Chapter 217: Who Dares?!!

The morning air was cold as the group made their way toward the entrance of the private realm, the sky still painted in soft shades of orange and purple from the rising sun.

Raiden walked alongside Theodore and Aria, with Woolie trotting happily beside him, Neva perched on his shoulder, and Rose coiled comfortably around his neck.

Behind them, Tobias and Maple followed at a slower pace, their expressions unreadable in the early morning light.

As they approached the massive stone archway marking the entrance to the trial grounds, Raiden felt his jaw drop slightly at the sheer scale of the crowd already gathered there.

Hundreds of people stood scattered across the open field, dressed in fine robes bearing the Stormwind crest, their voices creating a low hum of chatter that echoed across the grounds.

"There sure are a lot of people here." Raiden muttered, scanning the crowd with mild interest.

"Of course. This is a chance for glory, after all. Every branch wants their descendants to shine. Who doesn’t want to be more powerful." Theodore replied, his tone carrying a hint of sadness, if he remembered a past incident.

The moment they stepped further into the crowd, a ripple of whispers began spreading outward like wildfire, heads turning one by one as people caught sight of Aria walking among them.

"Wait, is that... Young Miss Aria??"

"I thought she disappeared years ago! Where has she been all this time?"

"She’s back?? I heard she was doing some kind of secret training all this time."

The whispers grew louder, and soon people began approaching cautiously, bowing their heads respectfully toward Aria as she passed.

"Young Miss Aria, it’s an honor to see you again after all these years." An older man from one of the branch families spoke first, bowing deeply.

"Young Master Theodore, welcome back as well. We heard you were admitted into Archon Academy." Another woman added, offering a respectful nod toward Theodore.

Aria forced a polite smile onto her face, nodding along with practiced grace despite the obvious tension coiled beneath her calm exterior.

Theodore, on the other hand, simply nodded back with the confidence of someone who had grown up surrounded by this kind of attention his entire life.

Raiden watched the exchange quietly, noticing how genuinely respectful most of these people seemed. Whatever rumours had spread about Aria over the years, it was clear that many still remembered her as the brilliant, kind-hearted girl she used to be before everything happened.

But not everyone shared that same warmth.

Standing off to the side, a group of elders dressed in dark ceremonial robes watched the scene unfold with expressions that grew darker by the second.

Unlike the common branch members, these elders clearly knew the truth behind Aria’s disappearance, and judging by the way their jaws tightened, they were far from pleased to see her walking back into the family grounds like nothing had happened.

"This is troublesome." One elder muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he watched Aria greet another well-wisher.

"Indeed. If word spreads about what really happened to her, it could stain the entire family’s reputation beyond repair." Another elder added, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"We should have found a way to keep her from returning at all. Now she’s here, gathering sympathy from half the branch families." A third elder hissed quietly, careful to keep his voice low enough that only the small circle around him could hear.

"Careful with your words. Grand Master Tobias stands behind her now. None of us dare make a move while he’s watching so closely." The first elder warned, his gaze flickering briefly toward Tobias, who stood a short distance away, his presence alone enough to keep anyone from acting rashly.

The group of elders fell into an uneasy silence, their eyes darting nervously between Aria and the imposing figure of Tobias standing guard nearby.

It was at that moment a new figure emerged from the crowd, walking with slow, deliberate steps toward the gathering elders. He was a tall man, dressed in dark, expensive robes embroidered with silver thread, his expression carrying an air of practiced arrogance that seemed almost second nature to him.

"There’s no need to worry so much." The man spoke smoothly, a thin smile stretching across his lips as he approached the elders.

"Clan Head." The elders greeted him loudly, bowing slightly in acknowledgment.

Raiden’s eyes narrowed the moment he heard the title. So this was Aria’s father, the man responsible for everything Tobias had told him about.

"That girl is nothing but a waste. There’s no way she can win this trial, not with the pathetic power she has left." The Clan Head continued, his voice carrying just enough volume to reach the surrounding elders and nobody else, though he made no effort to disguise the contempt dripping from every word.

"Let her walk around and greet people all she wants. In a few hours, she’ll be eliminated from this trial just like everyone expects, and this entire farce will finally be put to rest."

Raiden felt his blood boil at the man’s casual cruelty, but what caught his attention even more was the sudden change in Aria’s expression.

The moment Aria’s eyes landed on her father, the color drained from her face entirely. Her earlier composure shattered instantly, replaced by raw terror.

Her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides, trembling slightly as she took an involuntary step backward.

Theodore immediately noticed his sister’s reaction, his own expression darkening as he moved closer to her, placing a protective hand on her shoulder.

Raiden’s gaze shifted between Aria’s terrified face and the smug, self-satisfied smile on her father’s lips, and something inside him snapped.

He had heard the entire story from Tobias. He had listened to every horrifying detail of what this man had done to his own daughter. And now, watching Aria tremble in fear just from being in the same vicinity as this bastard, he couldn’t stop himself anymore.

He took a step forward, his voice carrying clearly across the entire trial ground.

"Is that human trash of your father??"

The words rang out loud and sharp, cutting through the low hum of conversation like a blade.

A deafening silence spread across the entire groud instantly.

Every single head within earshot turned toward Raiden, the murmuring crowd freezing mid-sentence as they processed what had just been said. Even the elders standing beside the Clan Head went rigid, their eyes widening in disbelief.

The Clan Head’s smile faltered for the first time, his expression shifting from smug arrogance to something far colder as his gaze locked onto Raiden.

"Who dares speak such disrespectful words in my presence??" His voice dropped low, dangerous, the air around him beginning to crackle faintly with pressure as he directly started putting pressure on top of Raiden.

But Raiden didn’t even flinch, he simply stood there, unbothered, his expression calm as he stared directly at him.

Woolie, sensing the tension, puffed his chest out beside him, lightning crackling faintly around his horns in silent support. Neva’s hand flicked lazily from his shoulder, while Rose tightened slightly around his neck, her tiny eyes gleaming with interest at the sudden drama unfolding.

"I’m simply asking a question." Raiden said, tilting his head slightly, his tone almost conversational despite the gravity of the situation. "Because from where I’m standing, I don’t see a father. I just see a trash wearing expensive robes."

A few gasps rippled through the crowd, followed by nervous whispers as people exchanged glances, clearly unsure whether to be horrified or secretly entertained by the audacity of this unknown outsider.

The Clan Head’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides as the pressure around him intensified, causing several weaker branch members nearby to stumble backward, gasping for breath.

"You dare mock me in front of my entire family?? Do you even know who you are speaking to?? Are you challenging the entire Stormwind Family?!" His voice thundered across the field now, no longer bothering to hide his fury.

Raiden simply shrugged, completely unfazed by the mounting pressure surrounding him.

"Oh, I know exactly who I’m speaking to." He said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared directly at the man.

"I’m just wondering if you know what kind of monster you turned into the day you decided to torture your own daughter for power."

The words landed like a physical blow, and the murmuring crowd erupted into stunned silence once again, dozens of eyes now shifting uncertainly between the Clan Head and Aria, who stood frozen behind Raiden, her breath caught in her throat.

The elders behind the Clan Head exchanged panicked glances, clearly realizing that whatever careful secrecy they had maintained for years was now dangerously close to unravelling in front of the entire assembled clan.

Tobias, who had remained silent up until this point, finally allowed a small, satisfied smirk to creep onto his face as he watched the scene unfold from a distance. He had no love left for his family.

The Clan Head’s expression twisted into something dark and venomous, his aura flaring dangerously as the tension in the air grew thick.

"Someone!! Break his legs and throw this outsider out of here!!"

"Who dares?!!"