Chapter 103: A welcome party
The next day.
.
.
.
The first rays of sunlight pierced the morning mist, painting the streets in gold.
Walking across those polished stones gave the impression of following a road made of molten gold.
For the first time in a long while, I had set aside a few ceremonial outfits with elegant tailoring.
Simple enough not to draw excessive attention, yet refined enough to convey respect.
Today was a day for politics.
Kant personally took the reins of the carriage.
A short while later, we stopped in front of Lurdot’s residence.
The old man was already waiting for us outside.
He wore a long, formal dark blue robe, carried an elegant black cane, and maintained the impeccable posture of a scholar.
The moment he saw me step down from the carriage, his wrinkled face lit up with a genuine smile.
— Welcome, my friend!
— My apologies for making you wait.
— The appointed time hasn’t arrived yet.
— I simply came out too early.
With the help of a servant, he climbed into the carriage.
As soon as the door was closed, Kant snapped the whip, and we once again traveled through the city’s streets.
For several minutes, only the sound of the wheels rolling over the stone pavement accompanied our silence.
It was Lurdot who spoke again.
— Today, Viscount Probel is hosting a banquet.
— Naturally, you’ve been invited as well.
— After all, any powerful individual who settles in his city is bound to arouse his curiosity.
I slowly nodded.
It was perfectly understandable.
An intelligent ruler would never ignore someone capable of altering the balance of power within his territory.
In fact, I was even surprised that he had waited so many days before approaching me.
Lurdot gave me an amused look.
— You don’t seem very excited.
I let out a quiet sigh.
— I’ve never been a fan of this kind of social interaction.
— If I could choose, I’d spend the entire day inside a laboratory conducting experiments.
The old man laughed sincerely.
— I used to say exactly the same thing when I was young.
He rested both hands on his cane.
— But one day you learn that living is also part of knowledge. There are pleasures beyond books... good food, fine wine, beautiful women...
I smiled faintly.
To me, that difference was perfectly understandable.
Lurdot had been stuck at the third level of acolyte for decades. His path as a mage had practically reached its limit.
I hadn’t.
I still had countless possibilities ahead of me.
Every hour wasted on empty entertainment was one less hour spent researching and experimenting.
Even so, building useful relationships was an investment.
And intelligent investments always yielded returns.
Lurdot interrupted my thoughts.
— Cheer up. Today you’ll meet a few old acquaintances of mine.
I looked at him.
— Other acolytes?
— Exactly.
— They all live in this region.
— They’re much younger than I am.
— I imagine you’ll have many things in common.
That truly piqued my interest.
Until now, Lurdot was the only practitioner of magic I had met in this city.
— Now I’m actually looking forward to this banquet.
The carriage continued onward until it reached the central district.
Soon, the castle came into view.
Built atop an elevated hill, it completely dominated the city’s skyline.
Around the enormous gates, two perfectly aligned rows of soldiers stood motionless.
Their black armor absorbed the sunlight as though it were forged from the night itself.
Lurdot noticed my gaze.
— They are the Black Iron Guards.
— Viscount Probel’s personal troops.
His voice carried a measure of respect.
— A few years ago, around a hundred of them defeated an army of more than five hundred men.
I looked at the soldiers once more.
Discipline.
Training.
Standardized equipment.
Even without the Biochip, it was easy to tell they were no ordinary guards.
We stepped down from the carriage.
Several other elegant carriages already occupied the square before the castle.
Nobles emerged from them dressed in luxurious clothing.
The men displayed embroidered cloaks and ornamental swords.
The women walked gracefully in magnificent gowns, accompanied by the fragrance of expensive perfumes.
As soon as Lurdot appeared, several aristocrats approached to greet him.
Apparently, his influence among the local nobility was far greater than I had imagined.
While he exchanged a few polite words, I quietly observed everything around me.
It wasn’t long before one of the guards recognized Lurdot.
He disappeared through the gate.
A few seconds later, a powerful voice echoed from inside the castle.
— Lurdot, my old friend!
Everyone turned toward the voice.
A gigantic man came striding across the courtyard.
For a moment, I thought I was looking at a bear wearing noble clothing.
He stood nearly three meters tall.
Each step made it seem as though the ground vibrated beneath his weight.
His broad chest, massive shoulders, and disproportionately muscular arms gave the impression that an ordinary suit of armor would simply burst apart if he tried to wear it.
His face bore striking Western features.
A square jaw.
Long sideburns.
A steady gaze.
It was impossible to ignore his presence.
I have to admit...
I felt a hint of envy.
In my previous life, I fully understood the practical advantages of possessing a body that size.
Greater reach.
Superior muscle mass.
Overwhelming physical power.
Probel spread his arms and embraced Lurdot with such force that any ordinary person would have broken a few ribs.
— Little Probel keeps asking when you’ll come back to teach him.
Lurdot smiled.
— He remains one of the most intelligent students I’ve ever had.
After a few moments, the old man turned toward me.
— Allow me to introduce him.
He gestured in my direction.
— This is George Gill. A good friend who has come from afar.
The enormous viscount walked over to me.
His smile was warm.
— The City of Distant Wind welcomes you.
Before I could even respond, I was pulled into an embrace powerful enough to crush an ordinary man.
I maintained a polite smile.
Inwardly...
I had already issued another command.
— Biochip... complete analysis.
[Bip!]
[Name: Probel]
[Gender: Male]
[Physical Status]
[Strength: 8.90]
[Agility: 7.70]
[Vitality: 6.10]
My pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
What absurd numbers...
Even without using any magical techniques, that man possessed physical attributes capable of rivaling monstrous creatures.
His strength surpassed that of an ordinary knight several times over.
His vitality was equally terrifying.
The continuous enhancement of his life force had broken through the natural limits of the human body.
He wasn’t merely an exceptional warrior.
His entire body had evolved to withstand impacts, fatigue, and even part of the effects of Zero-Rank spells.
If an arrogant, careless acolyte decided to confront him head-on without paying attention...
They would probably die before even finishing their incantation.
The embrace from Viscount Probel still lingered in my muscles.
It wasn’t merely a gesture of welcome.
It was a test.
A man accustomed to measuring the worth of others by their strength would naturally do something like that.
Probel broke into a broad smile while keeping one of his enormous hands resting on my shoulder.
— Very good! You’re a Knight as well, aren’t you?
I noticed the subtle change in his expression.
Before, he had treated me merely as a guest introduced by Lurdot.
Now...
There was respect.
Someone capable of enduring that monster’s grip without showing any sign of pain could hardly be mistaken for an ordinary acolyte.
— I reached that level not long ago.
— I’m still far from reaching yours.
Probel let out a booming laugh that seemed to make the air itself tremble.
— Hahaha! I like men with masculinity and spirit, just like my soldiers.
In reality, I had no interest whatsoever in competing physically with that man.
If I were ever to surpass him...
It would be through magic.
We continued walking alongside Lurdot until we passed through the enormous doors of the main hall.
The moment I entered, my eyes instinctively swept across the room.
It was magnificent.
The white marble floor had been polished so meticulously that it perfectly reflected the people walking across it.
Above, a gigantic chandelier, entirely gilded, dominated the ceiling.
Hundreds of lit candles illuminated its countless colored crystals, scattering golden, crimson, and bluish reflections throughout the hall.
To the left, an orchestra composed of musicians dressed in elegant black tailcoats performed a slow and refined melody.
The music filled the room without ever becoming intrusive.
Several enormous tables covered with white tablecloths lined the sides of the hall.
Upon them rested gold and silver platters laden with fresh fruit, roasted boars, whole lambs, seasoned poultry, fish, cheeses, and countless varieties of bread.
Silver decanters displayed wines and other beverages whose aromas could be sensed even from a distance.
At the center, dozens of couples danced slowly.
Colorful gowns twirled across the ballroom while the nobles talked, laughed, and raised their glasses in celebration.
I observed everything for a few seconds.
It looks like a ballroom... with a massive banquet beside it.
Naturally, a feudal lord needed to display his wealth.
It was an effective way to reinforce his authority.
Lurdot noticed my curious gaze.
— Enjoy the banquet. I need to greet a few old friends.
I nodded.
— Please, go ahead.
Without ceremony, I picked up a glass of grape wine from a nearby tray and sat down on a sofa away from the dance floor.
The wine was pleasant.
Far better than I had expected.
As I sipped it slowly, my eyes continued discreetly observing the behavior of the guests.
A few minutes later, I spotted Lurdot again.
Or rather...
I only spotted part of him.
The old man was walking surrounded by several women wearing extremely low-cut dresses.
All of them were smiling while holding onto his arm.
Soon, they disappeared together through a small side door.
I stared for a few seconds.
Does he really think he has the energy for that?
It seemed I had greatly underestimated that old man.
I had barely had time to continue that train of thought when I heard a gentle voice beside me.
— May I sit here?
I looked up.
A young woman wearing an elegant purple dress stood before me.
Her long golden hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall of spun gold.
I quickly glanced around.
The nearby seats were empty.
I smiled politely.
— Of course. I’d be happy to have the company.
She sat down gracefully beside me.
For the first few minutes, we spoke only about trivial matters.
The music.
The city.
The journey.
I soon realized that she possessed an almost childlike curiosity.
That made things considerably easier.
With the memories of both my lives...
Between scientific knowledge, inventions from Earth, and a few creative adaptations, telling interesting stories was extremely easy.
Naturally, I omitted any details that would have been impossible to explain.
— So... that machine really flew?
Her eyes widened.
I nodded.
— It did.
— Without wings?
I smiled.
— Technically, it did have wings... but they were made of metal.
She blinked several times.
— And it could carry hundreds of people through the skies.
She covered her mouth with both hands.
— That’s impossible!
— I thought so too when I first heard about it.
A little while later...
She was laughing without the slightest restraint.
— Hahaha!
Her refined posture had completely disappeared.
Her laughter drew several curious glances from the nearby nobles.
I must admit, it was amusing to watch her completely forget aristocratic etiquette.
It was at that very moment that I heard another voice.
— I hope I’m not interrupting.
I raised my head.
Lurdot was walking toward us.
His clothing remained impeccably neat.
Not a single strand of hair seemed out of place.
I discreetly looked at him.
Then at the side door.
Then back at him.
How?
I decided that some questions simply shouldn’t be asked.
Lurdot smiled.
— Our friends have arrived.
I nodded.
That was precisely why I had come here.
I stood up.
The young woman seemed to come back to her senses only at that moment.
— Wait!
She raised one hand to her forehead.
— We’ve been talking for so long... and I never even asked your name.
I smiled.
— George Gill.
— You can just call me George.
She smiled shyly.
— I’m Umy.
For a moment, she seemed hesitant before continuing.
— I live at Number 34, Iron Street.
A faint blush spread across her face.
— You’ll be welcome if you’d ever like to visit me.
I inclined my head slightly.
— I’d be honored.
I said goodbye to her and followed Lurdot.
As soon as we had walked a few meters away, he gave me an amused smile.
— I didn’t expect you to be so popular with the young ladies of the city.
I chuckled quietly.
— I think she simply enjoyed the stories.
Lurdot raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing that explanation very much.
— Come.
He pointed toward a side corridor.
— Everyone is already waiting.
We walked to a small private room, much quieter than the main hall.
The moment I stepped through the door, I immediately sensed several waves of mana.
My eyes swept across the room.
Several people were gathered inside.
Men and women.
They all appeared to be different ages, but there was no doubt that they were all acolytes.
.....
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