Chapter 171: The Opening Banquet [2]: An Unexpected Face

Cassian Everhart.

Was Adrian surprised to see him alive? Yes, he honestly was, but saying that it was completely unexpected would be a lie.

Especially after having figured out that it wasn’t truly Cassian.

It seems Marion had a backup plan if anything went wrong when he tried taking over Adrian’s body, one that ensured he didn’t die.

And he had used Cassian’s dead body to escape that dungeon.

’So this was why the East showed no reaction to news of him being missing,’ Adrian mentally thought as he looked at the three approach the table.

Speaking of which, the Grand Duke’s eyes seemed completely blank, and he walked as if he were some type of puppet on strings.

Though it was all subtle, Adrian clearly noticed it.

This meant that Marion had somehow managed to control the Grand Duke, which should’ve been impossible, given that the Grand Duke was a lot stronger.

’Except he had some help.’

And he suspected exactly where that help might’ve come from, but he said nothing...for now.

The trio sat on their designated chairs after exchanging formal greetings with the rest.

But it seems the East weren’t the only strange ones because the herald soon announced another presence.

"ARCHBISHOP MATTHIAS OF THE CHURCH OF LIGHT AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVES!"

Just after the announcement, three people immediately walked into the banquet hall, causing everyone to go silent.

At the center of the group walked a man dressed in pristine white robes embroidered with golden symbols of light.

His silver hair was neatly combed back, and a gentle smile rested on his face.

At first glance, Archbishop Matthias appeared to be the embodiment of kindness.

Hell, even his mana seemed like warm light, the gentle kind, but for some reason, all Adrian felt looking at him was unease.

The two representatives by his side silently continued walking forward; they had on similar robes to the Archbishop.

Their eyes, golden as they were, seemed completely blank, as if they were lifeless.

It was hard to believe that these two trained in the same church as the Saintess, as their demeanor was completely different.

Speaking of the Saintess, most believed that she was going to represent the church, so they were a bit surprised that she wasn’t.

Grand Duke Boreas, on the other hand, wasn’t surprised in the least bit. After all, he knew the move the King was going to make, and he honestly didn’t care.

Not anymore anyway.

A moment after they sat down, the herald announced the final and most important group.

"HIS MAJESTY, KING MAGNUS LIGHTBRINGER AND HIS REPRESENTATIVES CROWN PRINCE LUCIAN LIGHTBRINGER AND THE SAINTESS NOELLE."

Most Grand Dukes were surprised at the announcement, especially Grand Duke Ignis, who hadn’t heard of anything concerning the Saintess being officially part of the royal family.

Everyone on the table immediately stood up as the king approached and respectfully bowed in greeting, and he simply lifted his hand, "Don’t worry about formalities, after all, this is a festival of celebration."

With that, he sat at the head of the table with the prince and Saintess sitting by his sides.

Grand Duke Boreas noticed that the King seemed a lot more tired than he had been when they last met, but he didn’t draw attention to that.

Instead, he glanced at the Saintess, noting that the child was mildly embarrassed.

The king announcing her as a representative of the royal family was a political move that told that he had very clearly accepted the relationship between her and the Crown Prince.

A move that was also very unlike a king like Magnus.

And yet the man currently seated at the head of the table had just publicly endorsed a relationship that would strengthen the Crown’s ties to the Church.

After everyone was seated, the servants immediately started moving and serving the food as the nobles started eating in silence.

On Adrian’s other side, Evelina cut a piece of fish and said, without looking at either of them:

"The soup is excellent. You should both try it before it gets cold."

Adrian and Conan looked at her before nodding.

It seemed she was completely detached from whatever tension surrounded the table whilst she blissfully ate.

"The fish is good too," she muttered to a servant who nodded with a smile before pulling more towards her, much to the headmistress’s satisfaction.

Lucian silently observed both Adrian and Renelle, noticing that they were either focused on eating or glancing at each other.

They didn’t even spare him a single glance.

Strange, because he was certain that this move by his father would draw their attention, but it seems he guessed wrong.

Still, he needed their help, after all, his father was truly not acting like himself.... But how would one ask for help from people who were basically your enemies?

Enemies you created thanks to your actions.

So for now, he swallowed his request and focused on the banquet before him.

The Grand Duke of the East was slowly eating, though his expression remained blank, the same as the second representative.

The only one with an expression on his face was Cassian, who had a small smile on his face as he enjoyed the meal.

It truly felt great escaping that hellhole, after all, he wouldn’t be eating such delicacy otherwise.

Still, he hadn’t given up on a single goal.

Possessing Adrian’s body, after all, that body was a lot more interesting than this one.

There was also the fact that this body would soon start degrading; fortunately, ’that man’s had provided a temporary solution.

Cassian...or rather, Marion, had no idea why the man wanted Adrian gone, but for now, their goals aligned, so they’d work together.

The moment his goal was achieved, he’d deal with whatever came after then.

For now, though, he’d enjoy the meal.

Marion lifted his wine glass and took a slow sip, letting his eyes drift across the table, ’Maybe I should gain more puppets?’