Irina Emberheart didn't even glance toward Rio.
Toward Noctis.
She simply walked forward elegantly as though nothing in the world could possibly concern her.
Rio's fingers tightened slowly.
His crimson eyes remained fixed on her expression.
Cold.
Perfect.
Untouched.
Not even a trace of grief existed on her face.
No sadness.
No mourning.
Nothing.
A bitter feeling twisted inside him.
Does she not even care…?
Her own daughter was declared dead.
And yet—
that woman walked through the ballroom as though attending some ordinary social gathering.
Rio slowly exhaled through his nose.
"...Haah."
Whatever.
Soon—
the entire hall fell into silence.
Not ordinary silence.
The kind born from instinct.
My eyes widened slightly.
It wasn't just me.
Everyone present inside the ballroom seemed shaken.
Even the nobles who spent their entire lives hiding behind pride and status had gone pale.
Because the person entering now—
stood at the absolute peak of humanity.
The first to enter was Silver Ryker.
The black-haired prodigy of the Ryker Family walked calmly into the ballroom while countless gazes followed him immediately.
The child once called cursed.
The wielder of darkness.
The only member of the Ryker bloodline born with black hair.
Yet despite the attention surrounding Silver—
he wasn't the one who stole the show.
No.
It was the man walking behind him.
In the world of Aetheria—
SS-Rank represented the pinnacle of humanity.
An unreachable wall.
Even the heroes recorded within ancient history had failed to surpass it completely.
Yet—
even amongst SS-Ranks—
there existed levels.
Ten Stars.
A hierarchy that determined just how monstrous an SS-Rank truly was.
Leon and Emma would currently be considered Two-Star SS-Ranks.
Young monsters capable of crushing entire battlefields already.
Ogram stood at Three-Star.
A veteran warrior feared throughout the Empire.
Elena—
Six-Star.
A monster standing frighteningly close to Seven.
Marian Croft, the Archmage herself—
also Six-Star.
Irina Emberheart—
Six-Star as well.
Aurelia Lioren was an exception.
No one truly knew what star the Headmistress of Nexus Academy stood at.
Some claimed Seven.
Others whispered Eight.
Yet nobody had ever seen her fight seriously.
The King of Virelian himself—
stood proudly at Eight-Star.
A level humanity considered nearly untouchable.
But above them all—
stood a single existence.
A monster who had reached the absolute pinnacle.
Ten-Star SS-Rank.
My gaze slowly lifted toward the silver-haired man entering the ballroom.
Sharp features.
Cold onyx-like eyes.
An overwhelming pressure that suffocated the atmosphere itself.
Not violent.
Not explosive.
Just absolute.
Alaric Ryker.
Patriarch of the Ryker Family.
The man who single-handedly crushed the Astryx forces during the Ashgrave War.
The sword of the Empire.
And—
the strongest human of the current era.
Had personally appeared at the Imperial Ball.
I was genuinely stunned to see Alaric Ryker attending this ball personally.
Alaric Ryker was not a man who cared for politics.
Or nobles.
Or meaningless celebrations.
For years—
he had avoided royal gatherings entirely and simply sent Silver in his place whenever the Ryker Family needed representation.
Yet tonight—
the strongest human alive had appeared himself.
And somehow—
that fact alone made the atmosphere inside the ballroom feel heavier.
I quietly gulped while staring toward the silver-haired man.
Then—
my gaze slowly shifted upward toward the black cat resting lazily atop my shoulder.
"...Hey, Astravax?"
The dragon opened one golden eye slowly.
[Yes, mortal?]
"How strong is he?"
Astravax's gaze shifted toward Alaric Ryker briefly.
For a moment—
the black dragon remained strangely silent.
Then—
[Hm.]
[I suppose among you roaches… this one is a slightly larger roach.]
The black cat yawned lazily afterward.
[Though he still wouldn't survive even a single claw from me.]
I sighed quietly.
Sometimes—
I genuinely forgot what kind of existence Astravax truly was.
The Dragon of Eternal Stars.
The Dragon of Chaos.
An ancient being capable of erasing entire worlds with its breath alone.
To Astravax—
humanity truly resembled insects.
Tiny creatures scrambling meaninglessly beneath gods.
Then suddenly—
Astravax abruptly stood upright atop my shoulder.
His golden eyes widened slightly.
[H-Hey, mortal.]
I blinked.
"...What now?"
The dragon sniffed the air intensely.
[Go over there.]
[Something smells divine.]
"...Hm?"
I glanced toward the nearby banquet tables.
Plates filled with steak, roasted meat, pastries, and pizza stretched endlessly beneath the crystal lights.
I deadpanned slightly.
"...Is this what you want?"
Astravax immediately nodded.
[Y-Yes.]
[It smells incredible.]
I stared at the supposedly ancient chaos dragon in silence.
Then—
a few moments later—
Astravax had completely buried his face into an entire plate of steak and pizza.
The black cat devoured everything with terrifying speed.
Several nearby nobles stared in complete disbelief.
Meanwhile Astravax finally leaned backward proudly.
[Phew.]
[When I regain my full strength… perhaps I'll allow you roaches to continue living.]
[You may prepare this divine food for me every day.]
"...Right."
I slowly smacked my forehead.
Sometimes—
it was genuinely difficult to believe this gluttonous idiot was an existence feared even by the gods themselves.
As Rio turned toward the other side of the ballroom—
he suddenly froze slightly.
Alaric Ryker was staring directly at him.
"...W-What?"
For a brief moment—
even Rio felt pressured beneath those abyss-like eyes.
The strongest human alive stood silently across the ballroom while his gaze remained unmoving.
Cold.
Sharp.
Heavy enough to suffocate ordinary people.
Rio instinctively straightened slightly.
Why is he staring at me?
What Rio failed to realize—
was that Alaric Ryker wasn't looking at him at all.
His gaze remained fixed entirely on the black cat resting lazily atop Rio's shoulder.
Inside Alaric's mind—
a panicked voice suddenly echoed.
[Xyraxis, this doesn't even make sense.]
Alaric's expression narrowed slightly.
You're telling me…
That cat is a superior being?
The voice within him immediately responded shakily.
[Y-Yes!]
For the first time in countless years—
fear could be heard within the voice of a Spirit King.
[Even as a Spirit King myself…]
[I could never compare to him!]
Alaric's eyes sharpened further.
Meanwhile—
the black cat casually licked sauce from its paw while completely ignoring the pressure around it.
[T-That existence…]
[It's the Dragon of Eternal Stars.]
Silence.
Then—
for the first time since entering the ballroom—
Alaric Ryker's expression truly changed.
Slightly.
His dark eyes narrowed dangerously.
Dragon of Eternal Stars…?
Even he had heard legends regarding that name.
Ancient myths.
Forgotten records.
A calamity said to rival divinity itself.
A being that should not exist within the modern era.
And now—
that very existence was currently eating steak while sitting on a first-year academy student's shoulder.
Soon—
the entire ballroom quieted.
The music stopped completely.
Even the nobles who had been whispering moments earlier immediately straightened their posture.
Then—
the man standing near the entrance struck the marble floor loudly with his staff.
BOOM.
His voice echoed throughout the royal hall.
"His Majesty, the King of the Virelian Empire, has arrived!"
"Accompanied by the First Queen!"
The massive palace doors slowly opened once more.
And instantly—
an overwhelming pressure spread throughout the ballroom.
A man with brilliant golden hair stepped inside calmly.
Sharp golden eyes resembling a predator scanned the hall naturally while an aura of absolute authority radiated from his very existence.
Every movement carried dignity.
Power.
Pride.
Like a king born to rule above all others.
King Altheris Verilian.
The ruler of the Virelian Empire.
An Eight-Star SS-Rank existence.
The man who stood at the peak of the Empire itself.
He wore regal white and gold robes embroidered with countless imperial runes while a black royal cape flowed behind him like darkness beneath sunlight.
Yet despite the luxurious appearance—
the pressure surrounding him resembled that of a sharpened blade.
Like a proud tiger standing atop a mountain.
Beside him walked another figure.
A woman with long flowing black hair and deep onyx eyes.
Queen Elowen Verilian.
Unlike the King's overwhelming dominance—
the Queen carried an elegant and composed beauty.
Cold.
Refined.
Untouchable.
Her black dress shimmered softly beneath the crystal lights like a starless night sky while silver jewelry decorated her pale neck gracefully.
Every noble lowered their heads respectfully the moment she passed.
Then—
the next figure entered.
And the atmosphere shifted once more.
A woman with long golden-blonde hair stepped gracefully into the ballroom.
For a moment—
even the nobles forgot to breathe.
Crown Princess Ismeria Verilian.
Beautiful.
No—
far beyond beautiful.
Her golden hair flowed down to her waist like liquid sunlight while crystal-blue eyes sparkled beneath the palace lights brilliantly.
Her features appeared almost unreal.
Delicate yet elegant.
Gentle yet noble.
The silver-white gown embracing her figure resembled something woven directly from moonlight itself while countless tiny gemstones shimmered across the fabric like stars.
Every step she took felt graceful enough to captivate the entire ballroom naturally.
Many young nobles stared toward her in complete daze.
Even several women present couldn't hide their admiration.
She possessed the kind of beauty that genuinely felt divine.
Then—
the final royal figure entered.
Reinheart Verilian.
The troublesome prince himself.
Unlike the dignified atmosphere carried by the rest of the royal family—
Reinheart immediately ruined it.
The blonde-haired prince casually waved toward Silver and Rio from across the ballroom with a grin on his face.
...
Soon—
the King slowly stepped atop the massive podium overlooking the ballroom.
Silence spread instantly.
Every noble.
Every guild member.
Every powerful existence within the Empire focused toward him.
King Altheris glanced across the ballroom calmly before speaking.
His voice echoed naturally throughout the royal hall.
"Tonight…"
"We celebrate two achievements that shall forever be engraved within the history of the Virelian Empire."
The atmosphere immediately grew solemn.
"The first—"
"The liberation of Ashgrave."
A wave of quiet murmurs spread instantly across the ballroom.
King Altheris continued calmly.
"For years… Ashgrave stood at the edge of destruction beneath the constant threat of the Astryx Empire."
"Yet now—"
"It has finally returned to the Empire."
His golden eyes slowly shifted toward a certain silver-haired man standing calmly within the crowd.
"And for that…"
"The Empire owes its gratitude to the Patriarch of House Ryker."
The entire ballroom turned toward Alaric instantly.
Yet the man himself remained expressionless.
King Altheris continued.
"Alaric Ryker personally defeated three SS-Rank commanders of the Astryx Empire during the battle for Ashgrave."
The moment those words echoed—
many nobles visibly inhaled sharply again despite already knowing the rumors.
Three SS-Ranks.
Not one.
Three.
Killed by a single man.
A feat so monstrous that it would undoubtedly become legend throughout future generations.
The King's voice deepened slightly afterward.
"A feat that shall forever go down in the history of this Empire."
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the ballroom instantly.
Even several generals present looked toward Alaric with unconcealed respect.
Yet—
the strongest human alive merely stood there silently.
As though defeating three SS-Ranks was nothing worth acknowledging.
Eventually—
the applause slowly faded.
Then—
King Altheris spoke once more.
"And the second achievement…"
The atmosphere shifted again.
This time—
toward something far more mysterious.
Far more unbelievable.
The King's golden eyes slowly scanned the ballroom.
Eventually—
they landed on Rio.
On Noctis.
"The extermination of an S-Rank Demon."