In the end, this banquet ended with the sudden appearance of monsters called cultists, and after Viktor suppressed them.
It ended hastily.
The relatives of those nobles, after hearing the news of their deaths, cried and sobbed.
Through those dried-up corpses that had become nothing but skin, they barely managed to recognize their family members.
Several young people dressed in luxurious clothes stumbled toward those corpses.
They grabbed the skin-like corpses of the old men from their families. While crying loudly, they also forced down the corners of their mouths that could not stop lifting.
They rolled up the pitiful skin shells of their family heads and dragged their heavy steps away from the magnificent banquet palace.
Viktor stood at the doorway, holding the staff with the golden bird head.
He watched those family members leave one after another while holding the bodies of their relatives.
In fact, from the very beginning, when he entered this banquet hall, Viktor had already activated the 'Scales of the Goddess of Justice'.
He had confirmed the appearances of those cultists.
In the end, they were attracted by the goddess's divine power and crawled out from the bodies of those nobles who had long been dead.
They had already died.
From the very beginning, those believers had possessed the bodies of those nobles.
After those filthy cultists left their bodies, they turned into shriveled corpses that could hardly be recognized.
Just like the Delin family before, the cultist that possessed Gwen's brother was exactly the same.
Although the identities of these dead nobles were not very high.
Most of them were only barons in name, and viscounts and the like.
Whether they lived or died could not affect the foundation of the empire at all.
This showed that the goddess's believers had not infiltrated deeply enough into the royal capital.
After all, this was the royal capital, right under the emperor's feet.
It was difficult for cultists to develop here.
But this also indirectly showed how persistent these filthy believers were.
Even the royal capital had these believers appearing.
Then, in other cities of the empire, those believers might be hiding even deeper.
The nobles' moods were extremely complicated, like a tangled ball of thread. With their brows tightly furrowed and bitter expressions, they left one by one.
Even two people who usually were not in the same faction and disliked each other.
At this moment also let go of the hostility caused by their different positions.
Things had developed too quickly and too suddenly.
Even this banquet had been held suddenly.
Probably even the two princes did not know.
Today, His Majesty Aubrey actually publicly handed the throne to Aurelian.
Now it was good. The nobles did not need to choose sides anymore.
Thinking about it carefully, aside from gender, Aurelian already possessed the foundation and qualifications that a successor should have.
First, speaking of qualifications.
Although Erica's talent was too eye-catching, making it hard to ignore.
But if one looked carefully, they would find that
Aurelian's talent was definitely not bad.
She was only fifteen years old, and after some time, once she completely passed her birthday, Aurelian would be sixteen.
At sixteen years old, Aurelian had already become a second-tier mage.
Her speed of promotion was also not slow.
After all, Erica only became a second-tier mage around this time last year.
Then speaking of power.
For military authority, there was the Delin knight family of the North.
For influence, there was the support of the Clavenna family.
Her teachers were the famous strongest council member of the Mage Council, Viktor, and the head of the northern knight family, Gwen Delin.
With these supports, the power behind Aurelian was already extremely strong.
But this was still not the end.
Aurelian had even gained the support of the Mage Council.
Although the Mage Council was indeed a neutral organization.
But there were still two imperial mages in that organization.
Rachel Azure and Viktor Clavenna.
These two council members were proper citizens of the empire.
With two imperial council members publicly supporting Aurelian, plus the influence of the Mage Council, Aurelian's status had already been recognized internationally.
This alone already placed her above the two princes.
And…
There was an outrageous guess that they had never dared to say.
At this rate, the Mage Council was almost becoming Viktor's.
And who was Viktor? He was Aurelian Sol's teacher.
Was it reasonable for the Mage Council to support Aurelian?
It was damn reasonable.
The nobles recognized reality. Unless one of the two princes could, at the very last moment of this struggle for the throne, produce some astonishing achievement.
Otherwise, the final result simply could not be changed.
One by one, the ministers walked out of the banquet hall. When they passed the entrance of the hall, they did not forget to greet Viktor.
"See you next time, Count Viktor."
Viktor only nodded and leaned against the doorframe, which counted as returning the greeting.
Very quickly, the nobles inside the banquet hall left completely.
Until Liya and Henny walked out together.
When she saw Viktor, Liya held her arms under her chest and looked Viktor up and down.
"Not bad. You made a scene again today."
"Why is it that every time there's this kind of noble banquet, you can't stay quiet?"
Although Liya also knew why Viktor did this.
Viktor looked at Liya with deep eyes and calmly replied, "It's late. Go home early."
"I'll go back a little later."
Liya shrugged and said casually, "No need to worry. Henny is with me."
Thinking about Gwen's condition, Liya reminded him again, "Remember to bring Gwen back early. You know her situation now."
"I'm not very at ease."
Seeing that Viktor had no reaction, she knew Viktor did not need to worry.
So she nodded to Viktor and walked toward the carriage.
But Henny had not moved yet. She stood beside Viktor, seeming a little shy.
Until Liya had already walked some distance away. Without turning her head, she called out, "Henny, hurry up!"
"Got it!"
Henny replied, seeing that Liya had not turned around.
Then she adjusted her position and stood in front of Viktor.
As if not giving Viktor any chance to react, she boldly rushed toward him.
Her arms tightly wrapped around Viktor, as if she wanted to press her body completely against his.
Her head buried in Viktor's chest, her warm breath rising and falling as she greedily breathed in Viktor's scent.
As if her desire had been completely satisfied, Henny raised her face and slightly narrowed her eyes.
She looked at Viktor with a teasing smile, like a pink crescent moon hanging on Henny's lips.
Henny continued hugging Viktor tightly with both arms, her hands moving and sliding across his back.
"I've been waiting for you at home the whole time~"
After saying that, Henny let go of Viktor.
She stepped back a few steps, her body slightly leaning, her hair hanging down with gravity.
Her curved smile felt like a spring breeze, as if even the night had become a bit brighter.
"Professor, come back early."
After saying that, she completely ignored Viktor's reaction and quickly ran toward Liya.
Until the two of them got on the carriage and slowly left, like a blurred point of light gradually disappearing into the night.
Viktor had no expression. He slightly lowered his head and glanced at the marks pressed into his chest.
That warmth still seemed to remain on his chest.
Vega flapped its black wings, stretched its beak, and tidied the messy black feathers on its body.
With one eye lowered, it looked at Viktor, clicked its tongue twice, and continued speaking, "You had the chance but you didn't use it."
"You didn't even dare to reach out and hug her back?"
However, thinking that it had been standing on Viktor's head and had just seen the perfect view.
It had to be said that the feeling from looking down from above was even clearer.
Vega thought about its own small body. If it got stuck in there, it would probably suffocate immediately.
Viktor's expression remained like a calm lake on top of a snowy mountain, without a single ripple.
Recently, Henny had indeed been getting more and more bold.
Even in the palace, and even with Liya nearby, she still dared to hug him directly.
It was hard to imagine that a girl who had once been so self-inferior would become like this now.
But even so, Viktor definitely would not ignore Vega's mockery.
He still shot back a reply, "Jealous?"
"I can also prepare a body like Henny's for you.", Vega's hoarse laughter suddenly stopped.
Arguing with Viktor was really not a good choice.
He always found ways to make it speechless.
At this moment, Viktor put away the staff.
The heavy staff with the golden bird head turned into bits of starlight fragments in Viktor's hand and disappeared.
He then put both hands back into his pockets and calmly said to the black crow on his shoulder, "Let's go. It's time to bring Gwen back."
Viktor turned around and walked toward the quiet banquet hall.
Inside the magnificent banquet hall, only a few people remained.
Three council members, and Duke Levi.
After the banquet ended, Erica had already greeted Viktor and left early.
She seemed to be the same as Viktor and did not like the atmosphere of banquets very much.
But because of her identity, Erica had no choice but to come.
Levi and the three council members sat together, chatting casually.
After all, it was already late at night.
After announcing the most important matter, Emperor Aubrey had already returned to his sleeping chambers early to rest.
However, he had specially allowed everyone to continue staying in the banquet hall to enjoy themselves.
But how could those noble lords still be in the mood to play?
From the appearance of the cultists to their suppression, it had only taken more than ten minutes.
They all found excuses and hurriedly left.
Until now, only a few people remained at the banquet.
But today Aubrey was in a good mood.
He had finally settled one of the worries in his heart.
Letting Aurelian become the successor of the empire.
But this matter absolutely could not be carried out casually.
He needed a proper reason, a reason the nobles could not criticize, a reason that would convince them of Aurelian.
So Viktor brought him that reason.
As Aurelian's teacher, he strongly supported Aurelian.
When Viktor returned to the banquet hall, he saw Gwen still standing beside the golden platform, remaining in a guarded state.
She was very obedient. Even though everyone else had already left, she still stood there without moving.
Because this was Viktor's order.
Gwen always remembered what Viktor had told her.
At this banquet, she only needed to bring the princess into the hall, then stand where she was supposed to stand so everyone could see her.
So she kept standing there, like an ice sculpture formed from wind and snow.
A noble knight like a work of art.
He had just wanted to call Gwen over, but Aurelian had already come to his side.
After sending her father back, Aurelian returned again.
Just so she could see Viktor once more.
Under the flickering candlelight, her figure seemed a little blurred.
Just like her heart, uneasy like rolling waves of the sea.
"Tea… teacher."
Standing beside Viktor, even speaking seemed to make her nervous.
Just like the first time the teacher brought her to train.
The first time was always very nerve-racking.