The guests arrived from near and far.
However, a strict instruction went out to every member of the Thorne Household: they were not to tell any guest about the Thorne family's heir, Lorian Thorne.
His identity would be revealed only on the eve of the main event.
Until then, Lorian had to live in disguise.
His parents wanted him to stay in the library, but he had been cooped in that room for too long to accept the suggestion.
Instead, he decided to work as another young servant of the household for the time being, guided by Chopman, the head butler.
The Lord and Lady found it surprising and amusing, but after witnessing their son's strange talent and taste, they eventually agreed.
Lorian put on a servant's attire and began learning things under Chopman's careful guidance.
He was quick to pick things up because in his past life, he had worked as a waiter – from small eateries to big restaurants as a part-time job after school.
So, it wasn't very hard for him.
Although more etiquette was involved here, it was fun to learn.
He was helping another servant hang matching drapery when a fancy carriage appeared in front of the main gate.
The carriage was escorted by a row of horse riders wearing golden armors. They carried a White Flag with a Golden Sun drawn on it.
"The Justicars of Valoria!" Chopman whispered in Lorian's ear, "Young Master, you should leave. We servants are supposed to bow in front of them. You don't need to! So..."
Lorian whispered back, "I'm working as one of you. So I will act as one of you!"
The people around felt a bit surprised. They couldn't quite understand what the eccentric young lord meant, but they felt good about it.
A guard in golden armor dismounted his horse and opened the coach door.
From the coach descended a lady in beautifully decorated golden armor.
Lorian had expected a lord or lady in fancy attire, not in armor. However, on second look, the armor was more beautiful than any simple armor. Its craftsmanship was on another level, fit for the highest tier of nobility.
Behind her descended a girl. She was wearing a normal gown, most probably her personal maid.
Lorian thought that the Justicars probably employed young boys and girls as attendants.
This didn't fit much with their famed high ideals and reputation of being the 'Conscience of the City-States'.
The servants made two rows, facing each other, creating a path for the entourage to enter the Hall. Chopman was standing at the end of the path.
However, he was soon joined by the Lady of the House, Lady Seraphina, who had rushed to welcome them on behalf of the Thorne family.
All the servants and maids bowed as the Supreme Justicar of Valoria, Lady Serana, approached Lady Seraphina. Seraphina glanced at her son, who was bowing along with all the servants, and found it a bit amusing.
The two ladies exchanged greetings and pleasantries.
They acted more chummy than two noble ladies, heads of their households, should act, which Lorian felt was a bit strange.
But from their conversation, he soon picked up the cue: the two were close friends from their time in the Grand Academy of Solara.
The attendant girl beside Lady Serana tugged her armor.
In a timid voice, she enquired about Lorian.
Lady Serana rolled her eyes at her, and Seraphina just smiled.
Seraphina led Serana and the girl to the guest room allotted for them.
Chopman was instructed to guide the escorts to their barracks, which had been specially constructed for them. Lorian tagged along with Chopman to guide them.
They had to walk past the training ground to reach the barracks.
As they appeared, a mock battle was going on in the training ground between Kaelan and Jax. Kaelan was fighting orderly, like a Knight, while Jax was fighting aggressively, like a ferocious beast. It was like a fight between Order and Chaos.
Suddenly, the Head of the Escorts stopped and started observing the fight.
This person probably outranked Chopman, which was why the Head Butler was hesitating.
Suddenly, the person turned to Lorian and asked, "With your permission, may I spar with them?"
Everyone, including Lorian, was surprised.
Not only by this sudden suggestion, but also because that person directly asked a servant for permission when the Head Butler was present. The man in golden armor was looking at Lorian with expectation. Lorian calmly reminded him of his own lowly status. He suggested that the soldier should rather ask permission from his superior, Chopman.
The soldier smiled suggestively and then asked Chopman for permission.
With Chopman's permission, he approached the man and the Beastman sparring, and presented his idea. Both Kaelan and Jax felt a bit surprised and looked at Lorian. The soldier followed their gaze and again looked at Lorian, then grinned in a "got 'cha" glance. Lorian felt uneasy and just nodded.
The man took two wooden swords from the weapon rack beside the ground and began sparring.
To everyone's surprise, he was fighting with both Kaelan and Jax.
He wasn't even seriously fighting but was just toying with them. After a while, he probably got tired of playing. He smacked the duo hard with his wooden sword and put them on the ground.
As Kaelan and Jax lay on the ground, he approached his team with a smile on his face.
They congratulated their leader.
The man looked at Lorian and smiled, "They are indeed fine soldiers. They must be tired after fighting long amongst themselves. I was just lucky!"
Lorian smiled back but didn't say anything else.
He signaled Chopman with his eyes. Chopman nodded and guided the Golden Army alone, leaving Lorian in the training ground.
The two were still lying on the ground, heads buried in the sand, "So you dare to refuse standing up and bowing to your lord when he appears in front? It is a grave crime that requires strict punishment."