CHAPTER 1132: CHAPTER 838: THE PEOPLE WHO DECIDE THE KINGDOM’S FUTURE

At night, the temperature plummeted sharply, causing snowflakes to flutter down from the sky, transforming the earth once again into a sheet of white.

Amidst this whiteness, the splendid Honey Wine Restaurant stood out like a golden flower blooming in the snow, dazzling and radiant.

And tonight, the Honey Wine Restaurant seemed particularly lively, with numerous carriages parked on the plaza outside the doors, each adorned with the emblems of various noble families, creating a scene akin to a hundred flowers blooming.

In such an atmosphere, the Franzeville family’s carriage slowly rolled into the plaza and, under the respectful guidance of the attendants, made its way to the most conspicuous spot to stop.

"We have arrived, Mr. Reiger, young miss."

Ai En and Ian, who were driving the carriage, disembarked first and then assisted the passengers out one by one.

The first to alight were Reiger and Yuri.

Reiger was dressed in a long-unseen purple lavish outfit, which adorned him like a young master from a noble family, exuding a commanding presence.

Yuri, too, unusually wore formal attire—a long dress that was pure white and dazzling, appearing exceptionally elegant and pure.

Following them, Liz, Yuloli, and Lilith also stepped down from the carriage.

All three, like Yuri, were dressed in formal gowns, with Lilith even using an Illusion Technique to hide the horns on her head, making her look like a queen—an enchantingly alluring queen whose presence frequently captured the gaze of passersby.

The last to disembark was Marilyn.

Marilyn, however, was the same as usual, wearing her maid uniform and honestly following beside Yuri.

The group made a striking appearance, the combination of handsome men and beautiful women absolutely eye-catching to the utmost degree.

And as the only male among them, surrounded by beautiful women, Reiger naturally became the most conspicuous person there.

"Is this the banquet Isis mentioned would be held here?"

Ignoring the gazes of others, Reiger spoke with a hint of surprise.

"I thought it would be held in the royal palace."

It’s no wonder Reiger thought so.

Two days ago, Isis visited in the name of the Laitais duke family and delivered an invitation to Reiger and Yuri.

The content of the invitation was as follows.

"In view of today’s upcoming formal election for the throne, we hereby cordially invite competitors and esteemed guests with voting rights to attend the banquet."

Indeed, this was a banquet organized specifically for the competitors for the throne and the nobles and strong individuals with voting rights.

At this banquet, not only would all the candidates with succession rights appear, but also the nobles and strong individuals holding voting rights.

This was to provide a necessary venue for all related parties, allowing them to prepare for the upcoming election for the throne.

According to Isis, at this banquet, competitors could meet each other, ascertain the status and strength of their opponents, enhance their influence, and showcase themselves in front of numerous nobles and strong individuals, trying to win over as many votes as possible.

Meanwhile, the nobles and strong individuals could discern the state of the nation at the banquet, arriving at clear decisions about what to do next and whom to support.

Simultaneously, the royal faction and the duke faction would formally announce the election rules at the banquet, informing everyone of the procedures and necessary matters.

For example, regarding who could vote and how many votes they could cast, as Yuri had mentioned earlier, the royal faction and the duke faction would make an announcement at the banquet.

In a word, this was a banquet that gathered the high echelons and top combat power of the entire Jinas Kingdom, allowing all to compete and choose on the same stage.

The reason the Laitais family gave the invitation to Reiger and Yuri at their expense was precisely because this duke family was the organizer of the banquet.

The Laitais family, being one of the more established families among the duke households, had always maintained an ambiguous stance in the kingdom, like Franzeville, never leaning towards either the royal faction or the duke faction.

Therefore, considering the influence and stance of the Laitais family, the royal faction, and the duke faction ultimately decided to entrust the Laitais family with the responsibility of hosting the throne election.

Thanks to this, the Laitais family might be the only nobility in the entire kingdom not required to state their position.

As the host, the Laitais family would be seen as automatically waiving their voting rights, maintaining absolute neutrality.

In this context, Isis, as the organizer of the banquet, came to deliver the invitation to Reiger and Yuri.

However, Reiger hadn’t expected the banquet to be held in the Honey Wine Restaurant instead of the royal palace.

To this, Yuri gave a brief explanation.

"The Honey Wine Restaurant has always had an official status and has long served as the main venue for nobles to hold banquets."

"In contrast, the royal palace ultimately remains the domain of the royalty, and recently, after the incident with Solok Jinas, there are still many unresolved issues."

"Therefore, after much deliberation, Duke Letais has decided to hold the banquet here."

Upon hearing this, Reiger nodded, indicating his understanding.

But Liz, who was following behind Reiger, couldn’t help but timidly raise her hand at this moment.

"Um... do I really have to attend?" Liz asked timidly, "I am no longer a member of the royal family, and unlike Miss Yuloli and Miss Lilith, I don’t have a Sword Saint medal. Can I really attend?"

This is indeed something worth mentioning.

During the heated competition for the throne, a few days ago, news suddenly came from the royal palace that Yuloli and Lilith were to be summoned to receive the Sword Saint medals.

"Because of the fall of the Shadow Sword Saint, the kingdom lost a Sword Saint, and various royal aristocrats suffered significant losses. The kingdom urgently needs to release pressure externally to deter those restless countries. Hence, the royal side is eager to award the Sword Saint medals to Miss Yuloli and Miss Lilith to show that the kingdom’s strength has not decreased but increased," Yuri explained to Reiger.

If at this critical juncture, the kingdom could have two more Sword Saints to fill the void left by Rom’s fall, it would be a strong boost, both for the kingdom’s citizens and for those restless foreign nations.

This way, not only can the kingdom reassure its citizens, but it can also deter foreign nations, killing two birds with one stone.

Thus, with the royal side paving the way, Yuloli and Lilith quickly received the Sword Saint medals, representing the highest honor for a swordsman, causing a huge sensation throughout the kingdom and even the entire continent.

The kingdom, having experienced turmoil, did not become weaker after losing a Sword Saint; instead, it gained more Sword Saints, which indeed deterred quite a few ill-intentioned individuals, resulting in even the disturbances in the Leiblu Kingdom becoming quieter.

Of course, this also led to Reiger’s attendants being widely known for having two female Sword Saints, causing further uproar.

Initially, the fact that Reiger had two female Sword Saints under his command was known only to a part of the kingdom’s upper echelon; now, almost everyone knows, and even rumors have spread among the common people.

The royal family even plans to announce publicly that Reiger is a strategic-level magician.

After all, when Reiger confronted King Hemulinp, he once almost summoned the world’s end, nearly drawing the Holy Lance.

Since then, those present knew that Reiger was not just a tactical-level magician as the rumors suggested but also a strategic-level magician.

No, the magic he used at that time, as he claimed, might have already exceeded the scope of strategic-level magic.

This matter caused considerable shock and impact on the royal family at the time, elevating their apprehension about Reiger to the extreme.

But now, they are eager to publicize this matter, making others believe that the kingdom has gained a magician beyond strategic level, acquiring unprecedented power, enough to dominate the entire Acacia Continent.

Only by doing so can the noreign nations, led by the Leiblu Kingdom, be deterred from making trouble at this critical juncture.

Therefore, recently, all factions have started spreading this matter, making people from various forces aware that Reiger is not just a tactical-level magician but also a magician who has mastered magic that surpasses strategic-level magic.

But this matter is too fantastical; currently, only a few people believe it.

Returning to the main topic, now that Yuloli and Lilith have received the Sword Saint medals, Liz remains the only "ordinary" swordsman among Reiger’s attendants.

And for this banquet, regular swordsmen are not qualified to attend; even the major noble families only allow the family head and direct heirs to attend.

Upon entering the banquet venue, whether it is Marilyn, Ai En, or Ian, they all have to stop at the door.

But Liz is required to attend, making the little princess feel quite uneasy.

"Don’t worry," Reiger extended his hand to pat the little princess’s head, saying, "To me, you now already count as a Sword Saint, so how can you not be qualified to attend?"

Ever since awakening the bloodline of the Reinnaier family, Liz’s magic power has been increasing day by day, her strength growing ever stronger, comparable to a true Sword Saint now.

If she were to use the War King Sword Skill and release her spiritual power, those who can’t defend against her mental suppression would not be her match, including the Sword Saints.

Moreover, Liz wields the Moslo Sword; once she draws it, even Reiger has to regard her power seriously. If this strength is exposed, gaining a Sword Saint medal would be a mere trifle.

The reason she hasn’t received it yet is due to the little princess’s low profile, never showing her true current strength in public.

"Don’t worry, hasn’t Duke Letais already stated that Her Highness can attend?"

Yuri, who knows Liz’s true strength and somewhat astonishing identity, did not change her attitude towards Liz, still addressing her as Her Highness and smilingly said.

"Besides, rules are dead, but people are alive. Given Reiger’s influence now, allowing one attendant to enter shouldn’t face any opposition."

At least the royal faction and the duke’s faction definitely wouldn’t dare to oppose.

"Let’s go," Reiger said nonchalantly with a smile, "Let’s go in and have a look."

"See those who will decide the kingdom’s future."