Edgar exchanged a few more pleasantries with a smile and began to lead the way personally.

  Beneath his face covering, Tars smiled, strolling behind him while admiring the castle's interior. It was clear the Fendis family had invested considerable effort into this slightly undersized fortress. Edgar, noticing his interest, seemed immensely pleased.

  Under Edgar's guidance, the two stopped before a massive relief mural.

  "This mural predates the castle itself. It originally stood in our ancestral home, depicting the deeds of our forefathers during the founding of the city," Edgar said, his hearty voice filled with pride. "At that time, thirteen powerful noble houses followed the Starry Family into the wars of expansion. My ancestor was merely a mercenary captain from the Abyss District, but he had extensive connections and gathered dozens of mercenary groups to join the conquest. This scene shows him slaying the exotic beast, Fendis—it is from this creature that our family takes its name. That war was unexpectedly brutal. By the time it neared its end, only five of the thirteen noble houses remained. That was the opportunity our family needed..."

  Edgar slowed his pace, gliding past the long, scroll-like mural. His voice was impassioned, and Tars followed behind, listening with genuine interest.

  They gradually moved deeper into the castle. Perhaps because they had lingered on the way, the evening light had slipped away, leaving the corridors shrouded in a somber gloom.

  "Lord Tars, we have arrived. Everyone is eagerly anticipating your presence," Edgar said with a grin.

  "I wonder when the Lady intends to depart?" Tars asked.

  "Likely tomorrow, or perhaps the day after. Her Excellency may still have a few matters to conclude," Edgar replied.

  They entered a spacious hall where lamps were embedded into the walls. Servants moved through the room, and groups of guests stood in small clusters, chatting idly. Edgar strode forward and clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

  "Welcome, our guest of honor, Lord Tars!"

  After his loud proclamation, Edgar hurried back to Tars's side. "Lord Tars," he whispered, "please excuse me for a moment. I must go inform Her Excellency of your arrival. I shall return shortly."

  Tars nodded with a smile as guests from across the room offered him distant, respectful bows. Edgar quickly ascended a staircase to the second-level gallery. Over half of the hall reached up to a high vaulted ceiling, while the rest was divided into two floors. The melodious, soothing music wafting through the air came from a group of performers on the upper level.

  Tars, having no desire to engage in small talk, found a quiet spot to sit. The other guests seemed tactful enough; not a single person approached him with mindless chatter.

  A servant approached, offering eight different drinks for his selection. One of them even emitted a soft, pink phosphorescence.

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  "What is this green one?" Tars asked, pointing to a glass.

  "Reporting to your Excellency, this is Green Moon Wine," the servant said nervously.

  "Made from a green moon, I assume?" Tars quipped.

  "Reporting to your Excellency, it is made from an insect nectar. First, a specific fungus must infect the insects. Once cultivated, a small amount is extracted from each insect's antennae. This is then blended with fermented Bright-Moon berries unique to Twin-Moon City..." The servant spoke at a steady pace, gradually losing his nervousness.

  "And the glowing one?"

  "This is accented with the blood of a rare subterranean beast. The blood provides a unique spiciness. The base is mushroom wine, but the species used is extremely rare..."

  Tars found the descriptions fascinating and simply told the servant to leave them all. He figured that even if he didn't drink them, he could store them in the Abyssal Bedroom for Aiskin and the others to try. The servant blinked in surprise at the request but quickly regained his composure.

  In the time it took for the drinks to be arranged, a few more newcomers entered the party. Still, no one bothered him. Tars was perfectly content with this arrangement. He finally picked up the glowing pink wine; since the servant mentioned the base was mushroom wine, he had to try it—his impressions of Squeal-shroom and Sour-shroom wine were quite favorable.

  The other seven glasses he swept directly into the Abyssal Bedroom space.

  As he raised the glass to his lips, he noticed the newcomers staring at him. It was irritating. Even earlier, although the guests hadn't approached him, they had been glancing his way while whispering among themselves.

  Suddenly, the music stopped.

  Edgar reappeared on the second-floor gallery. Tars looked up, searching for the female wizard apprentice by his side, but she was nowhere to be seen.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to share a story with you. A story about a 'wild wizard' fraud. A despicable, ugly, and insolent wild wizard who used cowardly methods to deceive the guest of the Fendis family—that kind-hearted Lady from the Upper Domain. He deceived me as well, bringing shame upon the ancient history of the Fendis name."

  As Edgar spoke, the heavy doors of the hall slowly ground shut.

  "No one may be insolent toward a guest of the Fendis family. No one brings shame to our house and lives."

  Edgar continued, his lines delivered as if he were performing a stage play, though his naturally hearty voice made the performance seem clumsy and forced.

  "And now, this damned fraud is right here among us," Edgar paused, smiling coldly. "Respected Lord Tars, I wonder if you recognize this wild wizard who shamed us? Word has it he bears the visage of those stinking kobolds."

  "Oh? And how did Master Edgar discover he was a wild wizard?" Tars remained in his seat, glass in hand, speaking with a light chuckle.

  "Do you intend to deceive me again, Lord Tars?" Edgar replied, his voice dropping an octave.

  Tars merely smiled. "I recall reminding you quite solemnly at the Arena not to speak recklessly. I truly am just a wild wizard."

  Did Edgar go to all this trouble just for revenge? To punish a wild wizard who embarrassed him? Tars didn't buy it. Tying it to "family honor" was laughable. This man, whose only honest quality was the sound of his voice, was merely seeking a flimsy excuse to kill him.

  The only person who could have confirmed he was a wild wizard was Rodrigo Starry. But the young master of the Starry Family had no reason—and no logic—to go to such lengths to have him killed.

  Looking for a more likely scenario, perhaps Rodrigo had inadvertently leaked information while trying to secure a passage ticket, and that information had reached someone who wanted Tars dead. Otherwise, given how cautiously Edgar and his kin treated those from the Wizard Domain, they would never have dared to strike against someone whose background was unknown.

  "You deserve to die," Edgar said, his face contorting with anger.

  Tars remained indifferent, scanning the crowd. Among these people, many were likely practitioners from the transcendent realm—or perhaps all of them were. If Edgar was, as suspected, merely a puppet for someone else, then practitioners far beyond Edgar's own level might be lurking here.