Chapter 124 : Chapter 124
Chapter 124. On the Eve of the Meeting
Three days passed quietly beneath an atmosphere that seemed calm on the surface while hidden currents churned underneath.
Today was the day Sir Lucius had summoned all the Frontier Lords to attend the meeting.
Perhaps some lords from especially remote territories, hindered by difficult roads and long travel, had still failed to arrive in time.
But even so, the number of lords already gathered in Thorne City was considerable.
Though it was still early morning and the sky had only just brightened, quite a few people were already standing here and there in the open spaces before the several inns designated for their lodging.
Most of these young lords wore modified travel clothes or light leather armor suited for movement.
Even so, each of them still displayed the crest of his or her noble house in some conspicuous place.
Recognizing the heraldic emblems of the various noble families was a required lesson every noble of the Kingdom of Orlando had been taught since childhood.
At this moment, the open square looked almost like a miniature exhibition of heraldry.
And besides the unpleasant clash that had already broken out earlier between the Royal Domain and the Eastern Frontier,
It was said that the Eastern Frontier and Southern Frontier—old enemies that had competed for centuries in maritime trade and inland shipping throughout the kingdom— had also erupted into a small-scale confrontation shortly after arriving, coming close to blows.
Fortunately, that too had been stopped in time by Western Frontier officials who had rushed over after hearing the commotion.
Although the number of lords from the bitterly cold Northern Frontier was the smallest,
no one dared provoke that silent group lightly, the ones who often wore beast fur as decoration.
The fierce temperament of the Northern Frontier was famous throughout the kingdom. If they believed they had been insulted, those people truly dared to draw swords and demand a duel on the spot over a single ill-chosen sentence, and their strength was usually far from weak.
Knock, knock, knock.
Wolfgang's steady knock sounded at the door.
"My lord, the time is nearly upon us. We should head down as well."
From inside the room, Eli answered.
He was standing before a tall full-length mirror, giving his appearance one final inspection.
He wore a finely tailored outfit dominated by black, perfectly fitted and made from costly materials.
At the collar, cuffs, and front of the garment, intricate yet elegant patterns had been embroidered in silver thread, serving as ornament and accent.
Most striking of all were the pauldrons on both shoulders, crafted with exceptional ingenuity into the form of grasping dragon claws.
They gleamed with a hard metallic sheen, echoing the black dragon crest of House Pendragon.
Behind him, a heavy velvet cloak of deep blue fell naturally from the pauldrons over his back.
From the design to the colors, every part of the ensemble matched the Pendragon family crest perfectly.
It could be said that the attire not only displayed his noble identity, but also carried a restrained sense of majesty and power.
He had spent a considerable sum to commission it, specially arranging for the tailors and armor masters retained by House La Roche to produce it together at speed.
It had been made specifically for important occasions.
Satisfied, Eli gave a slight nod to his reflection before opening the door.
The moment Wolfgang saw the renewed Eli standing there, even a trace of amazement flashed through the wolf-kin's eyes.
In a low voice, he praised, "My lord... you look extremely imposing."
Eli smiled. "Let us go."
The two descended the stairs together.
By then, the hall and dining area on the first floor of the inn were already quite lively.
Quite a few Royal Domain lords were eating a simple breakfast there—
dark bread, dried meat, meat broth, barley porridge, and some local cheese.
The moment they saw Eli come down, many of them immediately set aside their food and greeted him warmly.
"Eli! Morning!"
"Good day, Baron Eli!"
"Alliance Lord, come sit here!"
Keeping the same gentle, composed smile on his face, Eli answered their greetings one by one.
His gaze swept across the dining room, and he naturally walked over to the table where his "nephew," the young noble Velin Vilay, was sitting.
Velin Vilay came from House Vilay of the Royal Domain. His father was one of the important vassals of the powerful House Roman of the Royal Domain.
After spending these past few days with him, Eli had discovered that even after enduring months of hardship while opening territory in the wasteland,
Velin still somehow managed to keep a sunny smile and an optimistic spirit with surprising regularity.
He was cheerful by nature and good with people—a true social butterfly, well liked among the Royal Domain lords.
"Ho! Alliance Lord, that outfit of yours today is magnificent!"
The moment he saw Eli, Velin immediately shifted over with a grin and welcomed him to sit down.
Eli nodded and accepted the same simple breakfast from the waiter that had been served to the other lords.
Then Velin leaned closer, half-covering his mouth with one hand, and lowered his voice with a mysterious air.
"Alliance Lord, I have a little piece of gossip. I do not know whether it is true or not...
"I heard something enormous happened in the royal capital! It seems... something may have happened to His Majesty?
"I fear Sir Lucius's emergency summons this time is connected to the great upheaval in the capital..."
Though his voice was very low, the sturdy little fat man sitting across from them at the same table, who was busily draining a mug of ale, still caught fragments of it.
He immediately set down his cup, let out a resounding belch, and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Velin, what unreliable story have you heard this time from some wandering bard?
"Something happened to His Majesty? Great upheaval in the capital?
"You might as well say Prime Minister Federico suddenly betrayed the kingdom,
and Sir Lucius means to gather all us lords from the Royal Domain and the various frontiers together in one place and wipe us out in a single stroke! Hahaha!"
His words instantly drew roaring laughter from the lords at the surrounding tables, and the atmosphere lightened at once.
"Gulas! Just how much have you already had to drink this early in the morning?"
Several lords mocked the little fat man in exasperation.
This little fat man was none other than Gulas Roman of House Roman, one of the Royal Domain's highest-ranking noble houses.
He had inherited the Roman family's broad build and... its love of alcohol.
For that reason, he had also been nicknamed "Roman the Wine Barrel." He was open-hearted and easygoing by nature, though at times a little too careless and boisterous.
Eli did not join in their joking. He merely finished the simple breakfast before him in silence.
After wiping his mouth with a napkin, he finally spoke in a calm voice.
"Whatever the truth may be, once we arrive at the cathedral, everything will naturally become clear.
"All of you need only be prepared and remain calm."
His composure steadied the others, and the small measure of anxiety and speculation in their hearts gradually eased.
Not long after breakfast ended, a middle-aged man in the attire of a Western Frontier official arrived at the Golden Cup and Antlers Inn with several guards at his side.
He looked around the hall at the assembled Royal Domain lords and announced in a clear voice,
"My lords, the time has come. Please gather outside the inn and follow me.
"There is one thing you must note: your guards are to remain here at the inn and need not accompany you.
"We will escort all of you together to Thorne Cathedral."
No guards allowed?
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall instantly grew somewhat rigid.
Expressions of surprise and suspicion appeared on quite a few faces.
That joking remark Gulas had made earlier—about wiping them all out in one stroke—could it truly contain even the slightest possibility?
Almost instinctively, everyone's eyes turned toward their Alliance Lord, Eli.
Eli's expression remained completely unchanged. He rose to his feet, adjusted his cloak, and answered in a steady voice,
"I understand. There is no need for concern. We will simply obey the order. Follow me."
Seeing how calm and self-possessed Eli remained, as though he already held the situation firmly in hand,
the Royal Domain lords seemed to find their pillar of support once more, and more than half of the unease in their hearts was immediately dispelled.
They stood one after another and followed Eli out of the inn.
Outside, the other three groups had already assembled.
The Eastern Frontier group was by far the largest. At a glance, there seemed to be nearly fifty lords among them, most wearing haughty expressions and standing rather loosely.
Camilla Russell stood at the very front of the group like a red rose covered in thorns.
Her cold gaze crossed the crowd and fell precisely upon Eli, carrying undisguised distaste and scrutiny.
At her side, the maid Amber followed Camilla's line of sight.
When she saw Eli standing at the head of the Royal Domain group, with that mysterious white hair, tall frame, and imposing attire,
she could not help crying out in surprise. "So he is Eli Pendragon? He is so handsome..."
Camilla shot an annoyed look at her little maid. "He is nothing but a brute in fine clothes."
Eli, however, seemed not to notice her judgment at all, and calmly looked away.
His gaze swept across the Southern Frontier and Northern Frontier groups.
The Southern Frontier lords were also numerous, and their clothing style was markedly more enigmatic.
At the head of the Southern Frontier group stood a young noble Eli did not recognize.
The crest on his clothing was a crown woven from thorns—that was the heraldry of House Bourbon, a marquess family of the Southern Frontier.
At the head of the Northern Frontier group, meanwhile, stood a tall young man with a stern face.
His family crest showed two hands clasped tightly together—this was House La Rochelle of the Northern Frontier.
The dozen or so northerners stood there in silence, yet naturally gave off an aura that warned strangers to keep their distance.
Four groups, representing the frontier strength drawn from the four great regions of the Kingdom of Orlando,
had now gathered together in the capital of the Western Frontier.
A subtle atmosphere filled the air.
William Claude, the Western Frontier official responsible for leading them, saw that all four groups had arrived and that the numbers were correct.
Taking a deep breath, he faced all the lords and announced in a ringing voice,
"Frontier Lords! Maintain order and follow us as we depart for Thorne Cathedral!"