Shimak wasn't inexperienced like Baron Bissel and the others. Nobles from the countryside might not care about etiquette, but nobles from big cities were different.
Every word, every action, and even every expression was carefully planned.
From the moment Locke stood up, strode over, and extended his right hand, Shimak didn't see any trace of nobility on him.
It was only when Locke extended his hand that Shimak suddenly asked such a rude question.
The atmosphere turned cold at Shimak's words.
Locke narrowed his eyes and stared at the ordinary-looking viscount in front of him.
"Why? Do you want to check it?" Locke suddenly laughed.
"I'm just expressing my suspicions." Shimak didn't sound aggressive at all. Instead, he spoke calmly, but his calmness made the nobles around him feel a chill down their spines.
"This is my academy badge." A ring-shaped badge suddenly appeared in Locke's hand. Not only did Shimak notice it, but all the nobles around him also saw it.
Spatial gear!
A spatial gear that was worth three thousand gold moores on the market had actually appeared in the hands of a knight from the academy. At this moment, no one doubted Locke's identity.
Three thousand gold moores was only the lowest price. In the black market, spatial gear with the smallest area could be sold for five thousand gold moores, and there was no supply for it.
Small nobles like them might be worth thousands of gold coins, but they definitely wouldn't spend all their money on spatial gear that wasn't of much use to them.
Spatial gear was like a watershed that separated the greater nobles from the lesser ones. Even though Aomar was more prosperous and powerful than Faustian, there was one thing that hadn't changed: spatial gear was exclusive to the greater nobles.
Furthermore, only nobles were allowed to enroll in the Imperial Academy. As soon as the badge was revealed, there was no need to check if Locke's identity was real or not. No one would lie about this, because if he was found out, he would become one of the mission targets in the Imperial Academy's mission hall.
Shimak's expression didn't change much in the face of Locke's sudden move. He smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, young man!" He took a glass of rum from the maid and drank it in one gulp.
Shimak was punishing himself by drinking a glass of rum. He didn't know Locke's background, so he didn't want to offend him over a small misunderstanding.
Locke didn't want to continue the topic. He was just a noble in Aomar, so his status was similar to Irene's. He also took a glass of rum from the maid and drank it in one gulp.
Although he didn't drink much rum, which had a higher alcohol content than wine and ale, it wasn't a problem for him. With his current strength, it would be difficult for him to get drunk.
The pressure of the banquet instantly lightened. After watching a good show, the nobles began to socialize. Today, in the small banquet hall, about two-thirds of the nearby nobles were gathered. Many of them had not seen each other for a long time, so it was a good time to make friends.
Unlike the fight between Locke and Shimak, Irene was also annoyed by Veyron.
Veyron circled around her like a bee that had smelled the fragrance of flowers, chattering non-stop for a long time. He didn't give up just because of her impatient expression.
Veyron had originally come to join in the fun and take a look at his future wife, but he didn't expect his family to arrange such a beautiful wife for him. Coupled with the Royal Academy's Knight Halo, Veyron had seen countless women. It was his first time seeing Irene today and he fell head over heels for her.
After drinking a glass of rum with Shimak, Locke couldn't be biased, so he toasted Irene's parents who were standing next to him. Irene hadn't told her parents about his' identity 'yet, but everyone could guess it.
After declining the nobles' toasts, Locke walked towards Irene.
She finally looked relieved when she saw him, which stunned Veyron, who had been staring at her all this while.
Before Veyron could continue admiring the beauty in front of him, Irene stood up and grabbed Locke's arm. They left under Veyron's shocked and angry gaze.
Locke's body stiffened and trembled a few times. He wanted to pull his arm out, but Irene wouldn't let go. After a few failed attempts, he had no choice but to let her do as she pleased.
There were many nobles present who witnessed this scene, but none of them were surprised. A Royal Academy Knight who could casually take out a spatial equipment must be the son of a prominent noble family. Irene's family was only a baron, so she was definitely of a higher social status.
Irene's parents also saw this scene. They were the calmest out of everyone. Because of their love for their eldest daughter, Irene's parents had always been very generous with her personal life. As long as the boyfriend she brought home didn't cross the line, they would accept it.
Not to mention, Locke's performance so far wasn't just outstanding. They were extremely satisfied with this prospective son-in-law who resembled Irene's boyfriend.
Baron Bissel smiled bitterly. He'd initially wanted to use Shimak's family as his connections, but he didn't expect his niece to make such a fool out of him. Bissel wasn't a stubborn person, so there was no way he'd give up on something better. He drank his rum the whole time and completely forgot about his promise to Shimak.
The banquet ended with the nobles chatting and complimenting each other. Locke took off his soft armor and changed into his pajamas in one of the bedrooms in the castle.
He'd taken this soft armor from Felippe's treasury and had been wearing it for a year. He'd gone through countless battles, but it was still in good condition, which showed its practicality.
Looking at his soft armor, Locke suddenly wondered if he'd been neglecting Glace lately. Whether it was after a mission or returning home from school, he'd only spent time with her in bed.
"I'll spend more time with her later," Locke sighed. He sighed. Glace was the oldest of his women, two years older than Suzanne. He always felt inferior when facing this shrewd and wise woman. He could only win in bed.
"Hey, Locke! Are you asleep? "A female voice came from outside the door.
Locke opened the door and stood in front of it. "It's time to sleep. I still have a mission tomorrow!"
"Aren't you going to invite me in for a while?" Irene, who was dressed in a white dress, pouted unhappily. It was obvious that he didn't want to let her in.
"I'm going to sleep too. Don't forget about tomorrow's mission, which is to investigate the mines in Felix territory!" Locke said and closed the door.
"Hmph!" Irene stomped her feet angrily after being given the cold shoulder. She rarely wore dresses, so she didn't expect Locke to ignore her.