In King City.

These days, Julius grew increasingly uneasy. The sudden appearance of an envoy from the Hernandez family was not something he could easily dismiss. It was time to seek Lionel McClain's counsel on the matter of the aristocratic families.

"Concerning the aristocratic families?" Lionel appeared knowledgeable. "Have you incurred their displeasure?"

Julius shook his head. "I've had no dealings with them. However, a few days back, someone claiming to be from the Hernandez family visited my home. They spoke accurately about our progenitor.

"It seems they intend to absorb ours."

Lionel nodded thoughtfully. "I hadn't anticipated this. The ties between your Hernandez family and the aristocrats run deeper than I imagined."

While time had obscured much history, Lionel knew that the Hernandezes arrived later compared to the McClains. Over time, they rose to prominence in King City, eventually becoming one of its top-tier families.

Yet, Lionel hadn't realized that the Hernandez