5 Friction in the Banquet

The High Alterac Empire is considered to be the vanguard, leader, and the true home of humanity in the whole of the Arathor Continent.

In the Northmont Kingdom, the total population is to be more than ten million people, most living in the capital city. Though the residents living in the kingdom are mainly human, it also became the home of many different races for many years. Some even resided here since the establishment of the empire itself.

Combined with the kingdom's great economy and its relative peace, major guilds and great organizations built their foundation in the kingdom.

Thus, at present, many important figures of different influence and status were invited at the banquet by the imperial family. Guild masters of other top-tier and middle-tier guilds, influential merchants, nobles, famous adventurers are present in the celebration.

Those who knew nothing about the structure of the guild's hierarchy didn't notice wrong with Lord Bernard III's words. It was always Captain Holt who they see representing the guild in almost all gatherings and banquets. It was only natural for them to assume that he was the guild master but to those who knew, went silent.

Only a few of these great individuals held networks with Light of Dawn. Even fewer were the ones who especially held much deeper connections to their enigmatic guild master. They gazed intriguingly towards the direction of the young man with ruffled ash-grey hair and sleepy azure eyes.

At a glance, some might think he was a nobody who accidentally went into the wrong place from his plain appearance but they knew his real identity. To these individuals with great foresight, it was the calm before the storm.

- - -

Like meeting his old long lost best friend from childhood, Captain Holt wore his usual laughed and shook hands.

"It's my pleasure to meet you too, Lord Bernard III. Your great reputation had reached my humble ears long ago. By sundering all those malignant tumors in your court, the Canary Islands were cleansed with all of its evil. Finally, the islands will have a lord and leader that will truly lead them into prosperity and greatness!"

"I thank you for your kind words, guild master. I hope the Canary Islands and the Light of Dawn would become good friends and allies in the years to come."

"The Light of Dawn has always been a good friend to the empire and will always be in your service, My Lord!"

Though these exchange of words did not escape Yan's ears who are afar. Rhodes, who almost choked on the pastry he was about to swallow. Veins bulged out from his forehead. He was angry!

"What the f*ck?! How dare he say that nonsense?! Does he not know that you're here too? He going over his head! It's not even his bedtime but he's already dreaming! I should go there and greet Captain Holt using my fist in his face."

Yan thought his best friend's reaction was quite funny. He patted Rhodes' shoulders to calm him down.

"Calm down, Rhodes. I don't mind."

Even when Yan stopping him, Rhodes did not want back down.

"You don't but I do! I was there when you worked your ass off, survived the countless life-and-death battles throughout the continent just for this guild to rise to the peak. I saw you! I was there! Captain Holt didn't even join the guild until we already had some quite a reputation years later. You are my guild master, my brother, my best friend. No one gets to disrespect you, not even Captain Holt or some lord of an island!"

Indeed. It was Yan who started it all. From a small adventurer's party composed of him and Lady Anna then Rhodes joined them along the way. At first, they had nothing. No influences, no riches, no nicknames, no fame, not even having proper gears, and weapons to start with. He built everything from nothing and turned everything into the best in the whole empire.

"I know you don't care what other people think about you but I do. I've already noticed him long ago that he had been eyeing your position for some time now and even gathered some amount of support secretly within the guild. That smug on his face, I do think it's your fault for always letting him getting the spotlight."

Rhodes is greatly annoyed by the scene unfolding in front of him. Even with his great intelligence, Yan now felt more helpless.

"Though I do think he's a great adventurer and can lead his own guild in the future, he sometimes let his emotions cloud his judgment. Most of the time, he only thinks of an immediate result and forgot about the long-run scenario."

"I know. He gets braindead sometimes! He's a very emotional guy, incomparable to his built. He has an emotional range of a teenage chick and a menopausal woman. If not for you, he would have already died hundreds, if not, thousands of times!"

Looking at the woman beside Captain Holt, he continued his ramblings.

"It looks like your girlfriend still hasn't forgotten her former noble life, has she? Well, her house was once one of the greatest noble houses in that kingdom before it got annihilated from a civil war. If not for you saving her on that road at that time, maybe she would not be here right now. Deep inside her, she still craves the power to lord over people and lives the noble life. It's far different from being an adventurer life like ours.''

Yan looked at Lady Anna intently. With all his strength and glory, he still had a weakness and it was that beautiful lady in red. He grabbed another glass, by a passing server, full of wine and drank it in one gulp.

Being weak on alcohol, with just two glasses, Yan's face already turned red. Rhodes knew his best friend is a master of many but never the master of women and wine. Instead of stopping him, he grabbed him another glass of wine.

Moments later, an old butler with a long white beard and a monocle on his right eye stood on the center of the crowd and with a loud clap, he captured everyone's attention. Even with his old age, the old butler reeks of strength and vigour.

''Attention friends and distinguished guests! The host of our grand celebration, his majesty the emperor and the crown princess has arrived at the banquet!''