Chapter 307 Banquet

Even with his helmet masking his facial expression, the Silver Helmet Knight still felt his face frozen. Despite being a wanted criminal and the leader of the largest rebel group in the Silver Iris Empire, the black-haired youth stood among the civilians as if it was natural, relaxed, as if he truly owned this land.

What made the Silver Helmet Knight break out in a cold sweat was the figure hidden under the cloak beside him—the "god" who destroyed all twelve Silver Helmet Knights with just one encounter.

The hem of the opponent's cloak seemed to sway slightly, and the silver-helmeted knight suddenly took a step back, his hand subconsciously placed on the hilt of the sword at his waist, and even his breathing stopped.

"Invitation." With his nerves highly tense, he seemed to hear a voice ringing in his ear without any fluctuation.

...What? The Silver Helmet Knight was stunned for a moment, then realized that the being hadn't attacked him—it was just the ghost extending a hand toward him, as if it was a matter of course.

The rebel leader was relaxed, but he acted as if he was facing a great enemy... Damn it, anyone with a discerning eye could see that he was showing weakness in front of the royal enemies. The hateful fools were peeking at him and whispering to each other, probably discussing his gaffe.

Nova simply took the exquisite invitation from the person and quickly looked through it. He was not worried about the invitation itself having any tricks. The queen would not do such a meaningless thing.

"I agreed." The black-haired young man said coldly.

This answer seemed to relieve the Silver Helmet Knight. He paid no attention to the Ghost's arrogant and disrespectful attitude. Instead, he stiffly climbed onto his horse and hurried away as if fleeing, as if staying there for even a second longer would mean he would be completely devoured by something.

"Are you really going to Kite Heart Palace?" As soon as the figure of the Silver Helmet Knight disappeared from sight, Fina asked anxiously in a low voice: "I've heard that the king, queen, and many nobles will be in attendance at the dinner for this festival. It must be very dangerous tonight! Maybe, maybe they will take the opportunity to set up ambushes to capture you..."

"The Queen invited the president of the Oakensale Society." The professor casually handed the invitation to Azuka beside him. "This means she won't take action openly, at least not tonight."

Furthermore, the Queen knew of Azuka's existence, so she wouldn't be so foolish as to risk completely angering the gods by doing something so foolish that the benefits far outweigh the costs. Even if there were other people who couldn't see the situation clearly and whose minds were not clear...

"Don't worry." The black-haired young man said calmly, "It's still uncertain who will be in danger tonight."

…

The God's Day dinner was held as usual at Yuanxin Palace. In the magnificent hall, a dazzling crystal chandelier illuminated the entire hall as if it were daytime. The image of the gods feasting on the banquet hall's dome came alive. Silver knives and forks gleamed on the long table. Countless candlelight flickered in carved candlesticks, casting a flowing golden rim on the mithril armor of the silver-helmeted knight standing behind the throne.

The air was thick with the scent of luxurious incense. Messengers shuttled through the halls, carrying gilded trays laden with fine wines from around the world. Court musicians played melodious tunes, and guests, dressed in splendid attire, seemed completely oblivious to the awkwardness of the day. They gathered in twos and threes, elegantly toasting their glasses and smiling softly. The jewels on their female companions clashed with the crowd, especially the enormous sapphire around the neck of Duke Camus's wife, said to be large enough to buy an entire navy.

A noble hid the sneer on his lips with his wine glass. "I simply cannot imagine that... that 'ghost' would actually be invited to a dinner by Her Majesty the Queen."

"May the God of Light bless you," another person snorted mockingly. "I really hope that gentleman can arrive safely at Yuanxin Palace. Otherwise, this dinner party will definitely be much less fun."

The son of a viscount who betrayed his family, the leader of a rebel party, the savior of the untouchables and slaves, the only place suitable for him was prison and gallows, but now he had to step on this exquisite and intricate wool carpet with the distinguished silver-blooded nobles. The thought of it was disgusting.

Their "queen," who had once lived and ate with wild beasts, had only this much foresight. She was actually frightened to her knees and begged for mercy by such a thing. Women are women indeed. Although it was a loss of face for the royal family, many of the noble Silver-Blooded nobility were still extremely dissatisfied that such a lowly person was even worthy of attending the banquet.

Amidst low laughter and echoes, Duke Kamu glanced indifferently at this group of foolish nobles and slowly took a sip of the wine in his glass.

A bunch of idiots.

These men, their brains corrupted by wine and women, had no idea what lay behind the ghost. They had also completely forgotten that the queen, who had once silenced them with her thunderous tactics, was a woman of limited knowledge. But their queen was indeed courageous... What exactly was that woman planning?

The central figure of the topic arrived almost on time. The moment the black-haired young man entered the banquet hall, even the band's melody subtly paused for a moment.

Countless gazes shot out like sharp arrows, expressions of astonishment, disgust, inquiry, and fear... fixed firmly on the guest who seemed out of place at the palace banquet, attempting to pierce him to pieces. No one sincerely welcomed the abrupt black figure, but the young man simply stood at the doorway, raised his gaze, and slowly scanned the room with his smoky gray eyes. Many people held their breath and looked away in embarrassment at his gaze.

The most disturbing thing was the figure beside him, wearing a cloak and with no visible face.

The invitation requested formal attire, and as the son of a viscount, Nova was well versed in aristocratic etiquette. Banquets were social occasions, and even for men, the sophistication of their attire, the current fashion trends, and even the subtle details of cufflinks and lapel pins were all crucial indicators of subtle comparison. Inappropriate attire would undoubtedly draw ridicule and even erode the family's standing, bringing disgrace to the family.

Professor Naihe was not very interested in participating in this boring game of comparison.

"Just be decent." He ruthlessly rejected Fina's offer to fine-tune the theater's most expensive suit for the lead actor's performance as an emergency measure. Now that she was no longer worried about his safety, the girl had become inexplicably enthusiastic about dressing him up. She pursed her lips at the refusal, looking as if she couldn't wait for him to dazzle everyone at the palace banquet, like Cinderella in her crystal slippers.

His "fairy godmother" looked very indulgent. She gently praised him for looking good in everything he wore and coaxed him to change the way he tied his bow tie and the color of his cufflinks. The professor, who always felt that this guy was taking the opportunity to toy with him, glanced at him coldly.

As a Natalinite accustomed to the company of dragons, the Savior's daily clothing was primarily designed to facilitate movement, or else completely concealed beneath a long cloak. Fortunately, as a "Princess" who meticulously groomed her hair, she had always had a good sense of taste, or perhaps a beautiful face, which allowed her to make anything she wore sparkle.

Thinking back to the mysterious, majestic, and exotic, fantastical outfit he'd worn when they'd first met, which clearly showed he was a religious leader, the professor suddenly realized that he'd only seen him wearing it once or twice in the valley. Later, he'd changed into something more comfortable, and even later, he'd crossed his own boundaries and covered him with "rags"...

...So back in Asachi Valley, this person dressed up specially in order to meet him?

"Generally speaking, the 'companions' you need to bring to this kind of dinner are usually female companions." The professor said expressionlessly, but Azuka was able to see a hint of mischief in the expressionless face of her old enemy.

"You mean you want me to wear women's clothes?" The Savior raised his eyebrows in feigned surprise. He actually thought about it seriously for a moment: "Well, if you have such a fetish, it's not impossible... But I'd rather show it to you alone in private."

He had no interest in having a bunch of disgusting nobles staring at his face. It was really boring to endure the killing intent when he couldn't just go on a killing spree.

"...What I mean is, if we must strictly follow aristocratic etiquette, neither you nor I are dressed properly, so stop messing with my bow tie." Nova's mouth twitched uncontrollably. "And I don't have this habit, so don't slander me."

Leaving aside these chaotic incidents, the professor was very satisfied to find that his timing was perfect. Almost the second after he and Azuka arrived, the horn sounded, and Cassius II and Esmerel entered the banquet hall, accompanied by waiters.

All the nobles stood up and bowed their heads to the King and Queen. This made the Ghost and his companion stand out. The former merely nodded nonchalantly, while the latter went even further—not even moving.

Countless astonished eyes suddenly focused on the two audacious individuals. Cassius II was drunk again, his face flushed, and he seemed to be in a trance. The nobles, long accustomed to the king's absurd behavior, did not expect him to react. However, the queen, known for her cruelty and tyranny, had undoubtedly seen it, but her sharp, cold face showed no emotion at all.

If someone wanted to take the opportunity to curry favor with the queen, they should have reprimanded him for his disrespect. However, the extremely strange atmosphere at the scene made the nobles who were very good at judging the situation shut up - no one spoke for a while, and the atmosphere was almost suffocating.

The queen's golden eyes, as ferocious and bright as a wild beast, rushed straight into the ghost's cold and clear smoky gray eyes without hesitation. The latter looked at her calmly across the crowd, as if two clusters of cold and eternal fires were burning against each other, eroding the spheres of power and thinking represented by both sides.

Finally, I saw you in person.

Esmerel's lips moved slightly, chewing the name silently.

...Nova.