Austin was soon becoming indomitable. When invited to Prince Reuben's banquet, he defeated Hasson within seconds. Hasson, the foremost disciple of the Peripatetic Sect was formidable but in front of Austin he looked like a rookie. Little did Hasson know that by brazenly provoking Austin he had become a lesson to the rest. Their scheme of prevailing over Austin from the very first encounter was now a laughing matter.
Austin, on the other hand, was strong, fierce and warlike.
By beating Hasson, he had made his presence felt among the greats. He was not just one among the hundreds of the young competitors present. Rather, he had joined the ranks of the top ten warriors. Nobody could question Austin's position now and naturally, his invitation to the Outstanding Talents Exchange Games by Prince Reuben.
"Your Highness, I am so sorry for what I have done to your banquet. It wasn't my intention," said Austin humbly.
Now that nobody had the guts to challenge him anymore, Austin put on a sincere face and apologized to Prince Reuben.
His Highness had been observing Austin right from the start. In his usual impassive manner, the Prince saw how Austin fought his warriors and not a single one of his dared challenge Austin anymore.
Austin too took note of His Highness's detached manner. He understood that the Prince enjoyed fights and liked to gauge the strengths of the warriors in combat. To the Prince, this was an obvious way to select the truly strong and fierce. And, the weakest were rid of conveniently.
"You don't need to apologize. You beat him up in self-defense. End of story. But I am impressed with your skills. Austin, I am surprised and pleased by your fights," replied His Highness.
There was something more on Prince Reuben's mind that he didn't reveal yet. After seeing Austin fight, he felt that Austin was worthy of being one among the fifty of his seeded team of the Mysterious Nether World. In fact, he knew that Austin would make a great addition to his elite group. Prince Reuben valued talents and Austin had earned his place of pride in his thoughts.
After Prince Reuben dismissed Austin, he saw hundreds of servants file in with the choicest of dishes and delicacies. From meats to fish, exotic vegetables and fruit. There was a wide array of mouth-watering preparations at Prince Reuben's feast.
The air was tinted with the spirit of revelry, while some clinked wine glasses, others took to indulging in finger-guessing gambling. This was an extraordinary event and the disciples present dove headlong into the sensual experience. After all, no one wanted to miss out on an evening like this.
In the sumptuously furnished hall, a group of young girls, supple and lithe of limb, were dancing among the guests. Like the melodious notes they sang, their bodies too moved gracefully. The gossamer-like dresses flew with the cool breeze that gushed through the balcony. One could make out silhouettes of their youthful, vigorous bodies but not one detail more.
And yet, despite the carousing, some warriors remained grim-faced with their hostile gaze fixed on Austin.
And nothing went unnoticed from Austin's hawk-like gaze too. Rather, he chose to shrug off their envy with a laugh.
His Highness abruptly interrupted the banquet to make an announcement.
"My mighty warriors. Can I have your attention, please? Tomorrow morning, I want to meet everybody here as I wish to take all of you to my brother's palace for the ceremony."
The ceremony? What ceremony?
A wave of confusion rippled through the warriors. It was common knowledge that now, all sons of the emperor were enemies. They were fighting each other for their old man's throne. So why would Prince Reuben invite them to another prince's mysterious ceremony was really beyond comprehension.
"Tomorrow, my eldest brother will take two concubines, at the same time. Both of them are, as I hear, of unmatched beauty. So the Grand Prince invited all the princes to attend the ceremony, all of us! And he insisted that, in particular, every brother should bring with him his favorite warriors. And for me, my favorite warriors are each and every one of you."
Prince Reuben paused for a second, looked around and started again, "I know. My brother wants to make a show of his harem. But I also know about his ulterior motive of finding out what each and every one of us is up to. So let's go. Let's see what's on my brother's mind this time."
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