After the short lesson with Leafa was over, Aldes returned to his room. The formal attire for the dinner banquet was already laid out on the bed.
Aldes wore an all-black suit. He draped a dark red cloak over his shoulders. The fabric of the cloak felt thick and smooth against the skin of his neck.
He stood silently in front of the tall mirror, staring at his reflection.
'A gathering. Well, I might have to act like the original Aldes so as not to draw attention. Or act normally to restore my name? Hmm.'
While killing time waiting for night to fall, Aldes went to daydream in the palace garden. He sat on an iron chair. On the stone table in front of him, there was a plate of snacks and a cup of tea already prepared by the servants.
"Crazy world," he muttered softly.
Aldes lifted the ceramic cup and sipped his tea slowly. The warm temperature touched his tongue. He then leaned his back fully against the backrest of the chair. His eyes stared at the vast sky.
The sunlight slowly descended, changing the color of the sky to bright orange. The late afternoon breeze blew, carrying warm air that soothed his skin.
"There is a sun. Could this be in another galaxy?" Aldes said softly. "Or maybe I am in the past."
He fell silent for a moment.
"No. Or perhaps I am in the past in a very distant galaxy."
On the other side of the garden, two palace guards stood watching Aldes. They brought their heads close and spoke in very low voices.
"Hey. Do you feel there is something strange about the Prince?" whispered one of the guards to his partner.
"Yes. He is not usually that calm," his partner answered.
"No. Not that."
"Then what?"
"He went to train. And he went to the library!" the first guard said.
Night fell. Aldes walked down the palace corridor toward the dinner banquet room. Four Guardians walked around him as escorts. The tapping sound of their boot soles echoed rhythmically on the stone floor.
They went up to the top floor of the palace building. The rules of this gathering were very strict. Only representatives from foreign kingdoms, the king, the princes, and representatives of the Guardians were allowed to attend.
Not a single outsider or ordinary servant was allowed to cross the room's boundary.
Aldes arrived at the end of the long corridor. The floor in this area was made of pristine white marble. The walls on his left and right were coated with polished stone that reflected the yellow light from the wall lamps.
Right at the end of the corridor towered a large double door made of gold. The surface of the golden door was decorated with embossed carvings shaped like a crown and crossed swords.
Two Guardians stood firmly in front of the door. Unlike ordinary Guardians, these two guards wore all-black armor covering their entire bodies, complete with tightly sealed metal helmets protecting their heads.
Aldes stared sharply at the golden door and the two black guards.
'I feel this banquet is no ordinary banquet.'
The two guards in black armor pushed the golden door simultaneously. The friction sound of the metal hinges sounded heavy. The door opened wide, letting Aldes step inside.
The room behind it was vastly spacious with a luxurious minimalist nuance. The white marble walls were decorated with a series of classic paintings in gold frames. In the middle of the room, stretched a long wooden dining table surrounded by a dozen elegant white chairs. Golden light radiated brightly from a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The left side of the room was dominated by a giant glass wall displaying a view of the glowing lower city under a starry night sky.
At the head of the main table, a man sat with an upright posture. He had short blonde hair, a firm jaw with a neat beard, and a pair of glowing red eyes. He wore an all-blue outfit wrapped in a thick red cloak with a fur collar. The authoritative man was the current Emperor, as well as Aldes's father. He was the only person who knew the history of the human kingdoms. Tominus Viranea.
On the right side, sat a black-haired man with sharp green eyes. He wore formal all-purple attire. Prince Valno Viranea.
On the left side, sat a man with slightly long blonde hair. The man's face bore a resemblance to Aldes's face. Prince Portas Viranea.
In the corner of the room near the glass window, Martius stood leaning his back. He pulled the corners of his lips to form a wide smile upon seeing Aldes's arrival.
Right beside Tominus's chair, Klaus stood firmly. The one-eyed man stared straight toward the door with a very serious facial expression.
Aldes lowered his body and bowed respectfully to the man at the head of the table. Instantly, an immense fear struck his chest. His heart beat fast, pumping blood. He completely did not know why, but his body was truly terrified standing in the same room as that man.
"Aldes," the man muttered. His voice sounded heavy, calm, and authoritative. "How surprising."
Tominus slightly tilted his head, staring at his son. "I heard you went to the library today. You also fought with Martius until he bled?"
Just as I expected. The information spread rapidly, Aldes muttered in his heart.
His two brothers simultaneously turned their heads to look at Aldes. Valno narrowed his green eyes with an assessing gaze, while Portas stared straight with a flat emotionless face.
Tominus let out a long breath from his nose.
"Plus you are present."
He then made a pointing gesture with his head. "Sit."
Aldes nodded slowly. He pulled an empty white chair and landed his body, right beside Valno Viranea.
Aldes turned his head left and right, looking around. His eyes swept over the row of empty chairs in front of him. A cold air touched his facial skin.
The atmosphere seems tense. It seems the kingdom representatives have not arrived yet, Aldes muttered in his heart.
"Martius," the man said, breaking the silence.
The air vibrated briefly. Martius instantly moved his body and sat on one of the empty chairs. His boots stepped hard on the white floor.
Tominus took the glass cup in front of him. He swirled the glass slowly. The thick red liquid inside swayed following his hand movement. His eyes stared sharply at the liquid vortex.
"You might be wondering why I brought you to this gathering."
Tominus brought the rim of the glass closer to his lips and drank the wine slowly. He lowered his glass and stared at the princes in front of him one by one.
"As my successors. I want you to see what trash they are."