"His Highness will be here shortly."
A maid spoke respectfully to the former High Elf Queen, Queen Adeline, and Princess Veronica as the trio was accompanied into a luxurious dining hall. In the center of the hall was a long table dressed in various seafood cuisines, salads, and spiritual fruits.
The ceiling was riddled with chandeliers while the floor was a stretch of transparent, reinforced glass, peering into the depthless lake beneath their feet and a beautiful array of aquatic creatures big and small.
Although Adeline and Valeria had some level of constraint on their emotions, the inexplicable sense of calm as a psychological effect from such a display amazed them. On the other hand, Veronica wasn't so constrained with her emotions; she gasped in shock and gaped at the view of exotic aquatic creatures.
She found them very adorable to the eye.
Adeline and Veronica sat at the right side on one end of the table, Valeria sitting right across from Adeline. Then, Leonardo's followers began to file into the room one after another, starting with the siblings' duo, the former Grim and Reaper members, and lastly, Pandora and Juvia.
Pandora sat on the head seat's left side while Juvia sat on the right. As for the remaining followers, they took their seats in accordance with the progress of their respective districts.
pαпdα-ňᴏνêι·сóМ "Boss said to give him a few minutes," Miko spoke in a tone neither servile nor humble as he reached over to pop a grape into his mouth. In the silent room, the sound of chewing and swallowing was particularly conspicuous.
Misaka's face twitched, stepping on Miko's foot from under the table.
Miko reflexively clenched his teeth, accidentally biting on his tongue, causing his body to flinch and wince in pain. Helpless, he quickly reached for a bottle of red wine and began to chug it down.
"Fucking hell! What is wrong with you? I haven't eaten or drunk for two weeks! Let a man satisfy his stomach!"
It would have been fine if Miko didn't mention it. However, now that he did, rumbling sounds echoed from the other people's stomachs. Everyone was anxious the past two weeks, they didn't have the peace of mind to cultivate, let alone eat and replenish their energy.
Adeline smiled gently, "You guys must have been very busy to establish such a flourishing city in that limited amount of time. If you're hungry, just go ahead and eat first."
"Wouldn't mind if I do!"
Miko ignored his sister's hostile glares and began chugging down food and drinks without a care. His display eventually moved Sitri and Pandora, who decided to go ahead and eat anyway.
Eventually, even Veronica started eating from her plate because she couldn't handle it anymore.
Since at least one of the guests started to eat, Juvia and Misaka joined in as well. After all, everyone was hungry. Within minutes, everyone except the two queens was eating heartily, with Miko taking control over the flow of the conversations between the two sides.
Twenty minutes later, everyone was full and energetic.
Through this meal, everyone finally and truly relaxed from their accumulated stress. Queen Adeline and Valeria gave Miko a meaningful, deep glance. They could tell that the other four were burdened and anxious about something, and Miko had successfully smoothed out their feelings.
Could it be that something has happened to Leonardo? The two women thought to themselves. Just as they were thinking so, the door to the dining hall opened and Leonardo walked in with the help of a long black cane in his right hand, his left arm being hugged by a beautiful young maiden with a pair of heterochromia eyes and long black hair.
Leonardo's weak and almost nonexistent aura shocked the two women, not to mention his chaotic spiritual fluctuations. Furthermore, seeing him carefully sensing his immediate surroundings with a cane while being led around by a non-cultivator woman was yet another shock.
Leonardo was dressed in his usual white clothes. However, there was now an additional white blindfold covering his eyes, at the center of which was the emblem of House Grace.
Clang!
The fork in Veronica's hand dropped into her plate as she gasped in shock.
"What happened to you?" It was Queen Adeline who asked, also shocked at this development.
"Haha," Leonardo laughed lightly, smiling faintly as he did, "I was trying to find a way around the suppression from Arcadia's will and suffered a minor backlash, it's no big deal."
Queen Adeline was caught aback by the sudden amiable temperament, feeling as though she was talking to another Leonardo altogether. If it was in the past, Leonardo would simply steer away from answering such a question because, well, this was none of her business.
Actually, Leonardo found himself doing things that didn't conform to his usual style ever since he woke up from that short coma. Aria said that this had to do with his passive use of his martial intent.
As explained, a martial intent represents a person's sentiment, spirit, and essence. It was only natural for the desolate and bloodthirsty martial intents to have some form of an influence on Leonardo's psyche, hampering the development of his emotions.
For example, no normal man would brush off killing so many people as though it was just and proper; that was merely the influence of the bloodthirsty martial intent.
Perhaps the desolate martial intent had a similar influence on Leonardo's temperament, presenting a calculating, cold, and borderline nonchalant Leonardo.
Now that these passive influences were on hold, his emotions would slowly surface, which could be considered both good and bad.
It could be considered good because this will allow Leonardo a much-needed respite to collect himself together and not be swept by the influence of power. However, it could also be considered bad because there will be nothing to filter out the ugliness of Leonardo's actions over the course of his journey.
All of these negative emotions that have been suppressed by his desolate martial intent and the bloodthirsty martial intent will come hounding like a pack of wild animals, eating away at Leonardo's heart and mind.
This could be considered as both a trial and retribution. During this time, no one can help him, not even the Gods above or the Demons below.
"Will you really be alright?" Asked Queen Adeline with a hint of concern in her voice. She stood up, about to approach Leonardo, but Valeria stopped her.
"Don't approach him, your aura is too strong even when reserved. His energy, essence, and spirit are very unstable right now and he can't be carelessly approached by people on our level." Valeria's vision was sharp and she could see through some clues.
"Oh!" Queen Adeline also seemed to notice the motives behind assigning a non-cultivator to accompany Leonardo.
Thinking about it, she couldn't see the little fox anywhere near Leonardo, further emphasizing the seriousness of the matter.
Actually, the boy of the fox is nothing but an empty husk, a vessel per se. There was no essence or high volumes of energy contained within to speak of, only a strand of Immortal Will.
Of course, the Will of an Immortal is something beyond the comprehension of people on Queen Adeline's level, hence why she couldn't tell the difference even if she were to personally investigate.
"As expected of Juvia's mother and a former High Queen of the Elven Royal Family, you're quite perceptive!" Leonardo praised, turning his head in her direction with a smile.
"You're too kind. The fact that you could instantly lock down my position despite the clashing echoes, relying solely upon your ordinary sense of hearing… now that's what I'd consider perceptive."
Although Leonardo was blindfolded, Valeria had this peculiar feeling that a pair of calm eyes were staring her down. This peculiar sensation was both mystifying and novel to someone on her level.
Azalea's heart was pounding out of her chest, not having expected to be in the same room as the current Queen of House Sylvia and the former High Elf Queen.
The pressure almost had her cave and kneel on the spot. However, knowing that she was now representing a pillar for Leonardo to lean on, if she were to kneel now, it would only disgrace him. Thus, she could only distract herself with something else. Thinking about it, this was her first physical contact with Leonardo ever since that one night when she practically glued herself to his body for who knew how long.
Her thoughts quickly spiraled down the path of the unthinkable, her face heating up without her notice. Only when Leonardo secretly tugged at her sleeve did she notice that he was waiting for her to lead him to his chair at the head of the table.
Blushing, she lowered her head and guided Leonardo around the table and to his seat. Once seated, Leonardo handed his cane over for Azalea to hold onto as she stood behind him, he then joined his hands together on the table.
Clearing his throat, Leonardo opened his mouth, "I'm curious as to what would impel you two to personally visit me?"
Queen Adeline and Valeria exchanged a look, puzzled.
"You don't know?" Queen Adeline asked in return, baffled.
"Know what?" Leonardo raised his eyebrows. Not only, Leonardo, everyone else was just as confused.
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