The Banquet

Hemal stayed in his room for the next few days. He wasn't fully recovered yet, and the pain still lingered in his back. The doctor had done the stitches, but it would probably take a month for him to heal completely.

Hiroto wanted to know more about this world. To his surprise, the only option he had was to read books. Luckily, he could read and write the native language with ease.

Hiroto wasn't a fan of reading. He came from an era where he could watch a video and understand anything he wanted. It was difficult for him to read an entire book in one go, but he had nothing else to do. So, he had no choice but to read.

He delved into the History of the Rangar Kingdom, learning about the royal family, the battles fought with neighboring kingdoms, the geography of the land, and most importantly... magic. Nothing like magic existed in the world where Hiroto came from, but here, everything was based on it. His eyes widened when he realized the soft glow in his room during the night emanated not from a bulb, but from an enchanted crystal embedded in the wall. Magic was integrated into everyone's life.

From his reading, Hiroto learned that he was currently in Scot, a border city ruled by the Rodrick family's barony. Adjacent to Scot lay the vast plains known as the Dead Lands.

Legend claimed that once upon a time, a Demon King resided on that land. After his defeat thousands of years ago, the land died, rendered unusable for life. Most believed it was due to the Demon King's curse. Foolishly disregarding the warnings, many people ventured into the Dead Lands, but only a few survived and returned. There was no food, animals, or plants – it was considered impossible for anyone to survive there.

Remarkably, Hemal had survived.

Hiroto discovered that the Dead Lands also slowly increased their boundaries yearly. The kingdom was still trying to find a way to stop its expansion. Many priests and saints had attempted to purify the land, but to no avail. It remains a mystery to this date.

Hiroto read that the Rodrick family had resided in these lands since ancient times, even before the Rangar Kingdom was founded. They were among the people who fought against the Demon Lord, and that's how they earned the right to rule these lands after the Demon Lord's defeat.

The Rodrick family was also known as the "Gateway to Hell," simply because Scot bordered the Dead Lands, a place considered nothing less than hell itself.

They were renowned for their righteous nature and courage, always fighting against injustice. They wouldn't attack first, but if someone dared to strike them, they wouldn't stop until their aggressors were dead. 

This formidable reputation was perhaps one of the reasons why no one had ever attacked the Rodrick family in hundreds of years. And who would want to conquer a land that the Dead Lands were slowly engulfing?

Hiroto closed the book he was reading. It was already night. He had devoured many volumes, yet there wasn't any mention of another world or people coming from Earth.

The concept of magic was even more challenging to comprehend. His brow furrowed over the diagrams of mana flow, none of it making any intuitive sense to his mind. The books stated that one could naturally feel mana only after extensive training, usually taking one to two years to perceive it, and many more years to learn control. Hiroto, however, didn't have that much time.

He wanted to go back to his own body as soon as possible. The good thing was that he could see this thing called mana. The gray aura his father had emitted was indeed mana. The only problem was that he couldn't control it. Mana, the books explained, couldn't be physically touched.

But Hiroto had always used his hands for everything, for doing his work. How could he suddenly shift towards controlling something he'd never seen before, without even lifting a finger?

Although he couldn't control it, he understood the general concept of mana. Every living being emitted mana. Many theories suggested it was their life force converted into mana as they lived, a natural process. Nature was abundant with mana because countless organisms were born and died every day, a never-ending cycle. So, it could be said that mana was infinite; there was no way a single human could use up all the mana present in the air.

People who could use mana were uncommon. Controlling mana was a challenging task. Many tried, but only a few achieved success. So, having a mage under your command would increase your prestige and military might. The patriarch of the Rodrick family also knew magic, but he was more of a swordsman than a mage. You could say he was a magic swordsman.

Hiroto spent the entire night trying to understand the mechanisms of magic, but made no progress. The birds outside chirped with the first ray of light. Hiroto stretched, still seated at his desk, then leaned back in his chair, thinking of other ways he hadn't tried.

"Master Hemal, it's morning. Please wake up," a maid's voice called from outside the door. It was strange; it had been so many days, but this was the first time anyone had bothered to wake him.

"I'm already up," he replied.

The moment the door opened, the maid came inside. Her eyes scanned the room, starting from the bed and moving to the chair where he sat. She widened her eyes, surprised not only to see him awake, but to find him not in bed but at his desk.

Their eyes met, and she quickly composed herself. "The Lord has asked you to be prepared for the Banquet this evening," the maid stated, her voice now flat and professional.

"Banquet? For what?" he asked, surprised.

"Master Carl will be returning from the academy today. It is just a get-together. Many other lords will be participating as well."

"If others are attending, isn't the scale too big for a 'little get-together'?" Hiroto pressed, a flicker of suspicion in his mind.

"The Lord has something to announce today as well," she replied, her gaze unwavering.

Something to announce? Hiroto thought. If he remembered correctly, Carl wouldn't have returned until the New Year. That meant his father had specifically called him back, and the "get-together" was just an excuse to make a significant announcement.

"Okay, I'll be ready. You can go now," he told her, dismissing her with a nod.

There was nothing for Hemal to prepare for. The banquet was too sudden, so he couldn't even purchase a gift. The only thing left was to prepare his outfit for the evening, but even that was handled by the maids. So, he had no choice but to wait for the banquet to begin.

Time passed, and soon it was time. Hemal entered the banquet hall before any of his family members did. Guests from all around were already gathering, a sea of unfamiliar faces. Yet, to his quiet relief, everyone ignored him. Hiroto felt lucky. If someone were to approach him, he didn't know how he would respond.

More and more people streamed into the party. Hiroto scanned the vast hall. Musicians played soft tunes, and food was neatly set on tables. No one spoke loudly; the atmosphere was remarkably peaceful.

His eyes stopped on one group. A cluster of girls chatted amongst themselves, and one of them was someone Hemal knew intimately: his fiancée, Emma. Their eyes met momentarily, but she quickly looked away, as if she hadn't noticed him at all. Hiroto thought that the world of real Hemal would have ended if he had been here. But Hiroto didn't dwell on it.

Instead, he turned his attention to observing the mana around the people. He could see mana but had to try consciously; typically, it remained invisible. Each person's mana was unique, possessing different colors and natures. This detail struck him: no mana color was mentioned in any books he'd read. Every book had described feeling mana, but none had said anything about seeing it. Hiroto initially thought it was one and the same thing, a different way of perceiving it. But suddenly, a new thought sparked in his mind, and he decided to experiment later in his room.

It was almost time for his family members to arrive. Luna was the first. As soon as she appeared, many ladies swarmed her, surrounding her like she was their favorite idol. She disappeared into the admiring crowd as quickly as she had arrived.

After Luna, it was Carl, the undisputed star of the night's banquet. Many noblemen greeted him, and he returned their salutations with practiced charm. After working the room and greeting most guests, he suddenly began walking towards Hemal.

Hiroto, lost in his own world of mana and experiments, didn't notice Carl's approach until his brother stood directly before him. Hemal, still distracted, didn't react at all.

"So, you've grown so much that you would ignore your elder brother now?" Carl's voice cut through his thoughts, laced with a familiar disdain.

Hiroto snapped out of his reverie and dumbly looked at Carl. 

"...Oh, Carl?" he blurted out, the name feeling foreign on his tongue.

His brother's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed into a glare.

"I mean, Brother," Hiroto quickly corrected, trying to salvage the moment, "You've come. I didn't notice you."

Carl seemed to want to say something more, but decided against it. Instead, he inquired, 

"Anyways," he said, taking a glass of wine and standing beside Hiroto. "I heard you assaulted your fiancée."

Hiroto, still trying to understand why Carl was bothering to speak with him, realized Carl wanted to know the truth. Perhaps he already knew the truth but sought confirmation. 

"I didn't do it," Hiroto stated firmly.

Carl's eyes scanned Hemal from top to bottom, as if his words made no sense. 

"Is that so?" he mused. Carl took a sip of wine, then placed the glass on a nearby table. "Regardless, you will get a big surprise tonight. So look forward to it."

Hemal stared at Carl, his expression clearly asking what he was talking about. Carl offered no further explanation, simply turning and walking away. 

Before long, the head of the Rodrick family arrived, accompanied by his wife. Instantly, everyone stopped what they were doing, and all attention in the vast hall snapped towards them. The patriarch and his wife walked to the hall's center, their presence drawing every eye.

After reaching the center, they stepped onto an elevated platform, like a stage. The patriarch stood tall, his gaze sweeping over the assembled guests.

"Thank you, everyone, for making your way here," his voice resonated, commanding silence. "I welcome everyone..."