The next morning, Henwell rides up to et Taitlant, who has been waiting ahead. Taitlant notices the new longsword Henwell carries. "Nice sword! Didn't expect to find such a good weapon around here. You're damn lucky!"
Henwell chuckles, knowing Taitlant is giving him an excuse. Generously, he draws the sword and hands it over for Taitlant to inspect.
"Wow! Bloodsteel, huh? You've hit the jackpot! What's the family crest on the poml?"
The poml of the Dawnblade is carved with a roaring beast's head. Henwell says, "It's a wolf! Definitely the crest of the Phoenix family!"
Taitlant laughs, "Hahaha... You're quite interesting. The Phoenix family is indeed called the House of Wolves, using a silver wolf paw as their emblem! Your family uses wolf paws on their sword pomls too. But this doesn’t quite look like a wolf head, does it?"
After a closer look, Taitlant comnts, "Hmm, no offense, but it looks more like a snarling dog's head!"
Henwell had noticed this too. When he inherited the sword from Kavize, he always thought it resembled a snarling dog’s head. Henwell jokes, "Dogs were dosticated from wolves, so they’re practically the sa species!"
Reclaiming a cherished possession makes Henwell happy enough. Having also avenged himself against an old enemy, and one who wronged him the most, his spirits are high. In great mood, he rides with Taitlant for a couple more days before returning to the count's castle.
For the next couple of weeks, Henwell and his companions enjoy a peaceful ti, free of trouble.
However, with the Midsumr Festival approaching, they need to return to the capital for the celebrations. During such major festivals, nobles typically send representatives to present gifts to the king. Countess Karitan, being not only a mber of the royal family but also the king's adopted daughter and a princess of the kingdom, naturally plans to return for the festivities.
As they set off, a grand convoy forms, with the countess bringing nurous items back to the capital. On the road, Henwell asks Arius, "How far along are the negotiations? When can we finally head back?"
Arius chuckles, "Haha... What's up? Feeling hosick?"
Henwell shakes his head, "We've been here almost a year. Our delegation's situation is well-known by now. If soone decides to make a move, we might slip up, and things could turn unfavorable."
Hearing this, Arius's smile fades, "Sigh~! I want to leave as soon as possible too, but it seems the higher-ups can't reach an agreent due to so exchange of interests!"
Got it! The dowry and bride price negotiations between both families haven't been settled!
This isn't sothing Henwell can ddle in, so he can only wait. The thought of wasting ti here, significantly affecting the developnt of Peace Haven, leaves Henwell feeling a bit restless.
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After returning to the capital, Henwell once again accompanies Arius to various banquets. At one such gathering of young nobles, the Fourth Prince Shazo is present—the very prince Catherine once impersonated. Shazo, a little over a year older than Catherine, holds the smallest influence among the princes.
In the Kingdom of Billie, the Crown Prince Felton, at thirty-four, is backed by two powerful dukes. Having participated in the War of the Six Kings, he wields considerable influence in the military.
The Second Prince Naiden, aged thirty, is known for his bravery. During the War of the Six Kings, he personally led troops into battle and commands great respect among mid-level military officers. He currently serves as the commander of the kingdom's Third Guard Legion.
The Third Prince Addison, with whom Henwell has had the most contact, is twenty-seven and renowned for his scholarly nature. He enjoys a good reputation among the populace and advocates for the developnt of agriculture and comrce. Addison is also the wealthiest of the royal offspring, owning nurous enterprises and over a dozen large trading companies.
The Fourth Prince Shazo, like Catherine, has the weakest foundation. By the ti he ca of age, all the talent and resources had been divided among his three brothers. Consequently, he had to forge his own path. On one hand, he focuses on gathering talented individuals, and on the other, he involves himself in so underground industries to amass more funds.
The host of this particular banquet, Daniel, the second son of Duke Rayr, acts as Prince Shazo's representative.
At this mont, in an effort to win over Arius and Karitan, Daniel, under Prince Shazo's direction, invites a group of young nobles to visit Yinxin City on the eve of the Midsumr Festival.
Many of the noble offspring present have strict family upbringings and have only heard of the infamous "City of Sin" without ever visiting it. With everyone preoccupied with festival preparations, their families aren't paying much attention to the young nobles. Daniel's invitation stirs a sense of excitent among them.
Prince Shazo cautions, "I've heard that place is full of all sorts of people and can be quite chaotic. For safety's sake, perhaps it's best not to go!"
Daniel reassures him, "Don't worry, Your Highness. We won't venture into the chaotic areas. It's the ti of the gladiator tournant. We'll just spend a couple of days there to watch the matches. Safety won't be an issue! I have so influence there, and no one would dare bother us. Those outlaws only bully the average folks; they won't ss with us."
With that, the group agrees to visit Yinxin City the next day. Henwell feels a mix of emotions, never having imagined he would one day watch gladiator matches as a mber of the noble.
Daniel organizes everything well, and each participant brings along two or three guards. All are of knightly rank, ensuring that if any mishaps occur, they can safely extract the nobles from danger.
As the organizer, Daniel brings over ten knights and three professionals: two rangers and a shadow assassin. This level of security is quite formidable. Anyone wanting to confront this group would need a force of significant skill and numbers. Near the capital, only the nobility could muster nearly a hundred knight-level experts for such an endeavor.
The group arrives at the gladiator arena, exactly the Bloodhorn Arena. Henwell and his companions have four private boxes, all situated among the twenty-one luxurious stands at Bloodhorn Arena. As Henwell watches the gladiators below and listens to the crowd's cheers, a buzzing fills his ears, making him feel as if he's in another world.
Unlike the other nobles who display excitent, Henwell simply observes quietly. After a while, Daniel enters the stand with soone.
Henwell's box hosts the highest-ranking mbers among the noble offspring: Prince Shazo, Countess Karitan, Arius—the semi-official prince—and several count's children. Few guards are allowed inside; Arius is accompanied by Henwell and Robin. Countess Karitan has a male and female knight as her guards, while Prince Shazo has two knights and a shadow professional. The remaining four guards are Daniel's n; the other noble offspring haven't brought guards inside.
Daniel introduces the newcor to everyone, "This is Bancolo, the manager of the arena! Many people call him Bloodhorn."
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