The banquet continued to grow in size every moment. Eventually, the Duchess and her daughter could no longer stay, having to go around and greet others.
Skymender did not sit alone. He and Li Youcai moved around the room. Being so small, he managed to blend in and move around without being noticed for the most part.
By now, noon was nearing. So many nobles were in the Imperial Palace's ballroom that it almost seemed crowded.
Skymender eventually found his Aunt and sat at a table with her, her children, and a few other barons.
Noon struck not long after, and the important people, who had not come earlier, finally arrived.
Naturally, such important people could only be those above nobles.
The first to arrive was the royal family of those Skymender found familiar.
The King of the Still Kingdom, as well as the crown prince, entered the ballroom through the large doors.
All of the nobles stood and bowed at their appearance.
The King and the Crown Prince smiled as they walked through the ballroom and sat at one of the five reserved tables closest to the ballroom stairs.
Four surrounded one that clearly stood above the others.
The Still Kingdom was the Kingdom that the Sky Barony resided in.
After just a brief moment, the King of the Ergen Kingdom, along with the Crown Prince, entered the ballroom. As they had with the Still Kingdoms royal family, everyone in the room stood and bowed.
These were the two most normal kingdoms in the Empire.
Not long after the Royal family of the Ergen Kingdom sat down, the doors opened again.
The King of the Flower Kingdom, as well as his wife and the Crown Prince, entered the room.
It was not unconventional for the Queen of a Kingdom to come, but considering how often these yearly meetings occurred, they usually only attended every now and then.
The Flower Kingdom was named as such because of the endless flower fields which covered the majority of its land. It was the number one site of dyes in the world.
The Flower Kingdoms name made it seem harmless, but that would be a foolish thought.
It was common knowledge among those educated that long ago, before the Faceless Empire ever existed, the area which was now known as the Flower Kingdom was the site of an incredible war, one with the most deaths in history.
The flower fields of the Flower Kingdom were stained with blood, and the descendants of those in the war had formed the Flower Kingdom after the Empire rose.
Finally, after the Royal family of the Flower Kingdom took their seats, the doors opened again.
The final Royal family walked through the doors. They brought with them an air of gloom that seemed to radiate off of their bodies. It was built into their bones.
This was the royal family of the Drop Kingdom. It was named as such due to the constant rainfall that stained the land. 300 days out of the year, rain was falling for at least 12 hours a day.
It was a unique weather phenomenon that researchers still had no clue about.
As the Royal family of the Drop Kingdom took their seats, consisting of the King and the Crown Prince, the doors closed. No more nobles would enter from outside.
Still, silence reigned over the room. The most important people had yet to arrive.
Just as this thought manifested into the heads of many, footsteps rang out.
They came from outside of the stairs. The stairs stood in the back of the room, leading to a door just as large as the door that marked the entrance to the room.
That door opened, and the Imperial Family walked through.
The current Imperial Family consisted of seven members. The Emperor and the Empress consisted of two of those seven.
The rest were the children.
The Emperor and the Empress walked out in front. Right to the side and slightly behind his father was the Imperial Crown Prince.
The other four, consisting of two sons and two daughters, walked behind the three.
This was the Imperial Family. Their clothes, though similar looking to everyone else's, were somehow simply superior. This could be understood from a glance.
The Emperor stood high above on the stairs as the rest of the Imperial Family walked down them, eventually sitting at a table.
The Emperor spoke. "Another year has passed, and luckily, I continue to see familiar faces. However, the heroes of the past cannot be forgotten."
Saying this, he began to speak again. "Darrell of Sekert, Gruince of Proll…"
The Emperor began to speak out names one by one, from memory. Skymender recognized some of them, and knew what this was.
Remembering the heroes of the past was a way to give honor to those that had died for the Empire.
Even if someone did not sacrifice their lives in a single moment, those who were loyal and eventually passed away would have their names spoken by the Emperor that reigned while they died. Only when the next Emperor took the throne would their name no longer be spoken. However, their names still hung on banners in the Imperial Palace, never to be forgotten.
This Emperor had reigned for a long time, obvious from the 10 minutes he spent speaking names.
"Remember these heroes, for each one served the Empire that you live in greatly."
The Emperor began to walk down the steps to join his family. He would speak again upon reaching the table. However, upon going halfway down, a person leaped at a speed the few in the room could even comprehend.
A flash of light could be seen. Skymender barely managed to see it. A human silhouette wielding a sword.
A Sword Master was assassinating the Emperor!
Suddenly, a single step sounded out clearly.
From seemingly nowhere, Sword Master Shang appeared. He put his sword in his sheath, behind the assassin, facing the crowd.
His eyes were calm, without even a ripple.
The assassin stopped, his body and face now visible. His face was plastered with unbelievable shock.
"Impossible. You-you-you, you are no Sword Master! You are a Gra–"
His words were destined to never be finished.
At the same time, his arms, legs, and head separated from his body and fell to the ground.
The sight of this happening, as well as Sword Master Shang's cold eyes, would forever be branded into the minds of all here, including Skymender's.