Chapter 1940

Clint did not say much at the banquet. He did not know what to say. All the congratulatory words spoken by Artoile were handled by his master. His master wanted to make him happy, but Clint did not know why he should be happy. Perhaps it was just the atmosphere. This coming-of-age ceremony made him feel as though he were an outsider, a 'rare treasure' on display for others to admire. Various bigwigs whose names he could not remember kept arriving. Each one greeted his father with a smile and then, seemingly as a formality, greeted him too. It was as if he had no thoughts of his own. Clint just wanted to escape. The chaotic environment made him uncomfortable. He felt like a guest, tense and awkward. Even his conversations with his father were brief and forced. He did not know what to ask. He was curious about his siblings, but when he asked, his father brushed him off with vague answers. Clint realized it was not the right time to ask these questions. When the banquet ended, people