The banquet began in thete afternoon, with Liam personally escorting the Starhaven delegation to the pce again.


    As they had suspected, the coronation ceremony had already been held. This evening''s gathering was mainly focused on the border negotiations. Upon entering, Carissa and Violet noticed that there were no other foreign emissaries present-only royals, nobles, and officials from various departments.


    While they showed no hostility toward the Starhaven delegation, they weren''t particrly weing either. Since a trantor was needed formunication, conversations remained minimal, limited to simple greetings.


    Just as they were settling in, Lisandra turned to the Starhaven delegation and remarked, "Today, we have guests from Nerathia joining us as well. They should be arriving shortly. I believe you will find that you have much inmon."


    Davis'' eyes brightened immediately. "Guests from Nerathia? Who might they be?"


    His excitement was understandable.


    The weapons that Isaac had brought to Starhaven-Adrian''s six-barreled matchlock and cannon carriage-were all based on designs from Nerathia. Davis had also heard that Adrian himself had traveled to Nerathia to study their techniques. As the Defense Minister for Starhaven, he was keen to learn as much as he could from them.


    Nerathia had long been a model for Starhaven, not only for their advanced weaponry but also their methods of governance, which were far more progressive. Of course, their systems couldn''t be entirely replicated, given the differences between the two kingdoms, but any opportunity for deeper discussion was one Davis would cherish.


    Seeing the enthusiasm on their faces, Lisandra chuckled and replied, "You will know soon enough."


    The banquet itself was likely to be long and tedious, but the prospect of meeting Nerathian guests had raised everyone''s spirits.


    Just as anticipation filled the air, a voice rang out across the hall: "Prince Fan Aldridge, the Halcyon Monarch, and his princess consort, Lady Elysia Hart, have arrived."


    Davis gasped, his hand flying to his mouth in shock. He couldn''t find the words to speak, though his eyes sparkled with uncontainable joy.


    Carissa had heard of the Halcyon Monarch from Adrian, who spoke highly of him. To think she would meet him in person today was a delightful surprise. She couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement as well.


    Bun, Travis, and the others seemed far more indifferent. They may have heard of the prince but had not paid much attention to his reputation.


    As the hall buzzed with eager anticipation, a procession of people entered, filling the room with their presence.


    When Carissa and Violet finally caught sight of the leader of the group, they froze in ce, utterly stunned. Wasn''t that the man they had encountered at Victory Pass? The one who had casually joined them for a meal?


    As they scanned the other guests, Carissa and Violet''s memories began to stir. They vaguely recognized several faces, especially the men with fierce expressions, whose appearances jolted fading recollections. Today, however, the men were dressed in fine, new clothes. They looked nothing like the grimy, ragged figures they had been at Victory Pass.


    Fan was not the king of Nerathia, but his status there was unrivaled, and his reputation was well-known in other kingdoms as well. This made him a figure of great respect, so it was no surprise that everyone in the room rose to wee him, including Lisandra.


    Fan held Elysia''s hand and stepped forward, a broad smile on his face. He scanned the room briefly before bowing respectfully to Lisandra.


    "No need for such formalities. Please take your seat, Your Highness, Your Grace," Lisandra said with a smile.


    Fan nodded, then turned his gaze to Carissa and Violet.


    "Commander Sinir, Ms. Spencer," he greeted, smiling. "It seems we''ve crossed paths again."


    Carissa and Violet returned the greeting with a formal bow, realizing that their identities had already been discovered long ago. The meal they had shared together had likely been part of a carefully nned move to establish a connection.


    Lisandra was a bit surprised. "Have you met before?"


    Elysia smiled and said, "When we passed through Victory Pass, we were starving.


    It was Commander Sinir and Ms. Spencer who kindly gave us a meal."


    "Ah, I see," Lisandra responded with a smile. "It seems fate brought you together."


    Elysia nodded seriously. "Indeed. To share a meal with someone is no small thing. It must be destiny."


    An Orivenian prince spoke briefly with Elysia in Westic, and she


    responded in kind. Carissa didn''t understand the exchange, but judging by the overly eager smile on the prince''s face, it was undoubtedly some form of ttery.


    The ck-d attendants apanying Fan seemed well-trained. Once seated, they remained utterly silent. Their eyes were fixed outwards, seemingly uninterested in the conversations around them.


    Outside, pce servants began filing in to serve the food.


    Having attended several pce banquets before, Carissa knew that eating was secondary. The main focus was the exchange of


    But when Fan casually said, "Let''s eat," all conversation came to a halt.


    Even when Lisandra raised her cup to propose a toast, the people from Nerathia continued to eat without lifting their heads. The cups left on the side were quickly emptied as soon as the pce attendants refilled them.


    No one had a chance to speak, as even Fan and his wife were engrossed in their food, not giving anyone a nce or showing any intent to talk.


    Lisandra couldn''t just toast to Carissa and the others, so she simply enjoyed the wine on her own.


    Both Carissa and Violet felt an oddly familiar sense of déjà vu. It had been the same at Victory Pass. Just like then, the Nerathians were now eating in silence without saying a word.