Reincarnated in the Astral World

Chapter 91: The Banquet Continues

Arthur quickly snatches his shirt in the men's restroom and dashes back to the courtyard. Again, most folks don't spot anything amiss with him, but Josephine catches a different sparkle in his eyes.

"How's the duel fairing?" He settles next to Margaret, inquiring about the ongoing clash, which features Oliver pitted against a Fourth Grade Elite Warrior.

"That guy's no match for my son," Josephine remarks with pride, casting a curious glance at Arthur. "All good with you?"

"Yeah," he nods. "Just needed to splash some water on my face…"

"I see," Josephine smiles, but within her mind, a whirlwind of dangerous guesses takes flight. 'Why does he look so over the moon? Does it have something to do with Aria?'

"Seen your mom? Reckon she also hit the restroom," Josephine notes.

"Oh?" Arthur crafts a perfectly puzzled expression. "Saw her,"

Before Josephine can delve further, Oliver trounces his current opponent and shouts at Arthur, "Hey, fancy a bit of fun, or should I keep on here?"

"Go on; I'll grab another glass of wine and jump in the next round," Arthur replies with a casual tone.

"Alright," Oliver continues in the arena, taking on another Fourth Grade Elite Warrior.

As the battle rages on, Aria returns from the restroom; her steps calm and graceful; likewise, just like Arthur, she manages to mask that special gleam in her eyes from all but Josephine.

'I knew it! They've stirred up something...' Josephine hasn't pieced together what transpired between Arthur and Aria, but she's certain it's extraordinary. Yet, she merely beams at Aria, keeping her curiosity under wraps.

Aria settles between Arthur and Josephine once more, filling a large wine glass just like her son's. The group continues to watch Oliver's duel in silence while enjoying the feast.

But neither Arthur nor Aria can really focus on the fight, as their minds are occupied by something else entirely.

Margaret, too, doesn't find such violent spectacles to her liking, so she starts to focus on Arthur, caressing his body under the table.

Arthur instinctively responds to Margaret's caresses, placing his hand on her thigh and stroking it. She smiles, and Aria notices what's happening right beside her.

Aria feels a whirlwind of conflicting emotions in her heart, which makes her cast an annoyed glance at Arthur without realizing it.

'Is she jealous?' He queries Nyx but acts on impulse before getting a response, placing his other hand on Aria's thigh under the table.

'Ah~?!' Aria is caught by surprise by a pleasant feeling, but she quickly slaps his hand, making him withdraw it.

Arthur gives Aria a puzzled look, and she shakes her head with a disapproving expression.

'I don't understand her...' He speaks to Nyx again, who quickly responds, 'You need to slow down now; you've just made a real move on her, but you're still in public, so it's better to behave and give her some time to get used to it.'

'You're right, I'm being too hasty, but it's just that...'

'I know, you just want to take care of her and love her... you've wanted this for a long time, I understand better than anyone,' Nyx speaks in a loving tone.

'Thanks, my love,' Arthur is grateful for having Nyx always helping him understand his feelings.

Oliver finishes defeating his opponent, and now that Aria is watching the show, Arthur feels the urge to enter the arena and beat the shit out of more stupid nobles. Since all the opponents are now Fourth and Fifth Grade Elite Warriors, he and Oliver are the only ones fighting.

After several rounds, the noble opponents are reduced to members of Dmitri's family and the Viscount. The last adversaries were much stronger than the first, so both Oliver and Arthur had to exert themselves, but neither seems tired for real.

Arthur stands in the arena now, his face and clothes covered in blood, but still no serious injuries on his body. "Who's next?" He smiles confidently toward the nobles, especially the Viscount.

Edgar and Elias gather with their siblings to decide who will be next, but then the Viscount's daughter ignores them and quickly climbs into the arena, facing Arthur with an excited expression.

"Let's see how you do against a girl," she smiles provocatively.

Nyx has already informed Arthur that she is a Fourth Grade Elite Warrior, meaning she poses no challenge to him.

"Alright, I'll be quick," Arthur speaks in a cold tone, his eyes showing no emotion.

"What?" The girl is confused. "You really have no honor?"

"Why?" He asks sarcastically. "Oh? Don't tell me you thought I would give up just because you're a woman?"

The girl frowns, and Arthur almost laughs, but then he sees Jovie approaching the arena. "Let me handle this bitch!"

"It's fine, I can deal with her," He comments amiably.

"I know," Jovie smiles at him. "But I want to fight her, please."

Arthur's first impression of Jovie was that she's bold, but in an annoying way, not in the cute manner of Margaret. Yet, the girl hasn't said anything about having seen him and Aria in the women's restroom, so he doesn't think she's a bad person either.

"Okay," Arthur descends from the arena, and as he passes by Jovie, he whispers in her ear, "She pretends to be right-handed but is actually left-handed; attack from the right but aim for her neck first."

Jovie nods and then climbs into the arena, facing her rival. "I've been waiting for this moment!"

"If you're so eager to be publicly humiliated..." The Lady Whittlee smirks wickedly.

"Good luck, Jovie!" Oliver shouts to the girl while standing next to Arthur.

*Ding*

Josephine signals the start, and the girls begin to fight. Lady Whittlee is not like Jovie's previous opponent; even though she is also in the fourth grade of the Elite Rank, she comes from a superior lineage, the Viscount's lineage.

The girl's techniques are also superior to Lady Carman's, putting Jovie at a disadvantage. She struggles in the first few minutes, her face repeatedly wounded by her merciless opponent.

But thanks to Arthur's tips, Jovie manages to land a strong blow to the girl's neck, making it difficult for her to breathe. Then Jovie gains an advantage and starts to balance the combat.

While watching the fight, Arthur wonders about the Drummond family. 'Even with the difference in Ranks, Jovie still stands a chance against that girl...' He mentally comments to Nyx. 'Doesn't that mean the Drummond lineage is better than the Viscount's?'

'I think so,' Nyx analyzes the girls' bodies with her magical senses and sees little difference between them. 'Maybe just a bit, but yeah, the Drummonds seem to have a better lineage than all these nobles.'

'Then why aren't they leading this town?' Arthur glances at Josephine.

'Maybe because they're not like these nobles, willing to do anything for power.'

'Makes sense; they really seem decent, and maybe that's what prevents them from doing well among the other nobles...' Arthur glances at the Viscount. 'What kind of things did he do to reach that position?'

'Not good things, I bet,' Nyx comments.

Arthur refocuses on the current fight and sees when both Jovie and Lady Whittlee fall to the ground in the arena, exhausted. "A draw?"

"No," Oliver comments excitedly. "A victory!"

As he speaks, Jovie manages to stand up; she is badly injured, but her opponent is completely unconscious, so she looks at Arthur and Oliver with a proud smile and a face covered in blood and wounds.

"Good job, girl!" Even Arthur feels compelled to praise the girl. He and Oliver help her down from the arena while Aria quickly approaches to use her healing magic on Jovie.

While the Viscount looks at them with a calm but hostile gaze, Anastasia, Dmitri's daughter, points and starts shouting, "Isn't that against the rules?!?"

"She won't need to fight anymore," Arthur quickly responds in a cold tone, silencing the girl.

"Yeah," Oliver quickly climbs into the arena. "Not many of you left, huh? It's just me and Arthur fighting now; let's finish this already!"

Edgar and Elias exchange looks and seem to come to some conclusion, then Elias leaves the patio and heads towards the restrooms while one of Edgar's brothers climbs into the arena to face Oliver.

All eyes are drawn to the Viscount's son and Oliver, but Josephine, Aria, and Arthur are curious about Elias's sudden departure.

'They're plotting something, I can feel it!' Nyx exclaims in Arthur's mind.

'I know, but what could it be?'

Oliver takes a few minutes to defeat his current opponent, who is in the sixth grade of the Elite Rank, and afterward, Arthur also spends a similar amount of time handling the last son of the Viscount besides Edgar, the eldest and strongest son. But when the fight ends, that guy does not approach the arena.

"Where is he?" Oliver questions Edgar.

Edgar only casts a hostile glance at Oliver, then Elias returns from the bathroom. He appears normal, but there are some sweat drops on his face and a hesitation in his gaze.

'He's afraid,' Arthur mentally comments to Nyx. 'But what would make him like this?'

Nyx tries to use her magical senses on his body but finds nothing unusual. 'He seems normal, but I'm not good at controlling this ability yet, so maybe he did something, and I just can't see it.'

Arthur watches Elias hurry to the Viscount's table; the guy stretches out his shaking hand, and the Viscount himself quickly gives him a cup of wine, which Elias drinks immediately. Only then does he seem to become calmer and turns his attention to Oliver. "It's our turn!"

"Yeah, let's do it!" Oliver heads towards the arena, but Arthur holds his arm and whispers in his ear, "Something's wrong, he did something,"

"Are you sure?" Oliver asks.

"I do," Arthur responds. "I don't know what it is, but I know there's something off about this."

"I can't back down without proof, or my family will lose face," Oliver speaks in a concerned tone.

"Alright, just surrender if things get out of hand, and let me finish them," Arthur requests in a friendly tone.

Oliver seems hesitant, but he ends up nodding. "Okay, if I feel I can't win, I'll let you take over,"

Arthur nods, and then Oliver jumps into the arena.