Chapter 218: Astria (10)

Name:Academy's Second Seat Author:
Chapter 218: Astria (10)

TL/Editor: Raei

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"Wow..."

Luna, in awe, looked around the ballroom corridor.

Her eyes wide open, Luna's demeanor resembled that of a puppy exploring a new place.

The building's interior was adorned with decorations too valuable to be estimated in money.

I was amazed myself, so I understood why Luna was acting this way.

"Luna, let's start heading in."

"Uh, okay!"

Luna, who had been gazing around, quickly came up behind me.

"This place is really incredible... I wonder how much they spent."

"Indeed..."

The ballroom is located in the center of the capital.

Considering the land value here and the decorations in the ballroom, it was clear a astronomical sum was spent on it.

Although it was not a big issue since the ballroom is operated directly by the country, not built by any particular family, the extravagance was still astounding.

As we walked around admiring the place, we arrived at the entrance of the ballroom.

"Welcome!"

A waiter holding a small tray approached us at the entrance.

"Are both of you on the guest list?"

"Yes, Rudy Astria and Luna Railer."

Though there was a guest list, the question was somewhat redundant.

All graduates of the Academy were invited.

Including the students.

They had a list of all those people, but it wasn't practical to check everyone.

In any case, at the ballroom, people usually interacted only with those they knew, so it didn't really matter if someone unknown entered.

Moreover, for Academy graduates to come here intending to cause trouble was practically a suicide mission.

That's why the ball was open and welcoming.

The waiter, after noting our names, opened the doors to the ballroom.

"Please go in. Have a great time."

As the doors opened, a bright light enveloped us.

Inside, there were numerous people and dazzling decorations.

On the tables were cakes and various desserts, and people were gathered, holding wine glasses and chatting.

"Hmm?"

"Who are those kids?"

Some people tilted their heads in curiosity upon seeing us.

They looked at us, intrigued by the unfamiliar faces.

"Who are you?"

"Are you this year's graduates? No, the graduation ceremony hasn't happened yet, so you're not, right?"

"Well, that aside, you're so cute! What are your names?"

Contrary to what I heard about the place not welcoming strangers, people started to gather around us.

Perhaps they were welcoming new faces because it was the graduation season?

I couldn't be sure.

The problem was...

"What's this..."

"Oh dear, this little lady seems scared."

"We won't hurt you. We're your seniors."

Luna was surrounded by women who appeared to be in their thirties.

Luna stepped back, seemingly frightened by the sudden attention.

I stood in front of her protectively.

"Ru, Rudy."

"She's a bit scared,"

I explained.

"Oh my, is he your boyfriend? Ho ho, he's cute too."

"This boy is adorable too~. Shall I gobble him up?"REaad updated stories at n/o/vel/bin(.)com

Startled by the seniors' remarks, Luna clung tightly to my arm and pulled me back.

"No, you can't. Rudy is..."

"Oh, look at them!"

"She's trembling with fear but claiming the boy as hers? Too cute~."

"Uh, no, it's not like that..."

Luna was at a loss, overwhelmed by the ladies' teasing.

While it was nice to be the center of attention, this situation was becoming uncomfortable.

What I needed was to connect with one or two individuals who could introduce me to my uncle.

With so many people crowding around, it was just a waste of time and made it harder to slip away.

"Hmm..."

A man in the crowd studied me intently.

He was a neat-looking man with glasses.

"Do I know you? Why do you look familiar?"

"As if you'd know him! You're in your thirties. How could this young-faced boy have been at the Academy with you?"

"Well, I might have seen him on a Homecoming Day or something."

The man started to grumble at the woman's teasing.

Then he looked at me again, suddenly clapping his hands.

"...Astria?"

"What?"

"I found one or two... but they looked too young to be your uncle"

I had been confident we could identify people by their hair color.

But the absence of anyone resembling our description was disconcerting.

"Maybe he didn't come today"

"That would be the worst-case scenario"

It dawned on me that there was a possibility my uncle hadn't attended the ball.

"Shouldn't have revealed my name"

Mentioning my name had been a mistake.

I didn't realize people would shun us to this extent.

As I sighed, Luna patted my back.

"It's not your fault, Rudy! It's the people who run away just because of a name who are to blame!"

Luna placed her hands on her hips and glared towards the ballroom.

"Cowards! Ostracizing Rudy! What did Rudy do to deserve this!"

Luna's scolding brought a smile to my face.

"Right, it's their fault, not mine."

I took a deep breath and looked around.

"Let's continue our search."

The situation wasn't ideal, but what could we do?

We had to do our best in the given circumstances.

"I'll check around the center of the ballroom. Luna, can you cover the second floor?"

"Got it! Then"

As we were talking, someone approached us.

"You're Rudy Astria, right?"

"?"

Luna and I turned towards the voice.

It was the bespectacled man who had recognized me earlier.

"Sorry about earlier. I have my own situation, so I couldn't talk to you with everyone watching."

"Ah"

It seemed he had waited for us to leave the ballroom.

"You're looking for Yurik Astria, right?"

"Yes, yes! That's right!"

Luna nodded vigorously at the man's words.

"But coming here blindly, without any information. Wasn't that a bit reckless? If you knew a little about him, you could have found him easily."

"You're right."

It was an unavoidable situation.

We had come right after hearing Astina's advice and the ball was soon after.

I had no intention of making excuses.

The man, seemingly pleased with my acceptance, smiled and pointed towards the ballroom.

"Go back into the ballroom and look for someone without hair."

"Bald?"

I widened my eyes in surprise.

"Yes, Yurik Astria is bald. That should make it somewhat easier to find him, right?"

My uncle wasn't blond; he was bald.

I was taken aback by this unexpected revelation.

Luna, equally surprised, opened her mouth and quietly muttered to herself.

"Bald delinquent"

"He doesn't look like a delinquent, though."

"Oops"

Luna quickly covered her mouth with her hands.

"Anyway, with this information, we should be able to find him, right?"

I nodded at the man's words.

"Thank you so much. This is a huge help."

"Well, I must be going now."

The man waved his hand and started walking back towards the ballroom.

"Wait!"

I called out to stop him.

"Sorry to ask, but what's your name? I'd like to repay you someday."

The man chuckled.

"You're not like the typical Astria family member, are you?"

"Pardon?"

"My name is Wuying."

Wuying?

The sudden mention of such an Eastern name made me tilt my head in confusion.

I had heard of Eastern names, but they were very rare.

While I was still pondering this.

"I should go now. Staying here will only raise suspicions."

The man who introduced himself as Wuying quickly disappeared towards the ballroom.

"Wuying?"

But how did he know about me?

With a puzzled expression, I watched the man's retreating figure.

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