The banquet was held inside the castle.

After receiving the notification, Ronald, who had nothing much to prepare, immediately left the room with Costate.

Led by the [Nicos] side.

They walked only a few hundred meters inside the castle, bypassing several buildings with various functions, and soon saw the location of the banquet.

Unlike any of the previous banquets Ronald had attended.

The banquet venue for hosting distinguished guests by [Nicos] had no indoor part but chose an open-air circular plaza as the location. Ronald carefully observed the surroundings and quickly identified the original form of this place.

It was a dish-shaped basin with a roughly circular outline, neatly cut, with each bluish stone brick large enough for a person to sit on, stacked in a tiered fashion, topped by subsequently added banquet structures.

Apart from these extra constructions, remnants of the Roman Council Square style could still be seen.

Guided by the waiter, they took their seats.

As the strongest caster among the guests, Ronald was seated on the right side of Princess Claudia. After a brief greeting with Her Highness, Ronald heard a whispered reminder from Costate behind him:

"Sir, during the banquet last night, I noticed that there seemed to be something beneath the ground here."

"Oh?" Ronald nodded slightly.

Then his attention shifted below, and Ronald's reconnaissance magic did not detect any voids in the terrain or any reactions to magic fluctuations.

But only the soul abilities from the "Divine Comedy - Paradise" allowed Ronald to perceive some slight responses.

In this place that is now used as a banquet venue.

There actually lays dormant a certain number of souls, even though they aren't currently active, sitting quietly above ground, Ronald could feel the battle desire brimming within these souls.

"..."

Ronald's expression changed.

Based on the knowledge he possessed, in this world, souls leaving traces posthumously must have had extremely intense emotions before death, or unresolved obsessions, making them extremely rare, one in a hundred; and with the current situation Ronald was sensing... there must be quite a few deceased buried here.

A sunken circular plaza.

Moreover, a considerable number of warrior souls lay dormant here.

The whole castle must have served a military fortress-like purpose in the past.

Combining these three conditions, Ronald immediately realized the past use of this place—a site for executing prisoners or a coliseum for life-and-death duels for entertainment.

The royal family of [Nicos] now uses such a place as a banquet venue.

Truly leaving one unsure how to comment on it.

Despite the mixed feelings, Ronald still refrained from giving his opinion on it.

After all, this is the castle of the [Nicos] royalty.

The small anomaly beneath the ground not being a trap targeted at Carl residents, he, as a guest, naturally wouldn't interfere.

As dusk approached, the people of [Nicos] did not intend to let the guests wait here endlessly. Ronald had just been seated for about three to five minutes when the sound of footsteps came from the passage leading deeper into the castle.

Before these people arrived.

Claudia to Ronald's left seemed intrigued, then began introducing:

"Ronald, those coming over there are the royal family members of [Nicos], I believe you know a few of them, right?"

"I had met the Countess in Springs before, not sure if I'll see her again this time."

Ronald responded to Claudia, simultaneously turning to look.

The result…

Though slightly stirred, it was within reason.

Attendees from [Nicos] naturally included Countess Letitia and her husband the Prince, and just behind them, there was Luna whom Ronald had eluded yesterday.

"Hehe…"

"Thinking about it carefully, it's not much of an issue."

During their interactions, Luna's behavior had shown her identity in various ways. It's just unclear what position she holds in the royal family to have dared to attempt to flee yesterday.

Moreover, Ronald had his doubts.

Countess Letitia's capabilities were something he knew. By small inference, the magic possessed by the [Nicos] royal family should not be weak either. So why did Luna claim she had no combat capabilities during yesterday's events?

"Ronald, you seem quite curious about that girl, don't you?"

Ronald's gaze focused on Luna, naturally caught by Claudia, who just smiled slightly before providing information about her:

"This is Letitia's daughter Philia, reportedly in poor health yesterday hence absent, but felt better today and attending the banquet. And despite being only fourteen years old—young gallants who've witnessed this princess's beauty are lining up to pursue her."

Claudia introduced with flair.

However, in Ronald's eyes, familiar with Claudia, there seemed to be a somewhat unnatural feel to it.

After some brief thought, Ronald softly reminded her:

"Claudia, you're still young too; in private, don't imitate Emperor Dantrian's manner of speaking."

"..."

Ronald was quite unprepared for what followed after his reminder.

——Claudia unexpectedly lost composure!

Her Highness the princess, hearing this, blushed after a two-second pause, evidently embarrassed.

Regardless, Claudia was well-trained in royal life since childhood.

This loss of composure only lasted a single breath before Claudia adjusted her expression again, showing no trace of the previous demeanor.

"Ronald, you're quite daring, aren't you!"

"Even in Carl land, there aren't many who would speak to me like that."

Claudia seemed to reprimand Ronald, but her eyes unmistakably twinkled with amusement.

Seeing Her Highness the princess express such a look, Ronald knowingly apologized:

"I truly apologize for that, my esteemed princess…"

Suddenly, Ronald's voice lowered.

For he suddenly realized a previously unnoticed issue presented itself once Claudia introduced Luna's relation to the Countess.

Ronald's imagination ran wild for a moment, then he couldn't resist asking:

"Wait, Claudia! That Countess… isn't she not yet thirty?"

"It's not polite behavior to discuss a lady's age." Claudia rebuked Ronald again but simultaneously made a gesture under the table, indicating two numbers to Ronald.

Two, eight…

The Countess being twenty-eight this year, while Luna is fourteen.

Thus, when she was fourteen, Countess Letitia already gave birth to Luna, and the time of carrying Luna extends even a year prior!

"..."

At that moment, Luna also caught sight of Ronald at the banquet.

Faced with the unusual gaze of the young girl.

Now, Ronald's emotions became peculiar in this inexpressible state.