CHAPTER 216: BOLD LUCAS

Lucas stood calmly in the center of the hall, the weight of a hundred eyes upon him. The Counselor had already dismissed his words, and the nobles had laughed as though he were nothing more than a child playing dress-up in the matters of kings. But Lucas did not falter. His voice remained steady, sharp enough to cut through the noise of the hall.

"You think Valerion has nothing to offer," Lucas said, his gaze moving from the Counselor to the assembled court. "But you are wrong. The King of Rus has already agreed to an alliance. If Lechia joins, it will not be two kingdoms standing together. It will be three."

The entire hall seemed to shift the moment Lucas mentioned Rus. Whispers swept through the gathered nobles like wildfire, some voices filled with disbelief while others carried tones of open mockery. It was almost impossible for him not to notice the way several of the older men exchanged glances, shaking their heads as though he had lost his mind. The name Rus alone had been enough to stir an uproar, for it was no secret that Lechia and Rus had been at odds for generations.

The Counselor, who had thus far retained a controlled and measured tone despite rejecting Lucas earlier, suddenly slammed his palm against the armrest of his chair. His voice boomed across the chamber, silencing even the most insolent whispers. "Do you mean to insult us, boy? To speak the name of Rus here, before Her Imperial Majesty, as though it were something of value? You dare suggest that we, Lechia, might walk hand in hand with those dogs of the North? Either you are ignorant, or you think us fools!"

Several nobles burst into laughter, emboldened by the Counselor’s words. Some of them even leaned back in their seats, speaking loud enough for others to hear. "The audacity of this Valerion messenger!" one snickered. "A child comes here waving impossible promises." Another added with a scoff, "If King Highmoor had respect for this Empire, he would have come himself or sent someone of real stature, not some reckless youth dreaming of impossible things."

The Counselor leaned forward, his gaze sharp and accusatory as he continued. "If what you say is true, then your king not only insults us by daring to treat Rus as a partner but also insults Her Majesty by sending a small boy, barely old enough to stand before this throne, to present such weighty matters. You stand there and tell us of alliances you cannot possibly bind, and you expect us to take you seriously?" His tone rose, filled with scorn. "King Highmoor disrespects us, and you do the same with your presence."

The hall erupted into more laughter, though now it was cruel and heavy with contempt. Some covered their mouths with their hands in mock civility, while others laughed openly, shaking their heads as if Lucas’s presence was nothing more than entertainment for the day.

Prince Khan, seated to the right of the Empress, smirked broadly as though the moment had been tailored to please him. He leaned sideways, resting an elbow on the armrest of his seat, his voice dripping with satisfaction as he remarked for all to hear, "Perhaps Valerion believes that Lechia is so desperate for allies that we would even lower ourselves to sit at the same table as Rus. How laughable. What sort of kingdom sends a boy to spin talks of friendship with enemies? Truly, if this is the measure of Valerion’s diplomacy, then their weakness is greater than we feared."

The nobles around him chuckled harder, delighted by his words. Some even echoed him, saying, "Weakness indeed," and "Valerion is still nothing but a small kingdom pretending to be something more."

Behind Lucas, the girls shifted uncomfortably. He could feel their unease even without turning to look. Selene lowered her head slightly, her hands clutching together tightly, clearly pained by the scorn being directed at him. Nyx’s face was pale, her usual composure faltering under the weight of so many mocking voices. Lira’s jaw was clenched, her eyes darting nervously across the hall, as though she could not bear watching Lucas stand alone in the face of such ridicule.

Lucas, however, did not bow his head. His eyes narrowed, his expression growing dark, though he kept his posture straight. Inside, anger swelled like a storm, his pride stung not only by the Counselor’s harsh accusations but also by the laughter that rang out from every corner of the chamber. He had been mocked before in his life, but never before had he been openly humiliated in such a grand and public fashion. Still, he refused to let them see weakness.

His gaze flickered once toward Prince Khan, who was still reveling in the spectacle, then to the Counselor who stood like a self-righteous pillar, and finally back to the Empress herself. She had not spoken, not even once. She simply sat upon her throne, veiled and poised, watching the scene unfold with an unreadable expression. Though her silence carried no ridicule, her lack of intervention stung even more.

The hall’s laughter rolled on like a wave, pressing heavily on his shoulders. Lucas clenched his fists at his sides, every muscle taut with restrained fury. For the first time, his anger was not just about himself but about the blatant disrespect shown to his king, his kingdom, and the purpose for which he had come.

And in that moment, though he said nothing yet, it was clear to anyone who truly looked closely that Xavier Alden was not as easily shaken as they thought.

The laughter in the great hall still echoed when Lucas finally lifted his head and spoke, his voice steady but cutting through the noise like steel against stone.

"You all have mocked me, dismissed me, and belittled me," he said, each word carrying weight, ringing out clearly enough for even those at the far corners of the chamber to hear. "Yet not one among you can claim to have achieved what I have achieved. Not one among you, save Her Majesty, could hope to in your lifetime. Neither your famed cultivators nor your revered alchemists of Lechia could do what I have already done. And that," his eyes swept across the room, unflinching as the nobles bristled at his words, "is what I have brought as a gift of goodwill to mark the beginning of an alliance."

For a brief moment, there was silence, so absolute that even the faint crackle of torches on the walls seemed louder than before. Then, like the breaking of a dam, an uproar surged. Voices rose in outrage, disbelief, and anger, overlapping in a storm of indignation.

"What arrogance!" a noble shouted from the left side of the hall.

"Who does he think he is?" another voice rang out.

"To compare himself to our people, to our masters of cultivation and alchemy...this boy is nothing but a fool!"

Prince Khan chuckled openly, shaking his head as though amused beyond measure. "Do you hear yourselves?" he mocked the hall with a grin. "The boy has come to teach Lechia its place, it seems. Perhaps we should bow to him now, before his supposed greatness blinds us all." His words drew further laughter from those eager to curry favor with him.

The Counselor’s face darkened to the shade of thunderclouds. He rose from his seat slowly, deliberately, his robes billowing with the faint aura of an ascendant realm cultivator. His presence pressed on the air like an unseen weight, causing some of the younger nobles to instinctively shift in discomfort. When he spoke, his voice was sharp, each syllable laced with fury.

"You dare insult us in our own court?" he thundered. "You dare suggest that our knowledge, our strength, and our legacy fall short of yours? You, a child, a mere envoy with no name worth remembering? You would dare to stand before Her Majesty and claim superiority?"

His hand curled slightly, and the faintest shimmer of energy flickered around him, enough to make the hair on the arms of those nearby stand upright. "Boy," he spat, "you test the patience of Lechia, and you test the patience of this court. Perhaps it would be better to send your head back to Valerion as a reminder of what becomes of those who insult the Empire."

Gasps echoed through the chamber. The air itself grew tense, thick enough that it seemed to cling to the skin. Several nobles leaned forward eagerly, as though awaiting a spectacle.

Lucas, however, did not flinch. His face remained calm, though his eyes carried a fire that made it clear he would not back down. Slowly, he straightened his posture and answered, his tone bold, resounding and unyielding.

"You may threaten me all you want," he said firmly, his gaze locked on the Counselor, "but you will not be able to do it. Not even if you tried."