This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms - Chapter 610

“A ball?”

Holding Four in its cannon-fodder body and gently kneading it, Inanna looked up when she heard the word, a trace of confusion flashing through her pink eyes as she repeated what her father had just said.

“That’s right, a ball!” Arama straightened his back, his voice loud and resolute, trying to make his tone sound loving and cheerful. “My dear daughter, your eighteenth birthday couldn’t be properly celebrated because of the pressing war situation at the time. Now that things have eased somewhat, this long-overdue celebration must be made up for! I’ve already sent invitations to many outstanding young talents across the kingdom, inviting them to celebrate with you—and to witness the brilliance of the pearl of House Saint-Claire!”

“Huh?!”

At the mention of many unfamiliar people gathering together, Inanna’s brows immediately knit together. Even her hands stopped kneading the puji.

If she had a choice, she would rather celebrate her birthday in the mushroom garden with the puji.

Unfortunately, the boss didn’t know her birthday, nor had he ever asked.

She wasn’t blaming him. As far as she was concerned, puji probably didn’t even have the concept of birthdays.

The real problem was that her father was about to gather a large crowd of people she neither knew nor cared about. To her, that was nothing short of social torture.

She was absolutely not the type to enjoy such occasions.

Seeing the resistance plainly written on his daughter’s face, Arama rubbed his hands together slightly and switched to a gentler, coaxing tone.

“My dear girl, you’re now the youngest war hero in the kingdom, the rising star everyone’s watching. In the future, you’re destined to stand at greater heights and shoulder heavier responsibilities. You may be familiar with old fellows like Lorenzo, but you can’t spend your whole life dealing only with us old men. Those young people are the kingdom’s future! Take this opportunity to get acquainted, build some connections. It will benefit you, the family, and the kingdom—there’s no downside.”

The old butler Eric, standing behind him, added at just the right moment, “The master speaks wisely, miss. It truly is a good opportunity.”

Inanna looked suspiciously between her father and the butler, not quite understanding why she was only being informed now—after everything had already been arranged.

And why the two of them had come together, as though afraid she would refuse?

Still, Arama’s words were not without reason. Inanna was not a spoiled noble lady who only cared about herself. She understood the responsibilities that came with her status.

Though reluctant, she finally nodded in agreement.

In her arms, Four—who had been waiting for quite some time for the petting to resume—couldn’t help but nudge her.

Only then did Inanna snap out of it and resume absentmindedly kneading its soft mushroom cap.

After leaving the room, Arama discreetly wiped sweat that didn’t actually exist from his forehead.

At least she hadn’t rejected it outright.

Truth be told, with the power Inanna now wielded and her reputation as a “war hero,” if she were truly determined to refuse, there was little anyone in the United Kingdom could do to force her—even him as her father.

That was precisely why this matchmaking gathering had been carefully packaged as a “belated birthday banquet.”

Moreover, aside from the uninformed Inanna herself, every invited young noble and their family had, through various subtle channels, received an unspoken hint—

Duke Arama was selecting a future spouse for his extraordinarily promising only daughter.

Arama himself felt conflicted. It almost felt as though he were scheming against his own child.

But he couldn’t just watch Inanna cling to puji and remain single for life!

Look at the two sons of the Lorenzo family!

When they married, their brides were fifteen and sixteen.

That was the normal marriageable age among the United Kingdom’s nobility.

Eighteen wasn’t particularly late.

The real issue was that Arama saw absolutely no sign that his precious daughter had even the slightest interest in that sort of thing.

Other noble girls her age were full of anticipation for romantic encounters, their gazes lingering on handsome young knights or talented up-and-coming mages.

But his Inanna?

She either stayed in the ducal residence kneading puji all day long or ran off to the puji dungeon to play with even more puji.

As for whether puji represented opportunity or threat to the kingdom—that could wait.

At this rate, she might turn twenty and still have no partner!

How could a father not worry?

Of course, Inanna was the jewel in his palm, not some burden he was eager to offload. Even if anxious, he would never marry her off casually.

For instance, that fellow Aiden.

Though he bore the title of viscount and had enough ability to secure a proper fief in the future, he was nearly Arama’s own age!

Absolutely not.

His daughter would not marry an old man like that.

That was why Arama hadn’t invited Aiden at all, even though he had some acquaintance with Inanna.

In contrast, Warren—the young man who had once served as Inanna’s adjutant and performed admirably in the Battle of Dragonroar Valley—seemed much more suitable.

Though born into a baron’s family, his background was clean, his abilities solid, and his character commendable.

Arama had even secretly conducted a thorough investigation to confirm that he wasn’t a hypocrite hiding behind a pleasant facade. He was a viable candidate for a son-in-law.

Of course, even if Arama personally favored Warren and had specially invited him, the final decision still rested with Inanna.

In truth, every young man invited to this banquet had already passed Arama’s screening.

Anyone with a tainted reputation, questionable character, or physical defect had no chance of even stepping into the venue.

Arama didn’t care if this offended anyone. If someone was dissatisfied, they were welcome to come “discuss” it with him personally.

And should any fortunate young man truly win Inanna’s favor, Arama would only investigate him even more thoroughly, ensuring his daughter would not entrust herself to the wrong person.

His only real concern was—

What if she didn’t like any of them?

“Surely… it can’t be that not a single one catches her eye?” he muttered uncertainly, as if seeking reassurance. “I’ve gathered the finest young men in the kingdom within her age range—family background, ability, appearance, all top-tier. Eric, what do you think?”

The old butler bowed slightly and suggested, “Master, the young miss is exceptional. Ordinary pleasantries may fail to capture her interest. Perhaps… we should give the young men opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.”

“Excellent idea!” Arama’s eyes lit up immediately. “Just dancing and drinking would be far too dull. We must arrange some performances at the banquet…”

He began plotting how to design the event cleverly—maintaining decorum while allowing the candidates to showcase their finest qualities before his daughter.

…

Inside the room, Inanna remained completely unaware of all this.

But Lin Jun had overheard everything quite openly.