Chương 46: Chapter 45: The Banquet Day

Despite possibly having the ability to attend the banquet officially, the Crown Prince decided to enter the building under a disguise instead. Before arriving, he had spent some time bribing the guards and making arrangements to ensure that his entrance would not attract unnecessary attention. Before the guests began arriving, Ronin had taken the opportunity to investigate the location. He remembered that Furen had mentioned there being something wrong with the barrier during this event.

Using his magic, he carefully examined the structure, allowing his senses to flow through every part of the barrier. However, after a thorough inspection, he found nothing unusual. The barrier was still functioning properly. There was no sign of damage, corruption, or instability. Perhaps the problem had not appeared yet. With that thought, Ronin withdrew his magic and left the area as more guests began arriving.

Aside from checking the barrier and preparing himself for the creature that would eventually appear, Ronin was also curious about another matter. The person who would impersonate Lady Rosa Roosevelt. He wanted to see how that person would navigate the situation. Before he left, the Empress Dowager had informed him about the identity the person would be taking. Rosa Roosevelt. A name that had never appeared on the original list of candidates.

A person who had also never appeared on the list of those who would die during the incident. But when Ronin finally saw the person's paint his expression changed slightly. This person... In his previous life, Killer Blade had joined the opposing side. She had become someone who sought to kill the Crown Princess. Yet every time the Hero's Party attempted to eliminate her, the Crown Princess had always stopped them. She never explained why. However, Ronin had always suspected it was connected to this incident.

If the young lady had never attended this banquet in her previous life, then the events surrounding the disaster would have unfolded differently. And if Furen, as the descendant of the person who created the barrier, became the only survivor... Then Rosa Roosevelt would have blamed Furen for the deaths of her parents. A misunderstanding that would eventually turn into hatred. Seeing Ronin's dark expression, the Empress Dowager asked with concern.

"Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

"The Roosevelt family is one I trust greatly. They are eccentric, especially Mr. Roosevelt, but they are still a reliable family. Their daughter is also quite respectable."

"I was originally planning to test her abilities since she is one of the more promising candidates."

"No." Ronin immediately interrupted. The Empress Dowager looked at him in surprise.

"What?"

"No. I do not want her considered for that position." The Empress Dowager stared at him.

"Her parents already decided not to have her participate." The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"However, in order to test the variable known as Nina, we decided to proceed with this arrangement." Ronin frowned.

"Are you certain the variable is not a man?"

"And are you certain they can even maintain this identity successfully?" The Empress Dowager considered the question.

"I am not certain."

"But it will be interesting to see how they handle it."

"Watching how they navigate the social structure will reveal a great deal." Ronin sighed.

"It is still inconvenient that you cannot come with me."

"Who would have thought that such urgent matters would suddenly appear?" The Empress Dowager gave a small sigh.

"If I remember correctly, I had specifically arranged everything else so I could attend."

"I had even cleared my schedule."

"Yet somehow, circumstances changed."

"It cannot be helped." Ronin replied calmly. But he knew better. It was not fine. The world was working against him. Every attempt to interfere was met with resistance. And if he continued pushing against those restrictions, he feared the world would take something even more important away from him. He could not risk losing his grandmother again. The sound of conversation below brought Ronin back to reality. The banquet had begun. He watched the crowd carefully, searching for the person he had been waiting for.

His eyes remained fixed on the stairs. But she did not appear. Time passed. Eventually, he began to grow impatient. Then he saw her. Furen. His hands were clenched tightly, almost enough to draw blood. Ronin froze.

"My love..." For a moment, his eyes filled with emotions he could not hide. Love. Regret. Longing. But he quickly forced himself to look away. This was not the time for those feelings. Right now, all he could do was prevent the tragedy that would take away her eyesight. As he continued watching her, he noticed something. Furen's attention shifted toward a corner of the room. Ronin immediately followed her gaze. He quickly adjusted his position to see the area clearly. And there she was.

The person he had been searching for. Sitting quietly in the corner. Eating. Ronin narrowed his eyes. He could not approach. Something about this person felt strange. The longer he watched, the stronger the sensation became. A strange suggestion entered his mind. An instinctive desire to soften. To protect. Ronin immediately felt disgusted. Using his magic, he attempted to resist the influence. But no matter how much strength he applied, the feeling remained. Impossible.

Unless this was some kind of innate ability... There was no reason he should be unable to overcome it. He increased his resistance. Then suddenly, the sensation disappeared. So, since his ability had failed to find anything it could affect. The backlash returned to its source, Ronin clutched this heart in pain. Time passed. Eventually, Lady Boswe approached the piano. The moment she began playing, Ronin felt the melody reach something deep within him. The music. The emotion behind it. Everything.

The sound calmed the violent reaction of his own power, which had been constantly struggling against the backlash. For the first time in a while, he relaxed. But then the feeling returned. That disgusting sensation. Ronin's expression darkened. He was about to move. He was about to decide that eliminating the person would be safer. But then he saw the painting. He stopped. The person in the painting was someone he knew. Not just anyone. His friend, and love. Shadow Blade. How did this person know?

Could they be someone from the future? Ronin watched carefully as the person handed the painting to Lady Furen. For a moment, he believed he had found the answer. But after hearing the explanation behind the painting, his doubts faded. No. It was impossible. If this person truly knew the future, then they would never have come to this banquet. Not because they feared the danger. Because they would already know that this banquet was a path toward death.

No matter how much money the Roosevelt family offered, no one who fully understood what would happen here tonight would willingly walk into the place where people are destined to die. There had to be another explanation.