Entering a large room, the trio was greeted by a group of people gathered around a round table laden with food. The rich aroma of roasted meats and exotic spices filled the air.
"This is the woman I was talking about. Her name is Yui, and she will be my son's wife. I hope you can treat her well," Liandor announced, his voice carrying a hint of pride as he introduced Yui to the assembled elders.
"Elder Xiawen, you were right. She's a beauty," one of the elders commented, nodding appreciatively.
"Indeed. She would make a good wife! Talent and beauty, what more could we ask for?" another added, their eyes flicking between Yui and Elias. However, noticing that Liandor did not seem to want to introduce Elias, they decided not to ask either.
"Please, take a seat," declared Xiaowen Liandor as he guided Elias's mother to a set of two empty chairs.
Looking at the empty chair next to his mother for a few seconds and then all around the table, he noticed that each seat around the table had been taken—all except one on the other side of the table. Elias thought briefly before ultimately climbing onto his mother's lap, his small hands clutching her sleeve before making himself comfortable.
His mother's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled and gently stroked his hair. 'Usually, he would be pretty independent and not cling to me like this. It seems being alone truly affected him,' she thought, glancing at the bandages around his hand.
Liandor frowned but masked it with a forced smile.
Elias knew why Liandor had arranged the seating this way. He wanted to separate them, to start creating a distance. 'The chair on the other side of the table was probably meant for me. The one next to my mother was likely reserved for...' As if on cue, the door opened, and a young man strode in.
"Ah, there you are, Ray, my son. I was wondering when you'd arrive. We've been waiting for you," Liandor said, guiding Ray to the seat next to Yui.
Elias examined Ray, noting the familiar features. 'He looks a lot like Liandor... So this is my soon-to-be stepfather?' he mused.
Ray had a tall figure and short black hair. Surprisingly, other than that, he seemed quite average. "Sorry, I'm late. I was busy with some stuff," he said, offering no further explanation.
"Don't worry about it. It has been a few years since you last saw Yui, right?" Liandor said, gesturing toward her.
"Uh...Hi. It's been a long time since we last met." Ray said clumsily before shifting his attention elsewhere.
"... Yeah ... a long time," Yui replied, smiling awkwardly.
"Ahaha, come on! Don't be so shy!" Liandor answered in an attempt to cover this lie as best as he could.
Internally, he was a bit irritated by his son's acting. However, he decided not to dwell on it too much. 'He's still young. He will learn by himself.' he thought as he turned his attention toward the other guests.
Ignoring Elias, he started a conversation with the elders. "Everyone, I know it's been a while since we've all gathered together, but I'm glad we could do so today. Without further ado, let's eat!" he declared, clapping his hands.
Almost immediately, a group of servants entered the room and placed more food on the table. The variety was staggering: roasted meats, steamed vegetables, and a medley of fruits, all arranged in ornate dishes.
However, Elias did not seem the least interested and instead observed the elders closely as they talked, carefully studying their mannerisms and expressions. Having played countless runs in myriad worlds, he knew the importance of adapting to the culture and customs of each new place.
'These people are important figures in the clan. I should learn as much as I can from them-' However, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted.
"Here, try this," she said, putting a piece of nicely cut meat in his mouth.
Elias was a bit taken aback but did not refuse. Chewing slowly, he tried to savor the taste. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't enjoy it. Regardless of how delectable the food was, it felt bland to him. Swallowing the meat without much enthusiasm, he nodded as if he were enjoying it.
Sensing his lack of enthusiasm, Yui offered a piece of fruit. "Do you not like it? How about this?"
"It's good; I've never eaten such yummy food before," Elias replied, half lying before eating the fruit. But the sweetness, the juiciness, even the slight tartness failed to initiate any real pleasure. This too, felt bland.
Soon, all the elders started conversing and discussing different matters. Some discussed the recent Aether beast attacks, while others discussed the latest news.
"I heard that the Gray Wolf clan has been growing in power recently. They even managed to obtain a rank 2 wolf pack manifestation," one of the elders said.
"Those fortunate bastards! They're just a bunch of thieves and murderers. They don't deserve anything," another elder spat, his face full of disgust.
Sitting on his mother's lap, Elias continuously stuffed food into his mouth, his eyes fixed on the elders as their discussion continued.
'Rank 2 wolf pack... This manifestation is used to control rank 1 wolf-type beasts. It belongs to the swarm playstyle, where the user commands a group of beasts to attack and gradually overwhelm the enemy,' Elias thought, recalling information from countless game runs.
'Although it's a pretty good manifestation, I never really liked the "swarm-style build" because of the significant resources required to build and maintain an army of beasts.'
Since a cultivator has a limited number of manifestations, they had to choose each one carefully. This is a fundamental rule of cultivation, regardless of the world. Each absorbed manifestation must absolutely be compatible with the others. A compatible set of manifestations can enhance each other, while incompatible ones might even cancel each other out.
Thus, a cultivator's first manifestation is particularly important, as it heavily influences their future path. It wouldn't be false to say that a cultivator's fate could be decided by their first manifestation.
Once again, Liandor attempted to steer the conversation away from grim topics. "Now, now, today is a happy day. Let's not talk about such things," he urged.
The elders agreed with a nod and some light apologies before returning to lighter topics. One turned to Yui. "So, Yui, tell us a bit about yourself. How did you meet Ray, and when?"
Surprised by the sudden question, Yui paused momentarily before replying, "Uh...Well, there's not much to say. I'm just an ordinary woman... And I met him ..."
Suddenly, she heard a tiny voice whispering in her ear. "Tell them you met him when he hunted down an aether beast and saved you five years ago. Mmh.. Also, add that he was very handsome and charming."
"I met him five years ago when he was hunting down a beast and saved me. He was very handsome and charming," Yui said, repeating the words that the voice had whispered to her.
"Oh, really? That's interesting. So you met him five years ago... Tell us more," the elder said, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.
Sensing that Yui didn't really know how to continue, Elias whispered another line in her ear. "He was so strong and brave, and I was instantly attracted to him," Yui repeated, her cheeks turning red from embarrassment.
Ray, who was busy eating, lifted his head and glanced at the Yui with a confused and surprised expression while all the elders' faces lit up as they listened to her story.
'Hum...That's not part of the script...' he thought as he nodded along with her without much choice.
Seeing how the situation was unfolding, Liandor's expression grew tense. He had meticulously crafted a backstory for her, but it was clear that panic made her forget, causing her to deviate from the original script.
'Well. Whatever, maybe it is not that bad. My son is praised as a hero who saved a damsel in distress. It is still a good enough story. There's some plothole there and here, but this can be filled later. The only problem is...'
"Mom, I'm sleepy. Can we go back?" Elias suddenly asked, rubbing his eyes.
Suddenly, the attention shifted to him as everyone was a bit surprised by his words.
"Child ... Did you say, mother? I thought you were her brother? " the elder asked Yui the questions with a strange expression.
"... No? She's my mom," Elias replied, pointing at Yui.
Suddenly, the whole room became silent. Everyone stared at Elias and then at Yui and then at Ray, their expressions changing from surprise to disbelief.
"... How old are you again?" one of the elders asked, his eyes narrowing.
With a carefree attitude, Elias answered, "I am four!"
Liandor's expression suddenly turned deadly pale, and he was about to say something but was overtaken by the voice of another elder.
"Four years old, huh? Then... A year after Yui and Ray met... Right? Does that mean..."
The elder did not finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. Is Elias Ray's secret child?