A Bug In Fate

The second floor of the guild was just as big as the ground floor. The only difference was the absence of adventurers. The floor was luxurious yet simple at the same time.

A few sofas and tables could be found here, probably meant for small meetings. On the left side of the room stood a huge blackboard, with a few pieces of chalk placed beneath it.

The maid in front of Alden stopped for a moment. With a professional gesture, she pointed toward one of the sofas where three people could be seen.

A handsome young man with red hair sat there with his arms crossed. A faint smile rested on his face. Beside him sat a young woman with green hair and yellow eyes. The two looked close, as a comfortable atmosphere seemed to surround them.

Behind them stood an old man dressed in a butler’s uniform. His posture was straight, as if he was always on duty.

"You may go ahead."

The maid said as she gestured toward them.

Alden began walking toward the three with a calm pace. His eyes observed them with hidden interest.

He could feel that the three people before him were stronger than most of the people he had met.

The young man and the woman sitting on the sofa were both emitting the aura of Metamorphosis Realm cultivators—a realm above the Rupture Realm.

As for the old man standing behind them, Alden couldn’t sense anything at all. Or maybe it was simply because the gap between them was too great.

"Hello. You probably don’t know why you are here, but you’ll find out soon."

The young man said as he pointed toward the sofa opposite them, gesturing for Alden to take a seat.

Alden sat down with a calm expression.

"My name is Lucian Ashcroft, and this is my friend, Aisha Silvershade."

The red-haired man introduced himself and the woman beside him.

"Hello."

Aisha greeted him with a sweet smile. She seemed like a kind woman.

"Hello. You can call me Alden."

Alden replied as they shook hands. He had heard that name before. The Ashcroft Family ruled the area around Ravenhold City and its surrounding villages.

Lucian smiled faintly.

"I’ve heard quite a bit about you recently."

"A rookie who reached Silver Rank within a week isn’t someone you see every day."

Alden smiled helplessly.

"I’ve just been completing missions."

Lucian nodded before gesturing toward the maid.

"You can relax."

The maid quietly walked to a table in the corner of the room.

"You’ve probably heard about the city tournament, right?"

"Yes."

Alden nodded.

"I heard it’s a tournament for young cultivators to help them grow, and that it doesn’t have any cultivation restrictions."

"You’re right."

Lucian said.

At that moment, the maid returned carrying a tray and placed three cups of tea on the table.

Lucian picked up his cup and took a sip before continuing.

"But there have been some changes."

"This year, the city tournament won’t be limited to Ravenhold City."

"It will be held between five cities."

"Oh, I didn’t know that."

Alden said as he picked up his own cup.

The tea was bitter at first, but a sweet taste soon followed. His expression relaxed slightly.

Lucian continued,

"So, it is no longer just a tournament for young cultivators."

"It has also become a competition between the five noble families that govern those cities."

"Oh."

Alden nodded once.

The simple tournament had now become a stage for the noble families.

"Hehe, but that’s still not the real reason we invited you here."

Aisha suddenly spoke with a mischievous smile.

She had been quietly watching Alden ever since he sat down. Most people became nervous when facing members of a noble family, yet Alden had remained surprisingly calm from beginning to end.

Lucian glanced at her after being interrupted, but Aisha simply ignored him.

"And why am I here?"

Alden asked curiously, though he could already guess where the conversation was heading.

"Hehe."

Aisha smiled as she took another sip of her tea.

"We want you to participate in the tournament..."

"...and win it for Ravenhold City."

Alden didn’t need her to explain further.

They were asking him to represent the Ashcroft Family in the tournament.

"And, of course, we will help you."

Aisha said with a smile before signaling Lucian to continue.

"Yes. If you agree to represent the Ashcroft Family in the tournament, we will help you prepare for it. Most of the participants will be in the Rupture Realm, while you are only in the Spark Realm."

Lucian said as he revealed that he already knew about Alden’s growth over the past week. Alden had indeed broken through to the Spark Realm. His physique had grown stronger, and so had his mana control.

"What if I don’t win?"

Alden asked. He didn’t want to become someone who owed favors just because he was greedy for rewards.

"Don’t worry."

Lucian smiled.

"Your only job is to give it your best. What happens afterward doesn’t matter. Besides, apart from you, we have two other geniuses representing us."

"Oh."

So they had offered the same deal to other promising young cultivators as well.

"So, do you agree to represent the Ashcroft Family in exchange for our support?"

Lucian asked as he stood up and stretched out his hand toward Alden.

Alden remained silent for a moment before standing up as well. He reached out and shook Lucian’s hand.

"Well, if it’s only to represent your family, I don’t see any disadvantages."

A small smile appeared on Alden’s face.

"Hehe, don’t worry. We aren’t going to ask you to swear an oath of loyalty to Lucian."

Aisha said from the side, clearly amused by how carefully Alden had chosen his words.

Lucian clapped his hands.

The maid left for a moment before returning with a small book in her hands.

"What is this?"

Alden asked as he looked at the book.

"It’s a small gift to help you."

Lucian pointed at it.

"It’s a movement technique. It might be useful to you."

Alden accepted the book, his fingers brushing across its cover. He decided it would be better to look through it later in his room.

"You may go now."

Lucian said with a smile.

"Well then, I’ll get going. Thank you for the gift."

Alden nodded politely.

"And the tea was wonderful."

As he walked past, he gave the maid a small nod. She simply returned it.

Soon, Alden disappeared from the second floor.

Only Lucian and the others remained.

"Young Master, do you really think he can win the tournament? We already have Mina and Liam . Besides, he’s only in the Spark Realm."

The butler, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, finally spoke. He couldn’t understand why they were placing so much importance on a rookie.

"He is only in the Spark Realm."

Lucian smiled.

"That’s exactly why we’re here."

"You may not know this, but he was only in the Awakened Realm a week ago."

"And from what I’ve heard, he’s quite skilled with a sword."

"You’ve really done your research."

Aisha looked at Lucian with a smile.

Lucian simply smiled back before gently taking her hand.

Whether their gamble would pay off now depended entirely on Alden.

As for Alden...

He had already decided to squeeze as many benefits as he could from the Ashcroft Family whenever he had the chance.

Whether he could actually squeeze the Ashcroft Family dry, however...

...was another matter entirely.

Only time would tell who would benefit more from this partnership.

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