A middle-aged man with golden hair walked into the hall, followed by numerous groups of people. He wore red clothing with a golden stripe, and atop his head rested a golden crown. This was Emperor Maximus of the Magus Kingdom.
The groups following behind were many, but a few among them stood out.
First was a lone man in his thirties who walked in casually. He also had golden hair, but unlike the Emperor's, it was neatly combed. He was Kane Maximus, the Sword Sage.
Behind him was a group of people exuding a fierce aura. They appeared arrogant, with sneers on their faces and casual attire, looking more like they had randomly decided to come rather than attend a banquet.
Leading them was a woman in her thirties with long, light blue hair tied in a ponytail. She wore dark red clothing and scanned the crowd as if searching for someone.
'They are from the Archons,' Orion recognized them by their clothing and behavior. They didn't seem to be there for the banquet but rather to find someone—possibly the killer.
To the side was another group that seemed out of place. They were led by two middle-aged men, their faces dark and full of anger as if someone had killed their sons. Behind them were three old men from Carl's group, followed by a man in his early twenties.
'Are they from Carl's family?' Orion wasn't sure, but he was certain they were there because of his family.
Following them were the remaining magi families that had yet to arrive: the Voidwalker family, the Stormrider family, and the Grimwolf family.
Lastly, a group of people wearing martial robes entered. Among them were some old men with long beards down to their stomachs and some young men.
Erick and Princess Luma followed behind them, but when they saw Orion, they made their way toward him.
The Emperor continued walking until he reached the front of the hall. Those following him stopped at various points.
At that moment, Orion felt an intense aura of killing intent locked onto him. It made him feel cold all over, causing him to tremble slightly.
'What was that?' Sensing the killing intent, he turned to see the young man from the three old men's group staring at him with narrowed eyes. When Orion looked at him, the young man made a throat-cutting gesture with his finger.
"Everyone!" At that moment, the blue-haired woman shouted, drawing everyone's attention. "I know many of you have heard about the deaths of the four young men in the recent dungeon incident. A killer in a white mask with the strength of a diamond rank somehow barged into a platinum rank dungeon and killed them. I am here for the investigation.
My team has already questioned the common people, and now only three remain."
She added, "We will ask questions to each of you, and you must answer truthfully."
Orion's heart started beating fast, but he acted nonchalant. He glanced at his sister and saw her usual stoic expression.
"Emperor Maximus, may we conduct the investigation here?" the blue-haired woman asked, though it seemed more like an announcement.
"You can do what you want, but you should ask my son too. If he refuses, I can only support his decision," Emperor Maximus shrugged and sipped a glass of wine.
The blue-haired woman's face darkened. She turned to Kane, who was leaning against the wall and smiling back at her.
"Ask it," he said.
"You know the question I just asked your father," the blue-haired woman said irritably.
"That was you asking my father, not me," Kane shook his head lightly.
The blue-haired woman clenched her fists tightly, recalling similar scenes from their past, though their roles had now been reversed.
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