"Restraint and deference go both ways….At the end of the day, in the table of clashes, it is the strong who gets the respect."
As the meals came, Matriarch finally addressed those words.
Her gaze lingered on Astron for a beat longer, a subtle glint in her eyes as she acknowledged his words. "Indeed," she said, her voice a calm, measured tone. "Respect is often claimed by those with the strength to wield it. Though strength, Young Natusalune is not only a matter of power but of control. True strength is often quiet, disciplined."
As the maids presented the main course, the rich aroma of the dish filled the room—a premium cut of beef, prepared and marinated under special conditions to maximize its mana-rich qualities.
This was no ordinary meal; each slice of meat was infused with concentrated mana, a delicacy reserved for high-ranking magic families who required both sustenance and mana fortification in equal measure.
