The throne remained empty.
The voice, however, had no difficulty filling the entire hall.
"Recognized petitioners."
Kael did not answer immediately. After his experiences in Eiren Valley, he had learned to distrust even the simplest words whenever an ancient structure decided to assign meaning to them. Instead, he carefully observed the hall, searching for the source of that presence. There was no concentrated mana in the seat, no visible spirit, no shadow hidden between the columns. Even so, the feeling of standing before someone remained so strong that his body instinctively maintained the posture of someone received by a superior authority.
That irritated him more than he wanted to admit.
Irelia moved only close enough to read the circular inscriptions carved into the floor, keeping her hands away from the white stone.
"Don't argue with the classification directly," she murmured. "If it considers us petitioners, that category may come with rights."
Kael glanced sideways.
