Chapter 64

As I entered the venue, as expected, I was enveloped in a wave of murmurs and cheers.

"Is this the lucky man who won Miss Yulia's heart?"

I could almost hear the men's thoughts and gazes.

On the other hand, I could also sense the disappointed glances from the women.

No, some of the noblewomen were even more blatant, saying,

"Surprisingly, he's just an ordinary man."

Perhaps they had imagined me to be an incomparably handsome man, given that I was the one who had captured Yulia Octave's heart.

Unfortunately, in this world, I only possess average looks, being a very ordinary person with black hair and black eyes.

Seeming to sense this, Yulia whispered in my ear,

"You don't need to worry. To me, Sir Ike is the most handsome man in the world."

She said this with a blush.

"...The most handsome man in the world."

I muttered this so that Yulia wouldn't hear.

They say love makes people blind, but when someone says something like that, you can't help but doubt their aesthetic sense.

As I was thinking this, the people who had been gossiping earlier started to approach us one after another.

According to what I heard, the main guest of honor at the party didn't have the leisure to touch the food prepared in the venue.

The main reasons were the nervousness of being the guest of honor, which made it hard to swallow, and the barrage of questions from those trying to expand their social networks.

Sure enough, we were bombarded with questions from unknown nobles and merchants.

"How did you come to know Miss Yulia?"

"I heard you are from Ismus, Sir Ike. Are you from a merchant family or a noble family?"

"Today is the engagement announcement, but have you decided on a wedding date yet?"

Incidentally, I hadn't revealed my true identity to Hans and Yulia.

Rike is a pseudonym, and I had told them that Ike is my real name, but they wouldn't connect me to the leader of the Demon Army.

The name Ike is common among both humans and demons, so I could confidently lie.

"I am Ike, a magician from Ismus. I am technically from a noble family in Ismus, but I am at the lowest rank of the knight class, not even allowed to enter the royal palace. Please remember that."

There are probably Ismus nobles in this reception hall, but no one could possibly know all of them.

Here, it's best to lie confidently.

My grandfather used to say,

"The bigger the lie, the less likely it is to be exposed."

And so—

As I spent this idle time, the orchestra appeared and began to play music.

Young men and women who had come with the intention of finding a future partner eagerly invited their desired partners to dance, but of course, the one who approached me was Yulia.

My gaze involuntarily went to Sati, but she was being approached by the son of some noble.

I felt a bit annoyed, perhaps due to a protective instinct.

However, thinking calmly, it was natural for a beauty like her to be approached. If I were in the same position, I would have approached her too. But Sati seemed to be in distress.

Indeed, that girl is timid, and if left alone, she might be forcibly dragged into the dance. I was about to go to her aid when I stopped.

I saw Sati bowing deeply, almost too deeply, and then, holding the hem of her dress, she walked over to me.

I thought it was unusual for the timid Sati to do this, but the reason for her approach soon became clear.

"Master, a familiar from Lord Sefiro just arrived."

"From the leader?"

I saw a starling, Sefiro's familiar, perched on Sati's right shoulder.

I wondered if the negotiations had been successful as I opened the letter tied to the familiar. The words written there were unusually brief for him.

"I am surrounded by the enemy army. Request immediate reinforcements."

That was all the letter said.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, I turned to Yulia and bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry, Miss Yulia. It is a great regret that I cannot dance with you, but I have urgent business to attend to."

I thought Yulia would puff her cheeks in anger, but surprisingly, she was understanding.

"It is said that a Xenobia woman's shame is to interfere with her husband's work. Please, go and fulfill your duties without any worries."

She smiled. Her mother, who had approached, also agreed.

"It seems to be an urgent matter. The 'engagement' has been completed. The only thing left is the wedding date, which can be decided after the war calms down."

Hearing this, Yulia pouted for the first time.

"Mother, do we really have to wait so long for the wedding?"

"Oh, you can use the time to make your wedding dress. Take your time to have the best one made."

"Then, my wedding dress will be the most luxurious in Xenobia, no, in the world."

"Why do you think so?"

"Because the war between the Demon Army and humans is expected to drag on, as people are saying. I've heard many nobles talking about it."

Hearing this, Eltria looked at me with a sarcastic expression.

"No, I don't think it will drag on."

She paused for a moment.

"Apparently, the Demon Army has a magician called the Demon Army's right-hand man, the strongest magician. With him, the war won't drag on."

What a bold statement, but Yulia seemed a bit afraid.

"But if the Demon Army conquers the world, what will happen to us? What will happen to Xenobia?"

"What do you think? After all, your fiancé has the same name as that magician of the Demon Army."

She was teasing me, but I could only respond this way.

"Surely, it will be a better world to live in. Please rest assured, Miss Yulia."

"…I hope so."

I couldn't tell if Yulia was reassured, but after bidding them farewell, I asked Eltria if I could use the teleportation room in Xenobia.

"Of course, go ahead. I wish you good luck."

She must have understood the situation from my attitude, even though I didn't explain it.

Determined to meet their expectations, I headed to the teleportation room.