God-Tier Extraction Talent: Reincarnated in a Game-like World!

Chapter 500: The Banquet [2/3]

Gabriel was slightly taken aback when he saw Scarlet sitting there, but the surprise did not stay on his face for long. After a second, he understood. Scarlet held a very high position in the Valerian Kingdom. She was not just Hero Rank, she was also the Vice Leader of the Adventurer Guild. Someone like her being invited to a high class banquet like this made perfect sense.

He adjusted his hat slightly and continued observing the hall quietly, his eyes moving from one table to another.

Not long after, he saw another familiar face.

Jack Arefield.

The golden haired Vice Guild Leader of Olympus was seated at a central table not too far from the main area. He was dressed in a well tailored suit, sitting with a relaxed posture as if he was used to places like this. Several ladies kept glancing at him while talking among themselves, and Jack responded with polite smiles and calm conversation. It was clear he was used to attention and did not feel uncomfortable at all.

Beside him sat Arya.

She was as quiet as ever, sitting straight with a composed posture, but her expression looked slightly displeased. She did not talk much and only responded when Jack spoke to her. From time to time, she glanced around the hall with a bored look, as if she did not want to be here but had no choice.

Gabriel watched them for a few seconds before shifting his gaze again.

However, out of all the tables in the banquet hall, there was one that drew the most attention.

At that table sat a beautiful woman wearing a veil that obscured most of her face. The veil was thin and elegant, falling just enough to hide her features while still allowing her to see clearly. She sat with a straight posture, her movements calm and refined. Several nobles approached her table one after another, greeting her respectfully before leaving again.

From the way people behaved around her, it was clear that her status was not ordinary.

When Gabriel saw her, the first person that came to his mind was Sophie.

Sophie also wore a similar veil most of the time, even during battles. Her posture, the way she moved, the quiet elegance around her, all of it reminded him of the veiled woman sitting at that table. The more he looked at her, the more familiar the feeling became.

Gabriel had always suspected that Sophie came from a noble background, but he had never asked her directly. He respected privacy, and Sophie was also the type of person who did not talk about her past unless necessary. So he never pushed.

But now, seeing this veiled woman in the royal castle, seated at the most important table in the banquet hall, he began to connect the dots.

Sophie’s identity might be far more powerful than he initially thought.

Gabriel leaned back slightly in his chair and took another slow sip from his glass while keeping his head lowered under the hat. His eyes continued to move across the hall calmly, but inside he was already processing everything he had seen so far.

For now, he remained seated and waited for the right moment to leave the hall and move deeper into the castle. However, leaving too early or moving around too much would attract attention. Most of the guests were still seated, talking, drinking, and waiting for the main part of the banquet to begin.

So Gabriel stayed where he was and observed quietly.

Some time later, one of the hosts stepped forward onto a slightly raised platform near the center of the hall. He tapped the microphone lightly, and the soft music gradually stopped as people turned their attention toward him.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the host began with a formal smile, "thank you all for attending tonight’s banquet in celebration of General Aston’s eighty ninth birthday."

Polite applause filled the hall.

The host began listing some of General Aston’s achievements, mentioning past wars, victories, and his long service to the kingdom. The guests listened, some nodded, some clapped again at certain parts.

Then the host stepped aside slightly and gestured toward the main table.

General Aston stood up.

He was an old man, but his back was straight and his face was strict. His expression did not change much despite the applause and the attention. He simply nodded once toward the guests, his eyes sharp and calm, like a man who had spent most of his life giving orders rather than receiving praise.

After a short speech, the music started again.

"This is now the dance session," the host announced. "Please, enjoy the night."

Couples began moving toward the dance floor slowly. The atmosphere in the hall became more relaxed as people stood up, some heading to dance, others moving to talk with different groups.

The music was slow and controlled, and the nobles moved with practiced steps as if this was something they had done many times before. Servants moved quietly around the hall, refilling glasses and adjusting chairs without disturbing anyone.

His eyes soon returned to Jack’s table.

As soon as the dance session started, several young ladies approached Jack one after another, each with a polite smile and confident posture. It was obvious they had been waiting for this moment.

"Vice Leader Jack, may I have this dance?" one of them asked politely.

Jack smiled the same gentle smile he had been wearing all night. He stood up slowly and gave a small bow.

"I’m honored," he replied calmly, "but I’m afraid I already promised someone else."

The lady looked slightly disappointed but still smiled politely before leaving.

A second lady approached not long after, then a third. Jack declined all of them in the same calm manner. He handled the situation smoothly, like someone who had done this many times.

Jack finally turned toward Arya and extended his hand toward her.

"Arya," he said, his tone calm, "shall we?"

Arya looked at his hand for a moment, then at his face. Her expression did not change much, but she still placed her hand in his and stood up.

They walked to the dance floor together without saying anything else.

Gabriel rested his chin lightly on his hand as he watched them begin to dance.

As for Scarlet, she was still sitting at her table.

She had not moved since the dance started. Several people had passed by her table, but none of them stopped. And she did not look at anyone either. She simply sat there, her back straight, one hand resting on the table, the other holding a glass she barely drank from.

Her expression was emotionless and distant. It felt as if she only came here to represent the guild, not to celebrate the general.

Gabriel leaned toward that conclusion as she was never the party type.

He placed his glass down and was just about to stand up and quietly move out of the hall while most people were distracted.

Suddenly, something unexpected happened.

From the main table, the veiled woman stood up. The people around her immediately made space for her, and several eyes followed her movements as she began walking across the hall.

Her direction was...

She was walking toward Gabriel.