Chapter 69: The Council

The Starhold Royal Palace, the top floor.

The entire floor was a large hall designated for major meetings, and a significant event was scheduled to take place here today. 

Right at the staircase leading to this floor, there was a massive metal gate capable of withstanding attacks from powerful beasts, and it was not easy to move. 

Of course, a few guards stood at the door to perform this task so that the esteemed family members wouldn't have to open the heavy door themselves.

Upon crossing the gate, the first thing everyone would see was the meticulous craftsmanship of the floor. Intricate patterns in different colored tiles, lines engraved in carefully calculated designs pleasing to the eye.

The tiles reflected the yellow light from the chandeliers above, which alone were enough to illuminate the entire hall, though additional smaller pairs accompanied them. They were made of pure gold and adorned with jewels.

The walls on the right and left were somewhat symmetrical, but they were divided into three sections due to their massive size.

The lower part was decorated with wooden and stone carvings crafted in specific patterns.

Above the carvings, in the middle section of the wall, were portraits of family heads since its inception, lined up along the corridor.

And in the upper third section, windows adorned with blue stones let in a soft glow of outside sunlight, though it wasn't necessary due to the chandeliers.

Despite the frightening amount of money spent on making and decorating this hall, it exuded a sense of elegance and comfort rather than extravagance and waste. A representation of what the architects of this room wanted it to appear and to do justice to the stature of the kings who entered it hundreds of times during their reigns.

But today, there was no king.

Many chairs were arranged along the corridor sideways, with tables extending to cover all the chairs on both sides.

At the end of the corridor, in front of the king's throne, a high platform was placed as in courts, except that those who sat there were not one person.

Seats and tables were set up facing the high platform where the judges stood.

More than a hundred members of the StarHold royal family sat on the side chairs, ranging from elders to youth. The hall was completely silent, but that changed the moment the massive metal door at the end of the room opened.

Sweat droplets were evident on the soldiers' foreheads as they opened the door for the hundredth time that day, yet they dared not slack off for even a second.

As the door fully opened, an eighteen-year-old entered. The person responsible for today's meeting.

***

=+=

I took a deep breath before stepping inside the hall, with only Killian as my sole companion inside this palace.

More than a week and a half had passed since we arrived in the city, and we were forced to wait because the eighth council member had not yet arrived. Alios needed to complete his mission to clean up the West first.

And since waiting for Alios was in my favor, I didn't complain at all; Lionel was the main reason for the decision to postpone the meeting to today. I walked slowly through the huge hall, feeling the gazes and auras of all the family members falling on me like rain.

Anyone with a weak will would have already surrendered and retreated in defeat, but I resisted. I sacrificed a lot for this day; I cannot afford to be complacent.

My urgency to undergo the painful healing process instead of waiting for more ambrosia was to catch this meeting before it was too late. I had already returned those black clothes to Lucas since Lionel had sent me the attire I was supposed to wear as a pureblood.

Yellowish-white clothes, just like the color of the star in the widely known StarHold emblem,

A white shirt, beige pants, and a knee-length coat of the same color. Black shoes.

From the top pocket of the coat, a golden watch flowed out for appearance, and five stars were pinned to my shoulders, signifying my status.

Compared to Lucas, who had only three stars, my status was obviously higher. I noticed the looks of the people around me, remembering the contempt in their eyes before and how it had changed now.

Before my memories transitioned to this era, from the memories of my predecessor, I knew exactly how these people treated me.

None of them looked at me the way they did today; it seemed they saw a real warrior deserving of respect.

How could they not, when they found out I had reached rank B- in just seven months? Some people trained from the age of ten or so and barely reached rank B- before the age of twenty.

But I did it in seven months…

Despite the consequences and the pain I endured to reach this rank, everything I went through now seemed trivial.

After gaining the privileges, I forgot the pain that accompanied them.

Some family members bowed their heads when I looked at them, while others merely nodded slightly, showing acknowledgment. My slow steps finally halted when I faced the high platform where seven people sat with serious expressions.

"Former heir, Prince Cassian StarHold. You may sit." Lionel spoke loudly on behalf of the others, smiling appropriately.

I nodded at him unconsciously, then sat on the wooden chair beside me, placing my hands on my knees.

"Thank you." I spoke briefly.

"Your companion may also sit." Lionel said, looking at Killian behind me.

He didn't reply, but simply bowed in thanks before sitting beside me. Killian held himself better than I expected; he truly deserved to be Daristan's trusted companion.

I glanced at Loana, who was sitting on a chair beside the large platform, meaning she was of higher status than all the family members but below the council.

Even if it appeared so only on the surface, she still had to abide by the council's words while in this place, or else her actions might be used as an excuse to get rid of her forever.

After finishing my glance at Loana, I carefully examined the high platform and those sitting there.

Only one of them was at rank SS-, it seemed he had recently advanced. His hair was golden and spread everywhere.

His eyes shone with blue light, and he crossed his arms while looking at me without any emotions.

Alexander StarHold, the strongest person in the family currently, and the only one who took a neutral stance regarding the throne war.

In his opinion, the next head of the family should be chosen based on talent and personality, regardless of blood purity or age. The rest of the members were all between rank S+ and half-step to SS-, the weakest aura belonged to Alios, who sat right next to Lionel.

'Just as Jin said.' I looked at the seven council members and couldn't find Octavius anywhere.

'It seems Loana managed to get rid of him somehow. He certainly wouldn't ignore such an important meeting simply, something must have happened to him.' I thought. 'But why didn't the council members suspect anything, or are they in cahoots with Loana? But Alios and Lionel would have hinted something to me, even if subtly.' The matter is really complicated.

I don't know exactly how much control Loana has over this family, but it's definitely not trivial. If she could oust Octavius without anyone suspecting, what can't she do?

I smiled inwardly; at least I can continue my plan as I intended.

'She thinks she has deceived me like the elders... she couldn't be more wrong.' I refocused on the platform immediately.

Alios picked up some papers in front of him and read them aloud so everyone could hear.

"Cassian StarHold, the rightful heir to inherit the StarHold Royal Family. You left the palace about half a year before your coronation date and were late for more than a month. Since your disappearance was at Mountain of Fog, and you were not found even after the fog disappeared, it was declared that you were dead, and then the rule was passed to the next rightful heir, Darian StarHold—the current king.

Although you have now appeared in full health, with proof of your identity, the council sees your long absence as a sign of negligence and disregard for the family's status in the human domain, which means you are unfit to inherit from the outset.

Whether you will have a place in the family again depends on one thing only, which is the reason for your delay for all that time. Please proceed with your answer."

Alios lowered the papers and stopped reading.

Everyone is Looking at me.