Chapter 84: Upheavals and White Radiance
A short recess was called, and by the time the meeting resumed, all the experts who had been part of the secret discussion with Aeloria had returned. Elton, too, had silently rejoined the main hall, once more cloaked in the distinctive attire of the Laughing Blue Reaper. Despite his attempts at discretion, his return to the large meeting area drew numerous eyes. This heightened vigilance allowed the Soloman Clan to more precisely track his unique bloodline, their ancestral detectors picking up an anomaly. A slow agitation rippled through the clan as they realized there was more than just Erica present. In the midst of the resumed meeting, their simmering discontent finally boiled over.
"Excuse me for pointing something out," a Mortal Shedding Realm elder declared, his voice thick with irritation. "But tell me, oh people of the Grand Fae Spirit Alliance, why exactly are there multiple members of my Soloman clan within your ranks?"
"What?" a Fanged Elf Noble of equal power retorted, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "To be honest, we wouldn't know for certain who belongs to what clan unless we saw a clan insignia or they stated it themselves. What exactly does this have to do with our negotiations on the topic at hand, though?"
"What does it have to do with it?! Everything!" the elder thundered, his voice laced with rage that quickly spread, sparking complaints among his fellow clan members. "Why is that person's aura masked so heavily that even our bloodline detector is thrown off to such an extent?! Were you perhaps experimenting on a member of our Soloman clan?!"
This ignited an escalating back-and-forth, with some factions fanning the flames and others desperately attempting to settle the volatile situation. Then, one of the Soloman Clan members finally pointed an accusatory finger at Elton. "That one right there! Have him remove his mask and cloak! We need to confirm his identity right now!"
The Fanged Elf Nobles were taken aback. Even the Bright Brilliant Blade Elders who had been part of the secret meeting, alongside Christy's mother, Christina, and her father, Jonovan Hucklebare, seemed momentarily stunned. Christian had, in secret, already shared some information regarding Elton's identity during the recess with the 2. This sudden demand forced both the knowing Aka Boshi no Tengan clan and the informed Bright Brilliant Blade sect members into a difficult position, as they tried to reason with and persuade the obstinate Soloman clan about the timing and various other implications to calm them down. The Great Brawlman Sect and the others largely observed the unfolding drama, though the Great Brawlman Sect, in particular, had received certain information from the 4th Prince, Hunter, which shaped their overall neutral demeanor in the matter.
Erica, though still disguised, finally erupted with pent-up anger, moving to stand protectively beside Elton. "What are you all doing?! Don't you think that if there was something strange about this person's bloodline and his overall status that I would know?! Please stop acting out and behave!"
The Soloman clan paused for a moment, momentarily silenced by Erica's outburst and her defensive posture. Suddenly, her father's voice boomed, "You are still too young, and it is not your place to make such judgments. For the sake of the clan, that person must be investigated thoroughly!"
"But Da—You! Ugh, I should be most qualified, as a matter of fact! After all, it's all because of you all that things may have turned out this way!" Erica's fury threatened to carry her away. Elton, standing beside her, calmly placed an arm around her shoulder and gently shook his head, a gesture that visibly calmed her. This simple action, however, ignited a fresh wave of uproar.
"What are you doing?!" one clan member shouted.
"You! Take your hands off her!" another demanded.
John Soloman finally connected the dots, yelling, "You bastard from a lowly branch of our clan! Take your hands off the young miss this instant!!!"
Upon hearing John's shout, some clan members looked at him in surprise, sensing he might know something. Erica's parents exchanged a look, and suddenly, they, too, connected a few critical dots. They knew there were very few people, even among their vast Soloman clan, who could evoke such strong emotions in their daughter. They could no longer respond, feeling a sudden pang of guilt about certain past decisions as they gazed at the boy beside their daughter.
It was at this explosive moment, with tensions reaching their peak, that a man began to laugh, stepping forward with an undeniably towering aura. "Hahahaha! Oh, Soloman clan, how you have fallen to such a state. Or is it only your branch on Desert Red Star that has become like this?"
"Oh, who dares to disrespect our Soloman clan…!" one of the Elders grumbled, his Mortal Lord aura encapsulating the room, directed squarely at the man.
Everyone turned, only to see a tall figure with scars etched across his dim, off-white, exceptionally muscular body, his hair a long, tangled mess of black and brown. A massive greatsword rested on his back. His aura was currently at the Gold Tier 5 stage, but for some inexplicable reason, he exuded an impression of wielding power far beyond that.
Many eyes widened at the appearance of the unknown man. He laughed once more, his gaze sweeping over the Elder. "Well, I do, of course! You people are from Brawlmanica, right? Then let's just end this quickly so that we can finish negotiations and deal with the impending attack we are about to receive on all sides!"
His blunt statement momentarily stunned everyone, a flicker of agitation crossing their faces. The man then pulled out a medallion that resembled the Soloman clan insignia, but with additional markings and an undeniably prestigious aura. The Elders of the clan recoiled in shock, pointing.
"T-t-That's!"
"W-Why do you have that?!"
"Sir, who are you? What relationship do you have with them? Ah, forgive us for our actions earlier."
Witnessing the complete 180-degree shift in the Soloman clan's behavior, many in the room were utterly surprised, thoughts racing through their minds. The Soloman clan, to the sects of the Red Star Continent, had always been a mysterious entity, their movements shrouded in enigma since their very appearance.
"Haaah. Who I am doesn't matter for now," the scarred man said, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Just know I am related to your Soloman clan. Hehe, and lately you've heard of the title people have been giving me since I started moving about lately: The Laughing Blue Guardian, or something? Hahaha! How hilarious! That boy over there is a special member of the clan, and I will be watching over him for the time being. Not just that, he is currently also a partial bloodline Member of this Fanged Elf Tribe due to various methods, which can partly be the reason for the so-called strange inconsistency with his aura. Also, didn't that one over there call him a lowly branch member? If I'm not mistaken, the Soloman clan generally doesn't care that much about the members they discarded as weak, hehehe."
Upon hearing his irrefutable points, the clan had no choice but to begrudgingly accept his words. John Soloman could only clench his fist, gritting his teeth in frustration at these unexpected results. He turned his gaze back to Elton, his own faint Gold Tier 1 aura becoming slightly erratic. Feeling John's intense stare, Elton's eyes met his, calm and unwavering. John continued to fix him with a fierce gaze, even experiencing the illusion that Elton was laughing at him, mostly due to the mask he wore. John suddenly stiffened as he felt a sharp gaze from the person next to Elton—Erica Soloman. Then, a hand touched his shoulder, and his father's voice spoke.
"John, I need you to tell me everything there is to know about that boy later. Also, you should use this as motivation for your cultivation. Always remember to pick your battles wisely."
"Yes, father," John replied, his voice strained.
After all that commotion, more talks resumed for a brief period before suddenly, deafening alarms blared throughout the entire building, no, throughout the entire region!
"This is bad! From six directions, a huge invasion from so many alliances is taking place! Prepare for an all-out war! Everyone, head to your assigned stations!" a booming magical voice echoed everywhere.
"Ahh, what timing, though I figured it would be like this," a Fanged Elf Noble commented, his expression grim but resolute. "It's time for our two alliances to go all out in showing each other our value as partners."
"I agree," a Sect member of the Bright Brilliant Blade Sect declared, his voice ringing with conviction, the other sect members nodding in fierce agreement. "Let us go forth and crush the bastards that actually dare to attack with all of our presences still being here."
"I would like to suggest that our squad works alongside the Laughing Blue Reapers, as some of us are familiar with their general combat style," the smiling 4th Prince Hunter proposed, standing beside the Golden Lord Elder of the Bright Brilliant Blade Sect, who nodded in agreement to such an arrangement. "Also, I think they should do a rebrand, changing their name, since enemies probably already suspect them of being unofficial people of the Celebi Forest Kingdom. So why not begin changing their image not just for the Grand Fae Spirit Alliance but also with our sects and clans in mind, due to all of our connections?"
Everyone paused for a second. Aeloria finally gave her consent. "Yes, I agree with your statement. I've even made arrangements for the mask if such a thing were to happen. As for the name change… Daoist Blue Heavens Sword, I will leave that up to you all."
Elton nodded in agreement. His companions looked at him, their expressions urging him to devise a suitable name, acknowledging him as their de facto leader.
"Hahaha! Come on, uhhh, masked leader! Maybe it's about time you started with 'That' in mind, you know?" Ramiro chuckled.
"'That'? What exactly do you mean by 'That', Leon?" the inquisitive Christy asked.
"He is likely referring to Onyem's dream, you know," Erica stated matter-of-factly.
"Ah, right!" Christy exclaimed, a spark of recognition in her eyes.
"Oh! Brother Mask-Elly's dream! I wish to be a part of that dream too, whatever it might be!" Shayleaf said, overly excited.
"Heh, interesting, haha! Count me in too whenever possible," Joe-Pine added with a nonchalant laugh.
Kuroha and Kageha exchanged glances, then looked at Zoro before Kageha stated with a serious expression, "Wherever 'Double Black Blades Reaper' goes, we will naturally follow."
Zoro looked at them, then rolled his eyes before fixing Elton with a sharp yet amused expression. "As you can see, oh great leader, whatever name you come up with, it doesn't matter. I will simply be sure to serve you well as a Vice Leader."
"""Oi…""" the collective of companions vaguely muttered, a mix of playful annoyance and affection in their tones.
Elton simply laughed at it all, a decision forming in his mind. "Hahahaha! I hear you all. Then from this day forward, we will be called White Star Radiance."