Solo Dance

Venus finally retracted her gaze from the dance floor and let it fall on Noah.

"Continue."

Leah added, "When those students mentioned the name, their tone was very familiar. Based on their conversation, this Li Yuan seems to be a teahouse owner who once helped train refreshment specialists for the Second-Year Magic Department Special Class during the anniversary celebration."

"A teahouse owner?" Venus arched an eyebrow.

"Yes," Leah nodded. "This is somewhat similar to Mokotoba's initial description of the man. According to his previous oral account, Li Yuan's way of speaking and behavior were more like a traveler than a true Inquisitor. Vina and Baron have seen the man in person, and based on the physical description, it's a plausible match."

Baron spoke up from the side in a deep voice, "It's just that we can't confirm if it's the same person yet."

Noah continued, "And that's the part we find strange. If he's truly just a teahouse owner in the royal capital, why would he travel thousands of miles to the City of Divine Grace to impersonate a Royal Inquisitor? And how could he produce an identity badge that even Vina and Baron couldn't see through?"

Leah frowned slightly. "It's also possible they just share the same name. The name Li Yuan isn't common, but we can't entirely rule out a coincidence."

Venus listened quietly until they finished, her finger tapping lightly against the rim of her wine glass.

"Whether he is a teahouse owner or not, and regardless of why he impersonated an Inquisitor," she spoke slowly, "it will not affect our mission in the slightest."

The three of them looked at her simultaneously, waiting for her decision.

Venus placed her wine glass on a small round table nearby.

"Find him, and then bring him back to the Empire in one piece."

She didn't say it with much force, but the three of them could hear the weight behind her words.

"This mission is private. For the time being, the Kingdom must not know our true purpose. Especially Hogg—he's not a man easily fooled. You may continue to investigate, but do not make it too obvious, and certainly do not cause any major disturbances."

"Understood," Baron replied in a low voice.

Venus looked at Leah. "You hadn't finished speaking just now. Was there anything else besides those rumors at the academy?"

Leah hesitated for a moment.

"There was."

"Speak. Try to keep it brief."

"The morning before last, while I was attending a magic exchange class at the academy, the compass reacted several times."

Venus's eyes showed a hint of interest.

"Was the reaction strong?"

"Not strong," Leah shook her head. "It only deflected a little. It wasn't the target himself, but rather someone who has had long-term contact with the target, or someone carrying something related to the target."

Noah added, "There were a lot of people around at the time, so we couldn't confirm who it was on the spot. Later, by cross-referencing positions and routes, we found the person most likely to have caused the compass's reaction—the youngest daughter of House Sebas."

Venus thought for a moment, and a specific name surfaced in her mind.

"Setis Anna?"

"Yes," Leah nodded. "Currently a student in the Second-Year Special Class of the Royal Magic and Martial Arts Academy."

Venus leaned back against her chair, resting her chin lightly on one hand.

The daughter of Duke Sebas, a student valued by Hogg, and one of the heroes of the Kingdom's recent incident... if she was connected to that teahouse owner, things were becoming quite interesting.

Venus pondered for a moment before looking at Baron.

"Arrange for some people to keep an eye on her... actually, you and Vina go yourselves."

Baron's expression shifted slightly. "Directly tail Setis Anna?"

"Of course, but don't get too close," Venus reminded him. "Her status is somewhat special. All you need to do is confirm where she usually goes and who she contacts."

Baron lowered his head to accept the order.

"Report any discoveries immediately. Do not act on your own, and do not make contact with her without permission."

"Yes."

Baron gave a bow and turned to leave.

Noah and Leah remained by Venus's side, as they had only come to the gala tonight because Venus had dragged them along.

Compared to such meaningless social activities, the siblings preferred to stay in their rooms alone to practice their innate talents.

One piece of music ended, and several pairs of young nobles stepped aside amidst applause. A new melody soon began, significantly more upbeat than the previous one.

Venus's gaze returned to the center of the dance floor. After watching for a while, she suddenly let out a light chuckle.

"Come to think of it, the last time I danced was over a hundred years ago."

This sudden, random remark startled both Noah and Leah. Venus seemed to recall something, her tone carrying a hint of nostalgia.

"I wonder if my partner from back then is even still alive."

The Allen siblings' expressions turned subtle as they looked at her in confusion.

Venus ignored their reaction, smoothed her skirt, and rose from her seat.

The people nearby, who had been conversing softly, fell silent the moment they saw her move. Nearly every gaze in the room converged upon her.

Venus walked toward the dance floor alone.

To the shock of the Allen siblings, she arrived at the center of the floor. The gala fell into a hushed silence because of her unusual move; even the music faltered for a brief moment.

The people originally on the dance floor cleared out one after another, leaving the vast space to her alone. Everyone instinctively focused their eyes on Venus.

Legends of the Heroic Spirit rank were common enough, but a dance by someone of the Heroic Spirit rank was a rare sight. No one present wanted to miss this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Standing in the center of the dance floor, Venus slightly lifted her skirt and took her first step.

This was Venus's solo dance, an ancient yet elegant style.

Every turn and every lift of her hand perfectly matched the rhythm of the music. The hem of her gown flared and closed with her steps, subtly shifting into a new position with each subsequent turn.

The nobles at the edge of the dance floor held their breath, immersed in this beautiful solo performance.

The Allen siblings stood where they were, their shock mixed with a great deal of confusion.

Leah whispered, "She... she can dance?"

Noah glanced at her, his voice equally filled with disbelief.

"I didn't know either... back in the Empire, no one ever saw her dance."

His words were somewhat helpless, but it wasn't their fault. After all, Venus usually gave off an aura of being lazy and indifferent to everything.

With the added weight of her status as a Heroic Spirit rank powerhouse, many had forgotten that she was once a princess who had received a fine aristocratic education.

Thus, it wasn't strange at all for her to perform such a beautiful solo dance.

The melody gradually softened, and Venus adjusted her pace to match the rhythm.

At that moment, a faint red glow began to emerge around her.

It wasn't obvious at first, looking like nothing more than the light reflecting off her dress. But as she turned again, the red light began to flow, circling her body like a thin veil of gossamer.

Low gasps of surprise came from the edge of the dance floor. Venus's expression remained unchanged, her movements as composed as ever as the red glow shifted continuously with her dance.

When she raised her hand, the light stretched upward along her arm; when she turned, the red glow spread outward around her skirt. By the latter half of the dance, the light had grown much deeper than at the start, almost obscuring her movements.

The hall was pin-drop silent. Both the Empire and the Kingdom's representatives were equally stunned by the scene.

The old King sat in the seat of honor, his eyes fixed on the center of the dance floor as his expression shifted.

This was clearly no longer an ordinary dance. Something was about to be released...

As the music entered its final movement, Venus's steps suddenly became light and quick. The red glow followed suit, accelerating its flow and gathering around her in circles, only to scatter outward as she spun.

The final note fell.

Venus came to a halt in the center of the dance floor.

Her skirt slowly settled back against her side, but the red light did not vanish.

The light rapidly condensed behind her. First, a massive dragon's head appeared, followed by a neck, wings, and a long, slender body.

A few seconds later, a red dragon several meters long appeared before everyone's eyes.

It stood on the dance floor, its wings slightly tucked, its scales shimmering with a dark red light. Its claws made a faint clicking sound against the floor.

The sudden appearance of the red dragon drew gasps of shock from the crowd, but they didn't fall into a panic. These were nobles who had seen the world, after all, and they weren't about to make fools of themselves at the first sign of trouble.

Venus turned and walked to the red dragon's side, reaching up to pat its neck.

The red dragon immediately lowered its head, its behavior incredibly docile—a stark contrast to its majestic appearance just moments ago.

With a light leap, Venus sat sideways on the dragon's back.

In the next instant, the red dragon's wings snapped open.

A gust of powerful wind swept out from the center of the dance floor, causing the nearby nobles to instinctively recoil. With a beat of its wings, the dragon stayed low, soaring just above the heads of the crowd.

The distance was exaggeratedly low. Some nobles instinctively ducked their heads. Leah also subconsciously took a half-step back, while Noah stood in front of her to block some of the oncoming air currents.

Venus sat reclined on the dragon's back, one hand resting on its neck, her expression once again returning to that lazy state.

The red dragon swept across the dance floor and through the high windows that had been pushed open by the airflow, roaring as it flew out of the palace banquet hall and plunged into the night sky.

A few seconds later, it vanished from everyone's sight.