Chapter 233: First Banquet

“The palace is magnificent, just as I imagined,” Ethan praised.

“Thank you. I built this guild, city, and palace with the help of many people. Without my loyal guild members, it would have been impossible for me to reach this point,” Arthur replied.

Ethan glanced around, seeing that the loyalty of Redemption Sword’s officers and members was higher than that of other guilds.

Witnessing the splendor of this guild made it clear that LionArk still could not be compared to them.

“I thought Scavenger or Silver Star would arrive first. To think it was you instead. That truly moves me,” Arthur said.

Ashley smiled and stepped forward, her eyes focused on Arthur. This was LionArk’s show of goodwill toward Redemption Sword, purely to build a good relationship between the two guilds.

“I hope this can be the beginning of a good relationship between LionArk and Redemption Sword.”

“That’s right,” Arthur said.

“I look forward to it.”

The man turned and ordered his members to escort Ethan and Ashley to the guest house. The member understood and led them away.

According to the schedule, the banquet would be held in two sessions, noon and night. The highlight would be the dinner banquet, which would include entertainment and other events.

The two followed the man, walking through a palace corridor that led to the eastern side of the palace complex. From afar, they could see the end of the corridor glowing under the bright sunlight.

They were now outside the palace building, specifically in the eastern area of the palace complex.

There, Ashley was captivated by the sight of the guest houses built beside an artificial lake. There was not just one, but ten guest houses.

Each guest house was marked with an emblem and the name of a guild. Among the ten houses, Ethan and Ashley did not see Silver Star or Scavenger.

It seemed they were staying in different guest areas.

“Before the event begins, you are free to walk around the city. You can use this token to gain entry and exit permission for the palace complex.”

The man handed over a token bearing the Redemption Sword emblem with the words LionArk Envoy beneath it. Ashley understood the meaning of the token.

The man excused himself and returned to his post. Ashley entered the house and observed the interior. The furniture was luxurious, the house was clean, and there was nothing strange about it.

Ethan followed inside. He assumed the other houses in the same area shared similar conditions.

It was clear that the eastern area of the palace complex was reserved for guest houses of A-rank guilds. LionArk was an A-rank guild.

“Do you want to take a walk?” Ashley asked.

Ethan shook his head. His attitude remained cautious, especially since he was currently outside Mavelard.

He might attend the banquet later, but he did not know if he could truly focus on Arthur’s conversation.

“No. I don’t want to lower my guard,” Ethan replied.

Ashley fell silent, then nodded. She understood the weight on Ethan’s shoulders. There was no denying that he bore full responsibility for Mavelard.

“Alright. We’ll stay here.”

Ethan smiled. He was grateful for Ashley’s understanding. They waited while relaxing, enjoying some pastries and drinking wine.

Everything was provided in the food cabinet and refrigerator. They only needed to take it.

Time passed, and several envoys from other guilds arrived, escorted by the same man who had guided them to this complex.

Ethan narrowed his eyes. Those who came to the eastern area were guild leaders and vice leaders.

Some of them paused when they saw the guest house where LionArk’s envoys were staying.

News about Ethan had spread from ear to ear, making them wary of LionArk even though their ranks were the same.

They went to their respective guest houses and rested. Just before noon, someone from the palace came to each house to inform them about the lunch banquet, the start of the day’s series of events.

Ashley and Ethan nodded. The two of them entered the palace early, their destination clear, the guild hall.

Many guilds were invited by Redemption Sword, and many of them were A-rank guilds. LionArk was one of them.

The hall doors opened, and Ashley and Ethan saw that the banquet tables had been neatly arranged. The tables were placed along the right and left sides of the hall, directly in front of the pillars.

The seating arrangement was clearly organized. Those closer to Arthur were given tables near his throne, and the opposite was also true.

Under these circumstances, LionArk was given a fallen position at the very end of the hall. It was clearly humiliating, and many guilds noticed it.

This was an insult.

“Thank you all for coming here. It is an honor for me to welcome you all to my palace,” Arthur said.

Near Arthur’s throne was Scavenger’s table. Beside it was Silver Star, and so on. Ashley maintained her smile, even though she was aware that LionArk’s table was far too distant.

“Please, enjoy our dishes. This marks the beginning of today’s events,” Arthur said.

The hall doors opened, and servants entered one by one, carrying food for the guests. LionArk received the same as everyone else, but it was only a single portion.

Clearly, Ethan had no intention of taking it from Ashley. He glanced around and saw that the other guilds received the same.

They ate while chatting. Arthur laughed and talked with his friends from the Big Three Guilds. Ashley was alone, focusing only on enjoying her meal.

Right in the middle of the banquet, a message notification appeared in front of Ethan. The sender was unmistakable. It was Sherly.

Ashley turned her head and narrowed her eyes when she saw Ethan. She could clearly see the message appear in front of his face.

Sherly sent a message saying that the city was under attack from the north and west. A large Silver Star force had launched an invasion.

They damaged the city walls, destroyed the teleportation crystals, and attempted to force their way into the city. Ethan narrowed his eyes.

“The attack has begun. Silver Star is attacking Mavelard.”

“You have to go, but how? The event is still ongoing,” Ashley asked.

“I’ll talk to Arthur.”

Ethan stepped away from LionArk’s table and walked across the red carpet of the guild hall. Seeing Ethan walk alone caused the once noisy hall to fall silent. Arthur focused his gaze forward.

“What is it, Ethan?” Arthur asked.

“Something serious has happened in Mavelard,” Ethan replied, casting a cold glance at the Silver Star Guild Leader.

“I must return immediately.”

“Return? You just arrived. Isn’t that the same as disrespecting Arthur?” asked the Silver Star leader, Nicholas.

Ethan remained silent, only staring sharply at Nicholas. Arthur fell silent after hearing Ethan’s words, unsure of what decision to make.

“Ethan,” Arthur called.

“You are my guest right now. I forbid you from leaving,” Arthur said.

Ethan closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. He had already expected that Arthur would not be able to help him much.

“In that case…”

Ethan extended his hand, summoning his Bloodblade Ashura, more than enough to shock everyone present.

He gripped the sword, causing his appearance to change as a surge of power erupted.

“I will force my way out, even if I have to fight an entire city.”

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