The grand hall that had once been filled with cheerful chatter and laughter was now dead silent. All eyes were fixed on the new arrival. The Highlord of Velgrath himself had stepped into the hall, and with him, the atmosphere shifted completely.
The reactions from the crowd were mixed. Some looked at him with wide eyes filled with admiration, while others exchanged glances filled with envy. A few people even appeared slightly nervous, their faces stiff. And yet, among them all, one expression seemed to dominate—curiosity. Even Shirou found himself wearing that same look.
He couldn't help but wonder. Why would the Highlord of Velgrath show up here? At a simple birthday party? He glanced over at Lucus, standing near the centre with Lisa. Did Lucus invite him personally? If so... that says a lot about his influence. He must not just be wealthy—he's extremely well-connected too.
"Hey," Amelia whispered beside him, leaning slightly closer. "Tell me something, both of you. Why do you think that man behind him is Sage level? I mean, he looks completely normal to me. He's not even releasing any mana."
She had a point. The man walking closely behind Highlord Cedric showed no outward display of power. His silver hair was neatly combed, and his skin was pale and smooth. His calm face gave off no emotion, yet somehow felt sharp at the same time—as if constantly observing everything around him. He walked silently, keeping close to the Highlord but never stealing his attention.
But then, as if sensing their gaze, the man suddenly turned his head and stared directly at them. His eyes locked with Shirou's for a brief second.
"Shit!" Shirou quickly averted his gaze, and both Amelia and Elliot followed, pretending to be busy with their drinks.
"Did he just look at us?" Amelia whispered again, her voice even lower now.
"Don't know," Shirou muttered, pretending to examine the decorations nearby. "Why don't you just go and ask him yourself?"
"Nah," Amelia said as she reached for another drink, this time a glowing green one. "I prefer my drink, thank you very much. But seriously, why do you think he's strong?"
This time, Elliot answered. "Honestly? We don't know. It's just a hunch."
"He's right," Shirou added quietly. "It's not something we can explain. It's the way he walks... the way he carries himself. His presence feels... heavy. Maybe we're wrong. Maybe he's weaker than us. Who knows?"
He tried to sound casual, but deep down, the uneasiness hadn't gone away.
Around them, murmurs started to rise again. Guests whispered quietly to each other while stealing glances at the Highlord, but nobody dared approach him. Instead, they respectfully made way as Cedric walked deeper into the hall, his steps slow but confident.
Or rather, Shirou noticed, he wasn't simply walking into the hall—he was heading straight toward Lucus.
"Man, Elliot, you really hit the jackpot," Amelia whispered with a teasing tone as she took another sip.
"What do you mean?" Elliot asked, confused.
Amelia sighed and gave him a look like she was speaking to a child. "Seriously, why are you so dumb when it comes to these things?"
"Don't know. Maybe I got it from you," Elliot shot back with a grin.
Shirou chuckled quietly. Amelia gave him a brief side-eye before turning her attention back to Cedric, who had now reached Lucus. The two men greeted each other with the ease of old friends, speaking casually, smiling. Lisa was also called over and shyly accepted Cedric's birthday wishes, bowing slightly as he spoke to her. Even the relatives standing nearby froze, their eyes wide with surprise—and some with envy.
But no one approached.
Shirou could see it in their eyes—not just envy, but something deeper: fear. Fear of the authority Cedric held, not only from his personal strength but from his position as Highlord of Velgrath. Here, in this kingdom, his word was law. Getting on his good side was clearly valuable—but nobody dared to risk getting too close.
So this is what true power looks like, Shirou thought as he watched from afar. People aren't afraid of him just because of his strength—they fear the authority that strength brings. But that authority comes after strength. In this world, strength is everything. Without it, you're nothing.
With that thought, he mentally summoned his status window. A familiar translucent screen appeared before his eyes, visible only to him.
---
[STATUS WINDOW]
[BASIC INFORMATION]
Name: Shirou
Race: Human
Level: 61 (474 / 1230 EXP)
Title: Elemental Adept, ???? (Locked)
SYNCHRONIZATION RATE: 3.8%
[CORE ATTRIBUTES]
HP: 605
Mana Points: 916
Strength: 325
Agility: 320
Intelligence: 322
Endurance: 325
Perception: 308
[ELEMENTAL AFFINITY]
Fire Release
Lightning Release
Earth Release
[SKILLS]
Omnilingual
Skill Absorption
Phantom Mirage
Poison Resistance
????? (Locked)
[COMBAT PROFICIENCIES]
Hand-to-Hand Combat – Intermediate (17/100)
Knife Mastery – Intermediate (10/100)
Dagger Mastery – Intermediate (15/100)
Sword Mastery – Intermediate (58/100)
[INVENTORY]
Inferno Fang
Ashbringer
Aether Coins
---
Level 61, Shirou thought. Back when I was level 51, I barely stepped into the early Adept stage. After gaining ten levels, my strength has grown, but I can tell I'm still far from reaching mid-Adept. Still... It's progress. And once the current mission is over, I can finally dive into the dungeon again. If I can reach floor 40, I might even push into late Adept. It's just a matter of time.
His gaze moved to one particular skill.
[Poison Resistance
> Immune to all types of poison.]
Poison… one of the deadliest methods of killing someone. Having complete immunity is a huge advantage.
He glanced briefly at his combat proficiencies. Both knife mastery and dagger mastery had increased slightly despite him barely using them in actual combat lately. Maybe my sword mastery is helping boost the others too, he thought. After all, the movements overlap a lot between short and long blades. Sword mastery reaching 58 means I'm more than halfway to the next level.
He exhaled softly. I'm improving fast. It's all just a matter of time.
"Shirou," Amelia suddenly whispered, leaning closer, "I think they're coming toward us."
"Huh?" Shirou blinked and looked ahead.
Sure enough, Lucus, Highlord Cedric, and the silver-haired man were approaching their group. The guests nearby instinctively stepped aside, clearing a path. The entire hall quieted once again.
"Why are they coming towards us?" Amelia whispered nervously.
"The hell am I supposed to know?" Shirou hissed back.
"Should we bow? Or kneel? Or... something?" she asked, unsure.
"Don't ask me! I don't know either!" Shirou replied, feeling equally unprepared.
Finally, the Highlord stopped right in front of them. The three stood frozen like statues. For a brief moment, there was complete silence.
Then Cedric suddenly chuckled, his voice warm and light. "What's with those stiff expressions? It's not like I'm going to eat you or anything."
The trio didn't respond, too nervous to even speak.
Cedric then shifted his gaze to Elliot. "You must be the leader of Snow White, correct?"
"Y-Yes, sir," Elliot managed to say, standing straight.
The Highlord smiled. "I heard from Lucus about what you did. You see, Lucus is an old friend of mine, and what you and your team did deserves recognition. And I thought—it would only be proper if I offered my thanks in person."
The three of them stood frozen, unsure of what to say or even how to respond to the Highlord's words.
And so, in the middle of the silent hall, the Highlord of Velgrath stood face-to-face with Shirou, Elliot, and Amelia — while dozens of nobles watched from the shadows with wide eyes, wondering just who these young adventurers really were.