* * *
* * *
A banquet is a place to celebrate a specific event by drinking, chatting, and enjoying a prepared dinner.
Although the dictionary meaning of a banquet is yes, the original concept of a banquet… especially a banquet attended by ‘powerful figures’, is far from a pure concept. Usually, places where powerful people gather become grounds for political fights.
A subtle display, a shady way of speaking that subtly reveals one’s intentions, spinning around and speaking softly, but hidden within it is ridicule and ridicule, etc.
Like this, most banquets are not very pleasant places. Naturally, it is not a place where you can enjoy yourself comfortably. Because everyone will be busy looking out for each other. However, this is a problem that only applies to ordinary banquets.
Champion, Rania Van Trias.
From the moment she attended the banquet, those in power crushed all thoughts of using the banquet as a venue for political struggle and threw it into the trash can. Because I couldn’t act like a fool and bring up a lame political story in front of the hero who protects humanity.
···Of course, most nobles were like that, but such idiots did not exist at all.
-Anyway, this is why the Wattren family…
-Have I said everything now?
No matter where you go, there are people who can’t read the atmosphere.
An incident occurred where two nobles whose families were not on good terms got into a subtle war of nerves and raised their voices, but it did not take long for the incident to be resolved.
Crash.
Kalt, who was standing next to Rania, lightly tapped the hilt of the sword with the back of his hand. While pounding, he quietly looked at the two nobles who raised their voices. In an instant, everyone’s eyes were focused on the two nobles in the frozen banquet hall.
“······.”
There was no need to say or do anything.
With that alone, the two nobles had to shut their mouths and move to the corner of the banquet hall.
After seeing Kalt like that, no one thought that a mere swordsman was giving attention to a nobleman. If you have superhuman strength, power also follows, and even if you have already achieved merit on the battlefield, your title is confirmed.
-Is that person…?
-okay. Be careful what you say. He was once the head of the Royal Guard.
Moreover, the nobles who knew that Kalt’s former affiliate was a hunting dog that bit off the nape of several nobles’ necks had to bow their heads even though they had no reason to criticize him.
“Khalt.”
“Yes, senior.”
When Rania, who was sitting, gestured, Kalt slightly lowered his head. Rania whispered into Kalt’s ear.
“Everyone only talks about you? I guess you’re joking.”
“···Will only you do it?”
Rania chuckled and tilted her glass.
She doesn’t really like these kind of pretentious events, but this banquet wasn’t that bad. Although she was not without pretense, there were many more who expressed genuine gratitude to her.
While sipping a glass, Rania made eye contact with a distinguished guest who was enjoying a banquet. When our eyes met, he smiled broadly and smiled. He was the king of Etenda, a small country near the Kingdom of Cartedia.
“It’s a burden.”
“Doesn’t it seem like he’s truly expressing his gratitude?”
“You know that. You saw it earlier.”
It happened a little while ago.
“Thank you, sincerely.”
“Thanks to the hero, I was able to regain the territory that the previous king tried to protect until the end, but ultimately lost.”
The King of Etenda came with his subjects.
He knelt in front of Rania in front of everyone. He bowed his head. He expressed his sincere gratitude.
“Thank you.”
Thinking over those sincere words, Rania let out a faint smile. The King of Etenda was not the only one who expressed his sincere gratitude. Many of her honored guests, those who helped her regain what she had lost, came to her and expressed their gratitude in their own way.
It didn’t feel too bad.
She muttered in a low voice while sipping wine.
“It’s worth living hard.”
“Is that so.”
So, Rania slightly raised her head. The place she was looking at was the terrace on the second floor of the banquet hall.
“When does the queen plan to come out?”
“···Have you noticed?”
“Isn’t it strange that you don’t notice that the flow of mana is strange there?”
I flinched, and the curtain on the terrace shook.
Look at that. Rania burst into laughter.
“It looks like you’re coming out. Finally.”
Rania adjusted her posture.
Not long after, the curtain rose and the host of the banquet appeared.
“Nice to meet you, everyone.”
King of Cartedia.
“Are you enjoying the banquet?”
Ayla Clen Cartedia has appeared.
The attention of those attending the banquet was focused on the terrace.
Ayla, the young king of Cartedia, wearing a platinum-colored dress. A person who ascended to the position of king with the support of the first princess, L’Ruelle, who had been representing the country for a long time.
“Thank you to everyone who gathered here.”
She smiled slightly and began a light speech. The speech was clean and without unnecessary details. After finishing her speech, she walked down to the first floor with elegant steps.
Again.
She smiled lightly at those who greeted her and walked away. The place where she stopped was in front of Rania Van Trias.
‘oh···.’
Rania was secretly impressed as she looked at Ayla standing right in front of her. Even though she hadn’t seen her in years, Ayla had clearly changed. The impression was still soft, but on top of the softness, dignity was added.
···It is said that a hero does not have to bow his head in front of anyone.
‘It’s worth bowing down in front of a student who has become a king.’
With that thought in mind, Rania was about to slowly show her respect. Ayla opened her mouth before Rania.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
“Hero of humanity.”
Ayla first greeted Rania with an elegant gesture. To the best of my ability.
“I also send greetings to the ‘Great’ Rania Van Trias, who was once my teacher.”
“Wiggle,” Rania frowned.
In the eyes of others, it is a greeting that poses no problem. However, those who knew Rania and the ‘incident’ involved with her reacted to the words Ayla put into her mouth.
“···Big.”
Kalt turned his head, covering his mouth.
Rania’s ears turned bright red. Finally, Ayla slowly raised her head and showed a mischievous expression from an angle that only Rania could see.
“Welcome to the banquet, warrior.”
“···Say, it’s an honor, Queen.”
The king of Cartedia, the greatest nation in the world, and the hero, the hero of mankind, exchange greetings with courtesy. Everyone who attended the banquet expressed their exclamation at that historic sight…
If you peel back a layer of the historical scene, it turns out to be nothing more than a meeting between an ugly wizard and a mischievous student.
* * *
“Anyway, did you really have to do that?”
“Why? It is true that you are great. Now you have become so great that no one can say anything.”
“That’s not it… ugh, that’s it.”
Banquet hall 2nd floor, terrace. Ayla met Rania alone at a separate meeting there.
“Have you talked enough with other people?”
“I shared it until my mouth hurt.”
“I showed up late on purpose so you could have a good conversation. This is also a banquet for the warrior.”
It was for this reason that Ayla did not appear until near the end of the banquet… and only then did she ask Rania to attend alone. Rania, and the distinguished guests who came from far away to express their gratitude to her, had the right to enjoy her banquet.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, really.”
“I see. You’ve changed a lot in the meantime? I almost didn’t recognize you at first.”
Rania said with a smile.
It was half serious, half joking. Actually, my impression was quite different from a few years ago.
“So, hero…no, professor, nothing has changed at all?”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, you still look young. You are definitely older.”
Ayla flinched and trembled slightly.
For the first time in a long time, the stars were sounding an alarm. There is no need to mention your exact age. Ayla instinctively decided that the advice was worth taking.
“···There is quite a difference in age between me and you, but compared to me, do you think I am more like an older sister?”
“You’re exaggerating. It’s burdensome.”
You don’t seem burdened at all, do you?
Ayla smiled bitterly, swallowing the words she almost said. Although he spoke as if flattering, he was not lying. Compared to a few years ago, the professor in front of me looked even younger, not older.
‘Well, you’re a warrior and a great wizard…’
Aging is so slow that time may stop altogether.
As Ayla was staring at Rania like that, Rania lightly cleared her throat and opened her mouth.
“I heard the news on the battlefield, but it feels strange to see you become king like this. I’m sorry for not being able to come see you in person at the coronation ceremony.”
“You sent me a separate letter congratulating you. It’s something that can’t be helped since you’re such a busy person.”
Ayla laughed bitterly.
“I too have lived a busy life over the past few years. I can’t believe how much Lruel has been encouraging me… Oh, that’s right. She asked me to say hello.”
“You mean Princess Leruel?”
“Please read it.”
Rania opened the letter Ayla held out.
“Professor, it’s me.”
“No, I guess I’ll have to call you hero now.”
It is a list of very simple sentences.
From the text, the face of the princess who had called herself a crazy dog came to mind, and Rania burst out laughing.
With Ayla ascending to the throne, there is no longer a need to act as the representative of state affairs, and she is having a leisurely time. After listening to your activities, I feel that you are an extraordinary person.
The letter contained such miscellaneous stories.
“You seem to be enjoying your life.”
“It looks like that to me too.”
Ayla let out a long breath.
“Then, shall we get to the main topic?”
She said, putting down her glass.
“There was a reason why I wanted to talk to the professor face to face for the first time in a long time, but the reason I requested a private meeting was because I had a story to tell.”
Rania adjusted her posture and sat down.
She looked straight at Ayla. Ayla slowly caught her breath and opened her mouth.
“Before the story, do you know why the Kingdom of Cartedia cannot become an empire?”
“I don’t know the details.”
“This is also a story related to the founder of our kingdom.”
Ayla said.
“The founder of our kingdom is from a royal family of an ancient kingdom whose name has been erased. Although his blood is very pale.”
The royal family was able to survive the disaster because their blood was light and their base was located outside the ancient kingdom.
“The founder said this.”
Poison stays in the kingdom.
The ancient kingdom was like that too. The ancient kingdom, which could not completely erase the poison, eventually collapsed. Because of that poison, the kingdom could not be called an empire. This must also be true of Cartedia, which carries on the meaning.
“Only by removing the festering poison, the most terrible poison, will Cartedia be able to become an empire for the first time.”
This is true even though it has the status and power to be called an empire.
That was Sijo’s will.
“There were many stories about the poison, but since it was related to the cause of the fall of the ancient kingdom… the most credible guess was that the entity the poison was pointing to was the Demon King.”
But, Ayla smiled bitterly.
“The place where the poison resides is the kingdom. In that case, the poison probably indicates that existence.”
The first prince, or the king, or the princess, or all of them.
“A being who moved from body to body and took control of the highest and deepest parts of the kingdom. The first madman.”
Ayla said.
“And, the ancient kingdom…”
A moment’s hesitation.
Ayla realized that the constraints of the maxim did not bind her. ‘You knew it, after all.’ He muttered and smiled.
“The dethroned prince of the ancient kingdom of Arcadia.”
Rania opened her eyes wide.
Ayla has access to information that would otherwise be inaccessible. No, it wasn’t just that. Ayla’s words were not yet finished, and information that even Rania could not reach flowed from her mouth.
“The poison of the kingdom, Acrita Clen Arcadia.”
The name that was erased by the stars.
It flowed from the mouth of a child loved by the stars.
“I have identified the location where the true body is.”
fantasy,
