Chapter 318: Congratulations

Chapter 318

Congratulations

Every family understood this well, and the kingdom did too. Consequently, the tasks assigned to the hunters increased. Even the institute had numerous missions to offer. Unfortunately, they had already earned many points this year, so the kingdom could only rely on the Hunter’s Association and its soldiers.

The Setter family had more power. Knowing how beneficial it would be to control cities, news of their continuous conquest of cities on the 4th to 6th floors spread. Many families envied them greatly. Ellie was well rewarded for using her resources previously.

Owen and the hunters of the Setter family returned 5 cities to her, and there might be more. As a result, Ellie now owned 9 cities: one on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors, 2 on the 4th floor, 2 on the 5th floor, and 2 on the 6th floor. For the cities on floors 4-6, Owen kept the native inhabitants to avoid the loss of manpower. He chose only cities inhabited by high-level beast races with intelligence.

Ellie was elevated to the status of a princess in the kingdom, while Owen was seen as something greater than an emperor. With such fierce hunting, many people eventually chose to turn a blind eye to these reckless actions...

After the Setter family’s battles concluded, and with them representing humanity in such important matters, every kingdom reached out, hoping to ally with the Setter family.

The Emperor couldn’t allow everyone to secretly negotiate behind his back, so he organized a grand banquet to foster relationships, giving everyone a chance to converse openly. Thus, not only did the kings of various kingdoms attend, but many nobles traveled to the Ares Kingdom as well...

For this matter...even if Ellie wanted to avoid involvement, it was impossible. She was immediately positioned as a key figure. Many at the institute received invitations to this grand event. Several professors had to suspend their classes to attend because, even though they were educators, in the end, survival was paramount.

The one who seemed the happiest was a young girl confined to her room. Upon hearing that Professor Lucien canceled all his classes, and that the institute would close for 7 days so students could return to their families to grasp the current situation, Grace realized that an important part of the story was about to unfold.

She overheard people talking about the upcoming banquet. They didn’t call it the "Survival Banquet" but rather the "Victory Celebration of the Ares Kingdom," which aligned with the plot of the novel she had read. After this event ended, it seemed she would become engaged to Prince Jason, the story’s main hero.

"Hopefully, after this event ends, Prince Jason will make things more convenient. I don’t want to read until my eyes hurt anymore!"

Grace grumbled irritably as she dragged her belongings out of her room. However, upon stepping out in front of the institute, she spotted her primary target, someone she absolutely had to befriend.

She had heard that this duchess had also participated in the recent challenge. It was no surprise why this duchess had become the focal point of many important figures in the story.

It wasn’t because of her botanical abilities; Grace knew that everyone who participated now held significant roles. Even if she became a dimensional magic user, her importance wouldn’t be comparable to someone who was like a path to survival.

It was no wonder that, according to the plot, she needed to get close to the other party. This was the only way to become a central figure herself.

Grace thought for a moment. Last time, she had rushed, assuming the other party was a fool, reading books all day and planting vegetables in the evening. She hadn’t expected this woman to predict her every move. This time, she would be more patient...

"Duchess Ellie...congratulations on your victory,"

Grace greeted politely, without any hint of arrogance or desire to outdo the other. In truth, Ellie didn’t want to see Grace, but the Setter family had gathered everyone here to transport them all to Set City together.

Not all the young members of the Setter family would attend the banquet, but the family would hold a meeting. Everyone needed to listen to the details because from now on, they had to take things seriously and could no longer train half-heartedly. Because of this, Ellie had to stand and wait with the group...

She didn’t turn towards the voice. In fact, she wished she could pretend not to hear it at all. After receiving an important reward from the Creator, Ellie, who knew everything, didn’t want to give herself or the other party any chance to converse.

The storyline she had read was nothing short of bullying her. No matter what this new character thought or who she really was, Ellie didn’t care anymore. Especially since this character was someone she disliked, unlike Nara, who Ellie initially saw as an idol. Such characters were not worth her time!

Unfortunately, Ellie’s indifference didn’t deter Grace. Ellie was like a golden leg that Grace needed to connect with to gain fortune. If Ellie were of no use to her, Grace wouldn’t bother. This young girl was too arrogant, but with such benefits at stake, Grace had no choice but to speak patiently.

"The victory of the Setter family this time is truly remarkable. If it weren’t for all of you, everyone’s fate might have been sealed. So, on behalf of the Fronda family, I thank you. I believe my father will express his congratulations and gratitude to you all sincerely once again."

Grace didn’t press Ellie too hard, trying not to seem suspicious. She also congratulated others to appear more natural. The members of the Setter family nodded in acknowledgment, including Aman.

He had been observing Ellie’s behavior from the start. It was rare for a girl who received a greeting to react this way. Even the annoying Nara had never been treated like this. A flicker of light passed through his eyes, and his attitude towards Grace became indifferent, even though he was initially interested in her special powers.

Just as Ellie had suspected, Aman was like this. As long as it involved currying favor with his brother, he would do it, even if it meant ignoring someone he was interested in...

"You must be the Second Young Lord of the Setter family, right? Even though I reside in the Rhea Kingdom, I have heard your name many times. It’s great to finally meet you in person. You are quite different from what I imagined,"

Normally, when hearing such words, the conversation partner would ask, "And what do you think I am like?" or "How did you imagine me?" However, Aman was no novice. Despite many women fearing him and calling him the "Demon of the Setter family" behind his back, they still tried to seduce him because the power of his family was too great to ignore. Therefore, Aman’s skills in handling such situations were quite refined.

"This young lady must be from the Rhea Kingdom. I think you should listen to what others say sometimes. I believe you’ve heard that I don’t like talking to just anyone. So...it would be better for your safety not to meddle too much with me or the Setter family," Aman sneered viciously, his gaze as demonic as his reputation.

However, it wasn’t a look of interest but one of contempt!

Grace was momentarily stunned by his gaze. She pursed her lips in shock. Although she had already grasped that this character was not one to be easily befriended, she hadn’t realized this golden leg was more terrifying than she had thought.

No wonder! That’s why the novel specified that Grace had to become friends with Duchess Ellie first; otherwise, accessing other characters would be difficult. Ultimately, it was because characters like Ellie were the easiest to approach. Although tough and not easily open, she was still a woman, offering many chances to get close.

Grace knew she should step back from this Second Young Lord Aman. Her remaining target to test was only the prince. As for Professor Lucien, that would take time, using the closeness of a disciple and mentor to approach him. Grace believed he would eventually take interest, especially if she followed the plot and become a level 3 heroine, gaining the power Professor Lucien desired.

The hero like Wint were not an issue. From their previous encounter, she knew he was very approachable, with a gaze like that of a fool, an ordinary naive person. It wasn’t difficult, just that she hadn’t had the opportunity to meet him again yet. One day, when she became the prince’s fiancée, she could find time to increase the experience points with Wint.

And yes...Grace had no idea that Wint’s feelings for her had already changed. If a man like Wint was interested in someone, how would he had no time to pester that person? Just like when he used to bother Ellie so much that she found it annoying.

"In that case...Duchess Ellie, Second Young Lord Aman, see you at the banquet."

Grace paid her respects once more before departing gracefully. On the surface, she seemed like a very obedient girl. Seeing that they didn’t want to talk, she left without causing any disturbance. This made the Setter family members feel slightly guilty for not responding more warmly. However, since both of their masters showed no interest, even if they didn’t know the reasons, they had no choice but to follow suit.

Ellie let out a small sigh. Dealing with someone like this was really difficult. She glanced around, noticing people already watching their interactions.

If she had turned back even to exchange a few words, it could have been misunderstood. Ellie feared that behind her back, people might say she and that woman had become close. Otherwise, why would the other woman congratulate her?

Ultimately, Ellie chose to ignore the congratulations and pretend she didn’t see her, which also confirmed her stance to those around her.

She knew how to use her status to her advantage. Now, as Duchess Ellie—No! It should be "Princess Ellie"—her status was very high. It wouldn’t be easy for just anyone to approach her anymore, as it could lead to others exploiting her words for their benefit. The Setter family had also instructed her to be cautious about this. Everyone in the Setter family had to be careful about such matters.

Soon, Ellie was taken to Set City, where she still had to choose her attire for the banquet. The Emperor had ordered the important members of the Setter family to attend the banquet for the next 7 days because they would be meeting many people who couldn’t all be seen at once.

Each day, several families would be allowed to participate, making it a tiring event. However, the children of the Setter family were excited about having a full 7 days to eat and play to their heart’s content. It was no surprise that the young ladies were running in and out, preparing their outfits.

Ellie also had a tailor visit her. The Setter family wanted to prepare a new dress for her for the event. As a princess and an important member of the family, she could no longer wear ordinary clothes. Numerous jewels and magical crystals were brought out to adorn her dress, offering a variety of colors that gave Ellie a headache.

Fortunately, Aya, Athena, and Sara helped her choose. It was as if they knew Ellie wasn’t skilled at picking out such things. In the end, they ended up with similar dresses.

For instance, if Ellie chose a blue dress, all 3 girls would also choose light blue dresses, behaving like loving sisters. On days when Ellie wore a yellowish-orange dress, the girls would follow suit with light yellow dresses. As a result, the dress selection was completed for 3 people simultaneously. This was beneficial since Ellie wasn’t adept at social events.

It wasn’t just Ellie who needed a good dress. Normally, Wint wouldn’t attend such events, but he received an invitation as Ellie’s knight. Because of this, he was the only one in the Femon family granted the honor of attending the banquet for all 7 days. His status in the family had become very high, surpassing even that of Lady Aria.

"Zoey, have you chosen your dress yet?" Ellie asked the little girl, who was mesmerized by the beauty of the dresses but never seemed to choose one.

Zoey, as Ellie’s knightess, was also attending the banquet. The Setter family kindly wanted to make a knight’s outfit for her too, which led to her sitting there, trying to choose a dress.

"M-My lady...these dresses are too beautiful."

"And?"

"I-I’m, I’m afraid I can’t wear them."

"Hmm?"

"These clothes—how can I wear them? If I ruin them, won’t I have to compensate a lot?"

"You’re overthinking it. If you don’t wear it, it would be disrespectful to me."

"B-But..."

Zoey felt like crying. If Mentor Wint were here, she would have asked him what to do!