Chapter 308 Divine Grace
"Welcome everyone. We gather here to celebrate the birth of the gods."
The Queen of the Silver Iris Empire took the crystal glass from the waiter's tray. The wine swayed gently in the glass, like a flowing stream of bright red ruby. She raised her glass to the crowd from afar, her voice hoarse and rough, but no one dared to show any strange expression: "Silver Iris will always be blessed by God."
Regardless of what they were thinking, on the surface, everyone still raised their glasses and said in a deep voice, "Silver Iris will always be blessed by God."
"Tonight, there's a special guest in the Kite Heart Palace." The queen didn't seem to have the habit of talking too much. Her gaze lingered on the dark-haired young man, who stood out from the crowd. "The new president of the Oakenselle Society, the youngest president of the Third Council in history, and the compiler of 'Divine History'—Mr. Nova."
Yes, the other nobles couldn't help but exchange glances with each other secretly - he was the initiator of the Winter Judgment, the mastermind behind the rebellion and riots in the West, the leader of the People's Party, and a famous wanted criminal on the national list... Now, this criminal who deserved to be hanged a hundred or eighty times after being punished for multiple crimes was standing intact on the carpet of Yuanxin Palace, with a leisurely and relaxed posture, as if he was standing in front of the fireplace in his own living room.
Esmerel stepped down from the throne, stopping a step away from the ghost. Her sharp, bright golden eyes were like two burning cold flames. "Your arrival is truly... a pleasant surprise."
She took off her silk gloves and stretched out a hand, but not with the back of her hand facing up, indicating that the audience should kiss the distinguished lady's hand. The black-haired young man looked at the queen expressionlessly for a moment, then took off his own gloves and shook hands with the person.
"Thank you for your invitation," he said coldly.
In another world, politicians like to use handshakes to indicate their status and position. The queen's hand was so cold and strong that when she released it, bluish-white finger marks remained on the back of the black-haired young man's hand. Her palms and knuckles were covered with rough calluses, completely unlike the delicate and tender texture of an ordinary noblewoman.
He disdains formalities, is accustomed to relying on force to intimidate, is assertive and confident... and surprisingly, values him more than the "gods." Numerous judgments instantly surfaced in Nova's mind, and the queen herself was also rapidly assessing this young chosen one.
A young man... one who seemed completely out of place among the old guard in the royal court. He wasn't tactful or fickle, nor did he bother to pretend, seemingly unlike a qualified politician—yet it was this kind of man, this naive and stubborn madman, this astonishing genius, who, with something that had never existed before in this world, could attract countless people to risk their lives for him.
Esmerel had spent countless late nights meticulously studying and pondering the People's Party's ideology. While she scoffed at it, for a moment, even she couldn't help but sincerely wonder what the new world those slaves spoke of would be like. It was like when she'd huddled hungry beside a stinking animal cage, enduring the excruciating pain of whip marks, her ears filled with the screams of women and the roars of men, her mind filled with anticipation for a clean massacre.
What a beautiful fantasy, but Esmeralda did not see the corner left for the royal family, or in that person's conception, the royal family belonged to the dirty and corrupt old world - which meant that they were destined to be enemies, and had to be.
...What a pity.
Esmerel's gaze flickered past the cloaked man beside the ghost, then he turned back to the throne. Duke Kamu, who knew the inside story, couldn't help but frown slightly. Could the intelligence be wrong? Wasn't the man beside the ghost the mysterious god?
...That crazy woman Esmerel wouldn't focus on an ordinary person and choose to ignore a god, right?
The dinner officially began, the guests took their seats, and waiters came in one after another, placing delicious dishes on golden plates in front of everyone.
"Eat! Drink! Don't go home until you are drunk tonight!" Cassius II announced with a big laugh. Only this heartless drunk king could continue to enjoy life in this extremely turbulent atmosphere where the royal family and the rebels were in the same room.
The professor stared expressionlessly at the huge lobster claws in front of him. The noble sitting near him obviously moved his chair away and whispered to each other in an elegant manner, with malicious glances falling on him from time to time.
"Want to eat this?" He heard the savior's voice whisper into his ears: "Shall I help you open it?"
"What a waste of natural resources." The black-haired young man's brows knitted in dissatisfaction. "This type of Eternal Giant Mastiff Shrimp only grows in underwater volcanic craters, and there are no more than a hundred of them in the entire world. An individual this size is estimated to have lived for at least three hundred years, longer than some gods."
As a result, it has now been made into a dish and served on the table, but its internal structure has been completely destroyed by the high temperature and side dishes - it might as well have stayed on his specimen rack.
Azuka: “…”
He couldn't help but laugh, leaning his head closer, and suggested very seriously, "Then after the dinner, we can use magic to steal the lobster shell back. After cleaning it, maybe we can use it for viewing and research."
His nemesis blinked slowly and gave him an approving look. "Good idea."
"Nova... Your Excellency, I didn't expect to see you here."
The professor came back to his senses from his grief and raised his head with a cold expression - wow, an old acquaintance in a sense.
"Your Excellency Duke Kamu." He said lightly.
Azuka glanced coldly at the only duke of the empire and the president of the Royal Court Council, which made the latter shudder subconsciously - in a sense, he had a grudge against this man, and he was almost sold to this old man in the Scarlet Bazaar.
The Duke and the Queen were a completely different story. If possible, the professor would rather deal with Esmerel. This old fox was simply too nagging to be annoying. He hid his probing and calculations in his friendly chatter, and the wrinkles on his face formed a fake, sickening smile.
Generally speaking, it was probably to find out the position of the Third Council at the Blooming Conference, and to hint vaguely that the royal court knew about the actions of the Shrike Family, and whether there was any possibility of mutual cooperation or conspiracy.
The Duke, who had spoken until his mouth was dry and received only a few short interjections in response, finally raised his glass with a fake smile and said, "Do I have the honor to toast you?"
"Sorry, I don't drink," the professor replied succinctly, ignoring the momentary twitch of Duke Kamu's mouth. However, the other party immediately controlled his expression and finally revealed his true intentions without any expression.
"What a pity—but may I offer a toast to the gentleman beside you?"
Azuka narrowed his eyes slightly, but before he could say anything, he heard the person next to him slowly ask back, "Are you sure?"
Duke Kamu's expression remained unchanged: "Oh? What do you mean?"
"My companion doesn't hold his liquor well," the ghost's voice remained calm, yet a threat was evident. "If he gets drunk, it will be a real headache for everyone present. I wouldn't want to ruin Her Majesty's good intentions, would I?"
Duke Kamu's pupils shrank slightly. He saw the "god" whose figure was hidden by the cloak chuckle softly, and shook his head as if helplessly and indulgently. But at the same time, he suddenly realized that some terrifying existence seemed to finally open its eyes and glanced at him casually.
"I'm sorry for being so abrupt." He faked a smile and took a step back, his back covered in sweat. "I hope you two have a wonderful night."
Duke Kamu quickly found an excuse to leave, and many nobles cast suspicious, inquiring glances at the black-haired young man. A mere commoner, yet he had already attracted the Queen and the Duke to speak to him, seemed more complex than they had imagined.
Someone tried to inquire, but was quickly silenced by the black-haired young man, his eyes twitching. He seemed polite, but it was enough to not get any information, and every word he said was infuriating.
So the dinner went on normally until it ended and the dance began. Nova, who was not full at all, stood at the edge of the crowd with his arms folded on his chest, a little impatient, watching the nobles and their female companions slide into the dance floor and dance to the melodious music - of course, no noble lady was brave enough to invite him.
Just as the professor's patience was about to run out, the person they were waiting for finally appeared. A waiter quietly approached him, leaned over and whispered, "Sir, His Majesty wishes to see you."
They left the banquet hall quietly. Even though it was only early spring, the moonlit garden was still ablaze with vibrant colors, a breathtaking beauty thanks to the magic.
"Your Excellency Nova." Esmerel stood calmly in the moonlight. She was cold and dangerous, devoid of any feminine tenderness, completely out of tune with the gentle splendor around her. Her beast-like golden eyes slowly slid across the being beside him. "And this... Your Excellency the God."
The queen had no silver-helmeted knight by her side; she chose to come alone—or perhaps she knew very well that in front of the gods, no matter how many people were present, it was all just a thin, false fig leaf.
"After three hundred years, a god finally walks the land of Ambrose once again," Esmery sighed softly. Even facing a god who could crush her at any moment, she remained calm and composed, her shoulders straight. The professor vaguely saw the shadow of Jophiel Yialos in her—or perhaps the Knight Commander was deeply influenced by her. "I hope you can satisfy my curiosity. What exactly is the ideal you represent?"
Azuka didn't remove his hood, but asked coldly, "Who are you talking to me as? The ruler of the Silver Iris Empire, or a slave of Analene?"
"A patriot who tried to save his country," the queen said calmly and frankly.
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