Chapter 325.1
Amidst the bustling hall, Fire King Riner stood with an air of quiet confidence. Though rumors whispered that he had become unhinged, relentlessly hunting larks day and night, he had never posed any threat to the kingdom. Still, people hesitated to associate with him, fearing the unpredictable consequences of involvement.
Yet, Riner paid no heed to their aversion. From the start, he had no desire to fit in with the crowd. He divided people into two groups: those who could meet his gaze on an equal footing and those he deemed beneath him—most humans falling into the latter category.
Originally, he had no intention of attending the party. He had only used his earlier visit to secure an invitation as a pretext. But now, he found himself intrigued by the item he was tasked to deliver.
“They must be searching for it while guarding the city gate,” he mused to himself.
As the dry season approached, travelers eager to journey afar were departing the city. However, tensions grew as more and more people were detained for thorough baggage searches. While such matters wouldn’t normally concern Riner, something about it caught his attention.
More intriguing to Riner than the mysterious object Sang-je sought was the plotting between the Fourth King and Anika Jin against Sang-je himself. As he arrived at the party, a sense of anticipation washed over him.
All the kings have been summoned here, he thought, excitement bubbling within him, surpassing even his obsession with larks.
Scanning the room, Riner approached Myung King, who stood alongside a middle-aged Anika. Although they had just met, Riner addressed him with familiarity, like old friends.
“Hey, Myung King,” Riner called out.