The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]

Chapter 1010: A Night to Remember

Great suggestion.

But being able to think about last night would’ve required either seeing the future or, at the very least, knowing how to read the room.

Now, normally, Oliver Mylor could manage both. Granted, his version of "seeing the future" usually involved imagining something completely unhinged and somehow willing it into existence by the grace of a slightly deranged universe. Still, it counted.

Unfortunately, there were just times when his brain refused to cooperate. Like when he was faced with an alarming number of harmless-looking flowers.

Obviously, that explanation probably made absolutely no sense.

Because to understand what had really happened, it’d be best to look into the auctioned dances that had been delayed by their unexpected match.

Still riding the high of DG’s decisive win against a rising force from the Federation, the attendees were practically buzzing with equal parts fear and exhilaration. Well, at least most of them were. Duke Leander and a certain Orcish father aside, everyone else was more than ready to move on to the night’s festivities.

So despite the shift in schedule and the delays, people were surprisingly willing to continue with the banquet. The remaining dances pushed through as planned.

As a group.

That actually caught Luca off guard. He’d been under the impression that the dances would be fulfilled one pair at a time.

"So, provided they’re dancing with the people that won the auction, then that’s okay? Then how come earlier..." Luca tilted his head as he tried making sense of the situation.

"Yeah, normally that would be the case," Ollie nodded sagely.

"However, you won the right to open the dance floor, so that was different. But ideally, once the floor’s open, the rest of the pairs would join in. And then soon enough, other people would start dancing too."

"???"

"But if they had joined in while you were dancing with Cassian, then they wouldn’t have been able to watch," Ollie continued, as if this were the most logical thing in the world.

"So that’s probably why no one dared dance at the same time as you, Brother."

"Oh." Luca blinked. "I see."

And then promptly felt embarrassed.

Because that meant that both of his dances had taken up the entire floor. Which, apparently, wasn’t how things were supposed to go had it been the usual dance.

Oops.

Maybe he should practice more later.

Recovering from the belated realization, the golden-eyed cadet remembered to ask, "...Then, Brother, are you going to dance with Kyle now?"

Ollie lit up instantly.

He raised a finger, grinning widely as he resoundingly said, "Yes!"

__

Luca, the ever-supportive brother, was, unsurprisingly, very excited.

In fact, he’d taken it upon himself to document everything.

There were shots of couples dancing gracefully under the lights, a very dignified Orcish Princess trying her absolute best not to fling her Bunbun in excitement, and three unfortunate cadets who looked like they were silently praying for the song to end as soon as possible.

All in all, it was a solid collection.

But upon reviewing the photos, one would quickly realize that the most inconspicuous presence among them all was Jax.

Which was saying something.

Because the same redhead had been one of the most sought-after candidates of the night. The biggest fish among the various research institutions, all of whom already knew that bidding for Luca had been a lost cause from the very beginning.

And yet—

While one blonde twinkled his way into everyone’s hearts, spun around by his skillful boyfriend like something straight out of a dream, one redhead could instead be found conducting a dance that was part lecture and part fan-meet.

"..."

"..."

It was, admittedly, a sight. Luca hadn’t been sure what was happening, but he still made sure to take as many photos as possible.

But really, it was all good and apparently worthwhile.

Because by the time the music came to an end, Jax’s fortunate partner had learned so much that he nearly melted onto the floor in what could only be described as reverent admiration for the devoted tree-hugger.

And if one were to ignore the wailing that followed their inevitable parting, then, up until that exact moment, one could confidently claim that it had been a magical night.

Of course, that depended entirely on who you asked.

The Federation cadets would obviously give a unanimous answer, so they should be grouped differently in the survey.

But Luca, for one, would’ve given the experience an enthusiastic thumbs up. So would D-29.

After all, the little money-grubber had managed to raise funds for charity, dance with his beloved husband, and even learn about interesting technological advancements for free.

And now?

Now he was simply relaxing.

Leaning back against Xavier’s chest, being fed small desserts, and diligently filling his photo album with memories from his very first Imperial banquet.

There was absolutely no way he wouldn’t consider this magical.

Then again, for certain fathers, the night was...questionable at best.

While Duke Leander would occasionally burst into manic laughter whenever someone praised his precious son, the moment anyone made the fatal mistake of asking about said son’s marital status, the temperature in the room would spike.

Sharply.

Meanwhile, King Garick Zulgara remained in a state of absolute disbelief.

Because right before his large and suddenly twitchy eyes was a scene he never thought he’d witness.

His one and only daughter had actually attached herself firmly and unapologetically to that elven stick.

It was harrowing.

Truly, it might have been easier to wage another war than to accept this recent development.

Then again, the King wasn’t alone in feeling like the world was quietly collapsing.

Several academy guild leaders were thinking along the same lines.

In their case, they managed to keep their smiles in place as they carried out their duties, dancing with auction winners, mingling with acquaintances, and maintaining appearances.

But every now and then, when they drifted just a little too close to a member of DG, they’d flinch.

Because it was a reminder.

A very clear one.

That come the Astral Cup, they wouldn’t be standing on the same side anymore.

And so, beneath the beautiful music that filled the hall, there were occasional sighs.

But the truth was, not all sighs, especially in that case, were created the same.

Some were born from tension.

While others from quiet longing.

But then, weirdly enough, there were those that came hand in hand—exasperation tangled neatly with pining—as the dancers began returning to their seats and conversations picked up once more.

And if there was one perfect example of that particular combination, it would be the sighs brought about by the twin tornadoes appropriately known as Luca Kyros and Ollie Mylor.

To think that all they did was visit the restroom.