Chương 73: The Gathering of Patriarchs

Inner Chambers, Underground Safe Spot. In the center of the hall, a total of five chairs were arranged. One was placed in front. To its left, two chairs were placed facing the side. On the right, two were also placed facing the side. On these chairs sat very strong people exuding a formidable aura. However, on the front chair sat a man in his forties. He did not exude any aura, or anything that would need to show others that he was strong.

He looked very ordinary, like someone walking along the streets on a regular day. But, he was the ruler of Faith City. He was the Patriarch of the [Van Zandt] Family. They were the number one family in both power and wealth in the city, who had direct contact with the Union Government Leaders of the country.

'Lothaire Van Zandt'. Currently, he simply sat with his eyes closed, as if he was thinking of a profound issue. The others who sat in front of him were Dejan Pleasence, who sat on the right side chair, and beside him sat Gina. They frequently exchanged glances with each other, as if communicating the current situation. They also moved their gazes to their opposite chairs, where two more new people sat. One was a young man in his mid-twenties. He had a tall frame.

He sat upright as he stared at the wall in deep thought. Beside him sat an old lady who had a very unpleasant look plastered on her face. While the room was in a chilling silence, Lothaire harrumphed, as if clearing his throat to ready to speak. Everyone's focus darted towards the front as they waited for the man to speak. He opened his eyes and looked at the people in front of him.

"Now, since Hatfield is also present on the trail, I suggest we should work together, obtain what each deserve, and leave the Trail," Lothaire said.

"Lothaire, what are you blabbering about? These people attacked my granddaughter! You want me to work with them? That was an absurd way of suggestion. I will not let them escape before I get my answers." The old lady erupted in fury when Lothaire suggested they work together.

"Madam Linlyn, that had nothing to do with me or my people. Please do not show enmity towards me," Gina quickly said when the old lady pointed a finger at her. Dejan did not show any emotion on his face. He simply took a look at the old lady, Linlyn, and gave a small smile.

"Madam Linlyn, please do not accuse me or my men without any proof. We treated your granddaughter in a well manner. You could ask anyone in this place. I do not know about what misinformation you heard from whom, but I guarantee we never ill-treated anyone."

"Hmph, never ill-treated anyone? Your grandson killed someone, what do you have to say about that?" Linlyn fumed.

"Young man, why are you sitting silently as if you have no part in this conversation? They attacked your brother as well. Do you not want answers for that?" This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She turned towards the young man who sat beside her and bellowed her voice.

"Now Madam Linlyn, please do not make an enemy of the Raymond and Pleasence family. We have a great relationship. As I said earlier, we never even put a finger on anyone from your families," Dejan quickly spoke when he saw the old lady's cunning intention of insinuating hate between the Raymond family.

"Mr. Dejan, your grandson killed someone who was a member of my brother's party. I want to know the reason for that action." The young man started to agitate as he exuded a pressure.

"Yvan, you know me very well. Do you think i will do something that will not benefit my family? Do you think we would sabotage our families' good relationship just by attacking someone from the Raymond family? Just think about it." Dejan did not get emotional as he tried to calm Yvan down.

"Please answer the question, Dejan. Why did you kill someone who was a friend of my granddaughter? As far as I could hear, that boy did not nothing, but helped to hunt. Now I want a concrete reason. If not, there will be severe consequences." The old lady Linlyn asked as her fury was at the peak and would break at any time. Linlyn Gielgud was the grandmother of Susanne Gielgud. She was the head of the Gielgud family, who held significant power and wealth in Faith City.

Susanne was a daughter of Linlyn's second daughter. She awakened recently, but unfortunately, she got a very low Rank and the Class title called Fire Mage. Due to that, she was ignored by everyone, since that was the nature in the big families where a few dozen youngsters awaken their class every year. Carrying the guilt of her social class, she refused to rely on her family's wealth. Instead, she formed a five-man party, intending to forge her own path in life.

Unfortunately, she nearly died during her very first hunt, and upon her second hunt, she ended up trapped within the Concentric Trial. Even though Susanne was considered a failure within her family, her grandmother, the head of the family had no intentions of abandoning her to die within the Concentric Trial. Thus, she voluntarily entered the trial. Had it not been for her granddaughter, she never would have taken such an action.

However, upon her arrival, Susanne explained every injustice that had been inflicted upon them. Seeing her granddaughter cry, the old woman's rage boiled to its absolute limit. If she did not receive any answers, she would eventually explode. At this moment, Dejan slowly stood up.

"I know my grandson's actions have enraged you. Perhaps Mr. Lothaire himself is also disappointed in both me and my grandson. However, rest assured. My grandson did not harm a single youngster from your families."

"Regarding the man who was killed, my family possessed a peculiar knowledge concerning the Concentric Trial. I am quite certain that none of you are aware of it," Dejan slowly explained, his gaze sweeping across everyone present. The atmosphere in the room changed the moment Dejan mentioned his family's secret. Realizing this hidden knowledge could be the key to conquering the trail, the group grew tense and desperate for answers. Looking around at their uneasy expressions, Dejan smiled inwardly.

It was exactly the reaction he had been waiting for.

"Do any of you know why certain people fall into a deep sleep the moment they enter the trial?" Dejan continued. However, the crowd remained completely silent; nobody spoke a word.

"Mr. Lothaire, you must know the reason, as your ancestors possessed experience in participating in the Concentric Trial. Furthermore, since your own niece has fallen into a deep sleep within this trial, I am completely certain you know the cause." Dejan shifted his gaze, directing the question directly towards Lothaire. Lothaire, who had been nonchalantly watching the crowd argue, adjusted his posture. Immediately, everyone's gaze shifted directly towards him.

Pondering for a moment, his expression remained neutral.

"What does this have to do with what you all are discussing?" Lothaire eventually spoke. However, he did not answer the question. Instead, he questioned the relevance of what he had just been asked.

"Very well. Since you are all hesitating to reveal any secrets regarding the trial, let me tell you why some fall asleep the moment they enter the trial." Dejan realized that these people were unwilling to reveal any secrets, even after having entered the trial themselves. If it were truly that simple, wouldn't all knowledge concerning the trial already be public?

"Some people fall directly asleep, and their consciousness becomes trapped in a certain location." Dejan paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the others.

"That location is the key to the terrain of every territory one must cross in order to reach the center." Dejan observed the crowd's reactions once more. Seeing no change in their expressions, he understood that they all already knew about this, but had refused to reveal it earlier.