CHAPTER 293: 293. A FESTIVAL

A few days passed...

For Asher, life felt oddly normal, but the same couldn’t be said for Eldoria. The streets buzzed with laughter and music, vendors handing out candied fruits and meat skewers to children, jugglers showing off in alley corners, and drunken men already toasting before noon. The gloomy "Missing" posters of Mrs. Lawson had vanished from the walls, replaced by colorful broadsheets: "Celebration of Eldoria’s Sixth S-Rank!"

The last time Eldoria had seen a new S-rank was years ago, so this was quite an accomplishment. Though Asher was called the sixth S-rank, there were actually only five of them since Valerie passed away a month ago. What brightened the streets was the fact that Asher wasn’t just any S-rank. He was a man.

Asher Reynolds, the first male student in Eldoria’s history to reach S-rank. His achievement had lit a fire under the hopeless, a reminder that their limits weren’t absolute. If Asher could claw his way to the top, maybe they could too. Even his friends weren’t spared:

Kira, who thought his growth had hit a wall, now trained harder than ever.

Lorraine, once smug about her prodigy status, suddenly started acting like a rival straight out of some Western eic novel, determined to reach the heights Asher had accomplished.

And Anita, his betrothed now swore she’d get stronger, so she wouldn’t just stand at his side but stand as his equal.

In short, Asher’s rise hadn’t just changed the city. It had lit a fuse under everyone he knew.

Tonight, the whole capital gathered at the Holy Church for the ceremony, a venue grand enough for royalty, and today, apparently, for him. Kids rode their fathers’ shoulders to catch a glimpse, nobles brushed sleeves with commoners, and teenagers sang drunken songs with Asher’s name awkwardly rhymed in the chorus. His fans proudly held banners that read "I Love the Male S-rank Hunter" or "Asher Reynolds, Our Pride!" and many more different ones.

The festival energy was almost overwhelming.

**

Meanwhile, in his home, Asher and the boys were getting ready. With his mother and sister off at Ivy’s, the house was theirs for the night, a dangerous thing, considering the group.

"Oh man, this is exciting!" Brian clenched a fist, practically shaking in his sleek black suit. "I’m gonna wipe out that buffet. They’ll have to whip something up for everyone else."

"Yeah, could you maybe go easy on the food?" Derrick deadpanned. "That suit’s already fighting for its life. If you eat more, it might tear apart."

"The poor fabric’s begging for mercy," Adrian added, snickering.

Brian scowled. "You clowns are just jealous. And besides—" his tone turned sickly sweet, "—my Mirai will be there. We’ll eat together, romantically."

"The dangerous duo," Kira muttered with a smirk. "At this rate, you’ll eat the rest of us one day too."

Their laughter filled the house until Asher finally emerged from his room. He buttoned the cuffs of a black shirt which his sister Sharon had crispy ironed for him, paired with fitted trousers and sneakers that looked a little too modern for the occasion. Instead of a bow-tie, he wore a simple gold necklace that glimmered under the lamp. His hair, freshly combed for the first time in forever, spilled neatly to the sides, almost hiding his eyes.

"Damn," Adrian whistled. "Bro looks ready to steal everyone’s girlfriend. Leave some for the rest of us, alright?"

"Leave some for who? You?" Derrick snorted. "Dude, you can’t even look a girl in the eye without stuttering."

"At least I don’t get bossed around by some bitch and pass out from getting laid." Adrian shot back, rolling his eyes beneath his glasses.

"Alright, enough," Asher cut in, voice calm but commanding. "We should get moving. They’re waiting."

Outside, a polished horse-drawn chariot waited, its woodwork gilded and wheels shining. The boys, dressed in matching black suits, piled in with the energy of kids on their way to a festival.

As the chariot rolled into the church square, the noise hit them like a wave.

Cheers thundered from the crowd, and they began cracking beautiful fireworks overhead. The air smelled of roasting lamb and spiced cider, of sweat and perfumes mingling together. Fans surged toward the chariot to get a closer look at Asher, knights barely holding the line as banners waved wildly.

"Asher!!! I love you!!" a middle-aged woman screamed, breaking through the rope line before a knight caught her.

Adrian groaned. "Unbelievable. The stronger you get, the louder they scream. Look at them. Going crazy like he’s tossing free money."

Asher only smirked. "It’s rare to have a male S-rank. Of course they’re excited. Plenty of women want to bear an S-rank’s children." He leaned toward Adrian, his grin sharpening. "After all, an S-rank can sleep with whoever he wants."

"Rub it in, why don’t you," Adrian grumbled. "Just don’t forget Anna exists. She’s not exactly the type to shrug off her fiancé fooling around. As much as l know, her happiness is your first priority, isn’t it?"

The jab shut Asher up, mostly because it was true. He wouldn’t hurt Anna. Not for attention, not for lust. Anna was more important than all that pleasure. Besides, he didn’t want just any woman; he only wanted special ones who would be his, and his alone—not those who loved him just so they could carry his children and continue with their lives.

The chariot slowed to a stop at the church steps. The boys hopped down, leaving Asher to be guided to a long table set for nobles, S-ranks, and the kingdom’s elite. His mother already sat there, alongside Liloth Alvado and other figures of renown. His friends were pushed to the front rows, mixing with cheering students, citizens and familiar faces.

Anna and Sharon were among them, clapping and smiling with pride.

Then, the great doors of the church creaked open. The Priestess descended the stairs, robes flowing like water, beauty striking as ever. At her side, the Duke carried a lacquered box with both ceremony and smugness.

The crowd roared with enough force to shake the stone walls.

Asher caught the Priestess in his peripheral vision and smiled. She was as beautiful and unapologetically curvaceous as ever. But then his eyes shifted to the Duke beside her, and his smile darkened into a frown.

That man is a fucking snake.

TBC