The Banquet - End!
"Etheria Reinsta is making her appearance!"
A beautiful girl, adorned in a sparkling black gown, entered. She was accompanied by Viscount Walson.
"Isn't she that genius who participates in every tournament inside the capital?" a noble lady inquired.
"Yes, she is just 19 years old, but she possesses both looks and talents. She has a bright future ahead," another noble added.
"I agree that she is a phenomenal genius, but isn't she just a 4th-rank mage? She doesn't stand a chance of winning this tournament," a noble with a lean body declared.
One thing to note was that all the nobles present in this banquet were at least 3rd-rank mages. After witnessing the participants in this tournament, they were convinced that Etheria would be unable to win this tournament.
Among these comments, Etheria followed the Viscount, greeting other nobles. She had become famous in the Capital as a genius after participating in various tournaments in the past year.
The environment once again settled down as everyone present became busy with their own business.
The people there patiently waited for the banquet to officially start and to know their opponents in the first round.
Their attention was once again grabbed by the voice of the guards, but this time, the announcement was a bit... too loud.
It seemed like the number of guards announcing had doubled.
"Attention!! The Second Princess of the Mozard Empire, Princess Iris, is making her appearance!"
After the announcement finished, everyone's gaze fixated on the gates, awaiting the arrival of this unexpected royal. In a nick of time, the doors opened, making a rumbling noise.
Black, long dark hair gently hung over her shoulders. Her amber-red eyes showed her determination. She wore a red dress on her voluptuous body that left every man drooling. If she weren't a princess, no man would be able to control themselves in front of her.
The dress left her shoulders mostly uncovered and flowed down into a delicate halter neckline. It was a close fit that highlights her breasts, but it did so in a refined and modest manner.
Her arms had been left uncovered, which not only helped accentuate her gorgeous skin but also kepr the focus on other parts of the dress. To top it all off, she was wearing a lavish necklace and an embroidered bracelet.
[Picture in the Paragraph Comments]
"You must be wondering as to why I am here? I announce my participation in this tournament" The Princess announced.
"What? Princess Iris is also participating in this tournament!"
"But isn't she the greatest prodigy in the empire's history?"
"Indeed, she is a 6th-rank mage at the mere age of 22 and has received training in the knight order. It is said that she can match a 5-star knight in combat by imbuing her sword with her 6th-rank mana."
"It looks like we have to revise the predicted rankings for the first place. With Princess Iris participating in the tournament, she has the best chance of winning."
"Certainly, she hasn't lost even once on the same level or below. She is truly the pride of our Mozard Empire. The Invincible Genius!"
Countless whispers resonated across the venue. Many nobles chose to ignore the murmurs, approaching the princess. They exchanged greetings before gathering around her.
Most of the crowd assembled near the center where the princess was seated. In the corners of the banquet hall were Kaen and Silent Killer. Other loners were simply cast out due to status differences.
After a brief wait, the noble who had organized this tournament ascended the stage and began to speak with the aid of sound-enhancing magic device, his voice echoing clearly across the hall.
"I, Duke Valentino, welcome all the esteemed guests present here! This is my first time organizing a tournament. I hope you all will be pleased with my arrangements, and if you have any grievances, you can inform me after the banquet.
You all have waited too long; allow me to announce the start of the banquet!"
Applause!
"Now, please come to the stage once you hear your name being called.
Once you are on the stage, pick a ball from the box on the table located at the center of the stage. It contains pairs of balls with identical numbers. Participants who draw the same number will be opponents for the first round.
Now let's start with the first participant."
After Duke Valentino exited the stage, the names of the participants started being called out.
"Silent Killer, please come to the stage."
All eyes turned towards the black-clad man who went on stage and selected a ball. After announcing his number to the staff, he returned to his original position.
Similarly, other participants were also called out, with everyone paying attention to the numbers these individuals received, except for five people:
Silent Killer, Fire Wizard, The Boulder, Princess Iris, and Kaen, who was engrossed in conversation with Demios.
"Kaen, why is this tournament so grand, and why are these powerful people participating in it? They shouldn't have any reason to do so," Demios inquired, puzzled by the motives of the participants.
"That's due to the prize for the first Place. It's just too attractive to miss" Kaen answered with a grin.
"Oh, what is the prize that can even entice a princess to participate?" Demios questioned.
Now he was genuinely curious about the prize. All the participants were from different backgrounds.
Silent Killer from an assassin organization, Fire Wizard from a magic tower, The Boulder from The Mercenary Guild, others were nobles and mercenaries.
Even a princess of the second-strongest empire wanted that prize.
Just what was it?
"A wish!"
"The first prize is a wish that will be fulfilled by the duke if it is within his power. You can ask for money, fame, power, anything, and he will fulfill it!" Kaen informed.
"Oh, that's a really attractive prize. But then also, what will a princess request for? She has money, fame, power, and everything that one can want, even more than the duke has. Then, why is she participating?" Demios asked, confused about the motive of the princess.
"Oh, she? She wants the throne!" Kaen muttered nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal.
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(A/N - Thanks for reading. ^..^)