The two of them stopped at the center of the hall.
All of the people in the circular seats were looking at them.
Crown prince Alberu was wearing a fancy gold and white outfit while Cale Henituse was wearing a black uniform that showed off his red hair.
The whispers slowly died down and silence filled the hall.
Alberu Crossman started to smile after looking around the hall.
‘Crazy bastard.
He says he doesn’t need power? He’ll let go of everything after the war? And he was even willing to swear on it.’
He lightly clenched and then unclenched his tingling hand.
‘He always does things beyond my expectations.’
Cale was giving off an aura that was making his palms tingle. He could not see it, but he could feel the oppressive aura coming off of Cale.
It was affecting everybody in the hall.
‘This is the true Cale Henituse.’
The person who never wanted to put any attention on himself and only wanted money was finally showing his true self. The crown prince could not help but smile.
The crown prince gave up a part of his role for the day. He decided to play along with whatever Cale decided to do.
It would not be hard to do that.
On the other hand, there was someone who was facing a difficult situation.
“Mm.”
Marquis Sand Ailan. He let out a groan.
The man who was known for having a stoic expression did not seem to be doing well.
He did not expect that his expression would change not because of the smiling crown prince Alberu Crossman but because of Cale Henituse.
‘…I thought he would still be a child even if he received that position.’
He was not a child.
Then what was he?
Marquis Sand Ailan was more sensitive to a person's aura because he was a martial artist. He believed that a person's aura gave off their life story.
However, Cale Henituse was giving off a king or a ruler’s aura that was stronger than Alberu Crossman who had grown up primed to become king.
‘I feel like I am being dominated by his aura.’
As a highest-grade expert, his extremely sensitive intuition was going off.
Of course, Cale would have applauded if he knew what the Marquis was thinking about. This was because Cale was using the Dominating Aura to its fullest after eating a feast in the palace.
The Marquis who did not know this focused his gaze on Cale.
Alberu started to speak at that moment.
“It’s been a while since so many people have gathered together.”
He was no longer using the formal tone to speak to them as it was confirmed that he would be the next king. Marquis Ailan saw the brightly smiling crown prince and pushed his temple with his finger.
He had an ominous feeling about this.
The crown prince only smiled like this when he had the advantage.
Alberu started to walk.
“I should go to my seat as well. However.”
He stopped walking and turned around.
There was no seat for Cale in here.
This was done by Duke Orsena’s central faction.
It was a petty move.
The nobles would sit while the person being interrogated would stand. You could even call it the beginning of the fight for power.
“Ahem.”
Duke Granike Orsena could not hide his discomfort. He observed the crown prince who knew he had done this but had not said anything until now.
He then made eye contact.
Cale Henituse. Was directly looking at the Duke.
“I don't have a hobby of chatting while standing.”
Cale's gaze slowly looked around the hall. The nobles understood his intent after looking at his gaze.
He was looking down at them.
“But this isn’t bad.”
One of the southeast region’s nobles made eye contact with Cale. He started to shout as soon as Cale’s gaze left him.
“I, I heard you were trash! I see that your personality has not changed.”
“Shut up.”
“Excuse me?”
The noble looked toward the leader of his faction.
Marquis Sand Ailan had a rare frown on his face as he glared at the noble.
“I told you to shut your mouth.”
“Marquis-nim?”
The Marquis turned his gaze away.
"Can’t you see the look in the eyes of the northeast region's nobles?”
“Excuse me?”
The noble had never seen the Marquis talking so much. That was why he also looked toward the northeast region’s faction. He could hear the Marquis’s voice.
“All of their eyes are focused on Cale Henituse.”
“…Do you think they are scared?”
‘Like me?’
He did not say that part out loud.
He could see the Marquis starting to sigh. It seemed as if the Marquis was saying that this noble still had a long way to go. The Marquis started to speak once the noble cowered after seeing the Marquis’s gaze once again.
“It is not fear but respect.”
“Excuse me?”
“…Looks like we need to give up on the northeast region.”
He slowly calmed himself and started to speak.
“I'm just glad it ended with the northeast region.”
It was extremely lucky that only the northeast region gathered around Cale Henituse. If he had not realized it through this incident, the entire kingdom may have been eaten up by him.
Someone with that type of atmosphere around them are bound to draw people in. Even if they don’t mean to do so, they will draw in more and more people.
‘He is either going to gulp up another faction or increase his influence. I'm certain of it.’
Marquis Sand was thankful that he was now aware of it, giving him a chance to stop it before it got too severe.
However, there was an issue with his line of thought.
“Then let us get started with the meeting.”
One of the nobles next to Duke Granike Orsena quickly stood up after seeing Alberu’s gaze. He was the Count responsible for the progression of this Grand Nobles Meeting.
He stood up and opened up the agenda of things to discuss. He coughed a few times before starting to speak.
“Ahem, we are unable to start the meeting as not everyone is present.”
The Count turned his gaze away from the smiling crown prince and continued to speak.
“Commander Cale, why did you come alone? The notice requested the attendance of two others as well.”
The Count peeked toward Duke Orsena, the leader of his faction who nodded his head to tell him to continue. The Count opened up his shoulders and looked at Cale after seeing the stubborn Duke giving him the go ahead.
He then flinched.
‘How could a person-!’
He felt as if he was an herbivore in front of a carnivore. The Count started to sweat after seeing Cale's gaze that was directed at him.
There was not much a human could do after getting hit by this aura that even the Killer Whale Archie found difficult to handle.
Cale started to walk from the center.
He stopped walking once he got near the Count.
The Count was avoiding Cale's gaze and slightly lowering his head. It was a subconscious gesture. He felt as if he would suffocate if he did not do that.
He could hear Cale's voice.
“I don't know who I should respond to since you have lowered your head.”
The Count bit down on his lips and lifted up his head. However, his gaze quickly headed back down.
It was at that moment.
The crown prince who was seated facing the entrance of the hall twitched his eyebrow.
Screeeech.
A very quiet noise could be heard as the entrance opened just a bit.
The knights should be guarding the door. The door that still opened just a tiny sliver did not open or close and remained exactly as is.
Alberu knew that Cale's people, the sword master and the necromancer were the ones to do that. That would be why the knights allowed them to touch the door.
Alberu was correct.
Choi Han had a hand on his scabbard as he stood right in front of the slightly opened door. He then leaned in to listen.
Cale's voice soon reached both Choi Han and Mary.
Cale looked toward the only other person who was standing, the Count responsible for the progression of the meeting that was unable to make eye contact with him and started to speak.
“I had asked them to make the navy uniform black.”
His comment made some of the nobles wonder what he was trying to do. However, they could only gasp after hearing his continued words.
The voice of the man standing in the center of the large hall could be heard.
“That way you would not be able to tell even if you got blood on it.”
His emotionless face looked out toward the nobles.
“The blood on the northeast region’s castle walls have still not dried. The northeastern ocean is also overflowing with blood.”
They listened to the words coming out of the northeast region's commander's mouth. It made them recall the sight of the battle at the Henituse territory they had seen through the video communication device.
They had been unable to hide their amazement and shock while they watched it. But now.
“Whose blood do you think it was?”
The image of the battle that came along the low voice of the man who had been at the forefront was a bit different.
Whose blood.
Cale asked the question and then answered it.
“The enemy.”
These nobles had not experienced war. They realized that the person in front of them was not a noble. The weight of the title of commander slowly started to seep into their minds.
“The Roan Kingdom's enemy, the northeast region’s enemy, my enemy.”
“As well as my people's enemy.”
My enemy. But more importantly, my people's enemy.
Those words stabbed into the Count's ears like nails. The Count holding the agenda felt his hand starting to shake.
It was a warning.
My people.
It was a warning not to touch the sword master or the necromancer.
Marquis Ailan who was watching this started to speak almost as if he was gasping.
“…He’s a tree.”
A sturdy tree. One that never falters or bows as it maintains its spot.
He should have realized this back at the capital's Plaza Terror Incident.
The Marquis realized that Cale Henituse truly was an upright hero.
He was relieved that Cale was not a schemer.
‘What a relief.’
It was at that moment.
“The Roan Kingdom is strong.”
Cale did not care for the order on the agenda.
He got down to business and said what he needed to say to the people who had called him here today.
“Agree to the Caro Kingdom’s request.”
“That doesn’t seem-”
One of the nobles by Duke Orsena urgently started to speak. However, Cale did not look at them as he looked at the person at the highest spot.
“Your highness.”
Crown prince Alberu.
“What do you think?”
He responded back to Cale's question without any hesitation.
“Based on the report from the northeast region’s naval base, the Roan Kingdom is able to maintain its current northeast region's defense while still being able to provide support to the Caro Kingdom.”
Some of the nobles by Marquis Ailan and Duke Orsena stood up from their seats. They seemed ready to say something as soon as the crown prince was finished.
These were people who would not let go of their gains even if they were scared.
However, the crown prince did not care for them as he continued to speak.
“But the other regions beside the northeast region don’t have the extra manpower-!”
One of the nobles urgently started to speak. However, he could not finish his sentence.
The crown prince casually added on as if he had expected this response.
The crown prince’s gaze then headed toward Marquis Ailan.
“The southeast region has the Roan Kingdom's strongest martial arts family.”
The Marquis flinched for a moment.
One of his loyal nobles who saw him flinch started to speak.
He avoided Cale's gaze as he urgently started to shout.
“But the west side needs support! We need to send the northeast region's extra forces to the west!”
It would be a way to reduce the forces in the northeast region while giving the other nobles a reason to support this decision.
Of course, this was not what the Marquis wanted.
This would only be beneficial to the southwest region and the northwest region.
The original plan was for the southeast region to gobble up the northeast region's forces, however, this noble wanted to take the flow of discussion back toward the nobles.
Some of the nobles nodded their heads in agreement as if he was correct.
This made him certain.
He thought that the southwest region and the northwest region will now go wild to take the support for themselves.
If they start causing a ruckus, they may be able to work some things in so that the central and southeast regions get some benefits as well.
At least that was what he was thinking.
An old voice echoed in the hall.
This was the first time this person was speaking today.
“The southwest region is strong enough to defend our gate.”
It was the old noble, Duchess Sonata. She opened her mouth to speak.
“Your highness, the southwest region does not need any reinforcements.”
Her voice was full of certainty and anticipation.
‘Damn it.’
Both Marquis Ailan and Duke Orsena’s expressions changed at the same time. The two of them had known Duchess Sonata for a long time. They could read her gaze.
‘That old woman has something up her sleeve.’
Marquis Sand Ailan started to frown even more.
‘I heard she needed to lock the gates because of Cale Henituse. Weren't they enemies?’
But that was not the end.
Someone else started to speak as well.
“The northwest region is safe as well.”
It was the gentle looking man who was known amongst the nobles as a vicious man.
Taylor Stan.
He had not involved himself in the central politics since he took over, making the nobles think that he was busy enough dealing with the northwest region.
However, that was not it.
He had been lying low at Cale's request and the crown prince’s order.
They kept him hidden in order for him to be a well-sharpened blade today.
Taylor who was in charge of the Stan household that oversees the northwest region added something else.
“I agree with the commander’s proposal.”
The northwest region and the southwest region.
These two leaders were the only ones to speak among the western faction members.
The other nobles just sat there with their mouths shut.
“…This.”
“Marquis-nim-”
Marquis Ailan could not pay attention to a different noble calling his name.
Marquis Taylor Stan.
The Marquis looked at the two of their outfits.
He then looked toward the outfits of the northeast region’s nobles.
Black.
They were all wearing black.
The same black that the northeast region's navy supposedly selected so that you could not tell when you got blood on it.
They were here to take down their enemy and their side's enemy before returning back.
Marquis Ailan turned his head.
He could see that the crown prince was still smiling. He was wearing a black dress shirt underneath his white coat.
His gaze moved past the crown prince and stopped elsewhere.
The Marquis could see Cale Henituse smiling at him.
He'd been had.
Cale was no hero.
This was someone who knew about power and domination.
"We are strong.”
We.
The definition of that word was clear.
They could see Cale responding back with a smile.
“You are correct, your highness. We are strong. We are strong enough to destroy anything in our way.”
That was how strong they were.
Fear started to creep up the bodies of those who were not part of this, ‘we.’
