At the palace door there was a servant shouting the name of every nobleman who came...
Suddenly he shouted louder and more intense...
"Duke Darius II has arrived."
…
Upon hearing the servant's screams, the features of all the nobles turned serious, including the Count, whose features turned extremely cold as he looked at the oncoming carriage, which was guarded by armored soldiers in silver shields...
The carriage stopped in front of the palace door under the weight of the soldiers' screams...
"Duke of the Kingdom Darius II is present to offer his sincere condolences."…
Looking at the very black chariot decorated with gold and scarlet drawings and engravings... it is drawn by 6 black horses decorated with armor with the same engravings as the chariot.
Its color...
Above the carriage flutters a crimson flag bearing a drawing of a crimson phoenix with golden flames burning around it...
…
One of the armored soldiers came forward and opened the door of the vehicle.
At that moment, a large-built, armored knight came out with black armor engraved with gold. After getting off the carriage, he moved to the side and stood, placing the fist of his right hand on his chest...
After the knight left, a man no less massive than the knight came out, wearing a black robe embossed with gold and scarlet and with the same flag drawn on his back...
Upon seeing the appearance of Duke Darius, Count Hades was still looking with a very cold expression and spoke when he saw the Duke approaching him step by step..
"Duke Darius... What is the meaning of your words and what are you trying to convey by offering condolences at my daughter's engagement party?"
Upon hearing the Count's cold words addressed to him, the Duke opened his hands and spoke with a sarcastic smile...
"Hahaha, Count Haidis, we haven't met for a long time, and here you are, speaking rudely and without honor. Aren't you a little rude?"
..
Hearing the Duke's words, the coldness did not disappear from the Count's features, but he smiled and spoke sarcastically
"I'm sure I'm not more rude than you."
At that moment, the black knight behind the Duke pulled out his sword and shouted fiercely
"Shameless...how dare you disrespect the Count?"
Without the Count even looking at the Black Knight, the Knight Carlos advanced and pulled his sword, walking beside the Count and shouting in response to the Black Knight.
"How dare a mere knight speak to the Count with such impudence..?"
…
At this moment, the atmosphere was quite tense as the Duke and Count stared at each other coldly while both knights unsheathed their swords and a murderous aura erupted from them, ready to pounce ferociously at any moment...
After a few seconds of standing like this, the Duke's expressions retreated to normal and he spoke...
"Forget it.. Today's play is not for me..."
He raised his hand to calm the black knight, who returned his sword to its sheath, and his intention to kill declined.
The Count did the same thing.
Then the Duke spoke, putting a strange smile on his face as he walked into the palace, passing by the Count.
"Today it is the youth's turn to take the stage."…
Thus ended the tense scene between the Duke and the Count...
After that, things continued as they were, as the Count received the nobles...
…
Two hours have already passed since the reception of the nobles began, and the nobles are still arriving one after another.
Inside, Count Hades was standing with some of his noble acquaintances for a conversation, leaving the reception of the rest of the nobles to the knight Carlos...
In the past, he already knew that Duke Darius was coming... even though he was not on good terms with him and their relationship was more like hostility...
But the Duke remains a higher rank than him in the end and he needs to give some face and receive it himself...
Otherwise, I never met him again...
A few kilometers away from the palace there was a solemn procession coming quickly towards the palace...
Where many armored knights can be seen in dark golden armor riding on monstrous, dragon-like mounts. Among the knights there is a large vehicle that looks like a mobile home decorated with gold and crimson patterns..
Above it flutters a flag with a golden oriental dragon painted on it...
As for the cart, it is pulled by a monster that is 5 times larger than the other carriers...
Inside the cart...
It seats 3 people...
Third Prince Kratos..
And the Crown Prince of the Kingdom..
As for the third person, he seemed to be a young man in his early thirties wearing a white robe embroidered with different green patterns. If you look carefully, the patterns can combine to reveal a drawing of a dragon...
From the man's features and clothing, it is possible to tell that he is a stranger to the kingdom...
Silence prevailed inside the carriage throughout their journey...
However, the Crown Prince felt that the atmosphere was a bit strange, so in the end he spoke out, asking the Third Prince...
"Why do I see you frowning, brother... Did something happen between you and the royal father!?"
Hearing the Crown Prince's speech, the Third Prince opened his eyes, looked at the Crown Prince with dissatisfied looks, and spoke calmly
"The royal father has ordered me not to get into an unsolvable problem with Count Hydes...and more than that, he has ordered me not to fight with him or with the knight Carlos personally, even if I am confident."
Hearing the Third Prince's speech, the Crown Prince was surprised and asked
"Why is this!? Even if he was of the rank of count, he was still the one who announced his daughter's engagement to an unknown person, even after your desire to propose to her spread throughout the entire kingdom, and even you asked him about the matter personally.. He is the person who insulted the royal family first, and there is no harm in making him a lesson for others." "
The Third Prince knitted his eyebrows together and said
"I already told him that, but he was more upset and told me that I should not insult the Count in public in any way... and he even ordered me not to speak to him impolitely."
The Crown Prince was a little surprised by their royal father's words and when he wanted to speak
The man who was sitting on the side finally spoke...
"There must be something between your father and the Count.. Since it is your order, there is no need to disobey your father's orders..."
Hearing the man's words, the prince was focused, looked at him with respectful looks and asked
"If Elder Chen says so, then it's okay.
But I need to kill the young man who dared to propose to Louis... What if the Count prevents me from doing so..?"
Hearing the Third Prince's words, Elder Qin looked at him and replied
"Do whatever you want with the young man, and I will deal with everyone who opposes your actions...and let's see who can stop you."
A malicious and excited expression appeared on Prince Kratos' face upon hearing Elder Chen's words and thanks