Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 116
116. Childhood Friend - Banquet
A banquet was held at Nevis Castle.
Although banquets were not uncommon at the castle, this time, the scale was extraordinary.
The King of the Orun Kingdom hosted the banquet to celebrate the New Year, mobilizing all the staff of the castle and sending invitations to all the nobles.
The innermost hall, which served as the king’s office and private quarters, was chosen as the venue.
Nevis Castle, with its spacious corridors, had relatively small halls, and only this hall could accommodate such a large event.
Though the five steps placed intermittently in the hall were slightly inconvenient, the distance between each step (about twenty paces) was ample enough not to pose any particular problem.
Rather, these steps served as a kind of boundary.
The innermost and highest first step was occupied by the king, queen, princes, and other royal family members.
The fourth step was cleared in the center and surrounded by musicians, turning it into a ballroom where young nobles could dance and socialize, while the fifth step was where neutral nobles (or hangers-on) lingered awkwardly.
Of course, this wasn’t a completely humble place, as prominent figures like Marquis Guidan and Marquis Drazhin were also present.
In the last section, right in front of the grand bronze door, several tables were placed.
This area was not intended for the nobles, as there were already enough tables and chairs on each step. Instead, it served as a workspace for the palace maids to prepare and serve various drinks and foods.
There wasn’t a strict rule forbidding crossing between steps, but that was the general arrangement.
The overall atmosphere was bustling, like a street market, with maids serving up and down, young ladies and nobles taking dance requests, and even knights roaming around.
The placement of the main figures from each faction was thus arranged.
Marquis Drazhin, leaning against a long curtain hanging from the high ceiling on one side of the fifth step, asked:
“Are you sure you’re not responsible for this?”
He skeptically looked up at Marquis Harvey Guidan, who was sipping his drink nearby.
Two major families of Nevis had disappeared. According to the few survivors, a mad knight had slaughtered them indiscriminately.
While the death of thugs was insignificant, the families were unfortunately sponsored by nobles serving the princes, leading Marquis Drazhin to suspect his friend, who had once mentioned ‘rebellion.’
“No, it has nothing to do with me,” Marquis Guidan replied nonchalantly, hiding his guilty conscience.
Marquis Drazhin pressed on, “Really? You’re not still plotting that... preposterous thing, are you?”
“...Yes. Don’t worry.”
Though he felt guilty for having to answer his friend’s sincere question this way, he could not disobey his lord’s command. A peculiar shadow flickered behind his eyes.
‘How can I persuade this friend...’
His lord had ordered him to persuade Evni to join the rebellion.
However, before he could even broach the subject, his friend would preemptively ask, “Are you still thinking about that nonsense?” leaving him no chance to speak.
“...Hmm. Are you hiding something from me... Oh! Finally, here he comes.”
Marquis Drazhin, about to say something, pushed himself off the wall and strode forward.
He had been watching the bronze door, waiting for someone to appear.
“Count Ogleton! It’s been a long time. How many years has it been? Did you have a good trip?”
A scholarly-looking man lightly bowed his head.
“It’s been a long time, Marquis Drazhin. Yes, I had a good trip, though the results were not very satisfying.”
Soarel Demetri Ogleton, the Count.
He was a man with a soft jawline, as if he had never experienced the harshness of the world.
Being significantly younger than the forty-something Marquis Drazhin, Ogleton, nearing his thirties, was still considered young in this world.
Despite his age, the calm expression on Count Ogleton’s face carried depth.
His deep pink eyes, nearly mistaken for purple, observed the world with a dry gaze.
Because of his noble status and unique position as a wizard, he might be misunderstood as arrogant and condescending, but in reality, he was humble and a scholar thirsty for knowledge.
It was just his objective view of things that gave him such a dry look.
“Going on a journey right after leaving the Magic Tower... Wasn’t your father worried?” asked Marquis Drazhin, handing over a glass of wine taken from a passing maid. However, Count Ogleton politely declined and chose a sweet juice instead, taking a sip.
“My father scolded me for neglecting the family and traveling abroad. This is why I don’t want to inherit the family,” the Count admitted frankly.
Having shown magical talent at a very young age, he spent much time at the Magic Tower, growing up in an un-noble manner.
Despite this, being born a noble, he wasn’t as reclusive as other wizards, making him a difficult figure to classify by group.
Marquis Drazhin, with a smile of satisfaction, began more directly. Noble conversation was unnecessary here.
“By the way, you must have just seen your son.”
“Ah... Embarrassingly, yes.”
Immediately after finishing his studies at the Magic Tower, Soarel Demetri married, inheriting the family.
In his early twenties, much later than usual, he hastily married the young lady of Viscount Bocali, six years his junior. Upon returning from his long journey, he found he had a five-year-old son.
Soarel let out a faint sigh.
“Sigh... I’m really going to be a terrible father. No, I already am a terrible father...”
"Haha, don't be too hard on yourself. You can start getting closer to him now. It might still be awkward with your son... How about I bring my granddaughter over for a visit? She's just started walking, but children love being around others their age. That way, you might get more time to bond with your son.”
“That sounds like a great idea. I would really appreciate it. I hope it's not too much trouble for you.”
“Not at all. I also need time to spend with my granddaughter. Oh, I apologize for the trouble. You should have met your father-in-law first, but I was too eager to greet you.”
Evni Marquis Drazhin pointed towards Viscount Bocali, who was sitting idly in the distance. Count Ogleton agreed to have a simple gathering at his residence next time with Marquis Drazhin and then took his leave.
Marquis Harvey Guidan, seeing his returning friend grinning, asked, “I didn't get the chance to ask before, but can you persuade that Count Ogleton? After all, he is a wizard. Wizards are often so engrossed in their research that they neglect other matters.”
“Yes, but Count Ogleton will probably focus on family matters for a while.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Marquis Drazhin smirked before answering. Marquis Guidan immediately sensed he was about to boast.
“Besides his son, I know why Count Ogleton traveled, where he went, and what he did. He was researching the 'Mana Overlap Theory' and met Swordmasters…”
At that moment, the lively music in the hall took a somber turn.
The music became heavy and majestic, drawing the attention of the chatting nobles.
As the music gradually faded into silence, the king spoke, his voice amplified by magic to fill the entire hall.
“It reminds me of my coronation 40 years ago. On that day, the heads of all the families in the kingdom swore loyalty to me, and despite the passing years, your oaths have never wavered. I am grateful for your honor.”
The elderly king looked around, meeting the eyes of each family head.
Tension filled the slow atmosphere.
The king did not usually start speeches like this. He typically began with, “Welcome, esteemed heads of the kingdom.”
“Today, I have confirmed your loyalty once again. The heads of the busy families have graced this occasion with their presence, proving the strength of our kingdom's bonds.”
Moreover, the king rarely used such formal speech, indicating a significant announcement.
As expected, a bombshell was dropped.
“But I am old.”
While many seemed to expect this, a significant number of nobles looked surprised, turning to each other. The meaning of his words was clear.
The king continued, occasionally glancing at his two young sons with pride.
“This kingdom of Orun needs a young and capable ruler. Therefore, I declare my first son, Athon de Lognum, as the heir to the royal family. The 'Akine' will be held on an auspicious day, and I trust the noble heads of the kingdom will bless this event. Now, may the glory of Lognum be with us in the new year!”
As the king raised his glass, everyone followed, exclaiming, “Glory to Lognum!”
Once the king sat down, the hall became noisy again. Nobles rushed to discuss the recent announcement or to curry favor with Athon de Lognum.
However, with the second prince, Elzeor de Lognum, beside him, they had to be cautious... but Elzeor's reaction was enthusiastic.
“Brother! Congratulations!”
“Thank you. I plan to greet the heads of the families. Will you join me?”
“Of course.”
The twin princes went down the steps side by side, greeting the family heads with words like, “I look forward to working with you,” and “Please bless my brother.”
The nobles responded with utmost courtesy, but what puzzled them was that the second prince seemed happier than the first prince who was chosen as the heir.
After a while, the princes approached Marquises Guidan and Drazhin.
Marquis Drazhin spoke first.
“Congratulations on becoming the subject of Akine.”
‘Akine’ referred to the ceremony for declaring the heir to the royal family. It was derived from the name of Toddler Akinen, who founded the Arcaea Kingdom, and had been used since the Arcaea Empire era.
The coronation was called ‘Akinen.’
“Thank you. I promise to do my best despite my shortcomings. I trust Marquis Drazhin will also provide much support.”
“Of course.”
“And...”
Athon de Lognum turned his gaze to Marquis Guidan, who stood somewhat stiffly compared to the well-mannered Marquis Drazhin.
“Marquis Guidan, will you also support me?”
“...Of course. Congratulations.”
A strange tension filled the air.
This might be due to various reasons.
It could be Marquis Guidan's stiff demeanor or his reluctance to finally send his daughter Harié into marriage.
Or it might be because of ‘Count Taradin Amus’ and ‘Count Geogis Jermaine,’ who followed the twin princes and were glaring coldly at Marquis Harvey Guidan.
Coincidentally, they were nobles who had supported the Dorf family involved in the slave trade and the Teovic family in the arms business.
The twin princes brushed past him indifferently. They usually urged Marquis Guidan to marry off Harié, but this time, they didn’t even mention it.
“Count Ogleton, it’s been a long time...”
While the princes approached Count Ogleton, Marquis Harvey Guidan closed his eyes tightly.
He felt unbearably dizzy and seemed to hear hysterical laughter like an auditory hallucination.
It was like the laughter of his lord...
Marquis Evni Drazhin, after glancing at his old friend, unconsciously took a step back, and the banquet concluded magnificently.