Berserk: The Prophet

Chapter 305 Dance

The young man's face flushed red and then turned pale with embarrassment at Green's merciless rebuttal. He clenched his fists in anger and embarrassment: "Stop with the sweet talk! If you're so capable, let's have a sword fight! Don't try to fob me off with these grand principles!"

"Hmph, you? You're not even worth my master's attention. How about I show you what I can do?" Korilipo couldn't stand it anymore. These snobbish bastards were making things difficult for their master just because he was still a child.

"You cunning little mouse, do you only dare to hide behind a loyal dog? Do you dare to have a fair fight with me?" the young man said angrily, fueled by alcohol.

Green merely chuckled, placed his wine glass on the table, slowly rose, and straightened his tuxedo with elegant and composed movements: "It's alright. Since you are so persistent in your pursuit of swordsmanship, then so be it. However, before that, I would like to ask the old baron whether the floor of this banquet hall can withstand our tinkering?"

The old baron watched the scene with great interest, his ornate cane tapping lightly on the ground. "Haha, it's good that young people have guts. But this banquet hall is really not suitable for swords and spears. How about I have someone prepare a spacious training ground for you tomorrow, where you can have a contest of skills?"

Green bowed slightly, a perfectly timed smile on his face: "Thank you, old baron. This arrangement is fair and reasonable. I only hope that when we get to the training ground, you can put away your sharp tongue and show some real skill."

The young man sneered, "Hmph, I'll show you what I'm made of tomorrow!"

Green's lips curled into a smile, his eyes brimming with confidence: "I'm looking forward to it." With that, he casually continued chatting with the other nobles who had come to strike up a conversation.

It was all just some nonsense about Lord Blair just becoming a knight squire of the Juda Empire this year, being proud of his loyalty to the empire, and telling Green not to take it to heart, blah blah blah.

The young man glared angrily at Green, then turned back to his own circle, muttering under his breath, "The nobles of the Grant War Zone are all a bunch of flashy little rats, either pedophiles or hypocrites. I'll beat his jaw up tomorrow!"

The old baron smiled and shook his head, continuing his conversation with those around him. The atmosphere in the banquet hall gradually became lively again, as if the tense standoff earlier was just a minor incident.

Green picked up his glass, took a small sip of wine, and observed the young man's every move through the rim of the glass.

He knew in his heart that tomorrow's battle on the training ground wouldn't be so simple. Although that young man was impulsive, he must have some background and influence in this small place to be able to enter this banquet hall.

Jealousy is truly terrifying. A guy much older than himself insists on targeting a child who is not even ten years old. Green felt ashamed for him.

I never expected attending a banquet to cause so much trouble; I've lost all appetite.

At that moment, a group of simply dressed bards and musicians entered the banquet hall with their instruments, seemingly preparing for the next round of closing ceremonies.

The bard's lute began to play first, its deep melody flowing like a winding stream through the banquet hall.

The musicians suddenly quickened the tempo, and to the cheerful tune, the noblewoman rose gracefully, her skirt sweeping across the center of the banquet hall, which was covered with a red carpet.

Green noticed the old baron's gaze sweeping over him almost imperceptibly. He leaned on his carved cane, exchanged a few words in hushed tones with the butler beside him, and then the butler hurriedly left.

"Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" A soft female voice sounded in his ear. Green turned his head, and the girl who had been stealing glances at him earlier was now standing beside him. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and the pearl hair ornament in her hair trembled gently with her breath.

Just as Green was about to politely decline, the system suddenly emitted an urgent notification: [Hidden Quest Triggered: Dance with the Noble Lady. Success will increase the Hilt family's favorability; failure will decrease the trust value of the nobles present (exposure risk +35%).]

Green took a deep breath and placed his glass on the table.

"It's my pleasure, Miss." Green placed his right hand on his chest, bent slightly at the waist, and gave the lady an elegant and standard bow. Then he extended his right hand, palm up, and naturally took the girl's delicate right hand and led her onto the dance floor.

Ah, the girl's hands are so delicate. Green felt a pang of nostalgia for the girl he met in Wyndam, who seemed even more slender and fair-skinned.

...That silver-haired child seemed to possess a magical power; after only a few meetings, he was unforgettable.

As he danced, Green keenly noticed that the old baron's gaze remained fixed on him. Blair, on the other hand, stood in the shadows, his sinister gaze like a thorn in his back, the jealousy in his eyes almost setting the red wine in his glass ablaze.

The girl's voice carried a hint of nervousness: "Your swordsmanship must be very impressive. The way you refuted Blair just now was just like the legendary Moon Knight, bravely defending his honor."

"You flatter me," Green replied with a smile. In any case, one should not be impolite in front of a gentle woman.

Well, he finally understood why that guy saw him as a thorn in his side. Was it really because of women?

I don't understand. The saying "clothes make the man" is definitely true. If only he had dressed up a bit in his past life and acted like those know-it-alls. Maybe his ex-girlfriend wouldn't have broken up with him so easily.

As the dance music reached its climax, Green spun around and inadvertently caught a glimpse of the old baron's eyes narrowing as he looked at him.

...Looks like we need to be more careful with this old guy. Green kept a watchful eye on him.

As the music played, the two danced gracefully, their swirling steps lifting the silver embroidery on the girl's skirt. With a graceful turn, the girl's right hand touched Green's chest.

"I've heard rumors that the Juda Empire suffered heavy losses because monsters appeared in the Grant War Zone." As the girl tiptoed, a pearl hair ornament brushed against Green's ear. "Have you really seen a dragon that breathes fire?"

The girl, dressed in her finest attire, trembled slightly with her eyelashes, like a cute little rabbit, innocent and curious about the outside world.

...Dragon? Green was about to speak when the music suddenly stopped.

The banquet hall fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on Green and the girl in the center of the dance floor.

Green politely released the girl's hand and bowed slightly.

At this moment, the old baron slowly rose, his ornate cane striking the ground heavily with a clear, resonant sound. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "today's ball is now adjourned. Tomorrow on the training ground, I look forward to seeing the true brilliance of you young men."

His voice was calm and authoritative, and he looked at Green with a meaningful gaze.

This child's manners and upbringing far surpassed those of the nobles far from the capital. He was even unwilling to reveal his specific family background, something that the sons of dukes along the coast could not do alone. He might even be someone from the royal family.

He had visited the capital of Juda in his early years, where there was indeed flower wine specially made for royal banquets, as well as local specialty mead.

What Green didn't know was that his disguise as a nobleman hadn't been exposed; in fact, he had gone a bit too far, even leading the old baron to believe he was a member of the Juda royal family.

...Although in some sense he is indeed of royal blood, he is just not in this plane.

Blair stepped out of the shadows, looking at Green with a defiant gaze: "See you at the training ground tomorrow. I'll show you who the real strongman is."

Green's lips curled into a confident smile: "I'm always ready."

Corribo walked up to Green and whispered, "Sir, Blair seems to have come prepared. We need to be extra careful in tomorrow's battle at the training ground."

Green nodded. He had been on the battlefield so many times, and he already had a plan in mind for dealing with a mere servant.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Green calmly led Corribo out of the banquet hall. His mind was now solely focused on developing his own business empire.