The woman in royal attire from the VIP seats and the man in a tall hat approached Alan with smiles.
When Alan defeated William, they recognized his remarkable abilities and were ready to invite him to join Snowguard City. However, since Alan already had an arrangement with Alice, they could only come over to offer their congratulations.
"Alan, the people of Roan Castle are truly unreasonable. They didn't cherish someone of your caliber and instead oppressed you—truly beastly behavior. House Black is willing to avenge you!" said the lord of House Black, a small, thin, black-clad old man, rubbing his hands with a sly grin.
They had long remembered the oppression from the seneschal and William!
The lords of House Manson and House Quixote also chuckled, casting malicious glances at Shuster, the seneschal, and the other members of House Roan.
Alan's displayed strength alone was formidable, and now, with the favor of Duke Alice, it was a golden opportunity for them to get closer to him.
Moreover, they had not forgotten House Roan's oppression of them and saw this as an excellent chance to hit back, killing two birds with one stone!
Under the piercing gaze of the three lords, Shuster, the seneschal, and all the members of House Roan—both the elders and younger ones like William—felt the immense pressure mounting upon them.
"Honorable lords, the previous incident was a mere misunderstanding. House Roan is willing to take full responsibility!" the seneschal quickly replied with a smile, hoping to diffuse the situation.
Shuster glared at the seneschal, then put on a kind smile, looking toward Alan, who was preparing to leave. He tried to appease him:
"Alan, I was also misled by the seneschal and others. From now on, you will be the next head of House Roan, and your benefits as the successor will be doubled!"
In Shuster's mind, his generous offer should make Alan reconsider.
He was well aware that the current unfavorable situation for House Roan was primarily due to Alan. If Alan were to return, the other issues would become manageable.
"Where were these sentiments before?" Alan replied coldly, looking at him.
When Shuster first appeared, Alan still held a sliver of hope; had he acted justly, Alan would not have left the family today.
But, alas, there was no "if."
"Alan, don't act out of spite. The seneschal and I have already admitted our mistakes. What more do you want? After all, we're family!"
Alan's indifference made Shuster's face flush with anger, but he dared not push him further, resorting to an appeal to family ties.
"Family? Family means stabbing someone in the back?!"
"Let me make it clear—my sister and I are no longer part of House Roan!"
With that, Alan turned and walked away, ignoring Shuster's desperate calls.
"Turning your own family prodigy into a stranger—perhaps even an enemy? Shuster, that takes some real skill!"
After Alan left, the three lords became unrestrained, their words dripping with sarcasm.
"Indeed! Imagine if House Roan had been united, with both Alan and William. What a force you would have been!"
Their taunts hit Shuster and his people like knives, wounding them deeply.
They could only blame themselves—who knew Alan would turn out so formidable?
"It's all that damn Alan's fault! He hid his abilities as a magus on purpose; he's had ulterior motives all along!" the seneschal spat venomously.
Shuster's frustration grew, and he suddenly slapped the seneschal across the face.
"Even now, you show no remorse! Do you think I knew nothing about what was happening while I was away?"
The seneschal, slapped in front of everyone, was fuming and glared back at Shuster.
"Everything I did was for the good of the family!"
Just as Shuster and the seneschal began to argue, the three lords' mage forces arrived in an imposing formation.
The synchronized steps and oppressive aura made them snap back to reality.
Seeing the flood of mages approaching, Shuster and the seneschal's hearts sank.
Though House Roan had been on top thanks to Alan's efforts, the combined forces of the three lords were not something they could contend with now.
"What are you doing?" Shuster demanded, glaring at the three lords.
"You took so many of our mines. It's time you returned them!" the three lords smirked, their faces filled with greed.
"It was the seneschal's doing. I'll return your mines, but don't go too far, or we'll fight to the death!" Shuster declared resolutely.
The three lords exchanged glances and said, "Just returning what you took isn't enough."
"Hand over ninety percent of your mines, shops, and streets, and we'll spare House Roan. Otherwise, let's see how you stand against the three of us."
The lure of profit and their previous grievances made the three lords united and relentless.
Ninety percent of their assets?! Shuster and the seneschal turned pale at the demand.
Watching this unfold, William felt a sense of déjà vu.
…
Back at the courtyard, Alan saw Isabella sitting at the gate, and he smiled.
"I'm back."
Isabella was initially stunned to see him but then gazed at him with a genuine smile. Her eyes reddened slightly, and she rushed into his arms.
"Brother, let's never part again, okay?"
"I was so scared…scared you'd leave me alone forever…"
Isabella gripped his clothes tightly, her tears soaking his chest.
Alan gently patted her back, feeling touched.
"Didn't I promise you I'd return? Among my peers, your brother has no equal!"
"Yeah, right!" Isabella pouted, then broke into a happy smile. "But you are the best, most amazing brother in the world!"
Seeing her smile, Alan's heart felt light.
After chatting for a while, he began packing to leave.
House Roan was no longer his concern, and he knew the three lords wouldn't miss this chance to strike against them.
House Roan would soon be a battleground, and it was best to stay away.
An hour later.
The sun rose higher, radiating intense heat.
Back at the dueling arena, after witnessing the brutal exploitation of House Roan by the three lords, William returned to his courtyard, feeling utterly defeated.
He never expected that in just one morning, his bright prospects would crumble.
Alan! Damn Alan!
If not for him, William should be shining like the sun!
After a moment of rage and despair, a hint of madness flickered in his eyes.
"I still have talent! I still have the chance to step on him!"
He raised his head and shouted furiously.
Even though House Roan had been forced to surrender many assets to the three lords, he had secretly hoarded some.
With his talent, it wouldn't take long to reach mid-tier Bronze or even build enough momentum to reach tier Gold.
When that time came, the three lords would pay tenfold for today's actions!
Especially Alan and his damned sister—they deserved to die!
"Alan, just you wait!"
But just as he finished speaking, he sensed a familiar and detested presence behind him.
"There's no need to wait. Let's end this today."
William's eyes widened as he turned around, only to see a blinding flash of a sword expanding in his vision.
He felt a sharp pain in his neck, and the world began to spin.
In the final moments of his consciousness, he saw Alan's cold, merciless face behind the blade.