The celebration had reached its midpoint.
The music became livelier.
The wine flowed more freely.
The conversations grew louder.
The atmosphere became increasingly relaxed.
The grand ballroom of Frostbound Coast shone brilliantly beneath hundreds of enchanted lights.
Crystal chandeliers reflected upon polished floors.
The giant mana crystal at the center continued radiating soft blue light.
Guests moved throughout the hall.
Nobles mingled.
Merchants negotiated.
Researchers exchanged theories.
And somewhere during all this...
A completely unexpected phenomenon emerged.
The noblemen finally gathered their courage.
After all.
The ballroom was filled with beautiful noblewomen.
Intelligent noblewomen.
Well-connected noblewomen.
And tonight...
Many of them seemed more radiant than usual.
Especially the group that had spent hours discussing contracts, investments, and economic development.
Unfortunately for the noblemen.
Those women were no longer the same women who entered the ballroom several hours ago.
Not after meeting Kel Rosenfeld.
Not after discovering commerce.
Not after discovering negotiation.
Not after discovering something perhaps even more dangerous.
Potential.
Their own potential.
The first victim appeared shortly after.
Young Lord Marcus Arden.
Twenty years old.
Handsome.
Confident.
Born into a respectable noble family.
Marcus adjusted his formal coat.
Straightened his posture.
Prepared his most charming smile.
Then approached Lady Sophia Everhart.
Sophia stood beside a refreshments table discussing transportation routes with another noblewoman.
Marcus smiled elegantly.
"Lady Sophia."
Sophia turned.
The young noblewoman immediately recognized him.
"Lord Marcus."
The nobleman bowed slightly.
"You look beautiful tonight."
A classic opening.
Several nearby noblewomen observed.
Sophia smiled politely.
"Thank you."
Success.
Marcus continued confidently.
"The dress suits you perfectly."
Sophia nodded.
"Thank you."
Still successful.
Marcus felt encouraged.
Then he continued.
"I was hoping perhaps we could spend some time together tonight."
Sophia remained silent.
Several seconds passed.
Then she smiled.
"Certainly."
Marcus internally celebrated.
Victory.
Then Sophia spoke.
"What are your future plans?"
Marcus blinked.
"...Excuse me?"
Sophia calmly repeated.
"Your future plans."
A pause.
"You are the heir of House Arden."
Another.
"What direction do you intend to lead your territory?"
Marcus stared.
The question wasn't difficult.
Just unexpected.
The young nobleman quickly recovered.
"I intend to increase prosperity."
Sophia nodded.
"How?"
Marcus paused.
"...Through development?"
Sophia tilted her head.
"What kind of development?"
Marcus felt danger.
Real danger.
Not monster danger.
Conversation danger.
Nearby noblewomen immediately stopped pretending not to listen.
Sophia continued.
"What industries are your family's strengths?"
Another.
"What weaknesses does your territory currently possess?"
Another.
"What is your five-year plan?"
Another.
"Ten-year plan?"
Another.
"How do you intend to respond to Frostbound Coast's growing influence?"
Marcus stared.
The beautiful noblewoman before him had somehow transformed into a regional economic analyst.
Several minutes later.
Marcus retreated.
Defeated.
Not because Sophia rejected him.
But because she handed him homework.
Literal homework.
A written list of economic topics.
Nearby noblewomen applauded.
Sophia took a sip of juice.
Victory.
The second victim appeared shortly after.
Lord Theodore Vance.
Unlike Marcus.
Theodore considered himself extremely intelligent.
A future strategist.
A master conversationalist.
Surely he could succeed.
Surely.
The young nobleman approached Lady Amelia.
The same Amelia who accidentally secured timber contracts earlier.
Theodore smiled confidently.
"Lady Amelia."
The young woman smiled.
"Lord Theodore."
The nobleman bowed.
"I must admit."
A pause.
"You are the most captivating woman in this ballroom."
Amelia smiled politely.
Theodore continued.
"Your beauty rivals the moon."
Several nearby women rolled their eyes.
Amelia nodded.
"Thank you."
Theodore moved forward.
"I would very much like to know you better."
Amelia thought for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Very well."
Theodore smiled.
Success.
Then Amelia asked.
"What assets do you control personally?"
Theodore froze.
"...What?"
Amelia repeated calmly.
"Assets."
Another.
"Investments."
Another.
"Businesses."
Another.
"Resources."
Another.
"What value do you personally create?"
Theodore felt as though he had entered an ambush.
The beautiful noblewoman wasn't blushing.
Wasn't giggling.
Wasn't acting shy.
She was conducting an evaluation.
A serious evaluation.
Like an investor examining a startup.
Theodore tried recovering.
"My family possesses considerable influence."
Amelia nodded.
"Your family."
A pause.
"What about you?"
Critical hit.
Theodore suffered emotional damage.
Nearby fathers listening from afar nearly choked on wine.
The third victim appeared.
Then the fourth.
Then the fifth.
By now.
Word began spreading.
Rapidly.
Extremely rapidly.
One nobleman rushed toward his friend.
"Don't approach Lady Sophia."
The friend blinked.
"Why?"
"She asks questions."
"...Everyone asks questions."
"No."
The first nobleman looked traumatized.
"Not those kinds of questions."
The warning arrived too late.
Several more noblemen fell.
One by one.
Meanwhile.
The noblewomen themselves had changed.
Hours earlier they sought Kel's attention.
Now?
Something else occupied their thoughts.
Several sat together discussing opportunities.
"I never realized trade was this interesting."
Sophia nodded.
"Neither did I."
Amelia laughed softly.
"Do you know what surprised me most?"
The others looked toward her.
The noblewoman smiled.
"We don't actually need to depend entirely on our families."
Silence followed.
Because everyone understood.
For the first time.
They saw possibilities.
Real possibilities.
They possessed education.
They possessed social connections.
They possessed influence.
They possessed intelligence.
And now.
They possessed opportunities.
The realization felt liberating.
Another noblewoman spoke quietly.
"Before tonight..."
A pause.
"I thought my future depended on finding a suitable husband."
Another.
"Now I think finding a suitable future matters more."
The others became silent.
Not because they disagreed.
Because they understood.
Meanwhile.
The noblemen continued suffering.
One particularly unfortunate young lord approached Lady Roselyn.
The conversation began normally.
"Your eyes are beautiful."
"Thank you."
"I was hoping we might become closer."
"Excellent."
The young lord brightened.
Then Roselyn smiled.
"Why?"
The nobleman blinked.
"...Because you're beautiful?"
Roselyn nodded thoughtfully.
Then asked.
"And if beauty fades?"
The nobleman froze.
Roselyn continued.
"What remains?"
Another.
"What values do you hold?"
Another.
"What purpose guides you?"
Another.
"What kind of legacy do you wish to leave behind?"
The young lord suddenly felt as though he were being judged by ancient gods.
Several nearby guests openly listened now.
The entertainment value had become extraordinary.
At another table.
A group of fathers observed everything while drinking wine.
One noble sighed.
"My daughter rejected three suitors."
Another nodded proudly.
"Mine rejected five."
The first noble looked offended.
"That's not something to be proud of."
The second noble immediately replied.
"One of them didn't even have a development strategy."
The first noble paused.
Then nodded.
"Fair enough."
The standards had risen dramatically.
Far across the ballroom.
Lyra watched everything.
The ancient serpent stood beside Kel.
Golden eyes reflecting amusement.
The scene unfolding before her felt surreal.
Hours ago.
These women were attempting courtship.
Now they were evaluating long-term compatibility through economics, leadership ability, strategic thinking, and personal ambition.
Kel observed quietly.
Then sighed.
Lyra immediately noticed.
"What's wrong?"
The Count looked toward the battlefield of noble courtship.
"Nothing."
A pause.
"Those poor men."
Lyra laughed.
A genuine laugh.
One of the few times that night.
Far beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren nearly lost control from laughter.
"You've created monsters."
Kel internally sighed.
"I taught them economics."
"Same thing."
The Guardian sounded entirely serious.
Kel chose not to argue.
Because honestly.
Watching a noblewoman reject a suitor because he lacked a five-year territorial development plan was difficult to defend.
And as the night continued beneath the glow of chandeliers and mana crystal light...
The noblemen of the North slowly realized a terrifying truth.
The beautiful women before them were no longer merely noble daughters.
They were future leaders.
Future investors.
Future business owners.
Future matriarchs.
And suddenly...
Being handsome was no longer enough.