Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill - Chapter 322:The Royal Banquet

Chapter 322: 322:The Royal Banquet

The king’s invitation could not be ignored.

After carefully arranging family matters and territory affairs, and making sure nothing would go wrong during his absence, Ethan explained to his wives that he would be attending the royal banquet.

He took his knight guards and set out toward the capital city. On a normal horse, the journey from Blank City would take around fifteen days. However, with the newly purchased war horses, they could reach the capital in about seven days.

If he had used a wyvern, the journey would have been even faster, perhaps four or five days or that might be earlier. Still, to match the pace of his subordinates, Ethan chose to travel steadily instead of rushing ahead.

He did not sit inside a carriage.

Holding Claira in his arms, he rode alongside the knights. The scene itself drew attention. Some of the knights teased Ethan and Claira for being overly affectionate, but there was no real malice in their words.

Normally, such behavior would be considered inappropriate between a lord and his entourage. But things were different here.

When Ethan was present, the sense of strict lord and servant rarely existed unless he deliberately enforced it. Aside from matters of duty, one could hardly tell the difference between nobles and commoners in daily interactions.

“Woah…” Claira gasped as the wind rushed past her face.

“It’s so fast.”

“It is,” Ethan replied calmly. “But I heard there are horses that can travel a thousand kilometers in a single day and keep running without rest.”

“Really?” Claira asked, her eyes lighting up.

Ethan nodded with a faint smile.

“If we have them,I will take you for a ride.”

“I would love to.”

Five days later, the group arrived at the capital city.

From there, Ethan and Claira were escorted by palace guards into the royal palace complex. Throughout the journey, Claira kept her face covered.

The guards were curious about her identity and whispered among themselves, wondering which of Ethan’s wives she might be. However, none of them connected her to the ruined princess spoken of in hushed rumors.

The reason was simple.

The difference between that girl from the past and the woman before them was like heaven and earth.

In the past, Claira had been malnourished, beaten, and tortured. Now, she was well-fed, stronger, and carefully cared for. Her posture, aura, and presence had changed completely.

Along the way, Ethan noticed a clear shift in how people treated him.

Many central nobles greeted him politely. Even those who clearly harbored resentment or hostility did not dare provoke him openly.

“Wait a moment,” Ethan said quietly. “I don’t see anyone else from my region.”

“That’s because only His Highness Duke Phillips and Sir Ethan were invited from the western region,” one of the guards replied politely.

“I see. What about the barons?”

“No barons were invited,” the guard answered simply, then continued leading them forward.

They soon arrived at a magnificent building within the palace grounds.

This was the noble villa of the royal palace, specifically reserved for high-ranking nobles visiting for official events. Every corner radiated refinement and authority.

Stepping inside, Ethan noticed that quite a few people were already present.

Most of them, like him, were nobles invited to attend the royal banquet. However, he did not recognize anyone personally so he just smiled and gave a brief nod.

Passing by these guests and walking through a long corridor, Ethan was guided by the palace guards to his temporary residence.

A golden palace.

The hierarchy among nobles was clearly reflected in their accommodations. Residences differed in size and luxury according to rank.

Yet this place exceeded expectations.

The residence assigned to Ethan was befitting of a duke rather than a baron.

It was more than twice the size of many others, and the interior was extravagantly furnished.

Furniture crafted by master artisans using millennium purplewood could be seen throughout. The walls were embedded with heating mechanisms that adjusted automatically to the room’s temperature.

Tapestries were engraved with both heating and cooling magic arrays, allowing the room to remain comfortable in any season.

There were water pipes that condensed moisture directly from the air, providing a steady supply of clean water. Tables could expand or shrink based on the number of people seated. Small magical devices blew warm air to dry hair after bathing. Lamps adjusted brightness on command. Doors opened silently with a touch. Even the bed subtly adjusted its firmness to suit the sleeper.

Ethan was genuinely amazed.

’Woww..I genuinely didn’t know such things existed..It really makes me feel like a boy that came down the mountain to mingle with people of towns.’

With magic applied to daily life, the convenience rivaled that of technology from his previous world. In some aspects, it even surpassed it.

The only downside was cost.

Due to the scarcity of advanced magicians skilled in magic arrays, a full set of high-end magical furnishings could easily cost hundreds of thousands of gold coins.

Not to mention, most nobles could not afford such luxuries, let alone commoners.

Also these goods aren’t easily available and need to be brought from the Empire or you need to hire mages.

Though Ethan had the financial means, acquiring such items for his own territory was troublesome. Purchasing them from the empire and transporting them often resulted in damage along the way.

Too much hassle for some meager things.

As he observed the surroundings, Claira suddenly tightened her grip on his hand.

“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked.

“Ethan… I have a bad feeling about all this,” she said softly.

“Isn’t everyone treating us more respectfully and politely?”

He raised his hand slightly, signaling her to continue.

“It feels like… like fattening a pig before slaughter,” she whispered.

Ethan did not respond immediately.

He looked around the lavish room, then out the window toward the distant palace grounds.

“I know,” he said quietly. “I feel it too.”

He gently squeezed her hand.

“But whatever is waiting ahead, we will face it together.”