The Owner explained everything, and the crowd supported him.
The Leader of the Patrol Guard Team politely asked Kaelan and his partners to cooperate and come with them.
The Owner reminded the Patrol Team Leader to seize the purse the servant was carrying and hand it over to Lord Cassian. It was then that Lorian realized Cassian was playing a role in this mess.
He smiled and warned the Leader that if he seized the purse right now, he might regret it gravely.
There was something in Lorian's cold, calm voice that made the Patrol Team Leader unable to object.
He decided to take them to the Palace, as Kaelan was involved, and he was, after all, the personal guard of the Young Master, even if he was considered a dimwit.
While leaving, Lorian turned around and smiled at the Owner.
He informed him that an event was going to be held in The Auric Spire, and he would be expected there.
This acted as a silent threat, sending a chill down the spines of not only the owner but even the Patrol Guards.
By now, it was clear that this servant was not a normal guy, and everyone felt they had probably opened a door that should have remained closed.
The Owner prayed in his mind for safety and a future for himself as well as his establishment.
Lorian and the City Patrol Guards returned to The Auric Spire.
At this point, the Patrol Guard Leader and his team were so anxious and uneasy with the strange and suspicious butler that they would have run away if they could.
They wanted to hand the three over to the Palace Guards as soon as possible and escape, but Lorian, still smarting from the insult, was unhinged.
When the Palace Guards, who knew his real identity, came to receive the three from the Patrol Team, Lorian insisted that the Patrol should hand them over personally.
By now, the Palace Guards had also heard the rumor of the "eccentric" Prince, so they simply complied.
At that time, Lord Elmsworth himself was attending the delegations from Aethelgard and Solara. Lady Seraphina was also there, beside her husband, helping him receive the guests and dignitaries.
However, the process was disturbed by the arrival of the trio—a Knight, a Beastman, and a young Servant—all in a messed-up condition, escorted by the City Patrol.
Both Lord Elmsworth and Lady Seraphina were surprised and taken aback by this sight, as were the dignitaries.
On Lorian's signal, Gravil arrived at the scene in a hurry.
He received the team in a separate place. Gravil listened to everything and instructed the Patrol Team to hand over the trio to him and leave.
The Patrol Team felt relieved as it all went smoothly. However, one new, over-enthusiastic patrol guard chimed in, asking to hand over the purse that the "servant" had supposedly "stolen."
His teammates rolled their eyes at him, but Gravil just laughed at the top of his voice. He sent them away, instructing them to inform the Owner of The Gilded Gryphon that the one he suspected as a thief could buy ten such establishments of his and just donate them to beggars if he wished.
Gravil then took the three inside through another way, saving them from the prying eyes of the delegates. However, those who were wise and observant enough did not miss the little event.
Lorian was quietly afraid of what would happen after this ruckus. He had mentally prepared himself for a heavy scolding and schooling from his parents, especially Lord Elmsworth.
He entered his father's chamber with a trembling heart when he was summoned, while Kaelan and Jax waited outside the door to receive their share of punishment.
However, to his surprise, his mother was more worried about whether he got hurt in the market, swearing to raze "The Gilded Gryphon" to smithereens.
His father, Lord Elmsworth, looked at him for a while with inquisitive and amused eyes. Then he walked towards his son and pulled his ear hard, much to the surprise and anger of Lady Seraphina, who immediately started arguing with her husband over hurting their son, who was already hurt by bad people in the market.
Lorian felt a bit happy and emotional. It was the first time in his life, and even in his life as Adrian, that he received such love from his parents—their care and even their punishment. He cried, overwhelmed by emotion, and hugged them tight.
His parents hugged him back. After a bit, he said goodbye and left the room to meet Kaelan and Jax. He couldn't quite understand why his parents had gone soft on him instead of scolding him.
He didn't realize that his parents were happy to see that their son, despite acting smarter than his age for the last few days, was still a kid at heart—one who would flaunt their instructions and take unnecessary risks for fun.
They were happy to see that they had not lost their little son to an intelligent genius.
They had lost eighteen years of his childhood. And when he was back, their son was no longer a kid, but was acting like a mature, super-intelligent adult. They were happy to see that their child was still there, despite everything.
And with this, the day of the Festivity soon arrived. The whole of Veridia had been decorated like a picturesque cityscape.
The ever-beautiful Auric Spire had now become a thing of breathtaking beauty. Since the morning, the festival had started, and everyone was in a festive mood.
Even the Guards were no exception.
At first, they were drinking secretly, but by midday, they had started drinking openly.
The market had boomed with the arrival of so many customers from different parts of the continent.
The Thornes had given the traders a massive gift for today: all transactions would be free of taxation.
This just added another reason to cheer.
No one was aware of what was to follow this joyful scene.