"She is very good," Faen said without much expression, his voice quiet.
"Gentle, kind, and her talent in dance is extraordinary. She will surely become a Master respected by all in the future."
Irelia's face flushed with embarrassment at his praise.
Lady Xan nodded thoughtfully. "Is that so... then would you be willing to enter into a betrothal with Irelia?"
"Eh?! Mother!" Irelia's mother cried out in shock.
"Grandmother!" Irelia shouted in disbelief.
Lady Xan signaled for everyone to be calm, then looked at Faen seriously. "What are your thoughts, sir?"
"As for me, of course I am willing," Faen said candidly.
"Irelia is superior in every way. By comparison, I am more worried that I might negatively influence her future development..."
"You won't!" Irelia blurted out, her face lighting up when she heard Faen didn't refuse.
But when she heard him worry about her future, her eyes filled with tension. "Senior Brother—"
She wanted to say more, but then realized her reaction was a bit too big. And... a bit too excited.
Feeling the gaze of her parents, siblings, and the villagers, Irelia's face turned beet red. She lowered her head and muttered, unable to say another word.
But at this stage, whether she could speak or not didn't matter anymore.
Especially in Ionia, where the tradition of respecting elders is strong—in some families, life's major decisions are settled by a single word from a senior.
The Xan family was relatively open-minded, and the elders rarely interfered in the romantic lives of their kin. But looking at Irelia's bashful manner, did she look like she had even a sliver of an intention to refuse?
A complex look appeared on the faces of Irelia's parents. After all, this was their first time meeting Faen.
He looked like a man of great character, vigorous and talented, coming from a famous master, and even had the recognition of the Enlightened One.
He bore the Mark of the Twin Dragons, had successfully predicted the Noxian war, and even understood the 'Blade Dance' that they didn't even know about... but, but... but...
It seemed there wasn't much to hesitate about.
They assessed Faen's abilities. If he had one obvious flaw before—like being full of bitter fantasies about the future and harboring too much hostility toward Noxians—that flaw was now proven to be foresight.
Now that Noxus had truly begun invading and many Ionians were displaced, that old 'defect' had become a virtue.
Though it was predictable that some elders in the Temple would not approve of Faen's anti-traditional behavior...
Since even Karma had given her silent blessing, those elders would likely only be able to condemn him verbally.
In today's Ionia, especially on the west coast and central inland, hostility toward Noxians had become the consensus.
Under these circumstances, Faen's merits only seemed to multiply the more they looked at him.
But at that moment, Zelos seemed to notice a blind spot and said hesitantly, "Wait, hold on... this woman, she seems to be a Noxian?"
Everyone turned their gaze toward Riven.
Riven's eyelids flickered with unease, but out of trust in Faen and a lack of self-identity, she said nothing.
She just looked at them in silence, offering no defense.
Faen spoke calmly. "Her name is Riven. She was one of Noxus's champion blademasters, but she was deceived by their ideology. This is her first time in Ionia, and she is looking for the meaning of her existence."
Riven's expression didn't change, but the crowd couldn't help but look surprised.
They were shocked that such a beautiful girl was actually a powerful warrior.
Though they didn't fully grasp what it meant, the title of 'Champion Blademaster' sounded extraordinary.
If there was any hostility at first, it softened considerably when they heard it was her first time in Ionia and that she came seeking a purpose.
Even in wartime, Ionian traditions influenced everyone. Most Ionians held a specific respect for travelers and ascetics who traveled thousands of miles to reach their land.
Especially someone like Riven, who was lost—the story of a 'prodigal returning' was very popular in Ionia.
While some still harbored minor doubts because of her origin, most chose tolerance.
Since Faen was willing to vouch for her, Lady Xan nodded and said to Riven:
"May you find your true self. May the Spirit of Ionia be with you."
Riven was surprised and awkward, but she bowed slightly in return.
Just as Lady Xan was about to invite them to rest, she suddenly sensed something.
She snapped her gaze toward the western sky. It was noon, and the sun was high.
She stared for a long time before turning her gaze back to Faen.
Faen nodded in return and praised her. "Though the Blade Dance has been sealed for a long time, it seems your edge remains sharp, Lady Xan."
A smile touched Lady Xan's lips. Though she had become famous for the Silk Dance and earned the title of Master, the Blade Dance was the Xan family's true secret technique—the "white moonlight" of her heart.
Unfortunately, due to the constraints of the era, she had to hide the blades and replace them with ribbons. And now, the change in the era had arrived so suddenly...
"What a pity. I've aged too quickly," she said with a mix of joy and regret. "I won't be able to catch this good era that belongs to the Blade Dance..."