CHAPTER 358 - You can hear my thoughts?!

After Jarvan III's introduction, Li Lin gained a general understanding of the nobles who could accompany the king.

Aside from King Jarvan III, who stood at the apex of Demacian power, there were eight major aristocrats under him, forming the "Shield of Eight," which governed the nation.

These included the Crown Guardian family, responsible for military affairs, with Tiyana Crownguard as the highest military leader and Demacia's grand marshal.

Next, the Mageseekers' organization, independent of political and military authority, was led by Eldred Crownguard, who had married into the Crownguard family—essentially an adopted son-in-law.

The Harren family, headed by Wallace Harren, controlled the rights of the nation's nobility.

The Fitch family, under the leadership of Borg Fitch, managed the national treasury and economic affairs.

The Cartel family, with Karami Cartel, the legitimate daughter of the current patriarch, handled foreign diplomacy.

The Oma family, led by Clement Oma, oversaw the nation's land resources.

The Zachary family, with Newman Zachary as its head, was responsible for establishing and enforcing national laws.

Finally, the leader of the Illuminators, Isabel, who didn't belong to any family, was raised as an orphan by the church, following a life of strict discipline and piety before succeeding the previous leader who had returned to the embrace of Kindred.

In addition to these figures, Jarvan III also introduced Li Lin to the families that accompanied them.

For instance, Barrett, whose slightly aging wife, Lestara, still bore traces of her youthful beauty.

Beside them was their daughter, Kahina, with shoulder-length black hair and a refined face, though she looked sturdier, suggesting she often practiced martial arts.

Most were the wives or husbands of the ruling aristocrats. Barrett was one of the few to bring his children, while Wallace Harren did the same.

Li Lin maintained his manners, greeting each person after the king's introductions.

Perhaps because they knew of Zoe, the Twilight Aspect, who seemed rude with her wandering gaze and silence, they intentionally overlooked her, avoiding prolonged eye contact.

Based on their reactions, Li Lin could discern their attitudes toward him.

Tiyana, Borg Fitch, and Newman Zachary, responsible for the treasury and law, appeared cold, likely due to their personalities.

Clement Oma and Wallace Harren, who managed land and nobility, showed clear disdain in their eyes, seemingly resenting the fact that a foreigner like Li Lin could be granted official status.

Camila Cartel, who handled foreign affairs, kept her expressions well-masked, giving away no hints of her thoughts.

Isabel, the leader of the Illuminators, maintained a polite, almost motherly smile, radiating warmth. However, through his sensitivity to magic, Li Lin could faintly sense magical waves emanating from her.

The biggest surprise, though, was Eldred.

This slim man, with slicked-back graying hair, had a noble air and a gentlemanly demeanor. Surprisingly, he was the most enthusiastic of them all.

After the king's introductions, Eldred was the first to approach Li Lin, bombarding him with questions and praising the prince's valor on the front lines.

His warm and caring demeanor, coupled with his subtle smile, almost made Li Lin feel as if he were speaking to a concerned elder, rather than the schemer he had expected.

That is, if you could ignore the insincere smile that made Li Lin's skin crawl with discomfort.

Noticing the looks from Jarvan IV, Tiyana, and Barrett, Li Lin responded to Eldred's questions with polite indifference.

Sensing that this Ionian youth was disinterested in further conversation, a shadow briefly flickered in Eldred's eyes. Nonetheless, he maintained his false enthusiasm, chatting and laughing with Newman and Wallace as he walked away.

"There are still about two hours before the banquet starts," Jarvan III said with a smile, ending his conversation with Li Lin. He advised Jarvan IV to take good care of their guest before respectfully inviting Morgana to join him in the hall for an important discussion.

At this moment, Barrett and Lestara, along with their two daughters, approached.

Earlier, Jarvan III had specifically introduced Lestara, as she had once fearlessly scolded the king for his inaction when he first ascended to the throne in the Hall of Valor.

It was during this incident that Barrett had fallen in love with her at first sight, and it had even prompted the king to shift his policies slightly toward a more people-focused approach.

"Come, Li Lin, let me introduce my daughters to you," Barrett said, pushing them forward. "This is my eldest daughter, Kahina, and this is our youngest, Sona."

Though Sona was adopted by the Buvelle family, Barrett never mentioned this when introducing her, as they considered her their own.

Kahina elegantly lifted her skirt and performed a noble's curtsy. "May the Winged Protector bless you, Mr. Li."

"And may the Winged Protector bless you, Miss Kahina. Please, call me Li Lin."

"You can call me Kahina," she replied with a smile and a nod.

Standing a step behind Kahina was Sona, who looked a bit shy. She held a box containing Etwahl, slightly bowing her head, with her knees bent and lips pressed tightly together in nervousness.

Just as Li Lin was about to return the gesture, a clear and ethereal voice of a young girl suddenly echoed in his mind:

"It seems, Mr. Li, that you and I are both from Ionia."

Li Lin looked at Sona in shock, but the shy girl kept her gaze lowered, completely unaware of what had just happened.

"Sigh, when will I be able to return to Ionia?" 

She murmured to herself internally.

Barrett, noticing the look on Li Lin's face as he stared at Sona, mistook his reaction for disapproval of her not greeting him and awkwardly holding a wooden box in her arms. He quickly explained,

"Sona was born mute, and this box holds an ancient zither that has been with her since childhood, almost never leaving her side…"

"If she has offended you in any way, I sincerely ask for your understanding."

"You've misunderstood, Lord Barrett." Li Lin's mind raced as he came up with an explanation. "In fact, it's my fault for being disrespectful... Miss Sona's ethereal grace and beauty, like a goddess descended to earth, completely entranced me. I deeply apologize."

Upon hearing herself described in such terms, Sona's lips parted slightly in surprise, and a hint of astonishment appeared on her otherwise expressionless face.

She quickly glanced up at Li Lin, meeting his deep brown eyes for just a moment before her cheeks flushed with a soft pink. Embarrassed, she swiftly averted her gaze.

Realizing that Li Lin was stunned for this reason, Barrett couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Ah, the love of beauty is something we all share. It seems even our hero cannot resist Sona's charm!"

Sona's face turned even redder as she shyly retreated halfway behind Kahina.

Next to her, Lestara gave Barrett a playful jab with a reproachful look, silently scolding him for his 'nonsense.'

"Come to think of it, Sona has reached the age where marriage is a consideration, hasn't she?" Jarvan IV, amused by Sona's bashful expression, teased from the side, "Cassandra as well, I believe."

"Rather than worrying about me and Sona, you might want to think about your own marriage, *Prince!"

Kahina crossed her arms with a huff, drawing out her words as she verbally sparred with Jarvan IV.

Because Barrett and King Jarvan III were as close as brothers, Kahina had grown quite familiar with Jarvan IV. They had often played and studied together in the palace as children, so there was no need for formalities between them.

While Jarvan IV didn't seem to mind, Lestara was a different story: "Kahina, mind your manners in public! How could you speak to the prince like that?"

Her tone carried a hint of reproach.

No matter how close their relationship might be in private, this was the king's banquet, a celebration in honor of the prince. Even with no one else around, the necessary decorum and respect for hierarchy had to be upheld.

Kahina subtly turned her head, rolling her eyes in a way that Lestara couldn't see, and shot a glare at the smugly satisfied Jarvan IV standing across from her. She chose not to respond further.

"Father, how could you say that? And the prince too... Ugh."

Meanwhile, in Sona's mind, her thoughts swirled, but all of them were heard clearly by Li Lin. "I'm only 17 this year. Marriage? Isn't it far too soon to even think about such things?"

The very thought of marriage made Sona's cheeks grow even hotter, her shy expression deepening.

Determined to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, Li Lin racked his brain, concentrating as he carefully attempted to create a mental bridge to communicate with her.

He tried for a long time, but he just couldn't manage to make his voice reach her.

Though Li Lin had mastered the basics of rune technology, it didn't include any method for magical voice transmission.

It seemed that this form of "mental communication" was something Sona inadvertently did on her own.

Resigned, Li Lin decided to temporarily abandon the idea of speaking to her through their minds, planning instead to apologize to her personally when they had a moment of leisure.

However, just as he was about to give up, a sudden wave of emotion surged through him, accompanied by a melody that only he could hear. Across from him, Sona looked up in surprise.

"The 'Etwahl'... resonated with him?" 

Sona was astonished.

"Resonated? With me?"

As soon as this thought crossed Li Lin's mind, Sona's expression grew even more bewildered behind Kahina.

"You can hear my thoughts?!"

(End of Chapter)

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