After a while, everyone gathered in the lounge dispersed on the spot.
Claudia returned to the student union's office and continued to deal with matters related to the Star Warrior Festival. Butler and Jenni Ortega were planning to go to training and seemed to have a real sense of crisis.
After confirming that there was no longer a reporting club from the academy standing outside the door, Erend left the lounge and headed to the player area on the other side.
Naturally, he wanted to find his partner.
But when Erend came to the player area on the other side and arrived at the lounge where Ferguson was, he heard a rough roar.
"Look what you've done?! How dare you!"
The roughness of the voice made Erend frown tightly.
He tried to enter the lounge directly, but the lounges in the player area were specially set up. If the user of the lounge did not grant permission via the operation window, outsiders would never be able to enter.
Erend frowned deeper and took out the activation body of the Black Furnace Demonic Sword, activating it.
The activated Black Furnace Demonic Sword was only the size of a dagger, its blade glowing with a purple-black hue.
Holding the Black Furnace Demonic Sword like a dagger, Erend slashed lightly at the door in front of him.
With a crash...
As the surrounding all-purpose elements burned away, the door lock lost its function, and the automatic door opened silently, allowing Erend to see the scene inside.
Suddenly, Erend saw Ferguson and her uncle, Lee.
At this time, Lee was facing away from the door, angrily scolding Ferguson, who stood in front of him.
"Not only did you lose against a mere thirteenth-ranked person, but you were also tempted by the olive branch offered by your opponent. Are you seriously considering partnering with that brat to participate in the Phoenix Star Martial Arts Festival?"
"Who allowed you to do this?!"
Lee's angry punch hit the wall next to him, causing the entire structure to shake.
Ferguson stood before Lee, head lowered, her petite body trembling slightly, as if afraid, unsure of what to say.
"Do you think you can get rid of me like this?" Lee cursed, his anger boiling over. He seemed to have lost all sense of reason. He roared at Ferguson, saying:
"Innocent! You lost my help. What can you do?"
"You're useless except for wielding a sword. Who gave you the chance to realize your wish?"
"It was me!"
"Without me, do you think you could become number one?!"
Regarding Lee's words, Ferguson had no intention of refuting them.
Not because she didn't dare to or didn't want to, but because she truly believed it herself.
She had always felt that the reason she became number one in the rankings was solely due to her uncle's help.
If her uncle hadn't arranged a duel for her on her first day of school, she would never have been able to become one of the twelve on the first page of the school rankings.
If she had not made it to the first page, she wouldn't have had the opportunity to challenge the previous number one in the formal ranking battle during the first month.
And if her uncle hadn't gathered so much intelligence on her opponents, she would never have been able to easily defeat the previous number one and successfully defend her title in the second month.
Therefore, Ferguson didn't deny it.
However, she didn't realize that her silence only reinforced Lee's belief that all of her achievements were due to him.
Thus, Lee continued his outburst.
"It's because you're useless! The status I worked so hard to secure is now being handed over to others, and all my plans are ruined. Do you even understand the damage this causes me?"
"I spent so much time and energy on you, thinking that at least, even if you were useless, you could at least wield a sword well!"
"And what happened? You ruined my plan just like that!"
"All of your past efforts have been wasted! And now, you dare to accept that brat's invitation to the Phoenix Star Martial Arts Festival?"
"I will never allow it!"
As he spoke, Lee reached out his hand, seemingly about to grab Ferguson's hair.
He had done this many times before and never thought there was anything wrong with it.
Unfortunately, things were different this time.
"Crack!"
A hand suddenly shot out from the side, grabbing Lee's wrist and stopping him in his tracks.
"What?"
Lee was shocked.
"E-Erend?"
Ferguson also noticed something. She raised her head and saw Erend, who had appeared beside them without warning, and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Hello, Mr. Lee."
Erend didn't look at Ferguson but greeted Lee as if nothing had happened.
"You?!" Lee reacted, speaking in surprise: "How did you get in here?"
"I walked in, of course." Erend smiled, but his words were blunt. "Fortunately, I was able to, otherwise, I wouldn't have witnessed an uncle abusing his niece."
Lee's face turned pale—not out of fear, but from anger.
"This is a family matter. You have no right to interfere!" Lee struggled and shouted, "Let me go!"
Hearing this, Erend immediately let go.
"Ah!"
Caught off guard, Lee lost his balance and fell heavily to the floor.
"Uncle! Uncle!"
Ferguson cried out in alarm.
Erend looked down at Lee, his expression calm.
"You said no one should interfere as long as it's a family matter?"
"If that's the case, then why do we have the police?"
"Even if I'm an outsider, seeing someone about to abuse an underage girl is more than enough reason to intervene, don't you think?"
Lee, still on the floor, grew even angrier.
"Do you know who I am?" Lee glared at Erend and said, "I am an employee of the integrated enterprise consortium, Britain Company. In other words, I am an agent of the academy's operating parent body. You are just a student. Are you seriously thinking of attacking me?"
It was no small matter for a Baby Boomer to attack an ordinary person.
Since Baby Boomers possessed power far beyond normal humans, even the smallest attack could cause irreparable harm. Society had strict laws prohibiting them from harming ordinary people, with severe punishments for violators.
This law was biased.
To ordinary people, the Baby Boomers were like monsters.
Thus, many feared and distrusted them, which led to numerous unjust situations.
Lee was one of those people.
And he was more than willing to use the legal system to suppress Baby Boomers whenever he could.
But Erend was unmoved.
"If I have a legitimate reason, I have no problem doing so." Erend looked at Lee indifferently. "Even if you are an employee of Britain Company, if you are caught roughing up a seed player who ranks number one in the first-year division, someone expected to achieve great success in the Star Martial Festival, who do you think Britain Company will side with?"
Hearing this, Lee fell silent.
As an employee of Britain Company, he understood how the Integrated Enterprise Consortium prioritized profit above all else.
The Star Martial Festival was a major economic event.
If a promising competitor was harmed because of him, Britain Company would likely protect Erend and Ferguson while punishing Lee instead.
"Looks like you understand."
Erend smirked coldly.
"Now, leave on your own accord. And don't bother me and my partner again."
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