From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 393

The banquet hall fell into eerie silence as Dorian's deep, resonant voice echoed across the room.

"What?"

Every head turned toward Leander, faces stiff with disbelief.

The news that the Riverstone family's two heirs had been thrown off Westvale Peak and left gravely injured had already spread like wildfire through Highcliffe's elite circles.

Among the crowd were countless high-ranking figures and even representatives from the four most powerful families. Yet not one of them could claim they had the audacity to harm the Riverstone heirs. Even men like Gareth and Teion—heads of their own distinguished families—wouldn't have dared take things that far.

So, when the news first broke, it shook the entire city, and everyone was curious about who he was. Now, seeing the person behind it appear at the Riverstones' own banquet—young, calm, and completely unfamiliar—was beyond comprehension.

Arden sat frozen in her chair, her expression stiff and vacant.

She had thought Leander was already out of his mind for striking Owen and his father, but she had never imagined he was the one who had crippled the Riverstone brothers.

What stunned her even more was that an ordinary man who hurt the Riverstones would've been wiped off the map long ago—yet Leander had injured both heirs and still showed up to their family banquet as if nothing had happened. That kind of composure, that power, left her in silent awe.

Turning to Ginny, she suddenly recalled how Ginny had once said Leander could do anything. Now, she finally understood. The man standing before them wasn't just fearless—he stood at a height so far above the rest that even the Riverstones treated him like a threat.

"Jeff? Why does that name sound so familiar?"

A few of the guests—wealthy figures closely tied to the four great families—frowned in confusion.

"Jeff?" one of the younger men suddenly exclaimed. "Wait—Jeff Ashcroft? The same Jeff Ashcroft who saved all four families during the martial assembly at the Southern Shore?"

That event—where the four major elite families had gathered to test their martial champions—had drawn countless onlookers from Highcliffe. Those who had been there still remembered the lone figure who swept through eleven opponents on the open sea. And now, seeing Leander's calm posture and striking features, realization dawned on them all—it was him.

Arden's heart pounded. She could hardly believe that Leander had such a legendary past. Even Ginny, who had always admired him, looked dazed.

Leander's strength was unquestionable. Beyond his rising fame in Astria's martial world, his only known title had been Mornwick's Legend. Yet in just over a month, his name had swept through Highcliffe, striking fear and awe even among its most powerful elites.

Leander stood tall, a faint, disdainful smile curving his lips.

"You want me, Jeff Ashcroft, to apologize? And you think your Riverstone family deserves that?"

Even the Transcendent Realm masters—those who could soar through the skies and walk through flames—had bowed to him. How could a single family expect him to kneel?

"Jeff, your arrogance knows no bounds!

"I warned you before—don't think that just because you're powerful, you can do whatever you please! The Riverstone family still has ways to bring you down!

"No matter how strong you are, can you defy the authorities? Can you defy the law of the nation?"

Dorian stepped forward, eyes blazing.

"Jeff, I want an answer. My two sons had no quarrel with you. Why did you throw them off Westvale Peak and leave them for dead?

"You're a citizen of Astria. You assaulted honorable men in public. Tell me—who gave you that right?"

Dorian's voice carried the full weight of his rank as a major general—steady, sharp, and commanding. His words struck with the force of authority as he demanded an answer from Leander.

Sensing the tension, the guests quietly backed away, leaving a wide, empty space in the center of the banquet hall. Only Leander and the two members of the Riverstone family remained under the glaring lights.

"You want a reason? Fine. I'll make it simple."

Leander lifted his gaze, his tone calm but edged with ice. "Your younger son led men into my mother's sanctuary to abduct her. I warned him before—but he chose the wrong path.

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