In front of the grand hall doors of the King.
When Reiger and his party of four arrived, they immediately noticed the differences from usual days.
There were more people stationed in front of the grand doors to the King.
Many knights formed two columns in front of the door, as if welcoming something, each fully armed with magic weapons and magic armor, their faces extremely solemn and tense.
"Lord Reiger Brillhaut and Lady Yuri Franzel—come to pay their respects!"
The civil official stationed beside the gate did not wait for Reiger and Yuri to arrive before he seemed to hurriedly announce something, calling out loudly.
The rows of elite knights immediately stepped forward in unison, their right hands striking heavily against their left chests, causing their gauntlets to collide with their body armor, emitting a neat, metallic roar.
It must be said, the scene and momentum of these solemn and tense knights performing the welcoming ritual were truly awe-inspiring.
However, having seen this, Reiger and Yuloli aside, the expressions of Yuri and Marilyn drastically changed, becoming more grim.
Clearly, these two women who frequented the court had realized that today’s audience was different from usual.
This was both a display and an intimidation.
It was both a reception and a deterrence.
This was the King behind the doors silently expressing his stance.
That look was practically saying..."This time, I mean it."
Realizing the unusual nature of this audience, Yuri and Marilyn exchanged glances, feeling as if the familiar doors of the King had transformed into the gaping maw of an abyssal beast, waiting for them to step inside.
If they dared to enter, what lay ahead might not be hell, but definitely an abyss swamp capable of dissolving flesh and devouring hearts.
"What exactly does His Majesty intend to do?"
Yuri began to worry a bit.
Marilyn stared silently at the grand doors of the King, falling into a deathly silence.
Only Reiger, upon seeing this scene, paused his steps slightly.
Uttering his habitual catchphrase, Reiger fearlessly stepped into the formation of knights, walking boldly towards the King as if walking into a trap.
His calm expression and fearless posture made the flicker of fear in Yuri and Marilyn’s hearts silently vanish, and even disturbed the atmosphere created by the knights, making it become muddled.
The knights’ expressions subtly changed, as they watched the composed young swordsman pass by, unconsciously displaying a mix of awe and admiration in their eyes.
Before them stood one of the pinnacle existences in swordsmanship; even though young, he wouldn’t be shaken by the collective might of knights, unable to even step forward.
Realizing this, the knights suffered a second setback in their imposing aura, which no longer felt as oppressive.
In such a situation, Reiger, holding the hand of Yuloli who had since woken up and was rubbing her eyes, reached the great doors of the King.
The two closest knights immediately stepped forward, slowly pushing the doors open.
"Attendants are not permitted inside, please stay here."
The civil official addressed Yuloli and the approaching Marilyn, causing Yuri to glance at him.
It was indeed a rule that attendants must not enter the King’s chamber, just as swords must be removed upon reaching here. Whenever Yuri previously came here, Marilyn always waited outside and had never entered the King’s chamber.
However, previously, this civil official never gave such reminders before the attendants were about to enter.
Today, however, he seemed eager, stopping them with his voice before they even made a step forward.
This, too, was a signal.
Reiger, still with an unchanged expression, released Yuloli’s hand while using a nickname for this vampire queen and spoke.
Upon hearing this, Yuloli lifted her ruby-like beautiful eyes, glanced at Reiger, and then obediently walked to the side under the slightly admiring gaze of the surrounding knights, ready to wait.
Yuri also symbolically called out.
Marilyn respectfully bowed her head in response, then stepped back to stand beside Yuloli, both entering a state of readiness.
"The two of you, please come in."
The civil official then seemed to exhale in relief and gestured to Reiger and Yuri to enter.
So, Reiger and Yuri stepped into the King’s chamber side by side.
The place was as usual, with a red carpet laid on the floor, surrounded by stone pillars supporting a high ceiling, where many knights and finely dressed officials stood in two lines, extending from the entrance to the throne at the far end of the hall.
His Majesty, wearing a crown and draped in a royal robe, also held a very ornate sword, like a scepter, in his hand, sitting as before, looking down from his throne.
Yet, this audience was distinctly different from the last.
For instance, the aura emanating from the neatly aligned knights on the left was significantly stronger than the last time.