Knowing not the local customs and etiquette beyond the few short lessons Chihiro found the time to give me, all I could do was follow in his steps, always keeping myself just a few feet away from the man's back.
Initially, I thought the open hostility the locals of this place revealed without any qualms would soon cease, turning into a general agreement to just ignore my existence. Sadly, this was nothing more than my hopeful delusion, as people's curious stares only continued to grow in number and intensity as we moved up the massive stairs toward the main building's entrance.
The situation only changed once we finally got inside, only for the maids and butlers of this place to instantly invade our personal space, quickly separating our small group of three before leading each one of us in a different direction.
Before I could even open my mouth in an attempt to protest, I was seated out in the far-off corner of the main hall, with Chihiro getting seated at the very end of the main table, and Claire ending up pretty much all the way amidst the seats of honor.
"Today, we celebrate!"
As soon as the butler pressed down on my shoulders, pushing me down to sit on the chair, everyone in the hall stood up and turned their heads to a small stage, where a man in the most elaborate robe out of them all cleared his throat before opening his arms up and revealing a big, welcoming smile.
"For not only has our precious granddaughter returned to the fold, but a lesser son of the clan has also finally proved his mettle and rejoined the ranks of proper humans!"Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Hearing this speech, all I could do was hold my breath while staring wide-eyed at the man.
Back in the modern world, if anyone were to reverse this speech and low-key insult all the cultivators the way this man just insulted the mortals, their life would be officially over.
Not only would the netizens rip the man's reputation to shreds, but official protests from the cultivators' embassy would soon follow, putting the offender on a quick hate-speech trial before fining his ass to infinity.
Here, however, the man's speech only ever received some small nods, making it seem as if everyone in the massive hall couldn't agree more with what was just said.
'This place really is a lot worse than I thought it would be,' I thought, taking in a deep breath before slowly exhaling it away, using the experience to calm down.
'There's no point in letting them rile you up. If they want to be stupid and biased, let them. Who are you to teach them to know better?'
Just the opening of the man's welcome speech was enough to make my thoughts spin, rendering me unable to properly follow whatever he said next.
In the end, it was the woman who calmed her amusement first, shaking her head before standing up and turning directly toward me.
"I apologize for all the discourtesy this court slighted you with, young man," she apologized and even went as far as to bow her head down a little.
Normally, I wouldn't care in the slightest.
But in this place, to bow one's head, even if only a little?
I gulped my saliva down.
In here, even something as small as a slight bow of a head was actually quite the big deal!
"There's no need to apologize for an offense when none was taken," I courtly replied.
As much as those people disgusted me, I knew better than to speak lightly right in their midst, especially when my words were bound to affect Chihiro and Claire's situation.
"Still, thank you for your kind words," I then replied, lowering my head as I did while making sure I did so deeper than the woman's bow.
"Not only can he withstand all of this pleasure, he can remain all courtly?" the old man laughed out again, only to slam his hand against the table, all to the open discontent of the big shots sitting all around the old man's place. "Splendid!"
The man laughed for one more second... Only to suddenly turn all serious, all hints of amusement leaving his face as he looked around the other guests with a grim, angry look on his face.
"This young man is someone whom my granddaughter fancies! How dare you try to seat him with the servants?!" he roared while slowly rising from his seat and casting his furious glance across the other VIPs, before turning it toward me... No, the people sitting around me.
The next thing I saw, this old man already pulled out a fancily decorated sword twice his size before slamming its tip right into the precious, polished-marble floor of the hall.
"Unless you want your heads to roll, you shall rectify this insult right now!"