System's POV-Chapter 26: Junior, You Court Death
The party continued as if nothing happened.
But the guests were still disappointed because their "entertainment" had been denied to them not just once but twice.
Since Thirteen was staying with Lady Callista, there was little to no chance that there would be someone daring enough to antagonize him.
Of course, Thirteen knew that this was a mere stop-gap measure.
The discontentment among the younger generation of the Leventis Family was obvious to those with eyes to see.
Understanding that the situation would change very soon, the five-year-old decided to play it safe and took action.
When a waiter, who was holding drinks in his hands, passed near their table, Thirteen took the chance and tugged at his robe.
"Mister, can I have one of those drinks?" Thirteen asked. "They look good."
"Um, Young Master, this is not a fruit juice," the Waiter replied politely. "This is called Champagne, and it's an alcoholic drink for adults."
"Mister, it's fine," Thirteen smiled. "I'll just take a small sip."
"But…" the Waiter felt helpless. He had seen that the boy was close to Lady Callista, so he didn't want to be rude. But he also understood that he might get punished if he really gave a child an alcoholic drink.
"Zion, you're still too young to drink Champagne," Lady Callista said. "Why don't we ask Hans to get you a fruit juice? What would you like?"
"Grandma, I just want to take a sip," Thirteen replied with puppy eyes. "It looks so good. Can't I?"
Lady Callista frowned and was about to tell him that kids shouldn't drink Champagne cause they were still young, but someone else beat her to it.
"Isn't it fine?" Arthur said as he walked towards his wife. "Kids only learn from their mistakes. It is best that he learns it early, so he will not repeat the same mistake in the future."
The Patriarch of the Leventis Family then looked at the waiter, making the latter nod his head in understanding.
"Here you go, Young Master," the Waiter carefully handed a glass of champagne to the five-year-old boy, who was looking at the drink with great interest. "Just take a few sips okay? If you feel light-headed or dizzy, you must stop."
"Understood." Thirteen replied. "Thank you, Mister!"
The waiter nodded and walked away to hand Champagne to their guests.
Thirteen happily walked towards his Grandma, making the latter shake her head helplessly.
"Only a few sips, okay?" Lady Callista said as she patted her grandson's head. "Champagne can make even adults drunk, so you shouldn't drink a lot of it."
"Mmm!" Thirteen nodded like an obedient child and took a small sip of the Champagne in his hands. "Wow! Grandma, this tastes good!"
Seeing how happy he was, Lady Callista could only smile bitterly. She had a feeling that Thirteen would drink the entire glass and would be very sleepy later on.
Because of this, she decided to make a gesture to Hans. She asked the butler to call Zion's Family and tell his mother that he would be staying overnight.
Hans nodded and excused himself before walking to the corner of the hall to talk to Alessia about the development of the party.
Arthur snorted internally as he looked at the five-year-old, who was happily sipping the sparkling drink that was not meant for children.
Michael, who was paying attention to the venue, was taking mental notes of the expressions of their guests.
Seeing that they seemed to be enjoying the party in their own way, he felt more at ease.
Although the Five Monarch Clans and Ten Prestigious Families didn't always get along with each other, they still acted as though they were on friendly terms, especially during events like this.
Suddenly, Terence and another eleven-year-old from the Lockwood Family glanced at each other and smiled.
The boy then walked toward his grandpa, Arthur, and bowed his head respectfully.
"Grandfather, since everyone has almost finished eating, will it be fine if my friends and I have a sparring match to entertain everyone?" Terence asked.
"I'll allow it," Arthur replied. "Michael, take care of the preparations."
"Yes, Father," Michael nodded before glancing at the few people who were tasked with keeping things in order inside the Main Hall.
One of them made hand symbols. A few seconds later, a faint blue barrier appeared in the main hall, which would serve as the arena for those who wished to spar.
The representatives of the Prestigious Families all nudged their children to participate because this was a common occurrence during these kinds of gatherings.
It was a way to tell the other Families how good their children were and showcase their potential. Of course, the children also liked these sorts of events because all of them were very competitive.
They were raised to excel above ordinary children at a young age, so they were itching to spar with their peers and prove who was the strongest among the members of the young generation.
Terence was just one of the seeds of the Leventis Family that had great potential.
Of course, there was someone stronger than him in the family, but that child would not be allowed to participate in these public sparring battles. They were the Trump Card, who was being trained to hold a high position in the family.
The Five Monarch Clans and the other Nine Prestigious Families had these talents as well.
They were grooming them to become Pathfinders.
Unlike Wanderers who only wandered from place to place, Pathfinders were people who could lead others, making them the true leaders of the young generation.
Basically, those who had leadership qualities, as well as the strength to be recognized by others, were often labeled as Pathfinders.
One by one, the children sparred against each other, giving life to the party.
The hidden rivalries between families would often flare up during these sparring matches, and one could tell that this was their way of telling others that "our kids are stronger than yours!"
Most of the battles ended within the span of a minute, while the longest lasted for nearly three minutes.
Since these children were still ordinary Humans and not yet Wanderers, they focused more on their family's techniques, showing how much they had mastered them.