The party's atmosphere remained lively even though more than an hour had passed since Lionel's welcoming speech.
Victor had been sitting in one spot the whole time, peacefully enjoying the food and drinks provided. And, of course, his attention on the mysterious man hadn't waned.
At this moment, his focus was diverted when he saw Bob hurrying towards him.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you in such a rush?" Victor inquired, furrowing his brow.
"Shit, Victor, I just ran into Theo, that bastard!" Bob cursed, his frustration evident.
Victor raised an eyebrow. His memory of Theo immediately surfaced: the only son of Vincent Cazorla, a wealthy soul stone mining magnate.
"That bastard mocked me, saying he brought an extraordinary gift for Alber. Damn it, he really pissed me off!" Bob grumbled.
Victor stroked his chin. Just hearing Theo's name was enough to irritate him for some reason. Theo was indeed annoying, and it could be said they were rivals.
"Well, don't get so mad. He's obviously boasting just to suck up to Alber. I'm sure you know that," he said calmly, attempting to soothe Bob's anger.
Bob's expression still showed traces of his frustration, but his eyes brightened when he spotted some boiled squid on the table. Without hesitation, he began eating it, his mood visibly improving.
While chewing, Bob mumbled, "Well, I feel a bit better now. One day, you need to kick that bastard's ass, Victor."
Victor shook his head slightly, watching Bob's antics with mild amusement. He chose to ignore Bob's comment and instead redirected his thoughts to Theo.
In the original plot, Theo played a role in assisting Leon and was quite troublesome because of his identity.
But of course, he wouldn't let Theo live a good life. Anyone who helped the protagonist also had to die.
----
The party continued seamlessly, every small detail meticulously planned for this special celebration.
Unlike other kingdoms, in the England Empire, birthdays were celebrated only twice in a person's lifetime: at the ages of 8 and 18. This tradition had existed since ancient times without any particular significance attached to it.
However, some interpreted the 8th birthday as the beginning of one's journey toward strength and the 18th birthday as the onset of adulthood.
At this moment, Victor and Bob were engaged in conversation while standing near one of the tables. Their attention was diverted when they noticed two young men walking towards them.
These young men appeared to be around the same age as Victor and Bob, dressed elegantly in suits.
Victor and Bob immediately recognized them, and Bob's expression, in particular, turned sour.
As the two young men drew closer, their appearances became clearer. One had a sophisticated look with a handsome face, stood around 180 cm tall, had black hair, and carried himself with a calm demeanor. This was none other than Theo Cazorla. Beside him was his blond-haired friend, Louis.
"Theo, Louis, why are you here? Aren't you enjoying the praise from those sycophants?" Bob sneered.
Theo smiled, "How can they compare to you two? My real rivals today are you. I don't know what gift you brought for Alber. Just curious and hoping it's not trash," he said with a smirk.
Bob growled in annoyance, in stark contrast to Victor, who maintained a calm smile. "Unlike you, bringing an extraordinary gift, I never thought of sucking up to Alber to curry favor with his father," Victor replied with a cool, sharp tone.
Theo's smile faded at this.
Bob quickly chimed in, "Yeah, do you think I don't know that the gift you brought is a profound-level soul stone? Does your father know you're giving such a valuable gift to a child? Do you think that will make Alber see you as a brother? Heh, you're no different from those sycophants!" he sneered with a smirk.
Theo's expression darkened, and an intimidating aura emanated from him, causing Bob to shiver and somewhat regret his taunt. With lightning speed, Theo's hand moved to grab Bob's collar.
But suddenly, a hand grabbed his wrist, blocking him from reaching Bob.
Theo's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to see Victor, who had intervened.
While Bob was startled, Victor spoke calmly, "You don't really want to disrupt the peace of this party, do you?" His voice was calm but deadly.
Theo frowned, feeling the pain from Victor's grip. It was hard for him to believe, considering Victor was a second-generation heir who wasn't even a magus.
Theo quickly withdrew his hand, and Victor released him.
"Now, should you be leaving?" Victor said, his tone still very composed.
"Tch!" Theo clicked his tongue and left with Louis, leaving Victor and Bob behind.
Watching their backs, Victor's gaze turned cold. He indeed didn't want any chaos here, as that might ruin the perfect moment, potentially affecting his plans.
Bob, still in shock, stood before Victor, "What was that? Did that bastard try to attack me, and you stopped him, Victor? How did you do that?" he asked in amazement.
"That's not important. Now, let's head to the platform. It's time for us to present our gift," Victor said, smiling as he patted Bob's shoulder and walked away without waiting for a response.
"Hey, wait for me..."