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It was much like how I had vaguely imagined a banquet hall to be.

It felt like a gathering of monkeys in masks, gleefully observing each other’s disguises.

On the surface, they seemed to be engaged in formal conversations, but in reality, the content of their discussions held little significance for either the speaker or the listener.

Based on my long-held conjecture, their words probably sounded like meaningless chatter to each other.

The important thing was to smile and nod along, regardless of the nonsense the other person was spouting.

Hearty laughter echoed throughout the hall, but I wondered how many of them were genuinely amused.

It was quite an entertaining spectacle.

As I was observing the “monkeys,” Blair whispered in a strained voice from behind,

“They said only the younger generation was invited, but something’s not right, Senior Brother. This is different from what the External Affairs Manager told us.”

Taylor also nodded with a frown.

“This is unsettling.”

While there were indeed many young people present, there were also quite a few older men scattered throughout the hall. They seemed to be high-ranking members of various clans accompanying the younger generation.

It was strange, but it didn’t matter to me. After all, no one here could outdo me in terms of age.

I looked at Taylor and Blair, who were consumed by worry, and said,

“Don’t worry. No matter how old they are, they’re no match for me.”

Taylor and Blair remained silent.

Then, Blair, unable to maintain his composure, suddenly let out a chuckle.

“Heh.”

Seeing him laugh, it seemed his worries had dissipated.

That was enough for me.

I resumed observing the banquet hall. I noticed several familiar faces.

They were the guys I had seen at Kris Beer. When I made eye contact and nodded, they desperately pretended not to know me.

“Rude bastards. They’re ignoring me.”

Looking around, I also spotted the merchant from the Valpong Merchant Group who had visited our clan before. Was his name Alvin?

But why was he ignoring me, even though the others were doing the same?

Well, our encounter had been brief, so he might have forgotten my face.

‘I don’t see that woman.’

No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find Celestine. Even the Urgon people hadn’t appeared in the banquet hall yet.

As I continued to stand at the entrance, more and more people glanced in my direction.

A well-dressed man approached with a leisurely gait and politely offered his hand for a handshake.

“Greetings. I am Pretel of the Leverin Clan.”

I shook his hand and said,

“Pleasure to meet you. Do you know how a monkey chatters?”

“You’re quite the humorous one. Haha, if you don’t mind, may I ask for your name?”

“As expected.”

My prediction was spot on.

The content of my words didn’t matter. Pretel didn’t lose his smile even at my nonsense. He was a well-trained monkey.

As I smiled contentedly, Taylor stepped in front of me and spoke.

“I am Taylor of Samael.”

Pretel tilted his head and asked,

“I apologize. Could you please repeat that?”

“Taylor of the Samael Clan.”

“…Samael?”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Pretel’s face but quickly vanished.

“…I see. It is an honor to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

After shaking Taylor’s hand, Pretel’s expression changed as if he suddenly remembered something important.

“Come to think of it, I completely forgot about an important matter I need to attend to. Let’s chat again later.”

After a brief farewell, Pretel returned to his original spot. The young men nearby asked in unison,

“Which clan’s young masters did you say they were?”

“I’ve never heard of them. They said they’re from Samael.”

Collective confusion spread across the young men’s faces.

“Samael?”

“I’ve never heard of that clan either. If they were significant enough to be invited to the banquet, there’s no way we wouldn’t know them.”

In the eastern part of the continent, the Quebek region, there were only five or six well-known clans at most.

Even including the merchant groups, the number wouldn’t exceed ten. Everyone gathered here belonged to one of those.

However, no one had ever heard of Samael.

Unable to contain their curiosity, the young men inquired with those around them, but no one seemed to know. Of course, some might have been feigning ignorance, but most genuinely didn’t know.

In no time, the Samael Clan became the hot topic of the banquet hall.

In such gatherings, it was common for interesting topics to capture everyone’s attention.

A man who enjoyed being in the spotlight looked around and said,

“I know about Samael.”

“You do, Walter? Even though I know most of the prominent clans in Quebek, I’ve never heard of them. Could you enlighten us?”

The Quebek region was one of the three major divisions of the eastern continent.

Walter, the man who spoke, smiled and replied,

“It’s natural that you wouldn’t know. Have you heard of Uta?”

“Uta? Isn’t that the abandoned city at the southern tip?”

The man who answered frowned as if he was disgusted.

It was understandable, as all the famous clans in Quebek were located in the northern regions.

The southern regions were relatively underdeveloped, with no cities worthy of being called major.

Walter, enjoying the attention, continued,

“You’re quite knowledgeable to know about Uta. But you probably wouldn’t know that there’s a small village called Khaoto even further south than Uta. Samael is a clan based there. But why are you suddenly asking about Samael?”

Pretel, with a displeased expression, pointed towards the entrance of the banquet hall.

“It seems they’ve also been invited to the banquet.”

The people gathered in the hall frowned and whispered amongst themselves.

“A clan from the backwaters was invited?”

“I thought only prestigious families were invited. What was Urgon thinking, inviting such people?”

Walter glanced at the entrance, then smiled meaningfully and added,

“I think I know why. Urgon and Samael have had exchanges in the past. Of course, not in a positive sense. It’s not really a secret. You might not know, but it’s a well-known story in the southern regions.”

As Walter continued his story, smiles gradually appeared on the faces of those listening.

“It seems some newbies got excited about being invited to the banquet and rushed over. They’re beneath us, so let’s not pay them any attention.”

“Newbies. That’s the perfect word for them.”

The people in the banquet hall chuckled and looked at the Samael newbies.

* * *

Observing the rapidly changing atmosphere, I nodded repeatedly.

This was it.

The monkeys who initially showed interest were now openly ignoring us. They treated us as if we didn’t exist, chatting amongst themselves.

This was the true essence of a banquet.

The essence of a banquet was monkeys gathering around a piece of gossip like a dried persimmon, chewing, tasting, and enjoying it. And right now, that gossip was Samael.

But these guys weren’t my concern. I was more interested in the banquet food. I started roaming the hall, sampling the appetizers.

As I was munching on a snack from a mobile table, someone said,

“How unsightly.”

I continued chewing and gave my assessment of the taste. Somehow, everything was bland and tasteless.

“Not impressed. As they say, you can tell a lot from a little. The main course probably won’t be anything special either.”

Then, the voice from across the room grew louder.

“Their class is so low. How can they be so uncouth?”

I looked over and saw Pretel, the man who had politely offered me a handshake earlier. He made eye contact with me and said in a disapproving tone,

“You should stay quietly in a corner if you don’t want to get beaten. If it were my clan, I would have kicked you out immediately. Urgon must be very generous to even accept beggars.”

A forced laugh erupted from those around him. It was blatant mockery.

I nodded once again.

This was also the essence and true flavor of a banquet, its core and its disgusting nature.

Those who held even a shred of power often used such occasions to belittle others and solidify their own positions.

Perhaps fueled by the attention, Pretel suddenly approached me and gestured with a stern voice.

“Stay quiet in that corner if you don’t want to get punished.”

I looked in the direction Pretel pointed. The White Horse members were standing awkwardly in a corner, like outcasts.

“Don’t muddy the waters and get lost.”

I looked at Pretel and asked,

“Did you perhaps rent out the entire banquet hall?”

“What?”

“Who are you to order us around?”

The surrounding eyes focused on us, and Pretel’s face flushed red.

Such men valued the attention of others, so being defied by someone they looked down upon enraged them to no end.

As I smirked, an older man who had been standing solemnly across the room spoke.

“Come here, Pretel.”

“…”

“Haven’t I told you countless times? You must maintain decorum. Don’t you understand that paying attention to every action of those beneath you lowers your own standing?”

“I was short-sighted, Clan Head.”

I looked at the older man and suddenly found myself laughing.

It was absurd how he had been watching silently until the situation seemed unfavorable, and then decided to intervene.

‘Is he his precious youngest son or something?’

The way he swiftly defused the situation while making me look foolish showed he was a cunning old man with a devious mind.

“Hey, old man.”

“…”

“Now I see that it’s your fault that your kid grew up to be an idiot.”

“…What did you say?”

“You sly old snake. Who are you looking at? I’m talking to you.”

The old man, who had been ignoring me, clicked his tongue and replied, “You’re asking for a beating.”

“Let’s see about that.”

As I stood up and started walking towards the old man, the closed door at the upper end of the banquet hall suddenly burst open.

The External Affairs Manager of Urgon appeared from within.

“Thank you for waiting.”

His timing was impeccable, so I quickly shifted my focus from the old man to the manager.

The other monkeys who were chatting simultaneously fell silent.

The expectant gazes of the crowd turned towards the upper platform, and the manager smiled and began to speak.

“Greetings. I am Bata, the External Affairs Manager of Urgon. It is an honor to meet the esteemed clans of the eastern continent. On behalf of the Clan Head, I extend my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for accepting our invitation.”

Applause erupted throughout the banquet hall.

“This banquet is a gathering to strengthen the unity of the eastern continent, particularly the Quebek region. It is an honor for me to introduce such a meaningful event. Before we begin the banquet, there are some special individuals I would like to introduce.”

“…”

“As you all know, our Eldest Son, along with the Red Phoenix Magic Division, successfully cleared a 2nd-level Demon Realm. This is a rare feat even on a continental scale, and it is the first time such an accomplishment has been achieved in our Quebek region.”

The excitement in the hall was building. I looked at the White Horse members with an amused expression.

“The manager’s got quite the silver tongue. What do you think?”

“He’s an unpleasant fellow.”

“That he is.”

The manager raised his hand high.

“Let me introduce the key figures of Urgon!”

Amidst thunderous applause, a group of people marched into the banquet hall in an orderly fashion.

The grandmasters of the Azure Dragon Magic Division, dressed in blue uniforms, led the way, followed by the grandmasters of the Red Phoenix Magic Division, adorned in floral patterned attire.

The auras emanating from the men in floral patterns were impressive. Especially the middle-aged man who appeared to be the leader of the Red Phoenix Magic Division possessed a considerable level of power.

‘Hmm.’

However, I couldn’t help but be intrigued for a different reason.

The most striking figure among them was the Azure Dragon Magic Division’s grandmaster.

As I tilted my head in curiosity, Moose also walked onto the platform.

Moose, who was looking around the crowd with an arrogant gaze, made eye contact with me and then desperately pretended not to know me.

It seemed he was too embarrassed about being beaten by me to tell anyone.

I gave Moose a thumbs-up, then suddenly changed my expression and looked in a different direction.

“…”

A chilling aura washed over me.

With the sound of footsteps, a young man dressed in white slowly walked onto the platform.

Blue hair, blue eyes.

A pale complexion that seemed to embody ice itself.

Although no one spoke, I instinctively knew.

‘That’s him.’

It seemed not all of Urgon’s direct descendants were idiots like Moose.

The man raised his head. His icy blue eyes slowly scanned the crowd. Everyone who met his gaze averted their eyes.

The man, seemingly satisfied, formed a gentle smile on his lips.

It was a bright smile, like ice melting away.

———-