Chapter 609

Debut Party (18)
The greetings went smoothly, and soon it was almost time for the dance.
Let’s see… who haven’t I greeted yet—ah, there they are.

“Teysa, Hannon. Are you enjoying yourselves?”

“Hm? Lily? You sure it’s fine for you to come all the way over to us?”

“I’ve finished most of my greetings already, so it’s fine. More importantly—you wore the dresses!”

“In this kind of place, wearing a dress is just proper manners.”

Well, Hannon was right about that.
Neither of them owned dresses, so I made and gifted them myself.
Hannon wore hers gracefully, but Teysa… looked a little off.
Maybe a suit would’ve suited her better?

“Still, the food here’s incredible.”

“Thanks. Every single dish was prepared by the head chef showing off his full skill.”

“Huh. Guess that’s what you get when the chef of a Platinum Merchant’s household cooks.”

“He’s actually an acquaintance of Plum’s old chef—that’s why he’s so amazing.”

“Ahh, that explains it.”

Both Teysa and Hannon knew about Plum’s background.
If he used to serve as a royal chef in another country, his cooking skill would naturally be top-class.
I really am lucky to have him.

“Anyway, this sure is a massive party. We don’t know most of these people, but you must’ve invited a lot of nobles, huh?”

“Quite a few. They’ve already left, but I even invited all the marquises of this country.”

“… So, that blunder happened in front of every single marquis. The country gonna be okay after that?”

Yeah… that’s hard to say.
Personally, I’ll settle things with the educational rights I received from Princess Rodenlight and the Heavenly Wool from His Majesty the Duke,
but whether the rest of the nobility will be satisfied with that is another matter.
Especially since people will likely question their responsibility for keeping Sharon as crown prince until now.
I don’t intend to meddle in royal politics, but unrest could easily break out on its own.
That’s part of why I accepted that commission from the royal family in the first place.

Oh, right.
Speaking of that—Princess Rodenlight’s sword request. I need Teysa’s approval.

“Teysa, I have a favor to ask.”

“Huh? Depends on the favor. There are things I can do, and things I won’t.”

“I’d like you to forge a ceremonial sword from dragon fang and claw. It doesn’t need a cutting edge.”

“A ceremonial sword, huh? Ah, this a request from the Duke or that princess?”

“From Princess Rodenlight, actually. Would you be willing to take it?”

“Sure, I’ll do it. ‘Ceremonial sword’ rubs me the wrong way, but… handing a blade forged from dragon materials to the royal family these days does sound risky.”

So Teysa thought the same way.
His Majesty’s reputation really had hit rock bottom.

“When would you need it made?”

“There’s no rush. I’ve also been asked to make the coronation outfit for the next crown prince, so as long as the sword’s ready by the time I deliver that, it’ll be fine.”

“Sounds like I’ll have time then. Still, dragon materials mean I’ll have to use a different forge. Might as well get it done sooner.”

Yep, she’d use the volcano forge, of course.
That’s the best place to handle high-difficulty materials like these.
Alright, that takes care of this request.

“Oh yeah—after the party’s over, do you have a few free days? Doesn’t have to be right away.”

“If it’s not immediate, then sure. What’s up?”

“I’ve got something I’d like to discuss. Anyway, I’ll take on the sword commission.”

Something to discuss?
I wonder what about.
Well, I can find out when the time comes.

What do you think about this chapter?