The Astaraeas family entered the ballroom, and hundreds of eyes from various races instantly locked onto them.
The ballroom was a majestic, dazzling sight. Massive crystal chandeliers hung high above, illuminating a vast space. On the left and right, grand twin staircases swept up to the first floor.
Nobles from different races stood in groups holding drinks, their murmurs dying down as they watched the Astaraeas family arrive. Servants navigated through the crowd, carrying trays loaded with drinks and appetizers.
As Aeon and his family walked further inside, several nobles tried to step forward to greet them. Before they could take a single step, however, a booming laugh broke the atmosphere. Everyone turned toward the sound.
"Hahaha! You’re finally here, Aldrich. Long time no see!"
A tall man in a tuxedo walked briskly toward the Astaraeas family. He stood at an imposing 190 cm, with short blue hair, a well-groomed blue beard, and light skin. His sharp, draconic eyes shone with a brilliant blue light.
Aldrich smiled when he recognized the familiar face and walked forward to meet him."It hasn’t been that long. We literally spoke a week ago."
The two men met in the middle, sharing a firm handshake before pulling each other into a brief, hearty hug. As they separated, the man laughed again.
"Hahaha! Every day I don’t see my best friend feels like a year to me!"
Aldrich could only smile at his best friend’s endless enthusiasm.
By then, Elisabeth and Aeon had caught up. The man’s face beamed with happiness as he stepped toward Elisabeth, wrapping her in a tender, giant hug. "Oh, I missed you too, my dear little sister."
Elisabeth smiled, warmly returning the hug. "I missed you too, William."
This is Duke William Storm. He rules the Eastern States, the ancestral land of the blue dragon bloodlines, and stood as one of the heads of the five ducal families.
The Storm family was famous for their affinities with lightning, water, and wind. A few highly talented direct lineages were even born with the Storm element—a powerful combination of all three.
This made William one of the strongest SSS-rank beings in the Valtthoros Empire, sitting just one rank away from the absolute peak of mortal power.
Furthermore, before her marriage, Elisabeth Astaraeas was known as Elisabeth Storm, William’s younger sister.
William looked down at Aeon, who stood quietly beside his mother. The Duke slowly knelt down to meet him at eye level, rubbing Aeon’s hair affectionately.
"My word, isn’t this my favorite nephew? How have you been?"
Aeon offered a bright, happy smile. "Good to see you, Uncle. I’ve been doing well."
Looking past William, Aeon noticed a mother and son standing just behind him. His smile widened. "Good to see you too, Aunt Amelia, and Alex."
Amelia offered a tender reply. "You too, sweetie."
She then stepped past her husband and gave Elisabeth a tight hug. "Hey, how are you doing, honey? I missed you so much."
Elisabeth returned the embrace, her voice calm but warm. "Me too."
Amelia Storm was the Duchess of the Storm State. She, too, was recognized as one of the strongest SSS-ranked beings on Nexos Earth. She possessed striking blue hair, blue eyes, two elegant dragon horns, and a blue dragon tail that was currently swaying with happiness.
Alexander Storm, William and Amelia’s firstborn son, walked over to Aeon. He wrapped his self-proclaimed best friend in an enthusiastic, childish hug.
"Aeon! I missed you! Let’s play later, okay?"
Aeon couldn’t help but smile. He returned the hug gently. "Me too, Alex. We’ll play right after the party."
But internally however, he was confused.
’This family is a match made in heaven. How do they all have the exact same personality?’ Aeon thought, thoroughly confused. ’It has only been a week or two since we last saw each other, yet they speak like it has been years. Two weeks is just a fraction of their thousand-year lifespans, even for those who can’t cultivate.’
Despite his inner confusion, Aeon felt a wave of happiness knowing how much these people loved him and family.
Alex broke the hug, his face lit up with a massive grin. He then turned and bowed respectfully to Aldrich and Elisabeth.
"Good evening, Uncle, Aunt."
Before either of them could respond, the guard at the entrance bellowed another announcement:
"Duke Ignis Solaris!"
"Duchess Eleanor Solaris!"
"Young Miss Sophia Solaris!"
"Have arrived!"
The Astaraeas and Storm families turned toward the entrance to see a family of three walking in. Instantly, the expressions on the faces of both families shifted—not in anger or terror. Rather, they wore the look of people who already knew exactly what was about to happen.
Duke Ignis Solaris.
Ruler of the Southern States and a member of the red dragon bloodline.
The Southern States was a harsh region defined by fire and active volcanoes, standing as the geographical opposite to the Northern States. While most red dragons possessed affinities for fire or lava, the pure Solaris bloodline commanded a far more destructive element.
The Sun element.
This element stood in direct opposition to the Astaraeas family’s Moon affinity. Even their personalities were polar opposites.
The Astaraeas were calm, and composed while the Solaris family was passionate and hot-headed.
Red dragons were famous for their hunger for power, combat, and destruction, which frequently gave the Emperor a massive headache. Yet, they were simple creatures at heart—as long as they got a good fight, they were happy.
The moment Ignis entered the ballroom and spotted his friends, he erupted into booming laughter.
"Hahaha! If it isn’t my two buddies! You know, the best greeting always involves an exchange of fists. Why don’t we have a quick match right now?" he shouted, marching directly toward them.
William and Aldrich simultaneously face-palmed. "Yep, here we go again," they muttered in unison, while their wives chuckled softly.
Ignis was a straightforward man. True to his red dragon heritage, he lived for combat. He had short, fiery red hair, deeply tanned skin, and burning red dragon eyes. He was practically vibrating with excitement as he neared his two favorite sparring partners.
Smack!
Before Ignis could take another step, a hand slapped the back of his head.
Eleanor Solaris stood behind her husband, looking thoroughly embarrassed by his behavior. She glared at him with a deadly expression. "If I hear you mention fighting even once while we are here, I am going to kill you myself."
Ignis swallowed hard, his face turning pale at his wife’s death threat. He instantly raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! No fighting." He then began to sulk, looking exactly like a child who had just been denied candy.
While female red dragons were generally a little calmer than their male counterparts, they were twice as terrifying and deadly when they actually lost their tempers.
Eleanor was the perfect example of this—deadly, yet breathtakingly beautiful. She possessed rich, tanned skin, long red hair, fierce dragon eyes, sharp horns, and a sleek red tail. She was a walking disaster wrapped in absolute beauty.
Walking timidly beside her was their five-year-old daughter, Sophia. She was an exact, younger replica of her mother, nervously clutching the fabric of Eleanor’s gown while stealing occasional glances at Aeon.
It was incredibly rare for a red dragon child to display such timidity. Whenever the other families saw her, they couldn’t help but wonder if she was genuinely shy,..or simply faking it.
Aldrich and William laughed heartily at Ignis’s sudden deflation, while the women shared an amused look. They were always relieved when Eleanor came along, as she was the only force capable of taming him.
Soon, the three families caught up, chatting, laughing, and sharing inside jokes.
However, the lighthearted atmosphere didn’t last long. The announcer’s voice boomed across the ballroom once again, cutting through the noise.
"Duke Dante Darkmore!"
"Duchess Morgana Darkmore!"
"Young Master Damian Darkmore!"
"Have arrived!"
A family of three stepped into the ballroom. They possessed pitch-black hair and faces so pale it looked as though they had never stepped into the sunlight.
Their eyes were sharp, cold, and calculated, silently scanning the room as if constantly scheming.
The Darkmore family ruled the Western Region.
They belonged to the dark dragon bloodlines, often referred to as the necromancer dragons. While the Western States were home to dark dragons who were naturally gifted with shadows and darkness affinities.
The pure Darkmore lineage possessed an incredibly rare and terrifying addition.
The Death affinity.
This affinity made them unrivaled masters of necromancy. However, they were also widely regarded as the most wicked dragons in the Empire. It wasn’t just because of their dark magic or death manipulation; it was their constant political schemes, covert operations, and rebellious streaks.
They were a family that routinely did whatever they pleased, always managing to evade any severe consequences.
Duke Dante caught sight of the three families, gave them a brief, cold glance, and immediately looked away. He led his family to a different location in the ballroom, where a crowd of sycophantic nobles quickly swarmed them.
Turning their backs on the Darkmores, the Astaraeas, Storm, and Solaris families resumed their conversation. Within moments, the heavy atmosphere dissolved, and the previous lighthearted, happy mood returned.
After a short while, the clear, sharp blast of a trumpet echoed through the vast hall. A loud, booming voice announced from the first-floor balcony.
"Attention! The Imperial Family has arrived!"
The moment those words rang out, the entire ballroom fell dead silent. Guests, nobles, and servants alike instantly dropped to one knee, bowing their heads in deep respect.
The announcer’s voice echoed over the silent crowd.
"His Majesty, Emperor Drakon Drakonius!"
"Her Majesty, Empress Seraphina Drakonius!"
"Her Highness, the First Princess, Elysaria Drakonius!"
The announcer paused for a brief moment, letting the weight of the titles settle, before continuing.
"Accompanied by the Guardian Duke’s family!"
"His Grace, Duke Aurelius Crownshield!"
"Her Grace, Duchess Celestia Crownshield!"
"Young Miss Anastasia Crownshield!"
As the announcement finished, two groups of people emerged from the grand double doors on the first floor.
The first group was the Imperial Family, walking side by side. They possessed a breathtaking, matching royal appearance. Radiant golden hair, piercing golden eyes, and sleek black horns etched with intricate gold patterns.
Following closely behind them was the Guardian family. They, too, shared identical features, sporting bright blonde hair, warm brown eyes, and smooth black horns. The only striking difference was Duke Aurelius, who walked proudly while wearing his full, gleaming ceremonial armor.
The Imperial Family stepped up to the edge of the balcony. Because the young princess was too small to see over the high railing, Empress Seraphina gently lifted her up.
The Emperor stepped forward, his eyes scanning the sea of kneeling subjects.
"All rise!"
As one, everyone in the ballroom stood up, their eyes locked reverently onto their ruler.
The Emperor smiled down at them, his voice carrying clearly to every corner of the room. "Welcome, my people, to my humble abode. Thank you all for attending my daughter’s birthday ceremony."
He spoke without a trace of arrogance, yet his voice carried no weakness either. His words were filled with genuine respect and sincerity.
"I won’t bore you with a long and tiring speech," he added with a chuckle, causing a wave of lighthearted laughter to ripple through the crowd.
Expanding his arms wide, the Emperor concluded, "Let the party begin!"
And with those words, the party officially began.