Chapter 53

"Party?"

"Yeah. It's being held at the castle, you know."

Fey said this, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"...Well, I'm not really good at that kind of thing."

"Yeah, I figured. You don't seem like the type who'd want to go to places like that..."

Yeah. I'd rather stay indoors than go to crowded places.

"Still, it's pretty sudden, isn't it?"

"Hmm... Yeah, it is. The letter arrived yesterday, and the party itself is the day after tomorrow."

...It really is sudden.

"It seems there was a mistake in delivering the letter. The guy who brought it was groveling. Seeing that, I kind of felt bad... Yeah."

I can understand that feeling.

"...So, the reason I want to take you along..."

"If there's a reason, I'll go."

"Whoa!? Really!?"

Yeah. If asked if I'm interested, I'd say I'm not. If asked if I want to go, I'd say I don't.

But if Fey wants to take me, I'll go. If asked, I'll go.

"...Well, I'm glad... But I'll explain, so listen, okay?"

Yeah.

"First, it's a party at the castle. Officially, it's a 'gathering for nobles and influential people.'"

...Just by saying 'officially,' I can imagine there's a hidden meaning. I don't like it.

"Actually, it's about 'finding a fiancé for the princess.'"

"Oh... The one the Giolens were talking about?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

I see. The party Fey was invited to is the one I heard about at the Giolens.

"Remember what was discussed at the Giolens? It seems the castle wants to obtain Red Dragons and other summoned creatures."

"Yeah, I remember."

The Giolens wanted summoned creatures to 'please the princess.' So, it means the princess, the king, or the people at the castle want Red Dragons and other summoned creatures.

And... if I think about the content I overheard, it seems the castle wants summoned creatures as a military force.

"...So, you can see why I was invited, right? It's because of the Red Dragon."

"Yeah."

That makes sense. Fey was invited because he has a Red Dragon.

"This letter arriving at the last minute might not be an accident. If it's close to the deadline, I can't prepare and have to go to the party. If the transportation is by carriage, we'd have to leave today to make it to the capital in time..."

"That's terrible."

It might really be an accident, but from what Fey said, it feels more like an incident.

I don't know if they're trying to take the Red Dragon from Fey or capture him... but the people at the castle seem to want to meet Fey at all costs.

"If a letter with the king's seal is sent, I can't not go. I have a bad feeling about being specifically invited, but I have no choice but to go."

"Yeah."

I understand. Fey is in a tough situation.

"So, I'm going without preparation. I can't bring a large number of guards, and I don't have time to find a skilled bodyguard."

"Uh, yeah."

...Am I being treated as a bodyguard? I don't have much confidence, but...

"Besides, the scary part of going to the party isn't just the royal family, but also other nobles... who will probably be drawn to the Red Dragon. But I don't want to talk to those people, and I might be endlessly asked to marry their daughters!"

"Uh... I see..."

Maybe I'm being taken along to deal with those nobles? I have even less confidence in that...

"So, let's get back to the point."

"Yeah."

"What's good about taking you along..."

Bodyguard? Stand-in? What's coming?

I wait for Fey's words, heart pounding...

"I can focus on you!"

Yeah. I don't understand. I didn't get it.

"Uh, focus on me..."

"Basically, I can just talk to you the whole time. Or if you suddenly feel unwell, I can go to the break room with you!"

...I see.

"So, you want to use me as an excuse to escape."

"Yeah! You catch on quick!"

Yeah... Yeah, if that's the case, I'm not completely without confidence.

"So... is it okay?"

"Yeah, it's okay, but..."

Besides, I was planning to go if asked. I want to help Fey if he's in trouble. I've been helped by Fey a lot. If I can return the favor, I will.

...But there's something I'm a bit concerned about.

"Uh, is it okay to take me along?"

"Huh? Yeah."

"Parties are usually attended with a woman, right?"

"No, I don't have a specific partner, and there's no such rule. It's better to take you than to bring a woman and have her misunderstand."

Oh, I see. If that's the case, it's fine.

"Also, if I take you, Laocles will come along too. That way, there will be someone who looks like a 'guard,' so weird people won't come near us."

...I look at Laocles. He has a 'I don't mind' look. Yeah. If that's the case, I'll go with you.

"But I don't know what to do at the party."

"Don't worry. Just talk to me. Besides, it's a party where people other than nobles will gather, so it's okay to be a bit rude."

I don't have much confidence in manners, but if that's the case, it's fine. Since Fey says it's okay, it's probably fine. If it doesn't work out, I'll just do my best.

"Still... it would be boring just to do that. So, why not just observe the party? It's not something you see every day. Plus, there will be food. Yeah, the castle's food is delicious, so you can go for that too."

I'm not that interested in the food... but yeah. The party is something you don't see often.

If it's a place where beautifully dressed people gather, it must be a picturesque scene. Yeah. I want to see it.

"By the way... how about this? Since it's the castle, let's look at the paintings and decorations. You're interested, right?"

Yeah. I am. I suddenly feel motivated.

"Haha. Togo, you look really motivated!"

...Yeah. I can't help it because I really feel that way.

That day, I went to town with Fey to buy clothes.

...Well, formal wear. Since we're going to a party at the castle, we need clothes for that. Neither I nor Laocles have such clothes.

However... when we entered the shop Fey often uses, and he picked out clothes for me... they were somehow different from what I imagined.

"...Uh, isn't this a bit frilly?"

The shirt I'm trying on is... frilly. Yeah. A frilly shirt. Is this really for men? I have a strong resistance to it based on my sense.

"Huh? But you look good in this."

What does that mean?

...On the other hand, Laocles was chosen a normal, non-frilly outfit. Maybe because he's treated as a guard and shouldn't be dressed up...

"Uh... I don't like clothes that are hard to move in."

"Got it. You look good, but... how about this one?"

"Yeah, this one... no, the hem is frilly!"

...Basically, all the clothes in this world feel like costumes to me. So, choosing clothes I can wear without resistance was quite difficult.

In the end, I ended up with a shirt with a bit of embroidery on the collar but no frills, a vest with no back, and a long-tailed coat-like garment over it. This isn't too bad. However, I had to tie a thin ribbon in a bow instead of a tie, and the shoes were long boots, which... yeah, felt like a costume...

After buying the clothes, I watched the Redgard family prepare while getting ready with my summoned creatures and art supplies.

"What about the Opal with the Phoenix?"

"Huh? Not wear it as an accessory?"

"Um... if it's visible, it will announce that I have a summoned creature, so I'm not sure if that's good or bad."

In this world, gems are a kind of weapon. So, I'm not sure if it's better to make them visible or not...

"Oh... I see. It's probably better not to show it this time."

Yeah. Since Fey will be causing a stir with the Red Dragon, it's better for me to hide the Phoenix.

So, this time, the Opal with the Phoenix will be hidden under my clothes where it can't be seen.

...Instead, I'll wear a small, empty gem as a brooch on my chest. It's a fashion statement to show that I'm not defenseless, so I won't be underestimated.

"By the way, about the bamboo tube..."

"...Bamboo tube?"

"Yeah. This one. Would it be weird to bring it?"

That was the first time I showed the bamboo tube to Fey. When I took it out, the tube fox popped out and stared at Fey.

"Huh? This thing can enter something that's not a gem?"

"Yeah. It can enter gems too, but it seems to prefer tubes... Hey, no, stop that!"

The tube fox, after coming out of the bamboo tube, immediately started to enter my shirt sleeve. Hmm, it really likes tubes...

"...A tube, huh?"

Fey, seeing this, thought for a moment... then left the room and came back.

"Maybe this one?"

Fey held a cylindrical, beautifully crafted bottle.

The tube fox looked at the bottle in Fey's hand, tilted its head... then went in a bit and came right out.

"Oh, it doesn't like it?"

"Uh... what is that?"

"Huh? A bottle. It used to contain a magic potion. It's crafted with magic, so I thought it might like it."

I see. Magic...

"...Oh, looking closely, this bamboo... yeah, this tube is quite magical. Is it a spirit wood? No wonder it doesn't like other tubes."

...Yeah. This bamboo is special. It even glows.

"Does that mean it goes into my sleeves and hems because they're 'high-magic tubes'?"

"Yeah..."

When the tube fox came out, I asked if that was the case, and it replied with a fox-like 'kon.' Yeah, I see...

In the end, I decided to bring the tube fox in the bamboo tube. I made a holder for the bamboo tube to attach to my belt, so I wouldn't have trouble carrying it.

"Uh, what about Laocles? If he brings the Alicorn, he'll need to carry a shield... but..."

"...Do you think you can bring a shield to a party at the castle?"

I don't think so. Yeah, it's too dangerous.

"Well... the Alicorn can either stay behind or temporarily move into another stone."

"Right. Should I negotiate with it to move into the unused stone?"

"Yeah."

The Alicorn is in the gem on the shield, so it's better to move it for such occasions. There's no other choice.

After that, Laocles negotiated with the Alicorn and successfully got it to agree to a temporary move.

I checked the tube fox holder and prepared a small sketchbook to sketch the castle. Fey also prepared hastily... and we decided to rest that night and leave the next morning.