Lian and Seris walked in silence until they reached one of the Vorhelm family’s smaller training grounds, after some time, the stone path split into two.
One path led toward the residences of the foreign guests and the other led toward the residence area of the family members.
"I think we should separate here." Seris stopped there.
"Yeah." Lian nodded.
The girl stayed silent for a few moments, then suddenly asked.
"Do you think we’ll meet each other in the competition?" For the first time, a little emotion could be seen in her eyes...more exactly, excitement.
Lian gave a faint smile, he could tell that more than fighting other people, this girl wanted to fight him, and if his guess about the duels was correct, then the chance that they would fight each other was almost certain.
After all, other than his oldest brother, he doubted anyone else could defeat this girl.
"Probably, yeah."
"I hope so." Seris’s silver eyes shined for a moment.
That was the only answer she gave, then without saying anything else, she turned around and walked toward the Pendragon family’s residence.
Just like always, direct, simple and without needing to explain anything.
Lian watched her leave for a few seconds, then he also started walking back toward his own mansion.
On the way back, he suddenly noticed something, whenever he talked with this girl, he always felt comfortable and relaxed, he did not have any extra feeling of worry.
He was not worried that he had to hide his real self.
He was not worried that they had different views that would lead to conflict between them.
He was not worried that the girl would try to use him, make plans against him or have any bad intentions toward him.
They simply talked.
After leaving the Ruined Realm, he had met many people, Federation officials, soldiers, family members and even made a few new friends.
But none of them really knew what he had gone through.
None of them knew how those days had passed.
None of them knew what kind of monsters he had stood against.
But Seris knew.
She had been there.
She had seen that same hell.
Maybe that was why talking with her felt different.
Or maybe it was because of the girl’s personality.
When he reached his mansion, it was already completely dark, the servants had prepared everything in advance.
The family’s formal clothes were placed on the bed, black and silver clothes with the Vorhelm emblem on the chest, the design was much simpler than normal noble clothes, but the quality looked excellent.
Beside them was an official envelope.
Lian picked it up.
The Vorhelm family seal was printed on it.
After opening the invitation, he quickly read its contents.
Tomorrow’s schedule was written clearly.
In the morning, the birthday ceremony would officially begin, but the main banquet would be held at night.
Lian looked at the paper for a few seconds, then threw the invitation onto the table, based on this, he could tell that tomorrow would only be a general banquet for Diana’s birthday and her first official appearance in front of many of the world’s most important people.
Nothing special had been prepared for tomorrow.
It was mostly a banquet for discussions and conversations between the strongest people, and for the younger generation to get to know each other or, if they were smart enough, build connections.
But none of those events mattered to him.
Not the celebration.
Not the banquet.
Not politics.
Not the display of the families’ power.
The only thing that mattered to him...was the Heavenly Treasury.
Nothing else.
The next morning.
Sunlight passed through the curtains.
Lian slowly opened his eyes, it took him a few seconds to remember where he was.
Then he got out of bed, walked to the window and pulled the curtain aside.
The entire Vorhelm territory had changed.
It was somewhat like yesterday, but even busier, hundreds of servants were moving around.
Many caravans were entering through the outer gates, luxury cars were driving one after another on the special roads.
The flags of many different families could be seen all over the territory.
Even from far away, the foreign guests could be recognized.
It looked more like a global summit.
After getting ready, Lian left the mansion, the farther he walked, the more people he saw.
The Pendragon family.
The Blackstone family.
The Ashbourne family.
Several other great families whose names even he had only heard before.
Among the crowd, there were executives from huge international companies.
Army generals.
High-ranking politicians.
Federation representatives.
And even a few nationally famous Awakened.
People whose names had appeared in the news many times.
People who, by themselves, could change the direction of the country and maybe even the world.
For the first time, Lian truly realized it.
This was not just a family event.
It was a display of power.
A display for the entire country and maybe even beyond it.
Some time later, in one of the family’s main squares, his eyes stopped on a few familiar faces.
Cassius Vorhelm, the family’s oldest son, tall, golden hair and a presence that almost put pressure on everyone around him.
A few meters away stood Isabella Vorhelm, with eyes that always looked as if they were calculating something.
No conversation happened between them, but their eyes met several times.
And Lian clearly understood.
They were judging him.
In fact...almost everyone was judging him.
Cassius, Isabella and the other children of the family were welcoming the guests and receiving them.
Short conversations were taking place and everyone was getting along.
There was still no sign of the senior members of the Vorhelm family, and it was expected that they would appear at night.
He simply stood in one corner.
It was not like he needed to do anything.
Seeing that nothing special would probably happen until night, he wanted to return to his mansion.
But then suddenly, the atmosphere inside the Vorhelm territory changed, the guards started lining up, the servants cleared the main paths.
Even the family’s children seemed to have come to welcome an important guest.
For a few seconds, whispers spread through the crowd.
"The Patriarch is back?"
"Is it really him?"
"Is that possible?"
Even Lian unconsciously looked toward the main entrance.
But in the end...someone else entered.
One of the Federation’s highest-ranking figures, the Deputy Secretary-General and the future leader of the Federation.
But not the person everyone had expected, the whispers slowly disappeared, but the name that remained in everyone’s mind...was still the same, the Patriarch.
When night arrived.
The main banquet began.
Inside the central palace, the Vorhelm family’s largest hall.
High ceilings.
Huge chandeliers.
Dozens of noble tables.
Hundreds of guests.
And the quiet sound of music in the background.
Every important person was there.
Lian was also standing among the crowd.
One of the attendants came closer and placed a glass of the ceremony’s special drink in front of him.
Without saying anything, he took it.
Then he slowly looked around.
He recognized some faces.
He did not recognize others.
In one corner, the members of the Pendragon family could be seen.
In another area, several army generals were talking with each other.
A few executives from major companies were also busy negotiating.
Lian silently looked at the crowd.
He felt this banquet was much more boring than he had expected.
He doubted he would be able to stay for the whole banquet if it continued to be this boring.
He continued looking around from time to time.
Until suddenly...he stopped moving.
His eyes fixed on one face.
A face he knew well.
Far too well.
A young man who was talking with several members of the Pendragon family.
At first glance, he looked like a respectable young man with a successful future.
But to Lian, he looked different...
This man was Elena’s brother.
The brother of his former fiancée.
And at that exact moment...as if he had sensed something, he raised his head and his eyes met Lian’s directly.
"Oh?"