Kapitel 112: The Banquet

The elegant and luxurious carriage approached from a distance and eventually stopped outside of Morgan's residence. It was a massive white pristine manor with a massive yard.

The carriage doors opened slowly, and Arkhan descended before assisting Artoria in getting down from the carriage.

"I'll have to trouble you to wait here for a while, Kay." Arkhan spoke to Kay on the coachman seat.

It was the custom of the banquet that guests were not allowed to bring anyone other than their companions inside.

"No problem, Teacher. You two go ahead and enjoy. If anything goes wrong, I'll rush in immediately." Kay replied with a cheerful smile while giving a thumbs up.

Arkhan chuckled in resignation and, with Artoria's hand on his, he walked up to the manor, handing the invitation to the guard at the entrance, and then stepping onto the red carpet laid out.

The manor's ceiling was adorned with bright magic lamps, and the luxurious decorations rivaled even the royal palace.

Exquisite delicacies were everywhere, filling the air with enticing aromas. Well-dressed nobles gathered in groups and engaged in conversations, creating an atmosphere of high society.

"There are so many people here..." Artoria felt tense, appearing increasingly uncomfortable.

In truth, she had attended large gatherings with hundreds of people during her time in Lucanmont. However, those gatherings had a sense of celebration and revelry, much like a regular family gathering. There were no strict rules, and even Benedict, the Duke of Lucanmont himself, had let his guard down, warmly mingling with everyone.

But this evening's event was distinctly different. Most of the attendees were Camelot's top-tier nobility, starting from earls at the very least.

In front of these people, she naturally felt extremely out of place.

In such an occasion, any mistake would be magnified infinitely.

Artoria had never attended such a high-level gathering, and her biggest fear was making an inappropriate gesture that would embarrass her teacher in front of these nobles.

If that happened, she would truly be mortified.

"Relax, Lily. You'll have to face such situations frequently once you inherit the throne." Arkhan lightly chuckled.

"Yes!" Artoria responded sternly but held onto his hand even more tightly.

Arkhan couldn't help but smile at her cute behavior.

At this moment, Artoria resembled a newcomer attending a company's annual meeting, in a state of extreme nervousness. All he could do was wait for her to adapt to this environment on her own and eventually relax.

He was grateful that he also had the blood of dragons flowing in him. Otherwise, with her grip, his hand might have gone numb or even crushed.

"This is so boring. It's just a bunch of people gathering to eat and drink." Nidhogg grumbled inside Arkhan's mind. "Even the gods used to have these so-called banquets for various reasons. Even when Thor got drunk and started smashing things with his hammer, those guys didn't care and just happily continued the banquet. I don't understand what the point of all this is."

"The meaning of a banquet isn't in the eating and drinking but as a means of social interaction." Arkhan explained patiently.

"Hmph! These uncivilized monkeys don't have much worth interacting with in my opinion." Nidhogg scoffed.

Arkhan shook his head in resignation. Although Nidhogg's opinion of humans had improved somewhat over this period, it was limited to the people around him, like the knights, Artoria, Lancelot, and the rest of his group.

As for strangers, in her eyes, they were no different from uncivilized monkeys.

At this moment, the nobles started to notice two unfamiliar faces entering the banquet. However, when they saw the silver armor and the distinctive black hair and eyes, their eyes widened in shock.

"Hey, isn't that... Arthur?!"

"Unbelievable, Her Highness actually invited him too?"

"What is Her Highness thinking?"

Many nobles frowned, feeling a sense of unease deep in their hearts. Everyone knew of Morgan's desire for the throne, and now she had invited the new king to the event. There had to be some hidden agenda, and they wouldn't believe otherwise!

Fortunately, Camelot had restraining magic formations laid down by Merlin. Otherwise, they might have already been considering leaving the event prematurely.

With Morgan's unpredictable temperament, who knew what she might do?

However, some nobles secretly cheered for this turn of events. As long as Morgan clashed with the new king, his chances of ascending the throne would decrease significantly!

After all, no matter how you looked at it, Morgan was the eldest daughter of the previous king and the inheritor of the Power of the Island. If she set her mind to cause trouble, even the new king would have a hard time.

And with Ferguson, who could effectively control everything, it would almost completely cut off any chance of the new king ascending to the throne!

Thinking like that, the nobles who opposed the new king couldn't help but smirk with satisfaction. If it weren't for the inappropriate timing, they might have burst into laughter.

Arkhan observed the expressions of the nobles present and smiled with a hint of meaning. With Artoria, he strolled forward, as if nothing was amiss.

"Oho? Your Majesty, I never expected to see you at this banquet."

A tall man in a suit approached, accompanied by a melancholic red-haired man.

"It's a fantastic opportunity to expand my connections, and I'd be a fool to pass it up." Arkhan said casually with a smile. "What do you think, Duke Mark?"

Duke of Cornwall, Mark Milford, paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! You truly live up to your reputation, Your Majesty. Leading three hundred knights against eight thousand soldiers takes extraordinary courage."

Arkhan's eyes narrowed slightly, remembering he had claimed three hundred knights against twenty thousand soldiers in public, but this duke said eight thousand instead. This meant that this duke likely knew the truth about the War of the Great Plains.

'This old fox.' Arkhan cursed inwardly but maintained a calm smile on his face. "You flatter me, Duke."

Mark, though appearing carefree, had a sharp mind. He deliberately mentioned the number eight thousand to test the new king's reaction, but the new king's composure surprised him.

He sighed inwardly, feeling both relieved and worried. The new king's steady demeanor placed significant pressure on him. The ability to gauge a ruler's emotions was crucial, and an emotionless ruler was a challenge.

However, he had wagered on the new king from the beginning. The more exceptional qualities the new king displayed, the greater the likelihood of ascending to the throne, which meant more benefits for him in the future.

"Speaking of which, I haven't properly thanked you for sending Sir Tristan to escort me." Arkhan spoke while glancing at Tristan.

"It's just a small thing." Mark waved it off.

"How can it be a small thing?" Arkhan replied. "Actually, I recently discovered a silver mine in Ganna, but I haven't determined the exact reserves yet. Are you interested, Duke?"

Mark's eyes narrowed for a moment and then smiled.

"Your Majesty, you have quite an ambitious plan."

"Give to receive, lose to gain. If you don't offer anything, you'll receive nothing." Arkhan stated nonchalantly.

"Hahaha!" Mark laughed, nodding in satisfaction. "In that case, I graciously accept."

Even for a noble of his stature, a silver mine was a valuable resource. However, what pleased Mark more was the new king's attitude. Understanding the value of mutual benefit and not being overly selfless was a crucial quality for a ruler.

In high society, one had to offer tangible benefits to gain support. Merely persuasive words wouldn't do, regardless of how eloquent they were. 'No eternal friends, only eternal interests' was a universal truth, applicable in any era.

"Excuse me, Your Grace, may I ask you a question?" Artoria suddenly interjected.

"Of course, Milady. A gentleman must help a maiden with her inquiries." Mark replied with a smile.

"That... I don't understand why is Sir Tristan allowed to accompany you here..." Artoria inquired with a confused tone. "Isn't it said that each invited male guest can only bring one female companion to the banquet?"

Mark paused briefly and then laughed heartily.

"Hahaha, Milady, it's true that each invited guest can only bring one companion, but there's no restriction stating that the companion of male guests must be a female. I suppose you've heard that from those who have never attended such events before. Hahaha, I've come across similar misconceptions myself."

"Is... that so?" Artoria replied with a forced smile. "I apologize for my ignorance."

'Merlin, you scoundrel!'

In her mind, Artoria cursed Merlin and decided to confront him with Excalibur when she returned.

With Mark's introduction, Arkhan met many other nobles, and as additional nobles joined in, almost a fifth of the attendees gathered around him, making him the center of attention.

The remaining nobles observed this with varying expressions. Some hesitated, while others grew paler.

One rather fat noble stood in a corner, watching the new king, surrounded by other nobles. His face turned ashen as he watched the scene.

He was Hugenberg Montague, an Earl and the brother of the Minister of Finance.

For over a decade, he and his brother had amassed considerable wealth through their positions, and discovery could mean beheading or worse.

Recently, he had heard of the new king's rise, so out of fear that this revelation would expose their ill-gotten gains, he had dispatched assassins to eliminate the new king but none of them returned.

Now that the new king was back in the royal capital, he had anticipated resistance from the majority of nobles but had not expected so many nobles to align with the new king.

All he could do was hope that Morgan and Ferguson would create enough trouble to prevent the new king from ascending to the throne.