In the backdrop of the late evening slowly transforming into nightfall and a massive event hall that screamed opulence, wealth and extravagance, a single hover car which was levitating a few meters above the ground in the event hall's expansive parking lot with a soft yet rhythmic hum, housed five individuals which were all dressed in black three-piece suits.
"So, are you all ready?" a young man who seemed to be in his late twenties asked the other individuals who also seemed to be in their early to late twenties that were in the hover car with him in a commanding tone.
"Yes Boss!" they all responded resolutely.
"There's no going back once we're in there. It's either do or die! So, once again, are you all ready for this?!" the boss asked his underlings once again with an even more commanding voice to confirm their resolution.
This time, the individuals which were present in the hover car took a bit of time before they answered.
They looked as if they were really contemplating their decision and even though the silhouette of the hover car's roof was casting a shadow across their faces and hiding their facial features, a few beads of sweat could be seen on all of their faces.
It was an indication that they were very nervous and even their boss who seemed very calm about the whole thing was just as nervous as his underlings, especially considering how tightly he was gripping the rectangular steering wheel.
What they were about to do could very well ensure that all their wishes would come true if they succeeded and escaped but at the same time, if they failed, there was no way out for them. Even death would be the least of their worries.
But despite that, they all put on resolute expressions once again after contemplating for a while and answered affirmatively to their boss.
"Yes Boss!"
"Good. Let's move!" the boss answered while getting out of the car along with rest of his crew and began to move into the massive hall.
'We will definitely succeed! We've been planning for more than a year now and we already have the guards switched out with some of our members. Everything should and will go smoothly' the boss said to himself while moving towards the hall with a resolute look on his face.
***
Inside a gigantic and glamorous modern hall which could be described as a grand display of wealth and opulence were various people from all forms of nobility mingling, conversing, laughing and making small talks with one another.
The banquet had yet to start and yet, the scenery was packed and filled with fever-like excitement and liveliness from both young and old alike.
The grand halls were sectioned into three, each one large enough to fit about 5000 people with a long corridor separating them from each other.
The halls which were split into three, started with a fairly large hall to serve as a reception and was also where everyone was presently at.
The second hall which was called the grand hall, was an even larger one which was situated between the reception hall and the third hall. It was made for the adults to socialize with one another without having to keep watch over their sons and daughters.
The third and final hall however, which was smaller than the one made for adults but still very large in its own right, larger than that of the reception hall, served as the hall to allow for interactions between young members of nobility.
"Hahaha… I would like for my son to marry into your family!"
"Sure! He'd make for a good match with my daughter! Hahaha!"
"I love that dress of yours! It's so beautiful and stylish!"
"Oh this! It's in vogue! I can recommend the store I got it from if you're interested"
"Please do!"
"I wonder when the big families will begin to arrive…"
"They tend to take their sweet time! They are the main characters today after all!"
"Yeah. I'm most excited to see The Roseblade Family! They're filled to the brim with no shortage of beautiful women!"
"It is a matriarchal family after all. Also, don't forget The Ellfires' and The Whites'!"
"You're forgetting the biggest of them all! The Adencia Royal Family itself who's hosting this!"
As everyone kept conversing with themselves, the receptionists began to usher everyone into the grand hall, guiding the large number of people effortlessly with graceful precision.
The grand hall which they were guided into was even more glamorous and grander than that of the reception.
The grand hall they were now in, along with the last one that was yet to be occupied, were both adorned with shimmering crystal chandeliers, golden tapestries, illuminated towering pillars, exquisite art pieces that costed millions of AR's and beautiful marbled floors on which a symphony of glittering lights danced across and cascaded over from the chandeliers.
The announcer, as if already automated immediately began to speak once he spotted various big families been ushered in.
His voice which had been fairly high with his announcements, suddenly increased in volumes after about 30 minutes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed nobles, please join me in warmly welcoming the distinguished presences of The Roseblade Family, The Ellfire Family, The White Family and most of all, The Adencia Royal Family as they grace us with their esteemed presence at this magnificent and splendorous gathering!"
This sudden announcement garnered the attention of everyone in the hall as they all turned towards the door, each with different looks of admiration, envy, jealousy and reverence.
"It's the King and Queen! Just check out that aura radiating from them and their children!"
"King Arthur! The most resourceful and youngest in the history of Arcadia to ascend the throne. Truly the greatest in all of the Royal Family's history!"
"And to top it off, his Queen, the Empress of the battlefield, her highness, Hela Adencia and their two children, Adrian and Beatrice Adencia who turned out to be just as talented as their mother and father!"
"Wow! She looks so beautiful! Isn't that Selina Roseblade?! The Duchess of the Roseblade Family?!"
"Of course! Even her daughter, Caroline looks even more beautiful than her! She's also one of the most talented prodigies of this generation!"
"Don't forget the Dukes of the Ellfire and White Family! Reinhart Ellfire and Noah White! They still look just as handsome and majestic as ever!"
"I heard rumors that their families are planning to have their children marry each other. Lucas and Amelia, I heard? What about Bryan then?"
"Marriage? Wasn't the White family's daughter engaged to the Belmont family's youngest son?"
"Belmont? Who's that? They already lost their place among the big families. It's only natural that the Whites' would want to search for greener pasture!"
"Speaking of the Belmont's, are they planning not to attend this event just like all the ones they rejected over the past year"
"They surely wouldn't do that. This is compulsory, those were not"
"That been said, although they may have lost their standing they're still very much a Dukedom. They could decide not to come and not face any consequences"
Amidst all the praises, admirations, slanders, reverence and murmurs that nobles were usually known for at social gatherings like this, the members of the big families kept moving, their expressions unchanging from the smiles they had all been accustomed to and taught to maintain from a very young age.
The big families' asides the Royal family found their way into spacious corners of the grand hall while the Royal Family kept ascending the staircase elegantly.
On reaching the top of the staircases, King Arthur turned around along with the Queen, the flowing capes of their regal attires turning gracefully along with them.
The Prince and Princess had also moved over to the Ellfire and Roseblade Families respectively as they watched their father about to give the obligatory speech to commence the banquet.
As the King was about to commence his speech, the wide doors of the of the grand hall suddenly opened.
The sudden sound created by the door as it opened caused everyone's attention to focus on the people that entered at such an important time, but upon seeing the appearance of the people who came in, almost everyone was entranced by what they were seeing.
"Oh my goodness!!!"
"This… isn't real…"
"Is it possible to even look that good??"
The door had opened to reveal a family of four whose appearance couldn't have been anything more ethereal and eye-catching to look at.
On one side was the Duke of the Belmont Family along with his eldest son, who looked so similar to his father but yet still radiated his own charm which was very different from his father and on the other side was the Duchess along with their youngest son, who had seemed to mature greatly considering how he was oozing confidence just from the way he carried himself.
'He came…' Caroline thought to herself.
"Oh… This is most interesting…" Selina Roseblade quietly said with a lot of interest in her voice.
Caroline who had heard her mother's comment could not have been more surprised.
This was due to the fact that her mother hardly ever showed interest in anything. Very few things caught her attention and she could say that her Mother was more aloof and oblivious than anything a lot of the time.
"Mother, what do you mean by that?" Caroline asked with curiosity.
"No… it's just that…" Selina Roseblade began before her voice completely faded and she spoke directly into Caroline's mind.
"The eldest son of the Belmont family… He's an A-ranker…"
"What?!" Caroline's eyes widened with shock at her mother's words.
"And that's not all. The youngest son will probably be a B-ranker very soon…"
Caroline was unable to even react this time around because she was still very much shocked from the first news, but reaching B-rank with Flynn's initial core rank by two years was nothing short of a news that would turn over all of Arcadia and the world on its head.
"I presume you know that this news should be kept between me and you" Selina still spoke to Caroline through her mind.
"Yes Mother" Caroline responded while slightly nodding her head.
She then turned to look at Aiden and Flynn again, specifically Aiden with new found interest.
'A-rank at the age of 17 huh…' she thought to herself, a smile forming on her lips as she did so.
"The Belmonts! It's so nice to see you attend a gathering after all such a long time!" King Arthur said with a genuine smile.
"It is an honor to be able to attend this year's Royal Banquet again. We apologize for interrupting the commencement of your speech" Leopold responded while bowing slightly along with the rest of his family.
"No. It isn't anything to be so apologetic about" Arthur replied before continuing.
"We shall continue our conversations later" Arthur said, returning to his majestic stance as he prepared to begin his speech.
The Belmont's upon hearing this bowed once more and moved to an empty space in one corner of the gigantic hall and waited for the King to begin his speech.
The reason why no one felt anything was wrong even though the King spoke to the Belmont's considering they had quite possibly prevented him from starting his initial speech when he actually wanted to was because things like this had happened in the past on several occasions with previous Royal Family members and other families, both big and small.
This was the modern world, not the medieval ages where things like this were considered punishable by law. There's something called 'traffic', and it sucks to say the least, especially when you're in a hurry.
Adding to that was the fact that in the past, the members of the Belmont Family had laid the groundwork and made it very easy for the Adencia Family to ascend to the throne, hence, the Royal Family always favored the Belmont's even after all these years and their eventual decline from power.
"Noble lords and ladies, esteemed guests, and loyal subjects" King Arthur began.
"I stand before you today as your King to mark the commencement of this glorious banquet. Let the revelry begin, as we gather in celebration of our nation's prosperity, unity, and the unwavering spirit that binds us all!"
"May this banquet be a testament to the strength and grandeur of our nation, and may our hearts be filled with joy and gratitude as we partake in this banquet and feast fit for royalty!"