abnormal mutation

Chapter 83 Warming the Bed
There were many unfamiliar faces at the guard's camp. Their clothing was similar to that of Kuran and his men, but with some differences in details.

The crowd had dispersed, the prey had been registered and stored, and extraordinary materials were preserved in special containers to prevent the loss of their properties. After wandering around the storeroom, the group headed to the mansion for the dinner.

Roland could tell that Veldora wasn't interested in these things, which was unusual. If she didn't like hunting, why come to the frigid North to suffer?

The banquet was held at the mansion, which is the largest four-story wooden building in the center of the camp. It has dedicated service staff, luxurious decorations, and a high level of security.

Roland was wearing the [Concealed Veil] hunting outfit; his security advisor uniform was dirty and hadn't been washed yet. He followed behind Julia without encountering any obstacles.

The banquet hall was set with many long tables, and tableware and napkins were already laid out.

The air was filled with the aroma of various foods, and a bar was set up with a variety of dishes. In addition to northern specialties and drinks, extremely rare fruits from all over the country were also on the bar, which were just appetizers or aperitifs.

Roland admitted that he was a country bumpkin; there were many things he had never even heard of, let alone seen.

Before the banquet began, dozens of people dispersed and stood chatting, most of them dressed in formal attire, and many were unfamiliar faces.

Several local extraordinary hunters huddled in a corner, whispering amongst themselves. In the capital, they wouldn't be qualified to attend a banquet of this caliber, but here they were receiving unprecedented treatment.

Julia was taken away by Veldora, and Alex pulled Roland to the rest area in front of the bar.

"Alex, why haven't you even changed your clothes? That's extremely rude," a refined-looking middle-aged man said coldly.

“Hey,” a young man with black hair and a black suit waved his hand and said with a smile, “This isn’t the capital, everyone make yourselves at home.”

Upon hearing the prince's words, the other thin middle-aged man suppressed his sarcasm, unable to utter the words he was about to say, his eyes showing a hint of regret.

"You must be Roland. Your fighting style is quite wild, very much like a man from the North." The young man looked on with curiosity.

"This is His Highness Prince Theodore," Suleiman hurriedly introduced, fearing Roland might not understand.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Roland bowed. "My technique is crude; I apologize for making a fool of myself."

"You have such a physique before you've even reached the extraordinary level? I've never heard of anything like it." Theodore wasn't exaggerating; he truly had never seen anything like it before.

Upon hearing this, the gaunt middle-aged man's expression changed, and he said with a stern face, "Your Highness flatters me. In terms of talent, who can compare to the two princes? The extraordinary level depends on temperament and willpower. A good physique does not help digesting magic potions, and it is still hard to say whether one can step into the extraordinary level."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Roland, his face serious, but his eyes carrying a hint of mockery: "Roland, you are older than His Highness, yet you haven't even developed any decent skills. You should be more diligent in the future and not be so enamored with the praise of those around you. Young people shouldn't be so frivolous..."

Alex's smile faded, his head lowered slightly, and his fists clenched tightly.

Roland remained expressionless, his eyes scrutinizing the gaunt middle-aged man. This must be Committee Member Mosley; he's quite aggressive.

Upon their first meeting, the other party labeled him with a whole host of stereotypes: lazy, stupid, impetuous...

Before Roland could speak, Suleiman said with a stern face, "Commissioner Benedict probably doesn't know that Roland's bloodline has just awakened and he has never learned any combat skills, but no fewer than five extraordinary individuals have died at his hands. He risked his life for the Chamber of Commerce."

You were embroiled in the abortion scandal at Beijing University at his age, weren't you? In terms of character, you should learn from him.

His words were very direct, and the people around him pursed their lips, almost bursting out laughing.

Roland's lips curled into a smile. He hadn't expected Commissioner Suleiman to be so protective, directly launching into a verbal attack. This Commissioner Mosley was like a clown; given the chance, he'd tear his mouth apart.

Benedict looked grim and was burning with anger, but he couldn't show it in front of the prince.

Prince Theodore smiled, his eyes subtle. He had gotten used to it all along the way, treating it as a regular part of the show, and found it quite interesting.

"The banquet seems to be about to begin. Let's take our seats," an elderly man said, breaking the silence and gesturing towards the banquet hall.

Tonight is a formal dinner, and all attendees have assigned seats with their names written on place cards. Only cocktail parties, garden parties, or informal dinners have buffets and standing room only.

Guided by the waiters, everyone took their seats. Roland also had a seat card, but not at the main table; he sat next to Alex and a group of young people.

Roland glanced to the side and saw that the main table was occupied by princes, princesses, nobles from the capital, and high-ranking officials from various merchant guilds, including Tana.

The banquet began with a brief speech from Suleiman, the host, mainly to welcome the two princes.

Then, the dishes were served one after another in order: appetizers, soup, main courses, cheese, dessert... including steelback meat, which was tender and delicious. Perhaps to suit the locals' eating habits, the food was served very quickly. According to Alex, dessert usually doesn't appear for at least two hours during a typical dinner.

The expected difficulties did not occur, and the atmosphere was harmonious. Everyone was young, and most of them were not extraordinary individuals, as talent is not something that can be inherited very easily.

Alex had been here a while earlier and knew the area well. Coupled with his hunting experience today, he talked non-stop and quickly became the center of attention.

Roland doesn't actively socialize. He'll chat for a bit if someone asks him something, but if no one pays attention, he'll just keep eating. If he's not full, the waiter will give him more food.

There were two other tables nearby. One table was for guards and hunters, and the other was for other merchants. Several people were secretly observing Roland. He pretended not to care, but secretly memorized their appearances.

More than an hour later, the banquet finally came to an end.

Alex was called away by his father, and Roland returned to the small building alone, sitting in the living room waiting for Julia.

He's got the potion all over his head right now, and he can't sleep until he finds out what's going on.

After waiting for more than twenty minutes, the door was finally pushed open, but it wasn't Julia who entered, but Princess Veldora.

"Your Highness." Roland rose and bowed.

"Call me Veldora." She had drunk quite a bit, her face flushed, and she sat lazily at the table, pouring herself a glass of cold water. "Are you waiting for Julia? They went to a meeting, it might be quite late."

"Why hasn't Your Highness returned to the manor to rest?" Roland asked. It wasn't that he was being presumptuous; Veldora was clearly very interested in him.

“I came to find you.” Veldora rested her chin on her left hand, her smile sweet and her voice even more charming. “It’s too cold here, can you warm up my bed for me?”

"Your Highness is too kind." Roland silently took two steps back. "Please speak plainly about what's on your mind."

Veldora smiled faintly, then raised a finger and lightly tapped Roland: "You're being watched, and you're about to die."

Roland's pupils contracted slightly, his heart raced, and he said in a deep voice, "Your Highness is teasing me, right? I'm just an ordinary person. Who would make things difficult for me?"

"Have you heard of the Seventh Authority?" Veldora stared intently into Roland's eyes, and upon noticing the change in his expression, immediately asked, "Where did you learn about it?"

“It’s in the diary, old priest Colin’s diary.” Roland hadn’t expected this woman to be so perceptive, so he could only answer truthfully.

“That shouldn’t be the case. Is the Seventh Authority really this sloppy?” Veldora sat up straight, looking puzzled.

"Your Highness, why are they targeting me?" Roland feigned ignorance, wanting to know how much Veldela knew.

“They intended to completely destroy the Law Enforcement Spirit Realm, while using rituals to help their members advance to higher ranks. You unintentionally disrupted, no, thwarted their plans,” Veldora said with a smile.

Roland was taken aback; she knew even more details than the Eye of Pro.

Isn't the Seventh Authority supposed to be very prestigious? How come it feels like everyone knows about their plans?
"I'll just run further away," he suggested tentatively.

“That’s gambling, gambling that the other person doesn’t care about you.” Veldora casually tossed her long black hair behind her and asked with a smile, “Would you dare to gamble?”

"What if I ask Commissioner Suleiman for help?"

According to Alex, Suleiman is one of only two high-sequence extraordinary individuals in the Northern Merchant Guild, the other being President Hussein, a knightly path.

“Then you’ll have to sell yourself.” Veldora’s eyes darted around, his expression strange. “Or you can marry Julia and become an adopted son-in-law of the Katu family. You just… had a big reaction.”

Unfortunately, what you see isn't Yulia, but... me!

Roland was startled, but his expression remained unchanged.

To create such a purely erotic and seductive illusion, and then go naked yourself in the act—what kind of thought process is that?

"You really remember the illusion from just now?" Veldora's expression changed, somewhat incredulous. "Serves you right for being targeted. Those unaffected by the 'Forgetfulness' trait will never be spared."

(End of this chapter)