Blade of the Goddess-Chapter 174 - 175

Night fell, stars glittering across the dark sky as the King’s birthday celebration came to life within the castle walls. Candlelight bathed the grand hall in a golden glow, where nobles and dignitaries laughed, drank, and danced—each toast laced with charm, and every smile hiding quiet ambition.

The palace thrummed with life, brimming with guests dressed in their finest silks and jewels. Laughter echoed through the grand halls—some genuine, others the carefully practiced giggles of noblewomen humoring the awkward flirtations of boastful suitors. Clusters of lords and ladies gathered in quiet corners, their hushed tones veiling sharp debates over court politics, land disputes, and rumors drifting through the kingdom.

Elsewhere, the younger scions of noble houses mingled with nervous excitement, eager to share stories of their latest sword lessons, riding exploits, or whispered court gossip. Their voices rose in bursts of laughter and youthful chatter, a spirited contrast to the more measured conversations of their elders. Despite the finery and formality, a subtle tension hummed beneath the surface—rivalries, ambitions, and hidden alliances threading through the crowd like an invisible web.

Zion arrived with his family, each of them dressed in the finest clothing his people ever crafted. Compared to everyone at the party, they looked like Royalty, even more Royalty than the king himself.

Eyes turned, lips closed, and conversations ended. Each of them was replaced with obvious staring and subtle gasps.

Zion strode into the palace with effortless confidence, his arms linked with two striking women. On his right was Lidia, radiant in a vibrant red dress adorned with gold jewelry that caught the candlelight with every step. On his left was Luna, graceful and composed in an elegant indigo gown, her look completed by a dark blue gemstone necklace and matching bracers that shimmered like starlight. Together, they drew more than a few stares as they entered the heart of the celebration.

"Woah!"

"Look at them go."

"They’re beautiful."

"He’s so sexy."

"I wish I were that cool."

A butler holding a metal tray walked up to Zion and his family. He bowed formally and directed him to their table. "Hello, young master Zion. There is a table for your family waiting for you. Please follow me."

Arriving at the table, everyone took their seats and got comfortable. Food was already on the table, still hot thanks to magic and still fresh to eat.

"Zion! So nice of you to make it." Calling out to him was Crystal, whom he had seen not too long ago. She was wearing a white silk dress that hugged her curves. Zia was standing behind her wearing a similar dress, but of a yellow color.

Zion chuckled to himself, standing up to greet the princess. "Hey, Crystal. How have you been?" He leaned in, kissing her cheek, and did the same for Zia.

"Good. Better now that you’re here." She smiled, touching his arm slightly.

Zion smiled back. "Thank you for the compliment."

"Oh, Zion! How nice of you to stop by. I hope I’m not interrupting anything. Though I doubt she’ll have anything important to say." Amber, her appearance otherworldly, took time to greet Zion, but also felt the need to insult her sister as usual. She held out her hand for him to kiss, as that was how royal women were greeted.

"Well, I’m sure she has more important things to say to me than you." Zion smiled back, not caring how Amber would feel after his response.

She stood there, her smile cracking and her hand slightly lowering. While Amber knew she and Zion didn’t have the best of relationships, she never expected him to insult her, especially today in front of everyone.

A slight anger rose up her chest, but she swallowed her pride, not wanting to make a scene.

"Oh, I didn’t know you two were that close." She responded, trying to make light of the situation.

Zion shrugged. "Well, we are. Anyway." Zion turned back to Crystal and Zia, motioning them to take a seat. "I heard you graduated from the Academy. Sorry, I wasn’t able to come to your graduation."

Crystal laughed. "It was an amazing day. I graduated top of our class. Thank the gods you and Lidia weren’t there to take the spotlight."

Amber stood frozen with no words to say. She was defeated without even getting a chance to play her games. She didn’t even know why she was still standing there, but her legs wouldn’t move.

"Hahaha! This is the first time I’m seeing you like this, sis. What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Beryl entered the scene, happy to see the shocked expression on Amber’s face. fгeewёbnoѵel_cσm

"And here comes the idiot." Amber muttered under her breath.

"Amber, watch the way you speak. This is a formal gathering, not your bedroom." Walking next to her was Lapis, Amber’s older brother, the second prince.

"And you, Beryl," A mature, womanly voice chimed in. "Don’t start your usual childish behavior here. Act your age for once." Ruby, the eldest of the king’s children, also arrived at their location.

Zion already didn’t want to be at the king’s celebration, and now he had to deal with all of the royal princes and princesses, and that only soured his mood even more.

"Hello, Zion. It’s been a while since we’ve spoken." Prince Beryl greeted him with a fake smile, and his hand stretched out for a handshake.

"I’m aware," Zion responded, not even turning to look at the man.

Lapis didn’t like how he was ignored by Zion. He was a prince after all, someone who was higher in status than Zion, who was only the son of a duchess. Or at least that was his thought process, since he seemed to forget that Zion was a Divine Apostle.

"You know it’s common courtesy to look a person in the eyes when they’re speaking to you." He growled.

Rolling his eyes, Zion stood up, his height standing above Lapis’s own. He looked him directly in the eyes and said. "You can fuck off now. I’m not interested in talking to a fucker like you." Then he turned to the rest of Crystal’s siblings. "Or any of you. So you can fuck off. Oh, and Ruby, you’re hot as fuck. But still, leave me alone."

He then sat down and continued his conversation with Crystal.

Ruby didn’t even care that he was rude. She simply liked how confident and dominant he was. She already respected him, but after this moment, she respected him even more.

Amber just walked away, not wanting to embarrass herself anymore.

Beryl was about to go off on Zion for being disrespectful to Royalty, but then he remembered that Zion was a Divine Apostle and backed down. His brain actually worked for once.

Lapis, on the other hand, wasn’t going to let that slide. He felt humiliated and disrespected. He approached Zion in hopes to smooth smooth-talking him into joining his side, but things went off the rails before it even began.

His mind raced. ’You little son of a bitch! You think you can get away with talking to me like that? I’ll show you!’ Gripping his hands tightly, he channeled his mana.

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