Chapter 18: Insider information about the big event one year later 

Huh?

Seredon…

Isn’t that my mother’s surname? 

Viscount Seredon…

Isn’t that Ruiweikote Seredon?

My mother’s younger brother, my…uncle?  

So, the guy speaking right now is my fifth cousin?  

Instinctively scratching her face, Elea suppressed the urge to turn and leave, shifting her hips to a more comfortable position.  

“Hmm, I’ve received some information earlier,” the Blue Bird Mask nodded slightly toward the Golden Mask Cousin.  

Then, he dropped a bombshell into the otherwise calm lake!  

“The kingdom…might go to war in a year with the kin of a Higher Being.”  

!?  

“What?!?!”  

“Is this for real??”  

The previously calm crowd instantly erupted into chaos, some even standing up despite the setting and their status!  

“I, too, hope the information is wrong, but unfortunately…”

The Blue Bird Mask didn’t elaborate, but everyone understood.  

With his attitude, this matter was likely true.  

After a century of peace, was the kingdom about to wage war in their generation, just as they were coming of age?  

Which Higher Being would they be facing?  

In an instant, the people seated around the round table began discussing among themselves.  

Some expressed deep despair about their future, while others debated the known kin of Higher Beings located near the kingdom.  

“This…this news is too sudden…”

At this moment, Jenny, under her cat mask, turned pale.

Not for any other reason, but because her father was a knight.

If war broke out, he would have to go to the battlefield.

Facing the kin of a Higher Being head-on, a knight’s survival rate was pitifully low.  

“As expected,” Elea, compared to the others’ panic and discussions, was much calmer.

A major event was indeed going to happen in a year, aligning closely with her earlier predictions.  

However…a war with a Higher Being?  

The situation was more serious than she had imagined…  

Of course, despite the fear, everyone present, including Elea, didn’t have a deep understanding of the concept of a [Higher Being].  

Or rather, let alone Higher Beings, these noble children had never even seen a single one of their kin or vassals.  

They were even less aware of the gap between these entities and ordinary humans.  

“So…Lord Blue Crow, what should we do? Are we just supposed to wait?” someone asked.  

Though they knew deep down that a gathering of their level couldn’t possibly match the scale of the matter being discussed, there didn’t seem to be any other place to seek solutions.  

“This is what I’m about to address…Regarding this matter, we must trust the kingdom’s handling, but at the same time…we must prepare ourselves.”

The Blue Bird…or rather, the one called “Lord Blue Crow,” the leader of the group, spoke slowly.  

“What I mean is, starting now, we can urge our families to recruit more mercenaries, train militia, and…”  

He slowly pointed to his chest.  

“We must also improve our own strength.”  

Indeed…  

Since they knew a chaotic era was coming, wouldn’t those who received this news be fools if they didn’t prepare early?  

The previously panicked crowd gradually found direction and resolve through Blue Crow’s words.  

They responded enthusiastically, eager to join this plan to secure more survival space for themselves and their families in the upcoming war.  

“Heh, since everyone sees it so clearly, let me share my thoughts first,” Blue Crow said, scanning the crowd.  

Elea noticed…his tone seemed much lighter than before.  

Did he enjoy this feeling of being acknowledged?  

“I won’t beat around the bush. I believe everyone here may not hold the highest status in their families, and our words…may not receive the attention they deserve. So, urging our families can be a secondary goal.”  

“The primary goal is to enhance our own strength—acquiring extraordinary equipment, recruiting extraordinary subordinates, or even…becoming extraordinary ourselves!”  

Interesting.  

Elea crossed her arms, leaning closer to Jenny and whispering, “Who is this Lord Blue Crow?”

This guy seemed to have some substance.  

“I…I’m not sure. I only know that Lord Blue Crow is the organizer of this gathering. His true identity…perhaps only the few people sitting near the head know,” Jenny shook her head, replying softly with some distraction.  

She was actually quite conflicted at the moment.  

Though her father valued her as a “social butterfly” and appreciated the benefits she brought to the family, for such a major matter…  

Sigh…even if she spoke up, would her family abandon their comfortable life and spend all their money recruiting mercenaries or training militia?  

No one knew when the war would start.

What if…what if there was no war?

Could she bear her father’s and family’s anger?  

“Calm down. This is just a piece of news. If you let it sway you like this, you’ll only end up in a worse situation when the time comes,” a somewhat cold voice poured over Jenny like a bucket of cold water, instantly snapping her out of her turmoil.  

Huh?  

Subconsciously turning her head, she met a pair of crimson eyes in the next second.  

Ugh…those eyes—calm, rational, and…somewhat cruel.  

More like those of a cold-blooded creature than a human.  

“S-sorry, I made a fool of myself, Miss Rick,” Jenny said with an embarrassed smile, though inwardly she marveled.  

This second daughter of the Baron Litang’s family is definitely no ordinary person…

Maybe I can ride her coattails to get through this crisis.  

While she was thinking this, Blue Crow continued outlining his plans.  

“Now…my initial plan is to form a mercenary group and start honing our skills from this moment onward.”  

He slowly turned his head, scanning everyone present.  

“If any of you share my vision, you’re welcome to join. You can sign up right now.”  

“Me!!”  

“Count me in!”  

“And me!”  

In an instant, almost everyone seated near the head of the table raised their hands, including Elea’s distant cousin and the second son of the Baron Curry’s family.  

To others, this might have seemed spontaneous, but Elea saw through it immediately.  

These people clearly knew in advance that Lord Blue Crow intended to form a mercenary group.

They might have already joined through internal channels and were now just playing along to create a unified front.  

Indeed…in a situation like this, they were obviously aiming to maximize the hype.  

They understood the power of group dynamics—when one person reaches for the tissue box on the right, everyone else follows suit.  

The corners of Elea’s lips curled slightly under her veil as she, too, joined the crowd, slowly raising her slender, pale hand.  

“Count me in~”

Of course, her delicate voice was drowned out in the crowd, barely noticeable.  

“I…I’ll join too!”

Seeing Elea raise her hand, Jenny hurriedly followed suit.