Chapter 288: The Grand Banquet Draws Near

Three days remained before the National Victory Banquet at the Royal Grand Citadel in City AF.

Since the Blackridge Tower disaster, the upcoming event was no longer just a celebration, but rather the country’s first major gathering of elite academies, high-ranking military officials, and prominent awakened families. High security turned the capital into a fortress, and every participating academy prepared to depart.

At the Ashard Estate, Silas began the morning staring blankly into his massive wardrobe.

"Where’s my jacket?" Silas asked.

"The black one," Chloe replied from the sofa, barely looking up.

"I have seventeen black jackets."

"The one without silver buttons."

Silas paused, his pink eyes narrowing. "That doesn’t narrow it down."

"Silas," Chloe sighed, standing up and walking toward the wardrobe. "You’re hopeless."

"I’m rich. It solves most problems."

Chloe pulled out a sleek, dark formal jacket and handed it to him. Silas promptly tossed it onto the bed.

"Why did you ask for it if you aren’t putting it on?" Chloe’s eyebrow twitched.

"Because I wanted to know where it was," Silas grinned. "Natural talent."

Nearby, Alpha stood before a full-length mirror, making final adjustments to his dark coat and fitted trousers. His long hair was neatly arranged, his posture light and weightless. Since his evolution into a Veiled Wing of Eros, his physical presence carried a striking, faint blur around the edges.

"Flight confirmed?" Silas asked, turning toward him.

"Departure is in two hours," Alpha replied, holding up his phone. "Everything is packed. Question though?"

"Don’t..." Silas seethed through his teeth.

"Why the fuck are you dressing in our room?!" Alpha asked, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"Team power," Silas said with a shrug.

"You’re really an idiot."

"And you are my sidekick."

"This fucker..."

"Language..."

Alicia sat by the door, two neatly arranged suitcases resting beside her handbag. She glanced between Silas’s single, chaotic bag and Chloe, who just shook her head in silent solidarity.

"The new expedition vehicle arrived two days ago," Silas mentioned, eyeing the garage keys on the counter. "Should we take it?"

"You specifically said you didn’t want to risk the new vehicle on a long highway drive before testing it," Alpha reminded him smoothly.

"Plus, it looks like a military prototype," Chloe added. "It has emergency teleportation, mana shielding, and hostile-detection arrays. You’d draw every camera at the airport."

Silas considered this for a beat. "Fine. The SUV it is."

He grabbed his single suitcase. When Chloe opened it, she stared at twelve cans of cola sitting alongside his travel clothes and health elixirs.

"Emergency supplies," Silas stated firmly before anyone could ask.

***

Meanwhile, across New Liberty, other tournament participants were caught in their own preparations.

In Crestfall Estate, Ezra stood inside his room as his father laid out four distinct formal outfits across the bed. He had been asked to return to the house for something he hated to his soul: training to be an heir.

"Four?" Ezra asked, rubbing his neck.

"One for the banquet, one for official meetings, one for interviews, and one for political emergencies," his father insisted. "You’re representing our house before the Royal Council."

Ezra picked up his jacket, checking his phone as messages flooded the tournament group chats. One message asked if Silas Ashard would actually show up. Ezra typed back immediately: He’ll show up late just to annoy the organizers.

***

At the Crowhurst Manor, Damien was enduring a far more chaotic morning. His room was in complete disarray- suits thrown across chairs, shoes scattered under the bed, and his formal tie inexplicably buried beneath his pillow.

"WHERE IS MY SUIT?" his mother shouted from downstairs.

Damien rubbed his temples and pulled his shoes out from under the desk. The tournament had shattered his expectations, and the memory of Silas single-handedly tearing through an SS-Rank domain still burned in his mind. He packed his bag with quiet, bitter focus. He didn’t care about the food or the speeches; he wanted to see how the political elite in City AF reacted to Valecrest’s new hero.

***

In her private room, Kelvina sat before her computer, monitor glowing with the bustling activity of the Threadborns fan server, which had regained its old name after the quick change.

PinkArrowEnjoyer: THE BANQUET IS IN THREE DAYS.

ThreadTheory: IS SILAS GOING TO BE THERE?

Kelvina smirked, her fingers flying across her mechanical keyboard.

TheSunDragoness_: He will.

PinkArrowEnjoyer: SUPREME LEADER HAS SPOKEN!

She closed the tab and looked toward her oversized suit bags resting near her bed. She had booked her private transport days in advance and even secured a new communication device specifically for the capital trip. Looking at a saved screenshot of Silas from the tournament broadcast, her cheeks warmed slightly. She cleared her throat, packed her device, and stood up with absolute determination.

***

Back at the Ashard Estate, the heavy garage doors opened as Alpha backed the upgraded pitch-black, armored SUV up to the main entrance.

Alicia loaded her luggage into the trunk, while Chloe slid into the rear passenger seat. Silas paused at the top of the marble steps, looking back at the sprawling mansion and the distant construction site where his new guild headquarters was being built.

In less than two months, he had gone from a low-profile student to a national figure with a sovereign medal, an S-Rank reward package, an unspent fortune in high-grade artifacts, and an invitation to the citadel of the capital city.

"Silas," Chloe called out from the open car window. "We’re going to miss the flight slot."

"Right," Silas smiled, stepping down the stairs and climbing into the front seat.

Alpha stepped on the gas, and the heavy engine hummed smoothly as the SUV glided down the long private driveway, leaving the estate behind and heading straight for New Liberty International Airport. And no one bothered to ask where he’d learned to drive.

Ahead of them lay City AF, where the nation’s strongest guilds, political leaders, and academy prodigies were all converging for a night that promised to be far more than a simple victory feast.