Chapter 57

Entering the ballroom with a sense of displeasure and disappointment, the ballroom was a spacious hall where the gathered nobles were already in conversation.

"Her Majesty Queen Rozlin of the Commune Union has arrived."

The gaze of the ballroom immediately focused on Rozlin. Without hesitation, she responded with a calm smile that showed no sign of fatigue.

"Oh, how pure and beautiful."

Voices of admiration reached her ears at the sight of Rozlin's beauty. It seemed that the nobles of Castar were quite favorable towards Rozlin. Her efforts over the past few days seemed to be paying off.

However, the word "pure" did not sit well with me. Rather, Rozlin was more suited to words like "lively" or "spirited." Everyone was being deceived by the queenly demeanor Rozlin was putting on. I wondered what the nobles here would think if they knew the real Rozlin.

Taking in the entire ballroom, I saw that not only King Wilfred of Castar but also Emperor Viktor of the Vayksel Empire had already arrived.

"Ah, Her Majesty Queen Rozlin. You look splendid."

An unfamiliar, well-mannered nobleman approached Rozlin. He was probably a noble of high standing in Castar.

"Princess Rozlin, could you please address the gathered nobles before the ball begins? We are also expecting words from King Wilfred and Emperor Viktor."

"Of course, I understand."

Rozlin said apologetically to us.

"Chaos, Maeris, please act on your own today."

We nodded silently. Rozlin seemed busy, as she had to act as a queen in public. It was unfortunate, but it was part of her duty.

"Look, there's a spread of food over there!"

At the edge of the ballroom, a table was set with food. Vieve hurried towards it with a delighted expression. I rushed to follow her, making sure not to lose sight of her.

"Excuse me, are you not Sir Chaos?"

A voice I didn't recognize called out to me. I looked to see who it was, but it was a young woman of noble birth, probably a noble's daughter, whom I had never met before. Moreover, she was not alone; a group of young women had gathered around her, either as her entourage or friends.

I wondered if she was a noble of high standing, given that she was surrounded by others. I was not at ease, thinking that I might be involved in some feud with Castar's nobles again.

"That's correct, but do you need something?"

I wanted to leave quickly, but I couldn't just ignore her. Besides, I sensed a different impression from these women, as if they were intensely curious.

"Oh, I thought it might be you when I saw you with Her Majesty Queen Rozlin, and indeed, it is Sir Chaos!"

"This gentleman is the hero who saved this country, isn't he?"

As soon as they recognized me as Chaos, I was surrounded by them. Before I could grasp the situation, I had lost all means of escape.

"I've always wanted to speak with the renowned Sir Chaos."

"Come, let's talk over here, shall we?"

This felt familiar, like something I had experienced in Clermont. Ah, yes, it was when I became famous and was nearly swept away by a crowd of enthusiastic people.

The difference this time was that only young women were present. Back then, the crowd included people of all ages, and I had to struggle to get out. These women were not as forceful, but they did not seem willing to let me go.

If I tried to force my way out and touched them, it would be considered harassment. Given that they were noblewomen, it could even escalate into a diplomatic issue, which was frightening.

Moreover, the young men around us were giving me intimidating looks. I could understand their jealousy; if I were in their position, I might have done the same.

But it was clear that I was not the one who had gathered these women; they had surrounded me. However, that didn't matter. Even if the truth were known, the objective reality would not change. It was too unreasonable.

The women around me giggled and bombarded me with questions about my background, where I was from, and my past achievements. I understood their interest, but I wondered if it was necessary to ask so much. I answered them casually, but it was becoming increasingly tiring.

I looked around, hoping someone would come to my rescue. Rozlin was busy talking to the nobles and couldn't spare a hand. Vieve was completely focused on the food. Please, notice me!

Just when I was at a loss, an unexpected hand was extended to me.

"Excuse me, could you please let me through?"

A rough and deliberate voice came from outside the group surrounding me. The women around me looked at the source of the voice, and there was another group of noblewomen, with a girl at the center who seemed a bit stern. She looked younger than me, probably around the same age as Alecia. There was a sense of familiarity about her.

I thought they were blocking the way, but something seemed off.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We will clear the way immediately, Your Excellencies of the Vayksel Empire."

With that, the group surrounding me tried to move away, taking me with them.

"Wait, we also want to speak with Sir Chaos."

What, these girls too? What, am I in a popularity phase?

However, I didn't have time to think about it as the girl continued.

"If possible, I would be grateful if you could let us have Sir Chaos and step aside."

—The temperature around me dropped instantly, as if it had fallen below freezing.

The smiles on the faces of the women around me vanished, and their expressions turned blank. It felt as if sparks were flying between the two groups.

"Is it that the nobles of the Vayksel Empire do not understand the rules of conduct? We were having a pleasant conversation with Sir Chaos first. It is quite rude to interrupt after arriving later."

The women around me giggled, but the girl did not flinch and responded with a mocking tone.

"No, we are simply offering you a kind warning. From what I hear, Sir Chaos is a brilliant mage with exceptional skills, even respected by the Emperor. To converse with such a person, one needs the intellect to keep up. I wonder if the young ladies of Castar possess such intellect. In other words, we, who are also excellent mages, are more suitable. Do you understand? It would be better to save yourself the embarrassment of disappointing Sir Chaos and leave now."

As she finished speaking, the women in her group giggled. Oh, this is like pouring oil on the fire.

Her words had a significant effect, and the women around me began to show signs of distress.

"Huh, the nobles of Vayksel say interesting things."

"No, not as much as the nobles of Castar."

Now, not a single young noble was looking at me with resentment. Instead, they were looking elsewhere. I was a party to the conflict, yet I was left out. However, I was still surrounded and couldn't escape. What should I do?

As I was at a loss, I saw Alecia in the distance.

The moment I saw her, I was speechless.

It was Alecia, no doubt. But it was different. She was wearing a dress that suited her demure nature, with minimal exposure. Yet, it exuded a strong sense of femininity. It wasn't girlish; her lips seemed to glow, and I realized she was wearing light makeup. However, my limited knowledge of such things only allowed me to notice this much. Just this much made such a significant difference in her appearance.

If I had to describe it, perhaps this was what allure was. It was a word that didn't seem to fit her usual self, yet it felt right and drew me in. I wanted to keep looking at her, as if I were being pulled in. If Alecia grew up, would she possess even more allure?

"Sir Chaos?"

The curious noblewomen's voices interrupted my thoughts. It seemed that my dazed expression had caught their attention, causing them to pause their heated discussion.

"No, it's Alecia."

I swallowed the words, "I was admiring Alecia," as I felt embarrassed just as they were about to come out.

"Alecia? That girl was talking to another noble just now."

"Do you know Alecia?"

She seemed to be around the same age as Alecia, probably through noble connections.

"I am a student at the prestigious Vayksel Imperial Magic Academy and a friend of Alecia."

The girl said proudly.

The magic academy, I recalled. The capital of the Vayksel Empire, Sturbrüssen, had a magic academy for nobles.

However, I had hardly ever heard Alecia talk about the magic academy.

"...What kind of student was Alecia?"

Curious, I asked the girl. She beamed and began to speak, while Alecia, who had noticed me, was making her way over. It seemed the girl had not yet noticed Alecia's presence.

"She was a genius, the first of her kind in the history of the magic academy, respected by all the teachers and students."

Alecia stopped in her tracks.

"However, she is shy, so I helped her enjoy her school life."

Alecia's face began to contort. It wasn't the embarrassment of a friend talking about her.

"...Wow, you're so kind."

"No, it's just what a friend should do."

Alecia was smiling, but it was different from her usual smile. It was a forced, rigid smile, as if she was enduring something. It felt like she was wearing a mask and desperately crying for help.

Looking at her face, my chest tightened. It was painful.

I looked at the girl again. I had been too flustered by the many women around me and hadn't really looked at her properly. But now, I noticed that the dress she was wearing, even from behind, was the same as the one I had seen earlier in the group at the entrance. Her voice was also the same, and some of the women in her entourage were the same. This was the source of the sense of familiarity.

Academy, shy. As these puzzle pieces fell into place, I realized the truth.

Ah, these girls. They were bullying Alecia.

No one had noticed Alecia's changes. None of these people had tried to help her.

In the real world, there wouldn't be a hero to save her at such a moment.

But this world was different. Even if I was a fake hero, a mere apprentice, I was still a hero.

So I had to extend a hand to save her.

No, it wasn't a matter of duty. It was a simpler reason.

I wanted to save Alecia from this terrible situation.

"Sir Chaos, would you like to talk over there?"

"...No, it's fine."

"Huh?"

"I've had enough."

I glared at them with clear hostility.

"...S-Sir Chaos?"

"Do you really consider Alecia a friend?"

"Y-Yes, that's right."

"Then why does Alecia have such a sad smile?"

I cut off the girl's confused words and pressed on. It was the first time they seemed to notice Alecia's presence.

"Ha! You, who bullied her at the academy and just now were talking behind her back, are not her friends!"

They fell silent at my outburst.

"Move. I don't want to be here anymore."

Pressed by my intensity, the women around me reluctantly made way.

"Sir, teacher?"

I took Alecia's hand, who was holding her arm and crying out in pain. I had been gripping her arm too tightly without realizing it. I stopped and let go.

"Sorry, Alecia."

"It's fine, I'm okay."

She fixed her disheveled hair and smiled, trying to reassure me. What was I doing?

"Before entering the ballroom, I overheard a conversation. I heard they were bullying Alecia. I got angry and couldn't control my emotions."

I bowed my head.

"Please look up. ...Can we talk for a moment?"

She slowly began to speak as I looked up.

"In the Vayksel Empire, all nobles are mages, as the first emperor and the nobles who supported him were mages. I studied magic from a young age."

This was the story of Alecia's upbringing. I only knew that she was a famous noble's daughter in the Vayksel Empire.

"But I was not good at the magic taught in the Vayksel Empire. Do you remember our first meeting? I could only cast the basic spell 'Mana Bolt,' and even that was weak. In a society where magical prowess is valued, this was a fatal flaw. My parents ignored me and treated me as if I didn't exist."

To ignore someone just because they couldn't do magic, to so easily discard family ties—could people really do that?

I was just confused. My parents would scold me if I couldn't study, but they wouldn't abandon me. I shouldn't equate the real world with this world, but I couldn't understand Alecia's parents' mindset.

No, even in this world, the values of the Vayksel Empire were unique. The twisted noble society of the Vayksel Empire was where she lived.

"It was painful and difficult, but I couldn't give up. So I studied magic hard. But even with knowledge, my skills didn't improve, and it didn't solve anything. This continued even when I went to the magic academy. I was confident in my studies, but my practical skills remained the same. It didn't take long for others to look down on me."

Alecia, who was talking about her past, was far from the bright Alecia I knew. She seemed fragile and about to disappear. Seeing her made my chest feel heavy.

"I had no friends, and calling them friends was a big lie. They bullied me, but as soon as I was called the Holy Maiden, they turned around and called me a friend. Do you know? I was called 'Useless' and despised. The only one who supported me was Irene. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to act strong and my spirit would have been broken."

So, that girl wasn't Alecia's friend. The reason I felt Alecia was seeking help was because the girl was lying and hurting her.

Alecia was alone. Irene was there, but to Alecia, who was abandoned even by her real parents, Irene was like family.

"Then, I met you. At that time, I envied and resented you so much, a mage adventurer. I was afraid you would look at me with disappointment and ridicule, just like everyone else."

Our first meeting. At that time, I thought she was a beginner player. I thought her dark expression was because she had set her parameters wrong, making her magic weak and unable to defeat monsters, which made the game unenjoyable.

That's what it meant.

"But you were different. You showed me a new path. You accomplished what no one else could, and you never gave up on me. I can't express how much I was saved. Even you, Sir, can't understand how I felt at that time."

I couldn't fully understand the feelings of someone who had been abandoned by their family and called 'Useless.' But her expression changed from the melancholic one to the bright, usual Alecia.

I had always thought of this world as a game and had done many things that couldn't be undone. I had even engaged in a fierce battle with Alecia due to a misunderstanding. Yet, to Alecia, I was someone who saved her.

"You saved me, and Irene supported me. But I couldn't understand why she lied about being my friend. I wanted her to stop immediately."

"Then why didn't you deny it?"

"That's... I didn't want you to know."

Alecia's face contorted as if she was struggling to reveal her thoughts.

"My life was all about