Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 215

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 215.
Choose the Dawn (27)
Boris simply moved forward without answering.
Lucian couldn’t bear it when others failed to marvel at things he found amusing. So he drew his horse alongside Boris and began excitedly explaining the guests who would attend the party and the games they had planned.
He seemed to have completely forgotten the questions that had troubled him moments before.
“Even so? Still not entertaining? It’s not some tedious adult ball, I’m telling you. I hate those things too. Just sitting there looking dignified and then slowly dancing—it’s so boring. Not all children’s parties are fun, but this one is Yien’s party. Yien knows how to have real fun. Once you meet him, you’ll see—he’s such an unusual noble for his kind!”
Before such a brilliantly clear disposition, petty clouds of gloom would scatter without even a drop of rain.
The caution learned from wounds, the cunning born from experience—such things were absent, but did they truly need to be?
Though it might fade someday, in some distant future, now it shone like polished glass, brilliant and luminous. It was the light of seventeen years, incomparable to his own, already dimmed and rendered opaque.
For an innate “good nature,” undamaged in its original form, is created with odds rarer than a shell bearing a pearl, and thus possesses a remarkable radiance even in its immaturity—such was the thought that arose.

The child called Yien was said to be the heir of the Amaranth Count Family. I heard nothing beyond that explanation and asked nothing further.
Lucian had been making a fuss about preparing for the party since five days ago. Unlike ordinary parties, this one did require preparation.
Absorbed in such preparations, the only detail I learned about the host was that he lived about half a day’s carriage ride from here.
In the Southern Region, blessed with fine climate and beautiful scenery, many wealthy individuals had built summer estates and spent time there from late spring through early autumn.
Among them, the estates of influential nobles were concentrated in a place called Belle Valley. Northern noblewomen would bring their children down and spend the summer enjoying their own social circles.
Commoners rarely ventured near that area unless they had pressing business. The temporarily visiting nobles often found themselves in disputes with locals due to significant differences in customs, resulting in unexpected embarrassments.
The Kaltz Family estate where Boris was staying was also located in Belle Valley. It was extremely rare for a family without a title to have built an estate there.
There were nobles who complained, but most acknowledged that the Kaltz Family deserved to be an exception. Given their vast wealth, the forces they commanded, and the ready funds they often lent out.
As a result, Lucian naturally received invitations to parties held among the noble children.
Above all, without the Kaltz Family’s cooperation, one couldn’t easily obtain any goods—from provisions to luxuries—even to spend a single season in this region. This applied equally to nobles who had come from the Capital.
The boys and girls’ party being held this time had an unwritten rule that only children born between the years 971 and 976 of the kingdom calendar were invited.
It was a form of exclusivity created because the core members found it bothersome to associate with new members with large age gaps. However, their younger siblings naturally slipped in without anyone objecting. In any case, first-time attendees had to be accompanied by one of the existing members.
They had named this party “Bluebell” after the bell-shaped purple flowers common to the southern meadows. However, the interpretation that it combined the blue representing nobility and the name Belle Valley seemed somewhat more credible.
The Bluebell Party was held at most three times a year. With so many rules, the regular attendees were almost always the same. Lucian said he had started attending last year.
Since the journey to the Amaranth Estate took more than three hours, Lucian, Boris, and two servants departed early right after dinner.
Inside the carriage, Lucian wore a dissatisfied expression the entire time.
“You—is it really true that I’m the only person you know in this area? If someone recognizes you, it would be a real disaster. I absolutely have to win this time. Right? You really don’t know anyone?”
Boris, as if lost in thought, kept his head bowed with his arms crossed before responding.
“No one.”
Lucian clasped his hands together in prayer and looked up at the carriage ceiling.
“Please, there really shouldn’t be anyone….”
I had already learned which noble families would attend today. Among them were none like House Pontina, House Gangpir, or House Belnoir.
It was possible that someone might recognize Boris Misterie, the Silverskull champion. But he had left hastily without attending the party at that time, and since this party involved wearing masks, such recognition was unlikely.
The theme of this Bluebell Party opened by the child Yien was precisely a masquerade.
Wearing various costumes and attending the party was similar to an adult’s masked ball, but rather than merely socializing, the core of the game was guessing who the other person was.
If one could guess the identity of a masked person, three questions were permitted to that person. If guessed correctly within three questions, the unmasked child had to remove their mask. But if wrong, the right to question that same person again was forfeited.
The child whose identity remained undiscovered until the end would gain the right to host the next Bluebell Party and invite the children.
Lucian apparently had long desired to become the host of this party. However, Lucian spoke in such an unusual manner that anyone would recognize him the moment he opened his mouth.
That was why Lucian had placed such great hopes on Boris, who would know no one in this place.
Unfortunately, Boris had reasoned that since he knew no one, there was nothing to hide, and had finished his disguise with merely a simple mask.
That was precisely Lucian’s complaint. Throughout the carriage ride, he had muttered repeatedly: No one must know, no one will know, no one could possibly know….
The Amaranth Count Family’s summer estate was a converted ancient castle on the hillside leading up to Panola Mountain, and it exuded a nostalgic charm compared to Kaltz Estate. It was even a castle with a moat.
After crossing the drawbridge and entrusting the carriage to the servants, we entered the inner courtyard to find young attendants of similar age lined up waiting. One of them quickly stepped forward to guide Lucian’s party. Not a single adult was in sight.
Upon ascending to this floor, we arrived at an antechamber lined with slender tables and elegant chairs. There, the invited boys and girls sat waiting.
The variety of costumes was quite a spectacle. Most of the children were dressed in ancient garb, imitating legendary figures from tales. But there were also amusing children dressed as commoners, mercenaries, animals, and monsters.
Of course, there was also Lucian, who had become a bear cub in this sweltering summer and was struggling miserably.
Children whose faces didn’t need to be hidden wore elaborate masks made of colorful fabric to prevent easy recognition. Because of Lucian’s stubbornness, Boris, who sat apart as if not part of the group, thought he might appear to be disguised as a wandering mercenary of the Continent.
Despite being a party of children, the castle’s second-largest banquet hall had been prepared. When the time came, young attendants arrived and asked everyone to move to the banquet hall.
For some reason, the banquet hall was lit by only three or four lamps, making it quite dim. Once all the children had entered, the faintly glowing lamps suddenly went out.
“Huh?”
Some children had inadvertently cried out, but most kept their mouths firmly shut. Then a clear, bright voice rang out from the front of the banquet hall.
“Thank you all for coming! I’m Yien, who prepared the Bluebell Party for tonight. Since I sent the rules in the invitation, you know what they are, right? Food, music, and entertainment are all prepared, so enjoy yourselves, and when you think you might know who your partner is, you get to ask exactly three questions to figure out who they are. Only questions that the other person can answer with ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Anyone who cheats won’t be invited next time, okay?”
Yien giggled and continued.
“Once you guess someone’s name and their identity is revealed, they must remove their mask, but they can still continue going around revealing other people’s identities. Until the last person remains! The family of the last person to remove their mask will be granted the right to host the next Bluebell Party. Well then, I’ll mix in with you too, so wait a moment. The attendants will count one, two, three, and then turn on the lights!”
The sound of footsteps could be heard approaching, and there was a moment of silence. Boris felt that the voice of the child named Yien was unusually thin and high for a boy.
The attendants counted one, two, three, and the lights in the banquet hall came on all at once. The costumed children burst into laughter. Soon they gathered in small groups and scattered here and there.
Even for a children’s party, the sophistication matched that of adults. Along both sides of the polished floor, round tables were lined with vibrant puddings, chocolates, cakes, and candies favored by children, as well as crystal glasses filled with golden champagne.
The teal and white linen chair covers and ribbons were said to be the colors of the Amaranth Family. The terraces with white shutters were brightly illuminated by orange-tinted lamps.
Around the banquet hall were small rooms for those who wished to have a private conversation.
The front stage was empty, but musicians dressed in costumes as amusing as the children’s played lively music from both sides of the stage. Young attendants of similar age also moved busily about, clearing tables and serving drinks.
Boris led the “bear cub” to a table and helped him sit down, then took a seat across from him—only to burst out laughing. The “bear cub,” who had collapsed with his head on the table, whimpered these words:
“Uuuhhh…. How do bears survive summer? I’ve come to pity those creatures. Poor bears—they can’t even take off their fur like I can after the party ends. They don’t get winter sleep; they need summer sleep.”
“You look even more pitiful than a bear. Maybe you should take a summer nap yourself.”
Just then, a girl wearing a white mask with a cute single horn on her head approached the table and sat down, smiling brightly at the bear cub.
“Cute little bear cub, you must be so hot. I wish I could quickly figure out who you are and strip off that fur for you.”
The bear cub frantically waved his front paws (?).
“No, no. I’m fine. I can bear it, you know?”
“You’re hot, aren’t you? Want some lemonade?”
“No, I said no! Don’t try to figure out who I am!”
The girl tilted her head curiously. She seemed to be starting to guess.
The flustered bear cub squirmed even more in his chair and ended up spilling juice. The girl in the unicorn costume jumped up in surprise and cried out without thinking:
“Oh my, Muriel!”
At that moment, the bear cub forgot to ask questions and shouted:
“You! Are you Suiji da Perifano? Muriel is the name of the maidservant you always take with you!”
Thus, the unicorn-horned young lady who had tried to hunt the bear cub became the first prey, caught by the paw the bear cub had carelessly extended.
The child named Suiji removed her mask with an expression as if she were about to cry, but then came the problem. She had no intention of letting go—she was determined to reveal the identity of the bear cub who had tricked her.
The bear cub, having made an unexpected catch, was soon waving both front paws in desperation. Unable to watch any longer, Boris spoke up.
“Hey, bear cub. Let’s go mingle with the others.”
Suiji stared at Boris, her expression growing confused. She had been almost certain, but Boris’s presence seemed to be throwing her off. After a moment, Suiji finally posed her first question.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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