*****“Please rise.”Xavier’s voice was so calm, restrained, and very polite.Yet…“Please let us remain like this, sir!”The response exploded in unison from the crowd, so synchronized that it was as though they shared the same mind.Then the crowd lowered their heads even further, as though they were afraid he might be offended by their insufficient devotion.Xavier, witnessing this, couldn’t help but freeze.But before he could even react, Sage Myron lifted his head slightly, his aged eyes filled with unshakable conviction.“Sir A-rank Warrior,” the old man declared solemnly, “this is what you deserve.”Xavier: “_”For a long moment, he simply stared at the respected patriarch, then… ‘What did I do to deserve this level of torture?’Xavier genuinely didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or pretend he had suddenly gone deaf.Of course, he understood why they were acting like this.They had seen his true strength.Two days ago… right in front of them, he had battled and s

*****Sage Myron didn’t hesitate a bit to dismiss the crowd, his movements swift and decisive, leaving no room for argument.And the moment he waved his hand, the Myron household obediently dispersed, retreating like a tide pulling back from shore.Then, with a posture so respectful that it bordered on worship, he stepped aside and gestured forward… appearing like a loyal steward guiding a sovereign and like a devout believer escorting a living deity…He walked just beside the red carpet… never on it, while deliberately leaving the entire path clear for Xavier alone.And Xavier, watching this, could only follow, the corners of his lips twitching into a helpless, bitter smile.He honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh, thinking;‘They really went all out…’The red carpet stretched out before him, impossible to ignore. Turning away would seem impolite, but walking on it felt absurd.In the end, Xavier could only go along with it, knowing that rejecting their effort would

*****Step by measured step, the six advanced down the corridor, Sage Myron and his family’s body stiff, their hearts pounding frantically in their chests as though wanting to jump out and escape.However, before anyone even reached the door, the atmosphere had already shifted significantly... not into tension or pressure, but sinking into a chillness, unnatural cold.It wasn’t the kind that brushed against the skin, but the kind that seeped into bone and marrow and munched at the very soul.And by the time the six eventually reached the door, it was as though they had walked straight into winter itself.Yet, strangely enough, apart from Xavier, no one’s expression changed.It wasn’t because they were unaffected, but because they had long grown used to it and had lived with it for too long.Xavier, on the other hand…A sharp, unreadable glint flashed in his eyes, and in the next second, his voice dropped… sounding low, frigid, and heavy enough to make spines stiffen.“This,”

*****Yes, Lyria had also respected Xavier.But unlike the rest of her family, that respect had never been the deepest thing she had felt toward him.From the very moment Xavier had descended like a knight in shiny armor, pulling both herself and her grandfather out of despair, her heart had been hopelessly and foolishly captured by him.And then just two days ago, she had watched him stand against an untouchable A-rank fighter, watched him dominate the battle, and watched him kill.That night had etched itself into her soul, and since then, his image had haunted her thoughts, invaded her dreams, and poisoned her against every other man her age.Since meeting Xavier, anyone bold enough to approach her had looked like nothing more than a poorly dressed clown compared to a god.That was why seeing her family kneel to him had hurt her so deeply… because she believed that would make her lose her chance.But now?That infatuation had been completely obliterated and burned to ashes

*****As soon as this sudden scream echoed, Sage Myron’s charge halted mid-step, his heart slamming violently against his ribs, nearly shooting out.Behind the old man, Lyria nearly stumbled forward, her breath hitching painfully in her throat.And behind the two of them, Ellen’s, Claudia’s, and Malcolm’s legs trembled so violently that they nearly collapsed on the spot, their faces drained of all color as if the scream had sucked the blood straight out of them.“W… Who?”“Who’s there?!”“Who screamed?!”The five of them cried out almost subconsciously, their heads snapping left and right, their eyes darting wildly across the room.But there was nowhere to look.The door was still closed, and the windows were sealed.There was nowhere for such a scream to come from.As this realization sank in, the room was swallowed by a terrifying, suffocating silence… everyone froze in place, drenched in cold sweat.But then suddenly…“Mo… mother?” A trembling, hoarse voice suddenly ec