Chapter 357 - Chapter 349: Engagement Announcement Banquet
"Eleos Arqvist-sama. Congratulations on your engagement to Princess Margarete of Rhodeberg."
"Thank you for your words of celebration. Thank you for attending this announcement banquet."
Having safely reached the day, at the engagement announcement banquet for Eleos and Margarete, Eleos received words of celebration from one of the attendees, Baron Noah Wikander, and answered in a somewhat stiff manner.
The location was one of several courtyards in the royal palace. Since the weather was good today, the celebration was held outdoors under soft sunlight.
"Oh my, how polite. To be able to deliver such a greeting at this young age, truly you are worthy of being His Excellency Grand Duke Arqvist's legitimate son."
"Haha, I made him practice many times over the winter."
Noein said with a wry smile to Noah, who showed a surprised expression.
"My, it seems the young prince has inherited His Excellency Grand Duke Arqvist's talents. He appears truly intelligent."
"Indeed. To be this composed at five years old... It seems His Excellency Grand Duke Arqvist also has a talent for raising children."
Speaking with Noah were Baron Tobias Oggoren and Baron Viowulf Rosbroke. They were all close friends with whom Noein was on familiar terms.
All three of them, having personal connections with Noein, the ruler of a neighboring country, were regarded with respect even among the current middle-ranking nobles of the kingdom. The royal family also considered them important figures, and their invitation to today's banquet was proof of that.
"It's a bit embarrassing to receive such excessive praise. My son has a curious nature, and while I couldn't spend much time with him, he grew freely, and before I knew it, he turned out like this."
Eleos, whose head was patted by Noein, looked up at his father with a blank expression.
At a slightly removed location, Margarete was receiving greetings from attendees together with her father Oscar and mother Ingrid. For Eleos and Margarete, the main figures of today, this was probably a boring banquet where they only had to return standard greetings to the adults who approached them one after another.
"Well then... I'll step away for a bit, Clara."
"Yes. I'll keep an eye on Eleos."
Leaving the matter to Clara beside him, Noein moved. Behind him, Matilda followed like a shadow.
Where Noein headed was a section where the leaders of each faction and representatives of noble houses of equivalent rank were gathered.
"Oh, Your Excellency Grand Duke Arqvist."
Siegfried noticed Noein and approached while calling out. Noein responded cheerfully.
"Lord Bechtolsheim. Thank you for indulging my son's clumsy greeting earlier. Allow me to offer my greetings to your legitimate daughter as well."
"How polite. I am grateful... Edelgard."
"Yes, Father."
Stepping forward from behind Siegfried was Edelgard Bechtolsheim, who had exchanged a brief nod with Noein when receiving congratulations for Eleos earlier. She was Siegfried's eldest child and the woman who would become the next head of the Bechtolsheim Marquess house.
She was in her mid-thirties. Having been selected as the next head over her younger brother, who was the eldest son but had a scholarly disposition, her expression was full of confidence. Her appearance was not beautiful, but she gave off a sense of strength and magnanimity similar to her father.
"Your Excellency Grand Duke Arqvist. Once again, congratulations on the engagement of your legitimate son and Princess Margarete. Also, though it is a greeting on this occasion, I believe I will have more opportunities to attend such events in the future. I look forward to your continued guidance."
"Thank you. As the head of state of the Grand Duchy, I hope we can cultivate ever greater friendship with the Bechtolsheim Marquess house."
To Edelgard's words, clearly conscious of the generational change in the not-too-distant future, Noein returned a greeting premised on that. As the faction leader of the northwestern region of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg, closest to the Arqvist Grand Duchy, she was an important figure who would have a long relationship with Noein, and perhaps even with Eleos.
After that, Noein exchanged greetings with the legitimate son of the Marcel Count house, the legitimate son of the Shuvalov Count house, the Marchioness attending as a representative of the Staufenberg Marquis, the legitimate son serving as a representative of the Bittenfeld Marquis, and the still-young Marquis Galdwin, the only faction-level noble attending in person. As the head of the Arqvist Grand Ducal family.
"...I'm back."
"Good work, dear."
As the successive greetings came to a pause, Clara welcomed Noein, who had returned to his wife and son with a tired expression, with a gentle smile.
"Thank you. There are still plenty of greetings left though... I thought I understood from watching Lord Arnold and the others at my own wedding, but at a celebration banquet, the parents of the main figures also have a hard time."
"It is a place to celebrate the connection between houses, after all. In a sense, the current head of the house is the true main figure rather than the legitimate child."
The greetings were not only with close nobles or important nobles of faction-leader rank. There were many court nobles and local lords who wanted even just their names and faces to be known to the Grand Duke Arqvist, and after a short rest, Noein would have to receive greetings from various people. Since he never knew what connections might arise in the future, he had to remember as many names and faces as possible.
Information could be obtained from trivial conversations, and conversely, information could be taken. Even in harmless small talk, he could not let his guard down.
Even if participating in a position to be celebrated, for nobles, socializing was work and battle. That was why Noein honestly did not like social gatherings. There was no way it could be enjoyable to chat while probing the intentions of people who did not like him, unlike his vassals and subjects.
"Excuse me, Your Excellency Grand Duke Arqvist."
Another voice called out to Noein.
The voice sounded familiar, but with a calmer tone than he remembered. When Noein turned around, standing there was his half-brother, Count Julian Kivileft.
"Well, well... Lord Kivileft."
He knew Julian was attending, but the impression from meeting him up close was vastly different from before. There was almost no trace of the timid, unreliable person he used to be. At least in appearance.
"I wished to offer my greetings directly. Congratulations on the engagement of your legitimate son, Eleos-sama."
"Thank you for your courtesy... Look, Eleos. This Lord Julian is my younger brother, your uncle."
Saying this, Noein called Eleos over and had him offer greetings. Julian showed a slightly surprised expression.
"Your Excellency, is this acceptable? In a place with so many ears."
"It's fine. It shouldn't be a problem if anyone hears now. Father, who wanted to hide my origins, is no longer here."
To his younger brother's question, spoken in a lowered voice, Noein dropped his formal tone and answered in a completely normal volume.
There was no longer any inconvenience even if it became known that he himself was Maximilian's dark history. Rather, hinting that the Arqvist Grand Ducal family had connections in the southeastern part of the Kingdom of Rhodeberg would serve as a check against the kingdom's nobles. That was Noein's thinking.
"Thank you, Brother."
"No need for thanks. More importantly, Julian, I'm surprised at how much you've grown as a house head. You're a different person."
"Haha, I've somehow managed to at least put up a decent appearance. I still have much to learn."
To Julian, who laughed gently, Noein returned a smile. At this rate, he thought, the day might come when they could build a true relationship of trust as brothers and cooperate as heads of noble houses.
"I brought my wife and son today as well, so I'd like some time for greetings... Bridget. Bring Chester over here."
When Julian called out, the Countess Kivileft, still with her simple and honest atmosphere, and her son, led by her hand—a boy who had grown since Noein last saw him, and who was Noein's nephew—walked over.
"It's been a while, Countess Kivileft. Your son has grown so much."
For Noein, the pleasant conversation with his younger brother's family became a precious, relaxing moment in the midst of the busy banquet.
.....
The day after Eleos and Margarete's engagement announcement banquet ended safely. Noein faced his next task—in a sense, the main business of this trip—a meeting with Oscar Rhodeberg III.
Officially, it was for presenting congratulatory gifts regarding the engagement and for private greetings. However, the actual purpose was to discuss the Imperial-era ruins and the attack magic magical tool discovered in the Arqvist Grand Duchy.
Noein was invited to a luxurious room for receiving the most important guests from the royal family's perspective. This was likely not only because Noein was the ruler of one country, but also because an important room was easier to guard strictly and suitable for secret talks.
"Well then, Grand Duke Arqvist. Let us see these engagement congratulatory gifts of yours right away."
"Yes. I know Your Majesty has been greatly looking forward to them, so I shall show them to you immediately."
To Oscar, who spoke jokingly, Noein answered with a slightly playful tone. While saying this, both of course understood what this meeting was for and what the item Noein had brought was.
"Sir Schoenberg."
"Yes."
Pence, accompanying Noein as a guard and to transport the magical tool, placed an elongated wooden box on the table. When Pence opened the lid of the wooden box, inside was a staff of intricate design, topped with a red-glowing precious stone.
"...Hmph, it certainly appears to be an attack magic magical tool."
Seeing it, Oscar muttered while narrowing his eyes sharply.