C141
I knew that the original plot changed quite a bit thanks to me.
"But, isn't the breaking of the barriers an event separate and independent of my participation?"
I wondered if I had missed something important, so I asked Margaret if there had been any issues with the barriers in the last two weeks.
"In the text, I haven't heard that anything like that happened recently."
"I knew it, I wasn't the only one who hadn't heard of it."
Mia probably won't receive much attention at the upcoming incense-burning ceremony if things continue like this.
The fact that there were no damages to the monster barriers meant that Mia didn't have a stage to play an active role as the female lead.
"Putting that aside, no matter how many times I looked for that defective coin, I couldn't find it."
It was something I liked a lot.
The servants approached me with a dress full of jewels and colorful accessories while my mind was wrapped in an unresolved premonition.
It was for the dinner held today in the mansion.
In addition to the direct line of the Seymour family, the families of the indirect line Seymour were also invited to the incense ceremony and are currently in the capital.
"Deborah hated her relatives a lot."
Deborah is the only one who had no mana sensitivity among all the direct lines, and the fact that she was lagging behind the others constantly pricked at her inferiority complex.
Perhaps that's why Deborah dressed glamorously to show off to her relatives later. Then, she would look down on them while opening her fan.
But instead, she would look ridiculous as if she were conscious of her inferiority.
"In the text, it's not even a dance; this colorful outfit is too much. Bring elegant and formal clothing."
"Yes."
I walked out the door in an elegant evening gown.
As I descended the stairs, Belreck and Enrique suddenly stood in front of the door.
"How can you be an escort when you're a scaredy-cat?"
"I'm not a scaredy-cat!"
Enrique grumbled as he clenched his small fist, and Belreck extended his arm towards me while mocking.
"What the hell just happened?"
"I'll accompany you to dinner."
"I'll go with Enrique. Could you accompany me?"
"Sister..."
When I extended my arm to Enrique, he held onto me tightly with his big, shining eyes, as if he were moved.
"I tried to improve your mood because I obviously knew you didn't like relatives."
Belreck grumbled as he lowered his arm.
"Don't I feel bad? I'm fine these days."
"Good. You're also threatening the successor, so I worried for nothing."
Belreck matched his pace with mine while teasing and arrived at the dining room with them.
When three members of the direct line entered together, they drew everyone's attention, and Dad smiled gently.
"You all came together. Come, take a seat."
"Yes, father."
I sat at the head of the table, receiving the attention of the relatives who came.
"But, where's Rosad?"
"I think Rosad couldn't attend today because he's busy."
Someone said as if they had the same thoughts as mine.
"Well, since Rosad is a hero who captured all the evil dark mages and protected the people, the imperial family often seeks him out."
Duke Seymour said as he looked at his eldest son's empty seat.
"I don't think the imperial family called Rosad. He revealed his intention to attend today, but I think he'll be late because he had sudden matters that needed urgent confirmation."
"I don't know what he needs to confirm, but the eldest son of this house is always busy."
Drinks were served as they were amazed, and light conversations were exchanged at the table.
Perhaps, because it's a dinner where various families and relatives gathered, the heads of each family bragged a bit about their children while asking for greetings. I knew it, people are the same no matter where they live.
"My daughter reached the 4th class this year. Ha ha."
"Oh, I heard Anna has a very good mana sensitivity."
"Yes, she plans to enter the fifth floor of the Tower as a researcher next year."
"I can't believe she's going straight to the fifth floor. I know she's debuting this year, but it's incredible for such a young age."
Deborah couldn't handle her facial expressions at all in this kind of conversation, but I really didn't feel any inferiority, so I just took a sip of water while waiting for the food.
"Enrique is in the 3rd class. Is it such a good thing to point out being in the fourth class at that age?"
At that moment, Belreck suddenly became sarcastic as he wiped his hand with a handkerchief, and Enrique nodded.
"It seemed like they were going to stab each other a moment ago, but suddenly they get along well."
"Mmm! My daughter is the best student at the academy."
I didn't know my father would intervene in this conversation, so I almost spit the water in my mouth.
When Duke Seymour, who always maintained his indifferent attitude, suddenly boasted, the indirect lines were momentarily perplexed and opened their mouths.
"Rosad and Belreck had also been the top students at the academy on three occasions."
"The academic achievements of my daughter this year are astonishing."
"Of course."
"If she could really use the formula she developed, it would have been great."
Well, she had no mana sensitivity, so she was in a state of not being able to use the formula I improved in real life.
I think some people also said she was a mixed race because of this.
"Instead, I could force anyone not to use the formula if there's someone who doesn't like my daughter."
"Haha. I see."
The head of an indirect family closed his mouth with a pale face at the Duke Seymour's cold words.
Then, everyone fell silent.
They weren't speaking out of fear, but there were some faces that weren't very pleasant. Perhaps due to my past arrogant attitude and disrespectful comments to my blood relatives.
I think they were bewildered by the atmosphere that is different from last year.
Amidst the discomfort inside, appetizers and freshly baked bread were served one by one on the table.
"I apologize all the time, but the Seymour family's kitchen is really good."
I couldn't lose my appetite just because of this atmosphere.
I focused on the glamorous two-hour dinner and emptied the dessert.
Meanwhile, the head of the family was worried about the future of the empire with anxious faces.
"I'm worried about the upcoming incense ceremony because public sentiment is not good."
"But haven't the barriers calmed down lately?"
"If there is a crack again and it causes great harm to people, people will consider the imperial family and the nobles as incompetent."
"A small amount of water breaks the rock*, but the cause of the crack couldn't be found..."
Rosad arrived in the middle of a serious conversation.
Rosad immediately emptied the wine as soon as he sat down as if he were thirsty.
"Rosad. What happened for you to arrive so suddenly?"
"I returned from an investigation with Major Cassie because there was an unknown earthquake."
Major Cassie was also a battle mage; I knew him because he asked me to pass by the battle training field whenever he went to give a lecture at the tower; it seems Rosad chose him as an investigator because he had good knowledge of the terrain.
"And then?"
"I wondered if there was a problem with the barrier, but when I went to the Temple of Euclides, I came back empty-handed because nothing happened."
"I was anxious about the barriers, but I'm glad nothing happened."
"That's right."
It was a comforting atmosphere in general, but I felt out of place and squinted my eyes.
"Something is strange."
When I muttered, the curious eyes of the head of the family were focused on me.
"What is strange?"
Rosad also questioned me.
"If it's the Temple of Euclides, isn't that place not far from the capital?"
I knew because I remembered all the important locations of the temples.
"But I wonder why there was no aftershock at all."
Earthquakes don't vibrate just once in a single occurrence, but lead to a series of small earthquakes.
"The earthquake is not a local phenomenon, but it's strange that there was no vibration in the Yones district adjacent to the temple. Moreover, the capital, the coastal region, is not a region where earthquakes are frequently reported. It's not like there's a volcano nearby."
Then, the elderly head of one of the indirect families agreed with me with a surprised expression.
"What you said is correct. My estate is near a volcano, so earthquakes happen frequently, and there's always an aftershock."
"So, are you saying it's not a natural phenomenon like an earthquake? No one could feel any vibration here today."
Everyone nodded in agreement with Duke Seymour's words, and I was lost in thought.
"Maybe, Mia's incident calming the barrier is related to this earthquake?"
I'm sure there is a connection with the monsters based on the novel's timeline.
"What if the crack occurred underground, and not on the surface?"
Rosad suddenly stood up at my words.
"Moreover, if the monsters are still underground, wouldn't this earthquake phenomenon be more convincingly explained?"