Chapter 310: Awarding Party [1]

The arena went silent, shocked by the result that exceeded the 'ideal' that could be achieved by destroying 20 targets every second.

"I guess I overdid it."

Only Tristan's voice rang as she walked toward the exit.

No one doubted that she would win this tournament.

When Tristan was gone, and the tournament continued, the [Earring of Communication] on my left ear rang. Someone was contacting me.

I gestured to Alesia and left the balcony room. My destination was the bathroom.

Once I entered one of the stalls, I accepted the call.

"Report, Lucy," I said coldly.

(Everything is ready, and there will be 10 troublemaker Vampires in total. Currently, they are starving. That girl is also carving for blood and will definitely attack you once she smells your delicious blood. Everyone will wake up once I commanded them to. Is that enough?)

"More than enough." I grinned. "Someone will teleport them in a few hours, so gather them in one cell."

(Got it. They are all my Kins that refuse to follow my command. However, I can influence them to do something.)

'Influence them to do something.' I repeated her words in my mind. 'That will make this plan easier and have a little error. I thought I would need to use that collar to make them obedient.'

"Good. Their role is to act as a scapegoat and help Carissa to do whatever she wants. Implant that line of thinking to their consciousness."

(I will. See you later.)

The call ended with that, and I returned to the balcony as if nothing was wrong and told the headmistress about the plan. She gave me a positive answer and would do that as long as I cured her hangover now.

Without a choice, I cured it, and we watched the rest of the long-range division final.

***

The winner was Tristan, as expected by everyone.

The awarding ceremony went smoothly, and the annual tournament ended. However, it wouldn't end officially before the awarding party tonight. I told Beatrice to inform Duke Blacktomb so he wouldn't do anything and only rescue himself if something happened at the party.

Showing that I could order a primordial Succubus would probably make him wary and report it back to the Luxuria Church's Pope and the Sin Kingdom's Queen. However, that was also part of my plan, to make them curious and invite me over to the Sin Kingdom.

Everyone returned to their homes to change clothes. Students would wear their best suits and dress to attend the awarding party. Everyone was invited, but only the finalists and the top 20 in the general study and magic division were allowed to enter the main hall.

"How do I look?"

Eliza showed up from inside in the off-shoulders blue dress I bought for her before the date, which slightly exposed her cleavage. On her neck was the necklace I gifted her for winning the two tournaments.

Her brown hair was done in a crown braid, probably by Vivian, with a silver rose adorning it, making her look more mature.

"You look great." I praised her honestly. Then I asked, "How about me? I wore the sword you gifted me and my Paladin uniform. Do I look good with it?"

As I asked her, my childhood friend approached me and kissed me gently. Her face was flushed red, and then she smiled.

"You look perfect."

I smiled back at her and extended my arm to invite her to walk together. Awarding party was essentially a party. Having an escort was a must, and the finalists could invite at least one person to the party.

Of course, they could choose to arrive alone, but that would be embarrassing in the face of high society. At a minimum, they should bring their family to act as an escort.

Eliza tried to invite Vivian, but her mother refused, saying she still felt a bit dizzy from the headache and would stay home with Cecil to recover. I purposely didn't heal her because this party would turn into chaos.

Ideally, I would also like Eliza to stay at home, but that was impossible, considering she was a winner of two divisions. She needed to deliver a speech with me after the Royal Family and the Pope.

Thankfully, Tristan and the Paladin Knight Squad would be there, and I asked her to protect Eliza if anything happened. My subordinates had met Eliza before, and I trusted their strength.

As we walked out of the mansion holding hands, a white carriage with the Paladin symbol had already parked near the garden. It was the one that the church lent me but eventually gave to me. I changed the symbol to the Paladin symbol for convenience's sake.

"Your Holiness... Please board the carriage."

"We will escort you to the party venue."

The twin nuns, Lisa and Lara, bowed at me as they opened the door and stood side by side. I nodded at them and helped Eliza board first. I followed right behind her and sat side by side.

As the carriage moved through the bustling streets, I caught glimpses of joyful faces, both young and old, all adorned in their finest attire. I couldn't help but feel pity toward them and hoped that the result of my action wouldn't affect this city too much.

I probably didn't need to think that too much, considering how much faith they had in Goddess Teri.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of a large building behind the Royal Academy's main building. It was a party hall that was also often used for school ceremonies.

As I stepped out of the carriage and into the party venue, I was greeted by servants hired by the headmasters. The building was glimmering, and the room was bathed in a warm and inviting glow.

The venue was elegantly decorated with white and golden colors, showcasing the luxury that added to the celebratory mood and courtesy of the Castitas Church, as both colors represent chastity.

The main stage, the centerpiece of the party, stood tall and grand at the far end of the room. It was adorned with shimmering curtains. That was where we and the Royal Family would give a speech later.

As I walked further into the venue, the hum of excited chatter and laughter turned quiet. All gazes landed on us, duo winners of the tournament as well as beautiful and handsome couples. Some people gasped in awe, and some looked at us with longing.

My gaze swept across the room, toward the guests, and at the two luxurious tables where the Pope and Royal Family had seated. The Pope and the King wore similar clothes that they wore in the tournament, but Queen Eve wore a different one.

Her off-shouldered sexy blue dress glimmered under the light of the chandelier. A silver tiara with a blue gem was adorning her long blue hair. The design of her dress showcased her cleavage and thighs, which looked unblemished and smooth.

From the side, I could notice her going commando without any panties, only silver accessories, but no one seemed to notice it, not even herself. Instantly, I knew who the culprit was and tried to find her. However, that culprit's figure was nowhere to be seen.

It seemed like we arrived last, which wasn't a problem with my status. I also felt pity that those pretty dresses and this venue would probably be destroyed later.

When my gaze met with King Cassius, he strangely smiled smugly.

My eyes widened slightly before returning to normal. It wasn't because I was surprised by the King's gesture but at the fact that the dot in my radar said otherwise.

King Cassius, who smiled smugly at me, wasn't the real King Cassius. He was Beatrice, who transformed into him with her new <Transformation> skill!

That was why she said she had a plan.

It eliminated the last problem in my plan and would ensure success 100%. My lips curled up into a grin as I took the last step from the stairs, and the valet announced our arrival.

"His Holiness Paladin, Arthur Vainglory, and the winner of General Study as well as Magic Division tournaments, Eliza Rose, have arrived in the party venue!"

'Tonight will be the biggest deviation of the Sins Paradise's event. With the Princess and King Cassius out of the canvas, this world's course will change, and I will be a step closer to my goal.'