Chapter 16: Introductions
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The atmosphere inside the Moonlit Tea Room shifted once again.
The servant opened the door.
A tall man stepped inside.
Broad shoulders.
Silver-gray hair.
Sharp golden eyes that seemed to belong to a predator.
He wore a dark coat lined with white fur, and every movement carried a restrained, dangerous strength.
Fenrir immediately knew what he was.
Something about the man felt wild.
Primal.
A werewolf.
The man's gaze swept across the room before stopping on Fenrir.
For a brief moment, surprise flashed in his eyes.
Then he bowed.
"I greet the Young Sovereign."
Fenrir simply nodded.
At this point, he had completely given up trying to understand why everyone kept calling him that.
Another figure entered.
A woman dressed in deep violet robes embroidered with countless silver runes.
Long black hair fell to her waist, and intelligent emerald eyes carefully observed the room.
A witch.
She smiled warmly.
"My greetings, Young Sovereign."
Fenrir returned an awkward smile.
"Hello."
Finally—
The last visitor entered.
Golden hair.
Snow-white robes.
Six magnificent wings folded behind his back.
A soft golden radiance surrounded him.
An angel.
The room became silent.
Even Lord Adrian and Elena glanced toward the newcomer.
The angel's blue eyes settled on Fenrir.
Then he bowed.
"It is an honor to meet you, Young Sovereign."
"...Thank you?"
The angel smiled.
The Moonlit Tea Room suddenly felt much smaller.
A soft chuckle escaped the old man.
"It seems my little tea room has become quite lively."
No one disagreed.
The old man placed his teacup down.
"Since everyone is here, proper introductions are in order."
He looked at Fenrir.
"And before you ask… yes, I also have a name."
Fenrir blinked.
"You do?"
The old man looked offended.
Several people laughed.
Sebastian looked horrified.
"Of course the Master has a name."
"Then why didn't anyone tell me?"
The old man smiled.
"You never asked."
Fenrir stared at him.
That was somehow a perfectly reasonable answer.
The old man stood.
"My name is Aetherion Vale."
"I am the current Master of the Midnight Exchange."
A respectful silence filled the room.
Even the newly arrived guests dipped their heads slightly.
Aetherion smiled and gestured toward the vampire.
"This gentleman is Lord Adrian Nightshade, one of the representatives of the Night Court."
Adrian bowed elegantly.
"A pleasure."
Aetherion then gestured toward the fox spirit.
"This young lady is Lady Yuna of the Moon Fox Clan."
Yuna's nine tails swayed happily.
"It's nice to finally meet you."
The old man pointed toward the dwarves.
"These three are master smiths of the Ironforge Clan."
The eldest stepped forward.
"I am Borin Ironforge."
The second nodded.
"Durin Ironforge."
The third smiled proudly.
"And I am Thrain Ironforge."
Fenrir blinked.
"...Your parents weren't very creative, were they?"
Silence.
The three dwarves looked deeply offended.
Yuna burst into laughter.
Even Seraphina had to cover her mouth.
Aetherion coughed.
"Moving on."
He looked toward the dragon woman.
"This is Lady Elena Drakaris."
"One of the remaining members of the Dragon Clan."
A respectful silence followed.
Even among the hidden world, dragons were incredibly rare.
Their scales, blood, bones, and even their hearts were treasures beyond measure.
Because of this, dragons had been hunted for countless years.
Their numbers had dwindled greatly.
Yet despite that—
Very few dared challenge one.
Dragons remained one of the most dangerous races in existence.
Some possessed an extraordinary talent for draconic runes and the ancient draconic language, allowing them to influence reality itself on a limited scale from birth.
Not every dragon possessed such gifts.
But those who did…
Were terrifying.
Elena's amber eyes met Fenrir's.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"So the rumors truly did not exaggerate."
Fenrir sighed.
Another mysterious statement.
Aetherion continued.
"This gentleman is Kael Frostfang."
"Representative of the Northern Werewolf Tribes."
Kael crossed his arms.
Then he frowned.
"You smell strange."
Silence.
"...Thank you?"
"That wasn't a compliment."
"...Oh."
A few people laughed.
Kael continued staring at him.
"You smell like a predator… and something older."
The laughter faded.
Fenrir blinked.
"...I don't know what that means."
"Neither do I."
For some reason…
That answer made everyone even more uncomfortable.
Aetherion quickly continued.
"This is Lady Selene Ashwood."
"A senior member of the Witch Council."
The witch smiled warmly.
"I've been looking forward to meeting you."
For some reason…
That smile made Fenrir nervous.
"And lastly…"
Aetherion looked toward the angel.
"This is Sir Raphael Aurelius."
"An envoy of the Heavenly Dominion and a servant of the Heavenly Father Himself."
Raphael placed a hand over his chest.
"May the stars guide your path, Young Sovereign."
"...Thank you."
At last, the introductions were complete.
Everyone looked at Fenrir.
He blinked.
"Why is everyone staring at me?"
Sebastian sighed.
"It's your turn, Young Master."
"My turn?"
"To introduce yourself."
"Oh."
Fenrir looked around the room.
Everyone was waiting.
Even Aetherion.
For some reason…
He suddenly felt nervous.
"My name is Fenrir Endarth."
Silence.
"...And?" Yuna asked.
"...And what?"
"That's it?"
Fenrir looked confused.
"What else am I supposed to say?"
Silence.
Then—
Kael laughed.
Yuna giggled.
Even Elena smiled.
A faint smile appeared on Raphael's face.
Aetherion chuckled.
"You truly know nothing about our customs."
"I've been part of this world for less than a day!"
"Fair point."
"I… honestly don't know what else to say."
That only made everyone laugh harder.
For a moment, the Moonlit Tea Room no longer felt like a gathering of legendary figures.
It felt like a group of strange people sharing tea and laughter.
Yet beneath that warmth…
Everyone present shared the same thought.
The young man sitting before them—
The one who looked completely lost—
Was the last survivor of a race that had once terrified the universe.
The Last God Devourer.
The Young Sovereign.
Fenrir Endarth.
None of them knew whether he would one day become the universe's greatest protector…
Or the calamity that would bring it to ruin.
Aetherion slowly lifted his teacup.
His silver eyes looked beyond the walls of the Midnight Exchange.
Beyond Earth.
Beyond the stars.
He could feel it.
The universe was beginning to move.
Ancient powers were awakening.
Old destinies were stirring.
And this small gathering inside the Moonlit Tea Room…
Was only the beginning.