The moment the massive palace doors opened—
the atmosphere inside shifted instantly.
Countless nobles turned their gazes toward the entrance of the Saviant Guild.
Whispers spread throughout the ballroom almost immediately.
"That's the Saviant Guild…"
"The Rank Two Guild personally came?"
"And that silver-haired young man…"
"Is that really Noctis?"
"The one who defeated the S-Rank Demon…?"
The grand ballroom shimmered beneath enormous crystal chandeliers hanging high above the ceiling.
Nobles dressed in luxurious gowns and decorated military uniforms filled the hall while orchestral music echoed softly throughout the palace.
Yet beneath the beauty—
tension lingered everywhere.
Every gaze carried calculation.
Curiosity.
Fear.
Leon adjusted the ridiculous golden tie around his neck before grinning.
"So."
He casually pointed toward the surrounding nobles.
"How long before our little Emma threatens someone important?"
Emma immediately glared at him.
"I can threaten you first."
Leon looked toward Rio dramatically.
"See?"
"Violence. Every single time."
Rio smiled faintly.
Beside them, Ogram snorted while adjusting the sleeves of his formal coat.
"You idiots are too loud."
Emma clicked her tongue.
"Says the old man who almost punched a servant five minutes ago."
"The bastard spilled wine on my coat."
"Because you scared him."
Elena sighed softly from the front.
"If any of you embarrass the guild tonight…"
Everyone immediately went quiet.
"...I will personally throw you out of the palace."
Leon raised both hands instantly.
"Understood, Guild Master."
Emma muttered quietly beneath her breath.
"Tyrant."
Ogram grunted.
"Fair enough."
Even Rio nearly laughed.
Then—
BOOOOOM!
The palace guards slammed their spears against the marble floor.
A loud voice echoed throughout the ballroom.
"The Abyss Guild has arrived!"
Silence spread instantly.
The atmosphere became noticeably heavier.
Slowly—
another group entered the hall.
At the very front stood Samuel Crimson.
The red-haired spear user walked calmly forward while wearing a black formal uniform decorated with crimson flame-like patterns.
His sharp eyes scanned the ballroom lazily.
Beside him walked Selena Thorne.
Her long dark-brown hair flowed elegantly behind her while emerald eyes remained calm and unreadable.
She wore a beautiful black dress embroidered with silver thorn-like patterns across the fabric.
Then—
the true monsters entered.
The first was a massive man with short ash-gray hair and piercing golden eyes.
Scars covered his exposed arms while overwhelming mana radiated naturally from his body.
Gareth Vayne.
An SS-Rank warrior known throughout the Empire as the Iron Tyrant.
One of the Abyss Guild's strongest combatants.
The moment Gareth spotted Ogram—
his eyes widened before a massive grin spread across his face.
"...You're still alive?"
Ogram snorted.
"Barely."
The two enormous men walked toward each other before slamming forearms together violently.
BOOM!
The marble floor cracked slightly beneath them.
Several nearby nobles flinched immediately.
Gareth laughed deeply.
"Hah."
"You got uglier."
"And you got fatter."
"Still talking too much, old man."
Leon sighed dramatically.
"War veterans are so romantic."
Then—
another woman stepped forward.
Long wine-red hair flowed elegantly behind her while amber eyes carried a dangerous calmness.
Her black dress shimmered beautifully beneath the chandeliers while crimson gemstones decorated her fingers.
Vivienne Arden.
An SS-Rank sorceress known as the Scarlet Witch.
Master of curse and blood magic.
The moment Vivienne noticed Emma—
a slow smile spread across her lips.
"My."
"The little gremlin is here too."
Emma's eye twitched instantly.
"...Who are you calling a gremlin, hag?"
Vivienne laughed softly.
"You've gotten brattier since the last war."
"And you're still ancient."
Tiny sparks of mana flickered around Emma immediately.
Leon leaned toward Rio slightly.
"Three seconds before she explodes."
"Two."
"One—"
"Emma."
Elena's voice echoed calmly.
Instantly—
the mana around Emma vanished.
Emma clicked her tongue irritably before looking away.
"...Fine."
Then—
the final figure entered.
And strangely—
the ballroom grew quieter.
A tall man dressed entirely in black walked silently across the marble floor.
A pale mask concealed his face completely.
No expression.
No visible eyes.
Nothing.
Even his footsteps made almost no sound.
Yet the pressure surrounding him felt unnaturally sharp.
Like hidden death.
Zero.
An SS-Rank assassin.
The moment he entered—
the expressions of the Saviant Guild subtly changed.
Ogram frowned.
"...Who the hell is that?"
Emma narrowed her eyes.
"I've never seen him before."
Even Elena's gaze sharpened slightly.
That alone was strange.
The high-ranking members of the Saviant and Abyss Guilds had crossed paths countless times over the years.
Wars.
Joint operations.
Border conflicts.
Disasters.
Yet none of them recognized the masked assassin.
Then—
another figure finally entered the ballroom.
A man with neatly combed brown hair and emerald-green eyes.
The resemblance to Selena became obvious immediately.
He wore an immaculate white noble suit decorated with dark-green patterns while silver rings rested elegantly across his fingers.
A perfect smile rested on his face.
Too perfect.
Too practiced.
Quill Thorne.
Head of House Thorne.
Guild Master of the Abyss Guild.
One of the most influential men within the Virelian Empire.
The moment Quill entered—
countless nobles lowered their heads respectfully.
Then his emerald gaze landed on Elena.
A calm smile spread across his face.
"Guild Master Elena."
"It's been a while."
Elena's expression remained cold.
"Unfortunately."
Several nearby nobles immediately stiffened.
Quill chuckled softly.
"Still as sharp as ever."
"I heard the Saviant Guild gained quite the talented young member recently."
His gaze slowly shifted toward Rio.
Toward Noctis.
Elena stepped slightly forward.
"And I heard the Abyss Guild gained a mysterious assassin none of us seem to recognize."
For the first time—
Quill's smile paused slightly.
Then returned immediately.
"Everyone has secrets, Guild Master."
Behind him—
Zero stood silently beneath the chandeliers.
Watching.
Waiting.
And somehow—
Rio felt the masked assassin observing him more than anyone else in the ballroom.
After the arrival of the Abyss Guild—
the atmosphere within the ballroom only continued to grow heavier.
One after another—
the great powers of the Empire began arriving.
The announcers' voices echoed repeatedly throughout the palace halls while nobles quickly stepped aside to make room.
"The Head of House Croft has arrived!"
Soon—
a woman stepped gracefully into the ballroom.
And immediately—
attention followed her.
Marian Croft.
Head of House Croft.
One of the Empire's great ducal figures.
Long pinkish-purple hair cascaded freely down her back while alluring violet eyes curved playfully beneath heavy lashes.
Her outfit—
if it could even be called that—
was absurdly bold.
Elegant black silk wrapped around her body in strange asymmetrical layers that revealed far more skin than noble etiquette probably allowed.
Yet somehow—
the mature woman carried it effortlessly.
Dangerously.
Every step she took drew gazes naturally.
Beside her—
Alyssa Croft walked half-asleep while rubbing her eyes tiredly.
The pink-haired girl looked completely uninterested in the grand atmosphere surrounding them.
Then suddenly—
Marian's eyes landed directly on Rio.
No—
Noctis.
Her lips curved upward instantly.
"Oh my~"
Without hesitation—
she walked directly toward him.
The surrounding nobles immediately began whispering louder.
Marian stopped directly in front of Rio before leaning slightly closer.
"So you're Noctis?"
For a brief moment—
Rio genuinely froze slightly.
"...Ah— yes."
He found himself strangely caught off guard by her overwhelming charm.
Then—
pinch.
A sharp pain suddenly struck his side.
Rio twitched slightly before glancing sideways.
Elena stood beside him calmly.
Though her cold gaze made the message painfully obvious.
Focus.
Marian noticed immediately.
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"My, my."
She suddenly reached forward before gently patting Rio's white hair.
"What a beautiful child."
Her expression softened slightly afterward.
"It's such a shame someone this lovely had to endure the cruelty of the world so early."
Then—
she pinched his cheeks lightly.
"Congratulations, little hero."
Rio stood there silently—
completely lost within the interaction.
Soon Marian finally stepped away gracefully.
Alyssa lazily waved sleepily toward Rio while being dragged along.
After they left—
Elena quietly sighed.
"...She's still the same."
Then—
her gaze slowly shifted elsewhere.
Rio followed it immediately.
Vivienne Arden and Emma had both suddenly looked away suspiciously.
Marian's smile widened dangerously.
"Oh my~"
"Are both my disciples really pretending not to see me?"
Emma immediately stiffened.
"S-Shut up, creepy old hag!"
Vivienne coughed awkwardly.
"M-Master…"
"I didn't expect you to come personally."
Marian laughed beautifully.
"Hahaha."
"Well, I had something important to discuss with His Majesty."
The surrounding nobles looked utterly shocked.
Very few people within the Empire knew that both Vivienne Arden—
the Scarlet Witch—
and Emma —The Calamity Witch
the Saviant Guild's destructive SS-Rank mage—
had once studied under Marian Croft herself.
Which somehow explained a lot.
Then—
another announcement echoed throughout the ballroom.
"The Head of House Zephyr has arrived!"
A tall man with neatly combed gray hair entered calmly beside Yelena Zephyr.
Despite his age—
his body remained fit and refined like a veteran swordsman.
Sharp blue eyes scanned the ballroom with quiet composure while noble robes decorated with silver wind-like patterns flowed behind him.
Kazis Zephyr.
Head of House Zephyr.
One of the Empire's most respected nobles.
Yelena walked silently beside him wearing a beautiful silver-blue dress.
Yet despite her composed appearance—
Rio noticed it immediately.
Her eyes still carried traces of sadness.
The absence left behind by Reina had clearly not faded yet.
Rio quietly gave her a small wave.
Yelena blinked slightly before returning one herself.
Then—
the atmosphere changed again.
This time—
far colder.
"The Head of House Emberheart has arrived!"
The moment those words echoed—
Rio's expression froze.
A woman with long crimson-red hair slowly entered the ballroom.
Crimson eyes.
Pale flawless skin.
Elegant beauty that bordered on suffocating.
She wore a deep scarlet gown adorned with black rose patterns while countless jewels shimmered around her neck like droplets of blood.
Every movement carried overwhelming elegance.
Refined.
Prideful.
Untouchable.
Beside her walked an elderly butler calmly.
The moment Rio saw her—
his body nearly reacted instinctively.
Killing intent surged violently within him before he forcibly suppressed it.
His fingers tightened unconsciously.
As much as he hated Reina—
the person he truly despised was her mother.
Irina Emberheart.
The woman responsible for turning her own daughter into a broken shell.