The woman who had not spent much time with her younger son recently due to him always being out and about was very pleased with the opportunity Evan's medal ceremony had given her.
She was the one who usually handled his and Eliza's formal occasion attires after all.
Evan ended up meeting Arnold while he was there and the two didn't awkwardly ignore each other like they used to before, something that brought a smile to Patricia's face as she was worried that they were on bad terms but didn't know what to do since she didn't know why.
Of course, his attitude towards Richard who was over to discuss a few academy-related stuff with Arnold was as snarky as ever.
He did take notice of the fact that Arnold's 'personal maid', Brenda was not present, but he deduced the reason why pretty quickly.
'if things went as planned, then Greed should have gained Geomantic Wrath from that Celestial by now.
It makes sense that Brenda would not be here then.'
The boy thought about the 'mini disaster' that plagued both the Alpha and Beta Continents in the game, caused by both the Demonic Hand and the 'Fallen Celestial Deities' or 'False gods' as he'd have liked to call them.
It was a 'mini disaster' because although it had resulted in the loss of many lives, it was something that never fully came to fruition in the game as the player's line of action in the main quest is to stop their plans from happening.
The real disaster was what came afterwards, something that happened in the same country where the False gods of the Alpha Continent were.
'The Fall of the Desert Country.'
'I really hope the Demonic hand has not found the location of the 'Master of Dragondune' yet.'
Evan had such thoughts going through his head as he chatted lightly with Arnold, before following the Duchess to handle his outfit preparations.
◇ ◇ ◇
The days passed by pretty quickly, and soon the day of the Medal Ceremony arrived.
Amidst the grand banquet hall adorned with regal tapestries and decorations, High Nobles of the Empire, From Marquises to some of the Dukes, assembled in their official attires.
Emperor Rudeus sat upon his throne as he addressed the gathering with eloquence, recounting Evan's contributions and how he had unearthed an 'ancient magic Rome brimming with over 200 Forgotten Magic spells from Centuries ago, including powerful Toer 4 and 5 spells'.
Given how great the destructive power of Tier 5 spells was, it could be seen how they had the power to bolster the Empire's Military capabilities.
With the exception of Magic Geniuses like Jenson, Tier 5 Spells were things that required a Legendary level to cast on a normal basis—that alone spoke of how potent these spells were.
As the Emperor spoke, a sense of awe and anticipation filled the hall and the curiosity nobles was finally sated.
Some seven felt that him being awarded the Medal and Honour was not sufficient as a reward while others figured that Evan and the Emperor probably had other rewards discussed under closed doors.
They weren't wrong as the boy had indeed submitted his list of demands to the Emperor, though Rudeus had ruled out some things that were flat-out impossible and negotiated to lower some others.
But one of the things that didn't fall under the 'Impossible' category was the elevation of Evan's military authority, with its upper limit being raised to that of Second Lieutenant.
It was something that added to the 'power' Evan wanted but wasn't necessarily something he was going to be needing in the near future so Rudeus didn't have much qualms about that.
This proclamation rippled through the assembly of nobles, eliciting murmurs of admiration and surprise.
After this, Evan stepped forward for a little appreciation speech, including a nod to the Bowthe Family for their contributions.
Though the exact nature of their involvement remained unknown to all but a select few, namely Duke Bowthe himself and the other Dukes of the Empire.
The ceremony transitioned into a lavish celebration marked by lively conversation, resounding laughter and the clinking of goblets. As the night wore on, the events of the ball ebbed and flowed, akin to countless noble gatherings before, concluding sometime close to midnight when the nobles began returning began their residences.
The next morning after the party, Laurene who had something to discuss with Eliza, tried contacting her but was surprised that she could not reach the girl.
When she went over to the Oak Avenue Manor in person, she discovered that both Evan and Eliza apparently never returned to the estate after the party the previous night.
Even more shocking was that Kayla who was usually with Evan and Kuro who spent most of his time in Eliza's shadow were left behind, and the two spirits could not sense Evan's location through their contract with him.
This also applied to Milena as well.
Upon discovering this, it didn't take the princess too long to figure out that the couple had gone somewhere they didn't want others to know.
As for when they were going to return…well, that was entirely up to them.
◇ ◇ ◇
Yaton City
Lydrosia Duchy
March 3rd
Year 1053
Yaton was an entirely ordinary city, where the ebb and flow of daily life went on without significant fanfare.
But the third day of March marked a peculiar and joyous occasion. For reasons that could only be termed tradition, the city adorned itself with a festive ambience, its streets bustling with activity as people of all ages indulged in the revelry that unfolded.
This was a place with no remarkable distinctions—an average city in every sense of the word, with normal levels of trade, commerce and magi-technology.
Yet, the ordinary nature of the city was precisely why Evan had chosen it as the stage for his date with Eliza.
On this day, the city's inhabitants threw themselves into the spirit of the celebration, adorning their homes and businesses with colourful banners and intricate decorations.
The scent of mouth-watering delicacies wafted through the air, and the laughter of children echoed through the streets. Music played from every corner, and performers entertained the crowds with skilful displays of magic and acrobatics.
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