Elise was incredibly tense. She followed her attendant to the Royal Family's main dining room. Her 'guards' accompanied them, of course, but they did not enter since there were already Royal Guards stationed inside. They stood at the corners of the room and beside the door, fully armed and ready to step in at any moment. However, the guards' shiny armor paled in comparison to the grandeur of the room itself.
The room was illuminated by bright lights that effortlessly filled the entire space. Elise could sense the Energy swirling inside them. The whole palace was filled with such lights, and many other magic devices helped the palace operate using Energy. Elise could sense them all embedded inside the walls and doors. She was astonished at how advanced their use of Energy was; she had never realized it until now.
There was a huge rectangular wooden table in the middle of the room, flanked by two arrays of long, thin tables along the side walls. Fifteen ornate chairs were placed around the main table: the largest one at the head, and the other fourteen along the sides. Eight of them were already occupied.
One of the guests was her father, Regory Vandenberg, who had arrived early as usual. The others must have been the government officials her attendant had mentioned on the way. Some had come with their spouses. All of them had fallen silent upon her entrance, following her every move with their eyes. Stupid dress.
While her attendant guided her to her seat, her father stood up to greet her. She walked slowly toward him under the piercing gazes of the guests. She unintentionally opened her mind to the intentions directed at her, but she only pinpointed one. It was stronger than any other she had felt in the Kingdom. A profound sense of curiosity emanated from the man seated furthest from her.
He was an old man dressed in a luxurious blue robe. His face was covered in wrinkles, but his eyes were as lively as a child's. He was sitting closest to the seats that Elise assumed were reserved for the Royal Family. The amount of Energy she could feel from him was remarkable. It was far more than Elise could manage, yet compared to the Demon they had encountered, it was nothing more than a droplet. He had to be Head Magician Gustave Vorony, one of the dinner guests her attendant had mentioned on the way.
She knew the intentions she felt were linked to Energy usage, but what about the people she had sensed on her way through the Capital? Were they all magicians? They had all looked like regular citizens. But what about...
She was snapped out of her thoughts by a hand extended toward her. The awkward silence lingered as everyone waited for her to sit down. Her attendant had already pulled out her chair, while her father stood by to assist her as a mere formality.
She quickly took her father's hand and sat down. She had always hated formalities like that, making her feel like a helpless kitten, but this time she was thankful for it. Not only did it snap her out of her thoughts, but the bottom half of her dress made it impossible to sit normally. So that was why these formalities were a necessity: to cover up ridiculous inconveniences and save face. Stupid dress.
Everyone resumed their small talk while Elise adjusted her dress to sit more comfortably. Two women were seated to her left and directly across from her, while her father sat on her right. The seat opposite her father was still empty, but right next to it sat the old magician. He was still examining her with keen curiosity.
"The dress looks good on you." Her father must have sensed her discomfort and was trying to cheer her up. However, that was the last thing she wanted to hear right now.
Elise slowly turned her head and glared at him with fierce eyes. "What am I doing here?" This had been the main question on her mind for a while. Why would they even invite her? "And why didn't you say anything? When you said 'dinner', I thought it was just the two of us."
Visible confusion washed over her father's face. "I thought you had been informed, and that it was obvious. I am sorry if it came as a surprise, but I assure you this was not my idea. King Arteon himself requested it, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to clear your name before the court."
She opened her mouth to reply, but was abruptly interrupted by a guest. "Consider yourself lucky, young Lady Vandenberg," the woman seated opposite her said. "They say you committed adultery—against the Royal Family, no less. It is not a matter to be taken lightly."
She looked younger than the Head Magician, but was still older than most people in the room. She wore a baggy white dress that covered her entire body, exposing only her face. She even wore white gloves. Compared to everyone else attending the dinner, she was the simplest-looking guest. Her face, however, told a very different story. It was like looking at a rugged cliff filled with sharp, jagged rocks. She might look plain, but she was clearly someone no one could easily defy: High Priestess of the Church of the Six, Anna Miona.
"Please don't be like that, Priestess." This time, the voice belonged to the woman on Elise's left. "I am sure she had her reasons for breaking off the engagement. I don't believe those baseless rumors. She is a Vandenberg, after all. If she is even a quarter of the person her father is, there is no way she would do such things. Am I right, Regory?"
Valery Cartha, the Head Director of the Kingdom's internal and external trade. Elise remembered visiting her family's mansion from time to time to discuss trade relations concerning the Vandenberg territories. She was adorned with lavish jewelry. She was almost as tall as Elise's father and carried her height with immense elegance. Her straight, golden hair cascaded down her back. She must have been around her mother's age, but unlike her mother, Valery Cartha looked younger than ever. Overall, she was a strikingly beautiful woman. But why was she supporting Elise?
"Thank you for your kind words, Lady Cartha," her father replied politely.
"Oh, stop it, Regory. We are not strangers. Please, call me Valery." She flashed a stunning smile at her father. "How is your wife, by the way? She must have been quite worn out after childbirth. She is not exactly young anymore, after all." Now it was perfectly obvious why she was supporting Elise. She was after her father.
"Thank you for your concern, Lady Cartha. She is getting better." And of course, her father had absolutely no clue.
Elise opened her mouth to continue the conversation, but the grand doors suddenly opened, drawing everyone's attention to the entrance. A man handed his sheathed sword to the guard stationed beside the door and strode into the dining room. He crossed the floor with quick, steady steps. His every movement screamed that he was a soldier through and through. Something about him heavily reminded Elise of her father. Perhaps it was his short, dark hair and his strong, soldierly build, although this man's skin was visibly darker.
He pulled out his chair and greeted everyone respectfully before sitting down next to her father. Elise noticed that everyone returned his greeting with equal reverence. There was no doubt about it; he was the Head of the Military, Avir Fortis. The best swordsman in the Kingdom, and perhaps in the entire continent. He had been one of Elise's role models while she was growing up. She had never imagined meeting someone like him here, in this setting.
"It is nice to see you again, Lord Vandenberg," he said as he settled into his seat. Elise knew her father was acquainted with Avir Fortis, but she hadn't expected such a personal greeting. Meanwhile, Lady Cartha did not seem at all pleased by the sudden shift in attention.
"Likewise, Lord Fortis. Did you get a chance to look into my request?"
"I did, but it appears it will take a while to yield any concrete results."
"There is no need to rush things. I just want to know who is behind all this baseless fuss. My family deeply appreciates your assistance in this dire matter."
"I can at least do this much for an old friend."
So, her father had gone to him for help with the investigation. Avir Fortis held massive influence over the Kingdom and was renowned as a righteous warrior. He could indeed be of great help.
"I see young Lady Vandenberg has also joined us this evening." Avir Fortis leaned forward to look her directly in the eye. "You were just a little kid the last time I saw you. Now, look at you. You resemble your father so much. I can see the spirit of a warrior inside you, just like him."
Elise felt incredibly flattered by the praise coming from such a legendary warrior, although she couldn't tell if it was truly because he sensed her fighting spirit or simply because of her unusually well-built shoulders and arms sticking out of her dress.
"Thank you for your kind words, Lord Fortis. I train with my Master every day to improve." She needed to seize every opportunity to convince everyone that her relationship with the Traveler was strictly limited to that of master and apprentice.
"He seems like a formidable man. I wish to meet him, if possible," he answered.
His words sounded perfectly sincere. A warrior of his caliber must always be eager to meet other strong individuals, whether simply to test who was stronger or to exchange a few blows for training. It must be difficult to find someone to train with when you are already the strongest person around. Elise knew Lord Fortis was incredibly strong, but she had also witnessed what the Traveler was truly capable of. Avir Fortis, the greatest warrior of the Alethani Kingdom, would stand no chance against him. She needed to prevent them from meeting just to ensure nothing bad would happen, but her father acted before she could.
"We plan to visit him after dinner. We would be honored if you accompanied us. Right, Elise?"
He turned to Elise for her approval. She stared at her father with a half-open mouth, but quickly recovered her composure and replied.
"S-sure... I mean, that would be great." What else could she possibly say?
"I appreciate your—"
Lord Fortis was interrupted by the heavy doors opening once again. A man with a small, round figure and a balding head swaggered inside. His jacket was just as extravagant as his arrogant facial expression. He moved and looked around as though he were far above everything and everyone in the room. Elise checked the others to gauge their reactions. Most avoided making eye contact with him entirely, while those who did look at him seemed to expect him to do something terrible. Everyone visibly raised their guard in his presence.
He walked straight toward the only empty seat—excluding those reserved for the Royal Family—situated exactly between the High Priestess and the Head Magician, directly across from Elise's father. He didn't speak a word to anyone on his way and simply took his seat, staring directly into her father's eyes.
"Vandenberg."
"Landa."
Elise could instantly feel the heavy tension thick in the air between the two territorial Lords of the Kingdom. So, this man was the head of House Landa: Edward Sigeberht Landa. He was clearly not the warrior type, but even Elise had heard tales of his cunning intelligence. He was the kind of man who would do absolutely anything for his own benefit. It was well known that he and her father were on terrible terms due to Landa's previous vicious schemes against them. What was he even doing here?
"I didn't expect to see you here today." Her father's demeanor had shifted in an instant. The warm man who had been chatting with a friend just moments ago was completely gone.
"I had business to attend to at the Capital, which does not concern you."
"I meant at this dinner."
"Why? Are you the only one privileged enough to attend such events? Don't get ahead of yourself, Vandenberg. And learn to be more grateful; I even persuaded our King to allow your daughter to attend this dinner."
"So, it was your doing after all. What are you scheming this time, Landa?" Her father was not known for his patience; he looked ready to snap at any second.
Elise finally managed to piece the clues together. How could she have been so blind all this time? She had been too focused on simply escaping her predicament to wrap her mind around who was orchestrating it. But now, her brain was working faster than ever. The Landa boy in the town of Rihona—Jacky. He must have told his father about her and the Traveler. Lord Landa had then used this knowledge to his advantage, fabricating the vicious rumor about her running away with a secret lover.
He had likely maneuvered her into attending this dinner to deliberately provoke her father in front of the already biased Royal Family, aiming to force him into doing something irrational by exploiting his notoriously short temper. His ultimate goal was to make House Vandenberg fall out of royal favor. For that exact reason, he was probably the one who had orchestrated her kidnapping as well.
Elise desperately needed to share her deductions with her father and warn him. She reached out and touched his shoulder to grab his attention. But at that exact moment, the grand doors opened one last time.