I Ascend to the Divine Throne through Arcane Means

"On behalf of the Ward Family, I am honored to invite all of you to this evening's banquet."

"Today, I am pleasantly surprised to see many old friends, and I welcome the addition of many new friends."

"Let us raise our glasses, to a more prosperous tomorrow for the Dillon Kingdom!"

Clang～

Unlike the somewhat strict banquet etiquette of the Feis Kingdom, Duke Ward's seemingly casual few words escalated the party atmosphere to a climax.

With the gathered guests raising their glasses together, the soirée officially began.

Lis, feigning slight discomfort with this atmosphere, stood holding his drink at the side of the banquet hall, coldly observing the lively crowd before him. Your adventure continues at empire

He noticed a few individuals not far away, dressed in the same formal attire of senior officials from the Dillon Kingdom, looking somewhat ill at ease.

Were they, like him, covertly suggested to come here?

Lis took a few glances; these individuals were all officials from the Kingdom's internal affairs and legal departments, ranking around the same as his current position.

Looking at them, it seemed they were still questioning why they had accepted the invitation.

Duke Ward must have expended such effort to sway allegiances and likely also to show his might.

Regardless of whether these lured senior officials from the Kingdom pledged their loyalty or not, it served as a snare laid between them and the King.

Lis sipped the Muge Wine in his hand, a wine from the Feis Kingdom that cost a fortune. Once it reached the Dillon Kingdom, its value doubled instantly. It was the exorbitant profit of the Feis Kingdom's monopoly, and also the reason the Dillon Kingdom paid a hefty price to explore new trading routes.

At that moment, Lis noticed that Philip, accompanying Duke Ward, was approaching his direction.

"So this is our Finance Officer, Kenne. Finally meeting you in person," Stran said with a smile as he greeted Lis.

Lis bowed slightly in a courteous manner.

If not for the restrained fierceness emanating from him, Lis might have mistaken him for an old politician.

"It is an honor to meet you, Duke Ward," said Lis, his words bearing a nuance of respect as he looked up at the Duke.

"I've heard that you, Kenne, were also once a valiant warrior, but you seem to be doing quite well as the Finance Officer. Philip has told me about you," Stran declared with a smiling face, blatantly flattering.

I don't even know what I've done.

Lis shook his head, stating earnestly:

"You flatter me, sir. I've wasted a lot of time not knowing what to do, and now I only wish not to disappoint Lord Ghana."

"Ghana, hmm, sometimes he doesn't think things through thoroughly," Stran remarked vaguely about Lis's benefactor, continuing:

"With many matters weighing upon the Kingdom recently, should you encounter any troublesome issues, you can come to me for assistance."

Lis simply nodded silently, without speaking.

Sensing Lis's cool response, Stran gestured to silence Philip, who appeared eager to interject, and smilingly said:

"I've heard, Kenne, that you had to leave the army due to severe injuries?"

"I happen to have ways to heal those wounds. If you ever decide, Kenne, feel free to seek me out for treatment," the Duke offered, observing Lis's changing expression with a smile. He lingered no longer, lifted his wine glass, and walked toward the other guests.

He was indeed very busy tonight.

Philip exhaled, looking at Lis to add:

"Give it some thought, Kenne. Lord Stran never fails to take good care of his own."

The stern face revealed a hint of excitement, which was swiftly suppressed. Lis nodded toward Philip and said,

"I understand, I will give it careful consideration."

Then he drained the glass of fine wine in his hand and, leaning on his black cane, walked toward the exit of the banquet hall.

Philip did not try to retain him. In his view, influenced by Duke Ward's seduction, the Finance Officer had already wavered, and the rest would be much easier to manage.

Summoning a servant to follow Lis, Philip also moved toward the other guests.

The task for the day was accomplished; now he could truly enjoy the rare moments of the evening party.

...

Lis, sitting in the carriage leaving the place, had a calm expression, looking with interest through the carriage window at the brightly lit luxurious mansion.

Duke Ward's direct overture meant that he must have sensed His Majesty the King's hostility.

Too bad, if you could offer some real treasures, Lis might have been interested in playing the part and joining Duke Ward in some double-agency.

Healing, forget about it; Lis feared being unmasked!

However, tonight's primary goal had already been achieved.

In that brief exchange with Duke Ward, Lis had memorized the man's aura; all that was left was to wait for the deep silence of the night.

---------------

Late at night, at Kenne Simon's residence.

Perhaps to avoid the leakage of his identity, Kenne Simon had not taken a wife, and the house was simply staffed with a few servants.

Lying in bed, Lis felt it was time. Duke Ward should have settled into slumber by now, so he waited no longer.

Special Skill "Awake Dream"!

"Sphinx Dream Building Skill"!

Using these two special skills, Lis smoothly entered the Dream World.

Controlling his Spirit Body to leave his own blank Dream Space, Lis peered into the hazy dreamspace, filled with the myriad bubbles of dreams, each dream scattered like stars in the eager surroundings.

So this is the Dream World? Indeed very special, where the real and the unreal interweave, blurring the concept of space and the passage of time with a misty sensation.

It felt as though he was submerged in an ocean of dreams.

This was the first time Lis had intentionally entered the Dream World; even in his past life's game, he had never had such an experience.

Secret realms and quests involving the Dream World were quite rare.

According to the records within the "Sphinx Dream Building Skill," this dream was a manifestation of all the living beings in this area, not just humans but insects and animals as well, though their dreams were not as bright and colorful as those of humans.

"If I hadn't encountered Duke Ward today, locating his dream would have been far more difficult."

Lis's Spirit Body raised a hand, and an aura appeared before him, exuding the same strong sensation as Duke Ward's.

"Sphinx Dream Building Skill - Dream Seeking"!

The wisp of aura transformed into an illusory White Dove, flying directly towards Lis's left.

Lis hurriedly followed closely behind the White Dove, leaping from one dream to another.

The most precious content of the "Sphinx Dream Building Skill" might be constructing special Dream Spaces, but it also contains many common techniques used within the Dream World, all derived from the exploration and research of that Legendary Arcanist.

The Dream World is always bizarre; Lis passed dreams where people indulged in gluttony, others being hunted by wild beasts, and he even saw someone hiding outside a window, peeping at a film.

Tsk tsk tsk, what talent!

Before long, the White Dove led Lis to the outskirts of a clearly brighter Dream Space, an image of the Ice Castle Palace within.

This is Duke Ward's dream!