After introducing himself, the hostage-taker caused quite a stir in the banquet hall. The watching guests began whispering among themselves.
Count Godwin, who was in charge of negotiations, sighed.
"Please accept my condolences, young man."
"Your father's heroic deed brought the heir back to the Starfall Kingdom. If he died for that cause, then his sacrifice is worthy of remembrance."
Anke said nothing.
The Count changed his tone, adding a hint of reproach:
"But that cannot justify what you have done."
Anke remained silent, his eyes unfocused.
Looking at his expression, Count Godwin furrowed his brows. He realized that tonight's incident might not be so easy to resolve.
The Count instinctively looked upward, but the King's seat was empty.
Only the seat on the first tier was occupied by the Duke of Star Lake, the young man said to be a genius. He was surrounded by a large group of guards.
His expression was grave, and he kept his head lowered in silence.
Tales stared blankly at Anke.
He still remembered waking up in the Ghost Prince's Tower.
At the time, Yordel had told him:
A day and a night had passed since the Orcs invaded the Bladefang Dunes and the Wing of Legend had returned to provide aid.
Tales had pushed open the tower window, but all he saw was the desolate aftermath left behind at Bladefang Camp after the great battle and Roman's eventual victory.
Yet he had not seen—or thought he had not seen—the true bloodshed of that day's battle.
Nor the people whose fates had been changed by it.
Death? Sacrifice? Profit? Cost? Victory or defeat? These are merely the most superficial things in war... The fates of tens of thousands... will all be tested in this cruel furnace.
Old Crow Hix's words echoed in his