Beicheng · Outer City · Rear Court of the Palace.
This was a vast courtyard, filled with flowers and shaded by green trees. Compared to these, however, the ponds on either side of the rear court were even more eye-catching.
Wisps of vapor drifted from the ponds on both sides, keeping the rear courtyard sufficiently humid.
The area had been renovated more than a decade ago. In addition, the waterfall flowing down the mountain behind Beicheng had been diverted there through channels carved into the rock in recent years. The elves had grown increasingly fond of humid environments.
A majestic building towered within the mist-shrouded rear courtyard. This was the Kingdom Council Hall, which would not be opened unless some major matter arose.
At 7:30 a.m., people began emerging one after another from the side entrance beside the royal palace and heading toward the Kingdom Council Hall. Every one of them was an elven noble or powerful figure.
Escorted by a large squad of elite soldiers, Su Xiao entered the rear courtyard. The vapor here made people feel slightly uncomfortable. It was not poisonous; he simply did not want to inhale it.
After passing through the corridor filled with drifting vapor, Su Xiao entered the Kingdom Council Hall. Quite a few people were already inside. Some stood on either side of the council table, while others sat in seats slightly elevated from the floor against the walls.
The council table was about five meters wide and nearly ten meters long. It had been made from a single massive piece of wood, and its surface had been polished to an obsidian-like black sheen.
The table had been arranged according to the hall's layout. At the inner end, only one broad chair had been placed—the elven king's seat of honor. Numerous chairs