Entering Oceans Galore, I glanced at the new waiter, who respectfully greeted me before showing me the way without even needing me to open my mouth; following behind her, Illumia and I took a flight of stairs to the topmost floor and approached the double doors in the distance. Opening the doors, the waiter stepped to the side while Illumia and I entered the room, which was more than capable of housing a banquet on the level that I intended to have; the dining table was very large, with fifty-five seats, precisely the number of people that would be attending the banquet.
It was also the number of every Ancient and Divine Hegemony in existence, minus one, as one of the seats was for me, specifically the one at the head of the round table. There were nineteen Divine Hegemonies and thirty-five Ancient Hegemonies; though, even if all fifty-four hegemonies combined their might, they still couldn't match the strength of a single Immortal Hegemony… Only an Immortal Hegemony could deal with another Immortal Hegemony.
"Is something wrong, Your Highness?" Asked Illumia with a raised eyebrow as she looked at Elif, who shook his head, escaping his dazed thoughts before nodding.
"No, just pondering that is all." Replied Elif lightly as he glanced at Illumia before dismissively waving his hand.
"When shall the food be ready?" Asked Elif curiously as he glanced at the waiter, who cleared her throat before responding.
"The food has been ready, Prince Elif, the chiefs are preparing the desert, which will be ready by tomorrow morning." Replied the waiter softly as she glanced at Elif, slightly bowing, causing him to nod before humming.
Considering the entire day tomorrow would be a banquet, I thought that was acceptable, though since I was the host, I would need to be the first to arrive, and considering how some of those heirs are, I had a strong suspicion that some of the women would get here early to have a one-on-one conversation with me.
'Though, I'm sure they're hoping for more than a conversation.' Mused Elif lightly as he glanced at Illumia before shaking his head and approaching his small throne at the head of the round table.
Sitting down, I shooed off the waiter with a wave of my hand, prompting her to close the door with a nod while Illumia stepped closer, causing me to inwardly roll my eyes as I knew exactly what she was trying to do, and I do admit, it was working a bit; however, until Mother and Father can officially recognize her status, I'll keep my hands to myself.
"Do you think Tiamat or Cordelia will crash the banquet? I surely hope they do. Otherwise, this was sort of a waste of time and spirit stones." Asked Elif curiously as he leaned backward and glanced at Illumia, who raised an eyebrow before shaking her head.
"I do not know, Your Highness. Despite Her Highness killing Suscilia just recently, I believe Cordelia is smart and has enough self-control to fall for your bait… However, Tiamat is more likely to take the bait if she's smart enough to realize it is one." Stated Illumia softly as she looked at Elif, who tapped his chin with a thoughtful expression before nodding.
"Hmm, that is a fair assessment… If I'm lucky, though, maybe I can get both of them." "Possible, but unlikely." Remarked Elif and Illumia, respectively, as the former nodded in agreement before faintly smirking while the latter faintly nodded.
Every one of my moves have been baits to lure Tiamat, Cordelia, or even Aurora to me; normally, I wouldn't have cared if they decided to ignore me while I do as I please, though, with Sara still not being found, it was irritating me that none of them moving to the bait. Of course, it was an obvious bait on my part, but at the same time, it was a bait they should've been forced to take.
I had humiliated Ivan and dragged his body through the city alongside five other ropes; it was clear as day what my intentions were! I was disrespecting and humiliating not only Ivan but also Tiamat, Cordelia, Aurora, Baihu, and Valquen; however, despite my bold statements that were still the talk of the city, no one dared to stop me.
Every day that passed with none of them confronting me was another day that they lost prestige, face, and respect, while I gained all those and then some. At this rate, it won't be long before it's widely known that I, Elven August, scared the competition into hiding; with such a loss of face, even if the Heirs wished to ignore me, the Immortal Hegemonies behind them won't allow it.
"Tsk, I hate games like these, Illumia; maybe it's because I'm Mother's child or because some of your personality has rubbed off onto me, given all the sparring, but I'd much rather just defeat them in battle with overwhelming strength." Declared Elif in annoyance as he tapped his finger on the table while glaring at the wall, before lowering his head and sighing.
"I think it's because you're Her Majesty's child." Replied Illumia lightly as she glanced at Elif, who wryly smiled before shaking his head while scoffing.
"Do you think, perhaps, Aurora is seeking Valquen, Ivan, and Baihu to join him, Tiamat, and Cordelia? I wouldn't expect that from him until after he's faced me with just the three, only to realize they're not enough." Asked Elif as he glanced at Illumia, who furrowed her brows before shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head.
"I do not know. I agree with your assumption, Your Highness, but considering I know how terrifyingly powerful you are, I also can't put it past Aurora to seek the assistance of the remaining three. He and everyone else watched your fight in the Spire of Generational Might; your strength isn't a secret." Stated Illumia as she glanced at Elif, who clicked his tongue before nodding.
"Yes, I know. Still, Aurora, Tiamat, and Cordelia are prideful beings; I'm sure the fact that they must team up to simply face someone they deem as their equals is humiliating and incredibly shameful for them… Now that I genuinely ponder, maybe Aurora and Cordelia haven't made a move because they're trying to convince Tiamat to join." Said Elif with a frown as he brushed his hair to the side while tapping his fingers on the table, only to suddenly pause.
"Knowing Dragons, that is highly likely, Your Highness." Remarked Illumia with a wry expression while Elif rubbed his face before sighing.
"Whatever, I do not care what problems they're experiencing; I just want them to take my bait." Muttered Elif softly as he leaned back and closed his eyes, while Illumia silently stood beside him, only for the doors to slowly open.
Opening an eye, I glanced at the door, only to see nine furry red tails attached to a woman with a slightly darker skin tone, long red hair, and two furry red ears sticking out from the top of her head.
"Kurama? What are you doing here?" Asked Elif with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Kurama, whose eyes slightly widened while she lowered her Quạt tay, revealing her beautiful yet deadly fangs.
"It is the day of the party, Prince Elif." Re[plied Kurama with a faint smile as she entered the room while observing it before clenching her fist in victory after realizing she was the only one.
'I arrived at Oceans Galore late at night, but it shouldn't already be the next day… Should it?' Thought Elif with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Kurama before glancing at Illumia for confirmation.
"Technically, it is the day of the party." Replied Illumia lightly as she looked at Elif, who nodded.
"Huh, I see. I suppose all that talking made the time pass quicker than I imagined… Anyway, since it's just you and I, Kurama, what shall we do?" Remarked Elif softly as he shook his head and gazed at Kurama with a seductive smirk, causing her to faintly blush while approaching him.
Once Kurama neared me, she turned around and stuck her butt out toward me, though I wasn't concerned with her butt but her nine fluffy tails.
"Ever since your coming-of-age birthday, I've been taking very special care of my tails, ensuring they're as soft and fluffy as can be; I've also allowed no one, not even my fiancè, to touch them." Stated Kurama with a faint blush as she glanced at Elif, who unceremoniously grabbed her tails, causing her to smile.
"These tails are excellent, Kurama." Said Elif with a faint smile as he glanced at Kurama while rubbing his face against her tail.
Picking Kurama up, I set her on the table and had her control her tails to rub my face, leaving me satisfied and pleased with such softness. However, not even ten minutes later, the door was opened once more, revealing Diana, who stepped into the room, though her expression turned ugly when she saw Kurama.
"Heh, Diana." Said Kurama with a smug expression as she proudly raised her head while her tails gently rubbed Elif's face, causing Diana to gnash her teeth.
"Kurama." Muttered Diana furiously as she glared at Kurama, who bared her fangs with a smile.