The Banquet

At noon, standing outside the castle and looking at Arcadia's distant figure, a hint of solemnity flashed through Arthur's eyes.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he couldn't shake the feeling that beneath Arcadia's cheerful smile lay a trace of incongruous coldness.

"Lord Arcadia actually spoke to you in person!" Edward's familiar voice rang out beside him again, brimming with envy.

Edward was riding a large black horse and wearing a formal outfit with sleeves. He stood out quite conspicuously in the crowd.

As Count Polia's son, he had also received a smile from Arcadia when the knight passed by just now, but it was nothing compared to the attention Arthur had received.

Arthur glanced sideways at Edward and felt a little speechless.

He remembered that Edward, the count's second son, had always idolized the knight Arcadia. He hadn't expected him to take it this far. He was practically like one of the celebrity-obsessed fans Arthur remembered from his previous life.

But on second thought, this also showed just how strong Arcadia's personal charm and influence were.

As the strongest knight in the north, Arcadia had been born into a once-great noble family that had fallen into decline. He had displayed an exceptional talent for knighthood from a young age, and his reputation across the north was immense. He was an idol to countless young nobles.

Count Polia was Arcadia's liege, yet even his own son had become the knight's admirer. That alone showed the extent of Arcadia's influence.

At that thought, Arthur silently shook his head.

Whether in the past or now, he hadn't known much about the affairs of the northern elite.

But from what he could see, both Count Polia and Arcadia were strong-willed men. They might not be as close as they seemed.

In the distance, Knight Arcadia led his men back to the castle. Arthur followed Edward, who was still beside him and bursting with excitement, as they slowly entered the castle.

That night, to celebrate Knight Arcadia's triumphant return, Count Polia held a grand banquet in his honor.

Many nobles of varying ranks attended, along with several powerful warriors who had distinguished themselves recently. Arthur and Flar were among them.

As the youngest knight in the history of the north and the sole heir to a wealthy barony, Arthur naturally attracted a great deal of attention at the banquet.

He was exceptionally handsome. As a half-elf, he had inherited the best of both his parents, and was tall and striking. In terms of looks alone, he even surpassed the cheerful, handsome Arcadia by a little, so he was warmly welcomed by many.

Many minor nobles had heard of Arthur's reputation. They had brought along unmarried women from their families in particular to introduce them to him, evidently hoping to arrange a marriage alliance.

Arthur maintained a gentle expression, seeming easygoing enough, but sat right beside Knight Flar to escape the attention of the young women.

As Count Polia's trusted aide, Knight Flar was infamous throughout the north. Over the years, he had crushed countless enemies, including bandits, Orcs, and many nobles who had dared to rebel against Count Polia. He was a formidable deterrent to ordinary nobles.

The moment Arthur sat beside the middle-aged knight, the noble girls who had been crowding around him all but vanished. They didn't even dare approach. Though relieved, Arthur couldn't help feeling a little speechless.

Edward was also at the banquet, not far away.

As Count Polia's second son, Edward had an elder brother who, it was said, had left for a distant land years ago and was unlikely to return.

In that case, Edward, as the younger son, would probably inherit everything from Count Polia and become the de facto ruler of the north. He was far more popular than an ordinary knight like Arthur.

Unlike Arthur, he didn't turn away the girls and married women who approached him. In the short time since the banquet began, he had already danced with seven or eight young women, and seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere.

Seeing him like that, Arthur helplessly shook his head, then turned his gaze toward the center of the hall.

That was the real heart of the banquet. No matter how much attention Arthur and Edward drew, they were merely supporting players compared to the people there.

Arcadia and Count Polia were drinking together, laughing as they chatted about their various adventures. They seemed to be getting along very well.

Beside Count Polia stood a middle-aged knight with a thick head of hair. He didn't seem very talkative and simply stayed quietly at the count's side. The two appeared rather close.

"Who is that lord?"

Arthur studied the man in the distance, then casually asked Knight Flar, who was sitting beside him.

"That's Cadiz, Lord Polia's guard captain."

Flar glanced at the man in the distance before answering Arthur.

Arthur nodded thoughtfully at Flar's words, then asked in a low voice, "How strong is Lord Cadiz?"

"He's decent among the Knight Apprentices, but he can't compare to a true knight."

Flar shook his head. "Cadiz is an excellent fighter. He met the requirements to advance to knighthood when he was young, but he never managed it. By now, he's more or less run out of hope."

"He's very loyal to Lord Polia. He's been severely wounded in battle several times, so even though he never became a knight, the lord still promoted him to guard captain."

Becoming a knight required great physical strength and vitality. Generally speaking, if an ordinary human hadn't managed to advance by the age of thirty, the chances of doing so naturally grew slimmer and slimmer.

Polia looked to be at least forty. Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn't break through to knighthood in this lifetime.

Listening to Flar's explanation, Arthur nodded, though a trace of coldness quietly entered his eyes.

A mechanical voice sounded in his mind.

Name: Cadiz. Strength: 5.1. Agility: 5. Constitution: 5.2.

Those were hardly the physical attributes of a mere Knight Apprentice. They had already reached the very peak of a knight's capabilities—just barely meeting the standards of a Great Knight.

Throughout the north, there was probably no other warrior of such strength besides Arcadia and Count Polia.

There's something off about Cadiz.

Watching the silent, taciturn Cadiz in the distance, Arthur had that thought.

In this world, the status of a Great Knight was beyond the imagination of ordinary people. In any country, one could be granted a noble title and the corresponding lands.

For such a powerful warrior to disguise himself as a Knight Apprentice without anyone noticing—and even become the guard captain of the ruler of the north—there had to be a reason.

Sorry, everyone! The author got home late from work today, so the update was a little late.

Also, some readers pointed out a small issue with the previous chapter, so I went back and revised it. I hope you're satisfied!

I'll be updating promptly again tomorrow at six!