Lin Gui followed Elvia's directions and arrived at the side hall where the wedding banquet was being held.
However, the situation was not as quiet as Elvia had expected.
The side hall was brilliantly lit, bustling with people, and filled with clinking glasses.
At a glance, more than half of the prominent figures who had just appeared at the auction had moved over here.
They gathered in groups of two or three, chatting and laughing in low voices.
But the moment Lin Gui stepped through the door, almost everyone's eyes turned toward him in unison.
Those gazes carried undisguised mockery and scrutiny.
As well as a playful anticipation of watching a good show.
Lin Gui frowned, sensing an unusual malice directed at him lingering in the air.
But he was simply too tired, having searched relentlessly for a day and a night without sleep.
The double exhaustion of his mind and magic power made his brain feel as heavy as lead.
He couldn't be bothered to look into it, simply walking in with somewhat unsteady steps.
As the other nominal protagonist of this wedding banquet, he was led to the center of the stage by an attendant almost immediately.
The master of ceremonies was all smiles, reciting grand and high-sounding blessings.
He then handed the floor over to Lin Gui.
The audience instantly fell silent, everyone staring at him.
Lin Gui rubbed his sleepy eyes and, facing so many pairs of eyes below, squeezed out only a dry sentence.
“Uh... thank you, everyone. Enjoy the food and drink.”
After saying that, he completely ignored the suddenly awkward atmosphere and the faint snickers from the crowd.
He slipped straight off the stage and found a seat in the farthest corner to sit down.
He had not been sitting long and hadn't even had time to catch his breath.
When he saw the Third Prince, Charles, holding the hand of Duke Joseph's daughter, Emily.
They walked high-spiritedly onto the stage he had just stood on.
Charles's face beamed with a warm, enthusiastic smile.
It formed a stark contrast to the cold response of the entire hall when Lin Gui had spoken.
He loudly announced that he would soon marry Lady Emily as his princess.
He then affectionately wrapped his arm around the young lady's waist.
The audience immediately erupted into enthusiastic applause and congratulations.
It was as if the true protagonists of the evening had finally arrived.
Many gazes, filled with undisguised mockery, turned toward Lin Gui in the corner once again.
Those looks seemed to say:
“Look at this poor loser.”
“At his own most important wedding banquet, his spotlight was completely stolen by someone else, making him the biggest laughingstock in the room.”
They expected to see this outsider mage react with anger, humiliation, and ultimately flee the banquet in embarrassment.
However, Lin Gui's reaction disappointed them.
Not only did he show no displeasure whatsoever.
Instead, he weakly clapped along with the people around him.
His head kept nodding off, and the heavy dark circles under his eyes made him look like he might fall asleep at any second.
In front of everyone, he even let out a massive, completely unshielded yawn.
He could certainly understand that the Third Prince was targeting him.
Or rather, targeting Elvia to make her look bad.
But he was truly too exhausted; he felt like he could fall asleep even while standing.
Besides, as an adventurer who had struggled on the edge of life and death for years,
did reputation actually feed him? Did it increase his strength? Could it be sold for a few hundred gold coins?
Obviously not.
So, he simply crossed his legs.
He sank his body comfortably into the soft backrest of the chair.
He narrowed his eyes, preparing to take a short nap.
Charles had deliberately chosen Elvia's wedding banquet day to announce his own union,
originally wanting to humiliate the sister who had tripped him up.
But now, it seemed entirely useless.
The other party's skin was thicker than a city wall.
On the stage, the Third Prince raised an eyebrow at this sight and snorted coldly.
He didn't take any further action.
Continuing to bicker would be beneath his dignity.
However, Lady Emily beside him felt deeply uncomfortable.
In her eyes, this was her glorious moment to announce her happy marriage and become the center of attention.
This stray mage who had popped out of nowhere
had not only stolen the spotlight of her and the Third Prince announcing their marriage on the same day,
but now actually had the audacity to yawn and sleep openly during her “important” moment?
This was a direct insult to her, and to the future princess!
She clung to the Third Prince's arm, whispering a few words with a look of grievance and resentment on her face.
Charles frowned, but he still let her pull him down from the stage, walking straight up to Lin Gui.
“Your Excellency Lin Gui,” Lady Emily said in a crisp voice, carrying a trace of deliberately elevated arrogance.
“To behave so rudely at my engagement banquet, do you have no regard for the face of the royal family and the Duke's manor?”
Lin Gui didn't react at all.
With his head tilted to one side and breathing evenly, he had actually fallen fast asleep.
Lady Emily's face instantly flushed red, and she raised her voice.
“Your Excellency Lin Gui!”
Only then did Lin Gui snap awake, raising his bloodshot eyes.
He looked blankly at the radiant betrothed couple in front of him.
He blinked, seemingly not fully awake yet.
Then, he twitched his nose.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he did something that left everyone dumbfounded.
He directly picked up the chair he was sitting on and dragged it.
It made a harsh scraping sound in the dead silence as he walked behind a massive pillar not far away.
It was darker there, and less likely to be disturbed.
Then, from the pocket of his old mage robe,
he fished out a small stub of charcoal and a crumpled piece of paper, quickly scribbling a few lines.
With a slap, he pasted the piece of paper onto the pillar.
Curious onlookers craned their necks, barely making out the handwriting on the paper by the light from afar:
【Devoutly praying to the great Goddess of Light. Critical moment, do not disturb!】
【Whoever dares to disturb this Holy Saint's communication with the Goddess, I will report this matter in detail to the Holy Saintess tomorrow!】
【If you don't want the Light Crusaders to settle scores with you, stay far away from me!】
After writing, as if he had completed a major task,
he casually cast a novice light spell, 【Glimmer】.
The soft white light was not blinding, but it enveloped his head perfectly.
It truly looked as if he were performing some sacred ritual.
He adjusted to a more comfortable posture.
Leaning against the pillar, his head tilted to the side, and he fell fast asleep again, even letting out a soft snore.
The entire banquet hall fell into a dead silence.
Everyone, including the pale-faced Third Prince and the dumbfounded Lady Emily,
froze on the spot as if they had been hit with a petrification spell.
The unreasonable threat of “reporting” written on that paper,
combined with the faint yet incredibly genuine aura of light magic,
was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing all desires to mock him or find trouble.
Aside from the Third Prince, no one knew that Lin Gui could actually use light magic.
Being able to use light magic meant that regardless of his background,
he was a Holy Saint of the Holy Church of Light.
This seemingly joke-like note, illuminated by the ball of light above Lin Gui's head,
now appeared exceptionally intimidating.
In the past, they wouldn't have cared about a Mid-tier High Rank Holy Saint.
But tomorrow was the day of the Holy Church of Light's visit.
No one present dared to offend him.
The mocking gazes vanished, replaced by a silence mixed with apprehension, suspicion, and disbelief.
Lin Gui had finally obtained the peace and quiet he desired.
In the bizarre silence he had personally created, he slept incredibly soundly.
Rate on N.U.
