The Necromancer Who Was Despised - The Necromancer Who Was Despised chapter 203
It was more annoying than I imagined, and above all, I didn’t want to participate in supporting other kingdoms later.
At least Prina seemed to be relieved by my firm attitude.
We returned to the active palace, took a rest, and started preparing for the evening’s banquet from morning.
Even though it was a small banquet, it was hosted by the king himself.
Therefore, the servants and maids were busy, and in fact, our group couldn’t move around the palace all day.
Even though we started preparing early in the morning, we finished preparing around evening.
It was already tiring because it was an unfamiliar task.
However, that feeling didn’t last long, and the banquet hall we arrived at, guided by a servant, was the opposite of what the king had said.
“…Is this not a big banquet?”
It seemed that the king’s words didn’t refer to the scale of the banquet itself, but rather the number of attendees.
I shook my head and entered the banquet hall with the two women.
◈ Wangdo
As we entered the interior, the king’s words proved true, and the number of attendees wasn’t that many compared to the size of the banquet hall.
However, precisely because of that, our position stood out, and many nobles were quietly exchanging opinions while gazing at us.
Among them, there were those who couldn’t recognize even one of the three of us, those who only recognized Prina, and those who seemed to know about me and Kailra, albeit rarely.
But no one approached us.
They just kept a distance, observing us or quietly chatting among themselves.
Prina seemed displeased by their whispering behavior, but Kailra and I didn’t pay much attention to it.
Then, a man walked towards us.
After glancing around, he first spoke to Prina.
“This is the first time we’re having a direct conversation. Nice to meet you, Countess Rieneta.”
“…I’m honored to meet you, Duke Tynairo.”
Duke Tynairo.
He was a powerful noble known for possibly being the wealthiest in the Sperto Kingdom, with immense economic power.
“Your dress is incredibly beautiful. And the… knight beside you.”
“Thank you.”
Prina expressed gratitude in response to the duke’s words, while Kailra simply gazed at him without saying a word.
Some of the surrounding nobles seemed to think Kailra’s attitude was impolite, but the duke didn’t react.
He seemed to know about me and Kailra.
“I’ve wanted to meet you once. If not for this occasion, I would have requested a separate meeting later.”
As he spoke to me, I tilted my head and asked, “Are you referring to me?”
“You’re the one who stole my property through the royal family. How could I not be curious?”
The duke’s words caused the expressions of the eavesdropping nobles to change.
The fact that he had his massive wealth stolen and was speaking to me with such caution was astonishing.
The surrounding commotion grew louder, with nobles asking if anyone knew me.
“You’re quite cautious, aren’t you?”
The duke asked, seemingly puzzled by my attitude.
“It’s strange that someone with your abilities would be so concerned about their surroundings.”
“…It’s just a habit. So, what’s your impression of my face?”
“I heard you’re a black magician, but you’re completely different from the ones I’ve seen so far. I didn’t expect you to wear a dress, which suits you surprisingly well.”
There were also polite remarks about his exceptional appearance and how well his clothes fit.
“Did you wear that dress because you’re engaged to Countess Rieneta?”
“That’s part of it, but this is a royal banquet, after all. I thought it was necessary to dress accordingly.”
“It’s hard to believe a black magician would do that. Maybe they change a bit when they become a mage?”
“I’m just a special case. I’m a black magician, but there are only a few like me who are sane.”
That’s an objective fact.
He exchanged a few more words with me, then let out a small sigh.
“I suppose it’s true that you targeted dwarves with a goal in mind. You were planning to get them back through a trade.”
I had expected as much since he approached us.
“It’s a shame, but there’s no way around it. We can’t touch a mage who has the royal family’s favor and the protection of the new religion….”
It seemed like they would have employed the dwarves somehow, even if they were freed in the future, judging by how they were clinging to them.
Their contribution to the mining industry must have been significant.
He didn’t seem to have any intention of backing down.
“It seems that the news of the regular visits to the territory has spread…”
“I’ve been here.”
“…Isn’t that the Crown Prince?”
“Greetings, Duke Tinairo.”
The Crown Prince, who had exchanged brief greetings with the Duke, went on to praise the attire of Prina and Kayla, and even added that it suited me well.
The surrounding atmosphere was one of utter astonishment.
It was absurd that a black magician had appeared at the party and was receiving such attention, and to make matters worse, Duke Tinairo had even referred to him as a wizard.
With the Crown Prince’s friendly demeanor added to the mix, the surrounding people chose to distance themselves.
The combination of the Crown Prince, the Duke, and the black magician was a perilous one, and I judged that it was dangerous even to eavesdrop.
“I thought the information was insufficient.”
This was not a place where one could carelessly intervene without knowing what was going on.
Thanks to this, Prina seemed to have relaxed a bit, and Kayla had a nonchalant attitude.
Of course, Prina hadn’t completely let her guard down.
At least Duke Tinairo was better.
He didn’t seem to be trying to butter me up like Kayla was.
On the contrary, he seemed to recognize me as someone who could provide helpful information about the territory.
However, the Crown Prince was a different story. The royal family was entirely focused on us, and although they seemed to have given up for now, Prina knew that their greed would never easily subside.
Still, it was better to deal with the Crown Prince alone than to face multiple nobles at once.
As expected, the Crown Prince approached me with an overly friendly demeanor.
He asked me in detail about any uncomfortable or annoying nobles, and Duke Tinairo seemed to take a step back, quietly exchanging glances with Prina.
“It seems like we’ll talk later.”
The Crown Prince seemed to have confirmed something.
I responded appropriately to the Crown Prince’s interest, and Prina protected me by intervening when necessary.
I wondered if this was the right thing to do, but if I had said something, they would have just pretended not to understand and brushed it off, so it seemed like the right action in hindsight.
As some time passed, the host of the party finally appeared.
“The rightful ruler of the kingdom, His Majesty the King, has arrived.”
The Grand Chamberlain’s shout was followed by the sound of all the nobles, including the Crown Prince, kneeling on one knee.
Our group was no exception.
Although we received a lot of respect, Wandolf was the master of this kingdom.
We needed to show proper respect.
The King entered, accompanied by Master Gallic and Master Demain, who were guarding him.
“Rise.”
As Wandolf spoke, all the nobles, including us, stood up.
“I’m grateful that you’ve attended this banquet despite the country’s turmoil.”
He gave a ceremonial speech to the banquet attendees.
He then asked if everyone was enjoying themselves, and received a decent response.
“The reason we’re holding this banquet despite the kingdom’s difficulties is to console your hard work and to recognize those who have achieved great things.”
He would have liked to have more nobles attend, but since the war was still ongoing, he promised to hold a grand victory banquet once the war was over.
“There are talented individuals I’d like to introduce to you here. If you’re well-informed, you may already know. The powerful Prioga family, which was a major force in the rebellion, has been destroyed.”
“…….”
“Today, during the day, a considerable number of prisoners and spoils of war arrived at the capital. Among them was the head of the Priogaha family.”
The war will resume soon.
It will begin with the execution of Priogaha’s duke.
“Master Lucese is dead, and the regular army and mercenaries of the Priogaha family, which they boasted about, have all been killed or captured. The Priogaha family can no longer recover.”
The downfall of a family that was once a pillar of the kingdom.
“Can you believe that it was achieved by just the two of you?”
A blatant flattery.
It was even more so since it was the king himself who was doing the flattery.
“I would like to introduce the talented individuals who achieved this feat. Lord Doinha, the black mage, and his partner, Master Kailrada.”
The king gestured towards us, and Kailra and I walked forward with calm expressions.
At the same time, I pulled Prina along with me, making her walk beside me.
The king continued to speak calmly.
“By the way, Lord Doinha is a recognized black mage of the Rinetta Earl family.”
The Rinetta Earl family.
A family of national merit and a loyal family to the royal family.
In other words, it would sound to other nobles like the royal family had added a black mage and a master to their ranks.
And not just any black mage and master, but the ones who had destroyed a duke’s family, including the master.
It felt like the king’s influence was growing.
Of course, from the king’s perspective, it might not be pleasant to see me taking care of Prina.
He wanted to keep me and Kailra closer.
But the situation had already taken a step back, and I had always been seen taking Prina with me, so there was nothing he could do about it.
“You both have worked hard. Lord Doinha, I will give you the dwarf as promised, and Master Kailrada, you will receive a separate reward.”
I had already received the dwarf, but this was the first time I had heard about Kailra’s reward.
The king smiled slightly.
It seemed like a small bribe.
“Thank you.”
The king was pleased with our greetings.
Many eyes were on us.
The royal family, especially the crown prince, looked very satisfied, while Duke Tynairo had an unreadable expression.
It was a slightly different, more formal expression than when they first approached us.
Next, there was a commendation for the other nobles.
The targets were mainly low-ranking nobles and knights who had fought at the front lines until the war subsided.
And some of them had been invited to a separate banquet.
After the commendation for the nobles ended, the king spoke.
“Since the main force of the rebellion has been defeated, we will strike first before they can regroup.”
It was an obvious choice.
In fact, it was a declaration of war.
“Master Gallic’s son, Master Demain, who has achieved great results, will be at the front lines.”
As soon as the king finished speaking, Demain drew his sword from his waist and formed the Oracle Blade, a symbol of a master, above it.
It seemed like everything had been decided beforehand.
If not, I wouldn’t have dared to draw my sword in front of the king.
The king’s words didn’t end there.
“After completely suppressing the rebellion, I plan to show the Empire how strong our 6 Kingdom Alliance is.”
Support from other kingdoms.
The contents of the announcement were revealed, and it was discovered that Master Gallic and Master Demaine would be at the center of it, which spread quickly among the nobles.
There were so many important stories breaking out at once that it was confusing, and opinions were divided on whether it was the right decision for Gallic and Demaine to leave the kingdom simultaneously.
However, there was no one who openly expressed opposition.
Most of those who attended the banquet were close to the royal family, and with the new power, Kaila, joining the kingdom, even if the two masters left, the kingdom wouldn’t be completely defenseless.
Still, there were doubts about me, and opinions were divided.
There were opinions that the royal family was too close to the Duke’s family, and that it didn’t matter if they were involved in the dark magic incident, and others who thought that maybe something would happen.
Frina was quickly checking the faces of the nobles who were arguing.
The king, who had announced the important news, didn’t calm the commotion.
Instead, he told them to enjoy the banquet and ended the announcement.
“This is ridiculous.”
In this situation, the banquet couldn’t last long.
The king had a short conversation with us and then left the banquet hall with Tiranio, the Duke, and other nobles.
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It would be hard to prepare for the resumption of the internal war and the external support that would follow, even if we had two bodies.
Tiranio, the Duke, seemed a bit disappointed, but there was nothing he could do.
Of course, the crown prince also bid us farewell and followed the king.
As the king left, all the nobles swarmed towards us.
Some had left the banquet hall early, but many were trying to get acquainted with us.
And all of these people were being handled by Frina.
“Reliable.”
Frina, who was being watched by Kaila and me with a warm smile, was like that.