Chapter 50

Chapter 19. Banquet (5)

'Well, it’s not surprising that the Inner Palace would send someone to the Lunacandel banquet.'

It was a meeting he had somewhat anticipated.

Jin stared at Seris for a few seconds before calmly pouring wine into her empty glass.

"You are the daughter of the Inner Palace Lord. The honor is mine."

Jin subtly observed her as he raised his glass.

-How could a guy like you repay a great person like me? Just think of it as a good memory. Drop by the Inner Palace once in a while if you think of me. Goodbye!

This was what Seris had said in Mamit.

At the time, she had been unusually kind to Jin. Not only did she immediately rule him out as a suspect in the Moonlight Well terror attack, but she even personally applied healing resin to his shins.

A completely different Seris from the one he had only heard about in rumors in his previous life.

Still, it wasn’t something to think too much about.

'She must have just been in a good mood.'

Jin understood Seris from that time in this way. Of course, Seris wasn’t really a person above Jin.

"If you are fifteen, then we are the same age. I am very envious of how you achieved such rapid success. The blessed body of Lunacandel is simply enviable."

Seris, who spoke with feigned admiration, was no ordinary person herself. She was already in the mid-4th rank, a prodigy growing at a remarkable speed.

"I also consider it a blessing. However, the bloodline of the Inner Palace is a great blessing as well. I can’t even imagine how much the Inner Palace Lord cherishes you."

"Yes, being an only daughter, I receive a lot of affection. Ah, does this sound presumptuous?"

Seris’s eyes softened, and her silver hair swayed naturally.

"Not at all. Being the youngest is a fact known to the whole world. I envy you, Seris. Having many siblings can be tiring sometimes."

"Oh, you talk about it so casually. With so many eyes and ears around. What will you do if your siblings question you later?"

"Isn’t throwing a tantrum a privilege of the youngest? Ha, anyway, I would like to visit the Inner Palace someday. If I start building a good relationship with you now, it might not be just a dream."

"Ha, I didn’t expect someone from the Garden of Swords to be curious about the Inner Palace… Alright, I’ll send you an invitation soon."

Just as Jin was about to respond, Seris extended the wine bottle. His gaze involuntarily followed the wine as it poured, and for a few minutes, the two were silent.

'She definitely recognized me. Shouldn’t I start talking about that now?'

His face wasn’t completely hidden by the sword soot, and he couldn’t alter his voice. Jin was confident that she had recognized him.

'It would be disappointing if someone of the Inner Palace’s successor level couldn’t recognize me.'

Seris suddenly leaned in close to Jin.

"However, Prince Jin Lunacandel, there is one thing I want to ask."

"Yes, Seris, what is it?"

"Is your injured shin better now?"

Indeed, the moment had come.

Jin smiled and shrugged.

"Yes, it’s fine. Thanks to the great person who personally applied the resin, someone like me couldn’t even think of repaying the favor."

Jin’s casual response made Seris’s brows furrow.

"You have a thicker skin than you look, Prince. Then, I need you to explain why you were at Mamit’s Moonlight Well that day."

"Why should I?"

"At the time, my subordinate, the 7th Sword of the Inner Palace, Ryu, couldn’t find the magic terrorist. It was quite a blow to my pride, and later, I wondered if the boy I let go might not have been the culprit."

Click.

Seris pulled her chair closer to Jin. They were now so close that their faces were only a few inches apart.

"That’s a possibility. But magic, as you can see, I am a Lunacandel. Do I look like a criminal? I’ve never held a mage’s staff in my sword-wielding hand."

"Of course, I don’t think you are. But, you were probably on a mission for Lunacandel in Mamit at the time. And you might have hired another mage because the mission was too difficult."

Click, Seris ground her teeth and continued.

"Moreover, among the people at the Moonlight Well at the time, the only ones Lunacandel might have wanted to assassinate were the Inner Palace members. As the leader of the 7th Sword, I can’t let this go."

Her voice was calm, but it was filled with murderous intent.

The moment she saw Jin at the banquet, she was convinced that he had come to Mamit to assassinate an Inner Palace member on Lunacandel’s orders.

And she had foolishly bestowed kindness on the very person who had attacked the Inner Palace members.

'I guess she thinks I attacked the Inner Palace members. I almost harmed them while trying to kill Alcaro, so it’s partly true.'

Jin, who had read Seris’s thoughts, continued to play the fool.

"Um, we were having a good time just now. I don’t understand why you’re doing this, Seris."

"Tsk! You’re going to play dumb until the end. Fine, if that’s how you want it, I have a plan."

"Can I ask what your plan is?"

"I’ll drag you to the arena and beat you like a dog! Then I’ll spit on that despicable face. I challenge you to a duel, Jin Lunacandel."

"Good grief…"

Jin quickly looked around, worried that someone might have heard Seris’s sudden outburst.

Fortunately, no one seemed to have heard, thanks to Seris whispering right next to him.

"Do I need to say it louder? Let’s go. You need to pay for tricking me back then."

At this point, the duel was inevitable.

'Seris is the perfect opponent to test my current sword skills.'

Seris Endorma, the only daughter of the Inner Palace Lord. She was undoubtedly a formidable opponent for her age… but Jin remembered his father’s words.

"Seris, I’m really sorry, but I can’t accept the duel."

"Are you afraid you’ll lose?"

"No, it’s just that my father warned me. He said I should never fight someone who looks weaker than me."

Snap!

The thin stem of the wine glass Seris was holding broke under her grip. Her clenched fist trembled.

"What did you just say?"

"Don’t misunderstand. I would like to spar with you, Seris, but I can’t disobey my father’s orders."

"You damn…!"

Seris glared at Jin with bloodshot eyes, then sighed. She soon regained her composure and carefully placed the broken glass on the table.

"Prince Jin, you must find it very amusing to toy with me. How about I toy with you?"

Suddenly, Seris grabbed Jin’s hand and placed it on her thigh.

"Now, scream, ‘Ah, where are you touching?’ and push me away…"

Jin chuckled and nodded as if he had no choice.

"If that’s what you want, I’ll play along. Let’s go quietly."

"You should have said that earlier."

The two stood up and started to move, but a few people watching them couldn’t help but misunderstand.

"End of the world, end of the world. Merry, the youngest just put his hand on her thigh… and it looked like he was about to kiss her. Do kids these days just do that when they make eye contact? What the hell, where are they going?"

Diphus Lunacandel, who was drinking wine with Merry at the opposite table, said. From his angle, it looked like Jin had covered Seris’s mouth for a kiss.

"Any empty room will do. Ignore it, brother. At fifteen, they’re all grown up."

"Good grief. Did you do that at fifteen?"

"What’s it to you? Can you handle it?"

"Alright…."

"Let’s drink. The daughter of the Inner Palace Lord and our youngest, they won’t be able to date freely once they grow a bit more. Enjoy while you can."

The arena was still empty.

The fighters and spectators would start gathering after midnight. Jin and Seris would be the first duel of this Lunacandel banquet.

It was for the best. Defeating her in front of everyone would have been too cruel.

As they entered the arena, the guardian knights saluted with their swords.

"Young Master, are you here for a duel?"

"Yes. Keep the medical team here, and the rest of you, step out for a moment. Ah, bring two usable swords."

"Yes. I’ll seal off the arena until your duel is over."

The perceptive guardian knight said, and Jin nodded in satisfaction.

"Thank you."

The medical team also retreated to the waiting room, sensing the atmosphere.

In the vast circular arena, only the two of them stood. The guardian knight brought the swords, and Jin let Seris choose first.

"Pick the one that fits your hand better, Seris."

"Jin Lunacandel. You’re still just an ordinary 5th rank, yet you’re so full of yourself."

Without even comparing them, Seris picked the first one she grabbed.

The moment she held the sword and adjusted her stance, she became a completely different person. Her eyes, which had been burning with anger, turned cold, and her sword, aimed at him, didn’t even tremble.

'I’m experiencing the Inner Palace’s swordsmanship, which I’ve only heard about in rumors.'

Still an ordinary 5th rank.

Seris’s description of Jin was not without reason. She knew that Jin had not yet received the various secret techniques and ultimate skills of Lunacandel.

On the other hand, Seris, though in the mid-4th rank, was the sole successor of the Inner Palace. There was a reason why she looked down on Jin, who had clearly achieved more than her.

"Before we start, promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"If I win, you must tell me everything that happened in Mamit that day. Every detail."

"Alright. If I win, then you never saw me that day. We’ll act as if we met for the first time today."

"You’re quite confident. Come on!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Jin closed the distance. Just as he was about to start pressuring her with his superior physical abilities—

Sizzle!

Suddenly, Seris’s sword was enveloped in a strange cold and froze.

The power that allowed the Inner Palace to stand tall in the middle of the West Sea, a symbol of the Endorma bloodline.

It was the 'Ice Sword.'