<h4>Chapter 403 The Banquet Commences</h4>


    Meanwhile, Orion observed as a new seat was arranged for him near Princess Crystalia, and he was gestured to return to his position. Catching Flintor''s jealous expression as he moved to stand behind Princess Crystalia''s seat, Orion couldn''t help but snort softly as he settledfortably into his seat, grateful that he wouldn''t have to stand throughout the banquet.


    As the crowd gradually quieted down, King Brylon cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, that''s all I have to say for now. n Head Jadeus will take over from here."


    At that moment, n Head Jadeus rose from his seat, crystal-clear ss cup in hand, and dered loudly, "First of all, this toast is to the bright future of the Prismerian Kingdom. Our generation will finally see the day when we can leave these mountains, and we toast to Naka for watching over us, showing us that we have not been abandoned."


    After his words, he downed his drink in one swift motion and handed the empty ss to a nearby servant. Then, he continued, "While I''d love to see the banquet start right away, unlike previous banquets where the heirs from all five major ns tested their intellect by solving the kingdom''s crises, I believe doing the same now might dampen the mood."


    "So, I have a suggestion. Why don''t we see how much our young heirs have grown? Let them engage in some friendlypetition with each other. This will maintain the festive atmosphere, allow the young heirs to measure their strengths, and, most importantly, keep us entertained. I''m sure everyone here is eager to witness the prowess of the major n heirs."


    As n Head Jadeus concluded his speech, several voices immediately voiced their support.


    "What a brilliant idea!"


    "I''ve been curious about the strength of the young heirs as well. Hopefully, we''ll witness an exciting disy of their abilities and see just how much they''ve grown."


    A chorus of voices echoed from the seats where the guests from the minor ns and city families were seated, along with several important n members from the five major ns. Whether this had been prenned or not, one thing was clear: everyone was eager to see the young heirs showcase their strength on stage.


    It was an opportunity for them to determine who among these young heirs was truly superior and who might not be worth keeping an eye on in terms of strength. In response to n Head Jadeus''s words, all nine heirs of the five major ns rose gracefully from their seats.


    Observing their enthusiastic response, especially his sons who had also risen from their seats, n Head Jadeus continued with a smile gracing his lips. "Very well, since the young heirs have stood up and all seem to be in agreement with the suggestion, why don''t we proceed?" His voice rang out as the crowd buzzed with approval.


    "But since it was I who made this suggestion, I''d like to kick off the battles with my Quartzwraith n. Lazurian, the oldest heir of the Quartzwraith n," he added, directing his attention to his eldest son standing beside him, "you may begin. And please remember to show courtesy to the other n heirs during your address."


    "Of course, father," replied Lazurian Quartzwraith, the twenty-one-year-old eldest heir of the Quartzwraith n.


    As Lazurian confidently approached the stage, all eyes were fixed on him. Those unfamiliar with his appearance took this opportunity to study him. He possessed short, vibrant purple hair, tied up with a thin thread, and disyed a slim, well-toned physique, evident from his attire.


    Upon reaching the stage, he casually brushed his hair back with his hand, stealing a nce at the n heirs who had returned to their seats.


    Lazurian then greeted the guests with a bow and introduced himself, saying, "I am Lazurian Quartzwraith. While I could call out my fellow n heirs, I''d prefer if they stepped forward willingly to face me." Concluding his words, he unleashed his magical pressure, allowing his energy to radiate outward.


    At this, many of the elders and heads of smaller minor ns and city families raised their eyebrows in surprise as they observed the light cyan aura enveloping Lazurian, picking up traces of his potent magical energy.


    This young man was only twenty-one years old, and ording to their previous investigations, he was supposed to be at tier one in the Crystal Adept rank. However, judging by the vibrant cyan glow and the formidable magical pressure emanating from him, it was tantly evident that they were witnessing a twenty-one-year-old tier-two Crystal Adept!


    All the younger heirs from the smaller ns and city families, who had been brought along to witness this banquet take ce, took in a deep breath. They were still at the Crystal Initiate rank, which was one rank below the Crystal Adept rank, and this disy of power left them in awe.


    However, Zephyrion Gemheart couldn''t help but snort in annoyance at Lazurian''s ostentatious disy. ''He''s only a rank two Crystal Adept, and he''s unting it like that,'' he thought, casting a side eye around the audience.


    To his surprise, none of the other n heirs had shown any interest in taking up the challenge. It seemed they were either hesitant to face Lazurian as the first opponent, preferring to gauge their peers'' abilities first, or they simply weren''t keen on going first and were hoping someone else would step onto the stage.


    Zephyrion snorted again, unwilling to let the opportunity slip away. Regardless of the reason, someone had to step forward.


    So, he abruptly rose from his seat, determined to take the initiative.


    But as he did so, Ga, his father, reached out and restrained him, whispering some words into his ear.


    Listening to his father''s words, Zephyrion nodded with a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He focused his magical energy into his legs, and with a surge of power, he leapt from his seat and onto the stage.


    ''Impressive,'' Orion thought as he watched Zephyrion confidently stride toward Lazurian after effortlessly executing such a high-intensity jump.