Anyone could see that Belmont had never really tried to hide his feelings for Yuri. Although he had never publicly confessed his love, they could tell from the way he treated her what his intentions were.
As a result, that was hardly a secret within Jinas’s noble circles, which was why anyone who paid attention to such matters had already noticed it.
If Yuri had not remained noncommittal all this time, Belmont might very well have already formally proposed to her in public by now.
Under these circumstances, most of the guests at the banquet watched Riezel with the attitude of spectators waiting for a show, which was inevitable, considering everyone in the upper circles knew that Riezel and Yuri were extremely close—so close that they came and went together and even lived under the same roof.
In other words, many people already regarded Riezel and Yuri as an acknowledged couple.
Such a fact certainly made things interesting.
"Hey, those two aren’t going to fight, are they?"
"I doubt it..."
"Even Marquis Muraguet can’t seriously think he can take on three Sword Saints, can he?"
"Not necessarily. Marquis Muraguet is very close to the Meteor Sword Saint. Judging by how things look now, Sir Patrasch might side with him."
"Well, that would definitely be worth watching."
Quite a few people began whispering among themselves, quietly discussing the situation as subdued murmurs spread throughout the venue.
Even renowned figures such as Raven and Nibald turned their attention toward Riezel, their gazes fixed firmly on him as they silently observed his every reaction.
Riezel, however, acted as though he noticed nothing. Standing there with a calm, unhurried expression, he even had the leisure to reach for a glass of wine from a nearby table, raise it with effortless composure, and take a slow, relaxed sip.
Meanwhile, right before his eyes, Belmont continued speaking with Yuri as though nothing around them had changed, carrying on their conversation without the slightest sign of hesitation.
"I heard the recent unrest had quite an impact on your family, Ms. Yuri. Are you all right?"
Belmont asked with what appeared to be genuine concern, his tone carrying a measured warmth.
"I’m doing well. Thank you for your concern, Marquis Muraguet."
Yuri inclined her head slightly in gratitude, maintaining her formal demeanor as she replied with the same polite and respectful tone.
"As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters..." Belmont continued warmly. "Well, if there’s anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to ask. As long as it’s within my ability, I’ll gladly do it."
"Thank you for your kindness..." Yuri replied with a faint smile. "But I don’t need any assistance. They’re merely some family affairs, so I wouldn’t want to trouble you."
"It’s no trouble at all. In fact, I’d be delighted if I could help you, Ms. Yuri."
"You’re too kind."
"We’re both magicians, after all. And we’re also the kingdom’s only two Strategic-Class Magicians. Helping each other is only natural."
"You’re right."
"Haha..."
"Fufu..."
Just like that, Jinas’s two greatest magicians chatted openly before everyone’s eyes as though they were having a wonderful conversation, causing many people to exchange puzzled looks.
Only a select few noticed that, despite Yuri responding flawlessly to Belmont’s enthusiasm, there remained a subtle but unmistakable sense of distance between them. It was enough to tell the more perceptive observers that the kingdom’s chief court magician was merely humoring him.
Whether Belmont realized this or not, he continued speaking enthusiastically with Yuri, seemingly ignoring Riezel entirely.
Or perhaps... he was doing it on purpose.
Unfortunately for him, Riezel never reacted from beginning to end and simply listened quietly, unconcerned.
In everyone’s eyes, his calm and composed demeanor was impressive instead.
"...He really could hold himself back."
Serena looked genuinely surprised as she watched Riezel’s calm, nonchalant reaction from afar, unable to detect even the slightest ripple in his expression.
"Could it be that his relationship with that woman isn’t actually as close as I thought?"
Serena muttered quietly to herself, her eyes never leaving Riezel.
"He’s still the same. No matter what’s happening right in front of him, he always wears that calm, indifferent expression."
Standing beside Nibald, Raven let out a quiet sigh of admiration as he observed Riezel’s unwavering composure.
"Now that I think about it, he surprisingly doesn’t seem like the type of youngster who acts on impulse."
Nibald stroked his beard with an amused smile, his gaze carrying a hint of approval.
Meanwhile, Orto, who was standing beside Riezel, grew increasingly restless, repeatedly shifting his gaze between Riezel and the pair conversing nearby.
"Hey, Lightning, aren’t you jealous?"
Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Orto leaned closer to Riezel and bluntly asked the question.
"My name isn’t Lightning," Riezel replied calmly without even looking at him. "Besides, why would I be jealous?"
"Huh? Isn’t it obvious?" Orto said matter-of-factly. "Some guy’s hitting on your girl right in front of you. Don’t tell me you’re not jealous."
"First, Yuri isn’t my girl. Second, he’s not hitting on her. They’re just talking." Riezel glanced at Orto before calmly continuing, "I’m not so jealous that I can’t even handle someone exchanging a few words with her."
"Really? I thought you and Marquis Frenzel were already a couple..." Orto blinked in surprise before bursting into laughter. "Haha, looks like you’ve got no game, Lightning. You’re already living under the same roof. If it were me, I’d have gone to her room on the second night. Give it a few months, and our kid would probably already be running around outside."
"If a kid could already be running around after only a few months, then you really are incredible. I definitely can’t compare to you." Riezel’s tone never changed as he replied. "Also, my name really isn’t Lightning."
"I’ll just call you brother, then!" Orto threw an arm around Riezel’s shoulders with a cheerful grin. "In that case, sorry about this, brother. I owe Belmont a favor. He asked me to help him win over a woman, and I couldn’t exactly refuse. Don’t hold it against me, okay?"
"Of course I won’t. We barely know each other." Riezel brushed Orto’s arm off his shoulder before turning to him with an amused smile. "Though I didn’t expect the great Meteor Sword Saint to be so friendly. Are you always like this with everyone?"
"Of course." Orto shrugged with an easygoing smile. "Did you think I judged people by their status? Sorry to disappoint you, but I love making friends. I don’t care whether someone’s a Sword Saint like me, a noble, or just an ordinary commoner. After all, I came from a fallen noble family myself, so those things have never mattered much to me."
Yes, his family, the Patrasch family, had once been a distinguished noble family that held the rank of count within Jinas, enjoying both prestige and influence during its prime.
However, much like the former Frenzel family, the Patrasch family had gradually declined over the years. By the time Orto was born, they had already fallen to the rank of baron, governing nothing more than a tiny, remote territory along Jinas’s frontier, far removed from the kingdom’s political center.
Needless to say, they were poor, and the prosperity and prestige that had once defined the Patrasch family had long since vanished, leaving behind little more than their noble name.
Only after Orto became a Sword Saint did the head of the Patrasch family hastily pass the position of family head to him. As a result, the family regained the rank of count and once again became one of Jinas’s prominent noble families.
If Orto had not been such a carefree man who hated trouble, disliked noble formalities, and preferred wandering the world on adventures, his title would certainly have risen far beyond that of a count.
Unfortunately, he simply did not care about such things. He continued living however he pleased, leaving all family affairs to his relatives while spending most of his time wandering the world.
Had he not been completely unable to refuse this invitation, he probably would not even have returned to Jinas this time.
Because of that, Riezel believed what Orto had said, which was only natural, considering that when the Meteor Sword Saint had been young, he had been much like the original Riezel: a country boy.
Someone like him naturally would not put on airs before ordinary commoners.
Had Riezel not sensed that sincerity, he never would have allowed Orto to casually throw an arm around his shoulders like that.
However, while Riezel’s composure impressed everyone else, it only made Belmont increasingly displeased. Even though he had been talking with Yuri while deliberately ignoring Riezel, a portion of his attention remained fixed on Riezel the entire time.
In his opinion, considering Riezel’s age and accomplishments, there was no way the young man would simply overlook such blatant provocation.
In fact, Belmont had already prepared for Riezel to take the bait. If Riezel stepped forward in anger to interrupt his conversation with Yuri, he would carry out his plan and publicly humiliate him.
Unfortunately, Riezel had completely ignored him, and that outcome only irritated Belmont even more.
In the end, unable to endure it anymore, he turned to Orto.
"Orto, you’re talking too much."
Belmont voiced his dissatisfaction toward his friend.
"My bad, my bad." Orto raised both hands like he was surrendering. "Well, this guy’s pretty interesting. I couldn’t help but chat with him a little longer."
"Hmph, that’s one of your bad habits, Orto," Belmont said with obvious implication. "Not every occasion is suitable for chatting so enthusiastically with others. And not everyone is worth getting to know. You should realize that."
Anyone who heard his words could notice that the indirect insult in them was so obvious that it was practically the same as pointing at someone’s face and insulting them outright.
Yuri immediately dropped her professional smile and frowned.
Behind Riezel, a murderous glint flashed through Lilith’s eyes as she raised a hand, only for Lizbeth to desperately stop her.
Meanwhile, Euryale yawned, apparently growing sleepy.
As for Riezel...
"Hear that, Yuri?" Riezel said, turning to her. "Just like he said, you gotta be a little more restrained. Don’t get so caught up chatting with other people, and not everyone’s worth getting to know, all right?"
Upon hearing that, Belmont’s expression instantly froze.
"Mm, I understand."
After realizing what Riezel meant, Yuri smiled sweetly and answered as though she had noticed nothing.
Her response sounded casual on the surface, but combined with the context, it undoubtedly caused Belmont’s expression to darken considerably.
"Sir Brynhart..."
At last, Belmont shifted his attention to Riezel.
"I’ve heard that not only are you an exceptional Sword Saint, but you’re also a magician who is said to have mastered magic beyond the Strategic Class. May I ask whether those rumors are true?"
Belmont’s meaningful question caused everyone who had been quietly watching the exchange to perk up their ears.
Aside from those who had been present in the throne room that day, no one else had actually witnessed Riezel’s magic beyond the Strategic Class. As a result, even after word of it spread, most people remained skeptical—or simply refused to believe it altogether.
After all...
"Magic beyond the Strategic Class... that’s a level of power beyond anything we can even imagine..."
Belmont spoke meaningfully.
"Research suggests that such magic may have existed during the ancient magic civilization. But ever since that civilization vanished, not a single magician throughout the 11,000 years of modern magic civilization has developed magic beyond the Strategic Class, let alone mastered it."
"So I’m very curious. Does magic beyond the Strategic Class truly exist in this world?"
"I wonder if Sir Brynhart could satisfy my curiosity."
Belmont sounded humble, but his tone made it clear he did not believe Riezel possessed such magic.
Of course, he was not alone.
Apart from Florent and the others who had personally witnessed Rhongomyniad inside the throne room, most people present doubted the claim.
Just as Belmont had said, modern magic civilization had never produced magic surpassing the Strategic Class. Ancient records only vaguely suggested that such magic might once have existed.
At the very least, throughout the 11,000-year history of modern magic civilization, Strategic-Class Magic had always been recognized as the highest class of magic, and nothing beyond it was believed to exist.
Now that someone was claiming Riezel possessed such magic, without witnessing it personally, almost no one could truly believe it.
However...
"Whether you believe it or not, what’s that gotta do with me?" Riezel said flatly without even looking at Belmont as he held his wine glass. "So what if I have that kind of magic? And so what if I don’t? What? If I really did have it, were you gonna ask me to reveal it just to help advance modern magical civilization or something?"
Hearing that, Belmont’s heart tightened.
"Of course not." Belmont shook his head, pretending to be humble. "As a magician, I’m simply curious about that legendary magic."
"So you’re just curious, huh..." Riezel smiled at him. "Alright, then let me ask you something. If magic beyond the Strategic Class really exists, what would you do?"
Riezel’s sudden question genuinely caught Belmont off guard.
What would he do?
What could he do?
If it truly existed, then naturally, he would want to obtain it.
Because the Muraguet family was a family of magicians—the foremost magic family in Jinas—their desire for powerful magic surpassed anyone else’s.
If magic beyond the Strategic Class truly existed, he would obtain it no matter what.
If he could master such magic, what would be beyond his reach?
By then, he might become the greatest legend in the history of the Muraguet family—perhaps even in the entire history of the Akasha Continent.
However, Belmont did not actually believe such magic existed.
Therefore...
"I simply want to know whether Sir Brynhart is truly as remarkable as the rumors claim—someone who is not only an extraordinary swordsman but also an extraordinary magician."
Belmont raised his head to meet Riezel’s gaze, finally revealing his true intention.
"Would you grant me one wish and have a match with me?"
"A duel of magic."