Chapter 399

Shamar was right. All Anser had to do was spread his dragon wings and fly a lap over the city, and the Obarskyr royal family would immediately send someone to invite him over.

But that would attract far too much attention.

"I've got a better way. Just wait." Shamar leaned back against the sofa and narrowed his eyes.

One look was enough for Anser to know that he had gone online again.

Sure enough, the Spirit Net notification sounded soon afterward. Anser had been pulled into a group chat called "Around the Sea of Fallen Stars."

'That name... interesting.'

As soon as Anser entered the group chat, several messages popped up.

Wandering Silver Owl: "Everyone, guess who this is?"

A picture followed immediately below. It showed Anser sitting upright beside the window, sunlight falling across his sharply defined profile and making him seem almost radiant, scarcely like a mortal at all.

Fearless Banner General: "Lord Anser Holrewen?"

Wandering Silver Owl: "Huh? You've met him?"

Maddox: "Do we even need to guess? Is there a second ruler of the Holrewen Federation?"

Wandering Silver Owl: "..."

Ruler of the Holrewen Federation: "Hello, everyone."

Anser took a look. Including himself, there were only six people in the group, but two of them clearly showed as online and had yet to say a word.

Truthfully, he had imagined all sorts of ways Shamar might introduce him, but never this one. The sheer familiarity of it hit him all at once, leaving him momentarily dazed.

'Oh, no. A few months in Faerûn and I've turned into an old fossil.' The corners of his mouth curled into a silent smile.

Shamar raised his head and glanced at Anser. "The one called Maddox is a direct member of the royal line. He's somewhere past twentieth in the order of succession, but he's exceptionally talented. He reached the peak tier before turning forty and has a chance of becoming Legendary."

"Fearless Banner General is one of the Purple Dragon Legion's four deputy commanders. His real name is Chegba, and he's a little stronger..."

The Purple Dragon Legion's day-to-day affairs were handled by its four deputy commanders. Its commander was Legendary and rarely appeared in public.

Anser understood immediately.

He was in the circle now.

Thanks to Sakkors's special attention, the Kingdom of Cormyr actually had more Spirit Net members than the Holrewen region. It was just that many of them had chosen not to reveal their identities and were keeping a low profile.

"What about the other two?" Anser asked.

"They're in Sembia. They're busy during the day and only show up at night."

"So that's what 'Around the Sea of Fallen Stars' means. Doesn't that make it a little inappropriate for me to join?"

"Why? Your federation has White Stone Island in the Sea of Fallen Stars, doesn't it?"

"True."

While the two chatted, the group chat grew lively as well.

When Maddox learned that Anser was at the House of Oghma, he sincerely invited him to visit Obarskyr Castle.

Anser readily accepted.

This was a high-level game. Both sides had Legendaries all over the place, so going it alone was no longer an option.

They did not keep him waiting long. A little over an hour later, dozens of royal guards arrived escorting a luxurious carriage drawn by beasts.

The carriage was pulled by two four-legged beasts with draconic blood. They were covered in scales and resembled lizards, except their legs were thick and long.

A middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard quickly stepped down from the carriage. He stood to one side, opened the door, and lifted the curtain, revealing an elderly man with graying hair and beard.

The old man slowly stepped down, briefly straightened his purple garments, then took his walking stick and entered the temple.

Anser and Shamar had already come downstairs after hearing the commotion. As they stepped outside, they ran straight into the older and younger men.

The middle-aged man was Maddox. He had posted a picture of himself in the group chat earlier.

Maddox winked at Anser and introduced the elder with easy familiarity. "Mr. Holrewen, this is my eldest brother, the first in line to the Obarskyr throne, Cormyr's Minister of the Interior, His Highness Erastul."

The old man's expression did not change, though an almost imperceptible flicker passed through his eyes.

Anser understood. Shamar had just told him about the royal family's situation.

The old king was still hale and hearty, while Erastul had been crown prince for more than sixty years and still saw no hope of ascending the throne.

Fortunately, the old king had at least treated him fairly. He had given Erastul genuine authority, allowing him to govern the kingdom for more than a decade and never begrudging him status or wealth.

He just wouldn't give him the throne!

By tradition, a new king could only succeed after the reigning king died. Abdication simply wasn't a thing.

Anser suspected this elderly crown prince would never become king in his lifetime. He simply wasn't powerful enough to live that long.

He nodded in greeting. "Good afternoon, Your Highness Erastul."

The Obarskyr royal family certainly knew their etiquette. Having the crown prince personally come to receive him was an exceptionally high-level reception.

"Just call me Erastul, and I'll call you Anser. It wasn't until I met you that I truly understood what it means to be born noble. You really are quite impressive."

"Now I'm almost afraid to take you into the palace. If the princesses see you, I'm afraid we'll have quite the situation on our hands." Erastul's tone was light, half serious and half joking.

When he smiled, he looked like a kindly old man and was every bit as approachable.

"You're joking." Anser had actually been restraining himself quite a bit already.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the three boarded the carriage and headed for Obarskyr Castle together.

Shamar did not accompany them. His relationship with the royal family did not appear particularly close.

The carriage passed through the streets and across the moat before entering Obarskyr Castle.

It was not a single castle, but a sizable complex of buildings housing the core members of the royal family, along with soldiers and servants.

Before Anser even stepped out of the carriage, he sensed that something was off.

There were far too many people around.

After getting out, he was ushered into a huge reception hall that appeared to have just been prepared. Beads of water still clung to the assorted fruit, making everything look freshly washed and succulent.

He stared at the table, more than twenty meters long, and immediately found it strange.

He was here to discuss official business. Ideally, that meant a small, relatively private table with three to five people, not some large-scale banquet.

Sure enough, events unfolded exactly as he had feared. He had barely sat down when men and women in formal attire began trickling in.

Men and women, old and young, quickly filled the long table. There were nearly forty people in all.

Erastul introduced them one by one.

Every last one was a prince or princess. Not a single one belonged to a collateral branch—they were all direct descendants of the old king.

And this was only a small portion of them. There were far more descendants who were away or still underage!

Anser was stunned.

How could one man possibly have this many children? The Cormyrean royal family he remembered wasn't like this at all.

This was beyond ridiculous!

But then he discovered that things could get even more ridiculous.

Once this inexplicable reception began, every topic revolved around him. Under Erastul's deliberate guidance and arrangements, the unmarried princesses took turns speaking with him.

The whole atmosphere grew stranger and stranger.

'Like father, like son!' Anser finally understood what was going on.

He repeatedly tried to signal Maddox with his eyes, but it did no good. Left with no choice, he secretly messaged Maddox through the Spirit Net, once again emphasizing the purpose of his visit.

Maddox gave him a puzzled look.

All cooperation came with conditions. A marriage alliance was perfectly normal. Who expected people to work for nothing?

He gestured for Anser to take his pick. He could even choose several if he wanted. The royal family might not have much else, but it certainly had princesses to spare.

Anser understood immediately, and a profound sense of helplessness washed over him.

This royal family was utterly bizarre. What kind of thought process even was this?

Through the Spirit Net, he solemnly informed Maddox that he had no intention of entering a marriage alliance. Maddox froze for a moment, then pulled Erastul aside for a private conversation. Only then did the enormous "matchmaking session" finally come to an end.

The princes and princesses quickly dispersed, leaving only Anser, Maddox, and Erastul.

"The Obarskyr princesses are certainly no worse than the women of House Cozar."

There was not the slightest trace of embarrassment on Erastul's face. If anything, he looked somewhat regretful.

---

I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> /TitoVillar

---