"Umm... Master, does this look okay on me...?"
Log asked, shifting uncomfortably in formal attire quite different from his usual dungeon exploration outfit.
"Yeah, it suits you perfectly, so relax. When we head over there, make sure you don't show any lack of confidence. If you don't carry yourself with confidence, troublesome people will try to take advantage of you."
While also wearing a party suit like Log, I gave him some advice.
The reason we were dressed this way was that a victory celebration was about to be held to honor the explorers and soldiers, including us, who had successfully protected Daruane in the recent incident, with envoys from other countries also in attendance.
Of course, everyone understood implicitly that this was merely the official pretext.
"Y-yes! With confidence, right!"
"That said, other explorers and military personnel will be attending this time, so they will probably overlook minor mistakes. Just enjoy the party without overthinking it. Luna and I will handle most of the interactions with outsiders."
"Thank you. Today I will study by watching how you and Ruu-nee carry yourselves!"
"Yeah, I think approaching it with that mindset is perfect."
"Master! Sorry to keep you waiting~"
As Log and I were talking, the women from Twilight Moon Rainbow approached.
All three were wearing dazzling dresses instead of their usual clothes.
They were attractive to begin with, but the dresses seemed to draw out their charm even more.
"No, we were not waiting at all. All three of you look great in those dresses. You all look really beautiful. Right, Log?"
"Yes, they do. Everyone looks wonderful."
"Ehehe~ Thanks, Master, Log!"
Upon hearing our comments, the women responded with thanks. Sophie lowered her reddened face, Carol smiled shyly, and Luna laughed with even more elegance than usual.
"Well then, let us head to the party venue right away. Is everyone ready?"
"Perfect!" "I'm good!" "No problem at all!" "No issues here."
After confirming everyone's replies, we stepped into the party venue.
When we entered, most of the people inside shifted their gazes toward us.
"Is that the Kingdom's hero?"
"He is the explorer who cut down that natural disaster and saved Daruane."
"He looks younger than I expected. Around twenty years old?"
I could hear the people in the venue whispering among themselves.
As expected, being stared at like this felt uncomfortable.
"First, we greet the host, Marius-sama. Let us go, everyone."
Without letting the discomfort show in my attitude, I headed toward Marius, Sophie's brother and Selma-san's brother, together with the members of Twilight Moon Rainbow.
"Marius-sama, may we have a moment?"
I approached Marius and spoke to him.
"Ah, Orun-kun. Thank you for coming. You helped with my father's matter the other day and protected this city from the magical beasts today. I keep owing you favors. Let me thank you again properly. Thank you."
Marius noticed us and offered his thanks with a gentle expression.
The matter with his father likely referred to the removal of the previous Count Claudel, Sophie's father, in order to break off Sophie's engagement.
It seemed there had already been enough grounds to oust the previous Count Claudel even without my involvement, but my cooperation with Marius had apparently led Her Highness Lucila to decide to side with Marius and the others.
With the backing of the princess secured, Marius had smoothly taken the position of head of the Claudel family and the count title, and any resulting confusion had been kept to a minimum.
That said, there were parts of Lucila's actions that I could not quite understand.
It might sound presumptuous coming from me, but it is true that I hold more influence than the average explorer.
Even so, I do not possess enough power to move a princess.
What kind of motives did Her Highness Lucila have for backing Marius?
"Your words are too kind. I am glad if my efforts were of any use."
"I will not forget the debt I owe you. If anything comes up, feel free to rely on me without hesitation. I will not hold back on any cooperation I can provide."
"Thank you. If the need arises, I will take you up on that."
Marius nodded in satisfaction at my words, then shifted his gaze to the members of Twilight Moon Rainbow behind me.
"Thank you as well to everyone from Twilight Moon Rainbow for helping resolve this situation. Please enjoy the party today."
After offering words of appreciation to Twilight Moon Rainbow, Marius appeared to hesitate for a moment before making up his mind and speaking again.
"Sophia."
"Y-yes!"
Sophie seemed surprised that Marius would address her and showed clear confusion when he called her name.
Seeing her reaction, Marius displayed a brief, fragile smile before switching to a noble's expression.
"Could I have a little of your time later? As the head of the Claudel family and as your brother, I would like to speak with you, Sophia."
"Um, well..."
Sophie let her gaze wander at Marius's words.
"Rest assured, it is not a bad topic. Even so, if you do not wish to speak with me, you may refuse. I promise that refusing will not worsen your position or that of your companions in any way."
Sophie fell silent upon hearing Marius's words.
Silence hung between us.
As everyone waited for Sophie's reply, she looked straight at Marius and spoke.
"I understand. After the party ends, shall I visit your office, Marius-sama?"
Called by the formal name, Marius showed a saddened expression for a moment before saying, "That is fine. I will be waiting," and then headed toward other participants who had come to greet him.
"Sophie, are you okay? Do you want me to come with you when you meet your brother?"
Carol, concerned by Sophie's stiff expression, made the suggestion, but Sophie shook her head.
"Thank you for worrying about me, Carol. But I am fine. I have already found a guidepost so I will not lose my way again. This time I will properly come back. So when I return, I would like you to greet me with a smile and say 'welcome back.'"
The Sophie who spoke now no longer carried the timid, hesitant atmosphere she had shown when we first met a year ago.
"Got it! If that is how it is, leave it to me! I will be waiting at the place where you return!"
After finishing our greeting with Marius, we engaged in conversations with representatives of foreign delegations and others who approached us.
Some people were rather aggressive in trying to lure me to their countries, so I could not let my guard down at all, but I managed to handle everything smoothly.
"Hey, Orun. Has the recruitment rush finally ended?"
Once the interactions were over and I could catch my breath, Hart-san called out to me.
"Yeah. Finally."
"Well, after seeing that much action, it is only natural that everyone wants to keep you close. Good work."
"Thanks. By the way, are you alone, Hart-san? Where is Fuuka?"
Since I had grown used to seeing Fuuka with him all the time, her absence felt slightly off, so I asked.
"Ah, our princess is over there."
Hart-san indicated Fuuka's location with his gaze.
Following his line of sight, I saw Fuuka standing beside a table laden with food, eating.
"Ahaha... Fuuka really stays true to herself."
Even at a party attended by important figures from other countries, she focused almost entirely on the food and paid little attention to her surroundings. The sight warmed my heart.
Her expression remained as unchanging as ever, but the aura around her radiated a sense of happiness, making it clear she was thoroughly enjoying the meal.
After that, I spoke with Her Highness Lucila, gave the disciples some guidance on how to conduct themselves at the party, and fended off more recruitment attempts from foreign envoys. Before long, the party drew to a close.
Tomorrow, we will return to Tsutrail.
Once back in Tsutrail, we will resume activities as explorers of the Night Sky Silver Rabbit, securing dungeon materials through exploration and restarting the conquest of the great labyrinth.
On top of that, the war between the kingdom and the empire has already begun, so as a clan executive, I will also need to steer the clan through the rapidly changing situation.
Busy yet fulfilling days lie ahead. Or so it should have been.