Lionel and Cassian walked side by side with a few royal knights quietly following behind them.
As they moved further, Lionel looked around the place. It wasn't any other retreat place where you'll see standalone tents. Instead, they built a whole luxury camp for the comfort of everyone.
The ground had been cleared and flattened to ensure the safety of the young nobles. Instead of small tents, they set up large ones. Each tent had its own small banner, marking which noble family it belonged to.
Around them, servants were everywhere. They were setting up chairs, unpacking boxes, and arranging the things of their own masters.
After a few more walks, they were able to see a crowd of people. In there, a number of nobles from different families stood. They were already talking among themselves. Some with similar ages formed a small group to share similar topics with one another.
Their elegant clothes and manners made it clear that every single one of them came from powerful families.
When they saw a cluster of nobles standing near a large tent, Cassian immediately smiled at that.
"Come, Lionel! That's where the powerful nobles are. I recognized a few of them already. Don't worry."
Lionel just briefly nodded before following him from behind.
At this age, he wasn't really the social type. But he supposed that he needed to change that now, especially if he wanted to change the future.
As they approached, a few of the nobles turned their heads toward their direction. Their conversations quieted for a moment when they noticed that Cassian was walking toward them.
"Ah, if it isn't his highness Cassian," one of the taller young men greeted with a polite smile. He was dressed in a dark green coat with silver buttons. "What took you so long? We've been waiting for you."
"Oh, apologies. I came from my cousin's estate. You know how it is. Lionel here is so hard to wake up."
Lionel winced at that. Because as far as he could remember, he didn't even sleep before boarding the carriage.
Cassian is really just making up lies now to put me in bad light, Lionel secretly shook his head.
"Ahh so this must be…" Another noble's gaze shifted to Lionel.
Cassian turned slightly, placing a hand on Lionel's shoulder.
"Yup. This is my cousin, Lionel," he said with a small smile on his face. "He'll be joining the retreat with us."
A few of the nobles exchanged glances with one another, but all of them greeted Lionel politely.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lionel."
"House Exelio, was it? I've heard of your family's remarkable talent in swordmanship."
"My father has been a great friend of your father."
"They say Duke Exelio himself once defeated a monster with just one strike of his sword. Is that true?"
"I met one of your knights during the tournament last year. They spoke highly of your family's discipline."
Their curious remarks came one after another, and Lionel didn't know who to respond to first.
"Thank you." Instead of replying one by one, he just addressed everyone. "You're all too kind. I'm honored to meet everyone here."
It was his actual first time meeting people of his age, because he used to avoid gatherings like this.
"See? I told you it wouldn't be that bad." Cassian, who was standing beside him, gave a satisfied smile and patted Lionel lightly on the back.
"Yes." Lionel smiled at Cassian.
He hadn't cared much about all this back then. But now, he knew better than to ignore the people who would one day hold influence over the Empire.
And so, Lionel was very thankful to Cassian for introducing him to these people. His cousin was useful to him after all.
Cassian glanced at Lionel after a few more minutes of small talk. He noticed how Lionel's calm expression never wavered despite being surrounded by people.
"Lionel, you can rest now if you want." After some time, Cassian wasn't able to take it. "I know you're not fond of long conversations. Your tent should be ready by now."
Lionel looked at him. Instead of agreeing with it, he just appeared to be grateful for his cousin's concern before shaking his head.
"Thank you for your concern, Cassian," he said with a big smile on his face. "But I realized it's actually fun talking to people.""
Cassian's eyes slightly widened. "Huh?" he muttered, his brows furrowing a bit in disbelief. "H-having fun?"
Lionel smiled and nodded. "Yes," he replied. "It's not as bad as I thought."
Cassian blinked dumbfoundedly. However, before he could say anything more, Lionel returned his gaze to the noble standing in front of him.
The young man was tall and was already well-built despite being only 16. His posture was firm, and you could immediately notice that he was disciplined.
He wore an owl sigil, a crest of House Vernell. His father was a margrave, and their family was known for producing skilled knights and commanding generals.
And the man in front of him was Rufus Vernell.
In Lionel's past life, Rufus would later become one of the Empire's youngest generals, earning him the title of 'The Iron Spear'. He will be one of the pillars of the empire.
With that in mind, he planned to befriend him.
They weren't close friends then, but they had been good acquaintances who shared mutual respect on the battlefield. He knew that he would be beneficial to him later on.
And since Lionel already knew they would meet here, he had prepared something in advance.
Reaching into his pocket, Lionel pulled out a small neatly wrapped chocolate snack.
"Rufus, I thought you might like this. I prepared it for you." Lionel smiled kindly. He lowered his voice and appeared to be embarrassed by it.
Back then, there were many rumors about the Vernell household and it will be because of how strict Margrave Vernell was with his sons.
It was said that he controlled every part of their lives, even their diets. Sweets, snacks, and anything "unnecessary" were banned to keep their bodies in perfect condition for military training.
But among those stories, one detail always stood out. It was that Rufus, despite his father's rules, had always been fond of sweets.
Lionel remembered that well. And now, with that memory, he offered the small chocolate with a gentle smile.
"You prepared this for me?" Rufus blinked in surprise. His serious expression disappeared for a moment. His gaze flew to the small treat in his hands, and his face immediately brightened up.
"You even brought sweets?" Cassian, who was watching the exchange from the side, tilted his head slightly. He was already frowning, and a look of unease flashed in his eyes for a moment.
"Yes," Lionel muttered. "I'm not familiar with gatherings like this, but I thought it would be nice to share something. I plan to share it with everyone." He smiled and took out more chocolate.
That made the other nobles's face lit up, especially the younger ones. The older ones also appreciated it, even if it was past their age.
It was a small gesture, but Lionel knew it would plant the right kind of impression on the people around them.