Volume 4, Chapter 29 – The Celebration Banquet

Time quickly passed to evening.

Inside the palace built by the Elf King for the Eldest Princess, a group of elves dressed in magnificent gold and white formal wear sat around a table. The atmosphere was clearly that of a party, the air filled with the aroma of fine food and the smiles of the people. Maids in uniform continuously helped pour wine and serve dishes, their figures weaving through the dining hall, a lively scene of nobles raising their glasses in celebration.

“Your Highness, I-I absolutely did not leak the news of your memory loss to Prince Schain! I was tight-lipped! I didn’t even dare to tell His Majesty after I came back!”

Count Evan, sitting diagonally across from Fia, stood up and declared. He had drunk so much that his speech was slurring, and his cheeks were bright red.

Count Evan was the noble who had been rescued along with Liti in Aurora City. At the time, Liti had been kidnapped by traitors and taken to the temple there, and Count Evan and the Second Prince’s tutor had pursued them in an attempt to save her, only to be ambushed by the temple’s people and become prisoners alongside her.

“Indeed, Count Evan was tight-lipped. If Prince Schain hadn’t announced it publicly two days ago, even I wouldn’t have known that Your Highness had lost your memory,” a senior noble sitting next to him added with a laugh. As Fia recalled, this was a marquis whose fief was next to Count Evan’s and with whom he was on very good terms.

As for why Count Evan had suddenly stood up to emphasize that he had not told Prince Schain, he was probably afraid that she would suspect him of leaking the secret, and he was drawing a clear line.

Sitting in the second-highest seat, Fia put down her wine glass, a slight curve on her lips.

“I have no intention of blaming you, Count Evan. In fact, I was surprised that you didn’t tell the other ministers after you returned. I never intended to hide my memory loss from the beginning. You need not take it to heart.”

“Th-then that’s good… It absolutely wasn’t me who let the cat out of the bag, absolutely not.”

“Haha, Her Highness has already said she won’t take it to heart. You can rest assured, Count Evan.”

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“Everyone knows you wouldn’t associate with that Schain fellow.”

“Why are you acting like a woman?”

Faced with Count Evan’s repeated, red-faced insistence, everyone at the table burst into laughter.

Greyan, the guest of honor sitting opposite Fia, took the opportunity to raise his wine glass. Although Fia couldn’t see his facial expression because of his armor, his tone and movements already revealed his inner thoughts—he was happy.

“Your Highness’s words during the day were not a lie. Although I am reluctant to admit that such a shortcut exists in this world, the facts are before me. As the one you defeated, I must now admit that since your return from Milcandis, your strength has far surpassed my own. I am utterly convinced of my defeat. From now on, I will never say another word against you. Your growth is a blessing for the entire elf race. With this strength, you can ensure a thousand years of stability for Silvar.

To Your Highness.”

Greyan’s meaning was self-evident. Fia likewise raised her glass to meet his.

“Is General Greyan’s body alright?”

During the day, Greyan had been smashed into unconsciousness by her strike, his armor and flesh torn open together. Although she had promptly used healing magic on him, it was not like the nanomachines; it could only restore the wound, not the lost blood and stamina.

It was worth mentioning that the armor on Greyan’s body seemed to have a life of its own. When Fia was healing him, his damaged armor had also visibly repaired itself, and was now as good as new.

Pouring the liquid from his glass through a gap in his helmet, Greyan drank it all in one gulp and laughed heartily.

“Haha, I’m as sturdy as ever. I could fight another round with Your Highness right now and it wouldn’t be a problem.”

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“You old thing, still not satisfied after being beaten by Dofi in front of so many people,” Yulisha, sitting in the seat of honor with a smug look on her face, said mockingly after he finished. “During the day it was ‘this subject’ this and ‘this subject’ that. Now that you see me in the highest seat, your self-address has changed to ‘I’?”

“Isn’t it because I’m basking in your glory?” Greyan’s old face flushed, and he said awkwardly.

The family Yulisha had mentioned to Fia before was the Greyan family. The two of them were, in terms of seniority, father and daughter. However, Yulisha was not his biological child. She was originally the daughter of his comrade-in-arms. Because her biological father had died in battle when she was young, she had been adopted into the sterile Greyan’s home, becoming the youngest daughter of the family.

Although she was an adopted daughter, they had lived together for two hundred years, and there was no longer any difference between her and a biological daughter.

As for why Yulisha was sitting at the head of the table, it was, of course, Fia’s arrangement. Yulisha treated her like her own daughter, making her feel the warmth of a mother, so Fia naturally treated Yulisha as her real mother. It was because of this arrangement that Yulisha was so full of pride tonight, her expression and words unable to hide her joy and happiness.

Greyan once again downed the wine in his glass. Shaking his head, he said with great emotion.

“I never thought that Her Highness’s personality would become so delightful after losing her memory. I don’t know whether to say it’s a good thing or a bad thing. In the past, she would never have said so much. What I’ve heard today would have been a month’s worth in the past. And even you, Yulisha… you’ve finally been acknowledged. Her Highness has become like a true elf.”

“I wasn’t like an elf before?”

“You can’t exactly say that. I mean, the former Her Highness lacked joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, not like an elf of her age. Now it’s much more natural to interact with her. There isn’t that faint barrier from the past. In this regard, Yulisha’s feelings must be deeper than mine.”

Greyan’s words made Fia look at Yulisha in the seat of honor. The blue-haired woman, her hair coiled up, had a gentle smile on her face and lightly placed her hand on the back of Fia’s.

“I never dreamed that Dofi would let me sit in this position. Am I a little too happy? Even Veronica has never enjoyed this treatment, and I can only be considered half an adoptive mother.”

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“This is what Mother Yulisha deserves. To be honest, this is the first time I’ve done something like this. This afternoon, I just felt that it should be this way, so I arranged it…”

Being spoken to like this by Yulisha, Fia couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. She wasn’t ashamed that the former princess hadn’t treated Yulisha well, but was embarrassed by this sudden display of emotion. Simply put, she was thin-skinned.

Her embarrassed look made Yulisha’s smile grow wider. She waved her hand, indicating that the topic was over.

“It seems I’m much luckier than that woman Veronica. Alright, alright, today is to celebrate Dofi’s great increase in strength. We can’t talk about sad things. Let’s discuss some proper business.”

Everyone’s toasts had already been given earlier. Now the nobles at the table had started to chat among themselves. Fia, Yulisha, and their group followed the noisy atmosphere. As if remembering something, Yulisha’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Old thing, is everything alright on the military’s side? I heard from Anastasia what happened this morning. Dofi made big brother lose face in front of all the nobles. With his tit-for-tat personality, he won’t let this go. Besides, the military has always been proud of its high status due to His Majesty’s favor and is used to walking with its head held high. After today’s events, those people will surely think this is Dofi challenging the dignity of the military.”

“Godley wouldn’t dare. I promised Her Highness that as long as she defeated me, I would guarantee that the military would no longer trouble her. I have never made a promise I could not keep.”

“Besides, esteemed Sister defeated even General Greyan. No matter how dissatisfied the military is, they don’t have the strength to confront her. It’s a foregone conclusion that she will become the elf queen. Even for their own futures, the military knows what choice to make, right?” said the Second Prince, Kalsey, who was sitting below Fia, with a smile.

Greyan nodded lightly.

“Exactly. Even I am no match for Her Highness. How could those people have the guts? The status of the military is built on the strength of its service to the kingdom in battle. The power Her Highness displayed during the day has already reached the Eighth Rank, comparable to His Majesty. Even if Godley has no brain, Gwyn will keep the military in line.”

Greyan had two biological sons. One was the eldest, Godley, and the other was the second, Gwyn. Although Greyan had never officially chosen a family successor, in his heart, he had always been grooming the calm and composed Gwyn as the future of the family.

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Recalling Godley’s foolish act of challenging Fia to a duel that morning, Greyan clicked his tongue in displeasure. If he hadn’t discovered it in time and made Godley kneel and apologize on the spot, who knows if the entire family would have declined from then on. Not to mention, the reason the Greyan family was so respected was because of their glorious record of protecting the royal family.

For a servant of the royals to publicly duel the Eldest Princess was to throw away the entire family’s face… To have Fia not kill him with a single sword strike at the time was an immense act of mercy to the entire Greyan family.

“By the way, just how strong is Her Highness now? Magic is what you specialize in, yet this morning you only showed your close-combat ability. To defeat me in a field you are not good at, I can no longer imagine what it would be like when you use your specialty.”

“Well… to the extent that I’ve beaten both a Moon Dragon and a Despair Demon General?”

“Mmm,” Greyan was stunned, then gave a wry smile. “Indeed. With that kind of strength, it would be difficult to defeat Your Highness without at least three Demon Generals at once. What are your plans for the near future? It’s unknown when His Majesty will return. During this time, I can help you recall your past swordsmanship. With your strength and speed, combined with some sword techniques, your power will surely rise to another level.”

“Not for now. I still have many things to do.”

“Then we’ll talk when you have the time. I have already retired from the military and can teach you at any time.”

“Hey, that’s enough of that. Aren’t you interested in how Dofi defeated the Moon Dragon and the Despair Demon General?”

At Yulisha’s reminder, Greyan’s eyes under his armor lit up.

“Oh! I almost forgot about that! I fought a Despair Demon General when I was young, and I still remember that overwhelming power to this day. How did you defeat it, Your Highness? Where is the Despair Demon General now?”

“It’s dead,” Fia answered, blinking, a spoon in her mouth.