Return of the Demon Sovereign (Book 1) [MxM]

44. Banquet

After Erebus made his vow, Leonis handed him the medallion and helped him to his feet.  He pulled Erebus into a tight embrace, making Erebus stiffen from the unfamiliar affection.  He looked over the King's shoulder and saw Leo's shoulders shaking as he held back laughter.

Leonis pulled away from him but kept his hands clasped on his shoulders. "You are part of Shadowbane. Wherever the sect is, you will find your home. Welcome home, Lieutenant General."

Erebus shook upon hearing these words. As Sovereign, he would take in many cultivators cast out from society without home. He related to their struggles and was empathetic to their plight. How long did he live without a home?

To truly welcome new cultivators, he would share these words when accepting new members, showing they had a home to return to now. Thousands of years later, these words and sentiments still survived. And now they were being returned to him.

Home...

An uncommon emotion passed through Erebus' eyes that Leonis caught. Leonis was surprised to see a brief change and understood how much Erebus needed to hear these words. He wondered about the young man's life and the horrible things he must have experienced. Halcyon said he had fallen into Undanfold at 14 years old and survived on his own for five years. He had been alone for too long at such an early age. He suddenly felt a parental desire to protect him.

"Thank you, King Leonis. It is good to be home," Erebus said with a warm smile.

The audience cheered for their new member and called out to their Lieutenant General. Servers flowed into the ballroom with trays of drinks. Leo pulled Erebus away and had him join him and the other captains. They toasted each other and shared drinks.

Many people visited the group, greeting Leo and congratulating Erebus. After an hour of nonstop pleasantries, Erebus felt his mind would split. He didn't have to deal with arduous social obligations during his days as Sovereign. It must have been the benefit of having no tongue.

Leo had seen him grow weary from the constant stream of people. He placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned close to him. "Unfortunately, you will need to get used to it. You are under 20 but already are a Lieutenant General and hero of the ongoing war. Your status may be higher than mine."

Erebus laughed. "Then perhaps you should gain more merits and give me a break."

As they were talking, Erebus noticed a shift in the atmosphere and paused. He was not the only one who realized a sudden surge of negative energy.

Leo gritted his teeth. "The other sect representatives have decided to invite themselves to our celebration."

Heath cursed. "Those damn Golden Brothers are probably here too. Those bastards."

Erebus was going to ask about the brothers, but he heard someone tapping.

[Erebus, Leo, come here.]

They knew it was Leonis who was calling them over. They exchanged looks but quickly made their way to Leonis and the generals. However, Halcyon was nowhere to be seen, but there were several high-ranking cultivators around Leonis. Erebus recognized the seals from Silvercloud, High Serpent, and Golden Mountain. He felt his mood sour immediately.

Leonis saw them and smiled slightly, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"Leo, Erebus. I'll introduce you two to the representatives of the other sects." Leonis said in a tight voice.

He pointed to a stern-looking woman in a silver robe with long sleeves. She was pale with ink-black hair. "This is Olivia Long, the sect leader of Silvercloud."