Netori SSS-Emperor: All Queens Shall Be Mine!-Chapter 59: The Banquet

The banquet had begun, and the servants had gathered in the castle's main hall. Decorated with fairy lights and the numerous insignias of the goddess, they wandered around with plates in hand, enjoying for once the luxurious treats that they had prepared for themselves. The soldiers too mingled with the crowd, and with nobody to disturb them, not even the royals, they comfortably dined on cattle and lambs.

Being a city on an island, cattle and the likes were quite the rare treat for the common folks, but tonight, about ten cows and twenty lambs had been butchered, braised, and served with a side of numerous savoury items. Amongst them were the barks of Gagoan–a plant known for its sweetness with the crunchiness of celery. The kids loved it the most, especially the children of the recently hired commoners.

Sea food was just as abundant, but nobody really touched them as it was a food far too common on the island. Enjoying the savoury flavor of stews, steaks, and vegetable mashed gravy lathered on juicy cuts of meat, the crowd of servants and commoners turned to the curtained stage.

The light went dim, and a melodic voice hummed from behind the curtains, but as the curtains parted, it wasn't a man or a woman that was revealed but a pair of realistic-looking, life-sized puppets. One a man and the other a woman, one dressed in a suit and the other in a dress.

"What's this?" Asked Renee, her head leaning onto Wolf's shoulders.

A glass of wine bubbled between her fingers, and the streak of blush on her face reflected her drunkenness. The potent wine was refined enough to break through her immunity to poison, and for once, she could relish the feeling of having no worries inside of her head. Focusing on the stage with Renee, Wolf took a light sip of the expensive golden wine before answering her question.

"Hestia, the head maid–she likes to show off her puppeteering skills. Some people say she's a puppet herself with her unusual attire, but that's just her taking pride in her work." Twirling the glass in his hand, he leaned his head against Renee's. The light went even more dim just the moment after, and that's when the gentle hum from the head maid turned into a song.

Leaning into each other's arms, the puppets moved to her rhythm. At first, the melody carried them gently, but as the time went on, the song grew into a chaotic symphony. Their feet tapped like they were on fire, and their screams echoed out from their lips. The creaking of their joints could be heard, and by the time the play came to an end, the puppets' legs had entirely shattered.

"What kind of message is that supposed to give?" Renee asked, but even Wolf had no answers.

In the meantime, Hestia, who'd been controlling the puppets through magic–only she understood what exactly was happening. The art kills the artist, and she hoped that would be the case for her. To die at the pinnacle of their success, perhaps that time was long gone for her, but one day she hoped to dance as a puppet until she couldn't dance anymore.

A peculiar wish, almost suicidal, but nobody worth their salt in the arts ever died a peaceful death. They suffer in the pursuit of perfection, but when perfection arrives, the bar is moved even higher. An illusion, that's what it was–and although she recognized it, she wanted to lean into that mirage and be remembered as the woman who died doing what she loved.

"Say, what's next?" As quiet descended on the hall, Renee glanced up at Wolf, her eyes dreamier than ever. "You're the king of Aestonia now. You got what you wanted. Does that make you feel empty, or is it as fulfilling as you thought?"

"I'm not sure." Shaking his head, Wolf glanced down at Renee, returning her gaze. "I don't think reality has set in yet; it still feels like a dream that I need to achieve rather than something I've achieved already."

"Hmm, that's interesting..." Leaning into his chest again, she took another sip. "I used to feel like a fraud when I started learning alchemy too. Imposter syndrome and all that. I'm sure it must be worse when you're a king."

Realizing that she knew exactly what he felt paired with her bringing up the topic in the first place, Wolf wondered if she dragged him out to the banquet to clear his mind about the topic and the reason why she brought him here in the first place.

"I'm sure it'll get better soon." However, not exactly in the mood to chart the routes of his mental stress, Wolf decided to divert from the topic and talk about something else instead. "But first, I have to spar with the general that's here. Only a few more hours and then we're supposed to meet up at the empty ground behind the castle."

"Another fight?"

"Could be my last fight, to be honest. Not sure, but the queen wants me to stay on the throne and direct wars from within the castle." Twirling his glass, Wolf took another sip. "I doubt I'll be doing that for long though, but we'll still have to see how it goes."

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Setting his glass to rest, Wolf decided to take a stroll through the deserted castle grounds to clear his head. Renee accompanied him for a while, but being drunk was a unique experience for her, and thus, she grew tired more easily and had to retire to bed. Walking all alone after making sure that she was tucked in bed, Wolf walked around some more–adoring the quiet until it was time to get ready for the fight.

A few hours had passed, and all the servants had fallen asleep, leaving just him with Kayla and Hestia, eventually making her way to the back of the castle as well. Upon getting there, he was somewhat surprised that Astoria wasn't there, but it mattered little in the end, as Hestia could always relay to her exactly how everything went.

"Before we begin this battle, let's make sure that nobody can hear us." Moving between the two in the empty ground, Hestia raised her arm in the air and cast a spell. "Reality Bend!"

Consumed by a burning energy bubble of deep violet with silver rings, the trio were trapped in a space from which nothing could escape without the caster's permission. Although surprised that Hestia could cast such a spell, Wolf kept his expression in check and instead focused on Kayla standing in front of him.

A massive shield of adamantine held in her hand along with a lance in the other, she stood planted like a pillar ready to take on Wolf's strike.

"Come on, let's finish this quickly!" She exclaimed, and to her declaration Wolf leapt forward.