Most people only knew the surface-level details of the Severia incident.
They knew the Elyndorian team had crushed the competition.
They knew the Severian organizers had committed a massive cover-up.
They knew the event was indefinitely suspended while international authorities investigated.
But the horrific truths—the Obsidian Sun, the underground base, the human experimentation, the imprisonment of global experts—were heavily classified. Because a joint international tribunal was still active, those details were strictly kept from the public.
Because of this, in the eyes of the arrogant, out-of-touch elite,
Serena's monumental achievements were dismissed as: "She just got lucky being on the national team."
They even convinced themselves of a wild theory.
With the Lancaster family throwing this grandiose debutante gala right now,
they assumed the family was merely piggybacking on Elyndor's phenomenal success on the global stage, artificially inflating their newly found daughter's reputation to solidify her status.
Wasn't it overkill to put a so-called heiress on such a high pedestal?
Didn't they know that the higher you climb, the harder you fall?
Naturally, these snide remarks eventually leaked into the Marington College faculty group chats.
And the elite circles of the national research laboratories instantly exploded in fury.
Mr. Harrison, a national treasure in the academic world, nearly shattered his teacup when he heard the gossip. "What do they mean, riding the national team's coattails?!"
"If it weren't for Serena, it's a miracle if the Elyndorian team even made it out alive!"
Professor Warren scoffed coldly beside him. "A bunch of ignorant fools."
Mr. Ashwell's face was dark. "We are all attending that gala."
"Damn right we are! It's our little scientific oracle's debutante ball!" Mr. Harrison fumed, his mustache twitching with rage. "If anyone dares make snide remarks at Serena's gala, I want to see if their parents have the guts to show their faces and claim them."
"Medicine requires decades of foundation."
"A girl barely in her twenties—I don't care how talented she is—how much real-world experience could she possibly have? Just how good could she actually be?"
"Even the Harrison family, with a century of medical heritage, would never dare claim we can cure everything."
At the exact same time.
Deep within an intensely private, traditional courtyard estate.
The Montgomery family, a reclusive lineage, had also received their invitation.
They rarely mingled in Vaelion City's public high society, viewing their bloodline as inherently superior and their history far deeper than the rest.
To them, the so-called wealthiest family in the city, the Lancasters, were little more than new money.
Dominic Montgomery sat lazily in a carved sandalwood chair, slowly opening the invitation.

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