Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

151  The banquet

The dining hall of the castle was filled with people, five long tables laden with food occupying the entire space. Laughter echoed throughout the room, creating a scene that might not have been seen even during the kingdom's golden era. Food and alcohol was abundant.

Henry sat on the grand chair, where he could oversee the entire room, slowly sipping his drink. Luna's voice reached his ear - "When are you going to give me more books? The last one was quite useful. I can feel that in less than five years, I might have a shot at reaching a new stage" - she said hurriedly, sitting right beside the king.

The king turned toward the eccentric woman, "What about my people?" "What people?" - Luna asked, shaking her head seemingly unable to understand. Henry immediately complemented - "The ten soldiers I sent to you to be trained in the ways of magic. The ones you selected yourself from the army, saying they had the bare talent to become mages." "Oh, those people. Your people are indeed terrible talentless. I can do nothing about it" - Luna shrugged, showing little interest in this matter - "Their talent is only enough to propel them until the First Stage of a magician's way. Only two of them managed to create a Spirit Stone. There is nothing I can do; their talents are mediocre at best. And, they are also not that smart; they wouldn't be able to learn even basic alchemy." Henry nodded, taking another sip of his drink. He had expected such a development. The people in these regions were already extremely poor in martial talent, with only a few of them even able to reach the First Stage of a Warrior. It was almost impossible to expect a super-talented magician to appear here, where even the Mana was thin and running dry. If not for his bloodline and his own talent, there was no way he would have reached the strength he had now. "Can they at least be used in battle?" - he asked, just to be sure. Luna didn't even take a moment to think, her harsh, cold, and impatient words leaving her mouth - "Two of them, yes. They can at least conjure some simple water spells to wet the ground. However, the other eight will need at least three more years to even be able to do that much" - she said, her eyes burning again with impatience and a bit of anger as she crossed her arms - "But, hey, enough with these senseless questions. Where are my books?"

"I already gave you three of them" - Henry said, calmly taking another sip - "When you deliver at least those five First Stage Mages you promised, of course I will give you the rest immediately." "Come on! It's not my fault that those people's talents are completely trash! You can't expect me to bring five of them to the First Level in these desolate lands, right?" -Luna argued, frustration evident in her voice. However, Henry remained silent, continuing to drink his beer as if those words were never uttered. He ignored her. Luna wanted to conjure a spell right there and blow the whole castle down. She took a deep breath, reminding herself of her noble status.

Struggling to keep her voice under control, Luna continued - "I am really close to a breakthrough, and I think that if you give me two more of those texts, I can finally reach a new level. You know that I could have taken them forcefully, but I didn't. So, you can trust me. I will surely deliver five mages into your hands. I will not run away after reading them." Henry grinned at Luna's reaction. She was desperate and he found himself strangely enjoying making her angry. Downing the last of his beer, he raised all fingers on both hands. -"I can give you two more books, but... I want ten mages by the end of next year. How about it?" - he proposed.

"T-TEN? NEXT YEAR?" - Luna blurted, nearly jumping from her seat and knocking over her chair. Henry nodded, watching her reaction with amusement. She seemed on the verge of screaming, but she managed to regain her composure and began to think, twirling her hair between her fingers. "Eight!" - she countered, biting her lip nervously.

He gave her no time - "Deal!" - he was wearing a satisfied smile, sensing Luna's frustration - "I'll have someone deliver them to your hut by the end of tonight" he added.

At a loss for words and feeling tricked, Luna impatiently rose from her seat - "Swindler! I don't want to stay in such a poor party any longer. Just give me those books, and I'll get out of here" - she demanded, stretching out her hands expectantly. Henry looked at those beautiful but almost insane green eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing - "Come on! You didn't expect me to bring books to a party, did you?" - he said, scratching his forehead.

Luna nodded her head in understatement - "You are right, I have been here for a few years and I have never seen you with a book if not those for barbaric wars. So, where is it? Let's go get it, I don't have time to wait."

She had only come to this feast to get these books. She didn't really want to remain here, they didn't even have the Mystic Butterfly Honey here, such a backward country. Humph.

"It's in my room" - Henry replied, a crafty, almost shameless smile playing on his lips. "Do you want to get it with me?" Luna glanced at him, trying to discern the reason behind that smile. But she was eager to leave the banquet and return to her studies - "Sure, let's go!" - she agreed, reaching out impatiently for Henry's hand, ready to pull him up from his chair. As Luna's hand was about to reach Henry's, another hand seemed to appear out of the shadows and gently clasped hers - "Please, be careful of your actions, Lady Luna" - Leier's low voice sounded, her figure materializing from behind the throne. Luna looked at this woman up and down, trying to recall where she had seen her before. Finally, she remembered – "The shadow" - Luna muttered, before asking - "Can you release my hand?" - She didn't particularly mind it, though a fleeting urge to unleash chaos crossed her mind before she suppressed it. Leier seemed to sense the danger behind that question, immediately releasing the blonde-haired woman's hands. She bowed - "Sorry, Lady Luna. It just doesn't seem appropriate for a young, unmarried lady to accompany the king to his bedroom alone, is it?"

"What does it matter, I-" - Luna was about to finish her sentence, but she stopped. She fidgeted nervously and exclaimed - "IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK! LET'S LEAVE IT FOR TOMORROW!" - With that, she hastily dashed out of the room, her face still burning with embarrassment. The people in the room too drunk or afraid to look at her continued the party.

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