As the main guest of honor at the banquet, Winslet, his daughter, and He Kui, who had barely entered the venue, were quickly surrounded by several Orb soldiers and reception staff.
"Mr. Winslet, Miss Winslet, we welcome you both. The distinguished guests have been awaiting your arrival inside," said one of the reception staff with a courteous smile.
"Thank you," Winslet responded warmly, showing none of the airs of a corporate president.
"And this must be Miss Aegis, yes? On behalf of the Asuha family, we welcome you."
This comment took both Winslet and his daughter by surprise. It wasn't every day someone arrived and received such a welcome from the Asuha family, the ruling authority of Orb.
"Thank you," He Kui replied calmly.
According to the data his bird drones had gathered, there were not many radar surveillance systems around, meaning his presence here was safe.
As for why the Asuha family knew of his existence, it wasn't too hard to deduce. During his mission near Orb's coastal waters—when he had helped seize the Duel and provided support to the Archangel—he had likely caught their attention. Given his activity in Alaska, word could easily have traveled from the Eurasian Federation to Orb. Orb's surveillance systems were comprehensive enough, and he hadn't deliberately kept Aegis a secret.
The reasoning was clear, and He Kui had anticipated the likelihood of being discovered. In fact, this was part of his test; he had contingencies in place for either scenario.
"Might we meet the Asuha representative?" He Kui inquired.
"Apologies, but the representative is unable to attend due to official duties."
"I see."
So, no personal meeting with the head of Orb's leadership. He Kui wondered if Cagalli would be here, but considering how rarely she appeared in public, he held little hope. He Kui nodded slightly and followed Winslet and his daughter into the banquet hall.
"Sister! You know the Asuha representative!?" Lasse tugged at He Kui's hand, wide-eyed with surprise.
"Not really."
"Then why did they send such a welcome for you?"
Lasse's face was a mixture of curiosity and admiration. She hadn't expected that the mysterious Aegis she'd taken in would be recognized by Orb's highest leaders.
"No idea, just a coincidence," He Kui replied quietly.
Winslet also observed He Kui with a probing look. He was beginning to wonder if entrusting the improvement of the Baku to this mysterious individual might have been a bit rash. But it was a little late to reconsider. Besides, with how widely available the Baku designs had become, it wasn't as though it was classified information—companies like Actaeon must have already dissected and studied both the Baku and Ginn.
Still, if the Asuha family knew her and had not raised any warnings, perhaps there was no harm in continuing with his plans.
With each person deep in their thoughts, the three made their way into the grand banquet hall. Opulent and lavishly adorned, the hall was illuminated by numerous crystal chandeliers hanging from the intricately decorated ceiling, casting a warm glow over the entire gathering. The air was filled with a light, subtle fragrance.
"On behalf of Orb, I extend a warm welcome and heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Winslet for his arrival. As a neutral nation amidst complex international affairs, Orb believes that only through cooperation and dialogue can we achieve mutual prosperity and development. Looking back…"
Listening to the elderly speaker's lengthy praises for Winslet and Orb, He Kui found it hard to stay awake, and he wasn't alone—Lasse also appeared somewhat drowsy. Finding no sign of Cagalli, He Kui had Aegis switch to standby mode while he continued work on his bird drones.
Meanwhile, many eyes within the banquet hall had already turned toward Winslet. But it wasn't just Winslet who caught their attention; more than a few gazes settled on He Kui as well. Among the Orb clans, it was common knowledge that a member of the elusive "Pallas" organization was supposedly accompanying Winslet, an enigmatic figure now dressed in a sleek suit.
"It's said that the turmoil at our outlying island shop was caused by that Aegis," muttered the bald-headed Unato, leader of the Seiran family, adjusting his orange-tinted display goggles as he scrutinized Aegis through a magnified lens.
"Pallas is too arrogant!" Unato's son, Yuna, who was set to be Cagalli's future fiancé, added with a hint of curiosity mixed with disdain.
"Hmph! It wasn't Pallas's fault; your rowdy friend mishandled the situation!" Unato scoffed. "Rejecting Coordinators is one thing, but why go out of his way to antagonize one who's clearly not someone to trifle with?"
"But, Father, it was his first time managing a store…" Yuna replied sheepishly, his tone tinged with childlike pleading. Although, given his taller height, it made for an awkward sight.
"Regardless, the Asuha representative is aware of this incident, so get that friend of yours out of there, now!" Unato commanded.
"Just give him one more chance~" Yuna pleaded.
Unato, though exasperated, seemed unable to bring himself to speak too harshly to his son.
"Alright, one more chance is fine, but I want you to go up there and charm that girl. See if you can get some intel on Pallas, maybe even get her to fall for you!"
Unato's annoyance was evident as he finally spelled out his real intention.
"Oh, you should have said so from the start!" Yuna replied, glancing once again in Aegis's direction. With her petite frame and slender figure, though her face was hidden beneath a mask, he felt he could already envision the beauty that lay beneath.
Watching his son's admiration, Unato sighed and let him be.
Their family wasn't one of Orb's five great clans, but they were not far from that rank. With only a small gap preventing them from reaching the upper echelons, they needed to seize every opportunity. Gaining intelligence on the mysterious Pallas organization could be their ticket.
Elsewhere, another pair of eyes carefully observed He Kui.
"We should make an approach, cautiously," Mina Sahaku instructed her brother.
"Got it," he replied quietly.
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!