A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 63: Debating cultural differences at the Dinner table

Kael’s eyebrows raised, genuinely surprised by the blacksmith’s generosity. "Thank you," he said, not intending to be any modest and trying to force the guy to take the fees. He doesn’t want to pay 100,000 gold coins for fake modesty.

With that, the two of them spent the next while exploring the smithy, admiring the weapons displayed on the walls. The quiet clinking of metal, the heat of the forge, and Orren’s focused energy made for an oddly calming environment.

Kael wandered around the smithy, his mind preoccupied with his tasks ahead. Though the displays of weapons were impressive, none of them truly piqued his interest. Adam, on the other hand, was far more excited. His gaze shifted across the room until it landed on a sword that immediately captured his attention.

The blade was sleek, made of black titanium, and the hilt was intricately designed with a pattern of swirling winds. Embedded into the blade was a small wind elemental crystal, shimmering faintly with energy.

Adam picked up the sword, feeling its weight. "This... this is perfect," he muttered to himself.

"What perfect? It is too weird?" Kael rolled his eyes, looking at his friend’s reaction. It was an unusual weapon—wind elemental crystals were typically used in magic bows, not swords. Most users of wind magic became archers due to the natural synergy between the elements and the long-range precision of bows.

Adam turned to Kael with a grin. "I’m getting it. It’ll be useful for my training."

Kael raised an eyebrow, impressed by Adam’s enthusiasm. "Are you sure? That sword doesn’t come cheap."

Adam nodded without hesitation. "I’ll take it. 75,000 gold coins isn’t too much for a weapon like this. It’ll be worth it."

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Kael watched him hand over the money and make the purchase without haggling around, then followed him out of the smithy.

Time passed quickly, and by the time Kael and Adam returned to the palace, it was nearly time for dinner. They both took some time to freshen up in their respective rooms before heading to the royal dining hall separately.

The dinner gathering didn’t have any strangers. Princess Artemis, her teacher Dragamir, the Queen, the four princesses, Kael, Prince Adam, and the imperial preceptor, Isolde Searvale, were all present. The meal was elegant and filled with a wide array of delicacies that would satisfy even the most discerning palate.

However, there was one guest whose presence stood out to Kael, one he had not yet met this closely: Isolde, the imperial preceptor. She was an elf, a demigod realm being, and her very presence was a rarity. Elves, especially those of such a high realm, were rarely seen outside of their homeland, the Sylvalis Kingdom, and to have one in the royal court was remarkable.

Isolde’s pearl white hair cascaded like a waterfall down her back, her ethereal beauty making her seem almost otherworldly. Her pointed ears, delicate features, and piercing green eyes were a sharp contrast to the human faces around the table. However, it seemed like no one even gazed at her. Even Dragamir, a fellow demigod, seemed like he was averting her gaze when she sat directly opposite him.

Kael, ever the observer, studied her closely. He had heard rumors about the imperial preceptor, the very person who could pressure Witch Tower to give 200 million gold coins in compensation for Amanda’s abduction. No one knows her true age, and no one lived to tell a tale of their battle against her.

However, Kael didn’t see that ounce of suppressiveness that demigods carry or that penetrative gaze those demigods have in their eyes as if they can see through one’s secrets. She sat there like a calm deity, enjoying the offerings given by the mortals in silence.

As the dinner progressed, the conversation naturally drifted toward the interests and affairs of the attendees. Remia—The Queen, ever curious, took the opportunity to steer the conversation toward Princess Artemis’s personal life and the state of her Empire while keeping things casual and diplomatic.

They discussed the finer aspects of culture, with the Queen asking Artemis about the various foods, wines, arts, and music that were popular in her Empire. Artemis, with a warm smile, shared stories of the Nymira Empire’s culinary specialties and their famous wines, which were known for their smooth, aromatic qualities.

The Princess spoke fondly of the music of her homeland, describing instruments that Kael had never heard of before and the delicately layered melodies that seemed to carry deep emotion in every note.

The Queen, not one to be outdone in matters of culture, began recounting the history of the Queendom of Elyria and its relationship with the Nymira Empire.

She spoke about the early days of the alliance, which had been forged six centuries ago during a time of crisis. The Crown Dynasty of Elyria was struggling, teetering on the edge of collapse due to attacks from the Dragons.

At the time, Nymira had been a relatively small Queendom itself, not yet the powerful Empire it is today.

The Queen explained how their relationship, built on trade rather than military or political motivations, had helped both realms weather the turbulent times.

They had supported each other in times of need, trading goods, knowledge, and resources— with little to no military conflict between them and even fewer political games.

And time passed, Nymira grew to become an Empire under the Phoenix Dynasty while Elyria went through a change of dynasties. Flamehart Dynasty has little to no relationship with the Phoenix Dynasty, but the friendly relations are still there.

Princess Artemis listened attentively, nodding along as the Queen spoke. When the conversation turned to the royal dynamics within Nymira, the Princess casually mentioned, "The Phoenix Dynasty, our ruling family, never practiced political marriages. We have always believed in love, and most of us live by the principle of monogamy. Some opt for bigamy. But polygamy was out of the question back at our home. Imagine my surprise when I heard five of the six imperial princesses were wedded to a single noble."

Kael couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in her last few sentences. It was a bold statement, especially in the context of politics, as if she was taking a sly dig at the Queen, but given Artemis’ status, he was aware that the Queen wouldn’t take it to heart.

However, contrary to his expectations, Remia replied with a light-hearted yet pointed remark about the demographics of their two nations. "Well, Princess, the gender ratio in Nymira was considerably different from that of Elyria. In Nymira, the male population was much higher, with a ratio of 1.8 males for every female. Obviously, it would seem unfair if polygamy was practiced. On the other hand, in Elyria, the female-to-male ratio was far worse than the world average—around 3.2 females for every male. If we start practicing monogamy, out of 1000 females, nearly 700 women would be left with no partners."

Princess Artemis shrugged nonchalantly, not taking her answer that seriously."Well, your neighboring queendoms had a more balanced ratio of females to males. When Elyria eventually becomes an Empire, your gender ratio will go down as well, just like ours. It is a matter of time," she said, acknowledging that they were more or less in the same boat.

Soon, the topic shifted toward the political landscape of Elyria. There was no question of debate on this topic. Everyone acknowledged that Elyria’s internal politics were extremely complicated, primarily due to the unusual throne succession laws.

Unlike in most queendoms and empires, where only the direct heirs of the monarch or the next in line kin could ascend to the throne, Elyria allowed any noble with the bloodline of the Flamehart Dynasty to compete in the throne trials, essentially making anyone with the right ancestry eligible to become a throne candidate.

This system, while intended to keep power within the noble families, had only led to endless competition and strife over the throne.

"It’s a mess left by our founder," the Queen remarked grimly, shaking her head in frustration.

Princess Artemis, always the curious one, leaned forward with interest. "But... with your power and influence, why hasn’t Elyria taken action to expand? You have the military strength and the naval dominance to conquer your neighboring queendoms. Why hasn’t it been done?"

The Queen let out a weary sigh before responding. "It’s not a matter of power," she explained. "If I were a demigod, I would have already taken control of the situation. But I’m just in the legendary realm, and while I might reach the Supreme realm in my lifetime, my strength isn’t enough to fight off assassination attempts from those with demigod powers. Internal struggles for the throne, assassination attempts, and dealing with the numerous throne candidates—it’s a battle on all fronts. If you aren’t invincible, you must make compromises and use whatever you have in your hands as a weapon." She momentarily glanced at Kael. The latter also understood the deep meaning behind the last bit of the sentence.

Remia paused for a moment, her gaze growing more confident this time. "However, I’m not worried about the future. Shiera, my daughter, has the potential to become a demigod. She will be the one who secures Elyria’s future."