Midnight

The people in Partington City knew nothing about what happened in the eastern camp. At this moment, Arnold was scolding Shaken and asking him to contact the camp leader and call back the bone dragon. No one thought that in the near future, a dragon-born team would come to visit.

Shaken was scolded so badly that he could not even lift his head. He went to make amends in shame. Arnold's face was as black as charcoal. He insisted on not making fun of other families, and returned home with a large number of people.

The family had already prepared a welcoming ceremony for them, with a goldfinch branch at the door as a symbol of peace. The butler who came to greet them saw the two young masters whom they had not seen for a long time, and greeted them with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, young masters and Mr. Oreius, welcome home."

Two maids came forward behind him, one holding a green broom branch and the other holding a silver bottle full of water.

The three of them stood in front of the butler, bowing their heads slightly. The old man took the goldfinch branch from the maid, dipped it in clear water from the bottle, and sprinkled it on their shoulders and hair.

"May the spring water wash away your travel fatigue, and the golden broom tree bring you continuous good luck."

"May the mother beast love you like her young child, and may you bear abundant fruits near water sources. May the wind guide your path, and may danger and wild beasts not invade you."

Pure water wet their skin. This is a blessing ceremony from the goddess of nature. Travelers who are protected by her will not suffer from hunger and cold during their journey.

Even though the gods have disappeared, this ritual has been passed down. The butler put down the branches and led them back to the hall, where the master of the house was waiting.

Seeing them, Ron's expression softened for once: "Thank you for your hard work."

Afterwards, he thanked the red-haired youth: "I have understood the whole story, and I am very grateful to you, ancestor. If it were not for you, I would have lost my proud son."

The feeling of hearing this word from the master of the house was completely different from hearing it from Dan. Oleus froze and almost lost the smile on his face.

"It's nothing. Dan is a good boy."

He answered with gritted teeth. This was the first time that Ron publicly called him ancestor, and it was also the first time that Oleus publicly responded. They reached an implicit agreement tacitly, and both of them felt a sense of relief that "as expected".

From now on, the name of Oreius will be firmly tied to the Luo family, and there will be no more temptations or disputes.

For the Luo family, this also has a special meaning. It proves that the family recognizes the identity of the other party's ancestor.

Oleus' room was changed to the one next to the master's room. If it weren't for some reasons, Ron even considered giving up the master's room.

"There will be a party tonight, please remember to attend. I will send someone to lead the way, Arnold and Dan, you stay."

It was obviously time for the father and son to spend some time together. Aurelius tactfully said his last words and left, went back to his room to get familiar with the route, and after resting for a while, the servant knocked on the door and told him that the party was about to begin.

He led Aurelius to the hall, which was surprisingly crowded with people. The red-haired young man glanced at them in surprise, all of whom had bright blond hair and blue eyes.

At this moment, he suddenly felt that the Luo family's excessively large area was well deserved.

The whole hall exploded with excitement when he walked in. Regardless of whether they were bloodline people or not, a group of blond-haired and blue-eyed people came up to him enthusiastically, chattering and introducing themselves to him.

"Hello, ancestor! I am Lucia!"

"Hello, ancestor. I am her sister Pauline. Nice to meet you..."

"Ancestor..."

"Ancestor..."

"First..."

Aurelius was dizzy and had no idea who was talking to him or what he had answered. He spoke for a long time in a daze until someone pulled him out of danger and took him to a quiet place. He looked at the kind-hearted person with gratitude and said, "Thank you, little friend. I really don't know what I would have done without you."

The boy, who looked only five or six years old, opened his eyes in shock and said, "Little boy? I'm Dan! Dan Luo!"

The red-haired young man carefully looked at the dwarf in front of him, and the other party was furious: "This is the price of blood, there is nothing I can do!"

Just like Oleus died from bleeding too much, Dan also has to pay the price. After using his ability, he must maintain a shrunken state for a period of time. The more he uses his ability, the longer the change takes and the younger he becomes.

But this doesn't mean he is a child! He just got smaller in body, his soul didn't change! Standing here is still the second son of the family head, Dan. Even if he becomes one year old, he can easily knock down two burly men!

Dan was so angry that he couldn't help jumping up and down. If it was an adult, this would be a protest, but for a child with a chubby face, it could only be regarded as childish coquetry. Oleus was silent for a long time, and sympathetically reached out and touched the other's head: "It's not easy for you either."

This is obviously a case of excessive maternal love. When walking on the street, kind people will ask, "Little boy, are you lost?"

Dan didn't know what he was thinking, but he felt something was wrong based on his keen instinct: "Are you thinking about something weird?"

The other party looked honest and said, "No, no, do you want anything to drink? I'll get it for you."

Dan was immediately hooked: "I want Purna red wine."

"Children should not drink alcohol."

Aurelius said this, bringing him a glass of milk which was on the table.

Dan took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs: "I said I'm not a child--!!"

"Drink more milk to grow taller."

Faced with the ruthlessness of his ancestors, Dan choked for a long time and began to drink milk angrily.

The red-haired young man was amused. He picked up a glass of wine and pretended to be serious. He asked casually, "Where are the others?"

"Arnold is reporting to his father about his work, and Shaken is going to solve the trouble he has caused." At this point, Dan is happy about the misfortune. "Don't be fooled by people saying that he looks like Roland Agger I. In fact, that guy is narrow-minded. He is stupid and often got scolded for me when he was a child."

No wonder you two quarrel all the time, it turns out the roots were planted when you were kids. Oreius drank a sip of wine in silence and chatted with him casually.

Since there were so many people attending the banquet, a buffet was adopted. People coming and going got to know each other and chatted lively.

No musicians were hired for the family banquet; instead, several members of the family who were good at music went on stage and played cheerful tunes.

Light and bright notes flowed in the hall, and the young generations walked onto the dance floor hand in hand, dancing briskly with their lovers or families.

The best dancers were a pair of sisters, wearing long skirts with tulip patterns on the hem, and their steps were graceful and agile. They danced in a carefree and unrestrained manner, with a sly smile and intimacy in their eyes. They were like two elves born from the stamens of flowers.

As they were dancing, two girls came up to him and Dan, and with a smile stretched out their hands, "May I have the honor of inviting you to dance with me?"

The tall, handsome young man with rosy complexion put down his glass and happily held the other's fingertips. Dan was not to be outdone, and his sister giggled and took the initiative to hold the other's small hand, just like a sister leading a younger brother to the dance floor.

The musician, the Bloodline, cleared his throat and plucked a jewel-encrusted five-stringed harp. He had a loud and beautiful voice, and could hum dreamy court music and sing tavern ditties.

He sang loudly, accompanied by sudden joyful notes.

"Oh if they send me to war I want to be a cavalryman, oh I want to ride a horse like my ancestors did."

"When the trumpets sound and the cannons boom, give me a good horse."

"She's my best girl, and we'll go off at dawn to faraway places (you know how well we hit it off!)"

The musicians were laughing and joking, and the cheerful and funny songs did not match the gorgeous decoration of the hall. But what should family members care about? People tolerantly gave this little naughtiness some small privileges, and the dance was no longer so conventional.

The blond musician narrowed his eyes and whistled with a smile.

"Oh I know I'm not a good infantryman. I always fall behind on the march."

"I'm dizzy from being on a boat, and the salt water makes my mouth dry. But if you agree to let me ride a horse, that's my strong suit."

"Oh, Your Majesty (your crown is so beautiful!), wait for me to triumph from the wilderness with the laurel wreath (wait for victory! Wait for glory!)"

"If you hear the clatter of hooves, hey that's me and my best girl!"

Aurelius's dance partners changed one after another. Some he had seen before, some he didn't. There were women, men, children, and even old people with gray hair but full of energy.

Everyone followed their own wishes, and as long as they were willing to go on stage, they could dance for a few rounds even if they didn't know how to dance. They looked very relaxed, and the girls' laughter fell like pearls.

The worst people gather here, and the best people gather here.

He is willing to kill without blinking an eye but also risk his life for his family. He is cold-blooded but always gives in for the people he cares about.

Aurelius was glad to be accepted by this group, and he also understood the danger and weight behind it. He was stroking the heads of the lions and became one of them.

At the end of the music, Dan stood in front of him. Oleus bent down with a puzzled look: "You are too short now. It is difficult to dance with you."

Dan couldn't stand the word "short" anymore, his face darkened: "I want to dance, I want to dance like a man and you dance like a woman, otherwise I will tell everyone here that you are bullying a kid!"

This was truly the most refreshing and unconventional threat he had heard recently. The red-haired young man calmly picked him up, ignoring the other's soft fists, took him to the back of the stage, and brought him a glass of milk.

Dan sensed the hidden malice: "......"

He drank another glass of milk angrily.

The red-haired young man laughed softly and ruffled the other's hair lazily: "I'm going out for some fresh air."

Under Dan's sad gaze, he walked out of the small door and into the night garden. The lilac midnight flowers were bathed in the moonlight. The music in the hall came faintly, blending into the cool night breeze.

The wind blew away the hazy smell of alcohol and made the young man sober. Aurelius stared at the fragile flowers. The moonlight fell on this face, giving it a dangerous and sharp handsomeness.

"Do you like these flowers? The flower language of the Midnight Bud is tranquility. In the era before the Dark Fog, it was once known as a symbol of destiny. It is said that its petals can be used for fortune-telling. If you see fairies singing in the buds when they bloom and give them fresh dew, you will receive their blessings and have good luck for the rest of your life."

A voice came from behind. He turned around and saw a beautiful blonde girl smiling at him.