Iron Arm Balthus

Alice's attitude clearly improved along the way, seemingly because of Aaron's choice. Even her reminders for Aaron to pay attention to noble etiquette softened a bit.

She had to pay attention to these details. Once she became Aaron's fiancée, it meant that, to a certain extent, Aaron would represent the House of Iris.

By extension, his performance would also affect the reputation of the House of Iris.

Alice did not want Aaron to bring shame to the House of Iris over such a small matter.

Besides reminding him about noble etiquette, she also took the opportunity to introduce the city lord they had never met before, "Iron Arm" Balthus, a Gold Tier Transcendent of the Holy Grail Path.

If Transcenders of the Sword Affinity strengthened their bodies through their transcendent aura, and Transcenders of the Gold Coin Path strengthened their souls, then Transcenders of the Holy Grail Path regarded their transcendent aura as a precious energy source.

Through their transcendent aura, they could turn stone into gold, vitalize metal, and allow living beings to break through their limits...

As for Iron Arm Balthus, as his name suggested, his right arm had already been successfully modified into a metallic construct.

In fact, a considerable number of Transcenders of the Holy Grail Path would, like Balthus, attempt to replace certain parts of their bodies to seek stronger combat power or for other purposes.

Alice led Aaron and the others through several attendants and met Balthus in the reception hall of the city lord's mansion, where he was chatting with Ed.

His hair was already streaked with white, and there were several conspicuous, old claw marks on his cheeks.

Yet, even though he had entered middle age, his robust physique made him a full head taller than Ed. Just standing there, he seemed like a towering wall, inspiring awe.

His right arm was missing from the shoulder, replaced by a dark metal arm that was thicker than an adult's thigh.

Even more shocking was that his left arm was so strong it looked comparable to the massive artificial right arm.

Perhaps it was because his appearance was too oppressive, or perhaps it was the suppression of the aura from a Gold Tier Transcendent, but a sense of reverence arose in Aaron's heart.

He subtly examined Balthus's metal right arm, his mind drifting to the cybernetic limbs in a certain punk game, imagining what it would look like if such an arm were attached to an ordinary person.

Clearly, he had long since forgotten the noble etiquette Alice had just reminded him of.

After several unsuccessful attempts to signal Aaron with her eyes, Alice sighed helplessly, performed a standard hand-to-chest salute, and greeted him proactively, "Lord Balthus, may the Light of the Griffin be with you."

"May the Light of the Griffin be with you," Balthus nodded slightly and stepped forward. His massive metal prosthetic arm displayed an unexpectedly agile movement as he gently took Alice's hand.

However, he glanced at Aaron, let out a hearty laugh, and instead of performing the usual kiss of the hand, he simply bowed his head symbolically.

"This must be Master Sart, then?" he turned to Sart, who was following behind Aaron, his face beaming with an enthusiastic smile.

Although Sart disliked dealing with nobles, he was not incapable of communication. He merely nodded slightly, his expression conveying a fitting sense of distance, "It is I, Lord Balthus."

"To be honest, I didn't expect the Star Tower to respond to my letter so quickly. I was already prepared to endure months without a Prophet in Leyden City," Balthus said as he led everyone to the giant round wooden table in the center of the reception hall. "Please, have a seat, everyone."

His weight was astonishing, and chairs made of ordinary materials couldn't bear his bulk. Therefore, he sat on a thick section of raw wood.

Upon hearing Balthus's words, Sart couldn't help but frown.

He had come to Leyden City simply to follow the guidance of Fate. In fact, before meeting Aaron, he himself didn't know where he would encounter the opportunity for his advancement.

Furthermore, the Star Tower had not informed him of anything, and he was completely unaware of Balthus sending a letter to the Star Tower.

"Apologies, Lord Balthus, I did not come because of your letter."

A flicker of surprise flashed in Balthus's eyes. "Master Sart, are you joking? I clearly received a reply from the Star Tower stating that another apprentice from the Star Tower would help me resolve this matter."

As he spoke, he took out a letter that shimmered with a brilliant blue light.

Sart immediately recognized it as a letter from the Star Tower. Only the Star Tower would lavishly mix Spirit Powder with special papyrus to create correspondence that could travel through dreams.

This also implied that the matter Balthus mentioned was quite important, important enough to warrant the use of spirit communication letters.

Balthus glanced at Aaron and specifically reminded him, "Sir Aaron, you'd best pay attention. This letter also possesses transcendent aura."

Aaron could sense a certain goodwill in his gaze and nodded, as if he understood but not quite.

Balthus then opened the letter. The residual Spirit Powder on the envelope volatilized, forming a six-pointed star symbol in the air. The blue six-pointed star then faded, and a voice emanated from the letter.

"Esteemed Lord Balthus, we have received the relevant aura and residual spices you sent us. As you feared, we will immediately dispatch apprentices to investigate this matter. The apprentices' names are Siosand and Sart, and they will assist you in investigating this matter. Please also ensure their safety and allow them to participate in this matter as long as their safety is guaranteed. May the Starfall be with us, and may we remain in ignorance."

The voice gradually faded, and the blue Spirit Powder was consumed, turning the envelope a slightly greenish color.

The human voice sounded erratic, sometimes close, sometimes far, but if one listened carefully, it became increasingly difficult to pinpoint its source.

Although Aaron knew the voice should be coming from the letter, he felt as if it originated from some unknown corner of the reception hall.

Sart's frown deepened.

He naturally recognized this ethereal voice as that of his mentor, Julian the White Robe.

His mentor's voice, the spirit communication letter, and his name being mentioned – these three things undoubtedly confirmed that Balthus was not deceiving him.

However, he had indeed not received any notification.

Did his teacher foresee that he would be involved in this matter in Leyden City and therefore didn't inform him?

Seeing Sart's expression, Balthus frowned. "You don't know about this matter?"

Sart nodded frankly, glanced at Aaron, and then said to Balthus, "I know now. This matter will likely have to wait for Siosand's explanation. Perhaps he knows why, he should know more."

However, he was secretly puzzled.

What exactly did "this matter" refer to?

Why would his teacher assign Siosand to be responsible for it?