Inside the Dining Hall, all the guests had already fallen asleep. The place was empty. The entire table had been cleaned as well. Before long, Hanzuo entered carrying a bottle of wine and a glass.
He pulled a stool and sat on it. He placed the glass on the table and poured wine into it with a crossed-leg posture. He stared at the wine in the glass, sniffed it, swirled it around, and then drank half of it.
He savored the taste on his lips with his eyes closed.
Desmond then appeared at the side, bowing his head. "I bring news."
"Don't sneak up on me like that."
"My apologies."
Hanzuo smiled and looked again at the glass while swirling the wine inside. "So what news do you want to tell me?"
"The White Hunters Guild Leader, Xin Blades. He is the one who captured Emrys Valestron."
At the teacher's report, Hanzuo's smile widened and he lifted his glass of wine into the air. "Good news. Is he here already?"
"He is still on his way."
Hearing this, the headmaster laughed again. "If that's the case, he's in danger. It's too early for him to celebrate. I need to witness this with my own eyes."
__
Along a road, Xin was walking in front while carrying Emrys' unconscious body on his shoulder.
The boy was bound with thread, leaving him with no chance to escape no matter how hard he tried. Xin tied him so carefully that Emrys couldn't even move a fingertip.
On every side and behind Xin, the members of his squad followed as they headed toward the Dining Hall to finish what he had started.
He walked with confidence—until another group blocked their path.
Xin and his group were forced to stop. "Magnus Silver. Sorry, but I got ahead of you this time. We already have the five hundred points for this competition, so pray you still have a chance to catch up."
At Xin's words, the members of the Black Dragons Guild exchanged looks.
Magnus sighed and spoke with his hands in his pockets. "And who told you we would just let you walk to the Dining Hall carrying that boy?"
Xin's smile disappeared, and he tightened his grip on Emrys' unconscious body.
Some of his members swallowed nervously.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Loan muttered as he scanned the area.
Every member of Magnus' group prepared their energy, including Magnus himself, with a lowered stance and a sharp gaze fixed on the opposing guild leader.
Xin Blades clenched his jaw. "You're cheating, Magnus. This isn't right. Let us pass right now! Do you think Headmaster Hanzuo will just let this slide? Wait until he finds out—you're done for, remember that!"
"You must have forgotten what the headmaster said, Xin," Magnus replied. "He ordered us to catch and bring Valestron inside the Dining Hall. Unfortunately for you, you only caught him, and you're still a hundred meters away from the Dining Hall. As long as you're out here, I will take Valestron from you whether you like it or not."
Xin's expression darkened. He stepped back and dashed away at lightning speed into a nearby alley. "Don't let them get close to me!" he ordered his men.
"Some of you guard the Dining Hall entrance! The rest, grab Valestron from Xin no matter what happens!"
"Damn it!" Loan shouted, and both his group and Magnus' group sprang into action.
In the alley where Xin passed, two of his members blocked the way. But they didn't even notice Magnus slip between them and continue chasing Xin.
"Annoying! He's really fast!"
Chaos erupted everywhere. Students scattered as spells were launched without pause.
Shouts echoed nonstop. People ran, fought, and tried to keep each other from achieving their goals.
"Hand Valestron over to us!" a Black Dragon member yelled before punching an opponent in the face.
"You've got some nerve claiming what isn't yours!" the opponent shouted back, right before Loan kicked him hard, sending him flying until he hit a tree and passed out.
Moments later, the Gray Phoenix Guild joined the chaos. Dao had just woken up, and when he realized what was happening, his grin reached his ears as he ordered his men, "Guard the Dining Hall entrance immediately! I'll take Valestron myself!"
Meanwhile, from a room in the Black Dragons Guild Building, Elise also noticed the chaos outside. From her bed, she sat up and approached the window. Just as she was about to pull the curtain aside—
"Elise." Her brother called her from the doorway.
The princess looked toward the open door and saw Lucien standing there. He had been healed by magic, but he no longer had the motivation to go out and fight again.
"Brother," she replied softly, avoiding eye contact as she returned to sit on her bed. "You should knock before entering. What if your timing was wrong?"
The prince immediately understood what she meant and felt embarrassed. "Sorry. I thought you joined the chaos outside."
"Are you here to stop me?" the princess said with a smile as she lay back down and closed her eyes.
"I wish," he answered, looking out the window. Then he glanced back at her and continued, "Elise… I'm sorry. I failed as your brother. I couldn't avenge you."
Hearing this, the princess secretly smiled and wrapped herself in her blanket.
After a brief silence, Lucien turned around to leave. "Sorry for disturbing you. Get some rest."