How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 216

241. National Foundation Day (5)

“So, who’s going to make the first move? Sylvester? Or Mr. Alnix?”

“…….”

“…….”

After that, it’s a game of reading each other’s minds.

Their gazes subtly turn to me.

Alnix aside, Sylvester clearly isn’t interested, so it feels like they’re passing the buck to me.

Seriously! Am I that transparent?

“Well! I guess I will!”

Seriously, these two are hopeless!

Think about it.

Among this trio of singles, who’s the most likely to strike up a conversation?

Sylvester? In the original story, he rejected every connection, leading to comments like, ‘Is the protagonist impotent?’

……Of course, I was the one who made that comment.

Alnix? He’s not even worth mentioning.

He’s lucky if he doesn’t just flex his muscles.

Honestly, it’s still uncomfortable to look at him, like dressing a bandit in elegant clothes.

Ah, there’s no hiding a lack of refinement.

“I’ll trust you, Aileen.”

“Haa…… Don’t expect too much.”

I reluctantly stepped forward, half-pushed into it.

I’ll try to say a few words and back off if it doesn’t work.

‘But a wizard from the White Tower? ……Nah, no way.’

For a moment, someone’s face came to mind, but I dismissed it.

It must be someone else.

But as if on cue.

The other person saw me.

“……Eh? Aileen?”

Why is she calling my name first?

Meanwhile, I had to frown, squinting my eyes.

“Mr. Cruse?”

The White Tower’s promising talent, the 6th Circle genius wizard, Cruse Elfamant.

And the person who lectured me on the basics of magic.

Why is she, a main character from the original story, here?

Dressed in a light sky-blue dress that suits her sparkling blonde hair, and meticulously made up, she unmistakably looks like an attendee of this banquet.

‘Wait, why is this person here?’

However, Cruse seems to be harboring similar doubts, though with a different meaning than mine.

“Aileen? Why on earth are you here? More importantly, what’s with that getup?”

“What’s with the getup is a bit much!”

Well, I understand why she’s flustered.

Cruse probably thought of me as just a mercenary active in the shadows.

“It’s nothing much. I just came with an acquaintance for a reason.”

“Hmm? It doesn’t seem like a big deal.”

She said that after looking at my face.

“……Even so, I’d like to ask something similar. Why is Mr. Cruse in a place like this?”

“It’s a really trivial reason…….”

Judging by her long sigh, it seems she’s not here voluntarily.

Then, she told me a brief story.

After finishing a round of tracking down black mages, Cruse returned to the White Tower to report and show her face, only to be ordered by the Tower’s elders to attend the banquet, as if they had been waiting for her.

“Aha.”

I easily understood.

The Magic Tower is a group with power second to none in the kingdom.

The royal family and the nobles wouldn’t want to cause any conflicts if they could help it.

Therefore, they need to show actions that can be seen as friendly at every major event.

Of course, they would send an invitation.

It’s not strange that Cruse came as the representative of the White Tower.

Her skills are not inferior to those of any elder.

Above all, her appearance is not bad.

No, it’s better to say she’s outstanding.

She can be the face of the Tower.

There must be such calculations.

‘I see. Is this another change from the original…….’

The reason I was surprised was that Cruse didn’t come to this banquet in the original story.

‘The future has changed.’

However, a change in Cruse Elfamant’s schedule brought her here.

“That’s unexpected. But doesn’t Mr. Cruse dislike these kinds of banquets?”

“It’s not that I dislike them. However, I have a lot of work to do, so it’s just a little uncomfortable to waste time in a place like this.”

Another sigh.

At this rate, I’m going to end up joining Cruse’s complaints club.

It was the young ladies approaching us that interrupted our conversation.

At first, I unconsciously looked at them, wondering what their business was, but I almost widened my eyes.

What is that?

While I was thinking that, the woman who seemed to have the highest status among the young ladies carefully spoke to Cruse.

“I’ve heard rumors. You’re a wizard from the White Tower.”

Cruse reluctantly pretended to agree, and the woman politely introduced herself.

“I’m Halnate Helten, the third daughter of the Helten Marquis family of the Forellos Empire.”

“……I’m Cruse Elfamant.”

Cruse accepted her greeting for the time being.

Whether she likes it or not, she has to represent the Tower’s position, so she has to be careful with her words.

‘But Halnate Helten?’

I couldn’t help but feel like I was hearing nonsense from the woman who introduced herself like that.

That’s a lie.

Your real name is something else entirely, isn’t it, missy?

Didn’t you learn that you get punished for lying?

I wonder how the Imperial Family of the Empire educates their children.

‘Damn it.’

My head hurts.

There’s no way I wouldn’t know that name.

Because it’s a name mentioned in the original story.

Isn’t she a princess of the Forellos Empire?

‘……I don’t understand. Why is the princess here? And why is she hiding her identity?’

There’s no reason to hide her identity.

There are currently no official problems between the Forellos Empire and the Selvas Kingdom.

If she wants to come, she can come as a princess.

More than anything, that princess is…….

‘No way. There’s no way that princess would be here at this point.’

Just as I was thinking that, the self-proclaimed Halnate Helten’s gaze turned to me.

Oops, I stared too much.

“Excuse me? Is that person also a guest from the White Tower?”

It seems like she has no idea about my identity.

What should I answer?

As I was worrying, Cruse answered first.

“He’s not a wizard. ……We’re just acquaintances, so we were just talking for a while.”

She carefully smoothed over the situation for me.

That’s exactly the kind of plain answer I wanted.

“I’m Aileen. I’m just a merchant who came at the introduction of Marquis Roant.”

“A merchant…… I see.”

I deliberately used my real name and a suitable excuse as a merchant, just in case, but there’s no reaction.

It seems like she doesn’t know about me.

Then the reason why the princess is hiding her identity here has nothing to do with me.

Then should I get out of here before I get caught up in something?

“Then it seems like you have a lot to talk about, so let’s talk again later, Mr. Cruse.”

“……Aileen? Are you really going to leave me here?”

Cruse suddenly gave me a look as if she had been betrayed.

Was she planning to use me as an excuse to get out of this troublesome situation? No way!

“I don’t have the guts to talk in front of nobles.”

I don’t want to get noticed.

Something feels suspicious.

I subtly brushed off Cruse’s complaints and returned to the place where Sylvester and Alnix were waiting.

Ah, come to think of it, those two idiots asked me to talk to Cruse.

I won’t forget.

“Aileen? What’s the result?”

“It’s hopeless. Give up. That lady is a lost cause.”

Above all, there’s a princess involved.

If I get involved, I might get caught up in a pointless conspiracy.

“Let’s give up. As always, we can just hang out with each other. I think three guys can have fun together.”

“……Well, I guess so?”

“It’s not ‘I guess so,’ Sylvester…… Wait a minute. If it’s really hopeless…….”

Alnix was still reluctant to give up, so he was trying to find the next target.

“……Ugh?!”

In an instant, a sharp light flashed in my eyes.

It’s a signal.

There was no need to ask who it was.

“Aileen?”

“Ah…… It’s nothing. I just remembered something I had to do, so the rest of you figure it out somehow.”

I gave Sylvester, who was wondering, a suitable excuse and left the banquet hall.

‘It’s time to work.’

The fun is over.

As discussed, when the time came, my partner called me.

It’s Marquis Roant.

He had left on the pretext of a secret meeting with the young ladies and called me out when the time was right.

“It seems like you were having fun. Did I call you out for nothing?”

“No. It was the perfect time.”

Because it wasn’t the time to delay anyway.

“We need to start preparing to move.”

“If what you say is true, that is.”

Marquis Roant said something meaningful.

“But let me tell you, Aileen, I’m only believing you if the situation you described really happens.”

“I know.”

There’s no need to worry about that.

And as soon as I said that, someone shouted from inside the banquet hall.

“His Majesty the King is entering.”

……The time has come.

I swallowed hard to prepare myself.

Now, according to the original story…….

Originally, the king should enter and cheers praising him should ring out.

Instead, what I heard were screams and sounds of destruction.

“……How on earth?”

Marquis Roant was sweating, as if he hadn’t expected this either, while I could only sigh.

“It seems like things are happening as I said.”

It has begun.

I already know the situation inside.

The attack event will happen as in the original story.

“Let’s go. It’s time to work.”

* * *

A few minutes before the commotion.

“His Majesty the King is entering!”

When the words that the king, the ruler of the Selvas Kingdom and the host of this banquet, was entering, everyone naturally quieted down and left the upper seats empty.

Soon, the king and queen will come out and say a few words to celebrate this night, and this place will become even more lively.

Sylvester was also somewhat interested in the king’s appearance and watched the entrance.

He was curious about what kind of person the king was and wanted to see his face.

“……How is this possible?”

However, what came out of Sylvester’s mouth was a strange question.

Because he has a better intuition than others, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of incongruity.

“Hey, Alnix.”

“……What? Save the small talk for later. If you talk now, you’ll be accused of treason…….”

“Is the king here strong?”

“What? What nonsense are you talking about?”

“I feel a strange pressure.”

“Huh?”

Alnix’s expression crumpled.

The king of the Selvas Kingdom is an old man who turned 60 this year.

What’s with the question of whether he’s strong?

However, this boy rarely says nonsense.

But there was no need to ask him what he meant.

“It’s truly absurd. To only bestow cheap alcohol and meat as favors to the people, and for those who rule above to indulge in luxury, it’s more unsightly than livestock.”

A heavy, low-pitched voice rang out clearly in the hall.

Naturally, the nobles were furious.

“Wh, who is it!”

“Which bastard is saying disrespectful things! Get out here!”

The nobles burst into anger and looked for the person who made the current statement.

“Good. If that’s what you want.”

The voice was mixed with a mocking laugh.

“I’ll give you a chance to meet the king in person.”

Soon, the wall of the banquet hall seemed to crack! Then the wall collapsed at once, and a giant man appeared.

As soon as they saw him, the nobles burst into anger, looking for the soldiers and knights in charge of guarding this place.

“What are the guards doing!”

“Why don’t you kick that guy out!”

To dare to invade the royal castle…… and let such a man invade this commemorative occasion.

The nobles were the first to blame the soldiers’ negligence, but soon they realized something strange.

“What…… the…….”

No one is stopping him.

There’s no way they wouldn’t notice that it’s not normal.

“Foolish.”

The giant man narrowed his eyes as if in contempt.

“……Good. I knew your foolishness well. I won’t blame you for it now.”

That arrogant tone.

There was a noble who was about to shout something as if he was angry at that.

“Oh? Do you have something to say? I’ll listen.”

“Ugh……”

As soon as he made eye contact with the giant man, he trembled and sat down.

He was overwhelmed by the pressure.

“First of all, let me explain in order. First of all, you must be wondering where that weak ruler you were looking for is.”

Weak ruler?

Before they could even think about who he was talking about, they belatedly noticed what he was holding in his hand and screamed.