Chapter 61: Family Feast

The snow fell continuously into the evening, growing even heavier.
It was foreseeable that within less than half a month—by tomorrow, in fact—the entire town of Winster would be blanketed in silver.
On such a cold, snowy night, the Polletta family manor was warm and cozy.
The fireplaces indoors had been lit, and the dining table was laden with steaming food.
Tonight, the main dining room was unusually crowded instead of Ethan dining all alone.
Sitting to Ethan’s left was Vilen, to his right was Vincent, and Pal伦 was seated next to Vincent.
This was a celebration banquet.
The war had ended a little over an hour ago.
Just as the sky had been swallowed by darkness.
The outcome of the battle was, naturally, a sweeping victory.
The prohibition agents who invaded the handicraft factory were nearly annihilated by Vilen, who had been lying in wait inside.
After this single blow, the prohibition agents would suffer a severe vitality drain once more.
Moreover, Lewis was dead.
As for the Cabrera family, Ethan had made preparations long ago; the vast majority of the casualties were former members of the Cabrera family, while the Polletta family lost very few.
By the time Ethan rushed back from Winster University, Vincent and Anya had already personally led men to suppress the remainder.
Very quickly, not a single ripple remained.
In fact, because of Big Beard Gary’s rebellion, Ethan successfully completed the purge of the old guard of the former Cabrera family.
Very few of the older Cabrera members survived. From now on, once Ethan inserted fresh blood into those vacant territories, his annexation would be truly complete.
There would never be any more internal rebellion issues.
Actually, this had been Ethan’s very first thought when he originally heard Pal伦 report Lewis’s attempt to turn him.
Killing two birds with one stone.

"Clang, clang, clang—"
Ethan stood up, picked up a spoon, and gently tapped his wine glass to signal everyone to look over.
"Gentlemen, let us first welcome my second brother, Vincent Polletta, home. Vincent, welcome home."
With the last sentence, Ethan looked at Vincent and raised his glass to him.
Vilen and Pal伦 hastily raised their glasses as well.
Vincent drained the wine in his cup, then leaned back lazily against his chair, looking immensely relaxed and satisfied.
It was the expression of someone who had finally arrived home.
Next was Vilen, whose performance today had been as flawless as ever.
Whatever tasks were assigned to him never went wrong.
Vilen was currently reminiscing; this was his first combat operation since receiving his true name, and the feeling was indeed different from usual.
It felt as though his entire being had soared upward.
He was intoxicated by that sensation.

"It's a pity Lewis died."
That was the only regret.
He had intended to kill that punk with his own hands.
He couldn't help glancing down at his slightly empty left foot.
Finally, there was Pal伦.
Pal伦 was still somewhat dazed; he had actually been spacing out just moments ago.
The sound of gunfire still seemed to echo endlessly in his ears.
Those intersecting gunshots made him recall that fateful night one moment, and then seemed to show him the old men of the former family collapsing at his feet the next.
Although he hadn't actually pulled the trigger today to kill anyone,
it was undeniably true that today, the Cabrera family had been truly and utterly destroyed at his hands.
"Pal伦..."
Ethan’s voice snapped him out of it.
Before he knew it, Ethan had walked up behind Pal伦, gently pressing his jade-like hands upon Pal伦’s shoulders.
"You truly impressed me today."
"So, you now have two choices: first, I will give you a sum of money, and you can go anywhere you wish, and I will never look for you again; second, stay, assist Vilen, and genuinely assist him."
Ethan’s words were already crystal clear.
He had placed complete trust in Pal伦, was ready to grant him freedom, and was willing to accept him as a genuine member of the family.
Pal伦 remained somewhat dazed.
Had this been the past, he would have undoubtedly chosen to leave without hesitation, escaping this nightmare.
But now...
After a long silence,
Pal伦 slowly stood up, turned around, grasped Ethan’s left hand, and then lowered his head to kiss the crest intertwined with black mud and thorns deeply.
"Ethan, I am willing to offer you... my heart."
To offer one's heart.
This was a very ancient phrasing.
Long ago, the people of Maple Emerald had once established a powerful empire on the Old Continent. Those battle-hardened, swift-moving imperial knights would strike their chests and utter these words when granting an audience to their sovereign.
"Glory... shall walk alongside you."
Ethan spoke the corresponding reply.
The atmosphere grew solemn and sacred.
Vincent smiled with gratification from the side.
The dinner commenced, and everyone ate to their heart's content.
During the banquet, Ethan casually asked for Vilen’s thoughts, primarily regarding the responsibilities Vincent would take charge of next.
Ethan’s idea was to temporarily have Vincent manage the handicraft factory.

Vilen previously had to oversee the Cabrera family’s territory while also attending to the handicraft factory, which left him stretched a bit too thin.
Vilen naturally expressed his agreement.
As for Vincent, he merely nodded.
"Wherever you want me to go, I will go."
Near the end of the evening banquet, Anya walked back from outside and said to Ethan, "Young Master, those items have arrived."
Ethan understood; it was the alchemy product he had ordered from Living Flame.
Since Vilen happened to be here as well, he simply had Anya bring them in.
They were two exquisitely crafted wooden boxes, their surfaces carved all over with intricate patterns.
Judging by the packaging alone, they were exceptional.
The first box naturally contained Ethan and Anya’s firearms.
Opening the box, two uniquely styled weapons rested upon red silk fabric.
Their bodies were silvery-white, while their grips were made of pitch-black sandalwood for one, and pure white material of unknown origin for the other.
Utterly elegant.
There were also inscriptions on the gun bodies. The black gun was engraved with "To the Godfather," followed presumably by the craftsman’s signature, the letters AL.
As for the white gun, it was naturally engraved with "To Tanya."
"Anya, take them and try it out."
Ethan tossed the white gun to Anya, while gripping the black gun himself.
The moment the weapon entered his hand, there was a sensation of flesh and blood connection.
This was indeed a fine piece of weaponry, with an extraordinary feel.
Anya couldn't put it down either; clearly, Living Flame had made minor adjustments. Relatively speaking, Anya’s white gun was slimmer and better suited for a woman's use.
As for the others, Vilen and Pal伦 understood only half of it.
Vincent, however, offered a word of praise: "A very fine alchemy creation, and surprisingly a tier-three one at that."
Ethan nodded; this second brother’s insight was far greater than he had imagined.
Next came Vilen’s prosthetic limb.
When Ethan took that intensely futuristic prosthetic limb out of the box,
Vilen was on the verge of shedding tears of gratitude.
"Young Master, is this... is this for me?"
"Of course, Vilen. I owe you this."
Ethan held the prosthetic limb out in both hands and handed it to Vilen.
Vilen trembling received it, utterly speechless.