"Are we giving up on the search, Leader Rein?" one of his companions whispered softly.
Rein was silent for a moment. His eyes were fixed on the setting sun until he finally sighed and turned to his team. "I'm done. If you want to continue, then just do what you can. I'd rather rest now until the first phase of the competition is over. So, I'll leave you for now."
Rein vanished from their sight.
His companions stared blankly at one another, shoulders slumped as if they had truly lost all hope of continuing the hunt.
"First, Prince Warren was defeated," one said, sitting down.
"And now our Guild Leader has given up," another added.
"And what's worse—he hasn't even faced Valestron yet, and he's already backing out!"
"So what about you all? Are you backing out too?" Jin Dui asked calmly. Everyone immediately looked at him.
"What's your name again?" someone asked.
"Jin. Jin Dui," he replied briefly.
"Jin Dui. A 3rd Grade Cat. So you're new here. If we asked you—would you also quit, Jin?"
Hands in his pockets, Jin observed them with dull, uninterested eyes before answering gently. "I won't quit."
__
The sun had fully set.
Many students had already given up trying to find Valestron because of how elusive he was.
Even if they tried to push their senses to the limit, it was pointless against Valestron.
"This is so frustrating! I'm exhausted! Where the hell is that guy?!" some of them shouted, unable to hold back their frustration.
They were even paying attention to the slightest breeze, hoping it might be him.
Sometimes the Gray Phoenix Guild and Black Dragons Guild would bump into each other in the same alley while chasing someone, only to discover it was just a stray black cat.
Lucien would clench his jaw and leave first, continuing to roam the dark academy.
A few followed him, carrying out every order he gave.
He had already told the princess to rest even though she had recovered, because Lucien didn't want her encountering Valestron again.
He wanted to be the one to face the boy himself—to capture him and present him to his father.
Magnus and Dao exchanged glances before parting ways without saying a word.
It was already past eight in the evening.
Some still kept searching, but as the night grew deeper, the groups wandering around slowly dwindled until Lucien was the only one still walking through the roads alone.
Even his followers had given up, and even Magnus had urged the prince to rest, but Lucien didn't listen.
On a rooftop beside the Clock Tower, Jin sat quietly. He was the only one still awake among his group, and he happened to see Lucien passing by the road in front of him.
The surroundings were incredibly silent. The cold wind brushed through the area. The only sound was Lucien's footsteps—and Jin secretly watching him.
When the clock struck exactly midnight, a loud bell rang across the entire institution.
Some students woke up, others yawned with their eyes still closed, and others continued snoring undisturbed.
The sound made Lucien stop walking.
While the bell continued ringing, the prince slowly turned his head toward Jin's location.
Jin admitted to himself that he was surprised Lucien sensed him, but he kept his expression calm, showing no hint of shock.
Their eyes locked until the bell finally stopped. When silence returned, Jin exhaled as Lucien turned away, ending their staring contest.
"Is he trying to make me leave? Tch. What did I even do?" Jin muttered to himself.
Then both Lucien and Jin stiffened when they sensed something strange in the air.
Their hearts pounded hard. Jin stood up on the rooftop, fully alert.
I can feel him. He's close.
From Lucien's position, about nine meters ahead, there was an alley. From the darkness, a boy stepped out with his hands in his pockets and walked toward Lucien.
Lucien knew him instantly.
He couldn't be mistaken.
His fists clenched, power surging through him, eyes widening. "Finally, I found you… Emrys Valestron."