Even as he left the exhibition, Simon's mind was consumed by the Overlord. The invertebrate undead had been a revelation, and he felt he could write several pages for his report on it alone.
"You did great today, Simon!" Shun chirped on the carriage ride back to the mansion. "Tomorrow's guard duty will start at the evening exhibition banquet."
"A banquet?"
"Yep! A dinner with my family and the distinguished guests who came for the exhibition. The day after tomorrow, it opens to the public."
Simon nodded.
"I was planning to come in early."
"No need! There's nothing to do if you come early. Just arrive two hours before the banquet."
For a 1,000 Gold job, the perks were surprisingly generous. The carriage soon arrived at the mansion, and Shun waved as he went inside with the butlers. The Oldone family was covering all his accommodation costs during the mission. The head butler had offered him a room in the mansion, but Simon had politely declined.
There was something he wanted to practice alone in a quiet place.
The lodging Simon chose was a small cottage located a little way from Blue Harbor's central district. It was a cozy, one-story house with a view of the sea at night. The price was cheap, and the area was deserted after dark, so he could move his undead around without drawing any attention.
[Here you go, Legion Commander! Cheers!]
To lift Erzebet's spirits, he shared a glass of wine and dinner with her that evening. He also let the Corpse Spiders roam freely on the sandy beach for the first time in a while, allowing them to feast on the blood of insects and small animals.
As soon as dinner was over, Simon retreated to his room.
'I can't waste a single second.' His goal for this mission was to master the next stage of his Bone Armor.
Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind, amassed a sufficient amount of Jet-Black in his body, and rose to his feet. He summoned two skeletons from his Subspace, placing one on either side of him.
'Bone Armor!'
'Clatter!' The skeletons disassembled, their parts flying toward Simon and beginning to attach themselves to his body. He wasn't aiming for the full-body coverage Aaron had demonstrated.
The most critical part was connecting the armor to his limbs to enhance his overall muscular strength.
'Focus. Focus.'
Setting the larger bones as a framework wasn't difficult, but as the smaller pieces fell into place, his balance began to waver drastically. To succeed, Simon had to not just reverse but completely twist the order of bone connection he had learned through theory and instinct. Vertebrae slotted into the joints of his arms, and leg bones merged with the bones of his neck. Worse, since he was using two skeletons, their parts interlocked haphazardly, creating a chilling sense of discord.
He had to fight past that feeling and systematically arrange the bones with the sole purpose of forming a cohesive suit of armor.
His concentration shattered. The ribcage, which he had neglected while focusing on his arms, collapsed, and the other connected parts scattered like dominoes. Simon fell to his knees, panting for breath.
It was just as hard as he'd feared. Even preparing the Mud Golem hadn't been this difficult. He couldn't remember the last time he had faced such a daunting wall in his study of summoning.
'Again!'
Simon shot back to his feet and tried again, determined to get it right.
[Legion Commander! Ready for a late-night snack? I brought some!]
Erzebet, holding a plate of food, paused at the doorway. She quickly shushed the Corpse Spiders trailing behind her. The spiders, who had been scurrying over with plates of juice and pudding balanced on their backs, froze in place.
[Our Legion Commander is such a hard worker.]
They started making noise
[He's not the kind of bug you eat, so don't get excited, you idiots.]
Erzebet quietly closed the door, leaving him to his training.
"Simon!" Shun, dressed in a sharp formal suit, greeted Simon as he entered the banquet hall. "What's wrong? I gave you a break, but you look even more tired."
"No, I'm fine," Simon forced a smile.
In truth, he had spent most of his break practicing Bone Armor and was exhausted. Still, he had taken naps in between, so he was fit for duty.
"By the way, do I need to change clothes?"
"What are you talking about? You're already wearing the perfect outfit," Shun said, gesturing to Simon's stylish Kizen uniform. "You just need to do something with your hair."
Shun snapped his fingers, and a rough hand suddenly grabbed Simon's wrist from behind. In an instant, Simon found himself seated in a chair in the adjoining room.
"Wh-What's going on?" he stammered.
"We're starting the styling. This might sting your eyes."
A middle-aged woman in a maid's uniform began to spray something on his head. It really did sting, and Simon squeezed his eyes shut. Shun, who had followed them in, giggled mischievously.
"Wow! Your scalp is stretching like dough!"
"...Be quiet."
After his hair was styled, Simon accompanied Shun into the banquet hall. Elegant tables were laden with a dazzling buffet of freshly cooked food. Even the smallest piece of cutlery looked priceless.
"We'll stand here," Shun said, perching on the edge of an indoor fountain not far from the main entrance. "We greet the guests as they arrive, say hello, and direct them inside."
"They'll probably see your Kizen uniform and strike up a conversation. Just play along. You can do it, right?"
"I'll try," Simon said, adjusting his tie and steeling himself.
Just then, the head butler at the main entrance announced, "My lord, the guests are arriving."
"Okay! Let's begin."
The main doors swung open, and a gentleman in a formal suit and a lady in a gown entered, arm in arm.
"Lord Kinola Oldone and Lady Sophie Oldone!" the head butler announced loudly.
'Oldone.' They were from Shun's family. Simon quickly processed the information and read the room. The couple stopped before Shun.
"Welcome, Uncle!"
"Haha! It is an honor to see you, Count Shun."
The two exchanged simple greetings. Due to his title, Shun did not offer the first courtesy.
'Alright, focus.'
The Dark Alliance had different formalities for each of its four kingdoms: the Dresden Kingdom, home to Kizen's capital; the Baldwin Kingdom, where Simon's hometown was located; the Kalos Kingdom, site of his first mission; and the isolated northern Shahed Kingdom. Blue Harbor was in Baldwin territory, so he knew the customs well.
After their conversation, the Kinola couple approached Simon.
"Uncle, this is the Special Admission No. 1 student from Kizen!"
"Ah, so this is him...!"
"My name is Simon Polentia," Simon said with a gentle smile.
He bowed his head, shook the man's hand, and offered a light kiss to the back of the lady's.
"Thank you for gracing our family's exhibition with your presence, student of Kizen."
"The honor is all mine, my lord. It is thanks to the Count's summons that I am here."
After a brief exchange, Simon straightened up and bowed again. He was here as a guard, and though the Count himself had made the introduction, a long conversation would be improper. The Kinola couple, understanding this, moved into the hall.
"Baron Ryan Darby, Lord of the Gallan territory, has arrived!"
Simon's mind raced. Gallan was in the Dresden Kingdom. This time, he greeted the baron with the appropriate Dresden formalities. Nearly a dozen more guests followed, but Simon was flawless.
His ability to adapt to each guest's nationality, status, and gender was beyond proficient; it was dazzling.
Even Shun was surprised.
"What's with you, Simon? How do you know all that?"
"My father drilled etiquette into me," Simon replied.
He had learned through harsh discipline for every mistake. At the time, he'd wondered why he needed such lessons in a rural territory, but now he saw that no learning was ever meaningless.
He maintained a constant smile, fielding questions and comments from the guests.
"I apologize, I am currently on duty as the Count's guard."
"I was fortunate enough to be invited here by the Count's grace."
"Yes, it is all thanks to the Count."
"Perhaps Count Shun would know more about that than I."
The Kizen uniform drew attention everywhere. Some guests were more interested in Simon than in Shun. Whenever that happened, Simon would politely excuse himself and take a step back, subtly shifting the focus back to the young count.
'The reason the Oldone family paid 1,000 Gold to hire me.'
He knew it well. He was a flashy trophy, meant to lend the prestige of Kizen's Special Admission No. 1 to the event. For the young, newly-instated Count Shun, he was a symbol of security—a guarantee of his title backed by Kizen's top student.
'I'll make sure you get your 1,000 Gold's worth.'
Here, no one could look down on Shun. Simon remained firmly in his supporting role, dedicated to elevating the boy's status. The family members and butlers watched his performance with broad smiles.
"He's so thoughtful, not like most young people these days."
"Yes. He understands his position perfectly."
"So diligent, and so respectful to his elders. There's a reason people are desperate to recruit Kizen graduates."
"Shh, shh. Lord Finch might hear you."
Just then, the head butler glanced around.
"By the way, where is Lord Finch?"
At that same moment, Finch slipped away from the banquet hall and checked that he was alone. He pulled a communication crystal from his coat and spoke in a calm voice.
"It's me."
A man's rough voice crackled from the crystal.
—"We've departed as planned. We should reach Blue Harbor the day after tomorrow."
"Understood. No problems on this end. The key family members have all gathered at the banquet."
—"No problems?" the man's voice turned cold. "Our network has picked up a concerning rumor. A rumor about a Kizen student in Blue Harbor."
"Ah, no need to worry about that. He's just a first-year whelp from Kizen, not even a variable. If you're that concerned, I'll handle him myself."
—"A first-year..."
Finch smirked.
"What, getting scared now?"
—"Don't provoke me, necromancer," the man growled. "No matter who the opponent is, we will wipe them out without leaving a trace. Provided, of course, that the payment is certain."
"Of course," Finch purred, the corners of his mouth lifting into a cruel smile. "I, Finch, guarantee it. Everything on this island is yours."

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