Chapter 108
'This feeling…'
Princess Serciarin was startled, and she trembled amidst the silence.
“It’s him!”
“Yes? What is it, Your Highness?”
Princess Serciarin’s personal maid, Ellen, turned to stare at her in astonishment.
Princess Serciarin was the one who abruptly stood up and stared at a specified location.
A rare frown appeared on Kiser’s face as he asked, “Baron Joshua Sanders?”
“Your Highness, he’s a reserve battalion commander of the Imperial Knights Order.”
“Ah!”
Kiser exclaimed upon hearing Baron Hughes' voice next to him.
“Yes! You’re that talented knight! You will also represent our empire in the next Reinhardt Martial Arts Competition…” Kiser trailed off as if he had forgotten his words. He tilted his head before saying, “By the way… I’ve never seen you around. I mean, I should have seen you because the Imperial Palace isn’t that big…”
Seeing that, Baron Hughes explained, “Unlike the top battalions, the 11th and 12th Battalions patrol the outer regions of the palace. Baron Joshua is in charge of those battalions. Furthermore, he has only been mobilized for exterior dispatch operations for the previous three years since enlisting, so seeing him for the first time isn't unreasonable.”
“Ah, I see.” Kiser stroked his chin and nodded in response to Baron Hughes' words. “Anyway, it is a privilege to meet a famed person like you.”
“Likewise, it is an honor to meet Your Highness.”
Prince Kiser expression then turned stiff before saying, “By the way, what did you mean when you said that she already has a partner?”
“It means precisely what I said, Your Highness. Lady Charles has already agreed to dance with me. That's all there is to it.”
“...!”
Kiser glanced at Charles with a questioning look. Charles seemed overwhelmed as she said, “I mean, yes… kind of…”
“How impudent of you, Baron Joshua!”
A loud voice reverberated from a corner of the banquet hall. The speaker seemed like they had been waiting for Charles' response.
The speaker was Gehog, and he stomped his way over to Kiser before paying his respects.
“I extend my heartfelt greetings, and I am very sorry for the rude interruption.”
“Oh, Gehog! It has been a long time since we saw each other!”
Kiser was genuinely happy to see Gehog. It was only natural because the Crombell Family was a good friend of His First Highness. They were basically one of his supporters, so he was willing to forgive Gehog’s rude interruption just now.
After greeting His First Highness, Gehog turned to Joshua right away and said, “How dare you steal the spotlight from His First Highness when this banquet is to celebrate his birthday?”
Joshua stared at Gehog for a moment before laughing.
“You’re laughing?”
“I was just worried about His First Highness’ honor…” said Joshua.
“What are you talk—?” Gehog asked with a frown.
Joshua interrupted and explained, “So many people are watching, yet you’re actually trying to pressure someone else’s partner for His First Highness. Should I give you a compliment, then?”
Gehog's eyes widened at the realization.
“Haaah.”
Even Kiser let out a low sigh.
Joshua was right. The opinions of others were important in times like these. After all, Minor bad rumors could accumulate to become fatal for Kiser, who was still in the midst of a successor war.
“Lady Charles, will you really dance with Baron Joshua?”
“Ah…” Princess Charles carefully avoided Kiser's eyes and answered in a low voice, “Please accept my apologies—yes, I will be Baron Joshua’s partner.”
“Ah…” Kiser sighed in disappointment.
Joshua walked over to Gehog and patted him on the shoulder with a grin.
“If you truly know what it means to be rude, then better mind your own business. You don’t want to end up like them that day, do you?”
“I…” Gehog's face turned red as soon as he realized the meaning behind Joshua’s words.
With that done, Joshua turned to Kiser and bowed. “I would not have get Lady Charles to be my partner if I knew you wanted her to be your partner in advance. Please accept my apologies.”
“Oh, no. It should be me who should apologize for being impolite.”
Kiser had no idea what to do after seeing Joshua apologize just like that.
Who could have guessed that it would turn out like this?
‘I don’t usually care, but…’
Kiser sighed and parted his pink lips to say, “I need a partner for the next banquet, so I’m hoping that the lady will accept my request next time.”
“Ah.” Charles' face blushed when she heard the words 'next banquet'. “I…That would be my honor.”
Kiser stared at Charles' ruby-like eyes for a moment before turning around. For some reason, His First Highness’ back seemed lonely and bleak as he slowly climbed up the imperial staircase once again.
“Now, shall we, Lady Charles?”
Joshua courteously extended his hand over to Charles.
“...”
Looking at Joshua's extended hand, Charles seemed like she was hesitating, but she still placed her hand on top of Joshua’s palm.
“Thank you for your assistance, but don't misunderstand.” Charles’ muttered gloomily.
Joshua’s smile turned deeper upon hearing that.
***?
He was a man with tan eyes and brown hair. He was 185 cm tall with a skinny frame, and he looked dreary and battered. The dark circles beneath his eyes had almost reached his cheeks, and he looked like he could barely carry his enormous two-handed sword.
“I’m finally here.”
The man shivered all over with emotion as he gazed at the Imperial Palace in front of him.
He looked like he had come from hell and back. He recalled the past five years. The promised goal had already been met, and he had finally escaped the reaper’s grip.
“I wonder how he will react when he sees me?”
‘Apparently, he’s supposed to be at His First Highness’ birthday banquet.’’
The man was sure that he was there to do his duties rather than to party. However, it didn’t really matter.
The man had other things on his mind to think about.
“I haven’t touched a woman for so long because of him, and I’m way past the age of marriage. However, he’s probably out there having a great dinner banquet with the ladies.” His clasped hands trembled. “This is treachery. A betrayal of a master to his servant.”
He was now twenty-eight years old. Other people his age would have had three or four children right now, but he had never even been in a relationship.
“Only God knows what I’m going to do to you after all this time, you bastard of a master...”
The man recalled the hardships he had to endure all these years, and he gnashed his teeth as the scenes flashed past his mind. After a while, he cautiously approached the gates of the Imperial Palace with gritted teeth.
“Stop right there!”
A knight exclaimed. He had been observing the man for quite a while now.
The knight was Ribery, the one Joshua had encountered five years ago.
Ribery had already become a team leader of the guards responsible for the gates.
“This is the Imperial Palace of the Avalon Empire, your identity has to be proven before you can be given entry—” Ribery’s words became stuck in his throat as he gasped.
The man approaching his way was wearing leather armor with a surcoat.
Due to the dust, it appeared hazy to the untrained eye, but it was crystal clear in Ribery’s eyes.
A red sword with a cross in the opposite direction…
“Stop! The homeless are not allowed here!” exclaimed another knight.
“What? This crazy—”
The man was forcibly awakened from his stupor, and he raised his head. His eyes glinted in a cold light that sent a shiver down Ribery’s spine.
However, it wasn’t really unreasonable to think that the man was a homeless person. After all, the man’s bedraggled leather armor was torn all over. On top of that, he was caked in dust, so anyone would be convinced that he was a homeless individual.
“Homeless?” the man muttered blankly.
However, Ribery screamed as loud as he could when he awakened from his daze.
“We greet the honorable knight of the Agnus Duchy!”
“Heok—”
The knight who shouted earlier was stupefied, and he let out a strange sound.
The man had just handed over to them a card with an insignia depicting an ink-black greatsword sitting in the heart of a hexagon-shaped plague.
Such imagery could only be seen in only one place throughout the Avalon Empire.
‘Man, this is bad.’
This was the second time now…
Tak, tak, tak…
The knights closed their eyes tightly as the man slowly approached them.
“I’m not homeless…”
The knights opened their eyes and almost jumped when they heard the man's voice from right next to them.
“I’m Cain, Duke Agnus’ knight.”
“Y-Yes! We greet you, Sir Cain.”
Cain stared at the stuttering knight for a moment before walking past him.
Cain eventually vanished from their eyes.
“I have told each and every one of you to think before you speak!”
“I’m really sorry!”
John, a new member of the Imperial Knights Order, was startled awake by Ribery’s yell and collapsed to his knees.
“What do you think could have happened if Sir Cain wasn’t magnanimous?”
“Yes, yes, yes, I apologize, sir!”
John cautiously raised his head after apologizing. However, he could vaguely hear from Ribery’s voice that he admired Sir Cain.
“How did you figure out Sir Cain’s identity before Sir Cain pulled out that card?”
“It’s an essential skill one needs to have to protect the Imperial Palace’s gates.”
“...!”
“I'm in awe, so in awe. Indeed, Captain Ribery, your experience as a knight is….”
John lifted his thumb up. Ribery seemed proud of himself for a moment before continuing. “Did you think I wouldn't have such skills when I was a newcomer like you. Having tact also takes talent!”
“No wonder you became the captain!”
The other knights were confused. Where did the tension from earlier go? One side seemed proud of himself, while the other was praising him.
“...”
Unbeknownst to them, there was someone else nearby.
“He’s here?”
The individual smiled softly with his back to the Imperial Palace. They had lustrous light blue hair that was unusually long it reached their waists. They seemed to have fallen into deep contemplation, but they eventually turned around and started strolling toward the Imperial Palace’s gates.
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