“Good evening, my fellow Wushan Townsfolk. On behalf of my Baruch family, I just wao thank you for joining us in celebrating our family’s fortuitous news.”

  Ad his group followed the sound’s dire to the stage at the front. There, a family of four stood smiling warmly at the crowd before them.

  Hogg stood in the tre of his family, dressed in a luxurious robe embroidered with a majestic golden dragon. He projected a valia noble aura that made the crowd look at him in awe and reverie.

  To his right was his brown-haired wife, Lina. She was dressed in a simple yet elegant white dress that only highlighted her undeniable beauty.

  On her left, holding her hand, was her you son, Wharton, dressed in luxurious robes not too dissimir from his father’s. His four-year-old chest uffed out as if he was trying to show his noble side, but it only made people want to pinch his chubby cheeks as he was truly too adorable.

  But most people’s attention was on the man of the hour. To Hogg’s right, Liood calmly with his shoulder-length brown hair swayily with the wind. His gaze held a hint of pride but was also warm and inviting, leaving people with a positive impression.

  “As many of you have already heard, my eldest son was lucky enough to be accepted into the Ernst Institute,” Hogg announced before pausing, waiting for the crowd's appuse to fade. “As well as celebrating this joyous occasion, we also wao announother piece of good news.

  Every man of great stature needs a powerful guard, which is why we as a family have decided to choose from the children of Wushan of simir age to bee our son’s personal guard. I will personally train said child myself in the ways of the warrior whilst Liudies at the Ernst Institute.”

  As he said that, the sounds of multiple gasps could be heard ing from the crowd.

  As a warrior of the sixth rank, Hillman could be sidered a man of power and status almost anywhere he went, but Hogg had gone oep further. Despite not having a secret manual to cultivate battle qi, purely relying on his excellent physique gifted by his great genes, he had reached the seventh rank.

  Despite a difference of only one raweehe seventh rank was somewhat of a watershed. The average seventh-rank warrior was no weaker than a group of ten peak sixth-rank warriors.

  Knowing that, it was no wonder why the crowd was so shocked by Hogg’s decration. Not only would they be personally trained by a powerhouse at the seventh rank, but due to the Ernst Institute only allowing people to graduate when they reach the 6th rank, it meant that whoever was lucky enough to be chosen would end up the personal guard to a mage of at least the sixth rank iure. They would have the opportunity to i with the true movers and shakers of their Yun ti.

  This annou caused shod excitement in every child present, bar Ace, who could sense Linley’s gaze lingering on him.

  ‘Why am I getting a bad feeling all of a sudden?’

  “For now, though, let’s just focus on having an enjoyable night,” Hogg said with a cheery ugh.

  As he led his family to their seats, the servants began bringing out the ptes of food, pg them oables.

  Besides those on the Baruch’s table, everyone else had to go up aheir own food. Thankfully, due to the prestige of the Baru, no one was running or pushing to get to the front. Other thahat was.

  As soon as he had caught a whiff of the most beautiful aroma he’d ever smelt, he shot off towards the tables in the middle, where he khe food would be id out. By the time the servers had begun putting the food out, he was already queueing up.

  If it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t want to provoke the family feeding him, he wouldn’t have even bothered waiting fg and his family to be served; he would’ve begun sharing his portion already.

  “Please, please help yourself,” Hogg said with an amused chuckle wheiced the eager look on Ace’s face.

  Ace didn’t o be told twice; he sped along the rows of food, sharing out as much food as his pte could hold. By the time he was done, his greedy grin was hidden behind the tower of food on his pte.

  He quickly reserved two more seats around him for his group before digging in unceremoniously, ign all the disdainful looks he was receiving.

  Killian g the line and then at Aore specifically, his food. It was clear he was jealous of Ace’s quick thinking to get to the front of the queue.

  Lance, oher hand, was more surprised by not just the quantity of food but Ace’s ability to put it away.

  ‘That food is made from rank one magical beasts. The only way he’d be able to eat food with that muergy is…

  Has he already…

  Impossible!

  Even Liook a year and a half to reach rank one, and that was with him ing meals like this every night.’

  It wasn’t just him. Whether it was Hogg, Hillman, or the more powerful of the guards, they all had simir thoughts as Ace began to stuff his face.

  ‘If he’s really a rank one warrior, then we may have stumbled onto the perfect personal guard for Linley!’ Hogg thought to himself as he watched Ace.

  By the time Killian and La to the seats Ace had saved for them, Ace had already finished and had fallen asleep, sitting up with a smile of te lighting up his face.

  About an hour into the festivities, Ace began to wake from his slumber.

  ‘Hmm, where am I? ht. Is there any more food?’

  As Ace wiped the dribble from the er of his mouth, he looked up to see if any food was left. But before he could make his way for a sed helping, Hogg’s voice stopped him.

  “I hope everyone has ehe food and tonight’s festivities. Now though, I’d like to annouhe name of the child we’ve chosen to bee Linley’s personal guard and my student.”