Arthur Olvasen:

Harper and Sloane each held onto one of the door handles and pulled it open.

I could only imagine how heavy it was since the two guards were struggling to pry it apart. Finally, with a loud clack, the towering door slid open, revealing what I assumed to be the banquet hall.

The hall was enormous, with a vaulted ceiling that soared high above our heads with 4 grey pillars extending from the corners of the rectangular hall and moving upwards before bending and meeting each other in the centre of the ceiling.

Complimentary chandeliers hung from the ceiling and the candles adorning them casted a soft, flickering glow across the space.

And sitting in the far corner of the banquet hall, atop the inky dark throne located after three stairs that led to a raised platform was a man I was familiar with.

Jayden Cromwell.

His hands were placed on the armrests to the side and dark robes flowed around and beneath them.

His posture seemed practised and there was an unnaturally stern look on his face. Perhaps he hates putting up a farce of being a stern leader. Because it was not possible that he disliked such settings.

After all, this matter could have been handled via simple negotiations without the need for such over the top ceremony.

Because this banquet feels…too much.

On either side of the Jayden's throne-like seat were multiple other seats; the size of the backrests and the amounts of embellishments plateauing as they extended outwards until eventually the last seats on the two extremes of the long table were just normal chairs.

Sitting right beside him—behind the long table that extended from corner to another—on a slightly smaller throne-like seat that was equally dark was my father with a giant, satisfactory smile on his face.

"My Lord!" Sloane's voice quelled the heated chitter-chatter of the people as they finally turned around and noticed us arriving.

Like a herd of deer scattering upon spotting a predator, the demons suddenly left the main path and stood to the side. And while my head was directed straight towards Jayden, I couldn't help but feel it.

The gazes of the people standing to the side of the banquet hall, figures of all ages and sizes staring at me, a small contingent of them with disdain, while others with simple and genuine curiosity.

Which was surprising. But now that I had so much exposure in such a short span of time, I had started to see a pattern in the level of hate.

However, before I could consider the newly formed hypothesis in my mind, three figures that were standing the closest to Jayden emanated suppressed and highly directed auras at the three of us.

I could feel Astrid inch a little closer to me. Close enough until her shoulder touched the back of my arm, as if she was trying to lean against me.

Michael exhaled sharply from his nose; his agitation almost palpable. While there was no maliciousness or killing intent in the subtly suppressive aura, it was still enough to make even decently powerful mages to faint and froth in the mouth.

From first appearances they seemed related, however, something about the nature of their Arcanum and the way it just…existed made me think otherwise.

"Everyone!" Jayden rose up, a glass in his hand as the content whirled wildly inside it. "You have met my new friend Aksel Olvasen!"

The auras suddenly whipped out of existence, as if they were never there. And even after consciously trying to feel them—in any shape or form, I couldn't. Their control over their Arcanum was ironclad.

"Now meet the heirs to the human equivalent of royalty! Arthur Olvasen and Michael White."

As he announced, hesitant claps that arrived in a disheartening cadence filled the hall. The applause paused for a moment, then died out, only to be sporadically reinitiated by a random clap from someone in the far corner.

Jayden raised his hand up and the claps immediately subsided.

"Royalty? For fuck's sake." Michael snorted.

"What are they saying?" Astrid chimed in.

"Can't you understand Abrahamic?"

"How the hell am I supposed to understand a language I thought didn't exist until just recently!"

"Man, you lot suck. Must be hell living like a normie."

"You—"

Turning my attention away from the two fighting again, I looked at Jayden who motioned for people to take their seats instead of standing.

As they did, the three men who had exerted their auras at us a while ago took a seat right beside Jayden.

"Our guests here have accomplished a feat not many would even dare to think." Jayden continued as every eye was focused on him. Looking at them, everyone looked to be subservient enough with none of them having any malicious thought towards him.

"Both of them have fought and survived General Ed of Central Dominion, on separate occasions."

Was there a point in telling them about this? I mean…isn't it a bad thing for them?

"No way? That General Ed? Ed Vorlith?"

"This has to be a joke!"

"I can't believe a human can stand up to a Vorlith, much less General Ed!"

"I mean, wasn't he a bastard son of Vorliths? General or not, a pure-bred Vorlith would never let a human contend them on equal terms!"

Multiple whispers started to spread throughout the room. Jayden looked down at them and then tapped on his table once.

The echo was amplified as it washed like a tidal wave over everyone, drowning out their arguments and instilling a pin-drop hush in the hall, once again.

The man who was sitting the closest to Jayden had a rather sour expression on his face, his fist clenched and his cheek indented as he bit down at it. He had midnight sky coloured hair and a pair of spiralled purple eyes.

"But that little horseplay aside, no harm has been brought to the innocents." Jayden spoke with a glee.

He lied. There were so many people who died.

However, he did say innocents. And from what I remember almost all of them were evicted prisoners or people of really low ranks to be even considered worthy enough to think of anything.

The sound of chair skidding filled the hall. On Aksel's side, three figures pulled the chairs and sat down.

Without sparing a glance at them, Jayden continued his speech and raised his glass.

"We should put our differences aside and extend the hand of friendship. A hand of friendship that has already been extended towards us…we should indeed not leave it hanging." He spoke as the entire hall clamoured, agreeing with their lord.

It made me a little uncomfortable. It felt like I was inside a glass paned cage in a zoo.

"This will be the advent of a new age. An age when we no longer have to agree on lower terms with those in the Sylvan Fellowship."

"""""YEAH!!!"""""

"And incidentally, all three Dukes of the subsidiary states of Central Dominion are also here." Jayden motioned his hand towards the three men seated to his side. "Why don't you introduce yourselves to our guests?"

The first man shook his head, as if shrugging off some troubling monologue.

The man with the spiralling purple eyes spoke. "Thalor. Thalor Vorlith. I am the Duke of Valemount. Category 6. Pleasure to meet you."

He introduced himself and spoke of his Category with an unhidden pride and arrogance.

After that he immediately took a seat. However, throughout the conversation, even after he sat down, he never took his eyes off me.

Well, I am not the only one who fought your son! Stare at the guy behind me as well!

In order, the other man stood up as well. "Draven Toxarion. I am the Duke of Thornwood. Category 6."

Unlike Thalor, Draven's introduction felt much more resigned and the contempt in his blood red spiralling eyes behind his midnight grey hair was awfully visible.

The one in the far end seemed quite different than the other two. While Drave and Thalor had normal human-esque skin and appearances, he was the one who could easily qualify as earthlings' interpretation of demons.

Long and thick crimson red horns jutted out of the side of his head and went upwards before curling down at the top. Huge silver coloured earring hung from his ears and when he smirked, his silver and golden teeth flashed, making the three black ones stick out like a sore thumb.

As he stood to introduce himself, the predatory smirk never left his mouth. His spiralling obsidian eyes travelled to Astrid, followed by a lick of his lips as he straightened his back, causing his belly to stick out even more.

Even underneath the heavy robes, I could tell he was way past the "obese" threshold.

His hair was the same colour as Thalor and Draven but unlike them, his was styled in spikes.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Greetings human." He was eying Astrid like a starved man. She got even closer, and gripped at the back of my sleeve.

Her breath was warm and the fresh forest smell of her skin was oddly soothing. And somewhat arousing.

Ehmmm...back to the present.

"Ronan Malkaroth." He introduced himself, a frown finding its way to his face as she completely hid behind me and Michael stepped forward, completely hiding her.

"Duke of…Ravenmoor…tch." Clicking his tongue, he slumped back into his seat.

Jayden had a rather neutral look on his face as he pointed towards the first table, the one closest to him on Aksel's side. "Have a seat, please. And begin the celebration." He paused as a drumming melody filled the hall.

"Celebration for outgrowing the past differences and ushering ourselves into a new era!"

Everyone raised their glasses as the banquet was officially initiated.

Before we went towards our respective seats, I took in Ronan's face and ingrained it into my mind. Like branding a mark into one's bare flesh.

He will die. An excruciating death.

And I will be there to inflict it with my own hands.

******

Pressing my lips tightly together, I stifled the rising yawn, feeling the strain in my jaw and the subtle burn in my eyes.

It has been well over 24 hours since I last slept or got some rest. And due to the unchanging shade of darkness outside, I had lost perception of time as well.

I was currently sitting around a round table beside Astrid and Michael.

But the past hour and a half haven't exactly been wasted since I learnt a few things. Since Sloane and Harper were stationed to help up with anything, I asked Sloane about the 'Category' that the three lords of Central Dominion mentioned a while ago.

'Category' is a way for Edeners to quantify their ranks. Categories exist from "Category I" which is a newly awakened mage, to "Category X" which is mostly regarded as a myth.

And while there were people who have reached "Category IX" – both human and other races – in the past, no one has achieved the mythical feat.

And from the explanation of disparity between each category, it was quite evident that it was not the same.

The powerup that comes from advancing a 'Category' doesn't rise in a conventional way.

While the power gap keeps rolling over as one progresses there is still one major difference that I observed after around 40 minutes of constantly pondering and observing the two maids.

A good example would be that one would think that Category 2 is X2 times stronger than Category 1 and Category 3 is X3 stronger than Category 1. However, that is not exactly the case.

The disparity is much larger. Wider.

Since Harper was Category 2 and Sloane was Category 3. And the difference in arcanum amount from an observatory viewpoint – assuming that they were not hiding any of it – proves that Category 3 would be (X3)2 times stronger. The second exponent was the difference in Category 1 and current stage.

But of course, this is a hypothesis based on an assumption that the feel of Arcanum can be quantified into mathematical numbers.

Since being strong doesn't entirely depend on the amount of Arcanum one can hold. This observation was based solely on the quantity. Assuming Arcanum can be quantified, underneath perfect conditions.

Something else that I noticed, other than the Category ranking system, was the obvious difference in how people in Lawold – or more specifically, this castle – treated us.

And while I have no tangible proof or concrete elements to prove what I am about to say, I think the reason behind it is the exact opposite of what The Seven Syndicates did.

While Seven Syndicates monopolised the power due to less ambient resources to put everyone in line, it seems like the Royalty in Eden has used the generational hate as a weapon for their own progress.

By introducing propagandas that promotes anti-human beliefs, they are keeping the common folks in check.

Since they can't control the ambient arcanum and the normal people from awakening, they are redirecting their attention from overthrowing the government to a much more concerning matter.

Of course, all of this was still a hypothesis on my part and I might be completely off the tangent.

"Mmm~ This is not bad."

Astrid let out a content breath as she placed her utensils to the side. The plate was wiped almost clean with a few streaks of grease still lingering in the centre.

The type of meat used in the dish was still a mystery but it felt alright. It had a contradictory texture and flavour.

The amount of fat in it was enough to clog any person's arteries. And while it tasted like a 50 times fattier pork, its texture was something more akin to bison meat.

It was hearty. And chewy. Really, really chewy. And rubbery.

There were some other dishes that stood out as well.

Like the Wyrmscale Pie.

The crust was a complicated pattern of golden-brown pastry, shining with a honeyed glaze underneath the beautiful candlelight.

Inside were tender pieces of—what I was told was—wyrm meat, seemingly slow-cooked with some weird blend of demon pepper and a variant of truffles I had never tasted before.

It was much more tender than the bison-pork meat.

Beside the Wyrmscale Pie was another dish that they called Tail Stew.

Which abomination's tail? I have no idea. Although Astrid really liked it, saying it reminded her of stews her grandma used to make on Christmas.

It was served in a cauldron of black iron and the stew was a deep, rich red, bubbling gently and releasing tendrils of aromatic steam.

It was filled with chunks of unidentified creature's tail. And despite succulent and slightly sweet meat, which absorbed the bold flavours of the broth, I couldn't help my gag reflex.

Hence, to not embarrass myself, I refrained from eating it any further.

The broth, however, was quite nice. It was a concoction of dragonroot, blood onions, and a splash of shadow wine which warmed the core.

On a much bigger platter was a Basilisk Egg Omelette.

The name itself should make you not even consider eating it. It's basically a snake's egg's omelette that can petrify you by looking in your eyes.

The only selling point was the presentation. It was whipped into a fluffy omelette filled with minced nightmare mushrooms and shavings of aged demon cheese.

The waiter who was a very young demon was kind enough to tell us what the specific ingredients were.

Although it was quite clear that he was doing it out of obligation and a direct order from Jayden. He could've just broken the plates on our head for all he cared.

There were many other things on the menu but the only other thing I personally tried was the Frostfire Pudding.

It seemed alive with magic, shifting colours from a deep icy blue to a fiery orange, depending on the angle of the light.

The waiterboy said that the pudding was made from the essence of petals of frostberries and fireflowers, giving it a unique sensation of cold and heat as it dissolved on the tongue.

Topped with crystallised sugar and a dollop of shadow cream, it was better than any dessert I had on Earth.

"For once I agree with this rat." Michael breathed out a heavy sigh as he finished his third cut of meat.

"Of course, you agree with a dish having 50 litres of fat being tasty. Cholesterol must be afraid of you."

"Hah! Only normal fucks like you are afraid of cholesterol."

"Hmph!" She crossed her arms and looked the other way.

They were getting unusually comfortable with each other. It's concerning.

Looking from the corner of my eye, I observed Ronan still eying Astrid every now and then.

Aren't women supposed to have like this sixth sense that tells them a man is looking at them in an inappropriate way? Or am I horrendously misinformed?

Other than that, the other noteworthy thing was…were the three figures who had silently taken a seat beside my father.

The three demons, 2 of whom were around my age.

The first one looked almost as old as my brother, Eric.

His figure, even though he was sitting, was huge and imposing.

His messy white hair was styled like a mane, wild and untamed, falling around his sharp, angular face.

His golden eyes burned with an intense, almost malevolent glint as he continued to overlook every person in the room, as if keeping them in check while Jayden and Aksel talked to the three Dukes of Central Dominion.

The horns protruding from the sides of his head curved up and outwards with the pair from his temples shorter, more jagged, and surprisingly menacing.

His skin was pale, almost ghostly grey, contrasting oddly well with his dark robes which were made out of black and rich purple, adorned with silver accents and flowing, cape-like elements that rippled every time he shifted.

The other one was much younger and looked to be around my age. A year or two older, perhaps, physically of course.

In contrast to whom I assumed was his brother, the younger one had a chilly calm demeanour to him, quite different from the energetic older brother.

His white hair was neatly kept, styled back meticulously. His golden – almost yellow eyes, though sharing the same eerie hue as the older one, had an unsettlingly analytical shine, as he observed everything with a cold detachment.

Even his presence was quite meek. If I wasn't seeing him with my own eyes, I would not have felt him sitting right there unless he directed some kind of animosity towards me.

The horns on the sides of his head were sleek and polished, curving upward in the same way as the older one and Jayden's.

However, the pair from his temples was much more streamlined, tapering to fine points.

He was wearing a robe of the same material as the older ones, consisting of a blend of dark grey and midnight blue with subtle golden embellishments across his chest.

And while both of them gave me jitters, unlike the older one's menacing presence, the younger one felt more troublesome. Insidious. Like a quiet, looming threat.

And I would've almost missed the one sitting right beside them if not for Michael elbowing my ribs and almost blowing them away.

"That one's hot as sin." He whispered, raising a brow at the third person sitting right beside the brothers. Her brothers.

They were Jayden's kids. The so-called young masters who were mentioned time and time again by Harper and Sloane.

It was a girl. Appearance wise she looked to be between the two brothers in age.

Her hair was a much darker shade of white and cascaded in soft waves around her shoulders. It was let loose but at the same time it looked extremely prim.

With an aloof demeanour, she sat perfectly still, her hands crossed over the table.

Dressed in a deep blue gown, kind of similar to Astrid's, it draped gracefully along her slim body.

You could almost see a hint of her thighs through the slit into the side of her dress which she had crossed over the other leg. Her dress curved into all the right places and she was indeed, objectively, pretty.

It wasn't as much as Michael was reacting, but she had the allure to bewitch any man.

"Hmmmmmmm."

The girl's eyes shifted towards us. Placing her chin in her palm, she tilted her head, the look on her face hardening.

Oh, she's making eye contact. Aaand she's trying to compete.

Good lord. What on Earth– Eden is this situation?

"HMMMMM!" The humming sound and the tapping of fingers only intensified as both of us looked back to see Astrid who was scrutinising me with narrowed eyes. "Like what you see, huh!?"

"I suppose so." I replied. "They are ginormous."

"Dude, what the fuck?" Michael blurted out, his eyes wide and an expression hanging on his face that screamed disbelief.

"What? Aren't you the one who told me to look that way?"

"No…yes, I mean, but…" he paused and leaned in, "…don't talk about another woman's tits in front of other women. Especially when she's got a much smaller rack than hers."

"I can hear you perfectly, even though it doesn't seem like you're trying very hard." A vein popped on Astrid's forehead. "And why are you even observing everyone's…chests?" She placed one arm across her own.

"Man! You got your cleavage poking out of that dress. It's hard to not look at them." He paused and smirked, "But don't worry so much. There's nothing much to look at anyways."

She grumbled, her palm balling into a fist.

"Heh. If you believe otherwise, prove it."

"That's enough." She made a disgusted face. "You creep!"

"Hah! When you are proven wrong, then I am a creep. Geez."

Putting their banter aside, I think I get it now. He meant that Astrid might get insecure if I say stuff like this out loud. Now that I think about it, I have never looked at her in that way.

Perhaps it is because she was a scared, trembling little girl when I saved her. And that I still look at her that way.

I looked at her.

Really looked at her.

And while I could tell she was not the same frail looking girl anymore, and had grown up quite well, I couldn't just see her that way. Was it because I had been looking after her all this time? Or was it some other reason? I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

While our table was getting abuzz with talks that were playing a precarious game of balancing over the rope between immoral and moral, Jayden suddenly stood up and clapped his hands.

The clap was powerful enough to send a shockwave throughout the room as he grabbed everyone's attention.

"I hope the dinner is treating you well, Ladies and Gentlemen." He spoke with an extremely happy voice. And somehow it ticked me off.

"The food might be good, and that's a part of the banquet, but…" he paused as he looked at my father and then at me.

Oh Goddess. This can't be good.

"…what is a banquet without some entertainment!?"

Everyone let out slight murmurs, agreeing with their Lord.

"And what better way to start the entertainment other than a duel between the Demon and Human Royalty Young Masters!?"

The entire crowd went silent for a brief moment before erupting into chaos.

The girl looked down at me with a rather disappointed look. As if the mere thought of a duel with us was making her feel nauseous.

"Isn't that right, my friend?" He asked, looking in Aksel's direction.

Intoxicated, my father bobbed his head. "Of course. Drag my boy into a fight and let him do his magic."

The older brother smirked and whispered something to his younger brother, causing him to frown.

Well…while this is not ideal, it's not as bad as one would think. I couldn't learn anything about Cromwells' Arcane Art before. But now it was different. I am not exactly aware what Category the 'young masters' are, this can prove valuable.

"What are they saying?" Astrid inched closer. Her face was bright red and her breathing was really fast.

Looks like someone had a bit too much alcohol.

"Something I'm not too against." I returned the girl's gaze with my own. "Something that might end up benefiting me in the future."