Chapter 1330: The Final Decision

    ?

    "Woah..."

    By the time Valyr got out of the Mage Guild and received an invite from the nobles, it was already an hour or so past noon.

    Adding on the fact that the messenger took him along a more scenic route up to the Fimbul Plaza, the two arrived at the place just an hour before the sun began to set.

    But then again, as he laid his eyes upon the Fimbul Plaza, Valyr felt as if the messenger''s decision was a deliberate choice, especially after he noticed how the sun interacted with the various decorations that littered the plaza.

    Aside from a few statues purely made out of metal, the Fimbul Plaza was a large courtyard that was filled to the brim with greenery and marble, making the entire place look and feel like a utopia that was separate from the city itself.

    "The lords await you at the end of this path." Although Valyr inwardly wanted nothing more than to admire the place that he was currently in, the middle-aged man that accompanied him briefly reminded him of the reason why he was there in the first place.

    With an inward sigh, the young man faintly nodded at the one that brought him, closely following behind the man as he continued to look at the surroundings making up the Fimbul Plaza.

    "We''re here, Sir Ataraxia."

    After what felt like a 10 minute walk from the entrance of the plaza, Valyr was eventually greeted by the sight of a white gazebo in front of him.

    Though he initially took notice of how the gazebo was designed to match the overall theme of the plaza, the young man soon took notice of the three people sitting there, with one of them actually being someone he wasn''t expecting to see in this situation.

    "Lords, I have brought Sir Ataraxia to the plaza." Giving the three people in the gazebo a respectful half-bow, the middle-aged man then proceeded to announce Valyr''s arrival to them.

    "Good work." In response, the person at the center gave the man a slight smile and a firm nod. "You may now take your leave."

    "Thank you, lord." Responding back with another half-bow, the middle-aged man then turned around and left, making sure to not look at Valyr while doing so.

    "Hmm." Watching the messenger disappear from his field of vision, it was only after a couple of minutes did the young man finally enter the gazebo, giving him a better view of the three people that wanted to see him.

    "Welcome to the Fimbul Plaza," said the man at the very left of the trio, his stature taller than when even Valyr was standing. "Did you enjoy the journey that took you here?"

    "Quite scenic," replied Valyr with a slight nod, which caused the man to faintly smile back in return.

    "Exactly." Aster nodded. "Since that''s the case, let me cut to the chase, then."

    "With the power vested in us as representatives of our clans, the Three Houses would like to recruit you as the Three Houses'' representative for the Nine Prodigies of Astella Tournament."

    "What do I get in exchange?" asked Valyr in response, curious as to what they would give him to sweeten the deal.

    "For one, you''ll be appointed as an Honorary Elder for all three clans," said Vynar, taking the opportunity to hold a conversation with him. "Although it has the word ''Honorary'' in its name, the authority it holds is only two ranks below the respective clan heads."

    "Aside from that, if you accept our offer, you would be given an official title of nobility," replied Anton, continuing where Vynar left off. "The Ullvayne clan assures you that you''ll obtain a Baronet-rank title at the very least."

    "Anything else?" asked Valyr one more time, getting the feeling that the three still had a bit more they would offer him.

    And unsurprisingly, they did.

    "If you accept our offer, the Stelyra clan would hand over a large plot of land to you," said

    Aster, his expression filled with confidence.

    "Not only that, but as the head of Astella City''s Stelyra clan, I assure you that the Stelyra clan

    shall fulfill any request you have without complaint."

    "Ah! The Fimbul clan shall fulfill any request you have as well!"

    "So will the Ullvayne clan!"

    Although Aster''s words shocked both Vynar and Anton, the two gave the young man a similar offer to show that they did not lack in generosity.

    "Hmm..." Listening to the offers they planned on giving him if he were to accept, Valyr briefly fell into deep thought, finding the rewards he''d get in return quite a tempting deal. However, rather than be swayed by such an offer, the young man remained steadfast in his decision, giving the three a response that most of them weren''t expecting to hear.

    "Although your offers are very enticing..."

    "I''ll unfortunately have to say no on this one."