On the deep night when Yulan Calendar years 9999 and 10000 intersected, snowflakes swirled thickly through the air. The temperature across the whole of Fenn City had dropped to a startling degree, and inside the Temple of Light's frigid secret chamber, Lin Lei leaned against the cold stone wall.
The cold—Lin Lei felt none of it.
"Knowing I'm going to be executed, yet without even the slightest ability to resist." Lin Lei shook his head and let out a quiet sigh.
He had tried. He had made every attempt.
But this chamber was indeed just as that special-grade deacon had described—its defenses were terrifyingly powerful. Even in his dragon transformation, Lin Lei couldn't break those chains, nor could he damage the chamber in the slightest. He could only wait quietly here for his execution, which would come before long.
The dark night passed quickly, and the blanket of heavy snow finally ceased. Whether noble families or ordinary commoners, everyone in the Holy Capital of Fenn City celebrated the arrival of the ten-thousand-year Yulan Festival that morning in their own way. The Temple of Light, in particular, had been putting on a show. Starting from that morning, all manner of fantastical, beautiful spectacles formed by magic had been dancing across the sky above the Temple of Light.
The Holy Capital of Fenn City had become an ocean of joy that day. On the broad plaza before the Temple of Light, people from every corner had gathered, all cheering for this once-in-ten-millennia Yulan Festival. The Temple of Light also held one lively event after another.
From the third floor of a tavern, Yeru, Rein, and George gazed out at the Temple of Light's plaza in the distance. The square was packed with people—a true sea of humanity.
"Boss Yeru, are we going to the Debus Family's wedding banquet today?" George asked.
Kalan of the Debus Family's wedding banquet was on this very day of the Yulan Festival. It was an auspicious date—probably a great many people throughout Fenn City were holding weddings that day. The banquet was set to begin at noon and would continue on into the evening.
"Going? Of course we're going." Yeru's expression was very dark.
The matter of Lin Lei had kept Yeru, Rein, and George in low spirits for a long time now.
"Hmph, Third Brother went soft on that nasty woman and that kid named Kalan, and now Third Brother is about to be executed while that kid Kalan and that nasty woman get to live it up—they're actually having their wedding." A powerful sense of resentment burned in Yeru's chest.
He had already taken a strong dislike to Kalan and Alice long before this. Especially now, with Lin Lei about to be executed—Yeru wanted to save him but couldn't. This anxious frustration had no outlet, and it only made him all the more unable to stand Kalan and Alice.
"That's right. If they want the wedding to go smoothly, they can dream," Rein said through gritted teeth.
Even George harbored a desire to disrupt the couple's wedding.
Whether it was Yeru, George, or Rein, they had been worrying about Lin Lei day after day. But when they learned he was to be executed and they couldn't do a thing to save him, they couldn't help but recall the days they had spent with Lin Lei. And their hearts grew ever more filled with self-loathing for their own powerlessness.
And at this very moment, Alice—who had once abandoned Lin Lei—was now about to marry Kalan. How could these three bear to watch?
Greenleaf Road, Fenn City. The Debus Family estate.
At noon, noble after noble, wealthy man after wealthy man stepped through the gates of the Debus Family. Although the Debus Family had declined from its position among the Fenlei Kingdom's top families following the water jade ore smuggling case, even in decline they were still a family of some influence—at least enough to rank within the top twenty in the kingdom.
"Baron Juno has arrived—"
"Baroness Pulei has arrived—"
Noble after noble, lady after lady, young miss after young miss filed into the Debus Family estate. The Debus Family patriarch, Bernard, warmly welcomed each guest. The family's power had contracted sharply, but at least they had maintained their footing in the Fenlei Kingdom.
"Duke Bernard has arrived—"
Hearing the announcement, many nobles turned to look toward the gate. Even Bernard hurried out to greet him. The highest-ranking guest at this Debus Family wedding was probably Duke Bernard. At the previous engagement ceremony, His Majesty King Clyde of the Fenlei Kingdom had attended in person. But for this grand wedding, the king himself would not be coming.
The reason—everyone knew.
"Your Grace, your presence is a great honor for our entire Debus Family." Bernard was deeply humble.
Duke Bernard nodded.
After the assassination attempt at Lin Lei's manor, Right Minister Merit had died. Although His Majesty Clyde had appointed a new minister to fill the position, in terms of influence the newcomer still couldn't compare to Merit, who had held the seat of Right Minister for decades. Add to that the death of Finance Minister Duke Patterson, and the most powerful minister in the entire Fenlei Kingdom now was probably Left Minister Duke Bernard.
"Kalan, come pay your respects to Duke Bernard," Bernard called out quickly.
Today, Kalan was dressed very handsomely indeed. His pure black formal attire made him the most dazzling young man at the entire wedding banquet. With great humility, Kalan bowed before Duke Bernard. "Duke Bernard, welcome to my wedding."
"Bless you, Kalan." Duke Bernard offered a casual smile.
And then—
"Young Master Yeru of the Dawson Trading Company has arrived!"
At the sound of this announcement, Bernard's eyes immediately lit up. Even Duke Bernard beside him headed outside along with him. The nobles of the Fenlei Kingdom naturally couldn't compare to the Dawson Family—the Dawson Family of the Dawson Trading Company was one of the most formidable families on the entire Yulan Continent.
Yeru, dressed in a crisp black formal suit.
Rein, wearing a handsome blue formal outfit.
George, in white formal attire with faint plaid patterns.
The three walked in side by side, and the sight drew the bright, attentive eyes of many surrounding nobles. Mages generally possessed a unique kind of bearing—it was because they frequently meditated, achieving a very high degree of fusion with the natural elements, and coupled with their strong mental power, they naturally carried a distinctive presence.
Yeru, Rein, and George were all scions of ancient noble families. Moreover, they were mages. Their bearing was clearly something ordinary family scions of the Fenlei Kingdom could not match.
"Young Master Yeru, welcome. And these two are?" Bernard could tell at a glance that the two accompanying him were definitely not from ordinary families.
Yeru smiled faintly. "These are my good brothers from Ernst Academy."
Rein said politely, "Mr. Bernard, I'm from the Dunstan Family of the O'Brien Empire. You may call me Rein."
"The Dunstan Family?"