Minutes earlier,
The majority of the guests had already gathered for the Aeterna Gratia celebration.
Aside from the Astiels as hosts, six other Nephilim subsidiary clans were in attendance, along with more than twenty mid- to lower-tier factions allied with the family.
Two delegations stood out from the rest.
One group came from the Papal Church, dressed in flowing ceremonial white trimmed with radiant gold. Several Seraphs figures stood among them, faint wings of light folded behind their backs, their presence calm yet imposing.
The other was a group of Magus in silver cloaks, each with a sword at their waist. Their attire was simple, but the sharp aura surrounding them made many give way instinctively. The Heaven's Will Sword Sect—longtime allies of the Nephilim.
In total, the gathering included more than one hundred Grand Magus, nearly a quarter of them from the Astiel clan.
