BXBX NOVEL Chapter 92 Banquet
"I need to return to my training," Adam thought to himself, smiling as he entered the hall and greeted the aristocrats. After exchanging pleasantries with a noble lady, Adam complimented her, earning 3 class experience points.
Surveying the room, Adam identified influential individuals who could potentially become valuable sources of income in the future. He contemplated the idea of subtly manipulating them in a way that they wouldn\'t even realize they had been deceived, thus reaping significant benefits.
"Praise the Queen, as the Avalonian subjects say. The aristocracy here is much wealthier than in Elfheim," Adam muttered, taking a sip of wine as he pondered, his eyes meticulously observing the microexpressions of his conversational partners, much like an eagle hunting its prey.
He masked this gaze, so his companions perceived him as genuinely interested in the conversations, laughing at jokes and making compliments. This earned him recognition from other aristocrats who had initially been pessimistic.
Most of them had expected Adam to be an ordinary commoner without manners or etiquette. However, the moment he stepped onto the marble floor of the hall, every gaze was drawn to him. The ladies, in particular, seemed magnetically attracted to him.
Still, there were exceptions. Some displayed their dislike openly, foregoing polite smiles. It felt as if Adam had wiped out their entire family, and they were seeking revenge, but the reason was much simpler.
"Sir Adam, oh... I apologize, Advisor Adam!" A lovely young lady suddenly addressed him. She was dressed in a beautiful Victorian-style cherry dress with a familiar brand emblem of Ricky and Adam on her hat. With a soft smile and a blush on her cheeks, she grabbed his hand as if by accident.
"Advisor Adam, I am delighted to purchase clothing from \'Nymph\'s Radiance.\' I am constantly amazed by the quality and beauty of the dresses and other attire!" She spoke with passion, her blue eyes narrowing, her amber hair cascading in curls. "And... I\'ve always been curious about the wonderful person behind such exquisite designs. Could we get to know each other a bit better?"
Similar encounters happened with over a dozen young ladies. Each one initiated a conversation and then extended an invitation for a private meeting with unmistakable intentions. Adam, a courteous gentleman, neither directly declined nor accepted but promised to visit their estates with gifts.
The mature women posed the challenge. They wanted to approach but couldn\'t due to their husbands or the etiquette that forbade married women and men from conversing with the opposite sex without a partner present.
As for Amarantha and Elira, they had their task: to introduce Adam to as many noble ladies as possible. Coincidentally, Adam\'s popularity among women was soaring, showing no signs of diminishing.
"Well, ladies, it has been a pleasure conversing with all of you. Regarding the invitations, I will certainly visit when the opportunity arises." With a gentle smile directed at the beautiful young ladies, Adam elegantly bowed, ignoring the wistful gazes of the women. He moved on to engage in conversation with other aristocrats.
In a distant corner, he spotted a renowned aristocrat: Baron Risian. It wasn\'t coincidental since his daughter was a member of the team of heroes blessed by the Goddess of Light, earning him significant attention at this banquet.
Approaching the man, Adam saw a slender figure with a bald head. Succinctly, his appearance could be described as somewhat pitiful. However, considering his influential status, Adam didn\'t dwell on it.
"Baron Risian... my respect." Adam greeted the man as he got closer, maintaining his friendly smile.
"Advisor Adam... my respect to you." Baron Abram von Risian reciprocated with a forced smile, raising his wine glass.
Adam chose not to pay attention to Abram\'s gaze fixated on his muscular physique and continued the conversation. Initially, Adam did most of the talking, while Abram mostly listened and occasionally responded. However, influenced by the natural charisma of his "Casanova" class, Abram began to open up.
"Advisor Adam, as a man, you must understand that allowing my daughter to accompany that idiot is highly dangerous. My daughter is a sweet, albeit sheltered young lady!" Abram candidly criticized the hero, and Adam smiled wryly, attentively listening. "No, but you should have seen his face when he shamelessly grabbed my daughter\'s hand at an official ball, without even seeking her permission or adhering to etiquette! I know commoners may lack etiquette, but to what extent?!"
Please note that some parts of the original text were difficult to directly translate while maintaining the same level of formality and context. The provided translation is an attempt to capture the essence of the dialogue in a polite manner.
***
The righteous anger emanating from Abram seemed like it could only be quenched by a brigade of firefighters, yet Adam didn\'t attempt to deter him. Instead, he pretended to agree with every word, willing to sign on if needed. This strategy allowed him to glean more concealed information, and Abram willingly divulged it.
"It\'s as if this fool has set his sights on Sister Angela, who, for your information, is a blessed daughter of the church!" Abram rubbed his brow wearily, continuing his tirade. "Can you believe the audacity, Advisor Adam? This fool even flirts with married women! Utter lack of manners!"
Adam felt like he was in a firing range, but outwardly he maintained a grave expression that conveyed a sense of, "Yeah, dude, that\'s messed up." He continued to listen attentively to Abram\'s grievances.
Although he endured for half an hour, Adam managed to learn some intriguing things.
"A few days ago, Leonid\'s group, the fifth-strongest hero, suffered a setback in their battle against a demon. The news of this failure spread from an anonymous source, causing dissatisfaction among the masses," Adam pondered while Abram talked about another topic. "As expected, the Chaos Empire is taking suspicious actions, the elves are facing suppression, and Avalonia is expanding its territories."
Adam offered a gentle smile to Abram and nodded understandingly, even though he didn\'t fully grasp the content. Judging by Abram\'s contented expression...
"Well, Advisor Adam, I\'m pleased that you agreed to meet my daughter."
For a moment, Adam froze as his mind rapidly processed the situation. Ultimately, he found nothing inherently wrong with it and thanked Abram.
***
The banquet concluded on a positive note. Following Elizabeth\'s instructions, Adam returned to the estate and this time spent time with Amarantha and Elyra, discussing the day\'s outcomes.
"So, thanks to Adam\'s efforts, we secured ten investors, and an additional ten investors thanks to Elyra, who managed to capture the attention of young ladies with advertisements for new limited clothing and cosmetics exclusively for the city of Sedyon," Amarantha smiled, patting Elyra\'s head and continued her report. "Although it resulted in over thirty invitations from noble ladies, I\'m confident you can manage that..."
Adam reclined on the bed and stretched, yawning. Although today had been rife with challenges and adventures, the benefits had been substantial. He had even managed to make some friends, although most of them were elderly or middle-aged men.
Curiously, his peers (judging by Adam\'s appearance, around 21-22 years old) didn\'t seem eager to socialize with him and regarded him with unfriendliness. Adam couldn\'t fathom the reason until he engaged in flirtatious conversations with young ladies from noble families.
Throughout the day, he had also accumulated 73 experience points merely by garnering affection and intrigue. Given that most of these individuals were commoners, the effects were immediate.
"Adam, I wasn\'t able to tell you earlier, but you received an invitation through me from the widowed Duchess," Elyra suddenly spoke, lying down beside him and nuzzling her nose into his chest.
"Uh, if I\'m not mistaken, the only widow who could hold that title..." Adam expressed his surprise.
"Yes, it\'s Duchess Veniris. She lost her husband ten years ago under mysterious circumstances. She also wields the most influence after Elizabeth." Amarantha added, explaining her identity.
Although everything seemed in order, the portion about his death being shrouded in mystery struck Adam. If he wasn\'t mistaken, "mysterious circumstances" was often synonymous with "murder." Observing his reaction and understanding his thoughts, Amarantha smirked.
"Well, you\'re not too far off. He didn\'t die by her hand, but rather due to misunderstandings. He held a firm stance against spending money on war, so officials who desired the conflict got rid of him." Amarantha settled onto the bed and turned onto her side, facing Adam. "Her interest in you isn\'t without reason, Adam. She may not possess overwhelming power, but she\'s an intelligent woman. I\'ve had to contend with her influence, and even for me, it wasn\'t easy to confront directly."
Upon hearing her words, Adam found himself deep in thought. Establishing a connection with such an individual undoubtedly held risks, so he resolved to carefully consider his options before taking any action. If he directly accepted the invitation, the ensuing consequences remained unknown, and if he declined, he might risk offending her. This predicament was far from simple.
To be continued...