Arcane Era-Chapter 86: Royal Palace

"Alright... let’s look for a place to spend the night." Kamara smiled, stretching mildly as she disembarked from the confined space their group occupied throughout the six-day trip.

It wasn’t just her, too.

Almost everyone stretched as soon as they stepped off the vehicle, with the only exception being Arlet. He remained composed throughout, his face not even indicating any level of exhaustion.

Despite the situation being very foreign to him, he maintained elegance and prestige.

This honestly surprised everyone.

"An inn? Why do we have to do that when the Royal Palace is right in front of us? We can definitely make it there by carriage before dark." Kaycee asked, a little dumbfounded.

By his estimation, they were already considerably late.

Why would they be even more tardy by spending additional time in an inn, especially when the Nation urgently required the assistance of the Ak’ashi Guild. In fact, during the trip, the group had gotten some information regarding the Revolutionary Army which proved that the conflict had ramped up by a lot.

Of course, these could have all been exaggerated tales, as second-hand information would often be unreliable, but this showed the level of unrest within Sarvos.

As such, wasn’t it better to address the issue very quickly before it escalated even further?

"There’s no need to rush." Kamara smiled at Kaycee, almost like she found his anxiety rather cute. She patted his shoulder and used this chance to explain herself.

"While we can indeed make it to the Royal Palace before dark, we need to be conscious of first impressions. Due to the nature of our trip, we’re all looking rather disheveled, so it’s best we find a proper inn to freshen up in and appear presentable before obtaining an audience with the King."

Once she explained, Kaycee’s eyes shone with understanding and the rest of the team nodded.

Liyah’s nod was naturally more energetic than the others.

She hadn’t had a proper bath in days, after all.

"Okay, let’s go."

Everyone followed Kamara’s lead, and in no time they found a proper inn—not minding the expenses they had to incur to be provided very fine services. Not only were they able to enjoy top-tier services, but they were finally able to relax on soft, warm beds.

This was a much-needed relief to the group, and most of them dozed off almost as soon as they lodged in.

Only Theo and Kamara were awake—the former thinking about many memories he had about this place, while the latter was busy with arrangements for the following day.

However, eventually, they had to fall into slumber.

... And they did.

*************

The next day, the group—now refreshed, with a nice and clean change of clothes—got a carriage to take them to the Royal Palace.

Once they arrived, the first thing they noticed was the massive gate of the palace.

It truly resembled a fortress, with guards positioned at every corner of the immensely colossal walls. The structure was amazing, with bulwarks and all manner of defenses in place, while also looking prestigious.

Compared to most of Sarvos, this was like a bar of gold in a dumpster.

The Nation was dying, with recession consuming the populace in poverty and depression. However, this palace served as a reminder that Sarvos was yet to fall.

Even from afar, anyone would notice it.

However, to Theo and the rest of his comrades, the palace wasn’t too impressive. They had been to the Grand Palace in the Ak’ashi Guild, and this was not even its match. The crude architecture and the focus on bulky defense, while also attempting to seem glamorous made the palace seem rather awkward in their eyes.

Many citizens of Sarvos would profess the Royal Palace to be a masterpiece, but this was because their scope hadn’t been broadened yet. Theo had never been here before, but he had heard so many fine things about this place.

However, now that he had finally arrived, he was let down hard.

’I wonder if I’ll someday feel the same about Ak’ashi Guild if I visit places like Roehel or Yabamiah...’

After all, as amazing as the Ak’ashi Guild was, could it really be as amazing as Great Nations well-known for their wealth and advancement in technology? Theo found himself slowly getting curious, already losing interest in the Royal Palace before him.

Their group was halted by the guards protecting the castle the moment they approached, but Kamara handled it by showing them a token from the Ak’ashi Guild and a letter of invitation from the Royal Family.

At that point, what rights did the guards have to stop them?

They even apologized for performing their duties, letting them in with respectful bows.

Even though Theo and his team were younger, not flashing their wealth excessively, they were still treated with immense respect due to the power of the Ak’ashi Guild. This showed Theo the true target worth pursuing.

Money was fine, and connections were excellent.

But power!

Power was truly what made someone capable of standing tall in the world and surviving the Arcane Era.

Right now, he was borrowing the power of the Ak’ashi Guild, which allowed him to freely step into the Sarvos Royal Palace. It made older men bow their heads to him and cast fearful glances at him and his friends.

But... this wasn’t his power.

’I wonder what will happen when I can finally stand on my own and possess enough individual power.’ Theo wondered. ’Not only would my reputation precede me, but I’ll finally be able to...’

He halted his thoughts, noticing that their group was being approached by a man clad in very expensive wear. He had a tall hat, with a gown of white and red, having golden jewels all over him, with rings that shone with several precious stones.

The man seemed to be in his fifties, having gray hair spilling out of his hat as he made cheerful laughs while advancing towards Kamara and her group within the large compound. He was followed by armed guards, about a dozen of them, and they all had their faces covered by helmets except one who stood the closest to him.

"Greetings, esteemed guests!" The man finally spoke, his voice carrying immense energy. "My name is Laus, and I’m the Head Chancellor of the Sarvos Nation. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Kamara smiled courteously to this man, and the group did the same.

Sarvos’ Head Chancellor was one of the most powerful people in the Sarvos Nation, second only to the King. The position was always occupied by a member of the Royal Family, usually an uncle or cousin to the King.

Head Chancellor Laus was the King’s Third Uncle.

"Head Chancellor, pardon us for coming so late. We had... rather unexpected encounters along the way." Kamara, once again, handled the introductions.

"Ah, it’s no problem! No problem at all!" He smiled. "And please, call me Laus! There’s no need for so much formality between us."

"If you insist, Sir Laus." She responded courteously.

"Hehe! I certainly hope the trip has not been too hard for you. Sarvos is currently experiencing hard times, so I hope you haven’t been too disappointed with what you’ve seen along the way."

"Not at all, Sir Laus." Kamara remained polite, answering all of the Head Chancellor’s questions with prestige and warmth.

As they spoke, the group was led towards the Central Palace.

Unlike with the Ak’ashi Guild, Sarvos’ Royal Palace didn’t have an outer, middle, and inner court.

Everything existed in the grand compound of the Royal Premises, though there were segments belonging to specific buildings or established structures. There was the garden, the teahouse, stables, and many others.

However, the tallest and most impressive structure of all was the Central Palace.

It stood incredibly tall, having a grandeur that dwarfed everything they had seen in Sarvos thus far. It was painted in bright colors and decorated with precious gems, shimmering brightly as it took in sunlight.

This place stood in sharp contrast with the actual streets of Sarvos, however no one brought that up. Instead, they maintained the pleasant atmosphere as the Head Chancellor finally led them into the Central Palace and brought them to the throne-room.

It had a prestigious appearance, having a wide space that could contain tens of thousands of people at the same time. Its ceiling was also high up, with stained glass replacing the walls to display murals that would cause most to gawk in amazement.

But Theo and the others weren’t very moved.

He had seen far more impressive things during his tour of the Ak’ashi Guild alone, not to mention the many other experiences he had gotten during his several months living in the Guild. To regular people, this place would be considered paradise, but it didn’t quite reach that level with the members of the Ak’ashi Guild. frёewebnoѵēl.com

At the furthest end of the vast throne-room was the King of Sarvos, and seated beside him on a less-impressive throne was the Queen. Their four children stood behind them, and several guards occupied the premises.

Naturally, some possessed Arcane Instruments.

"We greet the Sarvos Royal Family." Kamara bowed her head, and this action was repeated by Theo as well as the rest of the group.

The supreme leader of Sarvos, King Nimrod Vi Sarvosia, smiled at this greeting and raised his voice—creating a pleasant echo as excitement became etched on his face. "Honored guests, it is a pleasure to finally meet you all."

Kamara had sent them a letter the night the team arrived at Sarvos, revealing the time they would be arriving, so the entire Royal Family was already expecting them. This was yet another reason they had to settle in an inn for the night rather than barge into the Royal Palace unannounced.

’I see...’ Theo’s thoughts trailed. ’They all gathered here to show an image of strength—one that the Royal Family needs to maintain now more than ever.’

He had been observing everything from start to finish and naturally had his own thoughts about Sarvos. Based on the timing of the Head Chancellor’s appearance, it was clear that they were already informed about the team’s arrival ahead of time.

The Royal Family gathering to welcome them solidified that suspicion in Theo’s mind.

’None of that matters, though. Now that we’re here, we can finally begin the mission...’ His dark mask covered his face but it could not hide the small grin playing on his face.

He could not wait to get started.

Right then, the entire Royal Family—with voices blending very nicely with all the guards present in the room—chanted three words, almost like they had rehearsed it beforehand.

"Welcome to Sarvos!"