CHAPTER 260: THE PARTY [1]

Despite it being night in Steller City, it was still very active. The streets were illuminated by bright lights and neon billboards displaying famous adventurers advertising various products.

Usually, the streets were filled with youngsters in their early twenties, racing along the roads or attending nightclubs and partying nonstop. However, today everyone seemed unusually disciplined.

Security was heightened in every major district—this was because of the Graves Banquet. The Graves family wasn’t just a powerhouse in the Valerian Kingdom; they had an especially strong hold here in the capital.

They were among the few families with direct access to the king, who was rarely seen in public. The Graves were practically royalty in the capital—no one dared to cross them or cause any disturbance tonight.

Currently, Gabriel and Damian sat inside a sleek, luxurious black car. Gabriel quietly watched the city lights blur past, lost in thought. He was trying to understand the Graves’ true motive for suddenly hosting such a grand gathering.

For a full five minutes, he couldn’t come up with a single reasonable theory, so he decided to let it go.

Soon, they arrived at the entrance of a huge gated estate roughly the size of a small town. After Damian showed the guards his invitation card, they were escorted inside.

The car stopped before a magnificent mansion—luxurious and vast, easily comparable to Buckingham Palace.

It was by far one of the grandest buildings Gabriel had ever seen.

"Young Master Damian." An elderly man in a suit quickly approached them. His tone was casual, lacking the respectful edge one would expect from a servant addressing his master.

The elderly man gave a slight bow, then a faint nod toward Gabriel standing beside Damian. Straightening his posture, he asked politely, "The invitation was for the young master. May I ask who this person is?"

Although Gabriel was fairly well-known, he wasn’t arrogant enough to assume everyone recognized him.

"He’s my guest. The invitation allowed each invitee to bring one guest," Damian replied curtly, not even sparing the servant a glance.

The servant scrutinized Gabriel from head to toe, as if searching for something. Gabriel met his gaze calmly and unflinchingly.

After a brief silence, the servant nodded. "Very well. Please follow me, gentlemen."

Gabriel and Damian followed him into the vast banquet hall.

The hall glittered under countless crystal chandeliers. Men and women in elegant attire moved gracefully through the crowd, holding glasses of red wine as they chatted about the latest news and rumors. Waiters and waitresses in neat uniforms weaved between guests, serving with professional smiles.

Long tables lined both sides of the hall, filled with exquisite dishes—seafood, meats, and exotic vegetables from distant regions. Anyone could walk up and eat freely.

The decorations were extravagant; even a single curtain in this place could cost someone an entire year’s salary.

As soon as the duo stepped inside, those standing near the door turned their attention toward them. A hush fell over the crowd, quickly replaced by a wave of murmurs and whispers.

"Who is that?"

"That’s Damian—the most useless heir of the Graves family."

"And the person beside him... wait, I know that face. Isn’t that Gabriel Reyes?"

"It’s really him! What’s he doing here? A bodyguard for that disgrace?"

"That must be it. The invitation was for family members only."

Gabriel instantly became the center of attention. Men and women alike whispered while pointing discreetly in his direction.

Damian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Part of him was glad the scorn was now redirected because of Gabriel’s presence, but another part couldn’t help feeling bitter.

Some of the young women even winked at Gabriel, and if not for Damian standing beside him, they might have tried to approach.

Unlike the commoners outside, most of those present here were high-profile individuals who had watched the Inter-Guild Display event. They had seen Gabriel’s performance long ago.

In fact, some had even done private research on him—but since he was always on the move, tracking him down was nearly impossible.

Now that he stood before them in person, their eyes sparkled with curiosity and admiration.

As soon as they entered the hall, Gabriel had already expanded his perception, scanning the surroundings. Because of that, he paid no attention to the fluttering gazes and subtle gestures from the women around him.

"This way, gentlemen." Another servant approached and led them to a table not far from the main stage.

Once they were seated, Damian glanced around and cursed softly. "It appears we came too early. Now these bastards will think I was desperate to show up."

In truth, they weren’t early at all. Almost every guest had already arrived—the only ones missing were members of the main branch and the family head himself, who happened to be close friends with the current king.

Gabriel didn’t care about such trivial matters. Unbothered by the countless gazes filled with admiration, lust, jealousy, and even hatred, he picked up his glass of wine and drank with quiet elegance.

He noticed Damian’s uneasy breathing and the sweat trickling down his temple as he fidgeted with his necktie.

"You’re nervous," Gabriel remarked calmly, taking another sip.

"Well, it’s been a while since I last saw them. It’s only natural to feel anxious," Damian replied, then added in a grim tone, "especially him."

By him, Gabriel could easily guess he meant the family head.

That mention triggered a thought—something Gabriel had almost forgotten.

’Weren’t Darius and Vera members of the Graves family as well?’ he thought inwardly, eyes narrowing slightly.

Those two were the same psychopathic couple he had killed months ago.

Of course, he felt no remorse. It was merely a fleeting recollection.

’I wonder how the investigation is going... it seems they haven’t made any progress yet,’ he mused.

If he remembered correctly, the Adventurer Guild had some idea of what really happened in that dungeon, but for whatever reason, they had decided to stay silent.

Suddenly, while he was deep in thought, the entire hall turned toward the grand staircase as several powerful auras filled the room.

Damian’s expression darkened as he muttered, "They’re here."