Chapter 12 – The Celebration Banquet

The celebratory banquet was a venue for the Hero candidates to mingle and introduce themselves. The crowd was ushered into another grand hall, where wine, fruit juices, and pastries had already been laid out.

The “Princess” was escorted to a seat at the head of the hall. She remained silent, letting the two priestesses at her side handle all the speaking on her behalf from start to finish.

Having grown up in a noble household, Jullius was well-versed in these social gatherings. He moved through the room with practiced confidence, responding to anyone who approached him, and never forgetting to slip in the “crucial” detail that his Holy Mark was located on his left chest, meaning it was positioned very close to his heart.

I was equally busy. Since I wanted to review the data of every single candidate before deciding whom to support, I couldn’t help but stare.

Even though I tried to use my bangs to mask my gaze, my wandering eyes didn’t go unnoticed.

When Jullius struck up a conversation with Henry McCaley, the taciturn man suddenly spoke up:

“The person beside you, Young Master Jullius, who might that be?”

Both Jullius and I were caught off guard. I had been trying my best to suppress my presence to the absolute minimum. I didn’t expect to catch his eye.

As for Jullius, he was likely wondering why the man hadn’t asked a single thing about him yet showed interest in the “shadow” standing behind him.

Nevertheless, Jullius maintained his polite smile.

“Vice-Captain Henry, this is my cousin and assistant, Asher Griffin.”

Henry’s cold, ash-gray eyes locked onto me. He pressed further:

“I noticed him staring at me for quite a while earlier. Is there a problem?”

I’d been caught. He certainly lived up to his military training; his vigilance was top-notch.

However, this wasn’t a big issue. Putting on an anxious front, I stammered:

“M-my apologies, Sir. It’s just that I admire the Heroes so much that I… ended up staring. I’m terribly sorry for bothering you.”

“Is that so…”

My explanation sounded reasonable enough, so Henry didn’t press the matter further and turned to acknowledge other greetings.

My “young master,” Jullius, however, was a different story.

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“You’re stuck by the side of a Hero candidate like me all day, and that’s still not enough for you?” he muttered, his voice laced with irritation. “Or do you think I’m not good enough and you’re out looking for someone better?”

I shook my head hurriedly. “How could that be? I was just a bit curious, that’s all.”

Jullius let out a sharp snort of disdain. “If you haven’t stared your fill yet, go stand in a corner and watch from there. Stop following me around. You’re in my way.”

Well, that was exactly what I’d been hoping for.

Without waiting for him to say it twice, I slipped away to the most secluded corner of the hall. To my surprise, the spot was already occupied.

What was her name again? Ah, Lealia Castela, the commoner girl with the herbalism skills.