Deafening silence.
The world within the hall fell into a total lull as the Patriarch of the Blanc House and the new head of the Verte House stepped inside.
Their steps were measured, but not cautious.
The two seemed to have an air of unquestionable authority and unchallenged confidence as they stepped into the den of the obvious enemies.
Fear or unease was absent in their gaze.
Once they had taken a few steps into the hall—with the second figure of darkness trailing after the female of the two Obsidian Councilors, the man who had opened the doors instantly vanished from his previous position and appeared beside the much older Councilor.
The door loudly shut behind them as they advanced to the center of the hall, where the table was waiting for them.
They said nothing.
Other than the few things that were spoken earlier, no word echoed from their tightly shut lips.
At least, not until they finally reached their respective seats.
"Greetings, everyone." Rebal Blanc said with a smile as he took the left position.
"Apologies for being late." Kara Verte stated as she too gracefully took her position to the right.
They both sat without any wariness or caution, not even bothering to observe their chairs before taking such an impulsive action.
Their observers didn't know what to make of that.
Were they really fools, or were they just that confident in their abilities?
It was uncertain.
Perhaps they simply trusted in their entourage that much. The two who guarded them appeared competent enough, after all.
The one who stood behind Kara Verte had the imposing air of a seasoned warrior. Though their face was hidden in dark armor, it was the assumption of many that whoever was inside the armor was strong.
Perhaps even as strong as the Obsidian Blade.
Unlike the Obsidian Blade's bulkier armor, which was predominantly black, with silver designs all around it, this person was coated in more streamlined plates.
Perhaps they focused more on speed rather than pure defense. The armor was by no means light. It just seemed a bit more compact than the one worn by adult veteran men.
Nonetheless, everyone had no choice but to narrow their gaze in caution.
Then, there was the second one.
He wore a dark hooded coat, with a design that made the upper helm of his hood look like two horns were protruding out.
He had a cape on top of the darkened coat, with the hood of that one having a red fur-like design, and the inner color also radiating crimson.
His coat resembled that of a veteran Adventurer, and everything about his gear showed he was someone who preferred being concealed in the shadows
He had a dark mask on his face, with crimson eyes glowing from within the holes for his eyes.
He didn't have as much of a presence as the armored one, but it would be foolish not to recognize him as formidable.
Then, for Rebal and Kara, they wore regal outfits that best correlated with their Houses.
Rebal was in an all-white suit, with his greying hair and beards complimenting his color choice to the utmost perfection.
He had a walking cane on one hand, though it was more likely to be a weapon than a harmless accessory.
Kara Verte, on the other hand, had a lime green gown, with dark jewelry coating multiple parts of her body. Despite her naturally cute appearance, there was nothing cute about her this evening.
She seemed to radiate pure sternness.
"Well, it's no problem. We weren't waiting for very long." Scylla smiled, responding to the earlier apology.
No one spoke in response to her.
"What matters right now is that the Triumvirate has gathered."
Scylla's grin widened as she traced her violet gaze to look at everyone seated in the room.
'Just as planned. Everything is going according to the plan.' She stifled her laughter and simply cleared her throat.
All her subordinates in the Royal Capital who were in wait could now make their move.
'All Communication from the outside world is blocked here, with only my device serving as the exception.' Her lips widened even more.
'They won't be able to reach the Capital at all, and those in the Capital won't be able to reach them.'
In the end, they were trapped here.
'And once I finally take care of all the loose ends… the entire Alliance will be mine!'
*********
'So this is the Dark Gathering…'
As Rey observed everyone from within his dark mask, he narrowed his gaze.
'All of the troublesome ones are here, just as expected.'
Rey cast his sight on the traitors of the Obsidian Council, how they showed no shame or discomfort even when Rebal was standing right next to them.
They had completely erased one of the Houses, and they even killed every single member of Kara's family, yet there wasn't even a hint of regret.
'I suppose this is what being a member of the Underworld is really about.'
His gaze rested on Kara and he admired how she was behaving herself despite being among the vile entities who caused the death of everyone she ever loved.
Rey knew it had to be a painful experience, but she had to endure.
'It doesn't really matter at this point, but…'
Rey took in a deep sigh and stared at Esme, who remained still as a statue.
'Is she really comfortable in that?'
He knew he had asked this for the umpteenth time, but it just seemed like a bulky accessory for someone with a small build like Esme's.
'I should focus on the more important matters, though…' Taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes for a brief moment, Rey processed all the information he had gotten thus far.
After all, he already used [Absolute Appraisal] on everyone present.
As he opened his eyes, his crimson gaze narrowed on only one entity in the room: the man in the white mask.
He was the only one who made Rey's heart tremble.
'This guy…!'