Chapter 57 The Family (above)

　　On the fourth floor of the main building, there is a banquet hall, which is used only for family gatherings or important banquets. On the south side of the hall, there is a side hall that can be used for various purposes, which is connected to a terrace facing the town of Levin. Occasionally, small family gatherings are held here, and at night, from the terrace, one can enjoy the stunning view of the valley town at night.

　　As for the north side, there were a number of lounges with no shortage of secluded private spaces that could cater to the different needs of the guests. Cheating is definitely just one of them, but more, it is used for secret meetings.

　　Despite the fact that some of the family's immediate blood relatives were invited to today's party, as well as some of Bethcord's important friends, the banquet was not held in the hall, but in a side hall on the south side. Alan followed Horn's lead and was led by Hazen through the long corridors to the side hall. Whispers and laughter bored into his ears as the door opened.

　　But after a few of them entered the hall, all the sounds suddenly disappeared without a trace as if they were cut off by an invisible pair of scissors.

　　Alan looked behind Hoth, there weren't many people in the hall, just a dozen or two dozen people. Most of them were men, followed by women, and most of them were adults, but there were also three or four teenage girls of similar age to Alan. These people had different expressions when they saw Allen. There was indifference, there was surprise, there was indifference, and there was also an imperceptible resentment.

　　One of the older boys had the most pronounced expression, his eyes reddening like a bull going berserk at the sight of Allen.

　　Taking in the reactions of these people in his eyes, Alan did not have a single expression on his face and was blandly indifferent. However, his line of sight would always fall on a few middle-aged men without a second thought, and these four men, whose facial contours were very similar to his mother, Lanie, should be Horn's sons.

　　"Long time no see, old friend." An old man, also in his prime, came forward first, well-dressed and with snowy eyes, and embraced Horn affectionately.

　　Horn patted him on the back, then brought Alan forward and said, "Let me introduce, this is Mr. Kate. The patriarch of the Molson family, the Molson family is an important friend of ours, and Kate and I have been friends for decades. The Mosen family is famous for business, Allen, in the future, if you don't know anything about business, you should ask Mr. Kate for more advice."

　　 Old Kate said modestly.

　　"Grandpa Horn, who is this pretty boy, and you don't introduce me." A glowing voice interjected.

　　Horn laughed and Kate gave a headache look. Alan's eyes lit up as a pretty teenage girl squeezed into their midst. The girl's light brown hair was tied up high, revealing a glossy, full forehead. A pair of pitch-black eyes were like fine jewels, mapping everything in this world. Her features were exquisite, her lips were full and red, she was not very old, yet she could already tell that she was a beauty embryo.

　　The most unusual thing about it was that it was obviously a girl, but she was wearing a hunting outfit. A short brown leather lean, a white blouse turned up with a lace neckline, black pants emphasizing her slender leg line, and finally a pair of long hunting boots giving her a wild look.

　　Her eyebrows were slightly thicker than the average girl's, so when they were raised in unison, it always added so much arrogance to the young girl.

　　"This is Adele, Kate's granddaughter, the pearl of the Molson family, Alan can get closer to Adele if he has the chance in the future." Horn said lightly.

　　Adele looked Alan up and down seriously, reached out and swept her little tongue between her lips, and said meaningfully, "There will be opportunities."

　　Alan felt a pang of discomfort, this particular young girl looked at him as if she were looking at a fresh, delicious cake.

　　God knows why he felt that way.

　　Next, Horn continued to introduce some of Alan's friends who had dealings with Bethcord, although these people were not from a famous warlord, but they were also considered to be dignitaries when they were thrown on Babylon. Just when introducing them, Horn didn't have the same kind of enthusiasm as when he talked to Kate before, and many times he just brought them over in one sentence.

　　And finally there are Horn's four sons.

　　The eldest son, Roddy, was already forty-two, more than two meters tall coupled with a strong body, even if he was put in a fine gown, it was as ridiculous as a riotous bear dressed up. But his body's aura, such as the scorching sun in the desert, but people can not laugh. Keeping a circle of beard like steel needles, this man looked at Allen with stern eyes, as if he wanted to pierce him through with his gaze.

　　Alan looked him straight in the eyes and didn't hold back at all even though he let Rowdy stare long enough for his face to start turning pale.

　　After a moment, a bright smile grew on the man's face, "Very well, it's been a long time since a little one dared to look me in the eye like that. Lanni's son, welcome back."

　　Saying that, he slapped Allen's body, barely missing little Allen. Alan was also surprised in his mind, Horn hadn't made it public yet, but they seemed to already know his identity.

　　It wasn't long before Alan realized that Roddy had been fighting in the Outer Regions for many years, and was one of the fierce generals of Bethcord. His hands were stained with blood, and the murderous aura in his gaze was not something an idle person could afford.

　　Next up was Huck, the second oldest, who was literally at opposite ends of the scale from his older brother, Roddy. While Roddy was tall and powerful, Huck was slender and frail. His face was pale and sickly, and in fact he coughed lightly from time to time while talking. Huck was weak and sickly, his body had congenital defects, which made him unable to fight in the outer regions like Roddy, and could only be responsible for some paperwork and governmental work.

　　He talked elegantly and behaved well, but his eyes were always indifferent. In his eyes, Alan could not see himself, or even ... anything.

　　Bell, the oldest, on the other hand, was a tall, well-built man with a clean-cut appearance. However, if he and Huck are categorized as weak, then it would be a big mistake. He also had a special aura about him, and standing next to him, Alan was like standing at the peak of a snowy mountain, and even the air that passed by was chilled to the bone. Bell has a pair of charming blue eyes, but that kind of blue is not the azure of the sea or the sky, but let a person's soul also for the frozen ice blue!

　　He spoke to Alan politely for a few moments, during which time he expressed his deep regret when he spoke of Lenny. But in his eyes, Alan could not see a trace of regret, this is a man who even the heart is as cold as ice, leaving Alan the impression of ruthlessness.

　　Horn's last son, Hedrick, was a very handsome man, with a profile most similar to Horn's of the four sons. Hedrick, who was just in his early thirties, was only two years older than Alan's mother, and he always had a hint of melancholy on his handsome face, with a poet-like temperament. It seemed that because he was the closest to Lanie, his attitude towards Alan was far more affectionate than that of his other older brothers.

　　This man, too, was the only one of Horn's four sons that Alan saw deep sadness in his eyes when he spoke of Lenny. But the fact that he hadn't put that sadness into words, that it was only in his eyes, made it all the more impressive.

　　Lastly, there were a few of Alan's siblings, and as for those wives and families, Horn didn't mention a word about them, which was typical of the male supremacy in the aristocracy.

　　This introduction alone took a bell. These were only the core members of Bethcord, except for them. In addition to them, Horn's own brothers, the elders of the family, and I'm afraid that even Horn himself does not know how many collateral relatives are not yet listed. Alan had a vague feeling that familiarizing himself with the genealogy would be the next course of study.

　　This is a real headache!

　　After the introductions were made, Horn looked at the crowd and said, "Well folks, my friends and sons. I have gathered you all here today to tell you. Lanni's son, also known as Alan, will be rejoining us at Bethcord today. But as the patriarch of Bethcord, I cannot violate the rules I have laid down. Ten years ago, it was I who personally banished Lanie from the family. Now that Allen has returned, of course he cannot be given special care simply because of the blood relationship between him and us."

　　"That's why today, I'm only announcing his identity to those closest to me here. As for the outside world, I don't want anyone to know this news for now. To them, Allen will only be an outsider son who has just joined the family. At the end of the day, whether or not Allen can officially return to the direct bloodline and be organized into the heir sequence will depend on the Elder Council's assessment of him." Hoth paused before saying, "So, do you all have an opinion on my decision?"

　　Horn has always been a man of his word in the family, and the so-called inquiry at this time was just a formality. Those who were familiar with him would not know this, and regardless of whether they were willing or not, the moment Horn personally led Allen into the hall, this old but tough patriarch had already made his position clear with his own actions. Now, the so-called announcement, as well as Allen's examination, was nothing more than a procedural process.

　　Ten years ago, Horn could have kicked his favorite daughter out of the family. Ten years later, he could just as easily bring his daughter's child back into the family.

　　Everything, but it takes a little time.

　　Since this was the case, even those who did not agree in their hearts could only go along with it and favor Horn's decision. But at this time, an indignant voice shouted, "I'm against it!"

　　Horn's face immediately sank, while Roddy slapped one hand towards his forehead, and a few of the Bells hung on with faint smiles. Alan curiously looked towards the direction of the voice, the one who objected was the older boy who had shown obvious hostility towards him when he entered the hall earlier.

　　Of Alan's few brothers, he was the strongest, at almost five-foot-eight he was already as tall as an adult. The older boy heavily exhaled two clouds of airflow from his nostrils, his hair standing on end. Ignoring the tugging of a tall and thin teenager next to him, he went straight forward and said, ''Grandpa, this kid is from the earth's surface. Even if there is Aunt Lanie's bloodline in his body, God knows who his father is? Do you want our Bethcord's blood to be laced with the blood of some surface pariah?"