Azure Scepter

Page 148

Classic trick. Trier thought to himself.

He stood in the shadows behind his own illusion and slowly gripped the hilt of his sword.

That eerie black shadow might evade the inspection of divine vision, or it might be immune to the Death Finger, but it absolutely cannot escape the Holy Slash—nothing can survive the terrifying power of the Nine-Ring Holy Slash.

"I've become a magician too," Trier thought to himself. "Strength and the ability to fly are the future of magic!"

At this moment, Edith and Fythia both stopped talking in perfect unison—they had realized that the Trier before them was just an illusion, and illusions obviously cannot speak; the old nobleman who had led the way, however, was completely unaware, and he had not noticed the teleportation happening right before his eyes at all.

Crossing the suspension bridge, one enters the forecourt area of ​​the Golden Palace. The first thing that catches Trier's eye is a maze of shrubs made entirely of crystal. Under the morning light, the crystal flowers, shrubs, and thorns seem to transform into a liquid flowing with light. Millions of facets and edges refract and bloom with light simultaneously. Through astonishing optical calculations, the morning light transforms into a rainbow, spanning the end of the suspension bridge like a giant gate.

Silver fountains spewed forth chocolate, and lifelike white stone statues lined both sides of the road. Along the path leading to the banquet, there were not only nobles and high-ranking citizens in fine clothes, but also many guild artisans wearing white feathered hats, as well as representatives of refugees in tattered clothes, and even a few mercenaries occasionally. Trier saw Cyrus and his elven wife Jasmine.

The Duke seemed to intend not only to get married, but also to announce his political return through a lavish and widely participated wedding.

Soon, the group arrived near the banquet venue.

According to principle and tradition, no one attending the banquet should carry weapons or wear armor. Seeing Edith and Trier's outrageous attire, the guard in charge of the inspection initially intended to stop them, but the knight beside him, upon seeing the elderly nobleman leading the way, directly prevented the guard's rash action...

After passing through the checkpoint, the invisible Trier quietly slipped away from the group. He stood in the shadows of the entrance, eavesdropping on the conversation between the guards and knights behind him.

“We should be doing our duty,” the guard muttered. “Sir, I’ve never seen those men before; perhaps they just don’t know the rules…”

The knight hissed, “Shut your mouth, you fool. The one leading the way is the treasurer. Who do you think the others behind him are? I’m warning you, don’t bring this up again, or you’ll get into trouble.”

"The treasurer?" The guard scratched his head in disbelief, then his eyes lit up. "Radiance, I get it!"

"What do you know?" the knight asked in a hostile tone.

"It's the eldest princess! That person in the gray plate armor who looks particularly suspicious is Princess Edith!" The seemingly dim-witted guard had actually managed to deduce the truth...

"Ridiculous." The knight scoffed. "Even a knight's daughter wouldn't have such a ruthless temperament, let alone a noble princess. That person must be a guard—of those people, the truly important one is the elf. I'll bet you in the name of Radiance that the elf is definitely a diplomatic envoy."

Trier couldn't help but chuckle, then shook his head, turning his attention away from behind him and observing the layout of the banquet venue.

The banquet hall was roughly divided into three parts by the Crystal Garden: the high platform in the center of the Crystal Garden, the gardens within the Crystal Garden, and the road outside the Crystal Garden. Trier speculated that the Duke's relatives and special guests would sit at the long table on the platform, with powerful nobles from the duchy, several cabinet members, and a strong earl arranged in order on either side of the long table; the Crystal Garden would house ordinary nobles and their relatives, military experts, and high-ranking citizens, with a large number of bards, drummers, flute players, and chaplains in the audience; and outside the Crystal Garden would be attendants, guards, and others.

At this moment, led by the old nobleman, the group was already seated at the long table on the high platform. To Trier's surprise, Fydia was directly arranged to sit next to Edith.

Trier continued to patiently observe the banquet venue. The Duke and the bride had not yet arrived, and the early guests were chatting among themselves—among them, an old man with a full head of silver hair and a hooked nose caught Trier's attention.

The man stood in the shadows beside the platform, his face grim as he spoke in hushed tones to the spymaster, Nordman. Beside them, a somewhat overweight merchant representative occasionally chimed in. The gloomy nobleman glanced around furtively as he spoke, as if wary of eavesdropping.

All three had solemn expressions, making it seem less like a conversation and more like a life-or-death sword fight.

Trier's interest was piqued, and he quietly moved closer to the group, eavesdropping on their conversation—

"So, what does the bride look like?" the hook-nosed nobleman asked curiously.

Nordman shook his head: "I've been in Erlav recently, and I only just found out about this myself."

"Hey, I know that bride! She's Sir Taran's youngest daughter!" the merchant representative said with a serious face but an extremely gossipy tone. "She just came of age this year!"

As he listened, Trillen was speechless—he had assumed the three were engaged in some shady deal or plotting something, but it turned out they were just gossiping...

He sighed silently, then slowly walked back to his illusion—Edith was to his left, while the seat to his right was empty; the owner of that seat had not yet arrived.

Unlike the other lively places, the long table was unusually quiet, with little conversation. Even when there was interaction, it was mostly just polite, fleeting greetings. This was probably because those who wanted to have a conversation had already gone elsewhere.

Trier took a deep breath and continued calculating the location of the entrance to the underground mirror city of Wirth.

However, at this very moment—

"Trier, long time no see." A rather calm voice suddenly rang in his ear.

The invisible Trier turned his head and then saw a tall, familiar-looking man sitting in the empty seat next to him—it was Uncle Cohen.

You could try to extract information about the shadowy figure from him...

In a flash, Trier immediately used a sound illusion spell to respond, "Yes, it's been almost ten years."

Edith, who was standing next to Trier, and Fythia, who was standing next to Edith, both looked at the illusion with great surprise.

"Congratulations." Cohen pulled out a chair with his mechanical arm and said with a smile, "It seems you've regained your memories."

Trier didn't speak; he simply made the illusion nod.

After a brief silence, however, Count Cohen was soon engrossed in conversation after downing a glass of strong liquor.

"I wish I could lose my memory too," Uncle Cohen suddenly sighed. "When I was a child, I was most afraid of these kinds of banquets, and even now I feel quite uncomfortable in such situations."

"Why?" Futia's pointed ears twitched as she asked with great curiosity.

Count Cohen drank his second large glass of wine, looked at Fythia, and then pointed to his mechanical arm: "This mechanical arm was a birthday gift from my brother when I was sixteen—before that, I couldn't even eat without someone's help."

“But what does this have to do with the banquet?” Futia blinked.

Count Cohen was about to answer when a burst of light, cheerful music suddenly began.

—The wedding banquet has officially begun.

According to the traditions of the human kingdoms, the wedding ceremony and the wedding banquet are held at the same time. A proper wedding banquet will have a total of 112 dishes. The bride and groom will walk from the chapel to the wedding banquet venue when the fifth course is served. After that, the herald will announce the names and titles of the guests.

Before that, wedding guests will enjoy an appetizer, a wine, a soup, and a main course.

As the music began, the atmosphere gradually warmed up. Elegantly dressed waiters moved about, serving the first course as a cold appetizer: smoked arcarmen, and a creamy mushroom snail soup as a soup. The soup was fragrant with cream and garnished with bits of golden-brown toasted bread crumbs, while the arcarmen was quite refreshing.

“At every banquet like this, my father would dismiss the servants who were taking care of me.” Count Cohen drank his third large glass of wine, then picked up a spoon and took a sip of cream soup. “If I wanted to eat, I would inevitably embarrass myself. I can’t stand being ridiculed, so I choose not to eat, but that’s not a good memory—by the radiance, no one is willing to accept me except my brother.”

Although he was talking about some outrageous past events, Count Cohen spoke with surprising calmness, as if he were talking about someone else.

Trier, who was invisible, was dumbfounded, Edith's expression was even more complicated, and Fythia was completely stunned.

In her view, based on Count Cohen's description, the Duke was somewhat mentally unstable, and what he did was purely harmful to others and himself.

“Perhaps misfortune and failure are the main themes of earthly life.” Count Cohen chuckled self-deprecatingly, his cheeks flushed under the influence of alcohol. “Losing my mother before I was born, losing my family and lover in my youth, losing my only son in middle age, who knows what I will lose in my old age, maybe I won’t even have an old age at all—well, Trier, let’s have a drink to this life full of struggle!”

“It was Harlan’s death that restored many of my memories.” Trier carefully chose his words, but didn’t let the illusion drink. “I truly regret it…”

Count Cohen drank his fourth large glass of wine, this time a Portalin red wine. He shook his head with a rather magnanimous air: “Death is not the end. I don’t blame you. In fact, I don’t blame anyone. After all, I’m used to this kind of thing. To be optimistic, Harlan might have been reincarnated as a celestial being.”

At this moment, the famous bard, the halfling "Emerald Tongue," arrived at the center of the Crystal Garden. Pushing a harp taller than herself, she presented the first grand performance of the banquet, "Morning in Port Elaf."

This is an Olco minor poem, characterized by the perfect metrical pattern of each line. The poem describes the bustling scene of Port Elaf more than a decade ago; in other words, it is a short poem praising the Duke's achievements, a pure flattery.

“Trier, is there something you want to ask?” Count Cohen put down his wine glass and suddenly looked at Trier. “You’re not the kind of person who likes to make small talk or be polite. If you have something to say, please speak freely.”

“You’re really direct,” Trier said, controlling the illusion.

Count Cohen shook the bell on the table, ordered a waiter to bring a bottle of dwarf dragon liquor, then unscrewed the cap and drank it all in one gulp.

“Efficiency is above all else,” Earl Cohen hiccuped. “You used to say that all the time, so let’s not beat around the bush.”

"Did you see a strange dark figure?" Trier asked directly.

Count Cohen countered, "Is the shadow some kind of metaphor?"

“It’s a shadowy figure in the literal sense, like a silhouette,” Trier said in a deep voice, “in front of the glass in the throne room.”

Count Cohen was stunned. He picked up his wine glass and took a big gulp, only to find that the wine in the glass had long since run dry.

"What you saw was a shadowy figure?" Cohen put down his glass and sighed deeply.

Trier frowned slightly: "What you saw wasn't a shadowy figure?"

“Of course not,” Uncle Cohen admitted, nervously licking his lips before ringing the bell again. “Bring more wine!”

"What did you see?" Futia asked curiously.

Count Cohen picked up his glass and took a big gulp of the elven sparkling cherry wine. Then he took a deep breath, suppressing his pain, and whispered in an almost murmured voice, “I saw my wife, Sophie—Radiance. Her face was covered in blood, her skull was fractured, and she was standing by the window, looking at me as she always has.”

Chapter 288 The Wedding Turns Turbulent (Part Two)

As Count Cohen recounted his painful tale, the halfling bard "Emerald Tongue's" joyful performance came to a close. Another troupe, comprised of both dwarves and humans, entered the heart of the Crystal Garden to perform a one-act play, "Shining Peak"—a reenactment of Princess Edith's clever mediation of the Shining Peak dispute.

"Ha, what a remarkable achievement." Count Cohen rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to change the subject.

Edith didn't respond; she simply shook her head. Watching the drama unfold in the garden, she suddenly realized that the flashes of inspiration she often had weren't her own genius, but rather the result of Rosé and Fusada manipulating her consciousness.

Then, a brief silence fell over the long table.

Trier remained calm. Based on his uncle's narration and his extensive knowledge, he had already begun to understand what the strange shadow was—perhaps the shadow was not an objective entity, but merely a subjective illusion triggered by some unknown action.

He then continued calculating the location of the entrance to the underground mirror city of Wirth.

About five minutes later, the play ended amidst thunderous applause. Even someone as discerning as Trier had to admit that the play was performed to a very high standard.

As the play ended, the brightly dressed waiters returned, moving about and serving the guests the second main course: beef stew with Portaran wine. Although it's called stew, the veal had actually been pre-cooked until juicy, then simmered in Portaran wine over low heat. The flames infuse the beef with the aroma of the grapes, preserving its original fragrance and flavor.

In the thick, red broth, there are tender potatoes, fresh mushrooms, and a few basil leaves and carrot chunks on top. Amidst the enticing aroma, the famous halfling bard "Green Leaf" makes another appearance, reciting the third program, "Wedding March."

As the music began, the Duke and the bride appeared from the direction of the chapel. According to the tradition of the Kingdom of Orco, when the fifth course was served, the bride and groom would walk alone from the chapel to the wedding banquet, with the priest who witnessed the vows leading the way—this process is called "walking together," which symbolizes that the bride and groom will face the unknown and difficulties together in the life ahead.

Due to the sudden death of Vercingetorius and Saint Seir's strange attitude towards the blood plague, the Church of Radiance has now effectively collapsed in the entire church system of the Southern Duchy. This has directly led to Noy's position in the current church hierarchy becoming quite high, so she directly took on the role of the vow priest for the Duke's wedding.

At this moment, Neu, dressed in a plain black high priest's robe, was exceptionally solemn. She walked ahead, holding a torch that symbolized light, while the Duke and the bride followed closely in the shadow cast by the torch.

"Finally, I'll get to see what my stepmother, who's even younger than me, looks like." Uncle Cohen turned to Trier and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Guided by Noy, the elderly duke and the young bride walked to the high platform in the glass garden. The old duke stretched out his wrinkled hand and slowly touched the bride's white and smooth veil—the atmosphere reached its climax at this moment, and everyone couldn't help but lean over to look at the bride.

Finally, the bride's veil was lifted.

Noi's wine-red pupils suddenly contracted, and she was so shocked that she was even speechless for a moment.

The young bride wasn't particularly beautiful, but her chestnut hair, tied with a pure white ribbon, flowed freely in the wind. A happy smile graced her slightly chubby face, and her purple eyes were filled with anticipation for the future. Even the beauty mark at the corner of her eye seemed to whisper tales of joy.

—But the bride looks so much like Sophie, Uncle Cohen's wife who was executed by the Duke! From her chestnut hair to her purple eyes, even the beauty mark at the corner of her eye is almost identical!

Trier didn't understand why Noe was surprised at first, but after thinking for a moment, he understood. Trier couldn't help but turn around and give Uncle Cohen a deep look.

At this moment, Uncle Cohen's face, flushed from drinking, had turned pale. His mechanical hand holding the wine glass remained steady, though some cracks were slowly appearing on the glass. He pursed his lips, lowered his head, and hid his eyes in the shadows.

As for Edith and Feudia, they had no idea what was going on. They only vaguely sensed something was wrong through Noy's unusual behavior and Count Cohen's strange changes.

The elderly duke and the bride embraced each other, and exchanged vows to solemn music.

The next step, according to the established procedure, should have been blessings from relatives and friends, followed by the recitation of prayers. However, the Duke remained silent, simply taking the bride's hand and walking straight back to the main seat on the high platform, without even glancing at Cohen and Trier.

"What just happened?" Futia asked in a low voice.

The invisible Trier patted Fyodor on the shoulder and then whispered the truth to her.

Feudia was taken aback and looked at Count Cohen in disbelief.

"This is absurd!" Futia clenched her fists and whispered, "How could he insult his own family like this?"

Although rationally speaking, this matter had nothing to do with her, Futia had always disapproved of such injustices, and at this moment, she felt a little dissatisfied.

As the Duke took his seat without a word, the heralds began to announce the names and titles of the guests. In their words, Trier was no longer an exile, but rather the savior of Erlav, which gave Trier a little bit of legendary status, though it was better than nothing.

Trier didn't care about this. Since gaining combat power comparable to a demigod and control of the Asmor army, Trier had become less concerned about the secular nobles within the duchy—in the current situation, although they were important, they were no longer of paramount importance.

Soon, the fifth course, almond-wrapped fried trout, the sixth course, mead pike, the seventh course, rustic delights, and a large amount of toasted oat bread were served. As the banquet continued, many people were already drunk. Some were fast asleep at their tables, some were shouting, and some were even fighting with the people next to them with knives... The Duke and the bride, on the other hand, remained silent.

The invisible Trier remained silent as well, observing the Duke from the shadows. For some reason, he felt something was amiss. He didn't know the Duke well, but at this moment, he inexplicably sensed a familiar feeling about him.

At that moment, the Duke, who had been as serious as a stone, finally smiled, and the grand finale, the core of the first half of the banquet, began.

The actors looked quite professional, and there was even a female elf among them, who are known to be rare in the human kingdoms.

With the deep, powerful sound of horns, the new play, titled "Pale Victory," began.

Princess Edith, a theater enthusiast, was thoroughly engrossed in the performance. This play was likely an adaptation of *The Return of Sir Carthus*, but it must be admitted that the adaptation was remarkably successful, a true masterpiece. From the plot and pacing to the costumes, props, and performances, everything was flawless; only the character settings were somewhat odd.

The main antagonist in the story is an elven necromancer disguised as a priest of the Church of Light, and under her command is a dwarf who plays the role of a clown, a dwarf born deformed and missing both arms...

According to the tradition of the Kingdom of Orco, all the programs at such an important banquet have symbolic meanings and significance. This scene was definitely not an unintentional mistake—it was a blatant insult to Count Cohen, and could even be described as a provocation to Trier and Feudia.

To be fair, it's not an easy thing to offend so many people in one go.

Edith took a deep breath and glanced to her side out of the corner of her eye.

In stark contrast to his earlier outburst, Count Cohen now appeared quite calm, though the cracks in the cup in his hand betrayed his inner turmoil; Faucia, on the other hand, clenched her fists, her face flushed.

She didn't go to see Trier because she knew that Trier was just a phantom.

At this moment, the atmosphere of the entire banquet had unknowingly become strange. Even though alcohol had seeped into the flesh and blood of many people, even the slowest person realized that something was wrong—perhaps most people did not know that the elven necromancer was hinting at Trier and Faldia, but the dwarf with missing arms was explicitly indicating Count Cohen, and everyone could see it.

"Crack!" The prop sword slashed across the dwarf actor's neck, sending his prop head flying into the air, splattering blood disguised as red wine everywhere.

The actor playing the paladin successfully thwarted the necromancer's plot, but he also lost his love—he knelt on the ground in grief, holding his lover's body, looking up at the sky, silently weeping, and the play came to an end at this moment.

Although the play was quite brilliant, only a handful of people applauded in the oppressive atmosphere, which felt like dark clouds looming before a storm.

Suddenly, the Duke, who had been silent all along, slowly raised his hand, his fingers covered in rings reflecting the midday sun.

The already sparse applause vanished instantly, and the room fell silent.