Chapter 303: Surrender
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When Benjamin received the invitation, he looked at Mikel frustratingly.
"This is..."
Mikel’s smile was congratulatory: "Sir Benjamin, please allow me to explain. His Majesty’s banquet is just a small private banquet. But, because of this, this invitation is even more valuable."
"Private banquet?" Benjamin was surprised, "Are you saying.....there is only me and His Majesty, having a meeting one-to-one?"
"Nonono, not as private as that." Mikel quickly shook his head, saying," His Majesty has invited friends that he felt that was needed, probably not more than three, and will bring Her Majesty as well. If you wish, you can bring a female companion, but she would have to go through a tight security checkup. In whole, this is just a quick and relaxing private function to deepen relations."
Hearing this, the pressure Benjamin felt from receiving this invitation did not decrease at all.
To be honest, he never expected himself to draw the King’s attention. But-----not to boast, him helping settle the sect problem helped a lot. But he did not expect that it would attract the attention of the King, to the point that the King would invite him over for a meal.
How could he not feel pressured?
"Sir Benjamin, don’t worry, His Majesty has always been a reasonable person." Mikel saw this and added," We said a lot of good things about you in front of His Majesty, thus gaining his respect. This invitation is just an admiration of your power and nothing else.
Benjamin laughed bitterly in his heart.
So it was these two that set him up.
"Does His Majesty always invite mages over like this?" With some thought, he asked.
"I am not sure." Mikel shook his head, and said," But, you can relax, you are not the first mage to be invited over for a dinner."
"If so....."
Benjamin nodded and entered deep thought.
Even though he did not want to get involved with the governing circle of Ferelden yet, but with proper thought, it would not be bad to pay a visit now.
This was Ferelden and not Icor, the King here would not do things by force.
"You don’t have to feel troubled. Some mages don’t want to get involved with matters of the world, that we understand. If you don’t want to go, His Majesty will not force you to. It is one week from now, whether you want to attend it or not, at least drop by for a visit to greet the governors."
Finally, Mikel bid his farewell after saying this, leaving Benjamin in the guest room alone, staring at the invitation blankly.
Of course, these were things that happened a few days ago. The Benjamin now was standing in his own room and already made a decision.
In reality, he had already met the governing officers before.
------He will arrive at the banquet on time.
To be honest, if he could establish good relations with the King of Ferelden, even if that mage, Vinci, continued to badmouth him, he would not need to worry. The King had the most power in the whole kingdom!
He had started to plan on what presents to bring to the banquet.
With this, after finishing his lunch, he asked Varys to look for things like expensive or locally-produced grape wines in Rayleigh, the price would not matter.
As for him, he went to rest and was about to meet the three visitors.
But, after walking into the guest room, he was surprised to see that the three visitors were familiar people.
Two boys and a girl, they were the people he met in the ruins from the Mages Freemasonry. Benjamin could only remember the leader was called Tony, he could not remember the other two as he did not ask for their names.
Speaking of that, when the last time they met, Benjamin purposely ran to the Mages Freemasonry and tried to persuade them to dispose of that sect.
But...
Benjamin thought of what Lance said, the Mages Freemasonry has always sat on the fence, and would not take a side in anything.
Thus, the meeting this time was weird.
Why were they here?
"Long time no see, I did not expect that you all would visit me." Benjamin said this as he poured three glasses of wine for them, his smile not changing.
"Many thanks." Tony lifted the glass, smiled, but could not prevent his awkwardness from showing," That......your heroics, has spread through the whole of Rayleigh, how admirable."
The other two hid behind Tony and did not say anything like previously, letting Tony speak for all of them.
Benjamin did not know why the three came together.
Were they siamese twins? Do they go together when they have to visit the toilet?
"You flatter me, it was only part of my duty." Benjamin did not want to go in circles with them, he put down his wine glass, and said directly." Even though I do not know why you are here today, but as for the danger of that sect, I had already warned you all, why was it when Lance asked you to be a witness, you lot just turned a blind eye?"
Their enemy was right in front of him, but they were not even willing to bear witness, he was curious on what the people from the Mages Freemasonry were thinking at all.
"Sir Benjamin, you have misunderstood us." hearing this, Tony became a bit hasty and quickly explained," We have reported everything we could, and even requested that we bear witness. But.....but......the higher-ups don’t really care about our words, and did not even treat them as evidence, so finally......you can understand, there was nothing we could do."
......That is right, what could they do?
Benjamin shook his head helplessly.
Of course he understood, the Mages Freemasonry would probably not trust Benjamin because of Vinci, anything that had to do with Benjamin, they would just take a bystander stance.
Really......what a bunch of useless busybodies.
"How about now?" He said coldly, then added," I’ve became a famous mage amongst the governors, would your higher-ups not feel any shame? Unless.....they regret what they did, so they sent you all to apologize to me now?
The three looked at each other, was silent for a while, and shook their heads.
"Do they still want to go against me?" Benjamin narrowed his eyes.
"No......the higher-ups did not say anything." tony lowered his head, saying with regret, "I do not know what they are thinking, but, after that sect incident started fermenting, the higher-ups had no reaction at all. No one is bad mouthing you anymore, but as for your contributions, no one dared to speak about them at all."
Hearing this, Benjamin shrugged and did not say anything.
Whatever, a bunch of old toothless mages, burying themselves in their books, then immediately hiding away when faced with matters, not even daring to react, how useless.
Benjamin did not care how these kind of people evaluated him as.
"If so, why are you all here today?" He sipped some wine, and slowly said.
The three quickly exchanged looks when they heard this.
Following that, tony took a deep breath, came forward, as if he had decided on something, saying: "Sir Benjamin, that.....we are here today, based on what the three of us feel. We......we want to leave the Mages Freemasonry, and join you together with your influence!"