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Alice came and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

She swung it open and came in, carrying some clothes.

As I stretched, she approached and showed me what she had brought.

"Young Master, I brought the clothes you ordered me to prepare."

"Okay."

Then she helped me get dressed.

What I had asked for was a black suit. It was a simple outfit with no decorations.

I hadn't adapted to the flashy clothes everyday around here, so in the end, the outfit had to be custom-made.

On top of that, a cloak with a pattern representing our family was wrapped around me.

'Not bad.'

Yes, this was what clothes should be. Instead of the ones with garish ornaments, these fit me better.

"It's done."

Alice brandished a mirror with a rosy glow on her cheeks. Her well-coiffed dark brown hair and piercing eyes were set off by her porcelain skin. 

Raymond was the epitome of handsomeness, so a sleek black suit fit me like a glove. 

I strapped the sword given to me by the knight commander around my waist and deemed myself ready for action. 

"It looks fine."

Nodding, I followed Alice.

"Young Master Raymond has arrived,"

Alice spoke to the knights.

They already knew me even if she hadn't told them my name.

After all, this was Count Millennium’s house, and they were the knights of Millennium.

Even so, declaring my name was a formality.

Creak.

The door opened gently, and the knights looked at me. Their eyes told me to go in.

Alice turned to me and said.

"Young Master, I have something else to do..."

"Yeah. Go ahead."

"I wish you a pleasant banquet."

Alice bowed and left.

There would be a lot of work for her during the banquet.

I watched her back until she disappeared, and then I entered through the door opened by the knights.

I looked around. Even though it was still early, the banquet hall was filled with nobles from across the kingdom.

Several were standing in front of the orchestra at the front of the hall. They were laughing contentedly with the sweet music filling their ears.

At the other edge of the banquet hall was a sparring arena, built in case of any conflict that might happen during the event.

Occasionally, those taken over by anger would go to the arena and engage in sparring, which was secretly popular with the nobles.

After all, the most entertaining thing was watching fights.

'Most of them are dressed similarly.'

Children of nobles in white or fancy-colored liveries and dresses with lace and ornaments.

And behind them, their parents, the nobles with real power, were conversing over half-filled wine glasses.

"Hahaha, and..."

"I mean..."

The nobles were showing off to each other.

Their lips curved upwards in a façade of cheer, yet their eyes remained frigid as they scoured for their companion's flaws. 

I couldn't help but shake my head at their petty behavior, badmouthing each other as soon as the other had their back turned.

‘That must be a tiring way to live.’

Why do they try so hard like that?

I ignored them and moved on.

"Is there anything you want?"

A servant walking around the banquet hall approached me. I gestured no and sent him away.

"Huh? Who do we have here? Aren't you Raymond? How have you been?"

Just then, a man with a bulging belly spoke to me in a friendly way.

Was he someone Raymond knew? I greeted him, not showing my doubts.

"Oh, yes. How have you been?"

"Hmm? I've been fine. But you look different somehow."

He looked at me strangely. It was a look as if he were a merchant evaluating a product.

I replied casually, ignoring that piercing gaze.

"People can't stay the same forever."

"Is that so? Hahaha. Then, keep up the good work."

"Yes."

I gave him a slight bow and walked away.

I felt his stinging gaze from behind, but I didn't mind.

"Huh? Raymond."

"What brings you here this time?"

Surprisingly, many people knew Raymond.

No, maybe that was natural since the rumors about Raymond were widespread.

Instead, there were probably only a few people who didn’t know about him.

I quickly grew exhausted from greeting them one by one.

'I shouldn't be this tired already.'

I let out a small sigh.

It would have been better if they had just ignored me, but maybe it was because I was the son of the person who held the banquet.

Or were they curious about Raymond, who was absent for four years?

They showed a great interest in me and individually approached me, taking up much of my time.

'There are more people.'

There were so many people that it felt like the banquet hall was completely full.

'I need to find Selina.'

My purpose in coming here in the first place was to find Selina. I didn't come to make friends with anyone else.

'She is someone I could notice from afar.'

Like Beatrice, the genius who fought against the main character to the end.

I met her for the first time when I visited Count Warrug to deliver the invitation, so the groundwork for our acquaintanceship was already laid.

'I'm sure she'll be surrounded by other nobles.'

That much was predictable. I could tell that several noblemen were hovering around her.

'Where is she?'

I was about to move to find her when I heard someone beckon on me in a low soft voice.

"Young Lord Raymond."

I turned my head to the voice calling me, and I froze.

"You were here."

Selina, in a white dress, was smiling at me.

***

There were five men around her.

Each of them had their swords tied to their waists, decorated in their own way.

They didn’t try to hide their hostility while they watched me talk to Selina.

From their point of view, I would be no different from an uninvited guest who suddenly showed up on their doorstep asking to stay the night.

'Sorry, but I also have my reasons.'

No matter how they looked at me, I couldn't help it.

What mattered to me right now was developing a relationship with Selina.

"How have you been? I was worried I might have interfered with your training that day."

"The opposite. Thanks to you, I was able to find the problem. Rather, I should be grateful that I could take a step forward."

"I'm glad you found it helpful."

That was a good start.

She had a soft smile and didn’t look upset at all. I was slightly relieved when I thought of something we could discuss.

"Haha. Why don't we all have a fun conversation, not just the two of you?"

One of the men who had been silently observing our conversation interrupted.

He took a step forward and cleverly positioned himself between Selina and me.

“My name is Kaham Ruhaman.”

To be honest, I was a bit surprised by how he put his hand on his chest and lowered his head in a bow.

Kaham Ruhaman from the Ruhaman Household. After Count Warrug, the next family famous for swordsmanship was that of Viscount Ruhaman.

Kaham Ruhaman was the eldest son of Viscount Ruhaman, and he was also quite talented if the rumors could be trusted.

He was sociable and had a vast social network. Looking at that alone, it seemed that getting close to him wouldn't be wrong.

'There were no details on him in the novel.'

He was a character who appeared briefly in the beginning, so I didn't pay much attention to him.

"I am..."

"I know. You are the Young Lord Raymond."

He cut me off. Putting aside the fact that he knew me, why did he interrupt me?

Was he also of the same breed as those rude apprentice wizards?

'Let's not make a hasty judgment.'

There wasn’t enough information to judge him with just that one interaction.

Besides, there was no need to make enemies this early if I could help it.

"By the way. Lady Selina."

"Yes?"

"I never thought you would be acquainted with Young Lord Raymond."

But the way he looked at me was strange. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not.

The way he regarded me was different from the looks he sent Selina’s way.

"What does that mean?"

"Well… you know. Doesn't Young Lord Raymond have... a bad air about him?"

Oh. That's right.

I'd only been at the training ground these days, so I forgot about it for a while.

"Those rumors about how he likes to inflict harm on others, how he’s incompetent trash... I heard he's only in the 1st Circle."

Yes, that was contempt, a gaze that seemed to behold an insignificant insect.

This guy was worse than those apprentice wizards.

"What's that…? I think you should apologize. Why are you being so rude to Young Lord Raymond?"

Selina looked uncomfortable.

His voice was by no means low, so he could be heard by everyone around him.

"Huh? All that’s true. It's Raymond."

"I haven't seen him here in four years. Where did he find the guts to come out now?"

"What trouble will he cause this time?"

I heard the whispers of the nobles around us.

“Young Lord Kaham!”

Selina glared at Kaham.

What he did was insult me in front of everyone.

If it weren't me but Raymond, the former owner of this body, he would have been greatly intimidated by the gazes around him.

At worst, he might have run away on the spot.

'This is fun.'

Instead, I stared at him.

Kaham laughed as if my reaction was amusing.

That guy. Maybe he had something to do with Raymond in the past. That would explain why he would do this to me, the son of Count Millennium, in our very house.

Maybe he thought I wouldn't do anything, just as before.

"Incompetent trash, huh…?"

I murmured softly.

I felt I muttered it too quietly to hear, but Selina glanced back at me as if she had heard.

It was hard to tell exactly what she felt before I turned my gaze back to Kaham.

"You are not wrong."

I laughed and smiled.

His smile faded as he grew flustered with my reaction when he was expecting cowardice.

"But there is one thing wrong with what you said, Young Lord Kaham."

"..."

As I spoke, I remembered someone who would enjoy the current situation.

['The Unknown God' shines at the thought of a new event.]

Yes, that message popped up.

Ignoring it, I stopped smiling.

"I’m indeed trash, but I'm not incompetent."

There certainly was someone who could intimidate this guy in this situation.

That's how my 'act' started.

"But I wonder what you were thinking when you said that."

A charisma that I didn't usually have slowly emanated from me.

"Knowing that I'm the Young Lord of the Millennium Household..."

The force of it spread out.

Kaham and Selina flinched.

"To say that I'm incompetent..."

I rubbed my chin.

Like ripples on a pond, my momentum radiated outward, unable to contain itself any longer. 

Selina stared at me in shock, no doubt recognizing the intensity of my gaze, the force of my presence, and the familiar timbre of my voice. 

I could understand her disbelief - I was a far cry from the person she once knew.

'Bane Warrug.'

I was now 'acting' as Bane Warrug, the head of the Warrug Household and a renowned swordsman.

"I don't know what you thought when you said that."

I didn't know what he thought when he said that to me.

But one thing was clear: he showed hostility toward me.

He insulted me.

"Can you take responsibility for it?"

Grin.

As I flashed my carefree grin, Kaham Ruhaman's countenance turned pale in response.