Victor and Bob strode confidently towards the platform, immediately capturing the attention of the assembled onlookers.
"Ohh, isn't that Victor? The young master of the Archfindor family. I rarely see him, but rumors say he's not interested in magic or cultivation."
"Well, despite that, his lineage is remarkably prestigious. He hails from two ancient families that played pivotal roles in the formation of the England Empire. Even without a focus on magic or cultivation, he lives a life of privilege."
"Indeed, noble blood carries its weight. You can feel the authority and charm emanating from him."
The whispers about Victor among the guests were inevitable. Despite walking alongside Bob, almost no one paid attention to him.
Lionel, noticing their approach, greeted them warmly with a smile.
"Well well, if it isn't young master Victor Archfindor, and you," he said, though his expression turned thoughtful upon seeing Bob.
Bob instinctively introduced himself with a slight bow, "I am Bob Stanley. We haven't met before, but you may know my father, Shaw Stanley," he said.
Realization dawned on Lionel as he raised both eyebrows. "Ah, so you're Shaw's son. Well, this is indeed our first meeting," he said.
"I understand, Sir Lionel. Even though we're meeting for the first time in person, I've admired you for a long time. Your miracle spirit, the Namean Lion, has been legendary since my childhood," Bob said, genuine admiration lighting up his face.
"Haha, it's just a lion. People tend to exaggerate," Lionel chuckled modestly. "But let's put that aside. I'm sure both of you have brought gifts. Whatever they may be, I'm grateful," he said warmly, smiling.
Bob's admiration for Lionel grew even more. He had known about the man for a long time, especially since the news of Lionel single-handedly defeating a four-star soul beast had spread.
In this world, soul beasts were categorized into seven levels based on the number of stars on their bodies, making Lionel's feat of handling a four-star soul beast alone quite remarkable.
"I've brought some training tools for Alber," Bob explained, smiling as he handed a rather large box to Alber. "He's at a crucial growth stage, and I believe these will be very beneficial for him. I've packed everything using spatial magic."
Alber accepted the box, but his expression remained impassive. It was clear he had received similar gifts before and didn't expect to use them.
Noticing his son's lack of enthusiasm, Lionel coughed lightly to ease the tension.
"Thank you for your gift, young master Bob. I'm sure Alber will find them useful, won't you?" he remarked, gently tousling Alber's hair.
"Father, I've received too many of these kinds of gifts. They'll probably just end up in the warehouse," Alber responded flatly.
Bob smiled awkwardly upon hearing this. Lionel sighed inwardly, recognizing his son's need for guidance in appreciating others' gestures.
In Lionel's mind, he regarded both Bob and Victor as inconsequential, aside from Victor's prestigious lineage. To him, they were second-generation idlers who knew only how to waste their potential.
"Well, Mr. Lionel, it seems many guests have the same thoughts. However, what I brought might be a bit different," Victor suddenly interjected.
"What is it?" Alber inquired suddenly, which piqued Lionel's curiosity as well.
With a confident smile, Victor took a pen from his pocket.
Alber and Lionel were puzzled. Even Bob was surprised, not expecting Victor to bring a pen as a gift.
Alber, with his limited understanding, was just confused, but Lionel, who thought more deeply, immediately pondered Victor's intention.
'Is this kid showing off his identity to me? If so, it's a shame that the Archfindor lineage has such a foolish descendant,' he scoffed internally.
Victor, on the other hand, smiled. "You might see it as just a pen, but try pressing it," he suggested, handing the pen to Alber.
Alber, confused and curious, took the pen and without hesitation, pressed the bottom end.
Click!
Something surprising happened as the pen magically transformed into a sword!
This sight also shocked Lionel and Bob, as well as several onlookers.
Alber, with a stunned expression, was completely dumbfounded by what had just happened. "Th-this pen turned into a sword?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
Victor responded with a thin smile, "It's transformation magic. Unlike ordinary magic with time limits, this pen has been imbued with mana and has an unlimited ability to transform into a sword. And not just any sword," he elaborated, bringing his hand close to the blade, which was immediately enveloped in a thin blue mana energy that emanated like faint smoke.
This sight made Lionel even more astonished, "A magic sword?!" he gasped.
Lionel couldn't hide his surprise. A magic weapon imbued with transformation magic was rare and difficult to make.
Victor's smile widened. "Yes, it's a special day for your son, Sir Lionel. Consider it for his protection. Do you like it, buddy?" he asked, looking at Alber whose eyes sparkled in awe at the sword he was holding.
"Thank you, I love it!" Alber exclaimed, his expression lit up as he looked at Victor.
Victor smiled. "So, Alber, you know that magic weapons can adapt to their owner? Especially if they're imbued with transformation magic. If you can at least master it, you might awaken a sword heart," he explained.
Alber's eyes sparkled even more with admiration. He had once heard about the sword heart and knew it was extremely powerful.
His expression immediately turned determined, "I will train hard!" he declared with full resolve.
Victor nodded, saying, "That's the spirit."
Several guests who witnessed this moment could already guess that the gift Victor brought was extremely luxurious, and it was clearly not an ordinary weapon.
Lionel was not only surprised by the gift Victor brought but also by Victor himself. He had felt something strange for a while...
"Young master Victor, forgive me if this is rude. Rumor has it that you have no talent in magic. But I clearly felt you infusing mana into that sword blade," he remarked.
Victor smiled, "You are indeed extraordinary, Sir Lionel. It seems I can't hide anything from you. The truth is, I began my training just a few days ago and discovered that I have a surprisingly high talent," he revealed.
Lionel raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback. "What?" he uttered, struggling to believe what he was hearing. Yet, the mana he had sensed earlier was unmistakably advanced, far beyond what a novice could generate; it felt refined and controlled.
"Sir Lionel, I've heard a lot about you, especially your extraordinary miracle spirit. But I'm more interested in one of your abilities. If I'm not mistaken, you can see a person's 'potential' just by holding their hand?" Victor inquired.
Lionel stroked his chin, looking at Victor, who now seemed more authoritative than when he first saw him.
He nodded, "Yes, that's a lineage ability. I can indeed see a person's 'potential'. Do you want me to look at yours?" he offered.
"I would be delighted," Victor replied with a smile, extending his hand.
In response, Lionel took Victor's palm and closed his eyes.
In the next second, what he saw was a sight of darkness, not just because his eyes were closed, but because he had entered Victor's subconscious.
Victor, now with his eyes closed, seemed unconscious though still standing.
Meanwhile, in Lionel's view, darkness was all he could see, which puzzled him. By now, he should have been in Victor's subconscious. He had never failed to enter someone's subconscious before.
As seconds passed, the darkness grew thicker, becoming entirely impenetrable.
This made Lionel feel confused. He had never experienced this before. Typically, upon entering someone's subconscious, he would see a space of varying size. The larger the space, the greater the person's potential.
But this time, Victor gave him the unique experience of seeing only darkness.
'Hmmm, maybe he just has no potential,' Lionel mused.
Yet, just as he thought this, his heart suddenly pounded hard, freezing his entire body.
'What is this feeling?' he wondered, feeling a shiver that shook his very soul.
The next moment, a kind of light appeared, glowing red and forming a pair of giant eyes that stared at him sharply.
Lionel's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What is that?!" he exclaimed.
Before he could find the answer he sought, the giant eyes suddenly blinked, and an overwhelming force yanked his spectral form out of Victor's subconscious.
Lionel snapped back to reality with a jolt, stumbling backward as he regained his senses.
Victor and Bob rushed to his side, their faces etched with concern.
"Are you alright, Sir Lionel?" Victor inquired, his voice filled with genuine worry.
Lionel, still dazed as if emerging from a prolonged faint, turned towards Victor with a serious expression. "Young master Victor, what were those giant eyes?" he questioned earnestly.
"Giant eyes? What do you mean?" Victor responded, confusion evident in his tone.
"You don't know?" Lionel raised an eyebrow, puzzled. But he quickly regained his composure and explained, "Inside your subconscious, I saw complete darkness without any light. And suddenly, a pair of eyes with red irises appeared and stared at me. Before I could figure out what they were, I was forcibly expelled."
Victor's brow furrowed. He was genuinely clueless about the eyes Lionel mentioned.
"So, is that a good or bad thing?" he inquired.
"Usually, I can gauge someone's potential by the expansiveness of their subconscious realm. But in your case, young master Victor," Lionel responded earnestly, "the boundless darkness I encountered suggests that your potential is truly limitless."
Victor raised an eyebrow, not expecting such praise. He didn't fully understand his own potential, but according to the original plot, he indeed possessed extraordinary talent-so great, in fact, that it even astonished his grandfather, a living legend.
However, Victor could never fully showcase the peak of his potential because Leon had killed him first.
"Well, Sir Lionel, since you've shared something extraordinary with me, I feel compelled to return the favor," Victor remarked.
Lionel smiled and shook his head. "That's not necessary, young master Victor. Your gift to my son is already quite generous, and I appreciate it."
"Hmm, if you don't desire anything in return, that's perfectly acceptable. I simply wish to grasp Alber's wrist, just as you did to me earlier. There's a technique in my family akin to yours that can discern someone's condition, and I've been coming to grips with it recently," Victor elaborated.
"What?" Lionel's eyebrow arched in curiosity. He turned to his son and inquired, "Alber, would you like to give it a try?"
"Sure," Alber replied eagerly, extending his small hand towards Victor.
Victor smiled softly, gently took hold of Alber's wrist, and closed his eyes, his focus deep and unwavering.
Lionel watched closely, noting the high level of concentration on Victor's face. The young man, once a waste in his eyes, now seemed entirely transformed.
Bob also sensed the change, recognizing that Victor, once spoiled and temperamental, now appeared genuinely different.
Meanwhile, the party continued as guests immersed themselves in the festive atmosphere, enjoying the entertainment and food.
Most attendees paid scant attention to Victor and Bob, influenced by their less-than-favorable reputations. Nevertheless, a few individuals found themselves intrigued by the duo.
Among them was Theo, whose expression soured noticeably. It was evident to him that Alber favored Victor's gift over his own.
Even Lionel appeared genuinely impressed by Victor's gesture.
'Damn you, Victor,' Theo thought bitterly, clenched his hands. 'You accused me of sycophancy, yet here you are, ingratiating yourself with Lionel and Alber. Just you wait, Victor. Your lineage won't protect you if you lack true strength!'