Unholy Player - Chapter 466

Chapter 466: A Normal Family Scene
For Rhys Graves, there was a certain dark humor in the way Adyr toyed with Henry’s nerves and treated three city-destroyer-level powerhouses like nothing more than high-profile guests arriving for dinner. To men like Henry, those figures meant crisis meetings, evacuation plans, sleepless nights, and casualty estimates. To Adyr, they were simply people he had invited for a meal.

It was the kind of scene Rhys knew he would never witness in Earth’s usual political meetings, which were always cold, formal, and painfully dull. There, power hid behind prepared speeches, staged handshakes, and careful smiles.

Seeing how power in this place was not hidden behind protocol but rather moved openly and unapologetically through the corridors was a new perspective for him.

Even so, his amusement faded a little when he saw Adyr turn back toward him.

“Ah, yes, Rhys. I want you to join us as well. We might need your professional opinions during our conversation.”

In that moment, Rhys understood that Adyr’s silent anger was not reserved for Henry alone. Whatever judgment or pressure was waiting inside, he would be sitting at that table and feeling it up close.

He was a field man, someone who preferred open air, moving pieces, and real danger over closed rooms and stiff conversation. Boring, cold, windowless discussions were exactly the kind of thing he hated, and every instinct in him wanted to avoid this meal and stay outside where things made more sense.

But wanting to refuse and being able to refuse were completely different things. That choice simply did not exist for him here.

He bowed his head slightly and chose his answer with care. “As you wish, my Lord Sovereign.”

A small twitch appeared at the corner of Adyr’s lips when he heard the words ‘Lord Sovereign,’ and catching that tiny reaction was enough to make Rhys feel a little better.

He had discovered long ago that, for some reason, Adyr had a particular dislike for flashy titles and exaggerated forms of address, especially when they were used with even the faintest hint of mockery.

For someone like Rhys, who could read Adyr better than most and knew that his face was almost always a composed mask hiding his real intentions and emotions, that brief, genuine twitch of the lip was a small victory. It was proof that Adyr was not as untouchable as he appeared, and that knowledge, to Rhys, was its own kind of entertainment.

This old man knows how to have fun, Adyr thought silently, recognizing the deliberate choice of words, then turned again and reached for the door.

The moment the door opened, the warmth of conversation and bursts of laughter from inside cut off at once, as if someone had pressed a mute button.

Every head in the room turned toward the entrance, eyes locking on the figure stepping inside.

When they saw who it was, they all rose to their feet together and greeted him with the instinctive respect of people who had already accepted him as the center of the room.

Marcus and Vivienne lowered their heads. “Young Master.”

Vesha’s eyes widened for a heartbeat in surprise, then softened as she smiled. “Adyr.”

That single, familiar name slipped out first, but the next second, awareness caught up with her. She remembered where she was and what he represented here, not just as someone she knew, but as the ruler of a kingdom and a powerful Practitioner. She immediately dropped to her knees and lowered her head, correcting her posture to match his true status.

Marielle and Niva did not bow. Instead, they simply looked at their son and brother with open affection in their eyes, already seeming used to his new appearance, as if they had quietly decided that no matter how much he changed, to them he would always be the boy they knew.

“Please, be at ease. I would rather not turn this meal into a boring formal one,” Adyr said, his voice cutting through the tension with calm authority.

Then he turned his attention fully to his mother and sister and stepped closer.

“You should have at least informed me before coming,” he said with a soft sigh, the sound carrying both a scolding note and a quiet joy that he did not bother to hide, as he wrapped his arms around Marielle in a firm hug and reached out with his other hand to ruffle Niva’s hair.

Her carefully brushed and straightened hair, which she had clearly spent time working on, instantly turned into a messy wave under his fingers.

“So you are saying you would have agreed if we had asked first?” Niva got away from his rough treatment and started fixing her hair, her voice half teasing and half accusing.

Marielle laughed softly, the sound carrying relief more than amusement. Seeing her children this close, relaxed, and comfortable with each other was enough to make the trip feel worth it.

Even just this scene, the two of them standing side by side and bickering like normal siblings, was a reason for her to be glad they had come.

Still, she spoke with the gentle, motherly politeness she had shown them all their lives. “Sorry if we disturbed your schedule.”

Adyr answered with a relaxed, sincere smile, putting as much reassurance as he could into it. “Don’t worry. I was planning to take a break anyway.”

It was not a lie. He had already filled the Heart of the Blood Palace, so there was no practical need to continue his nonstop slaughter for the moment.

On top of that, the fact that they were in the Beyond changed the shape of his worries. Strangely, he did not find their presence here as frightening as it would have been back on Earth. In his mind, this world might actually be safer for them, perhaps farther from the Mad Scientist’s reach than any shelter city could ever be.

All he had to do now was make sure they were protected properly on this side as well. With that thought, he lifted his hand and gestured toward Zephan and the two men standing behind him.

“This is Silverlight Zephan, the ruler of the Lunari kingdom.”

He introduced practically a god to the room with the same relaxed tone someone might use to introduce a coworker, then turned and, with the same casual ease, began introducing his mother and sister to Zephan and his elders.

Marielle and Niva, suddenly aware that they were being presented to a foreign ruler and two high-ranking elders from another race, hesitated for a brief moment, not entirely sure what the correct way to greet them was. Before their uncertainty could turn into awkwardness, Zephan moved first.

Silverlight stepped forward, and with his two elders behind him, he bowed his head as low as his status allowed. “Please forgive our presence for disturbing your peaceful moment.”

Seeing a figure of that level show such deep respect and even apologize for being there despite having been invited left the others in the room stunned.

Particularly, Marcus Ravencourt and Vivienne White experienced a tingling sensation within their hearts.

Even though this was their first time seeing Zephan in person, they already knew who he was.