The silence that followed Arthur's casual introduction felt like it lasted forever, though it was probably only a few seconds. I watched my friends' faces cycle through various stages of shock, disbelief, and what could only be described as starstruck awe.
Elena was the first to break.
"Oh my god," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You're... you're actually Arthur Nightingale."
"That would be me," Arthur replied with a small laugh, clearly finding their reactions amusing rather than concerning. "Though I'm just here to pick up my sister. Nothing too exciting."
Marcus had managed to retrieve his dropped tablet, but his hands were shaking as he held it. "I... we were just... I mean, we've been following your achievements and..."
"The Imperial Palace duel!" Elena suddenly burst out, her usual composure completely abandoned. "The bone armor technique! How did you manage to synchronize opposing magical paradigms without creating feedback loops?"
