Rearing Demons
Chapter 78: The Banquet

Chapter 78: The Banquet

Yur’s eyes narrowed as he received the notification. A Luminous Heart Cultivator?Zul, locate who it is, he commanded.

[Processing...]

[Complete!]

Entering the large banquet hall, he noticed a single individual suddenly engulfed in a flickering green light. This man, in his middle age and remarkably handsome, stood by the King.

"Let me introduce you to everyone here," the man said with a smile as he began naming each member. "This is my brother, Prince Fren," he declared, pointing to a teenaged boy.

"Nice to meet you," Prince Fren said in a mature tone as he extended his hand and calmly shook Yur’s. "Thank you for saving my brother’s life," he added graciously.

"I did what anyone would," Yur replied casually.

"This here is my sister, and next to her is my cousin, Princess Ley and Princess Xia," the man continued, indicating two stunning girls. The princess had jet-black hair like the prince and beautiful blue eyes; in contrast, Xia had light blonde hair and dazzling hazel eyes, appearing only slightly older than Ley.

"Nice to meet you, Sir Yur. You did us an incredible favor by saving my cousin. We cannot thank you enough," said Xia confidently, maintaining a respectful distance with a slight bow—while Ley remained silent.

One by one, Renri introduced his extended family—from uncles to aunts. "Now, this is my mother, the Queen," he announced. Seated gracefully on a chair, the beautiful woman exuded a peaceful, gentle aura as she waved her hands in greeting.

"She is saying, ’Hello, thank you for saving my son,’" Renri translated with a smile.

"You’re welcome," Yur replied with a polite smile, adopting the proper persona. "This is my brother, Zhal," he continued, pulling Zhal over, who bowed slightly by Yur’s mental command.

"Mom, he is mute, just like you," Renri explained to his mother.

The Queen smiled sweetly at Zhal, gesturing with her hands as if to speak, though Zhal did not understand sign language. "We were never able to learn it," Yur added.

"I see," the prince sighed. "My mother feels for him—she knows how difficult it is to be unable to speak or communicate normally."

"Truly, it is difficult," Yur nodded.

"Anyway, let me introduce you to my dad and my eldest uncle," Renri continued as they approached the last two individuals, including a distinguished middle-aged man from the Luminous Heart realm.

"Welcome, welcome," the King, Renri’s father, said with a bright smile as he approached, his golden crown gleaming.

"Father," Renri greeted with a slight bow, while Yur maintained a strong, impassive stance. Although everyone noticed, they said nothing—it wasn’t their place to comment.

"Yur, right?" the King asked, smiling and patting Yur’s shoulder. "Thank you for saving my son from those lowlife sect members," he said, his tone carrying a hint of underlying anger. "They continue to target important figures in our kingdom, meddling in affairs they have no right to—"

"Father," Renri gently interjected, his eyes on his father.

"Oh, I apologize," the King said, beaming. "I forgot today is a happy event."

"I do not mind," Yur replied simply, glancing briefly at the King.

"This here is my brother," the King continued, introducing another family member.

"Hello," Yur greeted.

"You are a strong one," the man said as he reached out his hand. "My name is Julian."

Yur shook the extended hand and felt its grip grow noticeably firmer.

"Julian, why are you testing me?" Yur asked, confusion evident as he adjusted his grip to appear slightly weaker.

Instantly, he recognized that Julian was no weak Luminous Heart cultivator—though not at the level of Ris or Celis, he was akin to a Mawstrider in strength, formidable among the Gralith.

"What rank are you?" Julian suddenly inquired, his aura spreading throughout the banquet hall.

"Brother?" the King looked at him in shock.

"Don’t worry—I’m just curious," Julian said, then turned to gaze at Yur. "You don’t mind, do you?"

"Actually, I do mind," Yur stated suddenly, surprising Julian.

"Uncle Julian, I do hope you can refrain from testing Sir Yur," Renri said with a frown, clearly displeased with his uncle’s behavior.

Even the King glared at his older brother. "Julian, let the kid go."

"Alright, alright," Julian relented, releasing Yur’s hand and raising his own. "I apologize, Yur. I could tell you were strong, so I got a bit excited."

Yur raised his hand as if in pain. "I wish you had told me."

"I am sorry, Sir Yur," Renri quickly bowed, embarrassed by his uncle’s actions.

"Don’t worry," Yur waved his hand nonchalantly. "It was surprising, but I understand."

"Nonetheless, it was not acceptable," Renri continued as he handed Yur a pill from his ring. "Here, take this—it should heal any minor injuries."

"Thank you," Yur said as he swallowed the pill, having Zul run a quick scan to ensure its safety.

Noticing the growing awkwardness, the King suddenly coughed. "Yur, why don’t we take a seat? Feel free to eat as much as you like," he said, leading Yur to a chair while maintaining his dignity.

Renri sat beside Yur, with Zhal on the other side. Soon, the large table filled with everyone. The King stood and clanked his drink. "We dedicate this meal to Yur for saving my son, the future king."

Everyone raised their drinks and smiled at Yur before beginning to eat. Servants swarmed the room, attending to every need.

Yur ate with a degree of class, though Zul had to guide his manners. "Sir Yur, eat as you please—there’s no need to hold back," Renri observed, noticing Yur’s awkward, unrefined royal mannerisms.

It was obvious that Yur hadn’t grown up with royalty; his aura was more menacing, reminiscent of a seasoned cultivator.

Nodding, Yur ate more naturally, awkwardly using utensils.

"So, Yur, tell me about yourself," the King suddenly asked with a smile. "Are you a sect disciple?"

"I am a rogue cultivator," Yur replied, his mouth still occupied with greasy meat.

"Are you originally from this region, or from somewhere else?" the King inquired.

"I was born in Nor," Yur said with a nod. "I don’t know the exact location, though."

"I see," the King nodded. "And your plans?"

"Umm..." Yur pondered briefly, then shrugged. "Nothing specific comes to mind yet. I’ve just finished training, so I don’t have any set plans."

"That’s still wonderful," the King smiled. "Being young is about exploration—of the world and of oneself."

"I agree," Julian interjected suddenly. "I remember when I was young, I traveled all over Nor and even beyond."

Yur nodded, mostly focused on his food.

"How long do you plan on staying in Freau?" the King asked.

"Honestly, I didn’t even know I was coming here, so I really have no idea—maybe a few days, maybe more," Yur explained.

"Well, may I ask a favour?" the King said with a warm smile.

Yur raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"We have been facing recent assassinations. Although some can protect themselves, most of my family cannot. I hope you can help protect them for a time," the King explained.

[Afloria Quest: Protect the King’s Family Members!]

[The King is concerned about assassinations against his precious mortal kin.]

[Reward: 200 Human Points and the ’Mortal Protector’ title!]

Slightly taken aback by the rewards, Yur read them carefully. "Well, I have plans here already, so this should benefit me."

Turning his gaze to the King, he nodded. "I agree."

"Fantastic," the King clapped his hand in approval. "My brother is also capable of protection—he is as strong as someone at the Ignited Core realm." Although Zhal was as strong, or even stronger than many Shining Core realm members, as a Zorath, Yur didn’t want him to confront powerful beings and risk revealing his identity.

"Really?" the King asked, looking at mute Zhal with mild surprise. "That is excellent. If possible, I would love for him to protect my Queen. She seems to have taken a liking to him," he added, glancing at his wife, who nodded with a bright smile.

"Wouldn’t it be better for someone else to protect the Queen?" Yur wondered silently.

"Honestly, she rarely leaves the castle, so she’s likely the easiest to protect. I am more worried about my daughter," the King explained, pointing to his blushing daughter. "This little princess loves to explore the city, so protecting her is essential. I am too busy to do it myself, as Renri and Julian have their own tasks," he sighed. "Julian had been keeping her safe recently, but I now need his support for major matters."

"I understand," Yur nodded.

"Though..." Julian suddenly spoke up. "I would like to see how strong you are before we decide."

"Brother," the King admonished. "You can sense his aura as clearly as I can. He is stronger than Renri, at the very least, which is more than sufficient."

"I disagree," Julian countered with a smile. "My daughter is always with Ley, so he will be protecting her as well. As a father, I need to ensure he has the strength to do so."

"I could always choose not to protect," Yur remarked unexpectedly.

The King looked at Yur in surprise. Time and again, Yur’s words diverged from the norm; while others embraced challenges for pride or honor, Yur seemed to brush them aside.

Julian noticed this and frowned. "Yur, aren’t you confident in your abilities?"

"Nope," Yur replied simply. He disliked being pressured into challenges—it went against his goals.

"Uncle, I can promise you his strength," Renri interjected. "I saw him face someone in the Luminous Heart realm back in the cave. He is powerful."

"You were also very injured, so who knows what’s true," Julian snorted.

Yur grabbed a cloth to wipe his hands and then stood. "If you’re this worried, I have one condition."

"What condition?" Julian narrowed his eyes.

Unlike the others, Julian had explored widely and faced many dangers. For some reason, he always felt compelled to test Yur, to understand him better—there was something eerie about Yur’s aura.

"It’s nothing complicated," Yur shrugged. "If I beat you, I want a noble status in this kingdom."