The King reached the bottom of the grand staircase, turning to face the quiet ballroom while the rest of his family spread out behind him.

"Welcome, everyone," the King said, his voice carrying effortlessly over the large crowd despite him not shouting.

"I am glad to see so many of you could make it on such short notice. I was beginning to worry that the capital’s wine cellars had finally run dry, but it seems we still have enough to keep you all happy for one more night."

A polite ripple of laughter moved through the nobles, the tension in the room easing slightly at the King’s joke.

"Tonight is a celebration of our kingdom’s continued strength," he continued, offering a brief smile. "Eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves. We have much to discuss in the coming days, but for tonight, let us simply enjoy the peace we have earned."

He didn’t listen to the rest of the speech, his eyes remaining entirely fixed on the man standing a few steps behind the King.

The man in the dark coat wasn’t looking at him right now, his gaze instead sweeping lazily over the crowd like he was incredibly bored with the entire event.

’Is he one of the King’s sons?’ he thought, taking a slow sip of his wine while he watched the man’s posture.

It made sense for a royal to stand that close to the monarch, but the logic didn’t really hold up. He remembered the private breakfast he had shared with the royal family that day, and that man definitely had not been sitting at the table.

If he was a prince, he would have been there, especially since the King had made it a point to gather his children for that meal.

’If he isn’t family, then he must be some high-ranking knight or a hired mercenary,’ he concluded, lowering his glass. ’But that still doesn’t explain the hallway.’

His mind flashed back to that brief encounter, remembering the sheer intensity of the killing intent that had been directed right at him. It wasn’t the kind of look a stranger gives to someone they bump into. It was the look of someone who knew exactly who they were looking at, and wanted them dead.

’Did he somehow know who I was?’ he thought, feeling a familiar headache returning. ’Or does he know about the Flint family secret?’

Either way, having a potential enemy standing right next to the King was a massive problem.

’How annoying,’ he thought, letting out a quiet sigh.

He had come to the capital to get stronger and figure out the system, but instead, he kept getting dragged into the middle of noble politics and dealing with people who wanted to kill him for reasons he didn’t even understand.

Juna stepped a little closer to him, her ears flicking backward while she followed his gaze toward the royal group.

"Master," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the orchestra starting back up. "That man..."

"I know," he replied quietly, keeping his eyes on the man. "Just stay close to me and don’t draw any unnecessary attention to yourself. We are just here to show our faces and leave."

His plan to stay hidden in the background didn’t even last five seconds.

The King raised a hand, signaling the orchestra to stop playing before they had even finished the first measure. The silence returned instantly, all eyes shifting back toward the grand staircase.

"Before the festivities truly begin," the King announced, his voice echoing clearly across the ballroom. "I must take a moment to acknowledge a very special guest. Tonight is not just a celebration of our kingdom, but a celebration of the man who saved my precious daughter."

He froze, his grip tightening around the stem of his wine glass.

"When Princess Didi was ambushed by a monster in the forest, it was not her royal knights who defeated it, nor was it a prestigious guild," the King continued, his tone swelling with dramatic weight. "It was a single, brave adventurer who put his life on the line to bring her home safely." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

’Oh, come on,’ he thought, feeling his stomach completely sink while the King kept talking. ’Please don’t do this.’

"His skill, his courage, and his absolute dedication to protecting the weak are exactly what this kingdom needs," he said, scanning the crowd with sharp eyes. "Where is he? Ah, there you are."

The King raised his hand and pointed directly at him.

"Come forward, Hajin!" the King called out, a massive smile appearing on his face. "Let the entire court see the man who saved the Princess!"

’Fuck,’ he thought, fighting the urge to just turn around and walk right out the front doors.

The massive crowd of nobles instantly stepped back, creating a wide, completely empty path that led directly from him to the bottom of the grand staircase. Hundreds of eyes locked onto him, some filled with curiosity, others with clear, calculating suspicion.

The system panel immediately flared to life at the edge of his vision.

[ CringeSlayer91:] LMAOOOO bro wanted to hide

[ LurkerNoMore:] "just here to show our faces" 💀💀💀

[ NewViewer_02:] get up there hero boy, the king is waiting!

[ xXDarkBladeXx:] the look on his face right now is absolutely priceless

He let out a long, exhausted sigh, draining the rest of his wine in one quick swallow before handing the empty glass to a stunned waiter standing nearby.

"So much for not drawing attention," he muttered to Juna.

He adjusted his collar and started walking down the empty path, feeling the heavy stares of every single noble in the capital drilling into his back.

As he moved closer to the stairs, the whispers from the crowd flared up again, but this time they sounded completely different. The same young noblewomen who had been pretending to dislike him just moments ago were now practically vibrating with excitement.

"Did you hear what the King said?" a woman whispered loudly, hiding her face behind a silk fan. "He saved the Princess from a monster! He’s not just a ranker, he is a royal hero."

"He looks so rugged," another added, giggling quietly. "And did you see the way he put that arrogant noble in his place earlier? He would make such an incredible husband."

The lustful whispers carried all the way to the front of the room, easily reaching the ears of the people standing on the stairs.

Didi had been watching him approach with a bright, welcoming smile, but the moment she overheard the noblewomen talking about taking him as a husband, her smile twitched.

She turned her head slightly, glaring at the crowd of giggling women with a sudden flash of irritation. She didn’t fully understand why it bothered her, but the idea of those shallow nobles throwing themselves at him made her feel incredibly annoyed.

He finally reached the bottom of the stairs, stopping a few feet away from the royal family. He placed his right hand over his chest and offered a deep, formal bow.

"It is an honor to be here, Your Majesty," he said, keeping his tone respectful and even.

The King didn’t reply immediately, just stepping off the bottom stair and walking right up to him.

Before he could straighten his posture, the King suddenly reached out and slapped him hard on the shoulder. It wasn’t an attack, but the sheer force behind the King’s hand nearly buckled his knees.

"There is no need to be so stiff," the King laughed, his voice booming across the ballroom. "You are standing before your official sponsor, after all."

He froze, his head snapping up to look at the King’s grinning face.

"Eh?" he slipped out, completely forgetting his etiquette.

The entire ballroom full of nobles, who had been holding their breath to hear the King’s words, stared in absolute shock.

"Eh?" the crowd murmured in unison, completely thrown off balance by the sudden declaration.

The system panel in the corner of his vision practically exploded with new messages.

[ CringeSlayer91:] eh??

[ ShadowMage44:] eh????

[ LoreSeeker:] wait, since when did the King become his sponsor??

[ TowerCrawler:] eh???

[ Ashley(mod):] yay 💖