Only God

This was a grand banquet.

Prince Mura sat in his chair, while servants bustled about him. They combed the heir of the Kingdom's hair and beard and dressed him in a pair of white shoes embroidered with hammers. To complement these exquisite shoes crafted by the Three-eyed Ape People, they sprinkled some silver powder on his ankles. Once the grooming was complete, Prince Mura was dressed in an elegant, multi-layered robe.

The servants finally placed a string of necklaces on Prince Mura and dusted his hair with some gold powder, making the already handsome prince look even more dazzling.

Such intricate attire was undoubtedly learned from the humans and further simplified by the dwarves. In the Danschel Empire, a similar dressing would be at least two to three times more complex, taking an additional two to three hours.

Prince Mura listened to the servants' reports of the arriving guests as he slowly rose from his chair, truly believing that this was going to be a feast where both the host and guests would find complete enjoyment.

"Everything is ready, we should now 'reveal the glory of Hiris' to our guests," he said.

The "glory of Hiris" Prince Mura referred to was his father, Kafu the Sixth. Since the news of the latter's conquest of the Helong Mountain Range had spread to the Royal City, countless poems had been born. Poets and singers often used the "glory of Hiris" to refer to Kafu the Sixth.

Accompanied by servants, Prince Mura went to see his teacher. To his surprise, instead of cheerfulness for the occasion, Belvan's face was clouded with concern.

"What's the matter?" Prince Mura asked, puzzled.

Belvan hesitated for a moment before speaking,

"Xilan told me that he heard the dwarves suffered a heavy blow in Golan. Otherwise, why wouldn't they allow those legions to leave the frontier and participate in the triumphal ceremony?"

It turned out that more than a fortnight ago, Xilan told Belvan that Kaelonde had not conquered the whole of the Golan Kingdom but had instead suffered heavy losses and was forced to withdraw from the kingdom, only taking part of the Helong Mountain Range.

At first, Belvan couldn't believe it, but as Xilan brought up one doubt after another, even the supremely confident Belvan could not help but be shaken.

"That human is spouting madness!" Prince Mura blurted out angrily, unable to contain himself.

At this time, there was still hostility between the dwarves and humans, and Prince Mura did not ponder deeply like Belvan did; he regarded Xilan's words as bewitching nonsense.

Following this, Prince Mura comforted his teacher, revealing to him his father's explanation. The reason those legions remained at the border was because Golan had just been conquered and still harbored resistance against the dwarves. To be able to suppress any rebellion in Golan at a moment's notice, the legions were left there...

Patiently, Prince Mura clarified each doubt, fully convinced by his father's words, not knowing he too was kept in the dark by Kafu the Sixth.

Belvan nodded with a mixture of belief and doubt, and finally, he forced a smile and urged Prince Mura to promptly attend to the guests.

Prince Mura left, heading to the kingdom's antechamber. Watching more and more guests enter through the grand bronze gates of the palace, almost everyone carried garments woven by humans or the Three-eyed Ape People. The air was filled with tiny particles of gold dust, creating an overwhelmingly luxurious scene.

The setting sun's remaining light made the palace shimmer, and the color of roses lingered on the rooftops. As the bells tolled, groups of guests began leaving the antechamber, orderly streaming into the grand hall of the palace, where bronze tables were already laden with abundant food and fine drinks, with King Kafu the Sixth seated at the deepest end of the palace.

Within the palace, the various colors of the guests' garments intermingled—officers, noblewomen, poets, craftsmen, and others all gathered together, supported by simple lines of marble columns in a vast hall, everyone indulging in the joy of victory.

Prince Mura saw his father and excitedly approached, embracing him. However, King Kafu the Sixth did not react immediately; his movements were stiff, his brow revealing an inescapable shadow as if he were contemplating something. It was not until Prince Mura opened his arms that the King belatedly reached out his hands.

"Father, what's wrong?" Prince Mura asked involuntarily.

"It's nothing, the battles have just been too exhausting," said Kafu the Sixth, rubbing his brow and forcing a smile, "Enjoy the banquet to the fullest, Hiris blesses us."

Prince Mura thought no more of it and turned to greet the guests who were taking their seats. He raised a cup of sweet mead and loudly announced the King's triumphant return.

The banquet began with Prince Mura's declaration, with everyone voicing their congratulations to the King, who in turn waved back in acknowledgment. Afterwards, the dwarves began to eagerly drink their cups of thick wine, relishing the food on their plates. Throughout the evening, musicians played, warriors sparred, and there was boundless merriment.

Several tipsy dwarves stood and began to sing praises to the Gods, adding to the festivity of the banquet, with particles of gold dust floating in the air.

According to tradition, representatives of the Gold Silver Clan were seated closest to the King.

At that moment, Aler of the Grey Silver Clan stood up, requesting the King to tell the story of this great war.

King Kafu the Sixth eyed Aler of the Grey Silver Clan coldly, "These are but common affairs, perhaps not as exciting as you have heard in poems."

King Kafu the Sixth's reply was a polite refusal, but Aler, seizing the moment, persisted in his request: