NOVEL NEXT Chapter 580: Fashionably Late
The hotel's entrance was a spectacle of grandeur, with opulent and luxurious cars arriving one after another. These vehicles, each more extravagant than the last, reflected the immense wealth and status of their occupants. The guests stepping out of these cars were not ordinary mages; they were the elite, either the patriarch, matriarch, or heir of various mage families.
Many of these guests were descendants of old noble houses, their lineages tracing back to the Victorian era or even the Middle Ages. These ancient bloodlines were as rich in history as they were in power, and their bearers carried themselves with an air of undeniable aristocracy.
Dressed in the finest attire, the men wore tailored suits that spoke of intricate craftsmanship, with some garments made from magical materials like arachne silk. The women adorned themselves in elegant gowns that shimmered under the hotel's grand chandeliers, many of which were crafted by elven artisans.
Jewels passed down through generations sparkled on their necks, wrists, and fingers, each piece a testament to their noble heritage.
Among the most prestigious guests were Anastasia Romanov, the current princess of the Romanov dynasty, and her father, Dimitri Romanov, the current Tsar of Russia.
Seeing familiar faces, Daniel walked toward the two royals. "Good evening, Your Majesty… Your Highness." He nodded toward the Tsar and the Princess, greeting them both.
"Hello, Lord Emberweave, you've prepared a very splendid venue," Anastasia greeted Daniel alongside her father. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they followed the valet to their respective seats within the prepared conference room.
Following the Romanovs were Koyuki and Mayumi, who had arrived for the conference representing the Mori clan, which now held significant influence in Japan. The two wore traditional kimonos, with Koyuki accompanied by her personal maid and etiquette teacher, Reiko.
"Hi, Danny!" Koyuki waved her hand and ran toward Daniel, who smiled at her. She then jumped up and hugged him. Her training had been paused with special permission so she could attend the conference and meet Daniel along with her mother.
"Lord Emberweave, hello," Mayumi greeted Daniel. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Mayumi excused herself and followed the valet to her prepared seat.
Koyuki, meanwhile, was deliberately left behind by her mother to stay with Daniel so the couple could have some time to catch up.
At this time, the next guest of honor arrived: Envy, accompanied by her butler, Wilkins. She stepped down from the limo as her butler opened the door for her, then hurriedly walked toward Daniel.
Envy wore a black dress and had her hair tied into a bun. With a soft sound from both their clothes, Envy hugged Daniel and, standing on tiptoe, gently planted a kiss on his lips. This earned many envious gazes from the surrounding guests who had decided to mingle in the lobby.
"How are you, Danny? I hope you didn't bring in any new women while I was away, hmm?" Envy said with a teasing smile.
"Didn't you have Prime's avatar with you? I think you already know what happened at our house all along," Daniel retorted.
"That's no fun; you're supposed to get nervous, you know?" Envy pouted, drawing her finger over his chest and teasing him.
Daniel: …
After teasing Daniel, Envy excused herself along with Wilkins to the conference room. She had come here after completing her job in South America, so she couldn't help but preside over the South America region instead of the Encantada family until she could find someone she trusted to oversee that region.
As time passed, more guests of honor arrived.
After Envy, it was the Kim family's turn. The patriarch, Kim Yong-chul, arrived along with his granddaughter, Kim Yuna. Patriarch Kim Yong-chul wore a suit with a Korean-traditional durumagi as an overcoat, while his granddaughter wore a traditional hanbok.
The patriarch seemed overly amicable and tried to encourage his granddaughter, Kim Yuna, to interact more with Daniel, but Kim Yuna was uncooperative. The patriarch had no choice but to enter the conference room since Daniel still needed to receive more honored guests.
Next arrived the Aldenmere family, represented by none other than Pride. She arrived with her father, the former president of the Confederacy, Reginald Aldenmere, now elected as the Governor of New York after the Confederacy rejoined the US.
Despite losing his position and a significant portion of his wealth due to the coup, his grace as an old aristocrat remained intact. He greeted Daniel before excusing himself to go to the conference room, deliberately leaving Pride with Daniel.
"Why are you here?" Pride asked, glaring at Koyuki, who stood beside Daniel, acting like a prim and proper wife.
"I'm his wife, of course, I would be here," Koyuki replied with a victorious smile, causing Pride's anger to rise.
"Stop acting so gentle. Seeing a barbaric woman like you act like this makes my stomach churn," Pride snapped at Koyuki.
If Koyuki still had her aspect of Sin 'Wrath,' she might have launched at Pride for a round or two. But since she had been cleansed of all hellish power, her former personality and recent training had transformed her demeanor.
"Oh… in that case, the ladies' room is just to the right from the lobby, then turn left. I believe our restroom can accommodate you, no matter how upset your stomach feels," Koyuki shot back with proper noble etiquette and a polite smile as soothing as a spring breeze. However, from Pride's perspective, Koyuki's smile appeared no different than a mocking laugh.
"You! …Hmph! If you can stay here, I'll also stay here!" Pride pouted and decided to stand beside Daniel. Even though Koyuki had lost all her power from Hell, the rivalry between Pride and Koyuki still lingered.
Daniel could only smile wryly at the two, unsure how to resolve this, as Envy, the only one who could speak reason to them, had already entered the venue.
A few minutes passed, and the two quickly calmed down, afraid that Daniel would hate them. They decided to tolerate each other and stood with him to receive the guests.
Since Daniel only greeted the guests of honor that he or his women had personally invited, there weren't many who earned his personal greeting; most were handled by Cao Cao and Albert.
Daniel reviewed the list once more. He had already spoken with Viper, but Viper refused to be the African mage representative as it wasn't his place, even though he was the current heir of the Ushauri family of Kenya.
As for Gluttony, Daniel couldn't find a way to contact her, and the witches didn't know her whereabouts either, as Gluttony usually came and went without informing anyone. This left the Shamanic and Druidic groups to operate as they usually did.
However, He didn't mind since these groups typically kept to themselves, being somewhat isolationist, and maintained a relationship with Hightower only as trading partners.
Next, the elves and dwarves arrived, with Hagrim Goldgrip and Queen Sylpharia Silverleaf bickering like an old couple. If no one had told him that elves and dwarves typically disliked each other, he might have mistaken them for a long-married pair.
He greeted the two amicably, and Koyuki and Pride also exchanged pleasantries. Despite having agreed to tone down their rivalry, it still flared up from time to time.
As time passed, it became clear that the conference needed to start, but the Beaumont family had yet to arrive. Daniel decided to begin without them. He disliked making others wait for a single guest, even if that guest was the honor of the evening. Moreover, he didn't have much familiarity with the Beaumont family.
Daniel entered the venue and headed straight for the conference room he had prepared. The room was enchanted with a space extension spell, thanks to Sean Montgomery, who had assisted him in setting it up to meet the standards of the Hightower.
As he walked toward the main seat of the Order of Ember, he passed Envy. "Huh? Aren't you going to wait for the Beaumont family?" she asked.
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"It's been less than ten minutes, so I don't think it's wise to keep the other guests waiting," he replied.
Envy considered this for a moment before saying, "You should wait for them."
"No, I don't like people who don't know how to be on time," Daniel stated firmly.
At this, Envy chose not to press the matter further. She decided to remain silent and fulfill her role as the representative of the South American mage families.
Daniel continued on his way and took his seat as the leader, while Koyuki and Pride settled into the seats prepared for them by the staff, representing the Mori Clan and the Aldenmere family. It was already 15 seconds past the scheduled start time when the door was about to closed, and the conference room fell silent.
Suddenly, the door swung open, accompanied by loud laughter that drew everyone's attention.
"Hahaha! I'm sorry, Lord Emberweave. I hope we're not late," said Alaric Beaumont, the current patriarch of the Beaumont family. Behind him was a ginger-haired woman, her waist-length hair cascading like silk over her shoulders, and her white dress making her resemble a European porcelain doll.