The heroic tale of Merlin, recounted in an epic manner, bore fruit exactly as the nobles in the room had expected. Aeliana stared at the bard with sparkling eyes, praising the tale of the [Archmage] she had heard for the first time with pure admiration.
Her innocence and fascination with the legend became the opening the wolves at the dining table had been waiting for.
Zareth Caldris wasted no time. The Tower Master leaned forward, looking at Aeliana with a charismatic smile that radiated authority and a sense of safety.
"An inspiring tale, is it not?" Zareth said with a warm and persuasive tone. "Do you wish to be like Merlin, Lady Aeliana? Someone who can protect and guide the world to a better path?"
Before Aeliana could answer, Zareth dropped his biggest bait.
"If you are willing to leave behind the perilous life of an adventurer and join the Magic Tower, I will personally step in to take you as my head disciple," Zareth promised, ignoring the sharp glares from the other nobles.
"You will gain unrestricted access to the tower's secret vaults. An endless supply of high-grade Mana Stones, ancient spell literature, to various rare Magic Items... I will provide everything to ensure your talent blooms perfectly and remains safe from the reach of those with malicious intent."
In the adjacent seat, Lorien's face darkened. His jaw clenched. He glared sharply at Zareth, fully aware that the Tower Master was attempting to poach a member of his party in broad daylight, right before his eyes.
Sensing the dense aura of hostility beginning to seep from Lorien, Thorne, the Adventurer Guildmaster of Wealden, gathered his courage to intervene. He had to salvage the Guild's reputation and uphold his oath to Lorien.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with a napkin, Thorne forced a stiff smile toward Zareth.
"A truly noble offer, Master Zareth," Thorne said in a diplomatic, slightly trembling tone. "However, it is a pity. Lady Aeliana is currently bound by an official, exclusive contract with the adventurer group The Gilded Falcons and is under the protection of House Caldwell."
Earl Astora, sitting across the table, chuckled softly. A laugh that thoroughly belittled the Guildmaster's authority.
"An adventurer's contract is but a mere scrap of paper," Earl Astora sneered. "Just name the penalty fee for its termination. House Astora will pay it in cash tonight."
Completely ignoring Lorien as if the man did not exist at the table, Earl Astora turned to Aeliana. He began pitching his second offer, promoting his own flesh and blood.
"Lady Aeliana," Earl Astora spoke with the tone of a master negotiator. "My son Caspian may not possess a Hero-tier Aptitude, but his talent as a Sorcerer has been officially recognized by the Magic Tower. He is guaranteed to inherit my position as the next Earl."
The Earl leaned in. "Join House Astora as my son's wife. As a noble family of the magical lineage, you will one day become a Countess with full control over House Astora's wealth, secret literature, and military connections."
Beside his father, Caspian Astora smirked. The young man's gaze roamed over Aeliana's face and the curves of her figure slowly and lecherously, like an arrogant hunter appraising the quality of goods on a display table.
Under such a sharp and filthy gaze, the hairs on the back of Aeliana's neck stood up slightly without her fully understanding why. She merely felt deeply uncomfortable and wished to pull herself away.
Feeling he had the upper hand with his father's full backing, Caspian spat his venom.
"Rather than wasting your time as a lowly pawn in The Gilded Falcons..." Caspian mocked with a condescending smile toward Lorien. "For your information, My Lady, this Lorien Caldwell beside you is nothing but an outcast from his family."
The atmosphere in the hall instantly fell silent. The servants halted their steps.
Caspian pressed his attack with a mocking tone that echoed throughout the room. "He is merely the fifth son of Duke Caldwell. He has not the slightest hope of inheriting the position of a Duke in the capital."
"Bringing you into his faction is merely his dirty tactic to use you as a weapon, to win the succession war and eliminate his siblings," Caspian accused.
Srrrtt!
The meat knife in Lorien's hand scraped against the porcelain plate with a piercingly sharp screech, shattering the silence.
Lorien's hand gripping the knife handle turned white. His usually calm eyes now turned as cold as blocks of ice, radiating a dense killing intent directly at Caspian.
If they were not in the middle of a formal dinner banquet, Caspian's head might have already been separated from his neck.
Amidst that tension, Aeliana looked at Lorien with wide eyes. The barrage of heavy information, the sudden marriage proposal, and Caspian's cunning accusations were too much for her innocent mind to digest all at once.
"Lord Lorien..." Aeliana asked with a trembling voice, her innocence beginning to be torn by seeds of doubt. "Is... is what he said true?"
Seeing the target beginning to waver, Thorne hastily stood from his chair, mediating the tension that almost exploded into a battle.
"Lady Aeliana, please do not listen to that cheap provocation!" Thorne exclaimed in defense. "Lord Lorien is a highly honorable and kind noble. He risks his life on the front lines. He could not possibly stoop so low as to make you a mere pawn!"
Lorien drew a slow breath. He extinguished his leaking killing intent. In a matter of seconds, he wore his aristocratic mask once more, replacing his wrath with a faint, lethal smile.
He leaned back into his chair, twirling the stem of his wine glass casually, and launched his counterattack.
"Lord Caspian's reputation sounds truly beautiful, echoing even to the corners of the capital," Lorien stated with a calm tone that commanded attention. "He is quite famous for his charm and handsome looks."
Lorien continued, "So captivating, that many rumors say dozens of noblewomen have fallen into his embrace with every passing season."
Lorien tilted his head slightly, staring at Caspian with a feigned expression of innocence. "I am curious, Caspian... how many bastards do you have by now?"
Caspian's face instantly flushed crimson, changing color from the base of his neck to his ears.
Brak!
The young man slammed the dining table so violently that the porcelain plates and wine glasses before him rattled, spilling their contents. He stood up roughly, pointing right at Lorien's face with a fiercely trembling index finger.
"Watch your mouth, you lowly adventurer!" Caspian shouted, his voice cracking with rage, losing every last shred of his aristocratic manners. "I have never even been intimate with any woman!"
Earl Astora narrowed his eyes. He forcefully yanked his son's robe sleeve to seat him back down. The Earl glared at Lorien with a freezing look.
"Speaking condescendingly without a shred of proof is an unwise action, Lorien Caldwell," Earl Astora warned sharply.
Lorien merely gave a light shrug, offering an apology that sounded completely unapologetic.
"Oh, forgive me if the rumors are false," Lorien said casually. "But, doesn't Lord Caspian currently have an official fiancée? I heard the lady deeply loves and adores your son."
Before anyone could argue, Lorien immediately turned to Aeliana, ensuring the Elf girl caught every detail of his words.
"Look closely, Aeliana," Lorien said. "Even when this man already has a fiancée who loves him, he still dares to chase another woman openly in public."
"Last month in the capital, Caspian was even caught co-writing a mass love letter with other lecherous nobles to Princess Aurel, which ended in a humiliating scandal at the palace."
Hearing that track record, Aeliana glanced at Caspian with a deeply uncomfortable stare. Her brows furrowed.
Reflexively, the Elf girl shifted her chair slightly away, creating a safe distance to avoid the gaze of the young man who was now suppressing his rage and shame.
Rather than denying the scandalous accusation, Earl Astora actually sought a disgusting justification.
"It is merely a natural form of admiration from a youth his age toward the beauty of a royal princess," the Earl calmly reasoned. He then looked at Aeliana, offering another promise. "Of course, if Lady Aeliana is willing to accept our proposal and join the Astora family, we will immediately annul Caspian's engagement contract tonight."
Hearing that promise, Lorien laughed. A laugh that was deeply condescending and laden with insult.
"Did you hear that, Aeliana?" Lorien asked, pointing toward the Earl. "They so easily discard a woman who sincerely loves their family for the sake of a new 'asset' deemed more profitable."
"If you join their cage, it is not impossible that you too will be discarded and cast aside the moment they find a woman more talented than you."
Checkmate. Earl Astora froze stiffly. His mouth shut tight, staring at Lorien with a hostility that was no longer concealed. His argument had been shattered, and his family's image now looked like nothing more than a gathering of greedy leeches in the eyes of the Elf.
Seeing the noble Astora family humiliated and losing their footing, Zareth Caldris smiled behind his glass. The Tower Master used the chaos to reclaim the stage and highlight his offer.
"Lord Lorien is correct, Lady Aeliana. The aristocratic circle is indeed dirty, full of intrigue, and complicated," Zareth spoke with a wise tone. "Such a life is entirely unsupportive of the magical training process. You need a peaceful sanctuary."
Zareth set his glass down, preparing to play his biggest trump card.
"Have you ever heard of The Merlinian Zenith?" Zareth asked softly.
Hearing that legendary name mentioned, Aeliana's discomfort evaporated instantly. Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm once more, radiating intrigue. She nodded quickly.
"I heard it is a giant floating island that soars freely across the skies of this world!" Aeliana answered eagerly. "I wish to see it someday."
Zareth chuckled softly and nodded in agreement. "Precisely. It is Merlin's greatest masterpiece. The central headquarters of all Magic Towers in the world, the pinnacle of knowledge fiercely guarded by the 12 Grand Magus."
"If you join the Magic Tower... you will have the privilege to ascend to the Zenith once you reach the level of a [Tier 7] Mage. You even possess the opportunity to inherit the position of a Grand Magus in the future."
That offer was the ultimate temptation for any mage in the world of Orion. However, Lorien had anticipated it.
Lorien bowed his head respectfully toward Zareth, yet the words that slipped from his lips were as sharp as daggers slicing through the Tower Master's illusion.
"An offer from the Magic Tower is truly unmatched, Master Zareth," Lorien said calmly. "However, everyone knows that to reach [Tier 7] requires years of meditation, dedication, and research inside the closed walls of a tower."
"If she devotes herself to that... will Aeliana still have the time to travel and enjoy the outside world?"
"I will guide her personally, day and night, so her progress will be far faster than an ordinary mage," Zareth countered swiftly, trying to cover up the fact of a prison disguised as tutelage.
Hearing that, Lorien immediately turned to Aeliana. "Did you hear that, Aeliana? You will be locked away with books and parchments. You won't be able to travel freely if you join the Magic Tower. Tell them your main reason for leaving the forest."
All eyes at the dining table were now fixed upon the blonde Elf girl.
Aeliana lowered her gaze for a moment, pondering everything she had just heard. The clamor of power, marriage intrigues, clashes of influence—it all felt suffocating to a soul born of the untamed wilds.
She lifted her face. Her gaze swept over the faces of Zareth Caldris and Earl Astora in turn. With a tone that sounded timid yet held an unshakable firmness, Aeliana delivered her decision.
"Forgive me, esteemed Lords," Aeliana spoke, her clear voice breaking the tension. "I must decline all of those offers."
Silence swept over the dining table before Aeliana continued with a sincere smile.
"I left the Silverleaf Forest because I wish to see the world with my own two eyes," Aeliana declared, her eyes looking far off, imagining the beauty of the continent.
"I want to see dragons parting the clouds in the sky, witness the form of the legendary Leviathan in the depths of the ocean, and explore the various natural wonders at the edge of this world without the binding walls of a castle or a tower."
Aeliana then turned and smiled warmly at Lorien.
"Lord Lorien is the only person who managed to convince my stubborn mother to let me go adventuring with him."
"Besides..." Aeliana chuckled softly. "I have already promised my mother to return to the forest at exactly one hundred years of age to celebrate my coming-of-age ceremony at home. I choose the path of a free adventurer, and I will stay with The Gilded Falcons."