Banquet Before the Storm

"What should we do if Victor interferes directly in royal matters?"

Lucien smiled faintly.

But there was no warmth inside it.

"Pray he chooses a side slowly."

The lantern flames flickered violently for a brief moment.

"And pray even harder that side isn’t against us."

After Lucien spoke, the room fell into silence.

The wind outside brushed softly against the half-open window, carrying with it the distant sounds of Fantom City’s nightlife. Somewhere below, drunken adventurers laughed loudly while carriage wheels rolled across stone roads slick with evening rain. Yet inside the inn chamber, none of those sounds could ease the heavy atmosphere pressing against everyone present.

Lucien remained standing near the window.

His sharp eyes stared outside, but his thoughts were elsewhere entirely.

Videl...

The more he thought about the blonde hero candidate, the stranger her existence felt.

A faint frown appeared on his face.

"It would seem that Videl has an enormous amount of luck," Lucien suddenly muttered quietly.

Erick raised his eyes slightly.

"My liege?"

Lucien slowly turned around, his black noble coat shifting softly behind him.

"It is possible that while on the run, she met a random master that helped her."

Erick’s brows furrowed slightly.

"Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?... Hmmm, but still she does seem to be a person that has a ridiculous amount of luck. Gaining that magic weapon, meeting the queen and gaining her favor, having a lover like Victor, escaping the encirclement... Yes she does seem to have a ludicrous amount of luck..."

As Lucien spoke, his voice gradually became quieter.

Not because he doubted his own conclusion.

But because the more he listed those events aloud, the more absurd they sounded.

A common village girl somehow crossing paths with Queen Amara herself...

A hero candidate obtaining powerful spirit weapons...

Surviving overwhelming pursuit...

Meeting Victor of all people...

No matter how one looked at it, fate itself seemed to be bending around her.

The room once again became silent.

Even Erick found himself unable to refute the thought.

Because it was true.

Too many impossible things kept happening around Videl.

And in this world, coincidences repeated enough times eventually became terrifying.

Lucien narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Heroes..." he muttered under his breath. "The heavens truly favor them."

Erick quietly spoke after a moment.

"Do you think the queen noticed that as well?"

Lucien gave a faint smile.

"Amara notices everything."

There was genuine respect hidden beneath his tone when he spoke the queen’s name.

Even among those secretly aiming for the throne, none dared underestimate the Warrior Queen of Skyfall Kingdom.

That woman had crushed rebellions before most nobles learned how to hold a sword properly.

She had walked through battlefields drenched in blood while carrying the kingdom on her shoulders.

And despite the growing instability surrounding succession...

No one dared move openly while she still sat upon the throne.

Lucien’s fingers lightly tapped against the wooden frame of the window.

"If the queen truly favors Videl," he murmured thoughtfully, "then she may already be planning something bigger."

Erick’s expression darkened slightly.

"You believe Videl could become politically important?"

Lucien chuckled softly.

"Victor alone already makes her dangerous."

That answer immediately silenced the room again.

Because nobody present could deny it.

Victor was an unpredictable existence.

A man whose actions no longer fit normal logic.

The more information they gathered about him, the more uneasy everyone became.

He appeared suddenly.

Defeated powerful enemies casually.

Moved without fear.

And somehow drew talented people toward him naturally. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Even now, Lucien still could not fully understand what kind of man Victor truly was.

And that uncertainty irritated him deeply.

Before Erick could continue speaking—

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Every person inside the room instantly became alert.

The guards near the entrance immediately placed their hands on their weapons.

One of them moved toward the door carefully.

"Password," the guard demanded coldly.

A muffled voice came from outside.

After hearing the response, the guard’s tense posture relaxed slightly. He quickly unlocked the door.

The moment it opened—

A hooded figure rushed inside.

The newcomer immediately spotted Lucien and hurried toward him before kneeling quickly.

"My lord!"

Lucien frowned faintly.

"What happened, Apple?"

Apple.

A code name.

One used only for trusted intelligence operatives.

The hooded man was breathing heavily beneath his cloak.

"My lord... something big is happening in the capital."

The atmosphere inside the room instantly changed.

Lucien’s eyes sharpened.

"Explain."

Instead of speaking immediately, Apple pulled out a tightly sealed scroll from inside his robe and handed it over with trembling hands.

Lucien took the scroll calmly.

But the moment he read its contents—

His expression changed.

The calmness inside his eyes disappeared instantly.

The room became deathly silent.

Even Erick felt tension rise sharply.

Lucien continued reading for several moments before suddenly clicking his tongue.

"Damn it..."

The curse escaped his mouth quietly, but everyone heard it clearly.

Lucien slowly lowered the scroll.

His gaze darkened.

Inside his mind, countless thoughts rapidly connected together.

The timing was horrible.

Absolutely horrible.

He originally planned to focus entirely on Videl for now.

If possible, he wanted to abduct her quietly before Queen Amara could fully pull her into the royal faction.

But now—

"Tsk..." Lucien exhaled sharply. "I don’t have time for this."

Erick stepped forward slightly.

"My liege?"

Lucien handed the scroll toward him.

As Erick read the contents, his eyes widened slightly.

"A banquet..."

"Yes." Lucien’s voice turned colder. "My relatives move faster than expected."

The message was simple.

One of Lucien’s royal relatives planned to host a grand banquet celebrating the return of Commander Stefan.

And that alone was enough to alarm him.

Commander Stefan.

One of the kingdom’s most respected military figures.

A man adored by common soldiers.

A neutral existence until now.

Which made him extremely valuable politically.

Lucien’s second brother clearly intended to recruit him.

And if that happened—

The balance inside the royal factions would tilt dangerously.

Lucien closed his eyes briefly before sighing.

Then he turned toward Apple.

"Good work."

The hooded man lowered his head deeply.

"It is my duty, my lord."

Lucien nodded once before shifting his gaze toward Erick.

"Erick, I need you to come with me."

Erick immediately straightened.

"Why, my liege?"

Lucien folded his arms calmly.

"Since my relatives plan to hold a banquet to celebrate the return of Commander Stefan. Currently Commander Stefan has a neutral standing, but it would seem that my second brother thinks he can make him join his side."

A cold smile slowly appeared on Lucien’s face.

"I must stop him from doing this. If he gains Commander Stefan, he would easily gain the favor of most of the common soldiers."

The lantern flames danced violently again as tension quietly spread through the room.

Lucien continued calmly,

"So for now I want you to tell Henrick to continue the search on his own. While you and the others shall accompany me back to the capital."

"It will be as you wish my liege."

Erick bowed deeply.

Then without wasting another second, he turned and left the room swiftly to prepare the departure.

The door closed behind him.

Silence returned once more.

Lucien remained standing beside the window while one guard stayed quietly behind him.

The night outside had grown darker.

Clouds slowly covered the moon.

Nothing seemed to be going according to plan anymore.

Victor.

Videl.

The unknown master inside the forest.

The growing movements within the royal branches.

Commander Stefan returning unexpectedly.

Too many variables were colliding together at once.

Yet strangely—

Instead of fear...

Lucien felt excitement.

A dangerous smile slowly formed on his lips.

’Well if I can’t overcome such challenges then becoming king of this kingdom will be impossible, much less being a conquering king. Very well I will show everyone how I will overcome this challenge and prove I am the rightful king of all.’