Miralyn saw Hannah's reaction but couldn't fully grasp the aning behind her barely concealed grin.
While she could see through Margiory's theatrical performance, she also sensed a layer of sincerity in the matriarch's words.
"You see, founding families of Eversnow," Margiory began, her voice carrying a mix of pride and regret, "this woman right here, even after having her reputation stained by lies, still cos to comfort , soone who failed to be a good mother to her."
Margiory pulled Hilda by her hand and held her beside her. "But she also gave us, the Andronys, Dracnakrids, and Dracony, the greatest gift we could have received: that young man."
Margiory pointed toward Sokram, a scene he had orchestrated earlier that day when he pulled Hannah and Margiory aside.
The price he had to pay was sothing he would have done anyway.
He offered Margiory sothing she could never refuse: The opportunity to teach Chaos Energy Cultivation to the entire Androny family, their secondary and adjacent families, and all those bound by blood contracts to her.
The only reason she hadn't done so earlier was an oath Hannah had forced upon her to protect Sokram from exposure.
But earlier that day, Sokram finally convinced Hannah that the rewards outweighed any risks.
What Sokram didn't expect, however, were Margiory's following words:
"But today, I want to introduce him to all of you, finally recognizing him as an official mber of the Androny family, as my grandson, heir, and chosen successor..."
Her words shocked everyone, even Sokram, as this wasn't part of his plan.
Though he knew the Chaos Energy cultivation thod would place him as the favorite for succession, he never expected her to go this far. "...Sokram di Dracony vid Dracnakrid."
Hearing his full na snapped him out of his daze.
But Margiory wasn’t finished yet.
"Although he doesn't carry our na and isn't even of age yet, his contributions to our family can't and won't be surpassed by anyone. So, I na him my successor. Though the succession race isn't officially finished until he reaches the age of twenty-five, I believe no one will be able to contest it even by then."
The confidence in Margiory's voice was undeniable.
Suddenly, Sokram felt a faint yet peculiar flow of mana emanating from the left side of his mantle, directly over the Androny sigil.
He imdiately understood what was happening; it had turned golden. Glancing back, it was clear that Hannah was responsible.
Their eyes t, and Sokram asked quietly, “You knew she would do this?”
Hannah smirked teasingly. “You have your ploys, and we have ours.”
Sokram sighed, his gaze dropping as he took a deep breath to steady himself.
Though this developnt wasn't part of his original plan, he couldn't deny it was another step forward.
His mind raced. Weighing the risks and rewards.
'This changes things,' he thought, 'but not in a way I can't handle.'
It was an achievent he had no reason to reject, even if it ca unexpectedly.
The weight of Margiory's trust settled on his shoulders, but he knew he would never let her down.
As Sokram walked toward Margiory, the three golden sigils and letters on his mantle shimred and shifted before everyone’s eyes, signaling a deliberate and planned move.
This spectacle intensified the spotlight on Sokram, sparking murmurs about the birth of a new clan.
The Andronys, excluding Madalyn, remained frozen in shock.
Even if they had objections, voicing them against Margiory's whims was futile.
As the weight of her decision settled over them, Michael exchanged a tense glance with Klaus, their unease palpable.
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Margiory wasn't known for acting on emotion alone, and they knew better than to challenge her in public.
All they could do now was wait for her to reveal Sokram’s contribution, which justified this decision.
Still, that knowledge didn’t make the pill any less bitter to swallow or ease their feelings of betrayal.
But when Michael glanced at Madalyn, searching for answers, he found no trace of surprise in her eyes.
“You knew about it, didn’t you?” he demanded.
Madalyn responded with a smug grin.
“Heh.” A soft chuckle was all she offered.
Yet Michael understood completely. It was as if she were saying: Why ask questions you already know the answer to?
Once Sokram stood beside her, Margiory resud her speech.
“And since my chosen successor is bound to this city, the Androny family will now make Eversnow our permanent ho base by uniting completely with the Dracnakrid family. In doing so, we fulfill the promise made to our fallen heroes. Thank you all for your warm welco, especially our friends of the Silverfang family.”
Kamal quickly masked his surprise, though his mind raced with the implications.
While he was pleased about the business deal, the idea of the Androny family relocating their center of operations to Eversnow carried significant consequences.
'The king's eyes will be on us now,' Kamal thought, knowing he and his family would have to halt any shady dealings.
It was in that mont that Kamal realized he had made a grave mistake.
While Kamal maintained a broad and welcoming smile, there was one person who saw through his facade: Sahvus di Armfrost, his biggest rival.
With a smug expression, Sahvus sent him a sound transmission.
“You invited a dragon into your ho, wolf. Now they’re going to steal your won and riches and shit over your corpses when they’re done, or worse, put you on a leash like a loyal dog, fool.”
Kamal clenched his jaw, biting the inside of his cheek to suppress his rage.
Though he felt tricked, he couldn’t complain; Margiory hadn’t lied to him.
She had indeed ntioned moving to Eversnow.
He rely failed to foresee how naive it was to assu that she wouldn't bring the whole weight of the Androny family with her.
“Baby, do you want to say a few words?” Margiory’s voice brought the attention back to her, her gaze fixed lovingly on Sokram.
“Yes, thank you, Nana,” Sokram replied.
He scanned the crowd, eting every pair of eyes studying him, ensuring that everyone who mattered was present.
“We, the Dracnakrid, have lost too much. The last war nearly decimated our family.”
His somber tone surprised the audience.
“But in these tis of hardship, this city has shown us that we can always rely on the resilience of its walls and the warmth of the hearts within Eversnow.”
Sokram spotted his master and her family among the crowd and smiled warmly.
“To those who love this city as I do, know that this union and empowernt of our three families ans that an ally you can depend on now has a wider back and larger wings to shelter you and yours during tis of need.”
His gaze shifted, locking onto several individuals scattered throughout the crowd.
“But to those who seek only to exploit, use, and abuse this city and its people, rember this: The future head of these three families is a Killing Blade of Norwinter.”
Sokram opened a broad and confident smile that didn't match the killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"Cheers, everyone! To a new and better tomorrow for our beloved city!"
Behind that smile was a strength in his presence that a thirteen-year-old shouldn't have, which made many of the families' heads, elders, and influential figures realize he was as dangerous, or even more so, than Margiory.
Sokram turned to Margiory and pulled her by the waist, catching her by surprise with the sudden move.
He raised his glass toward her and said, "Let's take this world by storm, Nana."
Margiory raised her glass and clinked it with his.
"That we will, baby."
Applause and chatter filled the yard, the sound of clinking glasses and murmured conversations blending with the faint rustle of leaves in the evening breeze.
Among the influential attendees, the most naive ones were visibly shocked by the boldness in Sokram's words, their eyes wide and jaws slack.
Others, however, wore expressions of thinly veiled offense, their lips pressed into tight lines as they exchanged uneasy glances.
But those who truly understood what Sokram was implying knew that a minor conflict was inevitable before the real war began.
Sokram glanced back at the few individuals whose gazes he had locked onto during the latter part of his speech.
They were gone now, having slipped away unnoticed.
He smiled inwardly, knowing his ssage had been delivered.
Still, the uninford masses mistook his words as re bravado from a child.
Those who knew better, however, felt a deep sense of anticipation.
Especially the City Lord’s family.
Leona’s laughter broke the tension as she raised her glass toward Sokram.
“That’s my disciple! Haha!” she exclaid proudly, reminding everyone present that one of the strongest individuals in the city supported him.
Sokram nodded respectfully toward his master and her family before turning back to Kamal with a knowing smile.
“The floor is yours, Alpha Silverfang,” he said, leaving Kamal feeling even more conflicted.
With a hand on Hilda’s waist, Sokram guided both his mother and grandmother back to their table, ignoring the envious and contemptuous stares directed at him along the way.
Sokram knew his words carried weight, but he wasn’t worried, not out of arrogance, but because he understood that Fate stood firmly by his side.
To his uncles and cousins, however, his actions felt like a slap in the face.
It was as though Sokram had appeared out of nowhere, stealing everything they owned and pulling the rug out from beneath their feet.
Their expressions darkened as Sokram rejoined their table.
Margiory looked at him, smiling teasingly. “Happy?”
Sokram chuckled, shaking his head.
“I have my ploys, you have yours, hm?”
Hannah smirked upon hearing this, and so did Margiory.
This ti, Brunhild didn’t miss the complicity between the three of them.
The celebration continued without further incidents.
And though the night remained uneventful, one final detail caught Sokram’s attention, however.
Kazzah was no longer staring at Savannah.
Instead, his gaze was fixed on Sokram, brimming with poorly concealed killing intent.
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