Chapter 190: Crisis in the Unveiling Party Part -- Two

The atmosphere inside the hall underwent a complete transformation.

Only moments ago, the guests had been smiling, applauding, and discussing the brilliance of Ashenlocke’s younger generation.

Now those same faces were filled with confusion, shock, and uncertainty.

The cheerful mood that had dominated the unveiling party vanished almost instantly.

Many of the non-Alchemist guests instinctively moved closer to their personal guards, while some nobles even grabbed the sleeves of their protectors without realizing it.

They weren’t afraid of Ezra specifically.

They were afraid of what the situation could become.

An event attended by Elders, powerful Alchemists, and important nobles suddenly being interrupted by a boy claiming treason?

That was enough to make anyone nervous.

The combat Alchemists and non-combat Alchemists present reacted differently.

Instead of fear, curiosity filled their eyes.

Some narrowed their eyes.

Some leaned forward in their seats.

A few even appeared amused.

After all, very few things could interrupt an Ashenlocke unveiling party.

Whatever this was...

It had already become interesting.

As the guards tightened their formation around Ezra and Lucy, murmurs spread throughout the hall like wildfire.

The broadcasting team immediately redirected their equipment toward the disturbance.

Their professional instincts activated immediately.

If something important was happening, they needed to capture it.

The photographers were no different.

Several quickly adjusted their cameras, others repositioned themselves for better angles.

Just in case a fight actually broke out.

"What is going on?"

A confused voice sounded from the crowd.

"Wait..."

Another noble squinted toward the entrance.

"Are my eyes deceiving me? Isn’t that Baron Sterling’s son?"

The confusion only deepened with more people beginning to look between Ezra and Zara.

The similarities were impossible to ignore.

"Get on your knees immediately!"

The captain of the guards stepped forward. His hand rested firmly on his weapon.

"Or we will be forced to act!"

A faint wave of Cognis surged from his body.

The pressure spread outward.

It wasn’t enough to injure anyone, but it was enough to intimidate ordinary people.

The air became slightly heavier.

Several nearby guests unconsciously held their breath.

Yet...

Ezra calmly opened his space bag.

The guards immediately tensed with several rifles shifting toward him.

However, instead of drawing a weapon...

Ezra simply removed his cap.

At the same time, Lucy stepped forward and revealed the crest embroidered onto her maid uniform.

The Ashenlocke crest.

The guards froze.

"That is the Ashenlocke crest."

One guard muttered.

The captain’s eyes twitched.

"I know."

His gaze shifted between Ezra and Lucy.

Confusion flashed across his face.

If they are enemies, why would they openly display the Ashenlocke symbols?

If they are allies, why would they interrupt an event like this?

The captain of the guards thought to himself confused on what to do.

Meanwhile...

On the upper floor.

Zavier and Zara looked as though they had seen a ghost.

The expressions on their faces were almost identical to the day Ezra had suddenly appeared inside Zavier’s office.

Back then, they were shocked.

This time...

It was much worse.

Because Ezra hadn’t appeared in a private room.

He had appeared before hundreds of nobles.

Before the Elders.

Before cameras.

Before all of Britannia.

And worst of all...

He had arrived at the exact moment Zara’s name was about to be announced.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Page stood from her seat.

Her sister immediately stood as well, also wanting to see the commotion happening downstairs.

Page folded her arms and stared toward the entrance, seeing Ezra standing in the middle of the guards then she sharply turned to Zara.

Then back again.

Both faces looked almost identical.

She remembered clearly that during the Trial of Steel, the Board had called the Sixth Ranker Zara.

Yet now there were two of them.

For a normal person, distinguishing between them would be difficult.

For someone like Page...

The answer was already obvious.

She sighed, then sat back down.

"Page, do you know what’s happening?"

Her sister asked quietly.

Worry was visible on her face.

"It isn’t anything serious."

Page waved dismissively.

Her gaze shifted toward Felix.

Felix remained seated.

Relaxed and calm.

Yet anyone paying attention could see the rage hidden behind his eyes.

"Haha... Haha..."

Lyra suddenly grabbed Nina’s shoulder. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Is there going to be a fight?"

She asked.

The energy in her voice immediately contrasted the tension surrounding them, while Nina wasn’t even listening.

She kept looking back and forth between Ezra and Zara.

One.

Then the other, then back again.

Finally...

She stood up.

"Two?"

Her head tilted.

"Are they twins?"

Her voice wasn’t quiet.

In fact, it was loud enough for a large section of the audience to hear.

Zara nearly jumped up with how frightened he was by Nina’s words.

"NO!"

His response came out much louder than intended.

Several nearby guests turned toward him.

"No!"

He quickly stood.

"I am an only child!"

His voice sounded hurried.

"He must be a fake trying to steal my identity!"

The moment those words left his mouth...

Several people frowned.

The denial had come too quickly and too desperately, clearly making his plea look more questioning.

Nina narrowed her eyes.

Although she didn’t know everything, she already had a rough idea of what was happening.

Nearby, Gareth crossed one leg over the other.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Interesting.

Nate remained silent and Priscilla also remained silent.

However, judging from her expression, Priscilla was clearly annoyed that something like this was happening during an Ashenlocke event.

The murmurs throughout the hall intensified.

People were beginning to connect the pieces themselves.

Then...

"Silence!"

Elder Portia stood.

The single word immediately suppressed the hall.

Her gaze landed on the broadcasting crew.

The pressure behind that look alone was enough.

The crew immediately switched the live broadcast to a temporary break, while the photographers stepped back.

None of them dared act recklessly with the Elders present.

"Stand down."

Portia waved her hand.

The guards surrounding Ezra and Lucy immediately retreated.

"Portia!"

Elder Fredricks stood up abruptly. His face flushed with anger.

"What do you mean stand down?"

He pointed toward Ezra.

"How dare a nobody interrupt an Ashenlocke event!"

His voice echoed loudly.

"I apologize for the interruption."

Ezra bowed politely. His voice remained flat with no fear, no panic, and no hesitation.

That alone irritated Fredricks further.

"HOW DARE YOU EVEN SPEAK!"

He was about to release his Cognis.

"Sit down."

A hand landed on his shoulder.

Elder Paul.

Fredricks immediately found himself pushed back into his seat.

"You’re the one turning this into a bigger problem."

Paul spoke calmly.

Nearby, Elder Tabitha, Elder Gram, and Elder Yestin narrowed their eyes.

All three knew exactly what Paul was feeling.

To them, Paul wasn’t annoyed or angry.

He was excited.

A disturbance during an unveiling party?

Paul probably found the entire situation entertaining.

"Yes."

Portia stepped to the front of the stage.

One of the hosts immediately handed her the microphone, then she looked toward the audience first.

"Please."

Her calm voice spread throughout the hall.

"I understand this situation may be shocking."

She paused.

"Perhaps even frightening."

Her gaze swept across the guests.

"But remember whose event this is."

The hall gradually quieted.

"How many powerful Alchemists are gathered here today?"

Her eyes moved toward the Elders.

"Even the Head of the Family is present, though he has not yet appeared."

The tension eased slightly.

"Therefore, remain calm."

She turned toward Ezra.

Her expression became serious.

"Boy."

Her eyes narrowed.

"You claim there is an ongoing act of treason."

She glanced toward Zavier and Zara.

"And although I already have certain suspicions, I am neither a lawyer nor a Seer."

She paused.

"So, I will hear every side."

Her gaze sharpened.

"Here and now."

She looked toward the Elders.

"We Elders will judge to the best of our abilities."

After those words, guards escorted Ezra, Zavier, and Zara toward the front of the stage.

Lucy remained near the entrance with additional guards positioning themselves nearby.

The atmosphere slowly calmed with the fear fading and only curiosity remaining.

Now many of the audience wanted answers.

"Speak."

Portia returned to her seat.

The other Elders watched silently.

Fredricks looked annoyed, Paul looked entertained, Tabitha, Gram, and Yestin appeared calm, Ivanhoe, Branthwaite, and Portia watched seriously.

"My name should be known to all of you as Zara."

Ezra stepped forward, standing before the Elders without hesitation.

"But the truth is that my name is Ezra Sterling."

His voice remained steady.

"The twin son of Zavier Sterling."

He pointed toward Zavier.

"And the brother of Zara Sterling."

A ripple spread through the hall.

"Due to my poor health during childhood, I was raised away from public attention."

Ezra continued.

"My existence was hidden so thoroughly that most people outside my family never knew I existed."

The crowd listened carefully.

"My father only valued strength."

Ezra’s eyes remained calm.

"So, I became more of a ghost inside my own home to hide what he called a stain to his name."

No anger, no bitterness.

Just facts.

"He made sure I stayed away from gatherings."

His gaze shifted toward Zara again.

"While my brother was introduced to the world."

The silence inside the hall deepened.

"Eventually, I reached the point where I was considered dead by people who had never even met me."

Ezra sighed softly.

Then...

A brief pause.

"When the Trial of Steel began, they sent me."

His eyes locked onto Zara yet again.

"To secure my brother’s safety. And now that I survived..."

"They want your achievements."

Elder Tabitha cut in before Ezra could continue.

Her disappointed gaze immediately settled on Zavier.

The look in her eyes wasn’t anger.

It was clear disappointment.

The kind of disappointment reserved for someone who had fallen beneath expectations.

Behind her, the maid standing quietly at her side looked no different.

Her expression had also darkened.

She remembered Rowan coming to question her about Zavier’s wife.

At the time, she had already felt that something wasn’t right.

Why would someone suddenly investigate a maid who had served under her years ago?

Now she finally understood.

The truth was far uglier than she had imagined.

"So, he sacrificed one son..."

Tabitha’s voice became colder.

"In order to protect his favorite child?"

The hall instantly erupted into whispers.

Many nobles looked toward Zavier with disbelief.

Some frowned.

Others openly showed disgust.

A few looked as though they had just heard a terrible joke.

"That’s supposed to be the golden child?"

A noble sitting among the guests spoke loudly.

His voice carried far enough for others to hear.

"Shouldn’t the child who survived the Trial of Steel be the real golden child?"

Another immediately agreed.

"Exactly."

He shook his head.

"The one who risked his life and survived should be the talented one."

"Not the child hiding behind his father."

The comments continued.

One after another.

Each sentence felt like another slap across Zavier’s face.

Beneath his sleeves, his fists slowly tightened.

His knuckles turned pale.

Talking like they would have done any better...

He sneered inwardly.

Hypocrites.

All of them.

The moment their own family’s survival became involved, they would have done worse if they had the opportunity I had.

We all know that the trial was a death program and anyone who went there was likely to die, why wouldn’t I use my unknown son to protect the useful one.

His eyes shifted toward Ezra’s back.

The calm figure standing before the Elders only made his frustration grow.

And this trash.

How did he survive?

I thought that idiot promised he would handle everything properly.

His gaze moved toward Zara.

The irritation in his eyes became even greater.

All of them are useless.

Every single one of them.

If I had known this boy would change this much...

If I had known he would become this troublesome...

I would’ve never listened to that brat from the Mainline.

I would’ve killed this one instead and forced Ezra to properly take Zara’s place.

His teeth ground together with the muscles in his jaw twitching repeatedly.

"Wow..."

Elder Paul leaned forward in his seat.

A smile rested on his face.

"The fact that a Baron of all noble statuses believed he could outsmart the Duke Family he serves under."

His tone sounded amused.

Yet everyone who knew Paul understood something.

The old man only smiled when he found something interesting.

And right now...

He was very interested.

"Now explain clearly."

The smile remained on Paul’s face.

Then...

It disappeared.

The transformation was immediate.

His relaxed appearance vanished and his eyes became cold, sharp and predatory.

The atmosphere around him changed so quickly that even nearby nobles unconsciously straightened their backs.

Zavier felt his body tremble.

Not because Paul released any Cognis.

The Elder didn’t need to.

His gaze alone felt heavy.

"Is what he said true?" Paul folded his arms. "Or is it all a collection of lies?"

Silence followed.

Heavy silence.

Zavier opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Beside him, Zara wasn’t any better.

Both father and son had already prepared excuses in their mind.

They had rehearsed lies quickly.

They had thought about countless explanations while Ezra was speaking.

Yet standing before the Elders...

Those prepared words suddenly felt childish.

The eyes staring at them weren’t ordinary eyes.

These were people who had the highest status only second to the head of one of Britannia’s greatest families for decades.

One wrong sentence.

One stupid mistake.

And their lives could end right there.

The pressure only continued growing.

Then...

"Enough of the interrogation."

A voice echoed throughout the hall.

The moment it sounded...

Every person present immediately knelt.

Even the Elders.

The entire hall moved as one.

The atmosphere shifted instantly again.

The Head had arrived.

Valentin Ashenlocke walked into the hall calmly.

His expression remained unreadable; his black coat flowed behind him with each step.

While the crowd lowered their heads respectfully.

No one dared meet his eyes directly.

Yet...

Many gazes couldn’t help shifting toward the figure walking beside him.

Vera Ashenlocke.

Her arm was lightly linked with Valentin’s.

She wore a black and scarlet-red gown embroidered with golden patterns that reflected beneath the chandelier lights.

Small gemstones rested across the chest section of the dress, creating faint flashes whenever she moved.

Her long black hair flowed loosely behind her shoulders.

Soft curls framed her face naturally.

The gold-framed glasses she purposely chose to wear rested elegantly upon her nose.

Matching diamond earrings swayed gently beside her cheeks.

Many of the young noble men stared.

Several forgot to breathe.

Even older nobles found themselves glancing toward her.

For years people had argued about the Six Flowers of Britannia.

Many believed different girls deserved the first position.

Yet seeing Vera walk beside the Head of Ashenlocke...

It became easier to understand why so many insisted she stood above the rest.

Not because she smiled, even though she never did.

Not because she tried to charm anyone.

In fact...

She looked completely uninterested in everyone’s attention.

That indifference only made people look more.

The pair eventually arrived before the stage.

Zavier.

Zara.

Ezra.

The three remained kneeling before them.

"We currently have two people claiming to be the Sixth Ranker of the Trial of Steel."

Vera adjusted her glasses slightly.

Her voice remained calm, sharp and direct.

The same tone she used whenever discussing business.

No anger, no excitement.

Only certainty.

"So, let’s settle it the old-fashioned way."

She looked toward the crowd, then toward the Elders.

Neither group objected.

"We will have them fight."

A ripple spread throughout the audience.

Many eyes widened.

Others immediately became excited.

Even Paul looked more amused.

"The real Sixth Ranker would never lose to a fake."

Vera’s gaze slowly landed on Zara.

The moment her eyes met his, Zara felt his spine stiffen.

There was no hostility in her expression.

No contempt.

No visible mockery.

Yet somehow that made it worse.

Because it felt as though she had already reached a conclusion.

And nothing he said would change it.

"Not even if there were ten of them."

Her tone remained completely flat.

The confidence in her words wasn’t forced.

It wasn’t bravado.

It sounded like a simple fact.

Like saying the sky was blue.

Or that fire burned.

"They would never lose."

Vera finished calmly.

Then she pushed her glasses slightly higher.

As though the outcome had already been decided before the fight even began.