The Dreamer's POV

I activated <Greater Teleportation> and I was in the hall, sitting where I had intended, and no one freaked out from my sudden appearance, and no one noticed because I was nobody there.

'I must get Theo by my side and crack down this plot.' I thought with my fists clenched and rage simmering in me.

"I'll kill them."

I immediately went in search of Theo and Drius, pushing myself across large and perfumed nobles, it was exhausting, and it felt like I was crossing over an orgy of trolls save that these ones didn't reek.

I moved hurriedly, turning my neck, eyes darting here and there. And then, I found him, I found the young lord in the midst of his people.

He had met Markus and the two joked and conversed. I thought back on the previous reality I had broken off from, the memory trying to overlap with this, and I felt a mild headache.

I walked to Drius, pulled him from the crowd, and whispered in his ears, "Be by Theo's side at all times, and be ready to shield him in case anything happens, got it?" Drius nodded affirmatively.

His response reduced a little of the anxiety that weighed me, and I found myself beginning the search for earth participants. There was a chance that she wasn't the only one who was present back then, I needed to leave every stone unturned, and I was resolute on saving those that I could, I wasn't going to let the alliance or whosoever do as they pleased for two reasons: They had involved Theo, and they had made an enemy of me since I had killed a number of the organization's rankers.

There was no stopping it, we were going to face each other someday, and I would weaken them in any way I could before that happened.

With my eyes glowing over the activation of absolute appraisal, I glanced about looking for suspicious rankers, partly hoping to catch the goth lady and partly hoping that Black and the others had somehow subjugated her and those affiliated with her outside, but I had gotten no single reaction from them so the coast was still clear.

I didn't have much time.

"I need to hurry, the explosions, how did they come to happen?" I clicked my tongue, frustrated. Perhaps I just needed to wait.

The King came once more following the announcement of one of his knights.

And then the merriment continued, no one seemed out of place, and my team outside had not noticed anything suspicious.

"Bombs take time to set them in place. These people, what do they have in mind? How were the explosions instigated? If it was physical bombs then either they had set it prior to coming or at the time of the ball, except coming at the time of the ball and setting so many bombs would be impossible over that short course of time. It has to be either my hypothesis of the bombs being set prior, or that the explosions were from the product of a skill." I was betting on the latter, it just seemed more convenient and more in style with participants.

I contemplated either teleporting Drius and Theo away and staying back, or not. This ball was very important to Theo, it could very well marr or boost the state of the Lyma region, and he needed to be here, to form relationships, connections, alliances, and most importantly, he needed to have the king acknowledge him.

His presence in the ball was all too necessary, and I couldn't strip him of his autonomy just to have it hinder the boy. There had to be another way.

I thought and then decided to move around, beyond just the ball.

Two guards stood by the passage leading further into the palace. They had on thick and large armour, equipped with spears and helmets that covered their heads, they could very well be something other than humans in there. I needed to find a way beyond them if I were to get any searching done.

However, they seemed not as incompetent as guards tended to be, and I didn't want to stir up any trouble.

I hid and peeked at them, trying not to get any attention to myself, and then noted the distance behind them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

'I could use greater teleportation towards there, yes, that I could do so. The trick is to be far enough and not to make any noise.'

Suddenly, the voice of his majesty Alphonse Wilhestein pervaded the room and every noble remained silent as the monarch had his speech.

I weighed my options, the noise and music that would resume after would likely drown any sound I might make, than the silence that was present, so for now, I had to turn to his royal majesty and listen to whatever he had to say.

He delivered his speech with as much fervour as I remembered, exciting the nobles, I could feel the sense of solidarity they shared with their king, they were beyond gluttons, and though there were likely snakes in their midst, those who cared about the kingdom seemed to greatly dwarf those that might have any opposing views.

"Let the ball begin!" The king declared, and my eyes widened in realization.

'The dance.' I suddenly went back, in search of Theo.

If things were to follow how they were previously, I would meet the participant dancing with Theo.

With <Absolute Appraisal> active, I marched on, preparing my mind for a confrontation.

I found the young lord, but the woman in question was nowhere to be found.

"What is this about?" I muttered to myself, a little withdrawn from Theo to bait the lady, but she hadn't arrived.

"Perhaps I should wait some more." I told myself, I didn't exactly spot Theo as soon as the dance had begun previously, he had begun dancing before I spotted him, and the lady must have taken her time before approaching him.

And then, there she was, the goth lady, and she had stretched her hand asking for Theo to dance.

I swallowed and gritted my teeth in rage,

"Like I'll let that happen."