The Banquet!

"Winter Nightfallen shall be my name! Kukuku," Adrian declared, continuing with his peculiar laughter.

"Alright, Sir Nightfallen. I have enrolled you in the tournament. Please pay 60 gold to complete the registration," the man at the counter informed.

"Sure, here, take it! Kekeke," Adrian responded, handing a pouch of gold to the man

"Thank you for registering, Sir. Two days from now, there will be a gathering of the participants competing in this tournament at the Mariad Banquet Hall in the capital center. You will be informed of your opponent for the first round there. Please make sure to attend," the man at the counter reported with a smile.

Adrian nodded in response before walking away with a registration token bearing his fake name - Winter Nightfallen.

After several hours had passed since Adrian's departure, a man with blonde hair and a brown goatee approached the registration counter.

The man at the counter recognized him. "Viscount Walson, are you here to register that commoner girl for this tournament too?" he asked with a welcoming smile. He had seen the Viscount countless times in the past year, registering the girl for various tournaments.

"Yes, and since you already know, let's get it over with," the Viscount responded, annoyed by the repetitive question. If not for registering, then why the fxck would he waste his time in front of this counter?

"Oh, alright. Call the girl then; I need to ask for her consent. You should know the process already," the Registrar (I will call him this since the man at the counter is too long) answered.

"Yes, I am familiar with the process. I have already brought her," Viscount muttered before turning his head toward a girl. "Etheria, come here!" he called in a stern tone.

A 19-year-old girl with an enchanting figure appeared from behind the Viscount. She was a beauty with dark hair and brown eyes, dressed in a black dress that highlighted her curves, all in the right places. She looked like an enchantress with a voluptuous body that not every man could resist. [Picture in the Paragraph comments].

"Etheria, should I proceed with the registration under your usual name?" the Registrar inquired with a gentle smile.

"Y-yes," Etheria answered.

"Alright, then, Sir Viscount. Please pay the registration amount and make sure to attend the gathering two days from now. You should already know about it, right?" the Registrar requested.

"Yes, I know about it. Just do your job," Viscount informed, handing the money to him.

"Alright, Etheria, see you in the tournament. I'll be cheering for you," the Registrar said, handing the token to Etheria with a gentle smile.

Etheria looked at the token with a determined expression. The token had her name written on it - 'Etheria Reinsta.'

"Let's go, Etheria!" Viscount Walson muttered before leaving with Etheria.

Two days later at the Mariad Banquet Hall...

Adrian stood in the corner of the hall with a glass of juice in his hand. Wearing a black blazer with matching pants combined with that mysterious mask, he emanated an eerie feeling to the people around him.

All the people present avoided him, but that didn't bother him a bit. On the contrary, he was happy not to be disturbed by these humans.

Although he had been betrayed by humans in his previous life, he still couldn't harm people who were kind to him. If someone treated him well in this banquet, it would be difficult for him to act like an asshole towards them. Therefore, he had decided to keep a low profile in this banquet and observe his potential opponents.

One by one, people entered, with their introductions being announced by the guards. These individuals were well-known in the Mozard Empire.

"The Silent Killer is entering," the guards announced.

A man dressed entirely in black walked in, with only his eyes visible under his clothes. His subdued presence made it challenging for ordinary people to notice him.

"Is that really the renowned Silent Killer, infamous for being the most successful assassin in Argenzon?" a lady accompanying a participant whispered to her companion, but her words were audible to all present.

"Don't be surprised. He wouldn't be able to do much from the front. He only knows how to attack from behind with a sneak attack," her companion commented, attempting to belittle the newly appeared participant.

Contrary to expectations, the Silent Killer ignored them and stood in a corner, quietly enjoying the banquet.

"The Fire Wizard is making his entrance," another announcement was made.

An old man with white hair and beard entered, wearing a red robe with the Fire Magic Tower's emblem carved on it. Despite his frail physique, he emanated a terrifying aura.

*Gasp* "Is he also participating in this tournament? But isn't he a 6th-rank fire mage?" Questions filled with shock echoed through the hall.

The Fire Wizard also paid no attention to the whispers and began to enjoy the banquet. He greeted the nobles present and engaged in conversations with them, showcasing the high regard he held in the empire compared to other loners present.

"The Boulder is entering." After a moment, another announcement resounded across the banquet hall. All eyes turned towards the gates.

A towering man, resembling a giant, entered. His bulging muscles spoke volumes about his strength, and his bald head with a brown beard gave him a threatening appearance. The cut on his eyebrow enhanced his terrifying aura.

"The Boulder is also participating? Maybe I should withdraw from this tournament. How am I supposed to fight these people?" A young man in his late twenties questioned with a fearful expression.

"The Boulder is the vice-leader of the mercenary guild. How are we supposed to fight him, famous for his unbreakable defense?" Another participant questioned, looking startled as if he had been deceived.

"If you don't want to participate... then leave!" A deep, heavy, and loud voice echoed across the banquet hall. The Boulder responded to their questions without any hesitation.

The two participants who spoke were shivering with fear upon hearing that response, but the Boulder paid them no heed, proceeding to the delicacies and drinks prepared for the participants.

After the atmosphere had returned to normal, another announcement resounded.

"Lady 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's a close fit that highlights her breasts, but it does so in a refined and modest manner. Her arms have been left uncovered, which not only helps accentuate her gorgeous skin but also keeps the focus on other parts of the dress. To top it all off, she's 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.

"There it is, kekeke," Adrian murmured in the corner, a grin appearing on his face.

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Author's note -

Hello Readers,

I just wanted to say three things-

1. I got two suggestion for Adrian's name for the tournament and I combined the two as I liked both of them. They coincidentally fit well with each other too.

I also didn't want to waste the effort made by zizi_wiwi and Jonathan_Souls, who took their time to suggest a name.

2. Secondly, I am not an artist therefore, the pictures used are all AI generated. I used the ones which matched with the characters. If you think You have a better image you can comment it.

3. I wanted to thank you for reading my novel till here. I know my writing is a bit of a mess, I will try to improve ahead so please bear with me.

If you liked a chapter then please vote power stones. And if you think you've read enough to leave a review then please do so. it feels a bit empty in the reviews section.

But if you think you cannot decide now, then please read ahead. The story will keep getting more interesting and when you feel like it, then you can do it.

if you like a chapter please comment something, it makes me more motivated to see your response. If you have a doubt about anything you can ask in the chapter comments.

Lastly, If you feel the pace is fast or slow you can tell me so that I can adjust. I skip a lot of detailing about the clothes and design of the hall in the chapter as I do not like them when I read a novel, but if you feel it necessary, then please inform me.

I will conclude this with a thanks. ^..^