Chapter 184: Chapter 176: The Lion Eagle Wedding
The impending wedding between the Lion clan and the Eagle clan is undoubtedly the most prominent and grand celebration on the East Coast in recent years.
The newspapers have been covering the event with large headlines for several days, and the common folk are gradually coming to terms with a shocking fact.
It will be the wedding that puts an end to all noble strife, symbolizing the dawn of a new era for the East Coast Province.
This wedding is on an unprecedented scale, with clergy, nobles, merchants, celebrities, and other distinguished individuals from all walks of life on the East Coast; many have received invitations personally written by Viscount Bast.
The ceremony is set to take place at a suburban estate in Fein City, and all invited guests must disarm, including their mysterious rare artifacts and alchemical tools, which are not permitted at the wedding.
Among the nearly a thousand guests attending the wedding, only two visitors refused to disarm, and Viscount Bast had already agreed—they were indeed not someone the Lion clan could control.
The first dignitary who didn't disarm was Zayne Frosac, the Acting Bishop from the Tempest Church, who naturally attended the banquet.
Additionally, Zayne was to preside over the most important part of the wedding ceremony, where, in the name of the Tempest Overlord and following East Coast tradition, he would give his blessings to the newlyweds and their families.
The second dignitary who didn't disarm was the most important guest at the wedding, Ariel Romann from the Romann family, one of the top families in Cyart, known as the "Stars Mortal."
She was the third daughter of Duke Black Iron and one of the three Monarch powerful experts of the Romann family, a spell master skilled in transformation magic.
Within the entire realm of Cyart, no one's transformation magic compared to Ariel Romann's; she even served as a teacher for a Cyart princess.
Ariel's mother was a pureblood from the blood tribe, making her a half-blood herself. Originally an illegitimate daughter raised outside by Duke Black Iron, she later secured an important position within the extensive Romann family due to her formidable strength.
Although she was over a hundred years old, Ariel had fair skin, golden hair, and blue eyes, with a tall and slender figure, and she appeared to be just a stunningly beautiful young woman.
Byrne and Chris felt in their hearts that, among the many women they had met, only the emerald elf March could compare to her in beauty.
If the comparison was not limited to women, then in Byrne's heart, those with top-tier beauty and charm were Ariel, Chris, and March, almost without any distinction in ranking.
As soon as Ariel Romann made her appearance, she became the center of the entire banquet.
Viscount Bast greeted her politely and personally at the banquet, not daring to show any negligence, and many viscounts also came forward to pay their respects.
Even Acting Bishop Zayne wore a smile when facing Ariel Romann, completely devoid of his usual cold remarks.
In the banquet held at the suburban estate, musicians continuously played gentle violin music, every white table was decorated with flowers and candles, exquisite tableware sat on the tables, and throughout the estate were many lavish decorations, with the scent of aromatherapy relaxing the guests.
Servants released white doves one after another, spellcasters who were skilled in magic caused them to perform spiraling patterns in the sky, and also showered a multitude of fresh flowers from above.
The petals, carried by an unnatural wind, landed in everyone's hands, delicate and delectable pastries floated midair, and champagne flew out of the bottles automatically, constantly replenishing people's champagne flutes.
The various candles and tableware, flowers, and candles, seemed to come to life under the spellcasters' control, serving the guests automatically, and even bowing to the men and women they pass by, telling light-hearted jokes.
The high society guests all wore facades of false smiles, constantly interacting with others.
They all understood the importance of socializing, as the banquet gathered almost all of the nobility and celebrities, and many opportunities were not to be missed.
Chris and Vanessa walked past each table, reaching for the floating delicacies to take a few bites.
As the couple ate their way through, Vanessa occasionally commented on the food, and Chris listened in silence, the two of them emanating an air of indifference, as if all the socializing had nothing to do with them.
Byrne followed beside the couple with a smile, facilely and effortlessly shielding them from much of the chitchat, aware that Chris was thoroughly disinclined to engage with others.
However, he eventually couldn't block everyone.
"This is my first time to the East Coast Province; are you Chris Fischer?"
Ariel Romann approached Chris and his wife with interest, scrutinizing Chris Fischer.
"I've heard from Amos about you, saying you might one day reach the level I am at now."
Ariel had also arrived, Byrne pondered deeply who was stronger between her and "Solar Gold". He subconsciously clenched his hand, then quickly let go, not wanting others to notice his concern.
He had made an Oath with Viscount Bast, who in turn had made another Oath with "Solar Gold", with everything revolving around this grand wedding that almost all East Coast high society was attending.
Byrne's feelings were actually quite complex; he hoped the plan would go smoothly but wished it would not be wholly successful.
He took a deep breath, letting go of his doubts.
From the perspective of the Fischer family, it would be best if the whole plan succeeded!
When faced with Ariel's conversation, Chris was rather helpless; even though she was from the powerful Romann family, he still did not want to respond, feeling like the social hassle had just increased tenfold, so he calmly looked to Byrne for rescue.
Then he realized Byrne appeared lost in thought about something and hadn't been looking over at all.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before Ariel Romann lost interest in Chris, considering him a very boring person.
Chris breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hahaha, Your Excellency Byrne! This wedding is truly magnificent, utterly captivating. I'm also really looking forward to the wedding between the Oder family and the Fischer family. The scale of that event must be even larger than this one... Hahaha, well, then again, a smaller scale wouldn't be bad either."
Viscount Oder of the Iron Blood clan had found Byrne; he held a goblet in his hand, displaying a hearty smile, as if he had nearly endless expectations for the future.
Byrne stared deeply at Viscount Oder, also revealing a smile.
"I, too, look forward to the future of our two families, Viscount Oder."
He and Viscount Oder raised their goblets, and champagne automatically flowed into them.
The two conversed, primarily discussing their respective children.
"Darren hasn't returned yet? I must say, I'm a bit eager to see him; after all, I'm about to entrust my daughter to him, and I'm somewhat anxious."
Viscount Oder asked with a casual laugh, though he was well aware of Darren's situation and even knew about his two lovers – but those were trifling matters to him.
Byrne too smiled, gently shaking his head as he spoke:
"Actually, he has just joined the Royal Army. It will be nearly two years before he can return, and I'm sure Darren will visit you first thing then."
They chatted for quite some time, Byrne merely humoring the conversation, while deep down he was always timing, feeling ever more tense.
The gentle music constantly playing in his ears did nothing to help him relax.
Byrne was thirty-seven years old, and after decades of experiences, very few things could still make him nervous. Yet now he could not shake off the unease.
Because what was about to happen was simply too shocking.
Byrne looked toward Viscount Bast, the elder who was taking the initiative to drink with members of the Eagle clan, adopting an extremely humble posture.
Suddenly, deep inside, he felt a chill run down his spine, an eerie sensation.
Bast Leone was truly a frightening man.
"What are you doing!"
Chief Renzo, standing beside Viscount Bast, suddenly shouted
A member of the Eagle clan, face burning with anger, glared and crudely splashed his drink across Viscount Bast's face.
The surrounding crowd was shocked; all the guests wore complex expressions, waiting to see Viscount Bast's response.
The faces of the Eagle clan members were unsightly.
They carried no weapons or mysterious rare artifacts, and the place was under a barrier cast by the Lion clan of Fein City. Should a conflict arise, they would likely be unable to escape.
"It's okay, no big deal."
Viscount Bast said with a smile, taking the towel that floated over to him, wiping his face, then looking at Viscount Zavier, who was walking over.
"Don't worry, Zavier."
"I am aware of the deep animosity between the Lion and Eagle clans, and I have no illusions that the small frictions will end anytime soon. But that's okay, as long as we two can reach an agreement, there will be no issues."
Bast smiled as he looked at the young man who had thrown the drink, sensing the rage in his eyes, and lightly patted his shoulder, saying:
"Well done."
"If I were you, I might have done the same! As long as the Eagle clan has people like you, it will always soar again!"
"Now, let's all continue with the celebration!"
After saying that, Viscount Bast left to check on the bride and groom. While everyone thought the matter had been settled, only Viscount Zavier's expression remained sour.
Bast's words had left him feeling an unsettling discomfort deep inside.
It was finally time for the newlyweds from both families to make their appearance together. They were up next to accept everyone's blessings before the Acting Bishop gave the divine benediction, completing the wedding ceremony.
Byrne's tension was mounting; he knew that "Solar Gold" had likely already infiltrated the event. He just didn't know which of the many guests it was.
"May I get through, please?"
A deep, familiar voice suddenly sounded nearby, and Byrne couldn't help but divert his gaze towards it.
A tall man dressed in a black tailcoat was making his way through the crowd. His features were ordinary, his eyes lifeless, looking nothing like "Solar Gold."
But Byrne knew for certain that this man was "Solar Gold!"
He has arrived!