The unexpected sight unfolding before their eyes successfully left everyone, the students, the academy's board of teachers, the gathering locals, and even the merchant guild, paralyzed in their respective spots. The morning air, which previously felt warm, suddenly turned stiff.
With strides full of authority and the charisma of an absolute ruler, the king walked toward Arvin, following the directions given by his son.
Arvin was fully aware that he was currently being approached directly by the leader of the Victoriaz Kingdom. Yet, the blue-haired youth remained entirely unfazed. He acted very calmly and maintained a deadpan expression, as if he knew nothing of all the conspiracies he had uncovered inside the palace last night, including the existence of Kaydan.
The atmosphere upon the empty plot of land where the shelter house once stood instantly fell completely silent as they saw the king now standing face-to-face with Arvin.
The people around them began to be struck by overwhelming curiosity regarding the intent and purpose of a kingdom's leader willing to personally step down to meet an academy student outside the palace.
Hushed whispers regarding every assumption about the arrival of the number one man in the Victoriaz Kingdom began to spread like the buzzing of bees among the crowd.
"Good morning!" the King greeted with high dignity, his voice deep and exuding an aura of authority. "Is it true that you are Arvin Vedegra?"
"You are correct, Your Majesty. I am Arvin Vedegra." Arvin replied in a very polite tone, bowing slightly to introduce himself with the formal etiquette of high-ranking nobility. "What might be the matter that you are willing to go through the trouble of coming to meet me in this place?"
Feeling that he was finally facing his primary target, the king brushed aside all pleasantries and spoke straight to the point to the Vedegra descendant.
"I, Estadian Palledius Der Victoriaz, the 23rd King of the Victoriaz Kingdom!" he stated, formally introducing himself with utmost pride before Arvin. "I intentionally came here because I want to offer you something of great importance."
Arvin displayed a feigned look of surprise upon hearing the offer that had just come directly from the mouth of the Victoriaz Kingdom's supreme leader.
"Offer something to me?" Arvin repeated with an expression manufactured to look confused. "What might it be that you wish to offer me, Your Majesty?"
"I heard you have many spouses, all of whom are male." King Estadian replied, beginning to state his true intention in meeting the youth. "I have a handsome young man currently living in the palace. And I want you to marry him to strengthen the diplomatic relations between the Astoria Kingdom and the Victoriaz Kingdom."
Hearing the shocking offer from the king wanting to marry someone off for the sake of diplomatic relations instantly threw everyone listening into an uproar. Even Prince Kylen, hailing from the Flamort Kingdom, could not hide his astonishment at witnessing such a sudden and blatant political maneuver right before his eyes.
However, a starkly different reaction was shown by Arvin. Having known King Estadian's foul intentions behind the scenes from the very beginning, he immediately straightened his posture and stared intently at the ruler's face without a single shred of fear.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I must refuse that offer!" Arvin answered in a tone that remained polite, yet his choice of words and emphasis indicated an absolute and very firm rejection. "I would never be willing to marry a person of unclear origins and personality."
"Why do you reject my offer?" the king asked in bewilderment, never expecting to be turned down so quickly. His eyes instantly narrowed sharply at Arvin. "Are you currently belittling my offer seeking the establishment of diplomatic relations between two great kingdoms?"
"I am not belittling your offer in the slightest, Your Majesty." Arvin replied politely, yet still standing on the same firmness without wavering an inch. "I simply do not trust you. And you should know, matters of diplomatic relations between the Astoria Kingdom and the Victoriaz Kingdom are absolutely not within the scope or responsibility of the Vedegra family."
Hearing the barrage of outright rejections delivered so bluntly and without the slightest fear before a leader ruling the Victoriaz Kingdom successfully rendered everyone frozen in sheer disbelief. The air felt as though it had stopped flowing.
What's more, Arvin had clearly and boldly stated that he did not trust the king in front of everyone, acting as though he cared nothing for the consequences of his words.
King Estadian, feeling disrespected and distrusted by the very young Vedegra descendant standing before him, immediately shot a piercing glare in his direction. The feelings churning within his chest were a chaotic mess. There was annoyance, the feeling of being belittled, and the feeling of being insulted directly in public.
Despite feeling immensely furious and his pride being tarnished, the king tried with all his might to remain calm and maintain his dignity before the crowd, especially since he was dealing with people hailing from another kingdom's territory.
"Why do you not trust me?" King Estadian asked, attempting to hide his furious tone and replacing it with confusion. "Do you truly lack trust in this Victoriaz Kingdom?"
"I am not speaking about your kingdom. I simply do not trust you!" Arvin answered, standing firmly on his principles. The youth then tilted his head slightly. "In fact, I should be the one asking you right now. Do you not trust me ever since I arrived in this kingdom, Your Majesty?"
Hearing the counter-question thrown with an intimidating tone, the King's brow furrowed deeply. He felt incredibly puzzled by the direction of the conversation.
"Not trusting you?" the king repeated in confusion. "What do you mean by not trusting you?"
"There were three assassins constantly moving in the shadows, watching my every move right after I left the academy building for re-registration back then." Arvin replied in a very calm voice, beginning to reveal the fact he had kept tightly sealed all this time. His eyes locked onto the king's gaze. "Is your kingdom so terrified of the Vedegra family that you decided to send those three to continuously monitor me?"
In that exact instant, the calm expressions of King Estadian and Prince Lionias changed drastically. From initially being full of confidence and authority, the father and son were now struck by a massive internal panic.
How could three elite assassins, whose presence is so incredibly difficult to detect, be discovered with such precision by him? the King thought in deep shock, his brain refusing to believe that his proud elite shadow squad could be so easily detected by a mere academy student. This child... he is already as terrifying as Duke Melvin Vedegra, who can always detect all the movements of my elite assassins.
It was not only the father and son who were frightened half to death. All the students, the merchant guild representatives, and people who heard this were also completely taken aback by the shocking fact that Arvin already knew with absolute certainty that he had been watched by three assassins since leaving the academy building on their first day arriving in the capital.
Amidst that gripping silence, Arvin opened his mouth once more, delivering a piece of information that was highly crucial yet lethal for the ruler.
"And if you are wondering about the fate of those three assassins..." Arvin spoke softly, yet his voice sounded incredibly intimidating. "I have already crushed them to pieces as small as dust particles. Even their corpses will never be found in this world ever again."