"Senior, you must have known sothing… I have never seen him like this before," Klea said, her voice tinged with worry and frustration.
The sudden, cryptic ssage from Ery and his abrupt disappearance had unsettled her deeply. It took Klea only an hour to trace the connection back to Shinta's elimination from her duels, to an incident in Utopia city, and then back to Heorgar.
Klea had long harbored suspicions that Heorgar was concealing sothing significant about Shinta ever since that night when Klea captured Annnara in the woods.
Fortunately for Klea, Heorgar has no intention of hiding the truth anymore, with Bob having already spilled it to Ery, Heorgar felt a sense of relief as he explained the hidden secret.
"Daughter!…" The word echoed in Klea's mind.
Klea turned pale as she connected the dots. Shinta's age matched perfectly with the months Ery had been stranded on the island. The realization shattered her composure. Initially, anxiety gripped her heart as she pondered what this revelation might an for her relationship with Ery. But as she thought deeper, understanding the gravity of what this truth ant for him, her emotions shifted.
She imagined Ery's turmoil, the guilt he must have felt for not recognizing his own daughter, the desperation driving his sudden departure.
Klea glared at the wolf Grand Magus with fierce judgnt. "Senior!! You are so despicable to hide this from him!! She's his daughter!! … 15 years of not knowing…." Heorgar's guilt deepened as he faced Klea's righteous fury. The weight of his secrecy felt heavier than ever. Finally, he shared everything he knew, his voice filled with regret.
Without wasting another mont, she sent everything she had learned back to Ery, hoping it would reach him and provide so clarity amidst the chaos. Along with the information, she included words of encouragent.
"I hope you find her. Be safe… Also, don't worry about the academy matters. I will handle them."
Though she received no reply, Klea didn't care. Her primary concern was Ery's well-being and his mission to find Shinta. She just hoped he wouldn't do anything reckless in his desperate state.
####
Klea returned to Hall 120, her face a mask of determination despite the heavy news she bore. She gathered the acolytes and inford them, "Your Master Ery has an urgent matter to attend to and will be away for so ti."
A murmur of disappointnt rippled through the crowd. Ery's recent month-long absence had already been a blow, and now this unexpected departure left them feeling uncertain. The timing couldn't have been worse; the personal rankings had just been established, and in three days, the competitive hall battles would comnce.
First, there would be the 20-man Magus Gas, a grueling test of skill and strategy. This would be followed by the 5 vs. 5 duels, where teamwork and individual prowess would be put to the test. The final and perhaps most critical event was the instructor battle. No matter how well they perford in the earlier rounds, a loss in the instructor battle would an they couldn't advance to the middle halls.
"Will Master be back by then?" one of the acolytes voiced the question on everyone's mind.
With a full two weeks until the instructor battle, Klea reassured the acolytes not to worry. "He will be back by then… if not… you all still have !"
A brief silence followed, filled with a mix of uncertainty and hope. Sensing their doubt, Klea added with fervor, "We can do it! We will show your master that even without him, we can succeed!"
The group quickly began their 20-man training. The atmosphere was intense, each acolyte pushing themselves to the limit. However, not everyone shared the sa level of enthusiasm. Hardy, who had zero intention of participating, lounged in the corner with a smile. "Have a good practice!"
Despite Hardy's attitude, the rest of the acolytes were focused. That was until a surprising announcent shook the group. Dillion, their strongest mber, declared that he would not be participating in the 20-man Magus gas. Instead, he would be recovering from his wounds and training personally for the next round. This decision, made after a thorough discussion with the instructors, left a palpable gap in their lineup.
Hardy's smile quickly faded, as this ant that he would need to participate.
Once again, the acolytes' expressions turned to concern. Their previously burning fighting spirit was shaken without Dillion. Klea swiftly countered with her prepared words.
"Do any of you know how many of those lower halls have top 100 acolytes among their lineup?"
Before they could answer, Klea continued, "Zero! So you have no reason to be worried!" She paused, looking at each of them with fierce determination. "Or are you all nothing without Dillion?"
Her words struck a chord, reminding them of their losses in the personal examinations. Their battle spirit reignited, burning even more fiercely than before.
Seeing their renewed determination, Klea revealed one more piece of news. "With Dillion not participating, we will need to choose another leader."
The acolytes exchanged puzzled glances. Who could fill Dillion's shoes?
Shockingly, Klea announced, "Hardy! You will be the leader!"
The words hit Hardy like a thunderbolt. His face turned pale, "What?! Why ?!"
Between the aggressive Kat and the reserved Damo, neither was ideal to lead the group. Kat's brash nature made her too volatile, while Damo's quiet deanor often made him too passive for effective leadership.
As for Hardy, despite having the lowest strength among them, his leadership qualities had shone during their practice sessions, especially while battling the Chizpurs group. The young Kaleos noble was not only a natural leader but also a good tactician. His deep knowledge of the other halls and matters related to the magus universe, compared to the other seniors who ca from lower realms, was an invaluable asset.
Klea had her reasons for choosing Hardy. She knew he had the potential to be an exceptional leader, but more importantly, she knew Hardy was a responsible person. Even if Hardy hid his real strenght, she believed that putting him in this position would be good for him.
Predictably, Hardy refused the job. But Klea was prepared. With a convincing enough threat of exposing his secrets, she managed to force his hand. "It's ti you contribute to the hall," she said firmly.
"Huh... I can't believe my uncle could find you attractive!!"
The 20 acolytes of Hall 120 had spent the past three days in intense preparation, honing their skills and refining their strategies for the challenges that lay ahead. Finally, the much-awaited Magus gas started.
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