[The first commander of New Avalbourne's military, Mr. Russell Bridges, cordially invites Mr. Matthias Lowell to attend the Hero's Banquet that will be held in your honor!]That was what the invitation card read.William felt insulted. Even if someone were to forge an invitation, they could have at least made it more believable. While Russell had indeed organized the Hero's Banquet, the actual invitations were nothing like that—they simply mentioned the recipient without any additional content.The idea that someone of Russell's stature would personally write an invitation, addressing the recipient so respectfully, was laughable to William."So it's a fake invitation, after all," Delilah mocked; she looked satisfied."It looks like you're really here to cause trouble. Matthias, are you really this stupid? You know Mr. Archer is looking for you, yet you dare to come here with a fake invitation? Your audacity is unbelievable!"The rest of the Reilley family joined in, hurling insul
As Alpha effortlessly took down all the guards, William's face turned red with anger."How dare you resist! You're challenging the war department!" William shouted.Stuart's expression was grim, but his eyes gleamed with excitement. "Matthias, you've gone too far! The Hero's Banquet is hosted by the military. The Imperial Grand Hotel represents them. Aren't you afraid of the consequences?"However, what happened next stunned everyone present.Alpha grabbed William by the throat, lifting him off the ground."P—Put me down this instant! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" William roared, disbelief written all over his face at being humiliated in his own territory.The Reilley family started shouting criticisms, amazed at the audacity of Matthias' group. Even though they knew it was a military event, they still dared to act that way.The Reilleys shouted, "Matthias, tell your man to stop! You can't act like this here!"Matthias turned to them, his eyes cold as ice. "I don't kn
"Shut up, you ignorant fool!" Brock snapped at William, shooting him a fierce glare. Then, he hurried to Matthias' side and bowed deeply, his face pale. "Mr. Lowell, I'm terribly sorry. I never imagined this to happen!"William's mind went blank as he witnessed that scene. His body began to tremble, and he broke out in cold sweat.It was unbelievable that the honorable Brock was speaking so respectfully and bowing in apology. William realized he was doomed for tearing up Matthias' invitation and ordering the security to capture them.Suddenly, everything became clear to William—the torn invitation was genuine, personally written by Russell himself!"Sir, I deserve to be punished with death for my ignorance! I didn't recognize your importance!" William cried out, his voice trembling."Silence, you fool! You're not worthy to apologize to him," Brock scolded. He wished he could smack William there and then.He turned to Matthias, his tone respectful but nervous. "Mr. Lowell, I deepl
In the banquet hall, news of Matthias' arrival spread quickly, causing a stir among the guests. Many were surprised, then delighted. They had been searching for him throughout Reirmunt, and he had walked right through their door."Let's go see Matthias get arrested by the military!" Pierre laughed, leading the group toward the hotel entrance. "I can't believe he's so bold, daring to come here when he knows we're attending the Hero's Banquet."They had only taken a few steps when Matthias and his group entered the hall and met with Pierre's party.The smiles on their faces instantly froze."Matthias, you fool! Who permitted you to enter? Get out now!" Stuart barked, his face darkening with anger.All eyes in the hall turned to watch the confrontation unfold."You didn't hurt the hotel manager to force your way in, did you?" Delilah sneered, her eyes full of hatred. She then shouted to the hotel staff nearby, "Call security! Have these people arrested!"However, the hotel staff, c
William's attempt to defuse the situation backfired."Who do you think you are? This doesn't concern you. Get lost!" Pierre dismissed William with a disdainful glance.Blake said with a sneer, "Aren't you the hotel manager? What? You think you're important enough for the Lowell family to listen to you?"William's head buzzed, and he quickly tried to explain, "Sir Lowell, Mr. Blake, please don't misunderstand. The military entrusted us with this event. If anything goes wrong, we'll face their wrath."Besides, this gentleman is also a guest tonight. He's under our hotel's protection, and we can't allow any harm to come to him.""He's a guest? Are you kidding me? Didn't you say his invitation was fake?" Delilah exclaimed in disbelief.The Lowell family members looked equally unhappy.William, sweating profusely, said, "I made a mistake earlier. This gentleman is indeed a guest tonight, invited by the War Department."That revelation caused uneasiness among the crowd. They wondered
Seeing the disbelief on Leona and Nadine's faces, Matthias shrugged and gently guided Leona to her seat.He sat down with Danielle in his arms and said softly, "Don't worry. These seats are reserved for us. Don't you trust me?""I trust you!" Leona replied, though her face was still filled with curiosity and confusion.Not far from them, Pierre and his group noticed Matthias sitting at table one. Their faces darkened as they hurled insults and mockery."How dare you! Matthias, what gives you the right to sit there?""These seats reserved for you? Matthias, you sure know how to spin a lie!"Pierre mocked, "The Lowell family is among New Avalbourne's top three. We're honored to be seated at table three by Mr. Bridges. You're nothing but trash, Matthias. What right do you have to sit at table one? Get up and leave before we make you!"Stuart joined in with a vicious tone. "Matthias, get up and scram! Find a corner in the back and wait quietly for your death after the banquet!"Del
"Dad, my hand! My hand!" Carlile cried, his face pale and tears streaming down his face. With both hands useless, he had become a cripple."Matthias! You've gone too far! This is the Hero's Banquet! How dare you resort to violence?" Stuart glared at Matthias, his eyes filled with hatred."Get lost! If you dare show your face again, I'll cripple every member of the Reilley family!" Matthias warned him coldly.Stuart was about to continue his tirade but fell silent at those words.That commotion lasted only a few moments, but it was enough for the Lowell and Ramsay families to spring into action. They all stood up at once and rushed toward Matthias."Matthias, you're too outrageous. You don't deserve to attend the Hero's Banquet, let alone sit here," Pierre said coldly, approaching Matthias with his cane."You dare to injure someone at the Hero's Banquet, disregarding the military's rules. Now, we're going to kill you, and I want to see who has a problem with that.""We were going
As the woman's voice broke the tense atmosphere, everyone turned to look, curious and annoyed at the one who dared scold them. However, their frowns quickly turned to smiles when they saw the newcomer.A young woman in her mid-20s approached them, wearing subtle makeup and an elegant purple and gold dress that exuded understated grace. Her presence alone hinted at her importance.Nadine's face paled as she hurried to Matthias and whispered, "We need to leave. That's Hazel Garcia, Dalton's wife!"Before she could finish, Pierre's laughter rang out. "Mrs. Archer! The banquet hasn't started yet. What brings you here so early?"Hazel recognized Pierre and greeted him with a smile. Despite her initial haughty entrance, she knew which families deserved respect. Even with Dalton's status in Reirmunt, there were those they needed to have a good rapport with."Sir Lowell, why aren't you seated yet? I couldn't see clearly through the crowd earlier, and my words were rather rude. But they we