Karl stroked Night Wind's neck, and the warhorse snorted but was surprisingly calm.
Among all these items, this award pleased him the most.
Finally, Triss took a heavy gold chain from another velvet-covered tray.
The pendant was a perfectly cut sapphire, surrounded by sparkling diamonds.
And this was a personal gift, specially presented to the champion by the lady representing love and beauty.
"With this modest gift, I express my admiration and blessings for the hero's fearless spirit."
Triss's voice softened, and she personally put the necklace on Karl, her fingers inadvertently brushing his neck, drawing a restrained gasp from the ladies in the stands.
Karl felt the slight coolness of the gem against his chest and the countless burning gazes.
He smiled and nodded again to Triss, then bowed in thanks to Foltest and the audience.
Foltest stepped forward, laughing, and personally raised Karl's hand to greet the audience: "To our champion today, to Karl El, the Griffin of Temeria!"
"Karl! Karl!"
"Long live the King! Long live the King!" The applause was like a tsunami.
Amidst the boiling excitement, Foltest lowered Karl's hand.
He patted him on the shoulder, seemingly casually, and whispered: "Excellent performance, El. Your heritage is impressive."
"After dinner, perhaps you could stay for a while. I would like to hear your thoughts on the defense of the northern border... your opinion."
This sentence was very light, but its weight was like a thousand pounds, no longer resembling the public inquisition at the previous banquet.
It was a personal, trustworthy, and solicitous invitation from Foltest.
Karl's eyes flickered, his heart thrilled. Foltest was almost explicitly trying to recruit him; he knew the opportunity had come.
He wasn't particularly interested in border defense, and when the time came, he could steer this topic towards Princess Adda.
He met Foltest's gaze and replied respectfully and firmly: "As you wish, Your Majesty. It would be an honor."
The awards ceremony ended with thunderous applause, and Karl, laden with honors and major prizes, was surrounded by Aytok, Fenmeer, and the others, who cheered and embraced him.
Aytok and his men were deeply grateful to Karl in their hearts. If it weren't for Karl, the dark horse,
they would still be an unknown, bottom-tier team, let alone having won so many awards and prizes.
...
The atmosphere of the royal dinner was warm and luxurious: crystal chandeliers reflected bright light, silverware and porcelain complemented each other.
The air was filled with the tantalizing aroma of roasted meat, the richness of wine, and the scent of expensive perfumes used by the nobility.
Karl was undoubtedly the center of attention at the dinner. People constantly approached to toast and praise him or tried to glean details about him.
He maneuvered appropriately, cautiously responding to compliments with humble answers, skillfully avoiding probing questions.
He spent most of his time with Triss, silently staking his claim and avoiding unnecessary trouble.
The noble ladies who had shown him friendship the night before no longer came to surround him.
But they were still in the distance, occasionally looking at him with resentful eyes.
That look seemed to say: why was this man so unattainable?
And Karl wasn't cold towards them; when their eyes occasionally met, he still responded with a smile and a slight nod.
Of course, his gaze inevitably met Foltest's on the high platform.
And the king seemed to be enjoying the banquet, but Karl caught the deep thoughts and the exchange in his eyes.
He understood perfectly that Foltest's personal summons afterward was the real event of the evening.
Finally, as the banquet reached its climax, the dance music sounded again, drawing everyone's attention.
A royal guard quietly approached Karl and whispered: "Mr. El, His Majesty awaits you in the side hall."
Karl calmly nodded, cast Triss an encouraging glance, and followed the guard out of the noisy hall.
The royal side hall was much quieter than the ballroom, with oak paneling adorned with hunting tapestries, and a warm fire burning in the fireplace.
At this moment, Foltest had removed his heavy crown and was dressed only in ordinary clothes.
He stood before a large map of Temeria, his back to the doorway.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around.
"Karl, don't stand on ceremony. Try this, a spirit from Redania; it's perfect for warming up and getting down to business."
When Foltest saw Karl about to bow and salute, he immediately raised his hand to stop him.
Then he pointed to two crystal glasses on the table, filled with an amber liquid.
Foltest's tone was more relaxed than in public, but his authority was still palpable.
Karl stepped forward and took a glass: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Foltest took the other glass and looked again at the map, especially at the territory marked on the northern border with Vizima.
"The match today was impressive, El. Your strength, your skill..."
"Especially your control of power, unhorning rather than killing in the melee, deserves more praise than mere strength." He took a sip of wine.
"It reminds me of what you mentioned earlier... heritage and responsibility. To possess power and not abuse it—that is a quality aristocrats should have."
"Your Majesty bestowed the award upon me, and those who taught me always emphasized that power is a tool, especially when used for protection." Karl responded at the right moment, steering the conversation towards guardianship.
"Well said. That is also why I came to you, Guardian."
"And Temeria needs someone who can protect it." Foltest turned around, his gray-blue eyes fixed on Karl.
He walked to the map and pointed to the northern border.
"Look, Henselt of Kaedwen is like a greedy boar, provoking at the border, and those monsters appearing one after another..."
"Our soldiers and knights fight well against men, but against some... extraordinary threats, they are often overwhelmed."
Karl's eyes flickered; he knew Foltest was testing him, to see if he was willing to serve his country and go to the dangerous frontier.
But he certainly couldn't show excessive enthusiasm for northern defense; it would contradict his initial goal and seem too eager.
He frowned slightly, showing just the right amount of seriousness, but with a note of caution in his tone: "The border threat indeed cannot be underestimated."
"A strong army is enough to deter Henselt, but... non-human monsters..."
Karl paused, pretending to recall.
"I've heard that even near the old royal city, there are ancient and dangerous curses."
"The fear and harm they bring are sometimes greater than just a minor border conflict."
"Ordinary soldiers and knights, even with magic or facing unknown curses, are inevitably..."