The nobles who had directly participated in the war saw a tremendous increase in their status once the fighting was over.
In some cases, their titles even changed entirely. Even if that wasn’t the case, simply surviving the battlefield was enough to boast about to someone.
From the standpoint of nobility, it was a kind of gamble. If they fought bravely and returned alive, they became heroes; otherwise, they’d lose everything they had.
And for that reason, no one could openly disregard me.
I was a key figure on the battlefield, the one who led the war to victory.
To deny such a presence would mean directly denying their own achievements.
However, this also led to a problem—
“I see. So you were on the battlefield with people like me, were you not?”
“Well, that’s true… haha…”
…Yes.
I thought there was nothing I could relate to on this side, but that wasn’t the case at all.
Some of those nobles had been right there with me on the battlefield when I fought.
I couldn’t remember all their faces; the battlefield was so vast that it was impossible to remember everyone there.
But while I might not remember them, they would surely remember me. I was that noticeable, always spreading the word “The Hero is here!” to lift my comrades’ spirits whenever I was around, unless I was sneaking in or heading to the battlefield.
On the battlefield, everyone was a comrade. Even if we had never met before, or if it was the first time seeing a face, my survival and victory on the battlefield were thanks to everyone beside me. Even if we didn’t know each other, we were essentially each other’s benefactors.
The noble standing in front of me was no different.
“Everything I am now, being alive here, is thanks to you, Hero. I thought I’d never get a chance to thank you, so it’s a relief to meet you like this.”
If they approached me just because of my appearance or status, I could brush them off without hesitation, but the problem arose when they genuinely approached me with goodwill.
Even if their goodwill wasn’t sincere, I couldn’t just dismiss them casually. I had to at least engage in some minimal conversation, as it was the right thing to do.
“Oh dear. Excuse me. My wife has been waiting over there. She has been waiting at home since I went off to battle, and if I leave her here too long, she might become scarier than the Demon King’s army. I’ll take my leave now. Once again, thank you for stepping up for us.”
“Oh, no. I simply did what I had to.”
“Even if it was something that had to be done, if it was a good deed, it deserves gratitude.”
The nobleman bowed once more and turned away.
“Phew…”
I let out a long sigh of relief.
What would I have said if he suddenly asked me to dance?
After spending five years only around evil beings, I didn’t really know how to react when faced with a truly good person.
“…Since we’ve spent this much time, shouldn’t we make our escape?”
Dana, who had been watching our conversation, asked that.
“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t matter. Even though I’m the protagonist of this ball, Siyun has no real reason to impress the nobles.”
Kalia commented on Dana’s words.
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“I’m fine. I don’t have to establish great friendships with the types of nobles here.”
“I’m just glad no one’s asking me to dance…”
My older sister quietly sighed as she muttered.
“Because you were behind Siyun. Siyun was also standing protectively, you know. Nobles can judge what someone wants to say not only by their words but also by their expressions and actions. They probably refrained from approaching you, knowing that Siyun wouldn’t like it.”
“I see…”
My sister looked up at me, smiling softly.
That smile made my heart skip a beat.
“Then shall we clear out? We can always have our own celebration.”
Arna, who had been quietly listening, said with a smile.
“Um…”
But just a moment ago, I had felt incredibly uncomfortable. Now, hearing those words, I felt a twinge of regret.
I wasn’t sure exactly why. But perhaps the thought that my sister and I might never come here alone again crossed my mind.
Still, I had eaten quite a nice dessert and managed to see many things at the banquet, yet it still felt somewhat regrettable.
I…
Ah.
Thinking back, I realized I had forgotten one thing.
“Ahem.”
I pretended to cough lightly into my hand.
Then I turned to my sister.
“Hmm?”
When I looked at her with a serious expression, my sister blinked.
That expression made her look like an innocent young lady, and it made me smile a bit.
I took a breath and extended my right hand towards her.
Palm up.
“Would you like to dance with me?”
“W-What…!?”
My sister let out a loud gasp before quickly covering her mouth.
Her face was bright red, and her eyes darted around. While some people glanced over here, whether they were pretending not to notice out of consideration or really not caring, there was no focused attention on us.
“But I really can’t dance…”
That might be true. After all, my sister rarely had any occasion to dance. Especially since she preferred quiet activities and usually spent her time reading, dancing might have felt like a different world to her.
And the same went for me.
I had kept to myself during the ball, and since it was usually men who asked women to dance, if I hadn’t spoken up first, there wouldn’t have been much opportunity to dance.
That said, I hadn’t thought of learning to dance either.
Later, I would find out from Kalia that among the nobles, I had developed an image of a “heartless warrior who only knows battle.” Of course, considering how few people had spoken to me today, maybe that nickname hadn’t spread too far.
“I don’t know either, so it’s fine.”
“Is that really okay? Shouldn’t at least one of us know how to do it!?”
Upon hearing my words, my sister trembled even more.
“It’s fine.”
Kalia, who had been watching from the side, gently pushed my sister toward me.
“Honestly, regardless of how you two dance, the people here wouldn’t really notice it. You’re from a different world. Even if you weren’t, they’d think you stepped down from the heavens.”
Kalia said with the most cheerful expression I’d seen from her today.
“If you mess up a little, it might even be seen as the right thing to do. Anyway, no one here is watching out for you. Just enjoy it freely without worrying about others.”
“Right, I’ll cheer you on.”
Dana chimed in.
I looked back at my sister once more.
Her face was flushed, and she was gazing up at me hesitantly. Seeing my determined expression, she slowly made her way toward me.
Then she timidly extended her shaking hand toward me.
I patiently waited until my sister took my hand.
“…Okay.”
My sister softly said as she placed her hand on top of mine, her palm facing up.
I gently wrapped my fingers around the tips of her fingers and pulled her slightly closer.
As I felt her hand tremble with mine, she began to come closer to me.
Step by step, my sister approached until we were standing just a single step apart.
I could hear surprised gasps from around us, but I ignored them.
Well, even if they were pretending not to look, it was meaningless now that we were facing each other like this.
“I’ll move, so just follow along as best as you can.”
I whispered that into my sister’s ear, and she nodded.
There was still some distance between us, but I could feel the warmth of my sister’s body. That had to be a big part of her embarrassment.
Slowly, I began to take steps.
So she could keep up with me.
Fortunately, the musicians didn’t fumble or stop playing, and the music continued to flow gently, just like at the beginning.
With every step we took, the surroundings quieted down a bit.
Whether it was because we were lost in each other or if it genuinely became quiet around us, I couldn’t tell.
But one thing was for sure: all that occupied my sight was my sister.
“…”
“…”
I hadn’t drunk any alcohol. Even if I had, I shouldn’t be inebriated.
So why did I feel this dizzying sensation?
I thought maybe my sister, gazing up at me with blank eyes, felt the same way.