Dragon's Awakening: The Duke's Son Is Changing The Plot-Chapter 384 - 383 - The Festival 2.

The great hall of Velmoria Castle shimmered like a sea of molten gold.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, scattering light across marble pillars and gilded curtains.

Mana-infused music swirled in the air, blending with laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the murmur of political wolves wrapped in silks and smiles.

And at the center of it all stood Raven’s group—the heroes who had returned from the fight with death.

The moment they entered, the air shifted.

Nobles, lords, and foreign envoys swarmed like moths to a flame. Compliments, offers, and rehearsed greetings poured in faster than arrows on a battlefield.

"Sir Raven, what a pleasure! Your feats in the Ashen Expanse are—"

"Lady Selena, your control over water and shadows is legendary!"

"Miss Clara, I must say, your vibration magic—"

"—is not for discussion," Clara interrupted gently, smiling with perfect politeness that somehow carried the weight of a threat.

After all, vibration magic was something unique to her, and she wasn’t going to reveal anything about it to the world.

Graye, on the other hand, had already been dragged into a crowd of armored knights praising her armor design.

Rufus was surrounded by inventors who were halfway to proposing marriages on the spot.

Jessy had vanished behind a drink counter, pretending to be part of the furniture.

Raven tried to keep calm. His smile was polite, but his soul screamed.

He had faced demonic generals, world-ending powers, and eldritch horrors. But nothing was as terrifying as nobles with wine glasses.

Because he can kill monsters and still be called a hero, but killing nobles would just make him a murderer.

However, just when the chaos threatened to spiral beyond control—

CLAP.

A single, sharp clap echoed through the hall.

The crowd froze. Conversations stilled. Even the music faltered slightly.

Everyone turned toward the dais, where a tall, somewhat handsome man in royal attire stood—King Velric of Velmoria, blue eyes glinting like molten metal.

Selena nodded beside Raven, whispering, "Here comes the act I told him to do."

Velric smiled disarmingly, though his voice carried the commanding weight of a monarch, something he earned on his own during the tension-filled times.

"Everyone," he said warmly, "please, let our heroes breathe."

A ripple of embarrassed chuckles spread through the crowd, but Velric raised a finger.

"I understand your excitement, but imagine how stuffy it must feel, surrounded by so many eager faces. Our heroes may begin to think poorly of those persistent, and I’m sure none of you want that."

That last part landed like a thunderbolt.

The nobles instantly stepped back, murmuring apologies, pretending they hadn’t just been pushing over each other to speak to Raven, as none of them wanted to get on Raven’s bad side—especially because of their impatience.

Omni snorted softly in Raven’s mind.

"Damn, boss, your ’brother-in-law’ just pulled the ol’ ’smile and threat’ combo. Respect."

Raven hid a grin and walked toward the dais, the crowd parting before him. When he reached Velric, he inclined his head slightly.

"Well handled, ’Your Majesty.’ I owe you one."

Velric placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "I live to serve, Master Raven."

Selena facepalmed. "Okay, that wasn’t needed..."

But the king was not joking. His eyes genuinely gleamed with obedience—the lasting effect of the "unfortunate" period he had served and observed Raven.

Like everyone besides Raven, even Velric now knew that he was doing way better than whatever he would’ve done normally, despite only being Raven’s slave.

If he had to guess, he would’ve either died under Raven’s hands or in some coup, if he didn’t become Raven’s slave.

But now, he had found his voice, and although he wasn’t as talented as Selena when it came to magic or mana, he was still able to become someone who could command people—all because of Raven.

Now, if someone were to ask Velric if he wanted to have his slave mark removed, he would deny it, as the slave mark made it possible for him to be trusted by Raven, and that was worth more than anything else at this date.

After one last glance at the group, Velric then turned to the hall again, his voice rising.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Velmoria—and honored guests of the allied kingdoms—it is my great privilege to reintroduce the ones who safeguarded our realm!"

Applause erupted like thunder. The floor trembled under the weight of cheers.

Velric gestured toward each of them, introducing with flair:

"Raven, the Voidflame Vanguard and Velmoria’s Shield!"

"Selena, the Shadow Empress of the Tides!"

"Clara, the Resonant Blade!"

"Siris, the Cryovoid Dancer!"

"Lia, Princess of Verdant Life!"

"Graye, the Starfire Knight!"

"Jessy, the Iron Scholar!"

"Rufus, the Lightbearer!"

"Jake, the Silent Warden!"

"Alex, the Lava Drifter, and his... distinguished companion, General Nibbles!"

A tiny cheer came from somewhere in the crowd, followed by the sound of someone fainting.

The applause continued for nearly a minute before Velric began introducing the attending dignitaries—the most important ones—to Raven’s group.

One by one, princes, dukes, scholars, and merchants approached—each trying to curry favor, form alliances, or marry off someone.

However, they didn’t expect such a response.

"Sir Raven, would you consider a formal visit to the Orillan Duchy?"

"Do you have ramen?"

"...Ramen?"

Another noble bowed deeply. "Lord Raven, my daughter is quite talented in music—"

Raven blinked. "Can she beat the first level of Fruit Ninja?"

The noble froze. "I—beg your pardon?"

Selena coughed delicately, hiding her smirk. Clara pretended to sip her drink to hide her laughter. Siris was openly grinning.

The way Raven was handling things was both humorous and political, as he wasn’t outright rejecting them but rather showing how they failed to provide an answer to his questions, thereby ending the conversation.

But their being unable to answer wasn’t uncalled for, as the words Raven was using were from his past life, and he was sure that no one else in this world would know what he was talking about.

A merchant approached next, sweating. "We offer rare mana crystals, Lord Raven."

Raven tilted his head. "What about Wi-Fi?"

The man blinked. "Wi... what-fi?"

"Thought so," Raven said, moving on.

By the time they were done, the would-be allies were left blinking in confusion, murmuring things like, ’What is a ramen? Is it edible?’

And somehow, despite rejecting every political offer, Raven’s group came out unscathed—just deeply mysterious.

An hour passed.

The hall grew louder with music and laughter.

And finally, Raven found a corner—his corner—by a balcony overlooking the glowing city.

He loosened his collar, holding a glass of dark wine, and exhaled.

’Peace, at last.’

Omni hummed lazily in his arm.

"You handled that like a pro, boss. Political jiu-jitsu at its finest."

Raven smirked. "I learned from the best."

"You mean me?"

"...Sure, let’s go with that."

Across the hall, Graye and Rufus were challenging nobles to arm wrestling matches.

Alex was arguing with Nibbles over who deserved the last macaron.

Selena and Clara were chatting gracefully with foreign envoys.

Siris was scaring off potential suitors with a smile too sharp to be legal.

Jessy... was asleep. On a chair. With a wine glass balanced perfectly on her stomach.

All in all, business as usual.

Raven took another sip, eyes half-lidded. The night was finally beginning to feel peaceful—until he felt it.

A presence—graceful, cold, deliberate—approaching from his left.

He sighed internally and straightened, turning to face whoever had found him.

Two figures stepped out of the crowd, both draped in shades of silver and frost.

The first, a tall woman with ice-blue hair and sapphire eyes, moved with the regal poise of someone used to command—Duchess Ilene Elvarine.

Beside her, a young woman with the same blue hair but softer features—Aira Elvarine, the duchess’s daughter, and the heroine Raven didn’t interact much with.

It wasn’t because she wasn’t beautiful—she was, without a doubt, way more attractive than any girl Raven could’ve seen in his past life.

However, she was weak.

Even if Raven were to help her find her cheat, she would still be a four-circle mage, which was weaker than Nibbles, the last-ranked member of their group when it came to power.

In this situation, if he were to take her along and face enemies that could make him give his all, he would be leading her to death.

Now, she was before him again.

Aira’s eyes widened when she met Raven’s. A flicker of warmth and shyness lit her face—the kind of look that made Raven instinctively sigh.

Ilene instantly caught that sigh, her eyes narrowing by a fraction.

She had been reading Raven from the moment she saw him, so she could tell already that her daughter was trying to do the impossible, but she didn’t stop her, as no one could predict the future.

"Raven," Ilene said smoothly, her tone respectful but sharp. "It’s been some time."

Raven inclined his head politely. "Duchess Elvarine. Lady Aira. I didn’t expect to see you here."

Aira smiled faintly, her hands clasped behind her back. "You saved me once. I wasn’t going to miss your celebration."

Raven gave her a small smile. "Don’t mention it, please. I did what anyone would’ve."

"Anyone would’ve fought off an eight-level wolf beast?" Ilene raised a brow, making Raven scratch his head.

"Yes?"

The lady and the girl just shook their heads at that, knowing full well that Raven was just being humble.

For a few heartbeats, silence lingered between them—polite, poised, and heavy. The music from the hall felt distant here, muffled by the low hum of mana lights and the faint rustle of dresses.

Raven tilted his head slightly, breaking the stillness.

"So," he said, voice calm but edged with quiet curiosity, "what can I do for you, Duchess? I doubt you came here to ask for political ties. Your house doesn’t need them."

Ilene and Aira exchanged a glance. Aira looked down, fingers twisting around her bracelet, while Ilene exhaled softly and began, "Actually—"

"Raven," came a calm, honeyed voice.

Selena.

She walked toward them, every step measured, every movement graceful—and yet, the temperature in the hall seemed to drop by a few degrees.