I am a mage, with an infinite mana bar!

Fortunately, as the banquet was drawing to a close, Aiden Dalton didn't have time to ask the question he wanted. On the other side of the hall, Count Lawrence Frey stood up.

The music changed quickly, matching the count's serious and dignified demeanor.

Lawrence Frey was lean and wiry, but his voice was deep and resonant, clear enough to carry to the corners of the hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the banquet is coming to an end. In order not to disturb you from enjoying your dessert or going out to dance, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you something."

He paused, and although the people in the banquet hall had stopped and quieted down as soon as he uttered the first word, he still politely left a gap for everyone to switch gears.

"This should have been a family matter, but because it involves the land's heirs, I must follow tradition and announce it to you all."

Lynn nodded quietly; it was perfectly normal for a lord's family affairs to be considered public affairs.

Lawrence beckoned to his four children, calling them to his side, and then, with a smile, took Eli's hands in his.

"Soon, my youngest child will come of age, and I want to confirm my successor through a selection ceremony before that happens."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly coughed. His rigid face became lively with the violent movement, but at the same time, it also showed more wrinkles and made him look older.

Lynn then realized that the eldest son of Earl Frey was already middle-aged, so he must be quite old.

Eli quickly helped his father up, gently patting his back, and his other three siblings also gathered around.

Lawrence quickly interrupted them, recovered, and continued:

"The successor selection ceremony will be held in the middle of next month. Here, I will first explain the rules of the first round of selection to you."

"As one of the oldest magic families in Asia, the first round will be a magic battle."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the banquet hall revealed a hint of excitement.

In the past, watching magical battles and warrior duels was one of the most popular forms of entertainment among the nobility, but these outdated practices were later abolished by law.

But this kind of hobby has endured, and the monster arenas that exist in many cities today are the best proof of that.

Hearing that one could openly witness a magical battle, especially one contributed by a local lord's family, was indeed exciting.

Lawrence continued, "However, regardless of winning or losing, everyone will advance to the next round of selection."

"This selection ceremony is not a competition, but rather a way to show you all, and I hope you can act as my eyes, to see clearly which child is the most suitable to inherit this land."

"Ahem, the first round of magic battle will use the traditional rules: four people per team. There are no restrictions on the use of magical artifacts or items, but for the sake of fairness, fourth-circle and above magic is not allowed in the battle!"

"This is because three of my four children are still at the beginner level, and similarly, when choosing teammates, it is essential not to exceed this limit."

"At the start of the battle, each participant will be granted a [Magic Absorption] barrier. A loss occurs when one side concedes, one side exhausts all its magic power, or one side depletes all its [Magic Absorption] barriers!"

After explaining the rules for the first round of selection, Lawrence, unusually, smiled. He raised his hands and said with a flourish:

"Ladies and gentlemen! I have always encouraged my children to show themselves to you, and I'm sure you all know them to some extent."

"Then why not choose the person you approve of tonight and give him your full support!"

After saying this, he nodded slightly amidst the murmurs of the guests, turned and left.

Lynn was surprised. So, the team selection was based on tonight's guests? No wonder there were so many spellcasters here tonight...

He looked toward the area where Charlotte was in the center, where a group of young spellcasters dressed in white, blue, and green robes were gathered.

In addition, there were some who did not come on behalf of the Mage Tower, but their identities as spellcasters could be easily discerned from their demeanor or the magical artifacts they wore.

This is quite in line with the style of the Frey family that he learned from Barton and Luke.

The elders of the Frey family always go to great lengths to push their children to the forefront early on, encouraging them to build their own power base in order to determine who has the best potential to be their successor.

When it was time for dessert, and with the host already gone, the guests immediately became lively.

They would either leave their seats carrying desserts or pour themselves a glass of wine and drink heartily with others, all talking about the "Frey family heir selection ceremony".

Almost everyone at his table left at once.

Lynn leisurely savored a soft cake drizzled with yogurt and raspberry jam, quietly observing the situation in the banquet hall.

After Count Laurence Frey left, his eldest son naturally took over the place, moving among the guests with a wine glass in hand.

The count's second son and eldest daughter also did the same.

However, the people they were communicating with were clearly different.

The well-to-do eldest son immediately went to the people around him, who were, needless to say, "upper-class nobles" from the Upper City or even those who lived near Amber Street.

The stern-faced second son, who bore a striking resemblance to his father, was surrounded by a group of people. Lynn spotted Aiden Dalton, who had just spoken to him, among them, as well as several young men in white robes.

Contrary to his appearance, the second son of the count had a friendly smile when chatting with people.

The countess's eldest daughter, surrounded by a variety of beautiful and fashionable men and women, headed straight for the ballroom.

Meanwhile, Eli's side...

Lynn chuckled to herself as she saw herself surrounded by a group of young men who looked like peacocks spreading their tails.

Eli's smile was warm on the surface, but Lynn could tell that she was getting a little impatient.

His first thought was to help Eli out of the predicament, but then he thought that since he had no noble status and this was his first time appearing in a social setting, forcibly taking Eli away might have a negative impact on her.

At that moment, a figure in moon-white rushed into the crowd, her golden hair dazzling under the lights.

It was Charlotte Fenrir.

She pushed through the crowd with great poise, came to Eli's side, took her arm, smiled and greeted the group of young nobles, then said:

"I have something to discuss with this beautiful lady, so I'll take her with me now."

With that, he grabbed Eli and walked away.

The remaining group of men whispered among themselves.

"who is she?"

"I don't know if she's engaged...and she's very beautiful."

"It seems to be... someone from the Fenrir family..."

The crowd suddenly quieted down, and several people's faces became somewhat strange.

With their object of affection gone, they naturally had no reason to continue gathering together, and soon dispersed.

Lynn didn't rush to find the two "Magic Network members." Instead, she quickly finished the cake in front of her and then got up and walked to another corner of the banquet hall.

He encountered an unexpected acquaintance there.