"Guests from other Kingdoms are here."
Elira informed as the Grand Doors of the Hall swung open, and the Herald's voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"Representing the Kingdom of Warriors, Eryndor,
The Commander of the Silver Bastion, Lord Cedric Vaelmont."
A towering man in full ceremonial armor stepped into the hall.
Kael observed the man, speechless.
'Who in the hell comes into the party wearing… that?'
He looked around and noticed no one else seemed surprised by the attire. Heck, he could see Arlan, who was sitting at the table next to him, looking at the man with shining eyes.
'What the hell? He's acting like a little girl seeing her idol.
Is this why he likes little girls so much? Is it some sort of self-reflection?'
Kael chuckled inwardly.
Then suddenly, he heard a voice.
[You know about Eryndor Kingdom, correct?]
He had been reading about this world for a while now, so he had a rough idea regarding the major powers here.
Eryndor Kingdom was one of those powers and Drakthar's ally.
A Kingdom of Warriors, they are located southwest of Drakthar.
As apparent from their name, the kingdom is known for the strength of its warriors. Yes, almost everyone born in this Kingdom is blessed with a strong physique suitable to become a Warrior, and they are extremely proud of it too.
Eryndor emphasizes chivalry, honor, and discipline. Unlike Drakthar, mages are not valued here. They only focus on cultivating strong warriors and consider mages to be cowards who only hide behind their Bonds.
"I would choose to face death alongside my Bonds in battle rather than hide behind them, casting spells as they bear the brunt of the battle. Our strength lies in unity, and I refuse to let my children face danger alone."
It was one of the few most popular quotes said by the Founder of Eryndor, Lord Varian Eryndor.
[Well then, let me brief you about Cedric Vaelmont. He is known for his sternness, discipline, and unyieldingness. He is also one of the strongest warriors in all of Nerathis, a Ninth Stage Warrior. Treat him with respect when you talk to him.]
'When I talk to him?'
Kael frowned at those words, but then he noticed Cedric and the three knights following him heading towards him.
The Hero turned towards Elira and blinked in surprise.
'I-I am supposed to talk to all of them?'
Elira just smiled and nodded.
Kael quickly stood up and gave a courteous bow.
Cedric's presence was overwhelming, even more than Marshal Therian's.
"I heard how you protected the people in Estwyn Town. You did well."
Cedric praised, and Kael smiled back.
"It was something I was supposed to do."
"It was indeed. It is the duty of a Warrior to protect those around him."
"I look forward to your performance today."
'Some will challenge you, testing your strength.'
He then recalled Edric's words, and his expression turned solemn.
'He talks as if I have no choice but to accept the challenges.'
Kael then glanced at the Warriors following Cedric. Two of them looked quite young.
'Are they here to challenge me?'
He wondered in his head. Honestly, he was tempted to use the Eye of the Ancient, but since Elira told him not to, he decided to trust the Mage and hold back.
"Thank you, Lord Cedric."
Cedric nodded. He glanced at Elira and nodded respectfully.
Yes, the Eryndor Warriors looked down on mages, but Drakthar was an ally, they wouldn't act rude in front of them. The mage nodded back and Cedric left.
He stopped and exchanged a few pleasantries with the Crown Prince before he finally moved towards his seat, where the Eryndor delegation awaited him and the others.
The moment Cedric settled down, the drums echoed again, and the Herald introduced,
"Representing the Dreamland of all Merchants, the Grand Council of Gold.
One of the Councilmen, Merchant Dorian Voss."
A man in an exquisite black-and-gold coat entered next. His fingers were filled with rings of sapphire and ruby. His black eyes gleamed with intelligence, and a playful, very-merchanty smirk on his face showed Kael how cunning this man was.
Unlike Cedric, he didn't bring any other companions, only his servants, who followed and protected him.
Clearly, the man wasn't here to pick a fight.
Kael sighed in relief, however, he was still surprised.
'One of the Councilmen, eh? Didn't think they would send someone like him here.'
Unlike the rest of the Kingdoms, with nobles, royal families, and whatnot, the Grand Council of Gold had a different structure of power.
Located at the very centre of Nerathis and to the east of Drakthar, the Council of Gold thrived on trade, banking, and diplomacy. Unlike other kingdoms, its power lay in gold, commerce, and political maneuvering rather than military strength.
It didn't matter where the wealth came from; if it gave them gold, the merchants there would make a deal even with the vilest beings in Nerathis.
It was an attitude generally looked down upon by the rest of Nerathis, but since they held almost all the power over the economy, no other power could do anything against them without a strong reason.
"Hero Kael, the rising star of Nerathis."
Merchant Dorian greeted with a wide grin on his face.
"What a pleasure to finally meet the man everyone is praising… or fearing."
Kael raised an eyebrow at those words.
He questioned out loud.
"Just think of it as some old man's blabbering."
"You do not look old to me."
"Hahaha~ You are good with words. An important quality one needs to be a merchant.
How about it? Would you like to give it a shot?"
"And who do you think is going to protect you once the Hero becomes a Merchant? Or are you going to bribe your way out of death?"
Dorian smiled like he was meeting an old friend.
"As witty as always, I see."
"This is my first time meeting you."
"Well, I come from the Grand Council of Gold, Court Mage Elira. We never meet someone for the first time."
Dorian smiled with a meaningful look on his face.
"As for bribing my way out of death, I might try that when the time comes. Thank you for the idea."
"What can I say? Merchants like us need to be bold, else we won't make it in this harsh world."
Dorian smiled as he then nodded at Kael.
"Well, they told me I cannot take more of your time, so I will be taking my leave now.
I will say this one thing, though.
If ever you find yourself in need of… resources, let's just say, our coffers are always open to lucrative investments."
The merchant winked as he made his way towards the merchant delegation, and as he settled down,
Drums rolled again. It was time for another guest to make an appearance, and Kael…
He just sighed with a tired look on his face.
'I swear to God, this is the last party I am going to attend.'
Yes, the party hadn't even started yet, and the Hero was already exhausted.