Soon, the second half of my summer vacation passed by as well.
It had been a time packed with a plethora of tasks— like Knight Order work, obviously, tuning the magic two-wheeler, receiving the delivery of a ship from Serene Sea Co., and filing the procedure for the establishment of the Sail Club along with the paperwork to use the port.
Time really flew past in the blink of an eye, and now, there were just two days left before the end of summer vacation.
Elder sister was content with my home-stay, too, and with that, I returned to the dorm last night.
The dorm, which had hardly seen anyone roaming around after my return from Serdos, was also now seeing most of its occupants back, as it was two days before the academy's second half of first semester kicked off.
I entered the cafeteria while having a casual banter with my dorm mates. It was really strange how I found it soothing.
"Oh, you're back, Allen. Fey and Jeu left a message, asking me to inform them the moment I found you."
I was having my breakfast when pink haired Stella — with her hair bundled up in pigtails as usual — called out to me.
"It's been a while, Stella. Did you cut your hair......?"
"They've been like this since last year. Are you itching for a fight?"
Whoops. It was just my guess, to which Stella retorted immediately as she glared at me.
As a way to beat down the curse of landmines that my words often plunged me into, I recalled the contents of a certain book, ‘The secret to being a successful man’, and jotted them down mentally.
There was one line which said to keep an eye for any changes in a girl's hair and clothes. Now, I wouldn't call myself a master of subtleties, but I wasn't lying when I said I felt something off from her usual attitude.
Well, I guess I fumbled here, so I should just apologize quietly.
"I-I'm sorry. I just asked because something looked different about you."
My honest words put Stella in a humorous mood again.
"Oh, did you? I trimmed my bangs. I’m surprised that you noticed that, you know?"
So trimming bangs and cutting hair had different nuances for girls?...... I guess you learn something new every day. Were we really speaking human words?!
My gaze glazed over while Stella continued her side of the story.
"Anyway, we were talking about the message. The youngsters of the Dragoon and Leverance regions will be gathering at the banquet hall of Rune Mekiz, starting at 10 AM. So if you have time, do show up there. Well, though they sound like they are resigned to see your absence, but maybe hop in there if you feel like it?"
Rune Mekiz, huh? I recall it was a long-standing, famous hotel that had been around here for more than 300 years since its founding. Even a commoner like me has heard of it.
I wouldn't typically visit there without a reason though, given the cost, but I did have some interest in it as a first-class restaurant in this world.
Nevertheless, they weren't expecting me to visit them, huh? Hmm, now I was a tad curious about taking a peek… despite how paradoxical it sounded.
I could just hog an empty, isolated corner, since it was a buffet party, which would minimize any attention on me. And getting a chance to see how they typically act sounded fantastic.
"Alright, thank you. I will if I feel like it. Though, what about you, Stella? Your Achilies family might not be from either region, but considering it's a party they're throwing, I believe you should have been invited as well."
"Hmm? Oh, indeed. But I declined. Now I want nothing more than a mundane life for a short while after going through all the parties and dinners I had to circle around in summer vacation. My parents aren't your typical socialist either, nevertheless the amount of invitations was crazy...... Honestly, I was never a party girl."
Heh, so not just Dan but even Stella from a viscount background much like ours joined into those social circles. Oh wait, I guess it was practically everyone now, huh?
As for me, I received a letter from my mother back at our viscount residence. Her words were nothing but simple advice— prioritize your health first, and focus on what you want to do. I’ll always be there for you to consult with if you feel stumped. Truly, typical advice from my mother.
My father wouldn't even have the courage to go against the invitation of the marquis. Recalling back, did he even have any connection outside our hinterland?
Ugh, somehow thinking about it gave me butterflies in my stomach. No need to delve into headaches, yup.
Moving on, I thanked Stella and turned to challenge Sora's breakfast for the first time in a while.
◆◆◆
The venue was located near the intersection of 5th street and 3rd avenue alongside the central street.
It was a classic, brick building, featuring five stories. A glance at it was enough to tell the time it had weathered up ‘til now.
There was a question— what made this first-class hotel different from other hotels.
I believed that opinions may vary from person to person, given its subjective take, but for me, it was always the hospitality— how the staff behaved and their service.
Meals, facilities, history, money, and grandiosity were all some of the factors that many might agree on; however, the lack of hospitality was always a dealbreaker for me.
Now then, it was time to look at the so-called first-class hotel of another world.
It was around 11 AM, so I suppose the party must have progressed already. When I arrived at the entrance, a tinge of expectation and slight nervousness took residence inside my heart.
"Welcome, valued guest. We are delighted to have you with us today. How may we assist you? Are you interested in booking a room for your stay?"
I entered the hotel, and a middle-aged man, his hair neatly combed in a 7-3 hairstyle, seemingly the hotel staff, called out to me with a smile. His voice was calm yet springy, his pace brisk. I took a glance at the name card on his chest. It said Koil-san.
If anything, by seeing that they’ve arranged a greeter, the hotel must put their customers in high regard. I felt my nervousness melting away.
"No, I came after hearing about the gathering of the Dragoon and Leverance people. Where might the banquet hall be?"
Koil-san raised his hand, giving the nearby staff a signal, before saying ‘So the guest is here for the gathering’, and turned to guide me by himself.
"For this meeting, our hotel staff is handling the reception. May I have your name, please?"
"Sure, I'm Allen Rovenne. But speaking of which, I received word of the banquet quite hastily, so my name might not be on the list."
Koil-san's body straightened when I gave my name, but quickly resumed his movement, and said while smiling.
"So you're Allen Rovenne-sama. I’ve received word from the hosts, Feyrune Von Dragoon and Jeuri Leverance, to lead you to them should you happen to visit."
I immediately turned down the offer.
"Ah, please refrain from doing that. I would like to look at how things play out in such gatherings. I wish to vanish into the crowd. And if it’s not too troubling, can you keep my arrival a secret? I’ll visit them when I’ve had enough."
At my request, Koil-san took a second to glance at my face before wearing a bitter smile.
"Perhaps, dear guest doesn't like to be in the spotlight?"
"......Ahh, very much so. But how did you guess it?"
Curious at how he saw through my personality so accurately, I asked back, which earned a short chuckle from Koil-san as he explained.
"Experience speaks, and typically, face, expression, or phrasing for words gives one's thoughts out."
Oh~ If I had any misgivings left about the first-class status of this hotel, then now it was no more. The first step indeed started from being able to accommodate the guest's wishes in a few words.
I guess he must have been always keeping an eye on others’ reactions to spot any dissatisfaction from customers, or to see if they were adjusting well.
Koil-san took me to the second floor, where the banquet hall was presumably, and showed me a side entrance instead of opening the main doors.
"Please use this door. I hope you have a fun time. Unless dear customer has any other query, I shall take my leave."
Koil-san said and turned on his heel. But before he could leave, I gave him my words of gratitude.
"Koil-san! Thank you very much for your consideration."
As if he hadn't expected me to thank him by his name, Koil-san looked a bit surprised, and then chuckled to himself.