never seemed interested in anything besides the sword.”

His words were often incomprehensible, sometimes even slipping into unfamiliar languages.

His personality was eccentric, and his actions were unpredictable, making him an unstable presence.

Yet, all of those flaws were overshadowed by his overwhelming mastery of the sword.

At first, the nobility had criticized the decision to allow such a man into the empire.

But after witnessing his swordsmanship just once, they all fell silent, as if they had made a silent agreement.

From then on, they had done everything they could to establish connections with him.

But Sir Noah had coldly rejected all such attempts and remained reclusive.

“For someone who has never attended a single banquet, what could possibly have changed his mind now?”

“Well, there is actually another piece of astonishing news.”

“There’s something even more surprising than Sir Noah attending a banquet?”

The gathered nobles were filled with skepticism.

It was hard to imagine anything more unexpected than that.

At least, that was the case until they heard the next words.

“An elf will be accompanying him.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Yes, you heard correctly. Today, Sir Noah will be attending, accompanied by an elf.”

The nobles’ expressions shifted immediately, as if they were asking themselves the same question:

Did I just mishear that? 

No, it really sounded like that.

“I have a theory—Sir Noah’s attendance is likely related to this.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve heard that Sir Noah has an elf as a disciple, right? The one and only student he has ever taken in, despite his obsession with the sword.”

Indeed, they had heard of it before. 

There had been disappointment among the nobles when they learned that his disciple wasn’t a knight or warrior of the empire, but an elf.

“Then does that mean his disciple will be attending as well?”

“Unfortunately, no. Only Sir Noah and one elf have been confirmed to enter the banquet. It seems the disciple will be nearby but won’t be entering.”

“What a shame. I’ve heard of Sir Noah’s disciple before. At the very least, they’re an elf capable of proper conversation.”

That made the situation even more baffling. 

Even that elf, Sir Noah’s disciple, had avoided social gatherings like this.

So what was this elf thinking? 

What was their intent in attending this banquet of their own volition?

“Elves have been changing too drastically lately. Could they be up to something?”

“I can assure you, if elves were capable of such schemes, we would’ve seen major incidents by now.”

Elves had certainly caused their share of trouble in the past, but there was one redeeming quality about them.

They never engaged in shady conspiracies or underhanded tricks to put others in a difficult position.

Arrogant, perhaps. 

But never deceitful or treacherous. 

That was, at least, some form of relief.

“We’ll find out their intentions soon enough—at the banquet.”

One noble spoke, and the others nodded in agreement.

At the same time, some subtly began scouting out potential escape routes—just in case.