Ramza tended to find noble gatherings like the one tonight rather boring. It was war time, and thus all the nobles present ever talked about was war, more war, and politics. It was of course interesting to hear them compliment on the things his father and brothers had done on the battlefield, but the downside was that half of those comments ended with "you'll become a fine warrior like him one day, right?" While Ramza certainly wanted to become as fine a knight as his brothers, being constantly compared to them started to bother him after a while.

He sat alone and wished Delita could have been there. Alma wasn't home either, and the whole party his father was hosting to some Hokuten higher-ups after today's war meeting was just deadly boring. There didn't seem to be anyone of his age around either.

Or that's how thing had seemed a moment ago anyway, as he turned to look at some new guests. There were a couple of people among them that he didn't recognize, but he had seen the golden armors and colored tabards before - they were Murond's Shrine Knights. There were two of them; an older man in purple tabard stood there talking to his father, and a younger man with a green near him. The younger man certainly didn't look that much older than Ramza was, and he got curious enough to wander closer to where his father was.

Balbanes noticed his son and turned to him, summoning him closer. "Ah, Sir Vormav. I believe you haven't met my youngest son, Ramza. While I'm sure he's not interested in our conversation about Church's help in the war... Perhaps he could show your son around?"

Vormav nodded. "Certainly. Ramza, this is my son, Izlude. If you would."

"Yes, Father," Izlude said, then turned to the younger Beoulve. Ramza led him away as his father got returned to the conversation. "So... you're Ramza, huh."

Ramza smiled a little. "Yes. Izlude wasn't it? Well... Have you ever been to Igros Castle before?"

Izlude shook his head, also managing to smile a little. The young Shrine Knight - rather, just a Shrine Knight cadet at the moment, not that Ramza actually knew that - was fanatic about his duty, but he had to admit he had also found the company of the nobles rather dull.

"Well then. Not that there was that much to see here, but..." Ramza took his companion outside of the hall, feeling a lot better now. Perhaps the evening could turn out to be not horribly boring after all.