Hundreds of masters did not enter the camp shrine; instead, they all waited high above the barracks. The strange woman did not leave either, accompanying everyone in their wait. She sat cross-legged in the void, eyes closed, seemingly meditating or perhaps lost in thought.
...
Meanwhile, at the Transient City, a grand luncheon was ongoing inside the palace of Kevin Holloway, and it had been going on for several hours already. Kevin Holloway hosted a vast banquet for his ministers and even allowed them to bring their families into the palace to eat and drink together.
Additionally, some of the city's major households were invited. These were the people who had been cautious and doubtful about joining the Empire. They hesitated about whether to affiliate.
Now, Kevin Holloway invited them here, allowing them to experience his strength. He wanted them to know that Gabriel Freeman was either inside the bowl or already dead.
