Chapter 346: An Invitation from the Central Association Leader

Chapter 346

An Invitation from the Central Association Leader

The wedding of Prince Joseph and Lady Vivian was organized very suddenly. No one expected it to happen so quickly. There was no way the Fernal family would reveal that the wedding was forced to be hastened because the prince had compromised Lady Vivian. Thus, for this wedding, people only knew that they hurried to arrange the event.

Ellie received an invitation as Eldest Young Lord Owen’s date. Despite the animosity between the Setter and Fernal families, they had to maintain cordial relations now. It shouldn’t be forgotten that the Setter family now held their survival in their hands. If they continued to antagonize the Setter family, their chances of reaching the 7th floor would be zero. Even if they hoped to train hard for the next 10 years to challenge the 7th floor on their own, that was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Therefore, the Fernal family’s only option was to approach the Setter family. The Setter family didn’t care about their identity, having declared they would serve as intermediaries. Anyone who wanted to ascend the 7th floor should bought their own space. This meant the Fernal family had the same opportunities as everyone else, which was very advantageous for them. As a result, the Fernal family was willing to be more accommodating to the Setter family, ready to flatter them whenever possible, which was understandable...

Ellie wore a pale blue dress adorned with luxurious jewelry. Owen was dressed in matching colors. They seemed not to want to stand out too much. In addition to Owen, 4-5 other members of the Setter family were also invited, including Steven, Aman, and others. Hence...after picking up Ellie, Owen brought her to join the group.

The banquet was lavishly arranged, befitting a royal wedding, with numerous nobles attending. Ellie noticed the head of the Fronda family attending with his wife but without any of their children, which pleased her.

She had been keeping tabs on Grace. According to the novel, Grace would become a significant figure in the Ares Kingdom once certain events unfolded. She would be the sole creator of dimensional rings, making her incredibly valuable and highly sought after by many noble families, whether big or small.

Grace became engaged to Prince Jason after the previous celebration’s incident. Initially, the power in her hands wasn’t substantial, as the Fronda family were merely nobles from the Rhea Kingdom, treated like war prisoners. However, after dealing with demonic beasts using her unique abilities and mastering dimensional magic power to create dimensional rings for storage, Grace’s status instantly rose to match Duchess Vida’s.

It’s no surprise that the Fronda family attracted much attention wherever they went. They could hold their heads higher and face the major families of the Ares Kingdom, unlike the current situation where things had drastically changed.

Ellie had brought dimensional rings with her and advised the Setter family to sell them transparently, sharing both the selling price and the cost price. This was not only to prevent people from feeling deceived once they reached the 7th floor but also to show that the rings were affordable. In 10 years, everyone would have easy access to dimensional rings, further diminishing the importance of those who crafted them using extremely expensive materials.

Now, anyone could obtain a dimensional ring, so where could the Fronda family hold their heads high anymore? It was evident that even when speaking with lower-ranked nobles, they had to bow their heads humbly!

“Interested in the Fronda family?” Aman walked briskly to catch up with Ellie as she surveyed the Fronda family. His face couldn’t hide his curiosity, causing Ellie to roll her eyes in annoyance.

"What’s so special about them? Or are you seeing another business opportunity?" Aman was very interested in Ellie’s demeanor, not out of concern or anything. He just felt that Ellie had a knack for turning everything she touched into gold. If she gave him some advice, he might make a fortune and become a millionaire by the time they ascended the 7th floor.

Ellie didn’t feel like talking to him. She just turned to the tall figure walking beside her, silently protecting her, and engaged him in conversation instead. Although this disappointed Aman, hearing his brother’s voice wasn’t bad either.

"I heard the sale of the dimensional rings went smoothly, didn’t it?"

"Mmm, the first round of exchanges was successful. For the second round, the number of sign-ups increased several times. Even with additional resources requested for exchange, they still booked a lot, just as you expected."

"................" Ellie nodded in acknowledgment. With this confirmation, Grace’s influence was truly over. Going forward, she would just need to find opportunities to seal the heroine’s abilities more. Ultimately, Grace wouldn’t be able to achieve anything substantial.

Of course, Ellie didn’t think Grace’s other ability would be a problem. Grace’s final ability would be creating spiritual weapons, which worked in tandem with her 1st and 3rd abilities. The 1st ability allowed her to draw spirits into her dimensional space, and then she could infuse these spirits into equipment, creating spiritual weapons.

Initially, Ellie feared this ability. But after reaching the 7th floor and discovering that spiritual weapons weren’t the best, she realized they didn’t grow with their owners or benefit them as well as generative spirits. Even high-ranking races didn’t desire these weapons much. So, upon reaching the 7th floor, this dangerous ability might cause more fear than a desire to use it.

Perhaps her next advice to the Setter family would be to sell spiritual weapons. Starting with cheap spiritual weapons, even though they were cheap on the 7th floor, they were the best humans could get at this stage. Ellie pondered this and glanced at Aman, wondering if he should be the one to handle this evil task.

Wasn’t Aman just asking for advice earlier? Since he has such high expectations, it might be best to let him take action....

Just thinking about it made the young girl happy. Meanwhile, the royal family members began to arrive. Ellie sat with the Setter family, positioned at the very front of the event, receiving more grandiose treatment than any other family. Even the cloths decorating the chair were of the highest quality. This caused many of the attending families to secretly grimace. They really wanted to ask why the Fernal family could be so shameless!

Previously, they had announced intentions to eliminate each other, but now that the Setter family had gained power, the Fernal family was eager to curry favor. Did they have no dignity?

Next to the Setter family sat the “leader of the Central Light Magic Association.” They had also been invited, each sitting proudly and aloof, refusing to speak or interact with anyone. They gave off a cold and intimidating atmosphere that kept others at bay.

"Is that the Setter family? That must be the renowned Eldest Young Lord Owen, right? If he weren’t the eldest young lord of the Setter family, we might have risked inviting him ourselves. Even if he isn’t a light magic user, his skills are sought after by everyone."

"Mmm, his aura is extraordinary, befitting the genius everyone talks about."

"People afflicted with life-consuming diseases were already special. Many who survive become the strongest individuals. This isn’t uncommon, but someone like him, afflicted from such a young age, is rare. Everyone thought he wouldn’t survive, even we thought he wouldn’t survive."

They whispered among themselves. Even now...the Setter family had drawn the attention of even the Central Association. Owen’s abilities were far too great and had propelled the Setter family to a level unattainable by the Central Association. If he wasn’t a genius, who was!?

The leader of the Central Light Magic Association also glanced at the Setter family members, but his true interest lay not in the Setter family themselves, but in the young girl among them.

Even though the Setter family announced that this young girl was the daughter of someone who had once saved the eldest young lord’s life, and that after he recovered, he brought her back to take care of her with plans for her to become the next lady of the Setter family, such stories were widely circulated. Some people said this girl was incredibly lucky, while others said the Setter family was foolish; they should just give her a few valuable items as thanks. However, someone like him, who had been around for a long time, couldn’t believe such stories.

The entire situation was too coincidental. After investigating, he learned that the eldest young lord’s condition had gradually improved once the girl’s powers awakened, particularly her botanic powers, which few people studied. Many believed powers of botany were weak and worthless, but those in high positions knew how useful it could be, if used well. Like the high-ranking Elf race, they once left behind numerous valuable devices and study manuals, most of which focused on cultivating botanic powers. If botanic powers were truly inferior, why were they so prominent in the past?

It was unfortunate that experimenting with users of botanic power to learn elven techniques didn’t yield good results, but the secrets of botanic power remained. He wasn’t ready to dismiss this curiosity either.

A girl with awakened powers, and a boy who grew strong thanks to the efforts of an entire kingdom—the Setter family didn’t abandon their hope. They even bet all their valuable resources to get life-extending medicine for their eldest son from the Ares palace. This was seen as foolish because no one believed survival was possible, but in the end, it was!

Surviving and returning with newfound strength was like a powerful slap to many faces. The young man’s power was unmatched, and many families regretted not helping the eldest young lord earlier. If they had, the Setter family would have owed them a favor, and they would have reaped substantial rewards!

However, after surviving, the Setter family immediately turned to this girl, even when the eldest young lord had not fully recovered. The speed of this move was too suspicious. Moreover, the Setter family’s attention to her was exceptional. He had heard that they even dared to confront high-ranking priests of the Church, quarreled with important professors of the top institute, and fabricated stories—all for a girl whose father saved the eldest young lord’s life? It was highly unlikely.

Let others believe what they want. He was certain there was something more behind it all. So, when he agreed to attend the banquet today, it wasn’t out of respect for any royalty or prince. He simply wanted to investigate something.

"Huh? Where are you going, sir? Let me..."

"No need," the tall, robust man walked ahead. Despite showing many signs of aging, he was still very strong and didn’t look like someone over 70.

After telling his associates not to follow him, he made his way to stand in front of the Setter family. This was his first move since sitting down at his own table. Many who were watching felt something interesting was about to happen. Some even speculated that the leader of the Central Association might be looking for trouble with the Setter family. His demeanor suggested he wasn’t visiting Ares Kingdom with friendly intentions. Otherwise, why would he announce his intentions to capture Hunter Luke, disregarding the kingdom’s laws!?

The Setter family members immediately took a defensive stance, furrowing their brows. Although they didn’t think the leader of the Central Association would act violently in such a public and observed setting, his direct approach was still inappropriate.

"What do you want?" Steven spoke first. As the head of the Setter family, he couldn’t let anyone trample on their dignity. Even though the other party was a revered association leader, to the Setter family, he was no different from any other Hunter’s Association.

The Setter family had never sought assistance from other associations. They frequently received invitations to join various groups, but they never sent their people. Because of this, they didn’t truly know each other’s capabilities, unlike other families who, after sending their descendants, didn’t realize that their descendants had to demonstrate their loyalty to the Central Association by divulging all family information, even telling their family tree. If they knew this, they wouldn’t have revered those who received such invitations.

"I don’t wish to speak with anyone from the Setter family." The association leader frowned. Though the Setter family was now quite powerful, did they really have the right to act so arrogantly in front of him?

"In that case, please step back at least 3 meters. Otherwise, we Setters, who must always be cautious, might mistakenly think you’re planning to harm us and react accordingly."

"We’ll see who react first..." The old man showed no fear. He looked at Steven, who was much younger, with contempt. He was as old as the previous head of the Setter family. Seeing the child he once knew now daring to speak against him filled him with displeasure.

Crash!!

"Ooh!! My apologies, my hand tends to shake whenever I hear people challenging others," Aman sneered. After observing his family’s demeanor, he realized they weren’t here to foster good relations with the Central Association. This meant he could cause as much trouble as he wanted.

The association leader looked at the shattered fine wine jug with cold eyes, a murderous glint within them. If not for his desire to test something first, this young, naive child would already be dead by his hand!

"The Setter family is filled with uncultured people. It’s only right that I feel the need to invite you out. A young girl with a bright future ahead, I am interested in you...Would you like to join my association? I can offer you the position of my assistant immediately. You should know that if you become my assistant, the day I’m no longer here, you’ll have the right to contest for the position of the next leader of the Central Light Magic Association. I think you understand the significance of my invitation."

"!!"