Interstellar Age
Chapter 164 The Centennial Ball Part I



Erich immediately followed Emrys to the compound which held the Warp Gate, which had only recently been constructed within his borders. Time passed quickly after the Centennial War Games were completed, and though it took some time for him and the fleet to return to the borders of the Germanic Star-Empire, it still amazed Erich how fast the Alfheim laborers had completed the project. 

Erich was fully dressed in the most luxurious attire he had ever worn, and looked the part of a proper diplomat. While Emrys was dressed in a similar fashion, albeit in an all white outfit. The two men, along with their security, entered the facility which contained the Warp Gate. Which was basically a fortress. 

Not only was the compound which surrounded the Warp Gate designed to keep those without authorization out. But it was also designed to contain unwanted visitors inside of it. For example, if the Alfheim Dominion were to ever turn against the Germanic Star-Empire, they could use the warp gate to their advantage. 

Perceiving every other species as a threat to their existence, the Germanic Star-Empire had decided to build an elaborate fortress around the Warp Gate to prepare for a such a potential invasion. This was an idea that would be considered quite insulting if the Alfheim Dominion were to learn about it. But the Germanic people were deeply paranoid when it came to their survival, and had always taken precautions to deter hostile forces from attacking them. 

After gaining entry to the facility, Erich and Emrys walked down a winding path, filled with automated defenses, until they arrived in a large kill zone, which would immediately open fire on any hostile presence that dared to enter through the gate. Luckily for him, he and Emrys had access to this facility, and thus they were able to walk through the mysterious archway, which was the Warp Gate.

However, just before doing so, Emrys grabbed hold of Erich and held him aside. There was a stern look on his face as he gave Erich one final warning about how he was to conduct himself. 

"I know I have made this abundantly clear to you already. But be on your best behavior! That means no flirting! With anyone! Oh, and there is another thing that may have slipped my mind until this moment. But, I feel like I would be remiss if I did not point this out. 

If, for whatever reason, you replace yourself engaging in a conversation with a member of the Asterion Dynasty, under no circumstances are you to touch them! The Asterion Dynasty are seen by the Light Elves as living deities. Their bodies are sacred and can not be touched by an outsider. It is because of this belief that they practice incest, and marry their own relatives. 

If you were to even brush shoulders with one of them, then it would be considered a great taboo by the Light Elven race. And a sin of the highest order! I would not be able to save you then! So keep your distance from them! You will know who they are, by their signature white hair and golden eyes. Now, with that said, I believe we have a party to attend to." 

Erich did not pay much attention to Emrys's words, particularly because he could not even conceive of a scenario where he would be faced with a member of the Asterion Dynasty. As much as Emrys might have claimed that the Light Elves might apologize to him, Erich expected them to send a servant to do so, not a member of their actual royal household. 

Thus, after stepping foot through what was essentially a portal, Erich and Emrys were greeted by a luxurious atmosphere, where men and women of many different species had gathered in their finest attire to mingle with one another. 

The warp gate had led them directly to the ball itself. Which had only just begun. And while Emrys decided to keep an eye on Erich, to make sure he didn't cause any trouble, or replace himself assassinated. He did not plan to babysit the man. After all, as the Supreme Leader of the Germanic Star-Empire, the man had other matters to attend to, like paying tribute to the Alfheim Empress. Thus, he gave Erich a stern gaze and some parting words before leaving him alone. 

"Alright, remember what I have said, and make sure to enjoy yourself. This is a party you will not be able to enjoy for another hundred years. I am off to go pay my respects to the Alfheim Empress…."

With this said, Emrys left Erich entirely alone. While Erich gazed around at his surroundings and observed everything around him. It was his first time in the world of Alfheim, and he was surprised by what he was seeing. This room, in particular, appeared to be a weird blend of both a large garden and a grand ballroom. Which baffled Erich's mind. However, Erich's curiosity about the Light Elven architecture did not last long, because he heard two familiar voices call out to him from nearby.

"Erich? Is that you? By the gods, you look so.... handsome!"

Erich looked over to the origins of the voices, to see Ayumi and her aunt, both dressed in rather luxurious kimonos. Ayumi hugged, and kissed Erich on the spot, while Yumi was forced to behave herself with a seemingly platonic hug. Though it had not been long since Erich had last seen Yumi, a lot had happened since then, and thus he was quick to greet the woman with a broad smile on his face. 

"Yumi, Ayumi, it is good to see you both. You are both so beautiful that you are about to make me blush. I know that it hasn't been long since we last met. But it feels like it has been a lifetime. It is good to see that you are both doing so well…."

Yumi smiled when she heard that Erich was pleased to see her and leaned in close before whispering something into his ears. 

"I'm in room 302, at the Garden of Eternity. That is the resort that the Alfheim Dominion has us all staying at. You should stop by tonight so we can catch up properly...." 

Erich's smile grew rather lascivious as he nodded his head and responded to Yumi's whispers with some of his own. 

"I'll be there...." 

This caused Yumi's smile to grow more perverse, as she spanked Erich on the ass, before wondering off to mingle with the other guests. 

"Good boy, now I'm afraid I can't spend the entire night with you, as this is an excellent opportunity to build alliances. But do make sure to save a spot on the dance floor for me, okay?" 

Erich simply smiled and nodded his head in response to Yumi's words. It had not even been five minutes, and he had already broken Emry's first rule of etiquette. However, Erich did not seem to mind, and instead looked over at Ayumi, who was wearing a very pleasant smile on her beautiful face. She was quite happy that her foreboding thoughts about Erich had not come true. And was glad to see that he was alright. 

"Erich... I heard about what happened. I'm so happy to see that you remain unharmed. If you need someone to talk to, I am here for you..."

In response to this, Erich simply smiled, and shook his head, before reaching down to pet the beautiful Oni Princess's head. An action which had caught the attention of many of the other guests.

"I'm fine, Ayumi. We can speak about such matters later when we are in the privacy of our own home. How about instead, we go and mingle with the other heirs?" 

Ayumi was just about to respond to this question, when her eyes spotted an otherworldly beauty who was walking towards Erich with a rather serious look in her golden eyes. Celestia was dressed in a beautiful white and gold summer dress, which concealed very little of her body.

The Light Elves were not nearly as big on modesty as the Germanic people were, and this clearly showed by the sheer volume of porcelain skin that was now on full display. This included the rather eye-catching amount of cleavage that Celestia was displaying. 

While the Light Elven princess's breasts were not nearly as large as Erika's impressive bosom, or even Ayumi's gifted assets. They were still a sight to behold. And were at the very least equal to, if not superior, to Mirage's tits. In fact, every man who witnessed the woman in that dress wanted to tear it off of her in that moment so that they may witness the full glory of her naked body. 

Erich noticed that Ayumi was distracted by something and quickly turned around, where he was surprised to see that the Alfheim Princess was standing directly in front of him. By now, all eyes were on Erich, and the two beauties, who stood by his side.

Nobody knew why Celestia had approached the man, but there were rumors that she had been stripped of her title as the heiress to the Alfheim throne after the debacle which had occurred at the war games. Thus, everyone was curious about what she was about to do with the man who seemed responsible for such an unfortunate fate. 

Much to everyone's disbelief, Celestia did the unthinkable, as she got down on both knees, and pressed her head to the floor, while begging for Erich's forgiveness. 

"I beg for your forgiveness! My royal mother chose me to oversee the Centennial War Games in her stead, and yet I failed to ensure the safety of you and your men. It was my responsibility to make sure that nothing went wrong, and yet I made an error in judgement, which cost the lives of three of your men, and over a hundred of my banshees. Please…. Punish me however you see fit. I just hope that you are able to forgive me when it is all over." 

There were genuine tears streaming down Celestia's face. After all, she had quite a bit of time to think about her rebellion against fate, and how it had affected not only her own life but also those beneath her command. Although the Alfheim princess did not outright admit to ordering the hit, she might as well have. At the very least, she accepted responsibility for the incident, and sought to properly apologize. 

Everyone was stunned into silence at this scene, including the Alfheim Empress, whose drink slipped from her hand and shattered on the ground. While she had told Celestia to properly apologize to Erich for attempting to kill him.

She had never imagined that the foolish girl would throw away all of her dignity as a Princess of the Alfheim Dominion, and kowtow before a vassal. Lunaria had no idea what had possessed her daughter to do something so shameful, but she had every intention of stopping it. 

Erich was as stunned as everyone else about this occurrence. Instead, he sat there in silence, in disbelief. This woman, who appeared to have taken in interest in him when they first met, had admitted to being responsible for the attack that led to the deaths of three of his men. He could not understand why. But in that moment, it appeared as if time had slowed down.