Chapter 474: The Evening Banquet

“Let’s talk about it later. The Wolf King will take care of them!” With a sigh, Rod said, holding mixed feelings. Though he understood these principles, his heart was still troubled. He didn’t plan to deal with them for now—he needed time, time to calm down.
After sighing, Rod walked ahead. Behind him, Nightingale and the others exchanged glances; it seemed Rod still couldn’t let go of this matter. But that was only human. After all, if they were in his shoes, they probably wouldn’t fare any better. At least they wouldn’t be able to act as if nothing had happened.
It’s impossible for a person’s heart to reach such a state of composure.
That day, Autumn Water City became unbearably bustling. Wave after wave of people arrived one after another. As the negotiation conference neared, delegations from various factions began to show up.
In addition to the envoys led by Marshal Okaz earlier, representatives from the Meidest Empire and the Etaman Empire also arrived in Autumn Water City. These envoys from the major empires had come relatively early.
Besides these major empires, the continent had dozens of small kingdoms and duchies, another force that couldn’t be underestimated. Nearly one-third of them arrived that day.
All the national delegations would likely arrive within three days. Their arrival brought joy to the residents of Autumn Water City. The war was finally coming to an end, and their lives of constant fear would also end. Everything would return to peace. Those who had struggled on the battlefield for years felt as if they had been freed.
With their arrival, the armies of vampires and werewolves began to consolidate, ready to leave the Dark Duchy at any moment. Once the negotiations ended, they would return to the Source of Darkness.
Now, the only major force still missing was the Light Church. These fanatics had initially strongly opposed negotiations, always viewing the elimination of dark forces as their mission. This time, they didn’t get their way—even their closest allies, the Mage Guild and the Warrior Association, opposed them and called for peace. After all, such battles caused the greatest losses to them. The Light Church members boasted loudly, but on the battlefield, they were the least willing to fight. Of course, they didn’t care.
In the end, under pressure from everyone, the Light Church reluctantly agreed to the terms of the negotiations and began marching toward Autumn Water City.

However, Rod believed the matter wasn’t that simple. These cultists might have come here with certain intentions, possibly to disrupt things. To be on the safe side, everyone was prepared.

Scheduling matters related to these delegations for the day was left to those below, as Rod never showed up. On one hand, he didn’t need to get involved personally, and on the other hand, he didn’t know how to face these acquaintances—like Marshal Okaz and the others.

Lucy, Ada, and the other girls were especially considerate that day, which made Rod a bit overwhelmed. Realizing they were worried about him, warmth spread through his heart. With such loyal companions, what more could he possibly regret?

After dinner that night, Autumn Waters City held a grand banquet to welcome the delegations from various countries. The Wolf King and others were all present. Though Rod really didn’t want to attend, as the leader of the Dark Source faction, he had no choice but to go.

The magnificent hall was brilliantly decorated, bustling with activity. Even before entering, Rod could hear the lively noise. Standing beside him were the Wolf King, Mork, the Dragon King, and others, representing the most powerful forces of the Dark Source, giving off an air of dominance.

Upon entering the hall, the previous noise vanished instantly, replaced by silence. The arrival of these few people drew everyone’s attention. At that moment, the Wolf King exuded an imposing aura, the Dragon King carried an imperial presence, Mork and the scorpion king’s clan leader also displayed the dignity of rulers, while Rod appeared more approachable and comforting.

Led by these five, followed by Nightingale, Lucy, Ada, Lilith, and the others, the rest of the people did not attend the banquet—not because they lacked the right, but because they had other tasks to handle.

Still, the formation put forth by the Dark Source was astonishing. Rod, surrounded in the center, stood out even more. It was obvious to anyone that he was the leader of this group. With the information he had received recently, everyone naturally knew who he was and understood his status and position.

Under the gaze of everyone, Rod and his group slowly walked into the hall, heading toward the front, where their seats were.

Almost everyone’s gaze toward Rod seemed somewhat awkward, especially those from the Lance Empire, whose expressions were extremely complex.

This chosen one, now the king, was originally the top young talent of their Lance Empire, alongside Viski and others, regarded as the empire’s future hope. Unfortunately, due to that incident, he left his country and eventually became the source of darkness. No one could have imagined that in just a few years, he would advance to such a level. Appearing before them in such a prominent manner was undoubtedly like slapping them in the face, filling them with shame and embarrassment.

“Hehe, I’m glad everyone could gather in Autumn Waters City today. Thank you for giving us this honor. Today is simply a banquet—enjoy yourselves without any concerns. Let’s put negotiations aside for now until everyone arrives!” Rod’s opening remarks were simple, after which he handed over the situation to the Wolf King, drawing complaints from the latter.

The banquet proceeded fairly well. The initial tension gradually dissipated, and eventually everyone felt at ease. People gathered in groups, chatting about various topics. Even envoys from many countries came together to discuss cooperation, turning it into a unique platform for exchange—rare indeed.

Of course, in their free time, many people’s conversations inevitably revolved around that towering figure. Rod, once hunted across the continent, had now become the king of the source of darkness. Even figures like the Wolf King and Dragon King, whose mere footsteps could shake the continent, treated him with utmost respect, showing just how far he had come and how formidable he must be to earn such reverence from these powerful beings, sparking endless speculation.

One thing was certain, however: the people of the Lance Empire didn’t look happy at all. Hearing others talk about Rod felt like mockery and sarcasm to them. The friendly nations showed a hint of sympathy, while the hostile ones reveled in his misfortune. It was obvious that Rod would be leading the negotiations on behalf of the source of darkness this time.

As for the benefits of these negotiations, the most affected would undoubtedly be the Meidus Empire and the Lance Empire, the two largest empires closest to the Dark Duchy. Would Rod take this opportunity to retaliate against the Lance Empire? Everyone wanted to know. It was well-known that it was the Lance Empire’s betrayal that led to his being hunted across the continent.

Feeling the gazes of those people, Marshal Okaz’s expression darkened, his veins bulging as he gasped for breath. If it weren’t for Lucia and Parich holding him back, who knew what extreme actions he might have taken. The Meidis Empire, which had always gotten along poorly with the Lance Empire, was of course the happiest group at this moment—they seemed to be enjoying seeing the Lance Empire suffer. Lucia’s expression was also grim; she exchanged glances with Alice beside her, staring at Rod, who remained oblivious above them, her expression shifting constantly as she bit her lip and clenched her small hands tightly. That friend who had once been closest to them, that mercenary who had saved their lives, the one who had led them through peril back to the capital—now ignored their presence, causing Lucia deep pain. She seemed to see those eyes filled with disbelief and resentment from the forest, to hear once again that heart-wrenching sorrow, and to witness that bewildered and desperate look. If Lucia was like this, Alice wasn’t faring any better. From Fire City to the capital, their relationship had gone from enemies to friends to strangers—everything seemed absurd. Sensing their gazes, Rod finally turned and glanced at the members of the Lance Empire delegation. Marshal Okaz, General Parich, Miss Lucia, Mage Alice, Kiro, John… familiar faces. Taking a deep breath, he raised his cup slightly in their direction before drinking it in one gulp, successfully hiding his emotions. On the other side, Nightingale and Ada exchanged a relieved smile upon seeing this—Rod had truly matured. Rod’s straightforwardness made the people across from him feel awkward and stiff, forcing them to awkwardly raise their cups to drink, though their hearts were filled with anguish. The banquet continued, and it was already late at night. Some people had left early, but others still gathered in groups to discuss matters of state and alliances. Seeing that the banquet was coming to an end, Rod said a few words to the Wolf Emperor and Dragon Emperor before handing over the situation to them and leaving. He didn’t like such prolonged gatherings. Seeing Rod leave, the Lance Empire’s group exchanged glances and also left this embarrassing banquet, disappearing from everyone’s sight.