With tears shimmering in his eyes, Shion Lan continued. As he moved across the stage, it was as if he had become the man himself, walking along the riverbank. He carried on the poem, embodying the merchant wandering through his memories—remembering the moon and how his life had once been filled with joy and vitality, only to now feel as though he had fallen into a bottomless abyss with no light to guide his life or path.
He turned to look at his surroundings, his expression filled with deep pain and sorrow. Raising his hand, he stretched out his fingers as if trying to touch something intangible. He portrayed the merchant as someone who had found fragments of that lost light, moving toward them until he reached her gravestone. He brushed his fingers over it, his heart emptied of everything—until he saw the moon's reflection once again upon the river.
Behind the gravestone, he imagined the moon of his dark life—smiling, speaking to him.
A look of reassurance appeared on Shion's face as he continued the poem, reminding that "moon" of the merchant's life—that she would have wanted him to truly live, not merely exist. That every night has an end, and a new dawn must rise so that the merchant's warm tears may cease, and his vision may clear—so he can see that his night has ended, and behold the beauty of life even without the moon's light.
Yet, in the end, he embraced the gravestone in gratitude.
And so, the poem concluded.
A frozen, heavy silence filled the place.
' Did not they like the poem?! ' Shion wondered.
But then he heard soft sighs… quiet sobbing…
When he raised his head, he saw many women wiping their tears with handkerchiefs, and many men showing sympathy and sorrow for the merchant.
' I hope I didn't overdo it… ' he thought nervously.
Then applause erupted—filling the entire hall. Even some first- and second-rank nobles stood in respect. Before him, the scene unfolded: everyone looked at him with admiration—except his enemies.
The king's applause, though not loud, rose above the rest.
King Jord Joul smiled and said:
"I must admit, I have never heard such a poem before. Could you tell me who the poet is and where he is from?"
Shion smiled helplessly.
"As for his name, I do not know. But his title is the Poet of the Moon. As for his homeland, I do not know that either."
The king frowned slightly.
"Then how did you hear this poem?"
Shion replied, relying on his greatest lie:
"I received this poem from my master, the Radiant Star. That is how I came to know it."
Upon hearing "Radiant Star," the king and the heads of the six great families did not press further—especially after the intervention of the Shi family head, whose strength, according to the director Tim Ayr, was terrifying even to those of the ninth level.
The king then asked:
"Does this poem have a name?"
Shion nodded.
"Meeting the Moon. That is its name."
"Are there other poems?"
Shion thought for a moment.
"I remember two more. Epic of Dawn and Dusk, which is a grand epic poem, and Drinking Beneath the Plum Tree, which tells of a man who endured many misfortunes and chose to drown his sorrows in drink beneath that tree."
The king smiled.
"I hope to see you at future occasions suited for such poems."
Shion nodded and received another round of applause.
...
When he returned to his balcony, Redo Grant approached him with a smile.
"You were amazing, Lord Lan! I was completely swept away by the poem—I even forgot myself for a moment before realizing I was wiping away tears."
Shion then looked at Pearl Jewel, who—unexpectedly—was flushed and blushing.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Redo replied,
"I don't know, Lord Lan. She's been like that since you began reciting."
Shion leaned closer and whispered playfully in her ear,
"Did you immerse yourself in the merchant's daughter?"
Pearl turned quickly, realizing how close she was to him. His eyes had returned to normal, with their starlike gleam, and his imposing aura had returned—as if he had not been the one who had just performed.
"You know my eyes are beautiful," he said lightly, "but staring like that counts as visual trespassing."
Pearl noticed their proximity again and quickly stepped back until she reached the edge of the balcony.
Shion suppressed a laugh and sat down as dinner was served.
This time, many bottles of fine aged wine were sent to him by noble families—and even one from the king himself. Since it came from the king, it spared Shion from choosing between the others.
He stepped out, raising his glass toward the king. The king returned the gesture.
' Not as strong as the others ', Shion thought. ' It was sent with goodwill—not to make a fool of me. Still, it has a sweet burn… and at least it won't get me drunk. '
He ordered the servants to store the bottles and send them to his mansion, then resumed dining while enjoying the final event: an art exhibition.
Painting after painting was displayed. Some ladies who had painted them were still emotionally affected, having cried from the poem.
' It seems that there were some participants who listened to me earlier. ' Shion thought.
Then a master painter presented his work.
It stunned everyone.
The painting depicted a scene like an ancient legend: great predatory birds descending from the sky, evil serpents rising from the earth, the earth exploding around them, storm clouds shifting, lightning crashing—
And one man stood alone amidst the carnage.
In one hand, he held a sword.
In the other, a sphere of energy.
He faced everything with unmatched courage and power.
The painter said,
"This is one of my greatest works. I intended to auction it… but after Lord Lan's performance, I was inspired to create something even greater. As a token of gratitude, I hope Lord Lan will accept this painting."
Under envious gazes, Shion accepted it gladly.
Thus ended the first day of the annual celebration.
—
The next day, no one approached or troubled Shion. Yet he had gained immense popularity—especially among women.
During the competitions, he received an invitation to the private box of the second princess, Jina Joul.
There were performances—dancing and singing enhanced with magic and aura, making the scene mesmerizing. Pearl and Redo genuinely enjoyed themselves.
But Shion, accustomed to Shi Yun Lan's experiences, had little interest in such shows. He headed to the princess's box.
Inside, he found Jina Jyol, Baro Ferrer, Fiore Tai, Cole Leon, Rose Gard, Violet Night—and someone unexpected.
"Sol?!"
Sol Hart was also present, invited by the princess.
Before anything else, Baro and Fiore rushed to greet him:
"Master! Your performance was incredible!"
"Even though it was sad, it was truly worth it!"
The princess cast them a cold glance.
' Ahhhh.... That lunatic again. ', Shion thought.
Still, he said,
"Thank you for the praise—but remember, you are in the presence of the princess. It's not appropriate to bow to me before her."
They smiled awkwardly and apologized. Jina—more precisely, Celisia Joul—accepted.
Shion bowed.
"Your Highness."
Celisia stopped him and spoke,
"Lord Lan, I apologize for taking you from your guests."
"No problem," Shion replied. "I assume this is for something important. What is it, Your Highness?"
She looked at him and Sol.
"I need both of you for the final exam."
She explained:
"Each year, this test brings together all four classes. We form teams—each with at least three members from the second to fourth years, and optionally one from the first year. A mission is assigned randomly, and we must complete it for our grades. For first-years like me, it's a major opportunity for future evaluation. That's why I need your help."
Shion nodded, recalling how last year he had begged to join any team—only to be rejected by everyone.
' That was pathetic. ' He thought with embarrassment.
Now, he was being invited—not by the princess, but effectively by a queen.
But Shion had changed.
"It's an honor," he said, "but I have some questions."
Celisia raised an eyebrow.
"And what concerns my colleague?"
Shion replied,
"If we look at this logically, your best option would be Kin Light and another third-year from the royal faction. You also have followers, do not you? So why choose a third-rate noble with incomplete inheritance—and a commoner who only possesses spirit magic and lacks proper training?"
Celisia glanced at Sol.
"Does that offend you?"
Sol replied calmly:
"Since when is 'commoner' an insult? And I agree with him. I inherited teachings from a destroyed family and lack the means to expand my magic circles. And he," she added, nodding at Shion, "comes from a weak family—he is its lord himself."
Shion nodded in agreement.
Celisia was momentarily stunned.
' A noble and a commoner insulting each other without the slightest resentment?! What a strange pair… '
She composed herself.
"As for my followers, I assigned them to different teams to help others succeed," she said, gesturing to Baro and the others.
"That leaves only Violet with me, as she is my personal guard. If I borrow strength from others, they may be loyal to my brother. I trust no one but you two."
She pointed at Shiun.
"You already have issues with my brother. He dislikes you and has tried to harm you more than once."
"Wait, Your Highness! The prince himself trying to eliminate a third-rate noble? That's impossible—"
She cut him off:
"No one is listening."
"…He's a first-rate bastard," Shion corrected immediately.
"..."
Silence fell.
Celisia took a deep breath and continued, pointing at Sol:
"As for Sol Hart, she is the last heir of the Neumann family. She has also freed herself from her curse, making her an attractive target. My brother will surely try to recruit her."
Sol nodded.
"He already did but I refused."
Celisia was surprised.
"But why? He must have offered you many rewards and positions."
Sol looked at Shion.
"That bastard tried to harm Shion several times. That is unforgivable to me."
Celisia tried to read Sol's eyes—but encountered a force that blocked her perception entirely.
She was shocked and thought,
' One nearly blinded me… and the other can block my sight? What a bizarre duo… '
She hurriedly asked:
"So… what is your answer?"
Shion stepped closer—
and firmly took her hands.