The Sixth School Ch. 028

Speeches at a party in this town were usually given after everyone had eaten. Giving speeches to people with empty stomachs was at best considered a faux pas and at worst, just plain rude. Unless it was a serious topic that couldn't wait, people were likely to ignore you or leave the party altogether. Something Greg was all too grateful for as he wouldn't be bogged down with giving a speech to the attendees while new guests arrived. He could just flitter around keeping everyone happy and reiterating his appreciation for their attendance. But while Greg tried to interact with his guests as much as possible. He was never far from the gate and always had one eye on it just in case someone new walked in. After all, the main purpose of this event was to get as many women recognized by the system as possible.

This attention on whether there was anyone new coming to the party was the reason Greg noticed them a while before most others in attendance did. A pair of brother and sister that were no older than he was. Both were dressed far more elegantly than most people in the town could ever hope to be. They also had a unique set of snow white locks of hair interlaced with their otherwise jet black hair.

Olivia, who could recognize the two by going through his memories, spoke up in his mind with a smile. "So it begins."

Greg, who had been talking to a burly hunter that had come with his wife to the party, excused himself so that he could greet the new arrivals. Everyone had noticed how welcoming Greg had been to everyone that had attended the party. Unconsciously, it had created a good impression of him in the minds of those present. As such, the ones he was talking to weren't at all offended and easily let him go so he could greet the new guests. Not that they would have dared refuse either way. Once everyone caught sight of the two approaching, shocked murmurs and whispers spread out through the crowd of attendees. This was Niya and Naiya, a pair of twins that had been born to the Valla household, one of the three major families in the town. While the three families usually attended each other's parties and those held by the town head, they rarely attended any events held by the other common folk in the town. And even on the few occasions that they did, they usually sent a servant to represent them. As such, it was understandable those present were surprised to see the Valla children in attendance.

With a smile, Greg walked over and greeted them. "My home is happy to welcome our friends from the Valla household," He spoke. Most others in the town would have been intimidated by the two and would probably have stammered in inviting them in. Greg, however, was from another world where the concept of nobility was an archaic concept that few in the world subscribed to. As such, in his mind, these were just rich kids and nothing more. Besides, even in this world, these two weren't really all that. Out in the larger world, they were little more than ants. It was only in this small town that they held any sway. This fact, however, seemed lost on the two of them.

The two were sophisticated enough to not let the contempt show on their faces. Greg could see from the subtle upward tilt of their heads and the way their eyes scanned him and the compound behind him, that neither was all too thrilled to be here. Greg had even picked up on the slight twitch in the girl's eyes when he called them friends. Still, they had probably been sent here to try and win him over to their household, as such, they couldn't let their displeasure be known. With a smile that couldn't have appeared faker in Greg's eyes if it was drawn on, Niya, the brother, spoke up. "How could we miss the send-off of such a key member of our community?" he spoke up loudly. "Your father was a strong hunter and an honorable man," He said reaching his hand forward.

You're laying it on a little thick there buddy. Greg couldn't help but think within himself. Still, he smiled as he accepted the guy's hand and shook it vigorously. While he hadn't shouted, Niya had spoken loud enough that some in the crowd had heard it. This sent another wave of murmurs rippling through the crowd. The words were just generic compliments and everyone knew it. Any man in the town could be offered the same banal words. But coming from the mouth of someone associated with one of the major families, however, the words carried a different weight.

"Come in, come in," Greg called out cordially. Directing them towards the house. All guests that had so far attended the party were hosted outside in the compound. No one had been allowed into the house. This wasn't out of any privacy concerns or anything. It was out of a simple understanding that if everyone tried to squeeze into the house, it would very quickly become cramped. That these two were the only ones to be led toward the house was a special honor and privilege to them. None of those in attendance thought this to be odd. Given the standing that these two held and the family that they represented, it was only natural that Greg would show them special regard. They'd just about reached the door to his house when a woman in the crowd let out an involuntary cry of surprise. When people turned to her, they found her looking once again in the direction of the gate.

Everyone turned around to find a young man with long flowing blond hair that came down to his well-defined shoulders. The whole of the man's body looked perfectly toned with muscles rippling all across his torso and pushing against the silken tunic he had on. Everything about the guy from his posture to the very way he walked spoke of an athlete. There was a subtle fluidity in the way he moved that would require long hours of continuous training before one could master it and make it as natural as the approaching individual seemed to make it. Not much was known about the three major families as they did try to keep their lives secret from what they probably considered to be the common riffraff. Little snippets, however, did tend to get out here and there. From what little Greg could remember of this guy, he was a training junkie. It was said that he held interesting very little else outside of fighting and honing his body into the most perfect physical condition it could achieve. His body was already a testament to all the effort that he put into it, and the bored look on his face told of the fact that this was probably the last place he wanted to be.

"Excuse me while I welcome my guest," Greg said as he once again moved towards the gate leaving the twins at the door to his house. The boy seemed annoyed at this, though for whatever reason, Greg got the feeling that he was more annoyed by the new guy than by Greg. Was he jealous of the buff guy? The sister, on the other hand, barely even picked up on Greg's words. Her gaze was transfixed on the approaching guy. By the look in her eyes, it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was smitten. Greg walked towards the gate and arrived a moment before the other party did.

"Bran," Greg called out to him in a cordial tone of voice. "You honor me with your presence," He politely offered.

"The house of Aria extends its sympathies to you for your loss," The man spoke perfunctorily. Unlike the twins that came before, there wasn't even an attempt to pretend that he wanted to be here.

Greg didn't mind one way or the other. He was aware that to these families, he was a chess piece that they were trying to get on their side of the board. Even if this guy had been genuinely enthusiastic about meeting him, it still wouldn't have changed this core truth. With a nod of acknowledgment and a warm smile, he was about to welcome him in when he caught sight of three sisters walking towards his gate. Each one of them had flame-red hair that cascaded all the way down to their waists. Their faces were an exact copy of each other. From their large doe eyes, their small button noses, and their plump pink lips that were set in a small amiable smile. Behind them was a large man with a sheathed greatsword hanging off his waist. From the cold expression on his face and the way his hawkish eyes kept moving from side to side surveying everything around, it was clear that he'd been tasked with their safety.

"The house of Ember honors my humble little gathering," Greg warmly greeted when the three sisters came to a stop before him, beside Bran.

That they looked like each other didn't strike Greg as odd. Being a twenty-first-century earthling, Greg knew about the existence of triplets. The thing that struck Greg as eerie was how they almost perfectly mirrored each other's actions. It was almost like all three bodies were acting from one single mind. The smile on all three of their faces widened slightly as they each curtsied at the same time. They each bent their knees at the same time, moved with the same speed, inclined their heads at the same angle, and rose in a perfectly synchronized manner. "News of your father's untimely demise has reached our house," the one on the right spoke up.

Greg knew that it was more likely that the news that had reached them was that he had become the healer's student. Following that, they investigated and found out all that they could about him. This was probably how they'd come to find out about his father's death and this event he planned to give him a honorable send-off. Still, he didn't contradict her words.

"We came to offer our house's sincerest sympathies to you," the one in the middle spoke in a voice that was perfectly similar in pitch and tone. If one closed their eyes, they'd be forgiven for thinking that the same person was still talking just from a different position.

"And extend our house's offer of friendship to you, Roka," The last one on the left stated. It wasn't a detail he usually picked up on, but with the similarity that they'd shown, Greg couldn't help but notice it. As he went over what they'd said, it hit him that even the number of words they'd each spoken was the same. The man standing behind the three girls remained silent. His gaze still sought out any potential threats from all around them.

"Please," Greg spoke in a warm tone of voice, a smile on his face as he indicated toward the door to his house where Niya and Naiya still stood. "Let us not stand on ceremony. Come inside and allow me to host you," He offered before turning around and leading them toward the house.

Greg could feel the nervous energy that was now starting to permeate the air. Most of those that had come to the party had done so thinking that it was just a normal send-off party. Many had probably been motivated by the promise Greg had made seven days prior that they'd each get some meat to take back home. At no point had they expected that the equivalent of the town's nobility would also be in attendance. Sure, these were the children and not the actual heads of the houses, but their presence here was just as good. Greg could feel the way the people around him were looking at him change. His family thus far had been seen as no different from any other in the town. With these three households acknowledging him and doing him the honor of attending his father's send-off, however, the standing of his household was quickly rising in the eyes of those present.

Greg couldn't help but wonder if they'd all planned this out as once again, he only made it to the door to his house before exclamations of surprise reached him. This time, he turned around to find a carriage slowly approaching the gate to his home. Being the small, no-name town that it was, there wasn't anywhere in town that you couldn't get to with a little less than fifteen minutes of walking, even if you were on the other side of town. As such, there were no carriages to be found anywhere in town for public use. In the town only the heads of the three families used it. To them, it was more of a status symbol as opposed to a means of transport. The three families, however, had already sent their children as a representative. There was no need for any of the heads of the three families to come along. Also, the crest on the carriage didn't belong to any of the three families. It belonged to the only other household in the town wealthy and powerful enough to hold one. The town head.

First to alight from the carriage when it came to a stop before the gate was a giant of a man. Once or twice in his life, Roka had caught sight of the town head. His memories of how big the man was, however, still didn't prepare Greg for the almost seven-foot and absurdly ripped man. To call him a mountain of muscle would be to understate the case. Even his muscle seemed to have muscles of their own. Back on earth, even a million dollars wouldn't have been enough to convince Greg that this man wasn't on steroids. In this world, however, there was no such thing. There was, however, a vast array of ways that magic can be used and Greg couldn't help but suspect that there was some magical explanation behind why this man was the way he was.

Next to alight from the carriage was the giant town head's wife. A woman about the same age as his mother. Years of living in luxury and being waited at hand and foot, however, had left her looking no older than someone in their late twenties. Standing at five foot five, the top of her head didn't even come up to her husband's shoulder. She might not have had that much in terms of height, the curves on the woman, however, weren't anything to scoff at. The way her rack pushed against the plum ree dress that she had on made it a feat of will for Greg not to stare. This, however, was nothing compared to the way her hips flared out from her tiny waist. Greg could almost imagine the view from behind and it just about left him with a tent in his pants. The woman might have been Shalia's mother, but she was no slouch in the looks department.

The last to alight from the carriage was the heartthrob of most young men in the little town. Greg himself didn't like her all that much and so only spared her a glance before discretely turning his attention back to the voluptuous wife of the town head. Unlike him, however, most of the guys around were transfixed by Shalia's allure and could barely turn away. Even Bran from the house of Aria had turned to look in her direction. The three finally stood in a line, with the town head on the rightmost side. His wife stood next to him with a hand looped around his and their daughter off to the side.

Once again, Greg made the first overture and bowed his head before the man. You honor me with your visit, town head," He said. Greg was about to continue to speak when Olivia reported something that sent cold chills down his back.

"We have a new record," She declared happily like a kid who'd gotten an early Christmas present. Throughout the day Greg had been mentally keeping a record of the fastest a woman had been charmed by the several title items he had on. The record was only counted when the system marked the mission for turning the target on as complete. At some point in the day, it had become a game to Greg and he'd been trying to see the shortest time it took for the items to work on a woman. The shortest time thus far had been a minute and a few seconds.

Even the Ember sisters had been standing there for far longer than a minute, so they couldn't have been the ones. Trying to keep from swallowing hard, Greg looked up at the two women beside The town head. Shalia, much like Naiya, had her eyes fixed on Bran, the young Adonis. She hadn't even bothered to spare a glance in his direction since she'd arrived. Greg didn't look at her either. Instead, his gaze met with that of the town head's wife who looking at him with a strange gleam in her eyes...

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