Chapter 190: The Last Banquet In The Empire (1)
Rays life didnt change much during his additional week at the imperial court.
After meals, he buried himself in the library, reading books.
Since the library was exclusive to the empire, he decided it was best to take advantage of it and read as much as possible.
As he quietly read, someone approached him.
Are you here again today?
Turning his head, he saw Princess Celia.
She brought her book to the seat next to him and said, somewhat surprised,
You really like books, dont you?
Theres nothing else to do.
Why not go outside, as the Emperor suggested?
Eh, whats there to do outside? Lounging inside is the best.
Despite calling it lounging, he diligently read.
Princess Celia murmured in response to his words,
Thats true. Reading does provide comfort.
Sensing something unsettled in her words, Ray asked,
Do you need some comfort?
Considering the state of the imperial court, yes.
She smiled awkwardly, as if embarrassed by her admission.
After all, she was also a member of the imperial family.
Is there another issue?
An issue? The nobles are gathering, somewhat strangely
Ray tilted his head at Celias words.
It wasnt unusual for nobles to gather, especially during a time of intensified power struggles. Even under house arrest, there would be those wanting to align with the royals.
But it seemed she was worried about more than just their gathering.
They must be up to something.
Yes, but I dont know what yet. I just hope its not another big problem
Even under house arrest, theyre still plotting.
Thats true.
But Celia knew that, yet she couldnt easily dismiss the anxiety she felt.
Facing unknown threats is also a role of the imperial court, even though the cause may lie within the court itself
Do you have any good ideas?
Not really But we need to know what theyre planning to prepare, dont we?
Staying here reading wont change anything.
Ray spoke seriously, unlike his usual demeanor.
Get a grip. Its good to find solace in books, but now is the time to act. Youre an imperial princess, arent you? You must protect your own country.
Celia hesitated for a moment.
Can I really do well?
I dont know. But staying here reading wont make things better.
I see.
Realizing something from his words, Celia began to muster her resolve, little by little.
Someone couldnt always protect the empire for her.
Hoping for a savior or a miracle wouldnt bring growth.
Thinking about it, she had always comforted herself by reading, but how often had she actually taken action?
Celia clenched her fist.
I cant run away!
She had been avoiding confronting those who could brutally kill their siblings, but she couldnt do that anymore.
No, this cant be allowed to continue.
If the imperial family falls any further, the empire itself will cease to exist.
In fact, there are quite a few cases of kingdoms falling due to power struggles.
Even though the empire is considered the strongest nation, there is no guarantee that it wont fall due to a power struggle.
Pull yourself together.
These words kept circling in the princesss mind.
She felt ashamed of herself for having only run away until now.
Encouraged by the harsh words, the princess bowed her head.
I feel relieved. Thank you.
Ray, noticing her dramatically changed demeanor, dropped his serious expression and smirked.
Thank you for what? I havent done anything.
Ray disliked being fussed over.
Therefore, he regarded the wealth and glory that emperors and nobles offered him as less valuable than a stone rolling on the road.
The royal family was no exception.
He would willingly accept a word of thanks, but that was all.
However, to Princess Celia, this appeared as modesty.
To dismiss the princesss thanks as if it were nothing How can someone so young be so modest? Hes different from the usual noble offspring who only know how to promote themselves.
Princess Celia was firmly under a misconception.
The one who disliked being fussed over was even considering giving up his useless divine power and quitting his role as the saint.
Moreover, he really liked being praised. He had never been born with anything like modesty or humility.
Unaware of his true feelings, she smiled happily.
I shall take my leave now.
Ray, who saw no one in the imperial family as normal except for the emperor and this princess, thought that from then on, she would have to navigate these matters alone, and words of encouragement spontaneously slipped out.
Be strong.
I will. Ho ho ho.
Bold movements continued within the imperial family.
The provincial nobles, who had until then feigned ignorance, began to gather in the capital one by one, and the central nobles welcomed them, gradually increasing their forces.
Though divided into factions, the gathering nobles each had their own agendas.
Surprisingly, the prince who held the most influence at that moment was this prince.
Thanks to numerous bribes released by a princess, the nobles were already leaning towards supporting this prince.
And as his power began to grow, even the nobles who were watching the situation joined his side.
In terms of the number of nobles he possessed, he had already surpassed a certain prince.
But the current emperor was not called the iron-blooded ruler for nothing.
He had already prepared a countermeasure for this situation.
No matter how much the nobles increased their power and waged a succession war, they could not disobey the successor designated by the emperor without a clear reason.
Moreover, except for this princess, all were under house arrest.
If they were to argue back, there were dozens of prepared responses to counter them.
However, the emperor had overlooked something.
While their ultimate goal was indeed to seize the emperors throne, their current objective was different.
An imperial banquet was held in Rays honor in the palace lobby.
Many nobles were gathered, with a significant turnout.
Among them, the nobles who had scattered after a certain princes death were particularly noticeable.
Those previously aligned with the prince were now desperately seeking new alliances, which was evident at the banquet.
Without a new ally, they risked disfavor from the future emperor, making their desperation understandable.
The emperor stood from his high seat and announced,
Tomorrow, the saint will be leaving the empire! I hope that everyone here will not forget the grace the saint has bestowed upon us!
As he raised his glass, the nobles did the same.
After the emperor sipped, everyone toasted.
Only then did the banquet fully commence.
Ray approached the emperor and casually said,
Didnt you spend more on this banquet than on the martial arts festival?
The banquet was exceptionally lavish.
Renowned musicians played, and even the imperial garden served as part of the venue, a scale unimaginable for most kingdoms.
The emperor laughed heartily.
The saint is departing. Shouldnt we at least show this much respect to the Holy Kingdom?
It was more about persuading the determined saint to stay than saving face.
Aware of the emperors intent, Ray chuckled softly.
Thanks for the banquet. Its nice to enjoy one after so long. Oh, and
He searched his pocket.
He withdrew a piece of fine parchment with burn marks and meticulous script.
As the emperor looked on curiously, Ray continued,
This is a contract written in mana by the Wyvern Lord. As long as the empire doesnt provoke the wyverns first, there wont be any sudden attacks.
Handing over the parchment, the emperor took it with trembling hands.
This What is this Wyvern Lord? What does that mean
Dealing with the wyverns had been a long-standing issue for the empire.
The conflict between the two species had been ongoing for hundreds of years and was not easily resolved.
Was it really the saint, not even a member of the empire, who had solved this?
Faced with this unbelievable reality, the emperor looked at the parchment several times.
If what Ray said was true, and wyvern attacks ceased, trade routes under the Wyvern Mountains could be used, drastically reducing costs and ensuring safety.
Moreover, with many traders using the Wyvern Mountains route, the capital would become even more lively.
What the saint had done was not only eliminate the wyverns irregular attacks, saving unnecessary military expenditure but also safely open up an unused trade route.
In some ways, this was an even greater feat than curing the emperor.
The emperor looked at Ray with a mix of astonishment and awe.
Please keep this a secret. When I return to the Holy Kingdom, Ill get scolded for meddling in other countries affairs.
As if already hearing the scolding, he idly fiddled with his ear.
Whose words would I dare defy! Yes, it must be kept secret! Utterly confidential!
The emperor had already become his devoted follower.
He suddenly stood up.
I shouldnt be idling here! Thank you, saint. I will never forget this debt, not even if a lifetime passes!
He wished the emperor would just forget it.
With those words, the emperor, accompanied by a few nobles, headed out, probably to deal with the newly opened Wyvern Mountains.
As the emperor left, the nobles began to move more actively.
Young nobles conversed in groups, while the older ones gathered with familiar faces to forge connections.
Princess Celia, too, made an effort, mingling and chatting with them.
There were no longer any concerns.
Now, it was up to the emperor and Celia to lead well.
Maybe its time to head in.
With that thought, he set down his glass.
But the nobles wouldnt just let the saint be.
As he quietly turned to leave, several figures approached him.
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