Chapter 39

# Chapter 39: <Silently>

With a loud bang, the door to the banquet hall closed firmly again. Taylor Sten, despite being in a wheelchair, was dressed in a splendid formal suit, and a relaxed smile played on his lips. Priest Cage was wearing the robes of the Death God.

'So they’ve decided to reveal their true identities outright.'

Kale thought it was a wise decision. The Church of the Death God might have a headache, but what did it matter to Cage?

“What is this…!”

A voice filled with shock. Kale turned his gaze to the northwest table. Benyon had jumped to his feet, his face aghast as he stared at Taylor.

It was a scene that would never occur in Benyon’s usual demeanor, a breach of noble etiquette, but Benyon was not in a position to care about manners.

Kale found the situation quite amusing.

‘Watching this could be fun.’

Prince Alber, the crown prince, had his arms slightly spread and spoke.

“I didn’t expect to see Taylor Sten, the eldest son of the Sten Viscount family, and the Priest of the Death God here.”

The crown prince seemed pleased. Taylor, still in his wheelchair, gave a simple bow.

“Your Highness, I came here even without an invitation, as I heard there would be an opportunity to meet and speak with the children of the nobility.”

A strange smile appeared on the crown prince’s lips. Kale could tell that he had understood the phrase 'an opportunity to speak' correctly.

“Well, I did invite the representatives of each house, but if a house has no representative, anyone can come. I must have made you feel left out by sending you an invitation, Taylor?”

“Yes, I felt a bit left out, Your Highness.”

Kale glanced at Benyon. A house without a representative. The crown prince was subtly mocking Benyon, who was not officially recognized as a successor. After all, the Sten Viscount family was currently close to the third prince.

‘That’s odd.’

Kale found it strange. He hadn’t yet investigated or paid attention to this, but even if the king favored the third prince, deposing the crown prince was not an easy task.

Still, in the 'Birth of the Hero,' the crown prince was wary of the second and third princes, and the Sten Viscount family was close to the third prince. Other nobles also had their own favored princes.

‘There must be something going on.’

Of course, it was something Kale didn’t particularly want to know.

“Feeling left out must be truly disappointing. Still, it’s good to see that you look healthy, Taylor. I’m truly pleased.”

Taylor responded with a smile.

“Your Highness, although my legs don’t move, I still have my hands, my head, my eyes, my ears, and my mouth. Everything is still alive. In fact, I’m even stronger now.”

“Indeed. You’re still alive. I had almost forgotten that the strongest are those who survive until the end.”

Kale could sense that the crown prince had become genuinely interested in Taylor. Benyon, though he had resumed his noble expression, was still staring intently at Taylor.

Kale found the situation quite entertaining.

‘Watching this could be fun.’

The crown prince, Taylor, and Benyon. And the nobles of various factions. It was amusing to observe their faces. He even started to crave popcorn. The situation seemed tense.

Kale was quite content with just standing there silently.

“Then, is this the Death God’s Priest?”

“I, Cage, the harbinger of eternal rest, greet Your Highness.”

Cage, playing the role of a benevolent priest, looked like a saint. But inside, she was filled with extensive knowledge of numerous curses.

The crown prince, having received Cage’s greeting, turned to Taylor.

“I’ll talk to you later, but let’s enjoy the banquet together now. I’m not sure where you should sit.”

The crown prince had made a decision. Kale could tell what it would be.

‘Of course, there’s no other place.’

A spot without any major nobles. Houses that had aligned with various factions, but still maintained a balance of power. A place where other major nobles couldn’t easily interfere, and where one of the four houses was the wealthiest and strongest in the region, and remained neutral.

“Taylor, you can sit at the northeast table. It’s a bit more spacious than the others.”

Huh. Hearing Neo’s sharp intake of breath and seeing Eric’s worried expression, Kale turned his gaze to Taylor and Cage.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Not at all. It’s good to have those who will contribute to the kingdom here with us.”

With that, the crown prince looked at the northeast table where the noble heirs were gathered. A few servants hurried over to the table. At the same time, the crown prince Alber spoke.

“Can we rearrange the seats for a moment?”

Who would refuse the crown prince? Especially Eric, who stood up and responded.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Eric, who needed to secure the northeast coast investment and had already refused to align with other major nobles, could afford such behavior. The other noble heirs also stood up awkwardly, and the servants quickly rearranged the seats according to the crown prince’s gestures.

The process was smoother than expected. However, Kale’s expression became peculiar as he watched. Eric, with a worried look, approached Kale and whispered.

“Kale, you know? Just stay silent. Stay silent.”

Kale ignored Eric and looked at his own seat. The new guests’ seats were right next to his. This must have been the crown prince’s decision.

‘Of course, they can’t sit next to the nobles aligned with major factions. Among the remaining four houses, ours is the strongest.’

The servants, having finished rearranging the seats, bowed and retreated.

“Please take your seats.”

The crown prince Alber said, and Kale walked over and sat down. There was no chair next to him, but a wheelchair soon filled the spot.

“Pleased to meet you.”

Taylor greeted the northeast heirs with a smile and joined them. Cage, of course, sat next to Taylor. All three of them, including Kale, pretended to be meeting for the first time.

- This is interesting.

Kale deeply agreed with the black dragon’s words in his head as he looked at the crown prince.

“Though we were delayed, let’s continue.”

The crown prince announced the start of the banquet.

“I wanted to gather the talents who will lead this kingdom’s future for a meal. I’m grateful that you all responded to my invitation, and I hope you enjoy the banquet.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the servants entered and began serving food at each table. The orchestra behind the noble tables started playing music.

This was the real difference from a typical banquet. The format was a mix of a reception, making the atmosphere more conducive to conversation and movement.

“Kale, I’ll be greeting you shortly.”

Kale nodded at Lady Amira’s words and focused on the food on his plate. But his mind was a bit complicated.

‘What’s the intention here?’

The crown prince couldn’t have invited the nobles just to be grateful. There must be a reason. Of course, there were a few possibilities.

‘It could be due to the impending war in the southern part of the Western Continent, or because he has sensed the signs of a civil war in the Wiper Kingdom.’

The Wiper Kingdom, where Princess Rosalyn was going to the magic tower, was about to erupt into civil war. A war between mages and non-mages.

Kale’s mind was filled with various thoughts, but he quickly dismissed them.

‘I’m just going to stay silent. What does it matter to me?’

It wasn’t his concern. He began to savor the food in front of him.

- It must be delicious. It must be delicious. These insignificant humans are good at cooking.

Kale listened to the black dragon’s gruff praise and enjoyed the food with ease. The royal cuisine was indeed excellent.

His hand instinctively reached for the wine glass left by the servant. But the wine glass was gone.

“Kale, just five minutes.”

Kale nodded at Eric’s earnest voice and continued to enjoy his food. The people at the northeast table watched him silently. The northeast region was already divided among ten houses, and the situation was uncomfortable. Now, the abandoned eldest son, Taylor, had joined them.

People looked at Kale, who calmly ate his food, with a peculiar expression.

At that moment, the dragon’s voice echoed in Kale’s mind.

- But there are magic imaging devices hidden all over here.

“Ah.”

Kale let out a low exclamation and smiled. To anyone watching, it looked like he was enjoying the delicious food.

‘I see one thing now.’

Kale thought he understood one of the crown prince’s purposes.

The crown prince was, at the very least, currently monitoring the noble heirs. Of course, the second and third princes would also know about this. In other words, this was the will of the entire royal family.

Kale’s lips curled slightly. Eric, who had been anxious, jumped to his feet, and Amira and Gilbert followed suit. Many nobles had already greeted the crown prince.

Kale slowly stood up and, brushing his hair back, said,

“Let’s go.”

Kale led the three nobles to the dais and soon faced the crown prince.

“Oh, our talents from the northeast!”

The crown prince greeted the four with a bright smile. He had been standing and shaking hands with everyone who approached.

Albert Crossman. He had blond hair and blue eyes, looking like a prince from a fairy tale who had stepped into the real world. The lustrous blond hair was a characteristic of the Crossman royal family, who ruled the Rowen Kingdom, a sign of the sun god’s blessing.

“Pleased to meet you, Your Highness. It’s been a while since Eric Wheelsman greeted you.”

“Yes, yes. Eric, we have things to discuss, don’t we?”

The crown prince, starting with the northeast coast investment, spoke, and Eric responded with a bright face.

“Yes! I’ve been waiting for this moment to discuss it.”

“Of course, I’ve been waiting for this moment too. You are the clever Eric, the son of the Viscount Wheelsman, who will take charge of the northeast coast and play a key role in this kingdom. How could I delay this?”

It was starting. Kale stood silently and watched the crown prince, who was smoothly talking, and Eric, who was beaming. The crown prince was also showering Gilbert and Amira with praise.

‘This is entertaining.’

Kale watched silently as it was finally his turn. The crown prince bowed slightly and extended his hand to Kale.

“You must be Lord Kale of the Viscount Hennitus family, who will take charge of the northeast’s end. I’ve never met you before, but thanks to your family, the Dark Forest is no longer a threat. It’s such a comfort to know that you are here, like the moon shining in the night to protect the people.”

Kale had one goal today.

“I also felt today, Your Highness, that you, like the current sun, His Majesty the King, shine like the moon to protect the people from the darkness of the night. It was a moment of enlightenment for me.”

His voice was calm and composed, and his posture was confident.

“…Is that so?”

However, the crown prince’s expression briefly turned sour before returning to its usual state. Kale didn’t miss this.

Kale spoke calmly and steadily.

“Yes, Your Highness. I feel that you, the star in the hearts of our kingdom’s people, will make me sleepless with emotion tonight.”

Eric’s mouth was agape, and Gilbert and Amira’s eyes were wide with shock. Kale, seeing the crown prince’s expression turn sour, thought he had taken a step toward his goal of distancing himself from the crown prince.

At that moment, the black dragon’s puzzled voice echoed in his mind.

- Why did this insignificant human, the crown prince, dye his hair with magic? It’s a level that only a great dragon could detect. Did another dragon dye it? Or is it some other power?

Damn. At that moment, Kale realized he had discovered another useless, unnoticeable secret.

Is this about his birth? Kale didn’t care to know.