(Julius Argenti POV)
We left the function and arrived at a small dark corner where James and Violet chatted. We interrupted them before I set up a barrier to block out the sound.
It was called {Sound Barrier}, I used mana to distort all vibrations after they passed through the barrier. Anyone in proximity would know we were speaking, but all they would hear was incoherent noises. It was a technique Umbra taught me during the holidays.
"..."
There was an awkward silence that permeated the scene as we didn't know what to say. We hadn't planned properly
"Wasn't it important? Spit it out." Amina said exasperated.
"Do you believe in reincarnation?" I spoke the first words.
"Hmmm? I don't know. It might be true, or it might not be. I haven't died yet so I don't know. What's that got to with anything?"
"Then what would say if I said we three have been reincarnated from another world?"
"Then I would call you a liar... Wait you guys are being serious? This has to be a prank."
Seeing the serious looks on our faces, she became dumbfounded.
"No way...! You guys reincarnated. No! It must be impossible. This is a lie."
Amina was in denial. I honestly expected this reaction. We waited a minute for her to recollect her thoughts.
"What makes you think you have been reincarnated?"
Finally, Amina spoke up again, now calm.
"We have memories of our previous lives. It is a life where we lived in a world without mana. There was only one race - humans and there wasn't any major conflict."
"Well, there was the recent war, but besides that, it was relatively peaceful. In that world, Violet, James and I were childhood friends, though we went by different names back then. We were 16 when we were killed in a terrorist attack. Then we were somehow reincarnated."
I managed to finish the entire explanation without stuttering once. I let Amina digest the words spoken.
"We'll that's quite a story. How did guys even recognise each other?"
"I don't really know. We have faces that are similar to our previous life. Also when I first met them, I instinctively knew that it was them. It's kind of hard to describe."
"Let's say this is all true. Then what? Why reveal it now?"
"I... no, we wanted to tell you. We are friends, and we can trust you. I didn't want to hide from you anymore."
To say I wasn't nervous was a lie. This was a massive bombshell that we dropped onto her. Her reaction could vary wildly.
"Well... thanks for trusting me. I know it must've been hard revealing everything to me. Anyways, as much I as I would like to stay here and avoid the party, my grandfather will give me an earful if he sees us missing."
Amina motioned for us to leave.
"W-wait, that's it. That's all you have to say?"
I was gobsmacked. Violet and James were the same. We expected a variety of reactions. This was not one of them.
"Even if you guys are reincarnated, you are still you. Just because you told me about it isn't going to change our relationship. You guys are the same James, Violet and Julius I know. It doesn't matter if you are reincarnated or not."
Such an unexpected reaction, yet a reaction so like her. I unintentionally started chuckling. It felt like a weight was off my chest. I don't know why I was so worried.
We re-entered the function as if nothing happened. There were still the obligatory stares but besides that everything was normal.
After sitting through an hour of listening to the insufferable nobles, it was finally time for dinner. Everyone returned to their seats and we were served an exquisite 7-course meal.
Cooking for us were the most famous chefs on the entire continent. They were masters of various cuisine and together could create meals that many would kill for.
Though usually were too arrogant to work together, when cooking for the most powerful people on the continent, they had to put aside their pride.
Eventually, the food was served by hundreds of waiters and waitresses from various houses. There were also Healers and Doctors on hand just in case the food was poisoned.
However, no one dared to as the punishment was far worse than death. The last attempt at poisoning was over a decade ago.
After the attempted murder was foiled, the culprits, their families and friends were tortured in Tartarus until they died from their spirits being broken.
It was horrific and showed the world that nobles were not messed with. Even if the culprit was a noble, which the culprit of the previous attempt was, they couldn't escape the sentence.
The food I was given was the most delicious food I had ever eaten in both of my lives. Even with the portion sizes being larger, I still felt hungry. I think I was actually full at that moment, but because it was so delicious I still craved more.
After dessert, there were still a couple of hours before the party would end, so I burned some calories sparring on the court.
There were many young masters who wanted to 'teach' me a lesson and 'punish' me as a commoner. However, to me, they were all insignificant ants that I easily defeated.
Not many nobles older than me challenged me as they were more mature. They also didn't want to be seen as bullying a younger mage.
I also realised something today. The stronger a noble is, the less haughty they usually are. They don't need to rely on their background to protect their pitiful pride. They were already strong enough to do so.
The party ended with all the children who turned 5 that year performing the Vita for the first time, celebrating having a fully formed will.
I left the party exhausted and stuffed to the brim. Amina didn't have as much fun with the number of confessions she received, though dragging her grandfather around did act as a suitable shield.
It wasn't as bad as Amina made it out to be, though I understood her hatred for it. The yearly noble gathering came to a climax with nothing eventful occurring.
Though things wouldn't stay peaceful for long...