“So, for laptops, who brought what?” I asked our newly press-ganged/recruited guild members.

  Reika and Shizuku left early to probably change, while the rest of the boys stayed behind.

  “Me and Art brought ours,” Trayn replied casually. “Taka doesn’t have one. He only has a PC at home.”

  “It’s fine, he can borrow mine,” I said, scratching the back of his head lazily. “Don’t worry it’s not a potato.”

  “Wait, you brought two?” Arthur asked in disbelief. “Did you even plan on participating?”

  I replied near instantly with a nonchalant shrug. “No, I didn’t.”

  Ignoring the rest and their skeptical stares, I began explaining their plan for tonight. They were to give Yuki their accounts and passwords and have him log in their accounts. Then when it is fifteen minutes before eight in the evening, we would sneak out of event.

  “Wait, we are, sneaking, out?” Arthur asked again, this time the skepticism in his voice was unmistakable. He then turned to Remington. “Are we even allowed to do that?”

  “Won’t we get kicked out of the event or punished?” Takashi supplemented Arthur’s question only to get a shrug from Remington.

  “No, I don’t think you would,” he replied while he was sitting and stretching his back. “The event starts Monday, remember? I think the organizers just want to get to know everyone.”

  “And you people say I, wasn’t listening,” I replied with a smug grin as I always do, causing the three boys to shake their heads.

  I dug my hand into my pocket, took out my wallet, which looked incredibly worse for wear. The edges were frayed, and the leather had long since lost its shine, and some parts were even flaking off, like it had survived one too many cataclysmic financial disasters.

  “You really should buy a new one,” Yuki said, eyeing my wallet with pity.

  “You can buy a lot of things you want, but you still won’t buy a new one?” Remy said with a small scowl.

  He looked unimpressed at the state of my wallet. What the hells? It’s my wallet.

  “Or, are you just too lazy to buy one?” Arthur proposed. He too was looking at the wallet with some degree of pity.

  I ignored their retorts and turned to Yuki.

  “Yuki, buy something for tonight, foods and drinks,” I said, handing him a black card with gold prints. “If you can’t manage all of it, get Wei, or maybe Kat. She looked like she was enjoying herself, time to knock her down a peg.”

  “Uh, sure? I mean, no it’s fine. I can manage on my own,” Yuki said, receiving the card and tucking it in his back pocket. “Just how much should I buy?”

  I looked around and counted the number of people.

  “Don’t know,” I shrugged looking unconcerned. “Limit is, maybe around two to five grand.”

  “That’s a bit low,” Takashi commented. “There’s seven of us, so that’s about 700 yen per person.”

  “Want me to pitch in some?” Trayn said, already starting to take out his wallet. “Considering we will be there all night, then 1000 per person should be enough, right?”

  I looked at him confused. Even more so at the two 1000-yen bills Trayn was handing me.

  I waved my hand and without malice or any ill intention, and spoke one word. “Dollars.”

  A few moments later, four people, Arthur, Trayn, Takashi and my brother all looked at me with mouth agape. They looked like a row of startled goldfish if I am being honest.

  “For real!?” Arthur asked incredulously. “Two to five grand, in dollars!? For one night!?”

  “Calm your tits down Arthur,” I replied casually. My statement broke the shock from the rest and made them chuckle a bit. “Yes, dollars. And no. Not for one night. Maybe two or three. Depending on what Yuki wants to buy.”

  “Shut up! Still! That’s still a lot!” Arthur argued, looking somewhat annoyed. “Is that your own money? Did you rob a bank!?”

  “Yes, it’s my own, hard-earned money. No, I did not rob a bank,” I replied dryly and tiredly.

  Trayn looked at the bills on his hand, then slowly slid them back into his wallet. An act that made me chuckle.

  “Sorry about the misunderstanding,” I said with a small smile and a casual wave of my hand. Then I jabbed a thumb at Yuki. “Besides, I still need to pay him for the wine earlier.”

  Yuki stood up rather quickly and cracked his back, though he looked inordinately happy. “Right then. Off I go,” he said gleefully.

  “So, uhm, Yuki, what are you going to buy?” Wills asked. Yuki simply winked at him, which conveyed all that he needed to know.

  “What’s the point in all this if we aren’t going to end up drinking?” Remy said with a mischievous smile. A smile that confirmed what everyone else were thinking.

  The reaction was mixed. Arthur and Trayn looked excited while Wills and especially Takashi looked a bit worried.

  “Uhm, Me and Wills are not allowed to drink,” he said slowly with a raised hand. “We’re both underaged.”

  Remy stood up, went to his side and patted him on the shoulder.

  “Who’s going to know?” he whispered conspiratorially, punctuating it with a wink of his own.

  “And with that, dismissed,” I said clapping my hands together. I then stood up and yawned deeply.

  Before the group dispersed, I told them to inform their roommate that they can sleep in my room at the fiftieth floor, and bring some of pillows, just in case. The three were confused why would they need pillows, or how would seven people would fit let alone sleep inside a room made for two, but complied nonetheless.

  ========================================================================

  The hall where the event would take place had come alive again. It wasn’t more crowded than before, but compared to the last time, a quiet energy was starting to build. People were talking and laughing though not enough to cause trouble for the people next to them.

  It started the moment the first organizer, Konrad Friedrich von Liechtenstein-Hohenzollern, had arrived. He was tall, 190 cm and for someone who introduced himself as over the age of 70 years old, his physical presence was undiminished.

  Though he had grey hair, he walked with a straight back and a dignity befitting royalty. Broad shoulders and muscular arms strained against the fabric of his black suit. Coupled with a full black beard with steel-grey eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, he looked every bit the formidable figure he was.

  But when he spoke, the faint hints of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, gave his voice an unexpectedly, grandfatherly warmth as he introduced his companion and other organizer of the event. He arrived dressed much like his companion and was carrying a briefcase, large enough for a laptop.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Diocletian Wrenford Caradoc Wulfric de Lacy was every bit as tall as his son. However, the similarities stopped there. Where Remington had blonde hair, he had dark brown and neatly combed hair. Adding to his keen gaze was a pair of rectangular glasses, which only emphasized his sharpness. He and his companion were a matched pair few would ever dare cross.

  Because of this most were shocked to know that their designated tour guide was the son of a wealthy billionaire. But most reasoned that wealth did not necessarily equate to real world experiences and that the father was teaching his son a thing or two about life.

  After both men were properly introduced, they explained the purpose of this little gathering. At a time when hate is on the rise, a cultural exchange was needed now more than ever, they said. They would choose random countries to bring together, and now, it was their turn.

  They didn’t want recognition, or even people to spread their deeds. Only minds that could take their message and make something great out of it. That is why they had picked the age group of 18 to 21 years old.

  Because it is the young who carry the future, who can shape society in the decades to come. “If we can foster understanding, empathy, and curiosity at this stage in your lives,” one of the men said, “then perhaps the next generation will see differences not as threats, but as opportunities.”

  He gestured toward the small circle of attendees, all slightly tense but attentive. “Over the next few days, you’ll not only learn about each other’s traditions and languages, but also share your own stories and experiences. It is through dialogue, and honest exchange, that prejudices begin to fade.”

  The other man nodded. “And remember,” he added, “this isn’t just about learning facts. It’s about building connections. Even a simple conversation—or a shared meal,” he gestured towards the group, “these small bridges can prevent the kind of division we see in the world today.”

  A murmur of agreement passed through the group, and for a moment, the weight of the outside world seemed to lift as both men sat down to applause.

  Since most of the hall was too large for their small party, both men had suggested that, all tables must contain only four people. A simple ploy to get everyone to sit down together, unfortunately, both groups were just as shy as the other and barely managed to intermingle with the other.

  Save, for two groups.

  Wills had the displeasure of being, coerced, forcibly and physically, by a rather enthusiastic Reika into sitting with Arthur and his company, while she dragged her best friend to the table of the parents of their childhood friend.

  Still confused as he watched the girl chatting cheerfully with his mother, Wills turned to his three new friends, “She was surprisingly strong. I think I understand why my brother can’t deal with her,” which made them all laugh.

  It was already 7 o’clock, and everyone was in the middle of eating when Vi finally arrived. Fashionably late, just as he had intended. Naturally, this drew curious stares.

  ========================================================================

  “So, what happened here?” I asked my brother as I reached his table. “And that part?” I added, nodding towards Reika and Shizuku, who were sitting together and chatting with my mother."

  “He got banished, to our realm,” Arthur said dramatically and chuckles rose from the table.

  I looked again at the table where my parents were. They noticed me and were looking at me strangely, one was angry, he was always angry, no surprise there. The other was—something. I shrugged and put them out of my mind for now. My eyes fell on Reika and I understood immediately.

  I sighed deeply and rubbed my eyes before dragging my hand through my hair and then down the back of my neck. It was an ancient ritual passed down by generations of people who’d simply had enough of BS for a lifetime let alone a day.

  Slowly, I unenthusiastically sauntered over to where they were.

  “And why are you late?” my father asked in a tone that made ‘disappointment’ sound like a family tradition.

  “E—h, things,” I replied nonchalantly, which made him give me a scowl strong enough, possibly to curdle milk.

  “Son of mine, you never told us you have such, beautiful friends,” Mother said sweetly.

  She pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, and fixed me with a smug teasing smile, a bit similar to my own.

  I looked at the two females, one quickly looked away, as if she had something to hide, while the other looked as though she’d already confessed to everything and didn’t care.

  “Oh God—why? Just—why?” I asked the heavens tiredly. “Five minutes! Just five minutes!”

  Father sighed at my display, the kind of sigh reserved for hopeless cases and family gatherings. In other words, me.

  “Listen, I know you are still dizzy from the bus ride from last night,” Father began patiently. “So why don’t you take a plate, then eat. After that, wait a few minutes, then I will excuse you so you can go and rest.”

  “Oh, sure Father, I would love to leave these two to destroy my life even further by dumping every secret I have on my mother!” I said in a tone that radiated unnatural levels of happiness.

  I then looked at the aforementioned people. Both of them wore expressions of innocence so pure it was practically criminal—which was precisely the problem.

  “—Absolutely not!” I half thundered, making gestures like I was shooing away pigeons. “Shoo! Shoo! Go away! Shoo! Off with you! Back to the pits from where you came! Get away from my mother!”

  Shizuku tutted and raised one finger, “It’s mommy, isn’t it?” she said with a sweet grin that stretched from ear to ear. I felt my face burn at the teasing.

  “Aww, he’s getting red,” she continued, her tone as sweet as honey and nectar but her words were nothing but poison. Reika covered her mouth trying to stifle her giggle.

  “Shut up, you’re not invited to my funeral,” I grumbled angrily.

  As if to make matters worse, the table beside us, where Arthur’s group and his brother were, erupted in uncontrolled sniggers—enough to make even his parents join in.

  “Oh, this is not over,” I said, pointing at Shizuku. “Move over, I’ll get my revenge, then eat.”

  “Son of mine, the organizers have said that we cannot sit more than four people per table,” Mother explained kindly. “And besides I am having fun talking with these two. Don’t interrupt it.”

  Oh, so it was them! They’ll rue the day they dragged me into this glittering fully paid for purgatory! And worse, they’ve brought the twin she-witches of disaster.

  Oh. Wait. There’s an idea. My goal, give headaches to the two Primarchs, separate my parents from the two unnecessary people, two birds, one stone. At the same time, I sent a signal to my co-conspirator. I was held back a bit because of her, so it’s about time for her to make a move.

  “Ae what are you thinking about?” Reika asked with caution in her voice.

  “Nothing,” I replied as innocently as I could.

  “Nope, that’s the face you make when you are, about to do something,” Shizuku beside her said with the same level of caution.

  Before anyone could say a word, I walked over to my targets. Since a table could not be more than four people, I just had to go the place where there was less. And the only place where that was, was the organizers' table.

  I carried my fat ass right up to their table, an act that startled them. While looking both of them dead in the eyes, trying to divine their intentions, I pulled out a chair and sat down.

  “—Ah!”

  Only to majestically fall straight to the floor because I wasn’t looking where I was sitting. Dignity: zero. Entertainment value: ten. Grace? Never heard of her.

  At my father’s table I think I heard his face meet his palms. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure, because my eyes never left the two in front of me. I immediately stood back up.

  “I meant to do that,” I said defiantly.

  I sat my behind properly on the chair, with all the dignity of an angry Karen demanding to see the manager. Then I propped an elbow on the table and rested my chin in my hand.

  They stared at me. I stared back. I think I was doing something right because I noticed them glance at each other.

  “What are you doing!?” my father hissed from his table. I can hear fear and worry in his voice.

  “Oh right. Of course, what am I doing,” I said in feigned ignorance.

  With the grace of something more graceful than a potato, I kicked off my shoes—fortunately I had the foresight to wear socks—and raised both feet onto the chair like I owned the place. Well, technically, I do. Or my family does. Or something like that.

  I saw Uncle Dio’s eye twitch at my little skit. Well, if they were going to do something stupid like this little gathering, then two can play this game. Although I had to admit, this is turning out to be fun. How do I, in my capacity, outdo myself every time, I do not know.

  THWACK!

  “Ow!”

  I looked up, behind me, were both my parents looking like a pair of angry wrathful gods come down to earth to punish their wayward son, me. My father was holding a weird looking pamphlet, possibly the weapon that hit the back of my head. I discreetly put my shoes back on.

  “I am terribly sorry for the attitude of my son,” my father said, hauling me up from my seat. His voice was, quavering?

  “What did I do?” I asked innocently.

  I received a stern hiss from my mother instead. “Be quiet.”

  Looking at my father who was trying to make up reasons for my behavior, my mother who looked worried, or the two Primarchs who were feigning ignorance, I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It doesn’t look like they were about to do something, so there isn’t a need to keep up this farce going.

  Besides, I accomplished my two goals, and got to have fun while doing it. I shrugged my father’s grip on my shoulders and sat back down, properly this time. I smiled, genuinely at the two men, who I knew cared for me and my family in their own way.

  “Uncle Kons, Uncle Dio, this has got to be the dumbest thing you two have ever done.” I said with a small laugh. “Please, drop the act already.”

  My words lingered in the air for an unnaturally long time. When realization came through, my father’s eyes flicked to me, then to the two men.

  “You know them?” he asked, slowly. Each word sounded uncertain.

  “Yes,” I said enthusiastically while looking at the two Primarchs. “But more importantly—”

  I then turned and looked my father dead in the eyes.

  “They know your father.”