162 Eris's Advice

Eris walked over to him and patted him on the back.

"Pretty stressful, isn't it?"

"For you, too? Have you never met with the Emperor before?"

"Just because I'm royalty in my kingdom does not mean I can meet with a magician king every day." Eris just shrugged while shaking her head. "Plus, I'm weaker than you so I feel even more intimidated in front of them. As the rulers of this Empire, they really do not hold back when it comes to their aura. They have an image to upkeep, after all. Us, weak subjects, will probably just have to endure the hardship."

"Haah... I'm just glad that no one else can hear you. Is it not bad to speak about the imperial family so nonchalantly?" Greyson just looked at her speechlessly.

"Well, if you don't tell, then I won't. S-E-C-R-E-T~, right? Hehe." She winked at him jokingly.

Feeling tired just listening to her, Greyson only rolled his eyes with a sigh.

"Anyways, aren't you looking just fetching tonight? I guess it's as they say, clothes make the man. I think your beauty may surpass mine." She smiled with a slight rascally feel.

Choked by her odd compliment, Greyson just did not deign to answer her. Ignoring that, he finally took a glance at her wear today. In order to compliment her dark blue hair and blue-grey eyes, she wore a mostly white dress that was decorated with light blue frills. Although she could not be called the most beautiful, her soft features were brought out by her formal outfit.

"I could say the same for you. I always see you in pants and dressed to fight with your hair just tossed up lazily. You look much more ladylike today."

"Hm... that won't do, though. All those beautiful maidens tonight will miss out on my charisma. Such clothes really do not bring out my charm." Frowning, Eris did not seem pleased by Greyson's rare praise.

Once again at a loss for words, Greyson just side glanced at her. Before they could continue their conversation, a servant came to lead them all to the ballroom for the banquet. Although he did not want to follow at all, Greyson knew he did not really have much of a choice in the matter. Not going would be opposing the Emperor's will. He just had to stay for enough time to not be rude which his teacher told him was after the first couple of dances. Since he did not know how to dance, he would just have to enjoy the food and watch on the sidelines. Nodding to himself, he approved of this plan. Since this was a party held by the imperial family, the food would definitely be delicious! Thinking of this, a smile formed at the edge of his lips and his eyes sparkled a bit more excitement.

"Oh? What's got you feeling happy all of a sudden? You did not really strike me as the party type. Oh wait, don't tell me... Greyson, you. I did not expect you to be such a romantic guy. Are you excited to meet all the beautiful noble ladies, as well?" Elbowing him while smirking suggestively, Eris interrupted his thoughts.

"What are you talking about? I'm looking forward to the food! The FOOD!" Blushing suddenly, Greyson felt shocked by her words and accidentally shouted loudly. Feeling that he spoke too loudly, he glanced around and saw that everyone including the manservant were glancing at him in confusion. Keaton did not forget to add in his disdain. Gritting his teeth angrily, Greyson turned to glare at Eris who was barely able to hold herself up from the floor laughing. Refusing to pay any more attention to her, he picked up his pace to walk closer to the servant leading them.

"Aw, Greyson, no need to be shy." Eris teased from behind. But Greyson just pursed his lips in annoyance and did not respond.

Under the lead of the manservant, the group quickly arrived in front of large double doors. There was a man waiting outside with a thick staff. When he noticed our arrival, he asked for our names and family. Before we entered, he slammed the staff into the ground twice. Two loud thumps echoed as he began the introductions:

"Presenting. His Highness, Prince Braiden."

"Her Highness, Princess Aphina."

"His Grace, Lord Keaton Mendenhall."

"His Grace, Lord Trevion Vervan."

"The Right Honourable, Earl of Hildebrand."

"Lady Eris Whitstone."

"Lady Tatyana Dawnbrow."

"The Honourable Collin Meleldred."

"The Honourable Cherell Ashtree."

"and Mister Greyson."

Upon finishing the announcements, the doors swung open and we were all led down a grand staircase leading to the ballroom floor. Greyson took a small gulp when he saw all the faces staring up at them. He did not know if his was his imagination or not, but it felt like the majority of the eyes were focused on him. Thankfully, his panicked expression was well hidden underneath an expressionless facade. Only if one looked closely into his eyes could they tell that his pupils were shaking slightly. He did not realize that Eris had already glanced over at him and hid her chuckles behind her fan. Legs slightly stiff, he slowly made his way down the staircase with the rest of the group. For the first time since meeting them, he starting feeling a little self-conscious of his status as the rest of them all looked so graceful and well-practiced. He was, at most, an educated commoner who understood manners and basic etiquette. Before he sunk too far into his own thoughts, he felt a warm hand wrap around the crook of his right elbow. Startled, he turned his head and saw Eris grinning at him.

"Lighten up! It's really not that big a deal. These people might look very fancy, but underneath their pretty smiles are people with primitive brains who can't think much past lust, greed, and power. The girls are stare at you because you are too handsome while the men hope to rope you into their family. Lust and power, simple right?" She whispered to him under her breath.

"Pfft. Ahem, ahem." Turning his head away and trying to containing his laughter, Greyson tried clearing his throat. However, this time he did not feel angry and instead looked at her gratefully. His shoulders relaxing and a polite smile on his lips, he started to walk with a bit more confidence without paying any attention to the stares. Soon, they reached the floor and Eris pulled him over to a relatively unseen corner of the room. Teacher Leilena told him earlier that finding such spots was the easiest way to pass the time peacefully.

"Thanks for earlier." He started first.

"No problem at all. I was frightened at my first ball, as well. I feel like there were definitely some people who were hoping for a show since they did not send anyone to teach you the basics. Typical of them."

"I did learn some of the basics from my teacher Leilena. Speaking of, I thought only the daughters of Dukes and Marquesses were called 'Lady', but you are a princess."

"Ahh... it is a little confusing. Our Country's system is rather confusing. The Moon Empire came into being after many separate kingdoms in the Snow Country were unified under our first Emperor. The First Empire sent his closest relatives and subordinates to take over the kingdoms. Even your Idris Kingdom used to be the Ancient Kingdom of Mesia, but that royal family had a coup d'état occur so the previous Emperor sent his nephew to take over and change the name. This is why the royal family of Idris still holds onto the last name Yce. When these kingdoms were conquered, the Kings were granted secondary titles as Dukes. So, your King is also the Duke of Idris in the Moon Empire, as my father is the Duke of Maewen. The Tier 1 Kingdoms are duchies, Tier 2 Kingdoms are either marquisates or earldoms, and so on and so forth. In the Maewen Kingdom, I am referred to as a princess. In the imperial capital and its surrounding land, I am seen as Lady Whitstone, daughter of the Duke of Maewen."

"I do remember hearing learning that the Moon Empire was first the Moon Kingdom and that it was the largest and most powerful ancient Kingdom."

"Yes, they conquered the rest of the kingdoms in order to rule over the entirety of the Snow Country. However, they mostly stay within the bounds of the old Moon Kingdom and our kingdoms are just subordinates who pay taxes. Our kingdoms are still rather autonomous."

"Ugh, I hated history lessons the most..." Greyson scratched his head while mumbling.

"Hahaha, yes, it is all rather dull. However, these are the things you need to understand. History inevitably repeats and also become markers for the current under stirrings of the Empire. Just take a look at this ball, you would think that this is simply a gathering of nobles, but every interaction is well-planned. Their groupings are based on the highest backers. Some back the imperial family and are loyal to the Emperor and his chosen successor. Some back the prince whose family they are in close contact to. Some feel that the nobles deserve more power and wish to undermine the imperial family. The rest are the humdrum left over who are either too stubborn to join higher powers or too weak to even be considered. They end up grouped together in a peaceful and more neutral group." With her speech, Eris's eyes indicated the different crowds of people laughing and conversing together. Unsurprisingly, Greyson noted that Keaton Mendenhall was not actually speaking with the group loyal to the Emperor, but instead the group of those wishing for my noble power.

"Isn't the current Empress from the Mendenhall family?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, how innocent you are. Married daughters are like spilled water that cannot be retrieved. Who is to say that she always has her maiden family's best interests at heart? Plus, the imperial family has the same practices as the rest of the empire. The most powerful and talented magician will take the position of crown prince or princess not just the children of the Empress. Any one of those royal offspring who have the talent to make it to the height of magician king could become emperor, even if it is the lowly son of some maidservant."

"Would that not cause a lot of conflict?"

"Hmmm... you would think so, but that is really only true for low-level kingdoms. The empire would fall without proper magician kings to back it up. Even the stupidest nobles understand this truth. Therefore, the emperor takes the lives of the talented children very seriously. The penalty for even being suspected of assassinating a possible magician king candidate for the throne is severe."

Showing an expression of enlightenment, Greyson nodded seriously and ruminated over her words.

"Hehe, my cute student, I'm glad you are taking this teacher's words seriously." Eris giggled happily over Greyson's actions which only worked to sour his expression immediately.

"Alright, alright. No more making fun. On a serious note, you really should try to learn more about these things. I know that you don't really have any good feelings towards the backwards notions of high society. Inevitably, since you have exposed yourself during this selection, there is no going back to your days of living in anonymity. Many forces will try to draw you in either by hook or by crook. You need to learn how to make educated decisions on your own that have your best interests in mind because those powers will surely not be thinking of your well-being but their own. I know you are not dumb enough to fall for the obvious tricks, but ignorance is a scary weapon when wielded by the wily ones. Take this as advice from a concerned senior in life." For the first time, Greyson was slightly taken aback by Eris's grave face. All this time, she always greeted him with a flippant attitude as if she did not take anything in this world seriously. It was only now that he was starting to feel her true nature leaking out.

"Now, I must go to my darlings. They are all waiting for me!" She waved goodbye after these parting words. Like a true social butterfly, Eris soon found her way into the sea of people flitting here and there.

Greyson leaned against the wall quietly contrasting against the merrymaking of the nobles around him. Reflecting on Eris's words, he knew that she was correct in her analysis. Just because he was intelligent did not mean he could see through a person's heart. However, it was easier said than done. Most of these kids around him have had years of practice and training to understand. They made the mistakes and learned when they were still young and could be ignored. This experience was not something that he could gain just because he wished for it. Suddenly, he felt a strong desire to go back to the Beast Empire. At least, things were not so complicated in the Snow Dragon Tribe. Sighing, he knew that there was no use worrying too much about things out of his control. Instead, he turned his attention to the food tables. His strong sense of smell caught all the delectable scents wafting over to him.

Picking up a plate, he started to stack some food. Most of the food here was foreign to him, so he wanted to try almost everything. Not caring for his image, he starting to eat things one by one. Most people were not really paying him much mind anymore, so he did not feel that he needed to watch his manners. Each bite was followed by an expression of delight. Imperial cooks are given such titles for a reason. He thought to himself. The magic beast meat was tender and juicy while also full of mana. The vegetables were mostly forms of magic herbs. The desserts were exquisite, as well.

"It's been such a long time since I actually encountered a person who enjoyed the food more than the people. I hope everything is to your taste?" He heard a deep voice come from behind him. A little surprised, he turned around to make sure that the person was speaking to him. Furrowing his brows, he did not seem to remember meeting this older gentleman. However, the man had black hair and blue-grey eyes so he had to be part of the royal family. At first, he almost mistook the man for the Emperor, but this man was more reserved. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he remembered a name brought up during his lessons with Leilena.

"Duke of Winterbridge?" He responded questioningly.

"Ah, yes, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am the Duke of Winterbridge, Zaire Yce. It's nice to meet you, Greyson. I see you have heard of me?"

"Yes, I heard that the Emperor had a brother who was now the Duke of Winterbridge. I just had the honor of meeting His Imperial Majesty and could not help but notice the resemblance you bear to him. His Highness, Prince Braiden also mentioned that his uncle knew of me." Greyson responded as formally as he could.

"I see." He did not continue the conversation, but continued to stand there. Greyson could only feel awkward and distressed inwardly. He was not the most socially adept, either.

"Uhm, Your Grace, did you have something you wished to speak to me about?"

"This is actually not the first time we have met. I watched you from afar before."

"Yes?"

"I'm going to be the one overseeing your training with the rest of the 9 representatives."

"Yes, His Imperial Majesty informed us earlier."

"The rest of them just need to mostly work on teamwork, as do you. However, your largest issue is your lack of training with a weapon. Although, magicians can also opt for non-weapon fighting and specialize in long-distance attacks. You seem to have great strength and athletic talent that would go to waste without properly understanding close quarters combat. Therefore, I wish to personally give you lessons for the sword and hand-to-hand combat. This will increase your fighting capabilities and solidify your position within the team. As you are right now, there is no place to really put you in a plan for a team. You're not completely offensively or defensively inclined and you are a little too diverse in terms of what you can do. This comes in handy for when you need to spontaneously respond to a situation, but if we wish to plan good team tactics then your position must be a bit more solid."

"I would be honored to learn!" Greyson accepted in excitement.

"Then you will need to come see me in the early mornings and late evenings. The middle of the day would be reserved for training with the rest of the team. I expect to see you at dawn tomorrow. I will send a servant to lead you to me." A faint smile appearing on his face, the Duke nodded with approval.

"Okay! I understand."

"Well, I will get going now. Festivities such as this do not really suit my tastes." After getting confirmation, Zaire quickly turned around left straight away. Greyson could only watch with envy over his ability to leave so easily.

After eating his fill, Greyson returned to his original spot. Yawning in boredom, he listened to the music begin to play. Each dance felt like it took forever to end. After the second dance, he was preparing himself to finally leave but felt a tap on his shoulder. Seeing it was Eris once again, he looked at her with confusion.

"Is there something you need?"

"Will you come dance with me?" She held out her hand to him.

"No. I don't even know how to." Frowning, Greyson rejected her outrightly.

"Don't worry! Just follow along with me. I won't do anything to complicated." She promised. "Are you willing to embarrass me in front of all these people? Girls usually do not do the asking."

Although he knew she was pretending, he did feel a little reluctant to shame her because more people were looking their way. On account of her earlier explanations which helped him, he decided it would not hurt him.

"Just a little, then. I'm explaining beforehand that I will probably step all over your toes."

Grinning widely, she grabbed onto his hand and pulled him to the dance floor. Arranging his hands correctly, she began to lead him in the steps. Focusing on his feet to try to follow along with her without stepping on her, Greyson did not pay attention to the many puzzled looks. Obviously, they were a good-looking pair; the girl was pretty while the boy was very handsome. However, the boy was the one taking the female part steps while the girl was leading with the male part steps. Greyson stayed wholly unaware until the next day...