Chapter 213: 027: Banquet and Shock

Shadow Tower, Star Language Manor.

Walking into Star Language Manor, Lynch surveyed his surroundings. It had been more than a decade since his last visit here, back during the celebration banquet marking his entry into the Inner Ring.

“How is it? Does it feel familiar?” Jessica approached with a soft smile and asked teasingly.

She was still the same girl from before, but now she had grown into an elegant young woman. She wore an orange-red dress that exuded grace and nobility.

Lynch nodded and said with a hint of nostalgia, “Yes, it’s hard to believe so many years have passed in the blink of an eye.”

“Hehe.” A crisp laugh rang out—it was Susan, standing beside Jessica.

Lynch later discovered that after they parted ways that day, Susan didn’t stay obediently in the safe zone but went to the castle instead.

She was fortunate to survive the battlefield and even managed to collect a substantial amount of Blood Crystal. Although it wasn’t enough for her to enter the Tower, she joined a high-ranking Wizard Organization, even more prestigious than the one Subaru and the others went to.

Standing before Lynch now, Susan was visibly delighted. She glanced around at the crowd and said with a smile, “Many familiar faces from back then are still here today. Look at their surprised expressions—who would’ve thought that the rustic nobody would become the hero of the Blood-colored Battlefield, upholding the Order today?”

Even before the war ended—or rather, as it had yet to fully conclude—Lynch’s exploits were already spreading across the battlefield.

Soloing the Knowledge Ruins, eliminating three powerful apprentices from the top ten of the Black Tower series rankings, effortlessly defeating the combined efforts of Apprentice Blair Jomans of Dawn Wizard Academy and several allied apprentices… His formidable strength was practically legendary.

Moreover, the Blood Crystal he possessed ultimately tipped the scales in determining the battle’s outcome.

The Chaos Camp and Order Camp had collected almost equal amounts of Blood Crystal by the end—around tens of thousands each. The Order Camp gained a decisive victory largely thanks to the additional ten thousand-plus Blood Crystal Lynch held.

While Lynch hadn’t directly participated in the brutal fighting between the two camps, his influence undoubtedly played a pivotal role in the Order Camp’s triumph.

And because of this, he naturally became the hero who maintained order after the war.

This was evident just by looking at the gathering tonight.

From the moment he entered the banquet hall, all eyes had been fixed on him, and the conversations about him had been incessant.

“Is that Lynch Valen? He’s even more handsome than I imagined!”

“I heard his origins aren’t too great…”

“Who cares about origins when someone’s achieved such extraordinary feats? I’d love him even if he were a slave.”

“I heard he’s still single…”

During his last visit here, many apprentices had looked down on him, mocking his humble background and assuming his success was just a stroke of luck.

But times had changed. Those apprentices who once scorned him were now nowhere to be found, while he remained in this hall, still dazzling and prominent.

Susan glanced around the room and then withdrew her gaze, smiling softly as she said, “I don’t think anyone’s going to interrupt tonight.”

“Well then.”

She extended an invitation: “May I invite you for a dance?”

The ball was about to begin, and having the first dance with someone like Lynch—the center of attention—was certainly a privilege. One look at the eager gazes of many young women nearby made it clear how many of them harbored such hopes.

Lynch shrugged nonchalantly. Truth be told, he wasn’t very interested in dancing and admittedly didn’t know much about it.

However, he realized that avoiding a dance altogether in such an event was almost impossible. Since that was the case, it didn’t matter to him who he danced with.

He was about to accept the invitation.

But before he could speak, a firm and authoritative female voice rang out: “I’m afraid that’s not possible!”

From the door, a young woman elegantly entered. She was dressed in a stunning, intricately designed gown, its skirt light and flowing like clouds drifting around her.

The gown was in a soft, understated shade, adorned with intricate patterns that shimmered subtly. Its tailored waist design perfectly accentuated her graceful figure. The neckline framed her shoulder line beautifully, while the skirt flared out naturally, resembling a blooming flower.

On her head was a delicate and exquisite tiara that complemented her attire, making her look like a princess from a fairytale.

The entire banquet hall seemed to ignite with energy as she stepped in.

“Whoa!”

“It’s Miss Avery!”

“How stunning…”

People marveled at her beauty and admired her noble demeanor. Though she hadn’t taken any particular action, merely entering the hall caused the room’s attention to converge entirely on her.

Under the gaze of the crowd, she walked straight into the hall, heading directly for Lynch. Facing Susan, she offered a poised smile, one perfectly measured to convey both elegance and subtle hostility.

“Apologies, I was here first!”

With that, she hooked her arm through Lynch’s and pulled him away from the two women.

“Uh… Excuse me,” Lynch said hurriedly.

Susan and Jessica were left stunned in place.

The apprentices witnessing this scene showed expressions of shock one after another. Avery’s actions had been far too blatant.

“No way…”

“Could it be that Miss Avery and Lynch…”

“This is unbelievable!”

An event this explosive was sure to stir even tonight’s festive atmosphere. After all, Avery’s identity was widely known—she was the heir to the Cavendish family, the most noble Pureblood bloodline, one of the rulers of this land.

Lynch, on the other hand, had certainly accomplished miraculous deeds. But ultimately, he still carried the Bloodline of a Muggle…

Yet neither Avery nor Lynch paid the slightest attention to the swirling chatter around them.

After pulling Lynch away, Avery guided him straight toward the center of the banquet hall and reached the edge of the dance floor.

She shot Lynch a dissatisfied glance. “Why were you being so accommodating? Don’t you know the symbolic significance of the first dance at a ball? Why didn’t you wait for me?”

Oh, it seems she had a point.

Lynch replied, “Wasn’t I just about to decline?”

Avery looked skeptical. “Really?”

Lynch nodded solemnly. “Of course. I’ve been preparing for this first dance of the ball for quite some time. How could I casually agree to anyone else?”

Avery’s tense expression finally softened, and she smiled. “That sounds more like it.”

“Shall we?”

“Let’s not keep everyone waiting.”

With that, she tugged Lynch toward the dance floor.

But just then, a familiar, teasing voice interrupted from the side.

“Well, well, well!”

“You two—Avery, when you stood by that guy so steadfastly on the battlefield earlier, I thought there had to be some sort of connection. Turns out it’s this!”

A young man stepped forward.

However, the moment Lynch saw this man, he froze entirely.

Because the man walking toward him was none other than Blair Jomans, the Apprentice of Dawn Wizard Academy who had once clashed with him on the battlefield, even coming to physical blows.

But…

But wasn’t he supposed to be dead?

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