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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Mockery and Murderous Whispers
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'Why are they looking at them like that?'
The strange gazes directed at Lena and Risar.
As Jeon wondered about those looks...
A few of the people sending those stares approached them.
"Ah! You must be the famous lady of the Silvermont Family who visited Celleron recently. Nice to meet you. I'm Sayra Berkendel."
The first to approach was a noble young lady dressed in a flashy gown.
Seeing her approach with her attendants, Jeon quickly averted his gaze downward.
'Almost made eye contact.'
Recalling the etiquette lessons from Angela, Jeon lowered his eyes and immediately began interpreting for Lena.
"She says her name is Sayra Berkendel. She's pleased to meet you."
"Yes. Please tell her I'm pleased to meet her as well."
With Jeon in between, greetings were exchanged between Lena and Sayra.
Up to that point, it was just a normal greeting.
But the problem came next.
"Oh my, it's my first time seeing a Foxkin up close, but your ears are truly beautiful."
Risar flinched first upon hearing Sayra's following words.
Jeon, not knowing why, relayed Sayra's words to Lena as they were.
"...You too are truly beautiful."
Lena flinched once as well, then replied a beat late in a slightly trembling voice.
Her reaction was suspicious enough for anyone to notice.
So while relaying Lena's words, Jeon realized that what Sayra had just said was somehow off.
'This... don't tell me?'
And sure enough.
"Hohoho, thank you. Well then."
Watching Sayra laugh and leave as if her business was done, Jeon was convinced inwardly.
'These bastards are discriminating by race right now?'
Coming over out of nowhere to greet, saying the ears are beautiful, then leaving abruptly.
And the reactions from Lena and Risar upon hearing it.
It perfectly resembled the behavior of racists Jeon had seen even in his previous life, subtly mocking differences.
Moreover, there weren't just one or two acting like that.
"Lady Lena, I've heard so much about you. As rumored, Foxkin appearances are truly beautiful. Especially those ears—they're quite charming."
"I hear the Silvermonts own a great many silver mines? Haha, I'm quite envious. No wonder your ears shine like silver, Lady Lena."
The words from each approaching noble varied slightly in detail.
But every one of them made sure to mention the ears before moving on.
"She says she's heard a lot about you. That you're as beautiful as the rumors, Lady Lena."
"They say they've long heard the Silvermonts have many silver mines, and they're envious."
So after that, Jeon filtered out all mentions of ears when translating.
"...Thanks."
"No big deal. Paraphrasing happens in interpretation."
Though she didn't fully understand Imperial perfectly, Lena noticed Jeon's consideration and expressed brief gratitude.
Jeon replied as if it were nothing, but he felt a bit sorry for her.
'...No wonder she hates parties.'
Nobles openly mocking a young girl at a social gathering, of all places.
'And they're doing this because they're in a group.'
Though Lena was a Foxkin, she was the lady of the Silvermont Family, second only to the king in Langley Kingdom.
Most of those subtly mocking her wouldn't dare speak up one-on-one.
If called out for rudeness here, they'd band together with the others and paint this side as the weird ones.
Knowing that well, Lena and Risar were holding back.
Still, it wasn't all bad— not everyone approaching was a lunatic.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Ivy Celleron, second daughter of the Celleron family."
"Yes, pleased to meet you. I'm Lena Silvermont of the Silvermont Family."
"I saw from afar—there are so many rude people. Allow me to apologize on their behalf."
"No, it's fine."
Ivy, who came after several others had passed, was quite considerate and polite, so Jeon didn't need to filter anything while interpreting.
'As expected from the hosts, she at least has basic manners...'
But that was only compared to the earlier ones.
Jeon still felt something off about Ivy.
'Her eyes aren't smiling at all?'
Her mouth was full of smiles, but glancing at her eyes while interpreting, they weren't smiling at all.
No, beyond not smiling, they gave off a cold aura.
"The prince will arrive soon. He's entering through the banquet hall, so shall we head that way first?"
"It's that time already. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Lady Ivy."
"Oh no, we invited you, so I'm sorry you had to deal with trouble at our party."
Her gaze was a bit unsettling, but her actions were impeccable.
She even guided them to a spot on the outskirts—not too exposed to stares, yet subtly close to the entrance, a perfectly calculated position.
'As long as she doesn't make it obvious.'
Jeon didn't know why Ivy had that look.
But compared to the overt mockers earlier, it was tolerable.
Plus, the spot she chose was so perfect that no one approached, letting Jeon catch his breath.
'Consideration is consideration, after all.'
Of course, conversation between Lena and Ivy didn't stop, so full rest was impossible.
"When did you reach the 3rd Circle, Lady Lena?"
"Ah, in my case, I barely managed it last year. I hear you reached the 3rd Circle last year as well, Lady Ivy..."
Still, Jeon didn't mind interpreting between them.
"We both advanced around the same time. What method do you use for your magic training, Lady Lena?"
"I believe in trying things out as much as possible, so whenever a good idea or small insight comes, I try to express it in magic right away."
"Aha! That's the opposite of me. I..."
Since Ivy was a mage too, their talk naturally turned to magic.
'This is pretty helpful.'
Of course, it wasn't deep magical discussion.
But having learned all magic except rune magic from books, the elite mages' stories were both helpful and fascinating to him.
"So with your family's secret arts, can you reach 4th Circle level?"
"No, not quite. Our secrets can boost power, but not enough to cross a full circle."
Eventually, talk turned to their respective levels.
Secret arts, huh.
'Is that the burning fox I saw before?'
It was clearly 3rd Circle magic, but formed with Silvermont's signature silver mana.
Unlike Jeon's Silver, it lacked independent will but moved according to the user's intent—impressive magic.
'And I blocked it?'
Thinking about it, what circle level was he at?
He could only use modern 1st Circle magic for now, but he had two rune magics that operated on different principles.
He hadn't learned mana heart cultivation for gathering mana, but for short bursts, he had a mana stone to substitute.
'It's complicated.'
In life-or-death combat, maybe 3rd Circle or higher.
Otherwise, vaguely better than basic 1st Circle—that was his self-assessment.
"The prince is coming soon!"
"Everyone, get ready!"
Suddenly, the surroundings grew hectic.
Voices and footsteps quickened, and all eyes in the banquet hall turned to the grand staircase at the center.
Conversations halted, including Lena and Ivy's—and everyone else's.
'Impressive.'
The blood of the emperor ruling the empire.
This moment showed the weight of that name.
All these nobles dropping everything to focus on the prince's entrance.
"Lord Jeon, this way."
"Huh? Oh, yes."
With the prince due any moment, Risar pulled Jeon behind Lena.
A commoner couldn't stand close to royalty.
He had to stay behind his noble charge.
'Like a general visiting the army.'
Of course, to Jeon, it was just an analogy.
He felt no reverence or intimidation like the others here.
'Everyone's bustling about.'
While all eyes were on the staircase, Jeon noticed the busy surroundings more.
Thanks to that.
"Flower blooming over a corpse."
"Reap the flower's fruit."
"...Huh?"
Jeon overheard two people among the moving crowd exchanging suspicious words.
But not just because the meaning was unclear.
'...That's a completely different language.'
Jeon's Korean Patch ability let him instantly grasp any language's full knowledge upon seeing or hearing it—vocabulary, grammar, written vs. spoken differences.
But this language was different.
Not just from Imperial or others.
'It's highly restricted in use.'
Its structure was complex and tricky for everyday talk or writing.
Like a cipher made for a special purpose.
Confirming each other, the first speaker passed a note to the responder.
The recipient peeked at it, pocketed it deeply, nodded once, and hurried off.
'...Way too suspicious.'
Notes for sensitive info made sense.
But using such an odd language openly while passing it?
An action no one but Jeon would notice as suspicious, right before the prince's entrance when all eyes were on the stairs?
"Silver, can you snag that note?"
-Kyaaang? Kyaaang!
Too suspicious to ignore.
Jeon secretly pulled Silver from his pocket.
Usually finger-sized, it could shrink further if needed.
Now half-size, Silver nodded at Jeon's words and launched toward the note-bearer.
Tadadak!
Small but swift.
Silver quickly caught up and slipped into the man's pocket unnoticed.
Almost simultaneously, the massive doors at the staircase's end slowly opened.
"The Fifth Prince of the Eldraon Empire, Lucian von Eldraon, enters!"
The bloodline of the emperor lording over the continent's vastest lands.
That great lineage slowly entered the banquet hall.
"Heaven's punishment upon the filthy, ugly bloodline!"
With a shout of unknown meaning, the note-bearer hurled himself toward it.
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