C9. Hunting Banquet (I)

"I hereby announce the arrival of the Grand Duke Jeison Si Einsoi and his son Duke Lenso Einsoi!" A booming voice called out the moment I stepped out from the carriage, a giant field of freshly trimmed grass entering my sight of view and the clusters of various ranking of nobles all simultaneously bowing their heads.

"You may rise." The Grand Duke smiled as he walked down the lavish red carpet laid on the ground. He donned a stylish black and red military-styled suit, the dukedom's insignia embedded on the breast pocket.

"Your Highnesses," He acknowledged, slightly bowing his head as he approached the grandeur golden thrones situated at the end of the carpet.

"Jeison." The golden-haired old man sat on the throne nodded, his light blue eyes accentuated by the bright glow of the sun.

"And you must be Lenso." He looked over at me with a small smile. "How are you, my boy?"

"I'm doing quite well," I answered, mimicking the Grand duke and slightly lowering my head.

"I heard you are the same age as my son." He chuckled, looking over to the side and gesturing over a young golden hair man with the same glistering blue eyes as the king.

"Lynt Eviolin Salrie Di Vesnon. Crown Prince of Suin." Lynt introduced himself, bowing his head at the Grand Duke and raising his hand to shake mine.

"I hope you for you two to become good friends." the King smiled, approving the sight of his son and I introducing ourselves to each other.

"Alright." The Grand duke suddenly cut in, coughing a little to gain back our attention. "My son and I will resign into our tents until the beginning of the hunt."

"Hm?" I looked over at the Grand Duke, noticing his odd behavior as he half dragged and half pushed me away from the prince and the rest of the royal family.

"Is something wrong?" I stared at the Grand Duke, asking when I knew we were out of earshot.

"Don't get too close to the royal family." He advised, opening the straps of the giant golden-red tent before us, the insignia of our duchy flown on a flag above it.

"I wasn't planning to," I replied, following close behind him.

Inside the tent was nothing like I imagined. The thin single layer of the tent walls visible from outside was covered with thicker cloth-like material, insulating the heat inside and keeping the cold air out. Hanging from the tent ceiling was an extremely delicate, well-crafted, transparent glass-like chandelier, providing light inside the otherwise dark room. Additionally, the ground has been completely covered with a soft smooth white carpet, topped with a familiar-looking blue couch, a large wooden map desk, and a pantry filled to the brim with all kinds of snacks and delicacies.

"Make yourself comfortable." The Grand Duke smiled, handing me a new extravagant black and red hunting outfit. "Change into this. It was specially tailored for the hunt today."

"Alright," I obliged, taking the clothes and walked behind a small divider located at the corner of the tent.

"How does it feel?" The Grand Duke asked, adjusting his coat by the mirror as I walked back out, this time donning the overly extravagant fit. The blackness of the shirt perfectly complementing my hair while the red-accented everything else.

"It fits perfectly," I acknowledged, planting myself down on the couch with a freshly brewed tea. "So, do I have a goal to aim for this hunt?" I finally got to the point with a hint of expectation.

"Don't come first."

Silence filled the tent as I stopped sipping the tea, my brows frowned and I turned around with a confused look.

"Whatever you do. Don't come first." He repeated.

"So. You don't want me to win?" I clarified, just to make sure I was hearing right.

"Yes." The Grand Duke nodded nonchalantly, clearly not wanting to explain further.

"Fine then," I shrugged, downing the rest of the drink.

"My Lord, the hunt is about to begin." A voice called out from outside the tent curtain entrance.

"Alright." The Grand Duke stood up from his seat, as I followed close behind, making our way out.

All around me were the sights of young girls dressed in their most fancy gown, almost throwing themselves at me.

"My Lord, please accept my tassel!"

"No! Take mine!"

"Mine has a special embroidery with your name on it!"

The giant crowd of ladies gathered up close around me, each throwing their tassels in my face, forcing me to take them all in order to quiet the crowd down.

"You're a lady's man, huh?" The Grand Duke appeared beside me as my hands were filled to the brim with tassels of all colors.

"What the hell just happened?" I muttered in shocked as I finally processed the event that took place within the last 5 seconds.

"Ladies give these tassels to their loved ones in order to wish them victory, as a sort of lucky charm." the Grand Duke explained, "In return, the men will hunt and return with their spoils and gifting their best hunt to their tassel giver."

"So you're saying I'll need to hunt at least 25 creatures and give it to them?" I groaned, counting the number of tassels I was holding.

"No. That rule is only for loved ones. If an admirer or simply anyone who you are not in a relationship with gives you a tassel, you can simply decide not to return with a gift. If you do return with a gift and give it to a lady, it is considered an acceptance to a proposal." The Grand duke explained, with a look of nostalgia.

I sighed in relief as scrunched up all the tassels and carelessly shoved them into a nearby trash can.

"With the power bestowed upon me! I now declare the beginning of the hunt!" A loud voice vibrated among the giant field, amplified with the use of wind magic, allowing all and every person to hear each word clearly.

A sudden shout of enthusiasm rang out from the crowd as the figure of the crown prince riding a study white horse galloped into the dense forest a few miles away from the main gathering location.

"You're up next." The Grand Duke nudged me as he handed me the reins of a beautiful black horse, its sturdy and powerful body embodying the pinnacle of healthiness.

With a grunt, I pushed myself off the ground and atop the horse, the saddle allowing me to sit comfortably with the reins in my hand.

"Let's go," I heaved, giving the horse a small kick, signaling it to trot forward.

Within a few seconds, I found myself entering the thicket of the trees and the sounds of cheering behind me as the rest of the nobles began to enter a short distance behind me.