Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Chapter 5: The Banquet Beckoning Death (1)
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After hearing Gestain's response, I headed to the reception room alongside the Azure Tower Lord. Two Imperial Knights tried to follow, but I raised a hand to stop them.
With a high mage at the pinnacle of his art by my side, the Imperial Knights didn't insist on close protection.
We arrived at the reception room. Risefield Dior was the first to draw up his mana, sealing off any sound from leaking out.
It really struck me how convenient magic could be in moments like this.
"Do you intend to assign all of them to the Imperial Guard?"
His voice carried a grave tone. Instead of replying, I nodded in affirmation, and the Azure Tower Lord's expression hardened.
"If it were just Sir Gestain, that might be one thing, but incorporating every survivor of the Frost Shield Knight Order into the Imperial Guard... the Mountain Duke won't stand for it idly."
The Mountain Duke was the nickname of the northern grand duke who had used and discarded high knights like Gestain and the Frost Shield Knight Order.
Risefield Dior's point was valid, but Raymond, who knew what was to come, remained composed.
"The Mountain Duke won't have time to concern himself with this."
"May I ask what gives you such certainty?"
I stared at Risefield Dior as he posed the question calmly.
His expression was rigidly set, so it seemed a brief explanation was in order.
"Trouble will erupt in the north soon. The Mountain Duke will have all his attention fixed on the northern border."
According to the setting collection of the novel Empire of the Dead, the Haipel Empire would soon provoke the border, leaving the north in turmoil for a while.
'Even the Mountain Duke won't have the luxury to look elsewhere.'
He might be the grand duke of the Philius Empire, but the distant Haipel Empire to the far north was an overwhelming threat.
"I see."
The Azure Tower Lord didn't pry into the source of my information. Not that I planned to answer honestly even if he did.
And so, a few days passed. In that time, much had changed.
The verified survivors of the Frost Shield Knight Order were officially assigned to the Imperial Guard.
Some of the Imperial Knights returned to the imperial palace, replaced by the Imperial Guard.
Alex had compiled the list of Imperial Knights sent back to the palace, prioritizing those who appeared to be the 3rd Prince's close associates based on testimonies from Gestain and the Imperial Guard knights.
For Raymond, the departure of the 3rd Prince's lackeys was reason enough to rejoice.
"Your Highness the 5th Prince, the banquet is tonight."
Alex reported as soon as I returned from my dawn mana cultivation.
The commemorative banquet for the great victory was already upon us. Chuckling at how quickly time flew, I changed in my bedchamber.
"The carriage is ready."
"And the Azure Tower Lord?"
I asked Alex. When we weren't alone, I used his title instead of "old man."
"He received a formal invitation to the banquet, so he's arriving via a different route."
There was a separate entrance for those formally invited to the banquet, not just attendants.
"Then I'll leave my protection to the Imperial Guard."
"We will escort Your Highness the 5th Prince safely."
Gestain's voice rang out as he approached unnoticed. Behind him stood ten knights in light armor. Ten had remained at the 5th Prince's Palace, while the other half accompanied us.
"Impressive."
"Don't forget about me."
A clear voice chimed in from behind the carriage, accompanied by a golden-haired beauty in a blue robe.
She lightly lifted the hem of her robe and curtsied.
"Senior mage of the Azure Tower, Desia Heli. I join Your Highness the 5th Prince's Imperial Guard."
'A senior mage, high knights, and ten elite knights who defended the northern border against the Haipel Empire... Overkill for a wastrel's escort.'
But it didn't matter. From today onward, the wastrel's stigma would fade.
It was a commemorative banquet for the empire's great war victory, even if the empire was said to be in decline.
With the primary goal of proclaiming the empire's enduring strength after the imperial palace assault, the banquet began in splendor.
To prevent any unsavory repeats like the palace attack, a large contingent of guards was stationed around the venue.
The nobles, entering ahead of the emperor and imperial family, clustered by faction or age group, engaging in idle chatter.
Their topics varied, but talk of the 5th Prince dominated.
"I hear His Highness the 5th Prince has changed a great deal lately."
"Yes, they've cut back on drinking and are focusing on mana cultivation."
"That's a relief. A blessing for the imperial house."
The conversations were more decorous than expected. Imperial Knights stationed throughout the venue likely enforced a baseline of courtesy.
In a gathering of nobles alone, "wastrel" would have slipped out easily.
Though not outright insults, whenever the 5th Prince came up, nobles busied themselves subtly undermining him.
"His Highness the 3rd Prince is entering!"
The entrance grew noisy as the 3rd Prince arrived with over ten Imperial Guard members.
True to his backing by the Crimson Tower and Imperial Tower, more than half his guard were mages. The rest appeared to be knights from the mage towers.
"Mages from the Crimson Tower and Imperial Tower."
"Fitting for His Highness the 3rd Prince."
"The Azure Tower still hasn't committed."
"They have no imperial backer anyway. Dragging their feet won't do them any good."
The nobles whispered, but those openly displaying such behavior were minor nobles distant from power struggles. True high nobles remained silent.
The 3rd Prince's procession ended. He proceeded deep into the hall toward his supporters.
Next came the 1st Prince, his guard entirely composed of formidable knights befitting military support.
Following him, the 2nd Prince entered with his Imperial Guard, all exuding a dark aura.
"No sign of Her Highness the 4th Princess."
"She's unwell and recuperating."
The nobles conversed. The 4th Princess had been frail since childhood, rarely appearing at official events.
"His Highness the 5th Prince is entering!"
The herald announced loudly.
"The 5th Prince?"
"It's been five years."
The 5th Prince, absent from public view for five years, suddenly appearing? Nobles turned toward the entrance, doubting their ears.
The doors opened, and the 5th Prince entered. But he was different from five years ago.
"Was His Highness the 5th Prince always so robust?"
Three months of grueling training had burned away the fat—what else could be expected?
"Does the 5th Prince even have an Imperial Guard?"
Someone voiced the question laced with doubt.
No one truly followed the wastrel 5th Prince loyally. Rumors abounded that he lacked even proper retainers, let alone a guard.
"Probably scraped together some mercenary riffraff."
A capital noble, aligned with the 3rd Prince, muttered with contempt loud enough for those around to hear.
His boldness stemmed from the 3rd Prince's protection—perhaps even an attempt to impress by disparaging the 5th Prince before others.
Due to the wastrel image, most nodded in agreement.
"I doubted the rumors of the 5th Prince forming an Imperial Guard, but to bring knights superior to those of prominent noble houses..."
"Their presence alone sets them apart—they're battle-hardened veterans."
Unlike the capital nobles, those from the north, bordering the Haipel Empire, instantly recognized the caliber of the knights arrayed behind the 5th Prince.
"The woman behind the 5th Prince is a senior mage."
"To think he commands such talent..."
Mage tower affiliates also identified Desia Heli's level.
Per the 5th Prince's order not to conceal her mana before entering, Desia had complied fully.
A senior mage was a talent too costly for small territories to afford.
Her youth, combined with loyally following the 5th Prince, drew intense scrutiny from mage tower representatives.
"What good are fine retainers? The 5th Prince has no faction. Even His Majesty the Emperor won't pay him much mind. It'll be a lonely banquet."
Someone remarked.
'Sorry, but that won't happen.'
I smirked and pressed on.
Thanks to his exceptional retainers and transformed appearance, the wastrel stigma had lessened somewhat.
Yet contemptuous gazes lingered, rooted in ingrained perceptions.
'The wastrel is gone. I am the empire's 5th Prince.'
Confidence filled my steps, my followers striding with chests out, as if declaring they would follow the 5th Prince regardless of stares.
As we passed the hall's center, a figure appeared before us.
Nobles who recognized him gasped.
"Isn't that the Azure Tower Lord?"
"Azure Tower Lord Risefield Dior? Why is he approaching the 5th Prince...?"
The sudden shift caught everyone off guard.
When the Mage Tower Alliance backed the 3rd Prince, the Azure Tower alone declared neutrality.
Now approaching the 5th Prince?
"Looks like bad blood with the 5th Prince."
"Yes! Probably here to publicly humiliate him."
Minor nobles speculated. High nobles shook their heads, thinking differently.
"Something's afoot that we don't know."
"The prudent Azure Tower Lord wouldn't act without reason."
"He's decided to back the 5th Prince."
They were right. Unlike petty nobles who loved idle gossip, the elite analyzed coolly.
"The Azure Tower's power isn't to be trifled with..."
"Things are getting interesting."
Among the Mage Tower Alliance, the Crimson Tower ranked first, Azure Tower second, Imperial Tower third.
The second power aligning with the 5th Prince would ignite the imperial succession struggle.
Amid focused attention, the Azure Tower Lord spoke.
"Your Highness the 5th Prince, may we escort you to the seats we've prepared?"
The hall fell silent. Everyone grasped the implication.
In this official setting, it meant pledging support.
Now only the 5th Prince's response remained. All eyes turned to him.
"I accept the Azure Tower's gracious offer."
The hall erupted once more.
The Azure Tower's official alignment with the 5th Prince was sealed.
Risefield Dior led us to where the Azure Tower elders had gathered—Philid was absent.
As I stepped among them, the elders bowed courteously and stepped back, naturally creating space for me.
"Your Highness the 5th Prince, how does it feel to draw all the nobles' attention?"
A chuckle escaped at the Azure Tower Lord's playful question.
"Not bad at all."
I nodded, replying in a steady voice. After five years, the spotlight had returned.
Even now, I could feel the nobles' gazes upon me.
Pretending to converse with the Azure Tower Lord, I quickly scanned the surroundings with sidelong glances.
Not grand dukes, but mid-tier nobles without strong ties lurked nearby, eyeing opportunities.
'No real prospects here.'
They hadn't aligned elsewhere out of disloyalty—simply lack of ability.
They'd offer little help. I scanned again hopefully, but nothing changed.
'Does this mean I still have to take the initiative?'
My eyes cooled.
They wouldn't approach first. Likely waiting for me to initiate from a visible spot.
'Guess that's it for now.'
Grand dukes showed interest, but just that. I hadn't yet earned overtures.
'But after tonight, everything changes.'
I knew the emperor would appear today, and at midnight, an event would unfold that would reshape the empire's history.
"Azure Tower Lord, remember when I asked why you were rushing the Imperial Guard formation?"
I addressed Risefield Dior, avoiding "old man" with Azure Tower affiliates and guards present.
"Yes, I remember."
"I'll tell you the reason now."
I held up three fingers.
"In three hours, this banquet hall will come under attack."