SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant-Chapter 460: A New Seat Among the Eight [II]

Valttair did not stop to admire the view. The moment the Morgains arrived, he began walking toward the main structure, and the rest of the family fell into step behind him without a word.

Trafalgar kept pace with them, his eyes still taking in the place while his expression stayed neutral. It did not take long before he noticed something else.

He stood out.

Most of the Morgain family wore the pale tones and silver details that suited their house, the kind of cold elegance expected of one of the Eight Great Families. Trafalgar was dressed in navy-blue and black. Sharp, darker, heavier. Among them he looked almost out of place. ’Like a black sheep in a family full of white ones.’ He almost found the thought amusing.

As they advanced toward the entrance, eyes began to fall on them. At first it was the usual attention House Morgain would draw after the war. But after a few seconds, Trafalgar realized a large part of those looks were landing specifically on him.

The last time all the great powers had gathered like this, he had been nothing worth remembering. Just another forgotten son of House Morgain, someone most people could ignore without consequence. This time was different. Some looked at him out of curiosity. Others with calculation. A few with interest so open it almost felt shameless. There were even those quietly reassessing him with each step, as if trying to match the figure in front of them with the rumors that had spread after the war.

Trafalgar kept his face calm. Inside, however, the conclusion was already obvious. ’This is going to be a long gathering.’

Too many people had seen his name rise too quickly. Too many houses, nobles, and opportunists would want something. A connection. A conversation. A favor. Even simple curiosity would be enough to make this exhausting. Still, there was no point dwelling on it yet.

Ahead of them the great doors opened wider, and the Morgains continued forward as one of the most watched families on the island. For once, Trafalgar was no longer the easiest one among them to overlook.

The moment the Morgains stepped through the entrance, the grandeur deepened. The main hall opened before them in a sweep of gold, crystal, and polished white stone so vast that the far end blurred beneath layers of chandelier light and drifting mana-lamps. Tall pillars trimmed in gold rose toward a ceiling painted with scenes of ancient wars, pacts, and bloodlines, while the glossy floor reflected every light and movement like still water. Long banquet tables stretched across the hall under silver and crystal displays, overflowing with food, wine, and delicacies from every corner of the world. Nobles moved through that brilliance wrapped in silk, jewels, and perfectly measured smiles.

The place was not merely hosting a gathering. It was displaying power. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Trafalgar’s eyes moved across the hall with quiet focus. The Morgains had arrived among the last, and everyone else was already present, spread throughout in clusters of influence, pride, and calculation. This was not simply a Council of the Eight Great Families. This was a gathering of the world’s greatest powers, whether that power came from blood, wealth, armies, or something else entirely.

He recognized the great families one by one.

The Vaelion were there, human mages as elegant as always, carrying themselves with that polished superiority that seemed to come naturally to them. ’Alfons is probably somewhere around here,’ Trafalgar thought. ’Hopefully he doesn’t ask for anything this time. Though I wouldn’t mind teaching him manners again in front of his father. Last time I got something valuable out of it.’

His gaze shifted. Lady Nyssara di Myrrhvale stood among her people, sea-colored robes draped around her with controlled elegance. The faint flutter of gills at her neck was visible beneath her high collar if one looked closely enough, and even from a distance she carried that same subtle scent of salt and ancaelumd herbs he still remembered. As if sensing his attention, she turned slightly, saw him, and offered a small smile. Trafalgar gave her a short nod in return.

Malakar du Zar’khael was present as well, unmistakable as ever, the demon patriarch standing with dark crimson eyes and two curved black horns that made his already imposing figure even more striking. Trafalgar looked at him a second longer than the others. ’How many family heads have I already interacted with?’ The thought settled into his mind in a way he did not particularly enjoy. ’I don’t like that.’

On another side of the hall stood the Nocthar. Lysaria au Nocthar carried herself with the cold beauty expected of the vampire matriarch. Near her stood Selendra au Nocthar, and unlike the others, she did not even try to hide where her attention had gone. Trafalgar felt her eyes on him almost immediately. He ignored it after a few seconds and kept looking elsewhere.

Grumhald au Dvergar was present too, broad and solid even among the crowd, surrounded by dwarven attendants who looked no less proud than the rest. Not far from him stood Elenara au Sylvanel, the elven matriarch carrying herself with the kind of distant grace only the Sylvanel ever seemed able to maintain without effort.

And finally, his gaze landed on the Thal’zar. Even among a hall like this, they still drew attention, though now for different reasons than before. At their head stood Darian du Thal’zar, no longer just an heir standing beneath someone else’s shadow. When Darian noticed Trafalgar looking his way, he gave him a firm nod. Trafalgar returned it without hesitation. ’So he remembers everything. Good. I’m glad we can get along.’

For a brief moment, Trafalgar looked around the hall and felt something he could not quite name. He had been to gatherings like this before, had seen these faces and these banners, and yet something about standing here now felt fundamentally different. The room had not changed. He had.

Last time, he had been easy to ignore. Now, half the most powerful people in the world already knew his name, and not because of his family.

A figure in long dark robes stepped forward near the center of the hall, and little by little the voices around the room began to fade. The old sage waited until the noise had thinned enough, then spoke in a calm voice that carried easily through the entire hall. "Now that all eight heads of the Great Families have arrived, I ask that they follow me inside. There is much to discuss." His gaze moved over the gathered guests. "As for the rest of our honored visitors, I hope you enjoy your stay."

Servants appeared almost at once, silver trays in hand. Wine, crystal bottles, dark liquors, pale drinks glowing faintly with mana, everything began to circulate through the hall with smooth efficiency. What had felt like one grand gathering a moment ago divided into two worlds. The real Council, where the heads of the Eight would speak in private. And everything around it.

The Morgains split apart almost immediately. Valttair went with the other family heads. His wives scattered toward clusters of noblewomen from other houses, and his siblings did much the same, breaking away to find their own circles among the crowd.

Trafalgar watched it happen, then made the same decision he had made the last time. Find a separate table and eat in peace.

At least, that had been the plan.

The moment the eight family heads disappeared, it was as if some invisible restraint snapped. People started moving toward him. At first only a few. A human noble with a careful smile. A beastman merchant lord with too much perfume. Then more followed. A dwarf with a jeweled cane. Two military envoys. A vampire noble he did not recognize. Then three more from different corners of the room.

Different races, different banners, different tones, but all of them circling the same thing. Him.

Trafalgar watched as yet another group changed direction and started heading his way, then let out a quiet breath through his nose. ’This is going to be a long Council.’