"Preposterous!" The Crown Prince yelled. Which caused the Queen to flinch for a moment while the King looked over at him. While his shouting caught the attention of many others. "Why can you not share something as civil and simple as-"

    "Prince Etros!" The King yelled. Startling the young prince out of his rage. "Calm yourself. Did you not hear what I said about them wanting a war?"

    "The King is right, young Prince." An old croaky voice spoke up. Jace only glanced out of the corner of his eye but he quickly held Nina back as a spike of aggression appeared in her stance. She was tense and Jace understood why as he looked at the speaker and his companion.

    The speaker was a wrinkled man with graying skin. He was wearing a black and gray robe. With a few strands of white hair on his head. His fingers and limbs were almost skeletal with how thin they were. His cheeks were sunken and his eye sockets were deep. He sat in a gray wheelchair.

    Pushing the wheelchair was a bone white mannequin. She matched the description that Nina had written in her report. A feminine form with a face plate that had indentations to make it almost like a face. This time she was wearing a black dress.

    "It seems that your partner for this ball is just as excited as mine is." The gray man chuckled with amusement.

    "Sir Hoods and Miss Yang, thank you for joining us." The King smiled as he welcomed his esteemed guests. "You were correct about them not hiding their contempt. Nor about them hiding their objective. Can you tell us more about these Spectres?"

    Lord Hoodwink as Jace identified him, began chuckling in amusement. "Not much unfortunately. I only learned the names of the people who were sent to hunt me down a few days ago. Although I would not consider either of them on the human level. But I suspect you already thought as much?"

    The King quietly chuckled while the Prince sat back in his seat, "What do you mean teacher?" The Prince asked towards Lord Hoodwink, or Lord Hoods as he went by here.

    "I mean instincts. Genetic variations that rely on animals all have a basic instinct that you are able to hone." Lord Hoodwink began explaining. "You are too young and inexperienced at the moment, but when you get older you will be able to better hone your senses and instincts."

    "As for him not being human," The King chuckled. "Humans can only get so strong. Not even the Grand Hexarian''s Praetorians would exude the type of danger that you do." His words caused a stir among the older people that were present and lived during the Grand Hexarian''s reign. "So I can only assume that the Vexical Empire found a way to create their own version of Praetorians."

    Praetorians were similar to Spectres. They were the most elite troops of the Grand Hexarian''s Empire. They were the faceless troops who only responded to the rightful ruler. But when the nation collapsed they seemingly disappeared. They were what the Vexical Empire mottled their Infantry soldiers after. Soldiers who could take on just about anything. Jace only learned during his last month of training about them, they were practically erased from the history books. But considering the Director and several of the guards and training officers were Praetorians he figured the Vexical Empire has had the ability to make Praetorians for years.

    In fact he figured their country was the reason the Praetorians had disappeared. Something had happened back then that caused them to take refuge in the Vexical Empire. Especially considering many of the training officers were old enough to have been alive during the fall of the Grand Hexarian Empire.

    Jace grinned as the King worked it out. "Something like that. But we do have Praetorians as well. They are just not nearly as fun as us." Jace answered honestly with a shrug. "But I am curious," Jace looked over at Hoodwink. "Why does a royal like yourself associate with a bottom feeding piece of trash like him?"

    The Prince growled toward them. While the King narrowed his eyes. "Lord Jonathen Hoods is an honorable man. He has helped us on many occasions and displayed scientific prowess after helping advance our military technologies."

    "So then you are completely fine with his experiments on living beings, ranging from the elderly to young children?" Jace asked with a chuckle and caught sight of the Queen quietly gasping while her eyes widened. He could also hear a few other gasps and whispers among the listening crowd. But the majority did not speak up or say anything. It was probably a not so open secret that experimentation on living people was occurring.

    "So what does it matter? They were just slaves and other pieces of trash. They were disposable for the glory of royalty like myself and the nobility." The Prince proudly declared and got many nods from the nobles around the room who were listening.

    But Jace refrained from responding to the moron, instead opting to stare at the King who was glaring back at Jace. They stayed like that while the Prince began getting red in the face after realizing he was being ignored. After a few minutes of tense silence the King responded. "It was necessary for my Kingdom''s survival. But I suspect you already knew that."

    Jace glared back at the man before shrugging, "if a country needs to survive off the backs of their lowest class then the country does not deserve to survive. So maybe you should just roll over and let us take over." Jace suggested.

    King Leos growled for a moment before he took a breath and glared at Jace. "It seems our conversation has reached a conclusion. I will remind you to restrain yourselves, otherwise I will see it as a declaration of war if you do something uncalled for."

    Jace grinned and gave a very slight head nod, "understood your highness." He then led Nina away who was still glaring at the creature that was referred to as Miss Yang.

    He listened in on Lord Hoods'' and the King''s conversation for a moment.

    "I apologize for being a shameful scar on your mighty country''s reputation." Lord Hoods apologized to the King. Sear?h the N?velFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "You are not the one that should be apologizing, teacher." The Prince jumped in. "It should be that unbearable man and his companion. I mean she did not even speak. Isn''t that right, father?"

    Jace and Nina arrived at an unoccupied table on the second floor and waved an attendant down. A young fox beastman slave with orange hair. Then the young beastman raced off to get Jace and Nina their drinks.

    Beastman were another species that were found in the galaxy. Unlike the anthro people they were fully covered in hairs or other features depending on the tribe they come from. Amusingly enough they are not actually a genetic variation on humans and instead migrated to the galaxy only within the last two hundred years. For the most part they were enslaved and imprisoned since there is not an independent nation that would stand up for them.

    "No, the man is a soldier. Not a noble. I am sure he comes from a lower class. So he is only telling it how he sees it. As for the woman, I have seen the scar that was on her neck before. She had her voice box surgically removed, I doubt by choice." King Leos almost spoke with awe as he responded. "I can only assume someone young like her was captured and tortured, yet she still managed to stand before us."

    "So you noticed as well?" Lord Hoods chuckled before continuing, "The one called Spectre Nina fought Miss Yang to a standstill and even managed to break the blade that the young prince gifted her."

    "Then they are both deserving of respect and-" The King stopped mid sentence as an attendant walked up to them. Interrupting their conversation.

    "Your Majesty, it is time to give a speech." The old attendant bowed and went to his knees and everything to show his respect and loyalty to the king.

    The king sighed and waved Lord Hoods away, "we will talk again later. Go and enjoy the party Lord Hoods." He then turned his attention to the old attendant. They then began talking about the mood of the party and a few other miscellaneous things.

    Lord Hoods then whispered to Miss Yang and she then began rolling him in their direction. The young fox beastman slave arrived with their drinks before racing off to attend to another order while carrying a tray of various alcoholic drinks.

    Nina took a sip to savor the mixer of alcohol she was given. While Jace just picked up and spun the glass of bourbon he was given. He then turned to Lord Hoods who rolled up next to them with a smile on his face.

    "I am surprised Lord Hoodwink or should I call Lord Hoods?" Jace asked nonchalantly while Nina went back to having a stare down with Miss Yang. "I truly was not expecting you to come and meet us face to face."