Reincarnated in a Eroge Game With a SSS-Rank Taming System-Chapter 11: Step - Forming a Useful Connection

Nobles from all over the continent had gathered.

The sounds within the Vera Estate Grand Hall were already bustling. Nobles discussed with one another, waiting for the two main events of this evening: the arrival of the host, Morgana Vera, and the arrival of the Royal Family.

I was currently waiting behind a door with Morgana, who was very nervous, almost shaking uncontrollably. It was a good thing that I was beside her to calm her down; otherwise, things could have gotten out of control.

"Let's push the door together. Are you ready?" I asked with a smile as she softly nodded.

Each of them began counting down in a low mutter, and at the same time, they pushed the door open, as everyone present turned their heads in our direction, staring at the two of us; most of them even went as far as to frown.

Then, whispers.

"I-Is he her lover...?"

"Have you seen him before?"

"Don't tell me that she's already found a replacement for her dead husband...?"

"Is he a commoner?"

Rumors immediately began spreading within the room; however, I was unfazed. The same couldn't be said about Morgana, who immediately tensed up.

It was clear that most nobles inside the room were not in favor of having me walk side by side with Lady Vera since I was unknown to everyone in this room. But I couldn't care less. They would just have to learn about me. There was no other way.

But then I continued to walk forward with ease. I spotted Sariah, who was posted as a knight this evening. Her gaze was unreadable, but I still had a feeling that she didn't appreciate my current actions.

'Maybe she's imagining that she's killing me right now...' I thought as I smirked.

We continued to walk around for a few moments before Morgana was finally approached by nobles.

The person who had approached us was from a small noble household, which I had never heard of inside the game. However, I still paid attention since I could maybe learn a thing or two from this conversation.

But minutes into it, I realized that it was useless. It was just a fake conversation. They would compliment one another, but nothing said was remotely interesting.

It would only become interesting if a known noble family approached them, as it would give me the opportunity to form a useful connection with them, which would mark my current quest as complete.

And just as I asked, another noble approached us.

"What a nice gathering that you have prepared for us, Lady Vera. It's absolutely stunning. I can only imagine that the King will adore it and the princess even more!"

She smiled and thanked him.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. How rude of me! I'm Nickolas Elowen. Unfortunately, my family couldn't come with me on such short notice. However, I'm convinced they would have loved this even more than me."

'Elowen...'

That name immediately rang a bell in the back of my head. I had heard that name before. I just couldn't pinpoint where exactly; I needed to continue listening to him and maybe learn a few more things about him.

"Oh, thank you very much!" Morgana replied with a bright smile. "This is Zale Alaric, my escort for tonight's banquet."

I forced a smile and gave him a light bow. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

However, before he even tried to reply, a frown appeared on his face.

"Alaric... is that a noble family that I ignore the existence of?"

I could already tell that Vera was nervous being asked such a question. So I decided to reply in her place to lighten the burden on her shoulders.

"Ah, I wish. But no, I'm not a noble. I have simply decided to escort Lady Vera on such an important night."

The man nodded, surprisingly not having a lot of judgment in his eyes. "Ah. I can understand. Tonight must be especially stressful. I would be the same. If I didn't have any family left, I might have done something similar."

I clicked my tongue subtly.

I wanted to know more about his family. That name kept ringing a bell. I could feel that I was getting closer. But there was still something missing.

However, asking a direct question about it would definitely be strange, and it might make me hated by Nickolas. So, I kept quiet, hoping for a good opening.

"Thank you... it hasn't been easy recently, and Zale has been great to me. I thought it was only logical to have him with me here tonight."

"Yes, if I didn't have my daughter, Romie, with me, I would have totally made the same decision as you."

As if reading my mind, he named his daughter, and instantly everything clicked inside my head.

Romie Elowen, another one of the main heroines.

If I could get close to both the Royal Princess and her before the Academy even began, then I would have a huge head start over the Main Character of the game, especially with my taming skill. He wouldn't be able to do anything against me, and I would be able to "steal" all of the heroines away from him before he would even attempt anything.

I smirked inwardly as I now had a new objective for tonight.

I needed to get closer to the man before me. But that wouldn't be an easy task at all. He was barely looking in my direction.

I knew I needed to ask a question, but what could I ask...

I thought for a few seconds as I knew that time was running out and decided to ask the first thing that came to mind, even if it wasn't the smartest question ever. I thought it would do the trick.

"Is your daughter also planning on joining the Royal Academy next year?"

The answer was obvious, but I still asked it to show my interest in his family, and surprisingly, it seemed to please him somewhat.

"Yes, that is the goal. We will try very hard to get through the entrance tests. It's going to be very hard, but we're quite confident that we will manage to enter. What about you? What future plans do you have at the moment?"

Before I could reply, Morgana got the better of me. But she seemed a lot more comfortable than before, which was definitely a good sign for the rest of the night.

"Zale still hasn't awakened. However, I'm planning on having him awaken as soon as possible."

Nickolas raised an eyebrow, surprised by how close I was to Lady Vera. However, it was clear that his surprise wasn't negative at all.

"Well, if you want to save some of your money, you could come to my estate to awaken him. We have a private awakener that you could use as you wish, as long as you bring the Awakening Crystal."

Morgana was surprised but immediately accepted. "Wow! That would be amazing. Thank you so much for your generosity!"

"Ah. No, thank you for organizing such a nice banquet. It's the least I can do."

While they continued to talk, I celebrated inwardly as I would be going to the Elowen Estate, which meant that my chances of passing by Romie were high, very high. I'd have to make sure not to ruin such an opportunity. But I couldn't wait for what would be coming next.

But then, right as they were about to continue the conversation, loud trumpets echoed within the Grand Hall, which meant it was time to greet the "real" main event of tonight, the Royal Family.

The large doors were once more opened as the King, the Queen, and Princess Lysia walked in with absolute grace.

The Princess wore a nice blue dress that fit her like a glove. She looked elegant, her dress being classy and not too revealing. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back, with her blue pearly eyes captivating anyone staring.

However, even from far away, it was easy to tell about her personality.

She looked cold and distant, which was only logical. Anyone who had played this Eroge before knew that Princess Lysia was the hardest main heroine to tame because of her tendencies to absolutely despise all men who would ever dare to approach her.

That's why one of the main keys to seducing Princess Lysia was to let her come to you or... "accidentally" force an encounter.

And let's be clear... I was mostly banking on that second option, as I highly doubted that Princess Lysia would even walk in my direction. She wasn't the type of person to ever do such a thing.

But before I could even think of doing that, a few messages appeared before me.

[You have completed a portion of the Quest - Banquet Attendance.]

[You have formed a useful connection with an important noble.]

[To fully complete the Quest, you will have to continue attending the Banquet without getting kicked out.]

I looked at the last system message and shrugged.

The chances of me getting kicked out were so low that I knew that the quest would be a done deal.