Arrival of the Banquet

A few more days passed since Amden ventured into the forest to battle the beasts.

After returning, he analyzed his strengths and weaknesses and strove to increase his battle awareness. He was diligent in his practice and worked extremely hard in eliminating his weak points.

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Finally, the day of his birthday banquet arrived. Many powerful families and organizations from all around the region had been invited.

In the morning, Amden got dressed while Cilia accompanied him. He stood in front of a mirror, gazing at his reflection. For the occasion, Amden wore a black suit that, combined with his blue eyes, made him look dashingly handsome.

Cilia could not help but steal repeated glances at him.

Amden smirked and teased, "Why so shy? You can look all you want, in as much detail as you like."

Cilia could only pout at his teasing.

Lexicon had been tasked with taking Amden to the venue of the birthday banquet. Other family members, including his maternal grandparents, had already arrived at the newly constructed villa, which had been named the Northern Snow Villa.

A convoy of SUVs was arranged to transport Amden to the Northern Snow Villa. In the middle of the convoy was Amden's car. A driver from the Vantistart Consortium drove, while Lexicon was seated in the passenger seat. Amden and Cilia had taken their seats in the rear.

Amden maintained a calm expression, but as the venue approached Cilia was becoming anxious. The closer they got to their destination, the more uneasy she became.

Although she was confident in Amden's abilities, she couldn't stop worrying. She knew all too well about the political rivalries among the elite families, and since Amden was the heir of two such families, the chances of rivals trying to bring him down were extremely high.

She just hoped that nothing excessive happened and that Amden remained safe; otherwise, she would not mind shedding some blood.

After an hour's drive, Amden and his convoy arrived at their destination. The villa had been lavishly decorated, with the main hall and the front garden serving as the primary venues for the banquet.

All kinds of exquisite flowers from around the world had been used for decoration, and the snowy white mountains on the other side added significantly to the villa's beauty.

Although it was still early, quite a few guests had already begun to arrive, and without a doubt, everyone was awed by the villa's beauty.

Similarly, the food was lavishly served—rare delicacies from around the world were on offer, and wine along with other high-quality drinks flowed like water at the party.

It was a display of the Vantistart family's wealth and it had been executed extremely well. Even people of very high social standing were awed by its extravagance.

Lily, upon seeing her son, immediately hugged him. "My son, you look so, so handsome!"

Rexon, on the other side, commented proudly, "After all, whose son, is he?"

"Of course, mine," Lily instantly replied. Rexon was stupefied by his wife's response and could only scratch his head.

Amden then greeted both pairs of his grandparents.

Clara noticed something and asked, "Amden, where are Lucas and Luna? We thought they would come with you."

Everyone then noticed that the twins were missing.

"They won't be attending the banquet. I don't want the world to know that they are related to me—well, not yet," Amden replied.

Hearing this, no one inquired further. Amden did not allow them to appear publicly because he had a specific purpose in mind.

Rexon turned toward Amden and said, "Son, some people might try to cause trouble for you."

Amden nodded and calmly replied, "Don't worry, Father. Unless someone from the older generation interferes, you need not intervene—I will handle the rest."

Rexon nodded. Hardly anyone from the older generation would act; going against someone who had recently awakened was beneath their status.

Generally, it was the younger generation of other elite families who would approach Amden.

Very soon, prominent guests began to arrive at the banquet. They marvelled at the splendor of the villa and its decorations. Surrounded on three sides by forest, it appeared mesmerizing.

All the guests could only speak of the villa's beauty; although they felt a little envious, they did not show it on their faces.

All kinds of drinks and snacks were being served, and represenatitves of many elite families had also begun to make their appearance.

Amden warmly welcomed the guests, greeting them with a polite smile.

Suddenly, a loud laugh reverberated in the hall, drawing the attention of the entire hall.

"Young master Amden sure knows how to enjoy life—buying the land and then spending quite a fortune to make it this lavish!"

Amden turned around to find three youths, around 21 or 22 years old, standing before him.

In the center of the trio, stood a well-built boy. He had a dominating appearance and appeared to be the leader of the trio.

To his right stood an extremely beautiful and seductive-looking lady. Although, she was acting like a 'lackey' of the boy in the middle, Amden felt strange 'vibes' from her. She was not simple as she seemed.

And on the left of the leader was someone Amden recognized: Ravien Carter.

He even noticed Trot Wilson standing in one corner of the banquet hall, but Amden's momentary gaze was enough to make Trot shiver in fear.