Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

It was no wonder Godefride was surprised. Both he and his father had assumed that Ryu was long dead. After all, he had vanished for over two centuries without any word. The number of youths who died before their time was simply too numerous so though it was unfortunate, it was just something they had to accept. 

Godefride himself had reprimanded his father somewhat for Ryu's death. After all, if the old man hadn't been so stubbornly insistent that Ryu should come to him instead of the other way around, maybe they could have avoided all of this to begin with. However, who would have thought that not only would he be alive, but he would actually be here?

After sensing the odd shift in the atmosphere, Godefride realized that their appearance hadn't held as much attention as it should have. A good portion of people were looking at them, but many more were still in a trance while looking toward Ryu. 

Finally paying attention to the scene around the white haired boy, Godefride's pupils constricted. 

'This brat…'

Godefride realized that Ryu likely wouldn't recognize him. After all, he was no longer middle-aged as he had usually presented himself to be and even looked just as young now as Ryu did. However, he still had the urge to go over and see just what this brat was thinking, always causing trouble like this. 

What Godefride didn't know was that Ryu's pupils were too potent to simply recognize people by their faces. The truth was he had never even seen Godefride's face, he had only sensed both him and him father. It took no more than a sweep of his senses to feel the line of Karma that connected him. This was enough for him to realize that they did, in fact, know one another. 

The issue wasn't recognizing him, it was just that Ryu didn't place as much emphasis on the father-son pair as they had placed on him. He had only recently decided that he would go to the Armament Guild and it wasn't for their sake either. 

Godefride soon and quickly regained his bearings. Other than to Ryu, his actions were unnoticeable. And even then, it was only because the target of his observation had been Ryu himself. 

Finally taking in the rest of the landscape, Godefride couldn't help but shake his head inwardly. They had actually been the first group to appear, just how far had his Armament Guild fallen? 

Godefride knew that the Armament Guild hadn't gotten even a single step weaker than it had been in the past. The problem was that it felt as though one family after another was trying to sellout to the Martial Gods, rushing with their tails between their legs to prove that they were the most loyal. 

The result was what was seen here. Suddenly, a group that should have only been rivaled by the Necromancy Guild and the Mercenary Guild had appeared so early to such an event when they should have only appeared much later. 

Clearly, their timing sent subtle hints that they were in lockstep with the movements and choices of the Martial Gods, something that filled Godefride with endless disgust. 

However, when he thought of how satisfying it had been to snatch back his position after being away for so long, the swirl of spear qi around him only grew more violent. 

With large steps, he strolled through the banquet hall, not waiting for proper greetings in the slightest, Like the tip of a spear piercing forward, he made it to Ryu's side and stepped into the pools of blood without flinching. 

He kicked a corpse to the side and plopped down, his spear qi dispersing to reveal gorgeous silver robes that seemed to hold the depths of space within their threads. It was clear that the Spiritual Seamstress that had weaved them was a talent on a completely different level. 

Under normal circumstances, Godefride would be worried about involving Ryu in something that he was still too weak to be a part of, but it was clear by the previous atmosphere that he had already been embroiled in it without knowing. So, Godefride no longer held back, sitting by Ryu's side with a wide smile. 

Ryu rose his head from his fourth plate of food and met Godefride's gaze. He nodded slightly before he continued to eat, his speed just as fast and his etiquette just as immaculate. 

Godefride chuckled but didn't say much. He knew well that with Ryu's usual personality, the fact that he was acknowledged at all was no small bit of face. He really couldn't ask for much more. 

The eight remaining youths who had come with Godefride narrowed their gazes. It was clear immediately that a portion of them weren't satisfied with Godefride's actions. But, that didn't stop two others from smiling and following his lead: the Virga Clan's Staff and the Scire Clan's Saber. 

The former was a bald headed youth with skin as dark as night and eyes as silver as the largest moon in the night sky. His gaze even somewhat reminded Ryu of his Fate Star, blazing with a mercury that flared up every so often. 

The latter was actually a petite young woman barely and inch or two over five feet tall. She wore a mask so it was difficult to see her true appearance but she walked through the pools of blood just as easily as Godefride or the Virga Clan's Staff did. 

"This is the Virga Clan's Staff, Eustis. This is the Scire Clan's Saber, Sabelle."

"Ryu Tor." Ryu replied between bites. He once again left people baffled toward how he could eat so fast yet talk so smoothly without issue. 

As the group introduced themselves, what remained of the Armament Guild made their way up into the stands. It was obvious almost immediately that they hadn't come to participate in the bloodshed and were simply here to look and observe. However, that only made the actions of Godefride and the other two all the more baffling.