The grand hall of the Vermilion Kingdom's royal palace was filled with tension. Whispers filled the air as noblemen, adventurers, merchants, and other dignitaries took their seats. The gleaming chandeliers above cast a golden glow, illuminating the anxious faces of those gathered.
"What could this meeting be about?" one noble murmured to another.
"The king hasn't summoned a gathering this large in years," replied a woman dressed in elegant armor. Her badge marked her as a high-ranking member of the Duskwood Guild, owned by the Duskwood family.
One other person that stood out in this crowd was a tall, handsome man with blue hair and eyes of the same color; he looked very similar to Brandon Chai, and one might even call him an older version of the field instructor.
Well, they weren't wrong because this man was Charles Xavier Chai, one of the wealthiest merchants in the kingdom. He leaned back in his chair, fanning himself. "If this is another tax hike, I swear, I'll—"
