The dining room of the castle is large.
In a space so vast that it could fit a whole house of common people, there is a long table that can seat about 20 people.

On that table, there are many platters with colorful dishes, and in addition to that, butlers and maids are still serving the food.

I'm familiar with this scene because I've been invited by Irene to visit her several times since I was a child, but...

'Wow, ...... what the heck'.

'It's amazing ......'.

Satsuki and Miy, who followed Irene and me into the dining room, let out a squeal of admiration.
Next to them, I could see that Cyril was also very nervous and tense, although he didn't say it out loud.

'Oh, by the way, it's a little late to ask, but why are we talking about having dinner at this amazing place?

'Oh, don't ask me! It's all William's fault!

'I'm starting to feel like I'm in a party with someone crazy. ......'

For some reason, the girls seemed to have switched their assessment of the situation to that of me.
This situation arises simply from the fact that I'm a friend of Irene's, and if anything, I think it's due to her whims. .......

'Well, Will is next to me, so he's here. Can your friends sit over there?'

Irene, dressed in a dress, briskly directs us to our seats.
Even she can't just 'sit there', can she?

The three girls and I take our seats as instructed.
Irene nodded her head in satisfaction and took a seat next to me.

Then Irene looks at the three girls seated face to face and asks me softly.

'By the way, they're all so cute. How did you hook up with all those beautiful girls? Do you have any interest in ...... girls at all?

'No, that has nothing to do with it. It's just that I happened to meet them as potential party members who fit the bill.

'That's right, you're Will, aren't you? ...... By the way, do you have a girlfriend you're in love with?

'So I'm not involved in any such relationships. ...... No, I'm not ashamed to say that I'm self-conscious, in fact I think I've been courted by about one person, but I just don't intend to. It will be difficult for me to continue my activities as an adventurer if it becomes a male-female relationship.''

'Wow, ...... that's Will, the monster of reason. I mean, well, that's a lot of surprises,...... but it's also a bit of a relief. You can still get me a ......'.

I'm not sure what to say. Why?'

'Uh, no, it's nothing. I'm talking about this.

Irene's cheeks flushed red, she waved her hands in the air and hung up.
As usual, I don't understand her like this.

On the other hand, seeing us, Satsuki, Mie, and Cyril also seemed to be having a secret conversation.
I guess they have something they can't tell me or Irene.

And then...

'Oh, William! You've grown a lot in a while.'

From the entrance of the cafeteria, I heard a voice that sounded fearless.
I recognized the owner of the voice and stood up to greet him.

'It's been a long time, King Andrew. Thank you for inviting me to dinner.

'Hahaha, as usual, it's just my daughter's selfishness, don't be afraid. The three beautiful women over there are the adventurers who claim to be William's companions, aren't they?

The one who appeared from the entrance of the dining room in a cheerful manner was Andrew, the king of this country as well as Irene's father.
He was well-built, muscular, and strong, giving the impression that he was walking around in the king's clothes.

His silver hair, the same color as Eileen's, was cut short, and his eyes, while appearing cheerful, had a sharpness behind them that seemed to pierce us.
I remember that she was in her late thirties, but there was no sign of decline compared to the last time I saw her, about five years ago.

Satsuki, Mee, and Cyril hurriedly stood up and thanked him when he arrived.
As for Satsuki, she seemed to have been forced to do so after being spanked by Cyril.

'There's no need to be so formal. This is just a home party for my daughter's friends, not for other nobles. It's fine to be rude to me.'

And with that, King Andrew sits down in the upper seat.
Then he said, 'Sit down,' and we sat down too.