Chapter 669: Should Have Known

It seemed the staff at the Balfour Manor in Martin had gotten a bit competitive after hearing about how well received the last New Years banquet in Misty City was and were eager to prove why this was still the capital of the Balfour March.

As such, everyone, from the lowliest of servants to the Great Elder herself, had gone all out.

Decorations were put up not just around the grand dining hall or broader complex, but literally across the entire city. Everyone you went, from the richest market squares to the poorest neighbourhoods, you could find cloth banners, wood carvings, paper lanterns, metal trinkets, and even a few glass ornaments on display.

Delicious dishes, some of which were making their debut today and some of which were traditional recipes passed down from before the Rockwell Kingdom was founded, were cooked up in massive quantities and served in dining halls, restaurants, and street stalls.

Pauline, after coerc... convincing Quinn, the family’s Treasurer, to allocate a special budget for the evening, had decreed that for this New Years celebration, no citizen of Martin, no matter how poor they were, was to go hungry. This was a move that many of the upper class, including some of the Balfours themselves, felt was wasteful, but considering just how much extra cash they had on hand from things like the sale of Maple Sugar, no one raised any objections.

On top of all that, all manner of gifts for the young children, and offerings for the recently fallen, were being prepared.

All that said, for once, Lucas didn’t really have a role to play, so after demonstrating to all the boys how they were supposed to wear their new suits, he did the most logical thing imaginable.

He took a nice hot shower, then dove into his bed to have a nap.

Eris and Christina, unfortunately, weren’t as lucky as putting together the other girls’ outfits was a bit more involved. Compared to old-style formalwear, which often required a whole team of maids and servants to put on, the new-style dresses were certainly much more convenient, but that didn’t mean they were effortless to wear, or that things like doing up one’s hair and makeup got any simpler.

So, feeling obligated to help fix the mess their Senior Brother had created, the two girls, along with a small crew of assistants from Vision and an army of maids, spent much of the day helping their fellow females learn how to get dressed up.

Were they resentful that Lucas got off so easy after making so much trouble for them?

A little, but the joy on the faces of all their new friends eased their annoyance somewhat.

They were still planning on punishing Lucas for all of this later, but that was a worry for tomorrow.

Today, they chose to celebrate.

.....

"So cuuuute!!" Eris cheered as she rushed over and hugged the pinkish-red-haired little boy with blue eyes who was dressed up in a small black and white suit.

Carter Balfour, Timothy Balfour’s little brother, responded by giggling happily.

Thanks to his older brother’s stories, the 5-year-old boy was already a big fan of Lucas’, and after the latter got him these new clothes which were so much more comfortable than the ones he normally had to wear to formal events, Carter’s opinion of Lucas only improved further.

Astrid, Carter’s older sister, was also all smiles.

At 8-years-old, she too looked incredible cute in her puffy, cream-coloured, princess-style dress, a fact that Christina, a real princess, affirmed as she playfully pinched the former’s cheeks.

Of all the new acquaintances they had made today, these two siblings were definitely the ones who Lucas, Eris, and Christina had gotten the closest to.

How they had not met Timothy’s younger siblings before today was basically the result of bad timing, but now that they had, they all agreed that Carter and Astrid were simply adorable.

They had also been raised to be very kind, friendly, and respectful, which was hardly surprising given how Timothy normally acted.

In short, while it might have been a bit unfair to play favourites, all three of Celestina’s Disciples had spoiled the brother-and-sister pair a little more than they had all the other kids at the New Years celebration, such as inviting little Carter and Astrid to sit with them at their table and slipping them both extra pieces of dessert.

Between doting on the younger kids, laughing together with the older ones, and generally having a good time, Lucas, Christina, and Eris all found this year’s New Years Banquet to be much more relaxed than last year’s.

Make no mistake, they were incredibly grateful to their Master for the grand Discipleship Ceremony she held for them, but none of them would say they felt ’at ease’ or ’carefree’ during the actual event.

The solemnity of last year, after the disaster in the Great Western Forest, had also put quite a damper on the festivities.

This year, without all the extra formalities and being a bit further removed from the tragedies, things just seemed more optimistic.

Lucas, Eris, and Christina had all made a lot of progress this year in every regard, and while they all still felt they had a long way to go, each of them was genuinely looking forward to the future.

They should have known that things wouldn’t be so easy for them.

.....

Only a few hours later, before the sun even came up, Celestina quietly summoned all of her Disciples.

Slightly bleary-eyed, Lucas, Christina, and Eris entered the luxuriously decorated office to find all the high-level members of the Balfour Family gathered inside already with grim looks upon their faces.

Swiftly shaking off his lingering drowsiness, Lucas asked solemnly, "What happened?"

Pursing her lips, Great Elder Pauline pulled out a small note from her pocket and handed it to the young boy, "A tartan flew in about half-an-hour ago. It was from Misty City and was carrying this message."

Accepting the note from Pauline, all it took was a few seconds for Lucas to read its content and for his expression turn grave.

Worry and anger filled his thoughts, especially when it came to Carter and Astrid, but Lucas managed to keep his wits about him and without saying anything, passed the note to Christina, who then passed it to Eris.

The two girls had similar reactions to the contents of this short letter, with Christina grinding her teeth in frustration while Eris clenched both her real and prosthetic fists tight.

Only after all three of them had taken a moment to absorb this new information did the young boy turn to his Master and ask, "Who are we sending, and when do they leave?"