A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 65 The Imperial Banquet Begins

The city lights shone brightly, and music filled the air.

"Archmage Lionel Cano has arrived! Mage Rorschach has arrived!"

After being informed by the guards, Rorschach underwent a security check and entered the palace with Cano. He felt that the palace's security was barely adequate; for example, his storage ring hadn't been confiscated, and as long as he had the ability to cast spells, he could very well take away an ordinary person, even if that person's identity was not ordinary.

The high-necked formal attire made Rorschach's neck uncomfortable, and he felt quite awkward throughout the entire process of entering the palace. Passing through a hall full of mirrors, the marble floor radiated cold air, but it was only when they reached the banquet hall that it finally warmed up, and opening the door felt like opening into spring.

"During times of war, spellcasters are forbidden from approaching the royal palace unless they pledge allegiance to the king and become court sorcerers."

Kano stepped into the restaurant. The highest seat in the center, where His Majesty the King sat, was empty; tables for guests were on either side. Rorschach followed, sensing a faint, orderly flow of magic—apparently a protective or alarm spell. The change in the ether was very subtle; without the orange "Magic Control" spell, Rorschach certainly wouldn't have noticed it.

Ever since a powerful king appeared a century ago, high-ranking nobles have frequently dined with him. The banquets are lavish and lengthy, but everyone must obey, with absences only permitted for the seriously ill or those involved in foreign wars. This is a tradition of loyalty to His Majesty, and today the waiter led Cano and Rorschach to the first table on the left—closest to the king.

"This seat has been occupied by arcane masters and imperial envoys. This is the first low-level mage from the Empire to sit here," Kano remarked. Unfortunately, after seeing the palace's decor, Rorschach's initial excitement had worn off, and he was only interested in what delicious food would be served at the banquet.

"Don't get your hopes up too high," Cano whispered to Rorschach, turning to him. "It definitely won't taste as good as what you had at Starlight Torch Restaurant."

"Prime Minister of the Privy Council, His Excellency Bishop Deplesi has arrived!" A man in a red robe limped in, the sound of his cane tapping on the marble floor escaping between the music.

He sat in the first seat to the right of His Majesty the King, facing Archmage Cano and Rorschach. Upon seeing Rorschach, Deplesi nodded in acknowledgment.

Luo Xia could only nod in acknowledgment, while Cano raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Next, "Lord Necker, the Privy Council's Treasurer and the Royal Treasury, has arrived!" Necker walked briskly, with a friendly smile. Varon followed behind, extremely excited, his ears flushed and his face turning red. Rorschach felt that his blush was somewhat unhealthy.

When Valen saw Roshal, the chief on the left, he felt he looked familiar and couldn't help but observe him a few more times. When the time for speaking was limited, Kano couldn't resist and used a [telecommunications] spell: "You know quite a few high-ranking figures in the kingdom, huh?"

After Kano finished complaining and felt better, it was Rorschach's turn to feel uncomfortable: he didn't know this damn trick! Now Rorschach was staring intently at the newly added gray [Telecommunications] on the panel, his heart itching with desire from his one-way teammate's microphone.

Amidst the music and ceremonies, more and more guests took their seats. Some of them had been waiting in the Hall of Mirrors for a while, but due to etiquette and the hierarchical system of the Holy Kingdom, they could only wait behind the important figures.

Rorschach noticed that some nobles arrived with their wives, and some nobles had the privilege of carrying swords, openly taking their seats with their swords. Granor arrived with his wife and sat on the right with the nobles, while Nemo, Ina, and François also arrived and sat on the left with Cano and Rorschach.

"Kid, if it weren't for my help, you'd be sitting down there with them."

I wanted to sit with Ina and François! With his "Magic Mastery," Rorschach carefully sensed how the ether was transformed into sound waves and how they were precisely transmitted to his ears. The gray of the [Communication] spell on the panel faded a little, as if it would turn white soon.

"Have you noticed that none of the people sitting at the head of the table have female companions? Our prime minister, the finance minister, and even this old man. Oh, not counting His Highness the Prince, he failed in his courtship; everyone knows that ambitious old man is after the daughter of the Grand Duke of the South." Cano began to gossip.

Say more, say more, I'll be able to turn on my microphone soon! Rorschach had figured it out, and the panel displayed [Communication (light gray)] "?" "Frequency Vibration (white)".

"So this rule tells us that women will only hinder your success. However, there's one exception: if you can find a mage to mentor you, that's still a good option. Young Rorschach, what do you think of Mage Ina? You haven't told me about your time in the sub-plane yet. I think she's quite pretty, although she's a bit older, but for us spellcasters, age isn't a problem. Do you want me to lend a hand?"

"You old man? You shameless feudal old man!" Rorschach scoffed at this discriminatory thought. Kano, realizing Rorschach wasn't replying, said, feeling humiliated, "Don't tell me you don't even know [Telecommunications], or I'll make you take a zero-ring spell course when we get back."

The music suddenly became more intense, and amidst the solemn drumbeats and wind instruments, "His Majesty the King has arrived!" Rorschach saw the most powerful man in the Holy Kingdom up close, his face expressionless and his thoughts unreadable, wearing a meticulously styled wool wig. Before taking his seat, Rorschach also saw His Majesty Charles's short, stocking-like calves stretched taut by white silk stockings.

The king, who inherited his greatness from his father and grandfather and was as great as the sun, was not tall. His face was covered with a light leaden white, his skin was loose and you could see his double chin, and his figure was like that of a cook. In short, he was not associated with heroism.

If we were to judge him by stereotypes, he resembled neither a tall, imposing, and powerful ruler, nor an old king with a long, white beard and deep, intelligent eyes; he was hardly the image of a monarch. Upon the king's entrance, everyone rose to their feet. The mages and Deplesi applauded, while the nobles, led by the master of ceremonies, cheered three times for His Majesty.

"Are you a little disappointed? I've met the emperor of the empire, and he was quite powerful and handsome. The difference between the taste of the banquet and that of the Starlight Torch Restaurant is like the difference between His Majesty and your emperor." Unexpectedly, the dignified Master Cano was quite talkative at the banquet.

[Communication Spell (White)], I can finally speak! Rorschach quickly replied, "I've never seen the emperor, nor have I ever eaten at a palace banquet. Your analogy is invalid!"

"What's going on! Why are you shouting so loudly!" Kano couldn't afford to be rude in front of the Emperor, so he could only endure the ear-piercing sound of Roscia's unskilled [Communication Technique].

"Sorry, I just learned it, I'm not very good at it yet."

"Gentlemen, although [Communication] is not within the scope of spell warnings, it is really inappropriate for you to use it to slander His Majesty like this, isn't it?" Rorschach didn't expect the call to turn into a group chat. He heard a second familiar voice. The owner of the voice, Archbishop Deplesi, was looking at him with a dark face on the other end.

"I'm not talking anymore, I forgot that Deplesi is a living saint, his damn perception is so high?" Cano didn't expect that his [Communication] spell could be detected by Deplesi.

Although he did not attempt encryption or use special spellcasting techniques, he was an archmage and confident that Granor would not be able to hear a word he said even if he put his ear right next to Rorschach's. However, the message was intercepted by the bishop on the other side.

Deplesi proved to the two mages that the Prime Minister, one of the most powerful figures in the Holy Kingdom, possessed top-tier divine magic.

(End of this chapter)