Banquet and Invitation
In the Ancient blood Serpent Castle were many phenomena that even their current leader, Freya, could not explain clearly.
As a result, when he first saw the crimson structure, Leylin quickly grew fond of the place.
‘This sort of ancient castle is what is truly fit to be the residence of a Magus. My Onyx Castle lacks these details,’ he thought as he sighed.
Freya’s family was rumoured to even have seen Morning Star Magi amongst their ranks in history, and it was naturally something that Leylin could not compare to.
Yet, Leylin was confident in himself. As long as he advanced to the Morning Star realm, he would not need a long time before the Onyx Castle would be comparable to this Ancient Blood Serpent Castle and be a true ancient Magus castle.
A large number of carriages were parked at the plaza of the castle, and in the area were many magical creatures.
A large number of guests entered from the main gate, and the entire area seemed very lively. Greetings were thrown around audibly on occasion.
For someone to come here alone was very rare, and Leylin immediately attracted attention for it.
Thankfully, he was famous to begin with, and many members of the organisation had seen him before. Even for those who hadn’t, there were definitely images and information regarding him. Naturally, he would not be mocked.
“Leylin, there you are!” After some disturbance at the gates, Freya who was dressed in glamorous attire, came forward to welcome Leylin.
Even though they had not met for a very long time, her face still looked childlike, and even though she had the might of a Crystal Phase Magus, she looked just like a little girl, a huge contrast to her mature and enticing figure.
‘Calling me directly by my name? Am I that close to you?’ Leylin rolled his eyes internally, but still allowed Freya to affectionately hold his arms as they walked into the castle.
This was obviously a signal with an obvious implication.
Leylin knew very well that, in Freya’s heart, she probably did not have any intentions of giving up on him completely. She had always liked to show how close she was to him at public occasions like these.
However, he was just as happy about the situation. This way, there would be fewer female Warlocks coming to cause him trouble.
Only Miranda would have the guts to fight with Freya over a man. However, after being subdued by Leylin, Miranda had became a lot more down-to-earth.
“I’m very happy that you’re here today. I hope to be able to meet you privately after the banquet, and discuss some matters regarding our mentor!” She lightly whispered into Leylin’s ears, and tenderly hugged him before going to entertain other guests.
She was the main lead of the event today, and there were many distinguished high-ranked Warlocks who had made their way here. Naturally, she could not only accompany Leylin.
“Mentor?” Leylin stroked his chin.
From the looks of it, Freya had gained an interest in the rumours regarding the discovery of traces of Purgatory World. However, she seemed concerned as well, and this foresight set her apart from other Warlocks.
Leylin shrugged his shoulders, looked for a corner, and started to quietly enjoy the delicacies and wine.
As fitting of nobles with thousands of years of heritage, the banquet had very sumptuous food, which surpassed Leylin’s expectations.
“Haha! Leylin, do you like being here alone? Aren’t you going to dance?” After sitting for a while on the sofa, Leylin saw a familiar face.
The aura of Robin’s body was gloomy, and the black marking on his forehead had occupied almost his entire face. It made Leylin rather uncomfortable.
He was now smiling at Leylin, holding a crystal glass filled with grape wine. On the other end, many female Warlocks wearing revealing clothes shot coquettish glances over.
“Senior Robin!” Leylin smiled and nodded, “I have no interest in these things...”
“That’s not what you said when you were dealing with Miranda previously...” Robin smiled and shook his head, and sat beside Leylin.
Evidently, he had just used the female Warlocks as a conversation starter.
“The aura on your body... has reached a stage where even I can’t seem to see through...” Robin sized up Leylin and said with a laugh, a glint in his eyes.
After being watched this way, Leylin felt chills down his spine. The greediness Robin was concealing well was causing him to feel apprehensive.
“Senior Robin, stop joking around. I’ve merely mastered a few powerful spells recently...” Leylin smiled and declined. His skills at altering his aura typically could not be seen through by an ordinary Crystal Phase Magus, but Robin had managed to do so, which put him on his guard.
“Why haven’t I seen Noah around?” Leylin immediately diverted the conversation.
“He...” Robin’s eyes registered fondness, “Noah has already reached the important milestone in his spiritual force’s advancement to the Vapour Phase. He has been staying back in the family...”
“I would have to congratulate senior in advance then...” Leylin smiled, but yet felt like things were not as simple as how Robin made it out to be.
Robin became silent, before issuing an invitation, “All of us have benefitted greatly from the previous expedition. I’ve recently obtained some new intelligence. What do you think? Are you keen on another one? I am willing to give you 40% of the benefits this time round!”
“Expedition? Where to?” Leylin seemed interested, as he tilted his body forward slightly.
“An ancient pocket dimension. I can confidently say it holds an ancient Morning Star Magus’ writings, and might even be related to the ruins of the Quicksand Organisation!” Robin slightly organised his words.
“Quicksand Organisation?” Leylin’s eyes lit up, but the alarm bells ringing in his heart had grown extremely loud.
After deliberating for a long time, he finally gave a reply, “I’m sorry, Senior! I’ve been conducting an extremely important experiment recently, and I’m afraid I will not be able to head out for long periods of time.“
The instant after he said this, he felt chills, as if he was being stared at by a ferocious beast.
“Oh! What a pity...” Robin sighed, then got up and left.
However, Leylin could evidently feel the fury Robin was trying to keep in, and many things that were hidden in the dark.
‘What a terrifying man!’ Leylin heaved a deep sigh of relief after seeing Robin’s back.
‘From the looks of it, the trip to the Quicksand Castle has caused a huge change in him...’ Leylin had a feeling that this Robin was an entirely different person from that passionate and positive man he’d known.
However, even if it were the old Robin who had came forth with the invitation, Leylin would probably decline it as well. Currently, he was not short of anything. Since it was very chaotic outside, going out and exploring now would obviously just be a death wish.
On top of that, Leylin did not feel at ease with the current Robin.
Banquets like those between the elites were relatively boring, at least in Leylin’s eyes. Many bloodline elites liked to flatter each other and flaunt their wealth, and eventually get themselves drunk.
Many good looking males and females would even cuddle on the stage, and then leave the banquet together and enter designated cubicles. According to rumours, the cubicles had relatively good soundproofing functions and even if the world were to crumble, the voices within would not be transmitted to the areas outside. The people in the cubicle were therefore free to do whatever they wanted without any worries.
The strength Leylin was displaying was that of a Hydro Phase Magus, As a Marquis of the Ouroboros Clan, many high-ranked Warlocks would naturally come forth to flirt with him. Even when he tried to hide in a corner, it was hard to get a break with all the coquettish invitations he was getting.
Normally, Leylin did not mind playing this game, but after the banquet, he had Freya’s private invitation to attend to. Robin’s appearance had also caused him to feel uneasy, and that had naturally been a killjoy.
It was not until Leylin felt like his facial muscles were cramping from him smiling that the majestic banquet was announced to have ended.
This was a celebration meant for just the high-ranked nobility. For the low-ranked Warlocks or peasants, they would get to rest for a weekend. Freya’s clan would even provide white bread and rum free of charge.
From the looks of it, such an auspicious occasion had not occurred in her family for a very long time, hence the need for a large celebration.
Leylin did not bother with all of that. After the banquet had ended, under a maid’s guidance, he entered the depths of the Ancient Blood Serpent Castle.
The materials that made up the castle had since experienced many changes due to it receiving the radiation from the many Magi that had lived there.
The walls were coloured a crimson that resembled that of human muscle, and even possessed the same elasticity.
The floor was covered with a red carpet, and large mouths emerged from time to time, swallowing the trash in one gulp before licking their lips, as if after a tasty treat.
There was not a single ordinary human in the castle. With the exception of the low-ranked Warlock maids who were leading Leylin, the majority were slaves of other races.
“Hovlin?” Leylin looked at the team of dwarf-like beings bowing to him in shock. Those dwarves were scrawny, but had very sharp ears.
“Yes, master! The Hovlin not only have long lives; they are also outstanding gardeners and chefs, qualified to perform jobs of varying degrees of intensity, and as a bonus, they have a high degree of resistance to radiation!”
The maid introduced the Hovlin to Leylin.
“I’ve naturally heard of the slaves used by noble families!” Leylin nodded his head.
In actual fact, during the construction of Onyx Castle, he had thought of purchasing slaves, but high-quality slaves like these were pretty rare. Only amongst bloodline nobility like Freya’s Family would one find this many Hovlin.
“Master has been waiting in the study room for you!” The maid respectfully opened a walnut wood door and stood by the side. Leylin adjusted his collar before walking in.
“Welcome! You haven’t seen my study room before, have you?” Freya had changed into a long loose robe, and had casually used a piece of fabric to tighten her robe. Her face was as youthful as ever.
“Yes. Your huge collection of books is shocking!” Leylin nodded his head, and pretended not to see Freya’s attempts at seduction.
He knew very well what he could afford to play around with. For girls like Miranda, it was okay to have sex with them. However, it was different for girls like Freya.
Leylin was sure that if he was not prepared to take responsibility after his actions, he would definitely be chased down by the Blood Duchess until he perished!
Freya’s eyes registered a ray of disappointment, yet she still made a promise. “If you want to, you can flip through any of the books here!”