Chapter 32: Silent Sabotage
The grand dining hall of House Sterling.
Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceilings and cast brilliant rainbows of light over long mahogany tables laden with silver platters of exotic roasted meats and heavily spiced delicacies.
Dozens of highly influential nobles and elite magical retainers were gathered in the room wearing expensive silk garments and glittering jewels that flaunted their immense wealth.
Leon stood near the back of the hall with his hands clasped neatly behind his back wearing his tailored Upper Wing Attendant uniform.
He utilized his passive Aura Sight to scan the room and was immediately nearly blinded by the sheer density of the magical signatures present.
Every single guest in attendance was a seasoned Aura Knight or a high tier Mage who possessed enough raw power to casually level a small village.
At the head table sat the Patriarch of House Sterling deep in conversation with a visiting dignitary.
Seated gracefully to his right was Lady Seraphina. She looked impossibly beautiful in a plunging dark crimson evening gown that highlighted her figure and left her toned shoulders bare. She looked bored out of her mind while absentmindedly swirling a glass of the Elven wine Leon had retrieved from the cellar.
Beatrice was currently orchestrating the massive army of lower servants with her usual terrifying efficiency.
The Head Maid marched between the tables and issued sharp highly precise commands to ensure every single noble goblet remained full. She looked incredibly sharp in her strict uniform but Leon could clearly see the faint lingering exhaustion in her icy blue eyes.
Trouble arrived in the form of Lord Kaelius a pompous visiting noble from a rival magic family known for their mastery over earth manipulation. Kaelius was a young prodigy who had clearly been drinking far too much heavy ale.
He possessed a punchable sneering face and a highly inflated ego that demanded constant validation from everyone around him.
Leon watched closely as Kaelius purposely flagged Beatrice down near the center of the hall.
"This braised venison is incredibly dry Head Maid," Kaelius slurred loudly drawing the attention of several nearby aristocrats. "And my goblet has been empty for nearly two minutes. Is this the pathetic standard of hospitality House Sterling offers its honored guests?"
Beatrice maintained her flawless professional composure despite the blatant disrespect. She smoothly signaled for a junior maid to fetch a fresh pitcher of wine and offered the arrogant noble a polite bow.
"I apologize for the oversight Lord Kaelius," Beatrice replied in a calm chilling voice. "We will rectify the situation immediately."
Kaelius let out a mocking scoff and aggressively reached for a heavy silver bowl filled with boiling hot savory broth resting on the table.
He intentionally clumsily bumped his elbow against the rim sending the scalding liquid tipping precariously over the edge directly toward Beatrice’s pristine uniform. It was a calculated highly petty move designed to publicly humiliate the strict Head Maid and force her to scramble away like a frightened commoner.
Leon felt his heart rate spike as the familiar crystal bell violently chimed in his skull and illuminated the grand hall with a neon pink glow.
[Quest Issued: Protecting the Ice Queen]
[Context: A pompous arrogant noble believes he can disrespect the woman you are currently hunting. A true degenerate never lets another man humiliate his targets. Defend her honor without revealing your hand.]
[Objective: Use Silent Casting to redirect the boiling broth directly onto Lord Kaelius’s lap and casually hand Beatrice a linen napkin while winking at her.]
[Reward: +15 Agility, Skill ’Mana Manipulation (Intermediate)’, 150 Shameless Points.]
[Failure Penalty: The Host will violently trip over his own feet and crash directly into the main dessert table ruining the banquet and guaranteeing his immediate execution.]
Leon did not hesitate for a single microsecond.
He drew upon his newly expanded magical core and instantly channeled a highly concentrated burst of raw mana.
Thanks to his Silent Casting skill he did not need to utter a chant or perform a visible hand sign. He simply utilized his dark magnetic eyes to lock onto the falling silver bowl and effortlessly applied a precise wave of invisible kinetic energy.
The heavy silver bowl violently jerked in midair as if struck by an invisible hand. The scalding hot broth reversed its trajectory in a fluid unnatural arc and splashed heavily directly onto the lap of Lord Kaelius’s expensive silk trousers.
The arrogant noble let out a high pitched agonizing shriek that echoed loudly across the silent dining hall.
He violently jumped out of his velvet chair and began frantically slapping his crotch while hopping around in a highly undignified dance of pure pain. The boiling liquid rapidly seeped through the thin silk fabric and effectively scorched his sensitive aristocratic jewels.
"My clothes!" Kaelius screamed hysterically while several nearby nobles burst into poorly stifled laughter at the pathetic sight. "Someone threw magic at me! I demand to know who assaulted me!"
Beatrice stood perfectly still having barely managed to register the unnatural movement of the silver bowl before it reversed direction. She blinked her icy blue eyes in pure astonishment as the arrogant noble continued to scream about assassins.
Leon smoothly activated his seventy Agility points and glided across the marble floor with the silent grace of a phantom.
He stepped directly beside the stunned Head Maid and casually extended his right hand holding a pristine white linen napkin.
Beatrice turned her head and met his dark piercing gaze.
Leon offered her a highly charming magnetic smirk and subtly winked his left eye before pressing the napkin softly into her trembling hand.
The Ice Queen’s passive Lie Detector aura violently exploded with a blinding flash of profound shock deep respect and incredibly dangerous romantic heat.
Her brilliant tactical mind rapidly pieced together the impossible truth.
She knew for an absolute fact that Leon had just utilized high level invisible magic to publicly humiliate a noble simply to protect her strict dignity.
"Clean yourself up Lord Kaelius," Lady Seraphina suddenly called out from the head table with a highly mocking velvet tone. "You are embarrassing your family with this pathetic display. It seems you simply drank too much and spilled your own soup like a clumsy child."
The Patriarch nodded in agreement and the estate guards quickly escorted the weeping noble out of the grand hall leaving the remaining guests to resume their lively conversations.
Beatrice aggressively gripped the linen napkin and refused to look away from Leon’s handsome face.
The suffocating professional barrier she usually maintained had finally permanently cracked under the sheer weight of his mysterious protective actions.
"You and I are going to have a very long private conversation the moment this banquet ends Leon," Beatrice whispered fiercely in a tone that promised a highly dangerous physical interrogation. "Meet me in my office at midnight. And do not even think about being late."
She quickly spun around and marched back to her duties with a violent red blush painting her pale neck. Leon casually returned to his station near the back of the room feeling a massive wave of highly anticipated excitement wash over him.
The pervert system had successfully cornered the Ice Queen and he knew the upcoming midnight meeting was going to yield some truly spectacular rewards.
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