When the plot-skips players into the game world

Queen Sofia died the day before yesterday.

At 7:07 in the morning, the Cathedral of the Candle Master in the Red Queen District rang the death knell.

It was a somber toll, utterly different from the usual chimes that marked the hours. Leather pads had been tied to both sides of the bell's tongue, deepening the sound of the knell.

Seventy-nine strokes sounded in succession, symbolizing the seventy-nine years of the Queen's life.

By the time the seventy-nine tolls of the death knell had ended, Isabel was already seated at the head of the Round Table Hall.

The Round Table Hall was also within the Hall of Silver and Tin, even within the main hall.

Long, long ago, the earliest "Round Table" was where knights feasted before and after battles. The Knights of the Round Table would dine and casually chat about their various discussions over the dining table. As more warriors followed Arthur, the feasts undoubtedly extended beyond a single table.

Without question, those knights who dined at the same table as Arthur were the most brave, loyal, and powerful among them, and held the highest status.

They were known as the "Knights of the Round Table." Many affairs were decided through their collective discussions, and other knights attending the feasts could also listen in and chime in with their thoughts—everyone had the right to speak. But ultimately, it was the knights seated at the Round Table who made the final decisions.

This became the tradition for the Knights of the Round Table to deliberate over political matters.

By the time the Hall of Silver and Tin was constructed, the first generation of the Knights of the Round Table had long ascended to the Dream Realm. And naturally, their successors did not need to gather for communal meals.

Nevertheless, Lancelot, in memory of his past comrades, still transformed the central and largest room of the main hall in the Hall of Silver and Tin into the Round Table Hall, where a table large enough to seat twenty-two individuals was placed.

In addition to the twenty Founding Families, there was Lancelot himself, and the Silver-Crowned Dragon, whose history had been erased. Incidentally, this was the exact count of the Major Arcana Tarot Cards.

Later on, the number of knights qualified to enter the Round Table Hall increased, and the political affairs faced by Avalon after its establishment became more and more complex, far beyond what those twenty individuals could handle.

But the Round Table itself, being an antique, could not expand endlessly.

Therefore, besides the Founding Families who could sit at the Round Table, other knights would sit in three rows of chairs at different heights, surrounding the Round Table on both sides and in front, resembling an amphitheater classroom in appearance.

—In other words, the majority of these knights and ministers who met at the Round Table Hall did not actually qualify to sit at the Round Table itself.

In Avalon, where "authority" was highly regarded, proximity to the Round Table became a symbol of a knight's status and influence. The closer one was to the Round Table, the higher one's status. There were three tiers: the "Inner Circle," the "Middle Circle," and the "Outer Circle." Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

The frequency of meetings at the Round Table Hall was high. At its slowest, there would be two to three meetings a month, and at its busiest, there could be more than five meetings a week. However, typically, less than half of the Founding Families would attend each meeting, and the Inner Circle would usually be missing quite a few members. In contrast, the knights of the Outer Circle would fill the seats to capacity every time.

Today's Round Table Hall was unlike any other day.

All the knights had not arrived at the Round Table Hall ahead of time but instead lined up at the entrance.

Only after the death knell finished tolling did they enter in succession from the main door, having been summoned.

The order of entry was decided by Isabel—of course, in reality, it had been written by Aiwass.

Upon entering from the main door, one first had to pass the lengthy glass staircase.

One of the reasons this place was known as "Glass Island" was due to its abundant production of glass. And this glass staircase was one of Avalon's regal court customs from earlier years. Since glass was slippery and could break easily, and knights wore heavy armor, a fall could potentially shatter the glass steps.

This forced the knights to proceed with extreme caution and at a slow pace, as a sign of loyalty and reverence towards the royal family and the Round Table Hall.

After they entered, they did not take their places but first approached the right side of Isabel, knelt on one knee and took an oath of loyalty, and then kissed the ring of the Silver Dragon on Isabel's hand. Since Isabel was yet unmarried, etiquette dictated that the kiss be placed on the thumb that pressed upon the ring.

The first to enter was the Deputy Director of the Arbitration Hall, the great Arbitrator Ligeia. Following her was the Knight Commander of the Round Table Hall, who was also the Guardian doubling as Minister of Military Affairs. The third was the Deputy Chief of the Supervisory Court, the great Adjudicator Shafiya, and the fourth was the aged Grand Justice.

The fifth was the Minister of the Privy Council from Camelot.

He was an elderly man with white hair and green eyes, appearing to be at least in his sixties or seventies, yet still clad in a dazzling silver suit of armor. Even his hands were covered with gauntlets. He did not carry a sword, though he was entitled to—instead, he only bore the shield passed down from his ancestor, Galahad, an expression of his determination to protect Avalon with his life.

However, when Minister Camelot entered, he was taken aback.

He was first surprised to find himself entering only fifth... and on the other hand, he was astonished that he was entering as early as fifth.

The Minister of the Privy Council essentially corresponded to the Chancellor of Star Antimony or the Minister of State Affairs of Iris Flower, serving as the primary advisor to the king or queen, and managing numerous pressing governmental affairs. He could be considered one of the most important, highest-ranking ministers of Avalon.

Sixty years earlier, when Queen Sofia ascended the throne, the second individual to take the oath was the Minister of the Privy Council. Of course, the Privy Council minister of that generation was certainly not him.