Chapter 284: Celebration Banquet
The second prince had also come to Dalaran in person, accompanied by Ferdinand, to request Dalaran’s support. Unfortunately, Lord Donald was away on a mission, and there was no one in his domain who could make decisions on his behalf, so he had no choice but to leave, hoping that Donald would return soon.
After all, Dalaran was now the most renowned emerging realm under the Selth name. Whether it was the reputation of its lord, a kingdom hero and genius mage, or the wealth brought by its numerous precious resources, if Dalaran could openly declare its support, at least thirty percent of the neutral local lords would change their stance. Many noble factions were eager to establish ties with Dalaran for their own benefit!
After learning this, Donald didn’t pay it much mind. Having seen another world and powerful totem gods comparable to mid-tier gods, his horizons had broadened, and he was no longer confined to the human kingdoms of the North. At such a different level, Donald’s mindset had also changed. Moreover, he had never really cared about the struggle for power between the two princes, so now he cared even less. However, if the elder prince ascended to the throne, it might hinder the development of his own domain.
It wasn’t that Donald feared Andrew. In the entire North, there were only two forces led by legendary strongmen: the royal family and Ansel. Now, another force had emerged that could rival them. What troubled Donald was that if Andrew didn’t openly oppose him but instead hid obstacles in noble and business matters, he wouldn’t know what to do—would he really have to assassinate a king?
To avoid future troubles, it was better to nip them in the bud from the start. He decided to publicly declare his support for the second prince, Durai. After all, their relationship had always been good. Though they hadn’t met or gathered since then, Durai would send greetings through Ferdinand every time, so their friendship hadn’t cooled down.
So that day, he briefly discussed the matter with a few officials in his domain and decided to hold a small celebration banquet in Dalaran to honor Carlisle for becoming a legendary Sword Saint and adding another legendary strongman to his domain. He also invited the second prince, Durai, and many nobles from his faction. This way, he could express his support for the second prince’s ascension in a way that was neither too obvious nor too subtle.
As for Carlisle’s identity, Donald wouldn’t publicize it much. Unlike legendary dragons like Nozdormu, although Carlisle had become legendary, he was still a human. So the guests Donald invited were mostly high-ranking figures, ensuring the matter wouldn’t become widely known and cause unnecessary trouble. It was also a form of deterrence—after this news spread, at least those major forces that had previously harbored ambitions toward Dalaran would likely back down! With two legendary warriors in charge and good relations with a powerful figure like Ansel, no one would dare trouble Dalaran unless they wanted to seek their own destruction. Donald discussed this with Carlisle, and it wasn’t a difficult task for him; he agreed right away. Carlisle was also a smart man. He had followed Donald to the surface world because of the Agricultural Goddess’s favor toward this human mage lord. Through these two encounters, especially fighting side by side on the Totem Continent, they had built a deep friendship. Having witnessed Donald’s various miraculous tactics and secret strengths, Carlisle decided to follow him to the end—to see how far they could go! Vincent, who received news from the kingdom, had a different status and many matters to attend to back home, so he didn’t have time to spend much time with Donald and the others. He hurriedly returned to the northwest aboard an alchemical airship. The Female Sword Saint Abel had no other concerns and decided to stay in Dalaran to reflect on the adventures she had experienced. Thus, there was no need to send her an invitation for the celebration banquet. The rest were nobles from the second prince’s faction, several major nobles of the kingdom, key military officials, and the Ansel family. As for the forces of the Northlands, Donald planned to invite only Baron Redmaple and Sir Brewster, the grand knight who held both the position of commander of the Stone City garrison and commander of the Bloodstone Fortress. Apart from the newly appointed Viscount Macbeth, who belonged to the first prince’s faction and was difficult to invite, the others didn’t have enough status to participate. This was a relatively private small banquet, so the number of guests shouldn’t be too large. Additionally, the Agricultural Goddess Church, which was currently friendly toward him, also needed to be acknowledged. Donald ordered William to prepare elaborate invitations, which had already been delivered to the temple in Stone City. Presumably, Priest Sord and Bishop Bantrey wouldn’t refuse to show respect.
The Repton family, already allied with the Melina family, was the first to receive the news. Thanks to the regular alchemical airships traveling between them, communication between the two places was very convenient. That afternoon, the Earl of Repton arrived in Dalaran ahead of schedule—much faster than by traditional carriage!
Now, the Repton family, destined to become a powerful dragon knight family in the future, had also become famous. With the young dragon given to them by Donald, and with proper care, they could obtain a silver-tier young dragon within twenty years. What the Repton family lacked the least was financial resources; they had set upmagic beasts acquisition points in Repton Port and other ports, buyingmagic beasts at a price 10% higher than that of ordinary merchants, which attracted many adventurers and mercenaries.
The seas were rich in various sea beasts. Due to environmental constraints, even if hunted daily, there was no risk of species extinction like in terrestrial forests. The meat and magic cores of these acquiredmagic beasts served as food for the lucky young dragon. The nutritious and energy-rich food greatly accelerated its growth, shortening the time it took to develop into a young dragon.
Now that the Repton family had boarded the ship of Dalaran, they naturally wanted to show their stance. Thus, they—usually neutral—rarely changed their course.
As an established noble family in the kingdom, the Repton family’s influence was no less than that of the emerging Dalaran, so they would surely encourage other neutral nobles, large and small, to follow suit.
The celebration banquet proceeded even more smoothly than Donald had expected. Almost all the invited guests attended, and some, who attached great importance to it, even brought their families and intended to establish business ties with Dalaran.
As the main focus of the banquet, Carlisle actually appeared only briefly before leaving. The main purpose of the banquet was for Donald to express his support for the second prince.
The second prince, Durian, who hadn’t been seen for a long time, had become more mature after this period of training. With the semi-public support of Dalaran and the Repton family, the atmosphere within the kingdom seemed to change overnight. Coupled with the support from the military nobles, more than 50% of the kingdom’s nobles now supported his succession. With the military forces pressing hard, the eldest prince, Andrew, was at a disadvantage in every aspect.
After the news spread, spies reported that the eldest prince was furious and smashed many delicate items in his palace in anger.
Although the second prince holds the upper hand for now, it ultimately depends on the old king’s decision. Though King XV is increasingly unconscious, he is still aware of the situation of his two sons. After all, as long as he does not announce a successor, those secret powers and forces loyal only to the royal family and not to individuals will not take any action. However, the old king seems to have some reservations and has not given in, allowing his two sons to compete with each other. There are some unknown secrets behind this, and Ferdinand, who came this time, revealed a little about it. But Donald only has a vague understanding—knowing that the king has no choice but to do this, and that letting future generations compete to select an excellent heir is an excellent tradition of ancient families like the Selt. Thus, there is even less reason to stop it. The turmoil caused by this banquet has not yet subsided, and Elyia, an elf elder who usually does not interact much with the outside world, came to Donald to deliver an important message: People from the Sun Island Elf Council have arrived!