I stand near the door, greeting and introducing myself to most of the knight house’s heads as they pass me by.

I can tell so very easily that their smiles are fake.

It’s painfully obvious that most of them they don’t see me as someone worth talking too, despite me being essentially their boss.

For the ones that don’t make it apparent how they see me, seem to still look down on me for being so young. Even the ones that are of houses that aren’t needed to be purged. There’s few exceptions. I do my best to remember the expectations.

They seem to think I won’t punish them for such thoughts.

After all, even if knight houses don’t have any peerage, the title gets passed down exceedingly often. Rather, it’s rare that it doesn’t.

It’s one of the many things that are expected of a noble to do for their knights and dames.

A noble will repay their knight’s or dame’s loyalty by passing their title to their children.

These knights and dames seem to forget that it’s a repayment of loyalty, rather than something I need to do.

I’m almost done with this greeting and introducing myself.

Just a few houses left, before I have to go and deal with children. I’m not sure what will be worse.

I haven’t really spared any glances towards the knight’s and dame’s harems or their children that they brought along with themselves.

This is a society in which genders are completely equal. Knights and Dames both have harems of their own.

The country’s one that’s very accepting of LGBTQ, though with the T from trans turning in a T for trap, as Trans isn’t an existing thing in this world.

Though, only if the condition of providing a heir is fulfilled.

Yet another thing I’m not used to.

Not the LGBTQ, I’m fairly used to that. In my past life, my sister, along with quite a few of my friends, were part of the LGBTQ community.

The part about the harems.

To be frank, I’m a little disgusted by them. Though, I suppose it isn’t to bad as long as I don’t become part of one in any way.

At the very least, it’s not as bad as the gender… situation on Earth.

I mentally throw my thoughts to the back of my head before they start affecting my facial expressions to much.

I greet and introduce myself to the final head of the knight houses.

Wonderful. Hopefully, noble children will be easier to deal with than adult nobles.

In any case, to me, they’re more important than the adults. I’ll be dealing with them for far longer. They’re likely also far easier for me to sway to my side, and control.

I make my way to a couple of rooms that were prepared for noble children.

While I’m supposed to fulfill the duties of both the host and the young heir, I see it as more important to focus on the duties of the young heir.

It’s not like the adult nobles are really expecting me to fulfill role of host, apart from the very basics, such as greeting them, and explaining the reason for the banquet. The true reason of keeping them in check, is, of course, not the official reason. Nor is it the only underlying reason.

The official reason is to discuss attacking a baron household to prove that we’re still strong even though the head of the house was lost in the war.

It’s actually something I kinda hope is successful, even though it’s just a fake reason.

The baron house of Ulden.

The house that Cent was from.

They seem to be quite furious with me killing Cent, and demand compensation that’s frankly ridiculous. The entire house is quite dumb. I never received news of it, as it was something deemed unworthy of my attention, which it quite frankly isn’t.

First of all, I’m of a viscount household, second, he died in a duel, and third, he was the challenger.

However, as it’s something that can be used as fake objective, it shall be used.

Conquering other noble houses isn’t really something looked down upon on it’s own. Though things like conquering too much, and conquering houses run by children are.

I’d be surprised if there were consequences for me conquering the Ulden house, as long as I do it somewhat humanely.

And by that, I mean, as long as I treat members of house Ulden humanely.

For the most part, nobles don’t much for the lives of commoners, and true nobles don’t care particularly much about members of knight houses, as long as most of them stay alive.

The secondary underlying reason for the banquet is to grow the conflict within the knight houses. It’s especially important now. If they’re too busy fighting each other, they won’t have the time or unity to cause any significant trouble for me.

They would be less likely to do so when I’m around, now that I think about it. Another reason for me to be in the children’s area.

I step through the door to the main room of the noble children’s area.

The area allocated to them is fairly large. A main room that connects them all, that’s currently serving as the dining room, a few small rooms where smaller groups can talk, and a bathroom.

Each of those small rooms is roughly the size of a somewhat large single-person bedroom, but with a table in the middle rather than a desk.

The main room is roughly the size of a classroom.

There’s plenty of chattering in the room.

I do my best to look as regal as I can, as I look through the room.

My eye catches on a boy who looks to be about six, standing in the corner, eating a pastry.

It’s not something a normal noble child would be doing.

He’s not wearing something a normal noble child of this kingdom would be wearing.

It’s not a somewhat fancy cloak, but rather, something that looks far too similar to a tuxedo. Something unmistakably modern.

I know why my instincts told me something good would happen at this banquet now.

This.

I have the skill ‘Isekai Reincarnation’, so it’s not impossible for someone else to have it as well…

As I think to myself, the boy goes and heads into one of the rooms for no apparent reason.

A large blonde boy, who looks to almost be around 8, walks up to me.

He towers above me. There’s a sly grin on his face.

“Salutations…who may you be?” he asks, in a slow, and cocky way, chuckling a little as a few other noble boys and girls come up from behind him.

I slowly raise my hat out of the way of my view as I stare up at the boy with a deadpan expression.

…Really, already? At the very least whomever your parents are had the courtesy to try to make pleasantries.

You seem to be quite the bully.

“...Salutations, I’m Takabi Akashi. Who may you be, little boy?” I ask, in a slow and cocky voice of my own.

There’s certainly something insulting about someone who looks to be less than a third of your age calling you little boy.

The boy glares at me, seething. He’s red in the face. It’s an embarrassment to Knights how quickly he angers.

…Even if they aren’t easier to deal with, I’m exhausted by the noble adults, so causing a little trouble might be fun…

Wait, no, that’s not a good idea. It’s also kinda mean. I need to see what’s going on with that boy who looks modern.

He pulls off a glove and tosses it at me.

…Are you serious? It’s not treasonous behavior, even a commoner can throw a glove at a king, but it is something looked down upon, to through a glove at your direct superior.

There’s silence in the makeshift dining room, though chattering sounds still continue from behind closed doors in the smaller rooms.

I sigh, and pick up the glove.

The crowd moves to the sides.

“You’re quite the idiot, aren’t you? The entire reason this banquet is taking place is because some idiot baron kid did the exact same thing as you just did, and, what do recall happened to him?” I sigh

It’s partly a lie, in a way, but I have to follow the official reason.

The boy sneers, and pulls out a rapier from his side.

His weapon choice isn’t dumb, at the very least.

Rapiers are the best side arm you can carry. Long as a longsword, and much lighter and faster.

“I won’t need a weapon to fight the likes of you,” I taunt.

I can make use of this chance to intimidate, and maybe help control these noble children. Plus, I’m confident that the boy isn’t strong enough to go against me. A child isn’t faster than my flinch. Most nobles don’t start really training in combat until they turn seven or eight.

It’s also best to be as terrifying as possible.

“You won’t scare me, Viscount,” The boy states

That’s alright. You will in due time, or you won’t live.

Now, which is better? To give him multiple scares over a period of time? To swiftly bring my magic’s blade to his neck? To kill him quickly? Or maybe to torture him to death?

While he’s not exactly an enemy, he’s dumb, and a detriment to the territory. A slightly dumb person with his temper and arrogance, in some form of power is far worse than any very dumb person who isn’t in some form of power.

I suppose I don’t want to cause too many issues, since that would pit the knight houses against me.

“[lehtriil enrii varul]!(Floating Light Sphere)” I chant, putting in quite a lot of my magic into it as I shut my eyes as tightly as I can.

I turn off my magic quickly, and open my eyes again just a sliver.

Quite a big effect. They seem to have difficulty seeing at the moment.

I need to do this, since my aim with my magical attack is… bad, to say the least.

“[iknuu dliin]”(Spacial Cut) I chant, doing my best to hit my opponenet’s hand and only his hand.

My aim is rather disapointing, but it’s good enough.

My spacial blade made quite the gash on a small table, and cut deep into my opponent’s left leg, which is facing me.

It didn’t get the bone, but the damage is enough.

The boy screams out and collapses.

Weakling. Can’t handle that?

I certainly can’t either, but that’s what you get for being overly arrogant, and from what I can tell, being quite mean. Then being idiotic, and challenging a viscount.

While the knight’s children are still recovering from the light, I head into the room where the obviously modern boy had went. I feel like I should take care of this first.

I shut the door behind me and take a look at what’s going on inside the room.

…

…Seems I’m not the only one who’s gotten into a fight.

The boy who’s unmistakably modern has quite the pretty girl behind him, and a group of three boys and two girls surrounding him.

Noble children really are quite evil, aren’t they?

I’ve already wasted more magic than I should have, so I pull out my dagger. Didn’t expect to find more combat this quickly.

“Salutations…Please explain to me what is occuring at this moment.” I ask

The combatants stop.

“Viscount Akashi, this imbicel was attacking us.” one of boys tells me

“They were bullying this girl!” the modern looking boy shouts

“...Well, whatever was going on here, I advise you to take a look at the situation outside before causing any more issues.” I tell them all

The bullies nods and leave the room first.

I stop the modern looking boy before he leaves.

The boy looks like a generic anime protagonist, and it seems his harem’s already begining to form around him… he also seems to be quite powerful, as he can fight against all five of those kids at once.

He’s a talent I must acquire. Someone who might be from Earth would be nice as well.

“You’re welcome,” I tell him, flashing a smile

The boy nods his head and leaves.

I stay in the room for a little bit.

…He’s the one who’s the protagonist of this, isn’t he?