Shadows Converge on the Royal Ball
The first day of the grand palace ball hosted by the Carbon Kingdom had dawned. In the still bluish morning light, amid the clamor of streets bustling from the crack of dawn, one woman rose from her bed.
"Yaaawn."
Rubbing her eyes, she threw open the window to peer outside the moment she got up. Beneath the clock tower, endless processions stretched toward the palace in the distance, tiny as dots. Luxurious carriages that screamed wealth and elegance dotted the scene everywhere. And right now, her eyes sparkled brighter than ever.
"Today's the day we hit it big, Selin. This chance won't come twice. Got it?"
Muttering to herself with a sly grin, the woman quickly washed up in the bathroom and flung open her wardrobe to gather her gear for the day. Whip, leather outfit, black mask, cat-paw-like black shoes. Plus a vial of special poison and a sheath for her dagger. She laid it all out on the floor, inspecting each piece meticulously—until her lips suddenly curled into a pout.
"Ugh, I've put on weight lately. Will my ass even fit in this?"
She picked up the black leather suit with both hands, frowning as she stared at it. Annoying as it was, she had to try it on again and double-check if everything was perfect. Why? Because today was the one chance to flip her entire life upside down.
The only day she'd been waiting for her whole career!
According to pricey intel she'd recently bought from the guild, the most expensive dress among those worn by the VIP guests at today's palace ball was worth over 100,000 gold. Just a dress! And if you factored in the jewels they'd brought to adorn themselves, give as gifts, or show off? The total value was beyond imagination. Snatch just a few, and she'd be set for life!
Yes. The woman now slipping into the skin-tight leather outfit, checking every curve of her protruding figure, was a thief. No—a thief among thieves among thieves! Selina, nicknamed Nightcat, was the ace of Carbon Kingdom's most infamous thieves' guild and took pride in calling herself a master thief.
She glanced out the window while inspecting her gear.
Not yet. The crowds were still swarming. The perfect moment to infiltrate was when the throng outside the palace had thinned to a tenth of this.
"Not yet."
Rustle.
She pulled out the palace floor plan she'd recently acquired and reviewed her escape routes and infiltration paths one more time.
And she wasn't the only one eyeing this chance among those not invited to Carbon Kingdom's massive palace ball. Beneath the impeccably constructed streets of the capital—
Drip, drip. In the vast underground sewer chamber where water fell steadily from the ceiling, a man walked the left passage following the flow.
Dressed in utterly ordinary clothes with an utterly ordinary face, he was Carbon Kingdom's most wanted assassin, with the highest bounty on his head.
The palace ball. An event glorious enough to draw out even reclusive targets who never showed their faces otherwise. Naturally, it was a magnet for criminals like him.
And that was just the start. Scammers dressed in their priciest outfits to fleece the crowds. Human scum out to strip their lovers bare under the guise of romance. They all flocked here.
Of course, not everyone was like that. On the sunlit streets of the capital, with the palace in plain view—
Instructors from decent academies scouting promising young talent. Ambitious entrepreneurs hungry for big connections and business deals. All sorts gathered here.
In short, this place drew everyone from the shadows and the light alike. The heart of Carbon Kingdom's capital. Invited nobles and uninvited alike, foreigners and locals fleecing them—endless lines snaked through the streets like a parade from morning on...
Chatter, chatter. People gathered by the fountain near the capital gawked and buzzed at every passing procession.
"Check out that flag! White skull!"
"Skull Guild came all this way? They must hire adventurers like crazy if they're this loaded."
"Arkina Swordsmanship Academy flag too!"
"Over there! Wyvern! A wyvern rider! Oh, war hero makes sense."
"Yellow Alchemist's here."
"Wait, is that a golem? Everyone and their dog showed up."
The locals come to spectate were feasting their eyes. Famous figures they'd only heard rumors about paraded by like scenes from myth, entourages and underlings in tow. Giant wagons with massive wheels hauled rare monsters for show, while some strutted with tamed beasts or summoned familiars.
But the invitees weren't limited to show-offs. Famous merchant caravans rolled in with dozens of gem-studded wagons. Bards played sweet harps from carriages. Circus performers struck dramatic poses on horseback.
"Palace balls really are something else."
"Biggest since the East-West War, right?"
"Yeah."
These crowds gathering like clouds were renowned nobles or forces with real talent in some niche. This ball was a social hub where leaders mingled to boost prestige and swap intel. Not just Carbon Kingdom—duchies, kingdoms, and big names from across the continent flooded the capital, drawing envious stares from the masses.
"........."
Someone in a high room inside the inner citadel muttered as they gazed at the distant procession beyond the moat from their window.
"Bunch of nobodies."
Haa. Ivan Hellenger stared boredly out the window and thought.
Why invite all these randos?
The people queuing outside the inner gates were all small fry. The kingdom reserved inner citadel VIP suites for diplomats and special guests. Sure, ball invitees got rooms too—but those were for regular entry starting today. This spacious, antique VIP suite where Ivan lounged let him arrive a day early and relax.
To Ivan, those scrambling in line weren't worth his time.
We could've just done it among ourselves...
The inner citadel had multiple buildings stacked with VIP suites, so plenty of big shots were resting above and below right now. Not just Ivan, the next Swordmaster.
The mighty Northern Duke. Zuen Duchy’s second prince. Iron Horse Mercenary leader, top mercs on the continent. The world’s greatest dancer. The summoner famous for her beauty and quirks. Simona, whose invite certified her status. Legendary adventurer and beast hunter with no unfinished quests. The sibling merchants dubbed the continent’s top guild...
Plus elites from noble houses worth remembering. These were the people Ivan deemed superiors, the ones he craved ties with.
And his goal at this ball? Bask in the spotlight before them.
For that, he needed one person...
"Tch."
Ivan scowled irritably.
"Why hasn’t she shown? Where is she?"
He meant Karina. She was key to spreading the vibe that he’d conquered Monster Island throughout the event.
"Ugh, so lazy!"
He’d asked her first, yet here he was fuming. Tearing his eyes from the window, he flopped onto the bed.
So he missed it.
The massive figure—huge even for a human—stepping into place at the tail end of that endless line stretching far beyond the inner walls.
"Whoooaa."
He’d just arrived.
"Hans, not nervous?"
"Hahaha! As if."
The man who could shatter Ivan Hellenger’s fake hero tale right here.