The Goddess Granted Me the [Hatching] Skill and Somehow I Became the Strongest Tamer, Commanding Mythical and Divine Beasts - 45

Chapter 45: Senior National Adventurer Carol

Earlier, we were guided to an even larger party hall inside the castle, different from where Celia’s debutante was held.

Apparently, this hall can only be rented by families of at least an earl rank, and the rental fee is very high, so it is only used for such formal events.

I wasn’t particularly moved to have such a party after our ceremony. That’s because the main focus of this party wasn’t us.

When we entered, the nobles were already enjoying the party. The real purpose of the event was the interaction between the nobles, not us.

We were invited here to make an appearance before the nobles.

“Please enjoy the party.”

The guide left, and we were left standing there.

“…So, what should we do?”

I had been told by Marguerite-san beforehand that there would be a party after the ceremony, but I still didn’t know what to do now that we were thrown into it.

I had no acquaintances here aside from national adventurers, so I had no one to talk to.

My experience with parties was limited to a garden party at a lord’s mansion when I was a child and being Celia’s bodyguard at her debutante.

If I were to use that experience, I would just stay by the wall and keep an eye out for anything suspicious, right?

While I was thinking that…

“Let’s go grab some food. I’m hungry from being so nervous.”

Ritz-san was holding his stomach and looking at the food on the central table.

“Don’t get too carried away. If you disrespect the nobles and get your qualifications revoked, don’t come crying to me.”

Hanna-san warned Ritz, but it seemed she was also interested in the food, so she followed him.

Looking around, I saw that the other two had already gone, and I was left alone in the hall.

“Well, I’ll grab some food too…”

The delicious smell in the air made my stomach growl. After all, I hadn’t eaten anything since before the ceremony.

Since we were in the company of nobles and other high-ranking citizens, the food being served was something I would rarely get to see.

I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the opportunity to eat such high-class food.

(This will make a good story to tell Celia.)

Just like Ritz-san earlier, I headed to the central table and reached for a tray with some delicious-looking meat.

“Oh, sorry.”

At that moment, my hand touched another hand reaching for the same food.

“It’s Klaus.”

“Carol!”

The hand that I touched belonged to Carol, who had looked sleepy during the ceremony earlier.

We stared at each other at close range. Her ruby-like eyes were looking directly at me.

Unlike earlier, she was now wearing a dress and holding a large plate with food piled on it. It seemed she was gathering food.

“You sure took a lot…”

I spoke to her without considering those around us as she nonchalantly gathered food.

“Yeah, this is the only thing I was looking forward to. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered coming to the ceremony.”

She had seemed uninterested during the ceremony, but she confirmed that the party afterward was the real reason she attended.

“Still, there’s a limit…”

The servers were busy bringing in more and more food, and seeing the surrounding gazes made me feel awkward.

“By the way, now we’re both national adventurers, right?”

She suddenly said that, and it made me realize. This was an official event, and Carol would now be my senior.

“From now on, please take care of me.”

I rephrased my words, but…

“Mm, Klaus. Hold this.”

She handed me the large plate and started piling food onto a new plate. Then…

“Let’s eat together.”

She said, showing me a cheerful smile.

Right in front of me, Carol was eating enthusiastically.

We were sitting at a table against the wall of the hall.

The people around us were looking at us.

It was understandable. Carol was a beautiful girl with an eye-catching appearance.

She had over a hundred attendants, and the nobles who had been glancing at us earlier were likely among them.

“Nom nom… Aren’t you eating?”

While I was thinking about this, she looked up, tilted her head, and looked at me.

“Well… I’m eating, but…”

I was eating a little at a time, but I couldn’t eat as boldly as she did because I was concerned about the gazes around us.

“Is that so?”

Unlike her carefree nature, I was a rookie national adventurer. I didn’t want to give the wrong impression to those around me.

As I was thinking this, someone called out to me.

“Klaus-kun, you’re here.”

“Lebrant-san.”

It was Lebrant-san, the guild master of the Tamer Guild.

“You stand out as usual, so I knew I could find you by just following the looks.”

It seemed like he had been looking for me and let out a relieved sigh.

“It’s not me, it’s because of her, right?”

The one attracting all the attention was Carol. After all, she was one of the most famous national adventurers in the country and very popular…

“Anyway, I want to introduce you to someone. Can you come with me?”

Lebrant-san suddenly furrowed his brow and said with a serious expression.

“To me…?”

Until now, Lebrant-san had always protected me from the nobles and merchants trying to approach me. That he wanted to introduce me to someone at this party made me curious.

“Who are you trying to introduce me to?”

I had two rare monsters, the Phoenix and the Rainbow Butterfly, as my familiars. They produced rare materials, which I sold to the Tamer Guild.

Because of that, both Marguerite-san and Lebrant-san had been cautious in making contact with the upper-class citizens.

“Count Boyle.”

The moment I heard that name, I was shocked.

He was the last of my guardians, but I hadn’t been able to meet him yet due to scheduling conflicts. I had thought he wasn’t attending the party since he hadn’t shown up at the ceremony.

“I understand. Please lead the way.”

I said my goodbyes to Carol, stood up, and followed Lebrant-san through the hall.

The hall was filled with various groups chatting happily.

There were small gatherings, as well as large groups where the center couldn’t be seen.

I thought about how the size of the crowd reflected the influence in the hall when we arrived at a spot surrounded by a large number of people.

When Lebrant-san entered, the crowd parted, and I could see the person at the center.

“Count Boyle, this is Klaus.”

It was the first time I met Douglas de Boyle, the last of my guardians.