Chapter 380 [Bonus 500PT (っ˘ڡ˘ς)] I'll deal with him later...
"Discover a shattered heart atop the highest peak, forged by the depths of the deepest valley... ah," the Dragon Emperor murmured. He paused, After a long, weighted moment, he nodded slowly and turned his gaze to the students. "I'm not entirely certain about this shattered heart, but... I do recall a place—the highest peak, forged by the death"
The Chosen Ones' faces brightened with eager anticipation. "Can we see it now?" Aqualina asked, her voice laced with a mix of excitement and impatience, her eyes wide with curiosity.
The Dragon Emperor's gaze landed on Aqualina, 'This girl... she's that filthy lowborn's daughter, isn't she?' His thoughts dripped with disdain as he sized her up. Yet, outwardly, he nodded with a cold, indifferent air. "Before that," he began, "why don't you all take some time to explore the city? I'll need to make some preparations first."
The students, though curious about the peak, they never seen the Pyra Empire fully so they nodded eagerly.
But then, the Dragon Emperor's face darkened, "I meant only the Chosen Ones," he stated.
Thalia, Lia, Ashara, Selene, and Victor's expressions hardened.
The Dragon Emperor shrugged, his lips curling into a slight, arrogant smirk, "I respect only those who have proven themselves worthy... nothing more, nothing less," he declared, his eyes lingering on Thalia and Raven with a dismissive glance before locking onto Victor.
Victor's gaze bore into the Emperor, the tension thickening like a storm about to break. Explore new worlds at empire
Kyra, standing beside Victor, She patted his shoulder, her hand trembling as sweat poured down her face in nervous torrents, 'C-Calm down!!' she screamed internally, desperate to defuse the situation, but,
KKnnnngggggggg
The sound of metal scraping against stone echoed ominously as Victor deliberately pushed his chair back. The harsh screech sent a jolt through everyone present, making them flinch. Some even clasped their hands over their ears, trying to block out the unbearable noise.
Victor rose slowly.
The tension in the room was suffocating, every eye turning towards the Principal, who was some reason instead of stopping him... she enjoying this!!
Victor didn't utter a word, he started at the Dragon Emperor for a few seconds, as he turned to leave, and a collective sigh of relief escaped the room.
But their relief was short-lived as Victor suddenly halted in his tracks, freezing their hearts in their chests.
He turned his head slightly, his voice a low, dangerous growl as he called out, "Leon Dragonheart..."
Leon flinched, his body betraying his fear for a brief second before he masked it with a sneer. He glared at Victor with a smug, arrogant look. "What is it, Victor?" he replied, his voice dripping with condescension. His posture was that of someone untouchable, daring Victor to challenge him in front of his father, the mighty Dragon Emperor!!
Yet,
"I hope your balls are still 'Safe' in the future... Hehe..." Victor's voice was laced with dark amusement, the sinister undertone sending a shiver down Leon's spine.
"HOW DARE YOU!!!" The Dragon Emperor's roar shattered the tense silence, his face flushing with a deep, furious red. The very walls seemed to tremble under the force of his anger.
In an instant, the guards swarmed around Victor, their weapons drawn and poised to strike.
"You dare threaten my kin before me?! You insolent fool! I'll see you dead for this!" The Dragon Emperor's voice thundered through the hall, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.
Jack Sparrow, observing the scene from the sidelines, couldn't suppress a sly grin, 'Haha... this guy really knows no fear. Maybe he's the one I've been looking for...' he mused, his mind already racing with possibilities.
The Principal's brow furrowed in mild irritation before she tapped her foot on the stone floor. The sharp sound reverberated through the castle, its echo commanding immediate silence. "Calm down, Dragon Emperor," she ordered.
"But he--"
"You are not to interfere in the affairs of the young. Leon is more than capable of handling his own battles," she stated.
The Dragon Emperor seethed, but he swallowed his pride, unable to refute her words.
.....
...
Outside the throne room,
"Damn, Victor, you really have some guts!" Thalia exclaimed, her voice tinged with awe.
Lia nodded in agreement, though she remained silent, because.... "Isn't he?" Selene chimed in, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she sidled closer to Victor, her smile bright and eager.
"You've got some serious guts, Ae-Victor!" Selene repeated, this time grabbing his hand and shaking it with fervour, her grip strong and unyielding.
Selene's heart swelled with pride. She had never seen anyone stand up to the Dragon Emperor like that, especially not with such bold defiance..... She felt a surge of possessive! pride welling up inside her, the urge to shout, 'That's my man!!' nearly overwhelming her.
'Hmm! I need to work harder!' Selene thought, her expression serious. She couldn't believe she had knelt before the Dragon Emperor... If she did that again, it would be a direct slap to her hubby, who had been ready to stand up to the Dragon Emperor himself.
/Don't worry, darling! Next time, I'll stand tall beside you. Proudly!! I won't ever bring shame upon you... ever again!!/
She vowed telepathically!
Victor's lips curled into a subtle smile, his hand moving on its own to gently pat her when,
/Aether!/
Celestia's voice resonated in his mind, snapping him back to the present. He immediately let go of Selene's hand, folding his arms across his chest, his demeanour reverting to one of cold indifference.
Meanwhile, Lia's eyes narrowed at Selene's actions. 'What's going on with her? Is she really into Aether or not?' Lia's mind spun with confusion and doubt. One moment Selene was aggressively forcing Aether and even harassing him!!... yet the next, she was cozying up to Victor... This wasn't the first time Lia had noticed Selene's glances toward Victor during class, and it troubled her deeply.
'Hmm...' Lia decided to keep a closer watch on Selene. She wouldn't allow Aether to be toyed with by another deceitful woman.
Meanwhile,
"P-Princess..." Kai called out to Aqualina hesitantly.
"Hmm?"
"I'd like to have Aether with me today," Kai requested, his smile forced yet polite.
Aqualina frowned slightly. "Why? You already have an attendant, don't you?" she questioned, casting a suspicious glance at Vesperine, who stood silently behind him.
Kai's smile wavered, turning awkward. "I'm going out... and I thought Aether's assistance might be useful."
Aqualina's frown deepened as she studied Kai.... She could see through his ploy, yet rejecting him outright might provoke his anger, potentially leading him to reveal the truth or even reclaim Aether. Reluctantly, she nodded, allowing Aether to go, though the decision left a sour taste in her mouth.
Victor observed the exchange, a sigh escaping him inwardly.
He couldn't move far from Kai due to the freedom he had already used. Since he couldn't use it again for one week, he had no other choice but to stay with Kai for the time being.
'What am I supposed to do now...' Victor's thoughts spiralled in frustration when suddenly, Jack appeared before him, leaning in close to whisper, "I'd like to speak with you alone. Would you mind?"
Victor frowned, scepticism etched across his face. 'What does he want? I've got enough on my plate... maybe later,' he thought, dismissing Jack with a snort as he turned away. But then,
!~Ding~!
[Survival rate: 50.2%↓]
Victor blinked, startled by the sudden alert. His gaze snapped to Jack, who was now deep in conversation with Kaelen Darkfang.
'Looks like he is useful...' Victor mused, He really wanted to agree to talk with Jack, but... doing so would break his character settings.
He couldn't afford to break Victor's facade.
'Fine, I'll deal with him later...' he decided, shelving the matter for the time being.
Then the Principal emerged from the throne room and announced, "The maids will show you to your rooms. Those who want to explore can go, but make sure to take servants with you."
Upon hearing this, Kai and Vesperine's faces lit up with happiness!