"Master!" Celio waved enthusiastically as he saw Edris striding down the stairs.

The royal banquet was scheduled to take place during the early evening, but all guests tended to arrive an hour before the designated commencement in time for the red carpet.

With a packed banquet attire looped in each arm, Celio arrived especially early in the morning so he wouldn't miss the traveller. After all, he knew it would be difficult to grab hold of Edris once he left the inn.

As Celio was about to greet him, his words slipped from his mind as he noticed the ball of pink resting on Edris's shoulders.

"A spirling?" He asked with wide eyes.

Spirlings were entities most closely associated with nature. Infused with mana, they have the power to enhance an Awakened's mana channel and strengthen their abilities.

However, as spirlings were said to originate from ancient times, they were considered extremely rare, and most people wouldn't come across any in their entire lives.

Most spirlings lived in concealment, and the minority in civilization accompanied elementalists, Awakeneds who were capable of taming spirlings and rumoured to be blessed by nature.

"Master, you're an elementalist?" Celio's golden orbs grew even wider as several speculations arose about the traveller's identity.

"No. This thing was here today when I woke up." Edris shook his head. He eyed the fluff ball on his shoulder, musing. "It must have been lost."

At his words, Celio nodded in understanding and, without further ado, leaned closer to examine the tiny creature.

"How cute!" He grinned before turning to Edris, who only smiled in response.

To Celio, it was a gentle smile, but to the pink fluff in front of him, it was as taunting as a smile could get.

The corners of Edris's lips upturned a few degrees further as he snuck a glimpse at Ace, who looked as if he was about to commit murder.

After gaining a physical form, Ace lost the ability to communicate with Edris through his mind.

Although the loss was supposedly temporary, it was something Edris was thankful for, since otherwise, he would be hearing profanities right now.

"You're not an elementalist, but this spirling decided to follow you," Celio said with a nod, as though he had reached some sort of understanding. "As expected from my Master. Your heart is, indeed, full of kindness to attract nature's companions."

At Edris's stiffening smile, it was Ace's turn to sneer.

***

At four in the afternoon, a crowd had gathered before the royal palace.

More precisely, it wasn't the main palace but a smaller building built on Felicity Hills, a plateau just south of the main royal palace.

The building, named by the King of Zacriya as Chateau Felicity, was designed just for social gatherings as such.

Nobles and journalists gathered around the outside courtyard of Chateau Felicity as carriages lined up against the gates.

One after another, the guests stepped out in their glamorous attires and strolled through the garden trail that led to the central floor, where the actual banquet was held. Each serving guest would show their invitation to the palace servant and then have their names announced before entering the area.

"Lord Magnus Vyris of the Vyris household has arrived!"

All eyes immediately turned towards the entrance gates at the servant's announcement.

The Zacriya Kingdom was divided into four territories—northeastern, western, southwest, and central—where each area was controlled by a main household.

The western territory, known for its flourishing land and gemstone mines, was controlled by the influential Vyris family, known for their close ties with the Zacriya princes.

The carriage doors opened, and a man with light pink hair stepped out. Dressed in an elegant maroon suit, Magnus Vyris was an attractive man that looked to be in his mid-twenties.

There was something about this man—something about his posture, the way he walked, the way his eyes shimmered in the sun—that surrounded him in an air of grace. But most of all, people were charmed by his unique coloured hair and eyes, which were representative of the Vyris household's noble status.

His ruby-like eyes quickly skimmed the crowd as a gesture of acknowledgement before disappearing into the main chamber.

People's attention was so focused on the young Lord of the Vyris household that they almost ignored the carriage right behind him.

Almost.

"Sir Edris and Sir Celio have arrived!" The servant's voice boomed through the entrance.

Although the Wulin Tournament was not a mainstream competition, its unexpected developments had spread throughout the central territory and made their way around various parts of the kingdom.

Having heard of the exceptional battle between the mysterious traveller and the beast tamer, people were naturally curious about the two guests.

The carriage doors opened, and the beast tamer was the first to step out. Cloak fluttering as he jumped to the ground, Celio casually scouted his surroundings.

He wore a black dress shirt that was a slim cut to his fit figure. Draped over his shoulders was a white surcoat adorned with gold embroidery that complemented his golden hair and eyes.

Despite his youthful appearance, Celio had the aura of a well-taught noble.

At the young man who seemed to be glowing, the crowd couldn't help but start quiet discussions amongst themselves.

"I heard the beast tamer was from Adalan," a woman muttered to her lady friends. "Likely well-off, too. He's got the bright eyes."

"I had regarded the tournament. Father said he looked like—some Adalarian knight? I can't seem to recall the proper title..."

"Impressive. And cute! Do you suppose he is matched?"

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As the nobles conversed enthusiastically, another figure peeked his head out of the carriage.

Edris, inwardly pleased at Celio's attention-grabbing presence, quietly stepped out behind him. As the crowd was distracted, he hoped to go in without drawing unnecessary attention to himself.

Just as he took the first stride, a rush of gusts swept past the crowd, its coldness throwing all conversations to a halt as the people present subconsciously shivered on the spot.

Although Nolmes was a tropical city, its temperature ranged drastically from day to night and was especially apparent in windy conditions. As people instinctively recoiled at the cold, someone noticed an indifferent individual amidst the carpeted path.

His hair was a rare shade of dark blue, almost black, and a gentle smile tugged by his lips. Surrounded by a peculiar sense of serenity, the man—dressed entirely in black—stood calmly as his azure surcoat fluttered in the wind.

Amidst the surge of wind that obscured one's sight, he stood out like the focus of an oil painting.

Being unable to perceive temperature is actually quite useful. At least I don't feel cold.

Edris, ignoring the reactions of those around him, smiled in satisfaction as he waited for Celio to recover from the gust.

The crowd was quiet as they watched the dark-haired traveller stroll to the entrance, the young beast tamer trailing behind him.

***

Light poured into his eyes the moment Edris stepped into the banquet hall.

The area extended just over twenty meters in length, generously adorned with various riches and glories. At the end of the hall was a raised platform; it held a long table which had three spots reserved for the royal family. Beneath the platform was several round tables, designated for the guests.

As Edris stepped forth, he was immediately approached by a pink-haired man who—judging by the timing—appeared to be waiting for him.

"You must be Sir Celio. I’ve heard about your remarkable deeds at the Wulin Tournament," the man complimented Celio, who only bowed politely in return before subtly shifting behind Edris.

"And you must be Sir Edris," he said with a nobly smile. "What an honour to meet the renowned 'Tempest Initiator' at His Highness's banquet. My name is Magnus."

Edris almost grimaced at the nicknames; they seemed to be getting weirder by the day. He's heard of Hypnotist and Traveller, but Tempest Initiator was a first.

Hidden beneath his dark surcoat, Ace whispered in a low voice.

"An archmage."

At his words, Edris immediately put up a friendly look as he extended his palm. "My pleasure to be known to the young Lord of the Vyris family."

"Likewise, I didn't expect the Vyris family's reputation to extend beyond the Zacriya Kingdom," Magnus shook his hand with a smile.

"Not at all. Your name is one recognizable to the entire Western Continent."

"Nonsense," Ace commented from behind, a mutter which Edris ignored him as he gave Magnus an equally friendly smile.

Although Magnus Vyris was both a distinguished nobleman and an archmage, he didn't behave in the prideful manner commonly seen in other young lords with similar status.

Edris appreciated the man's poise, but not the attention his presence was bringing them.

His mind wandered back to Ace's words.

Archmages were Awakeneds who achieved close to top-tier results in magic usage and skill development. There were less than fifty archmages in the Zacriya Kingdom and just over a hundred in the entire Eastern Continent.

Because of their influence and potential, the archmages' identities were primarily concealed by the kingdoms, unless they decided to expose themselves by openly revealing their mana presence.

At this thought, Edris couldn't help but wonder how much Ace's abilities have improved for him to recognize one just with a glance.

Before exiting his room this morning, Edris had Ace provide an overview of his condition; according to the latter, his current form was still temporary. Although it was a nuisance to maintain, it was still better than nothing.

Nodding at his explanation, Edris had then asked him about the Harkness Notebook.

"So you managed to open it? Where is it now?"

"I ate it," Ace replied calmly.

"Pardon me?"

"I ate it."

"..."

What might have taken the average mage years and decades to figure out was realised by Ace in a week. Not to mention, he had absorbed all of its content, even down to its physical state.

Edris had fallen silent for a whole minute before lifting his head back up.

"So about your memories…"

"I still don't remember anything." Ace's response was curt and blunt.

"...It's fine."

Frankly, Edris wasn't too discouraged. Sure, his heart was bleeding at the bare money he could have gotten if he hadn't chosen this week-long-lifespan notebook, but thanks to the item, Ace had achieved exponential growth.

Optimistically speaking, it wasn't a bad trade-off for Edris, as there were now more ways to make use of Ace's skills.

Bringing his mind back to the present, Edris forcibly pushed back the memories as he turned his attention back to Magnus Vyris. After exchanging a couple more pleasantries, they parted and approached their respective seats.

Edris and Celio sat at the Awakened-specific table to the immediate left of the platform. The table was sparse with people; including the two of them, only seven were present, and Edris wasn't even an Awakened.

After exchanging a general greeting with those at the table, Edris leaned back and relaxed in his chair, casually observing the surroundings.

It's a clever set-up.

The hall was set up in a way that openly demonstrated the Zacriya family's relation with different nobles in power, as well as the general power dynamic of the kingdom.

Five tables were spread across the hall, and each seated the nobles from its respective territory. As there were only four major territories, the fifth table consisted of the influential Awakeneds in the Zacriya Kingdom.

He supposed this was expected. As a kingdom known for prospering mana sites, Zacriya placed a high emphasis on Awakeneds, especially those who chose to become mages.

Representing the northeastern territory (which included the capital), influential families such as the Ablemores and the Orteons were seated closest to the platform stage, while the less powerful were positioned at the back of the table.

Countless pairs of eyes scrutinized the surroundings as the nobles in power sized each other with passive-aggressive smiles. Taking in the various interactions, Edris let out a faint sigh.

Frankly, he was starting to regret being here.

I'm just a traveller who wants to make money. I agreed to this since rejecting the Crown Prince twice would be troublesome, but…

From the corner of his eye, Edris noted Celio's dazed state. Although sitting straight and staring ahead, Celio's gaze was empty. Edris suspected that the boy somehow learnt to sleep with his eyes open.

Impressive.

Suddenly, a clear voice boomed throughout the entire banquet hall.

"His Majesty, Her Majesty, and the Crown Prince are entering the hall!"

Immediately after the announcement, the two grand doors opened simultaneously, and all guests rose from their seats.

The first to enter was the King and Queen of Zacriya.

Like the Crown Prince, they also had red hair unique to the royal family's blood, adding a sense of fierceness to their already dignified presence. Especially the King. Despite the signs of senilty on his face, his hair kept ablaze, adding a touch of vitality to his ageing presence.

All heads bowed as they passed through the long banquet hall, towards the top of the elevated platform, without acknowledging any greetings.

It was because the main appearance was yet to be made.

Entering right behind them was none other than the spotlight of the event—Dolan Zacriya.

In his majestic formal clothing, Crown Prince Dolan looked nothing like the carefree prince Edris had met back in the royal palace's conservatory. He stared straight ahead and, with clear strides, made his way to the centre seat between the King and Queen.

With his red hair neatly styled behind him, Dolan lifted his hand slightly, and the banquet doors closed shut.

With the right hand over his chest and his head slightly lowered, Edris was absentmindedly planning his dinner plans when Ace, resting inside his coat pocket, muttered something that made his blood run cold.

"The Queen is using disguise magic."

…Damn it.

Edris wanted to unhear this at once.