Sianor and the others stood in silence for a mont, looking at the empty battlefield.
No one spoke right away.
Before anyone could say anything, a flying ship appeared behind them.
It approached steadily, stopping not far from where they stood.
It was Garion’s ship.
The mont it arrived, all of them moved without hesitation.
Sianor, Clark, and Floren stepped onto the deck one after another.
Garion stood there, relaxed as usual.
Sianor was the first to speak. "...Garion."
He looked directly at him. "Did you really defeat Darius?"
Garion looked at him, then smirked. "Of course not."
Floren blinked once. "...Then who did?"
Garion didn’t rush his answer. "My disciple."
He paused briefly. "And also his daughter, Dahlia."
All three of them were surprised.
Floren’s expression changed imdiately. "...Wait."
He leaned forward slightly. "What do you an by that?"
His tone sharpened. "You’re saying Dahlia defeated him?"
Garion nodded. "Of course she did."
He gestured casually toward the battlefield behind them. "The result speaks for itself. They all retreated, didn’t they?"
Sianor nodded slowly. "...That’s true."
But his expression didn’t relax. "Still..."
He frowned slightly. "I don’t understand why the entire force retreated when only Darius was defeated."
Garion smiled. "Because the fight wasn’t just a fight."
He crossed his arms. "It was a bet."
Sianor’s eyes narrowed slightly. "...A bet?"
Garion nodded. "Between and Pelion, the Chira General."
Sianor’s expression changed imdiately. "...You did what?"
His tone sharpened. "You made a bet with Pelion?"
Floren also reacted, though his tone stayed lighter. "...That’s a higher-up of a demonic faction."
He glanced at Garion. "You’re really sothing."
Garion shrugged slightly. "Yeah, I know."
Then he added calmly, "But you saw the result, didn’t you?"
He gestured again toward the empty battlefield. "He fulfilled the deal. All of them retreated."
He paused briefly. "And now..."
His tone remained steady. "The Draconia territory has officially returned to us."
Clark, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "...You’re really bold, Garion."
He looked at him carefully. "To make a bet with soone like Pelion."
Garion shook his head slightly. "It wasn’t my idea."
He smiled faintly. "He was the one who proposed it first."
He paused. "I just didn’t reject it."
Sianor let out a quiet breath. "...I see."
He looked at Garion again, then briefly toward the battlefield. "Still..."
His tone softened slightly. "It’s surprising. To think Dahlia managed to defeat her own father, the patriarch of a Grand Clan."
Garion laughed lightly. "Yeah."
He nodded once. "She did well."
Then he waved his hand slightly. "But let’s get back to the main topic."
He turned to Sianor. "I’ll return the territory to Solmira for you to handle."
He spoke calmly. "I’m leaving."
Floren blinked, clearly surprised. "...Leaving already?"
Garion nodded and lifted one leg slightly, stretching it out. "Of course. I still haven’t done my leg day today."
Floren stepped closer, a smirk forming on his face. "Co on..."
He tilted his head slightly. "That can wait."
His tone turned more playful. "Why don’t you try a different kind of workout?"
Garion raised an eyebrow. "...Like what?"
Floren grinned. "You know exactly what I an."
He leaned in slightly. "Co visit my sect. There are so girls I’d like to introduce to you."
He rubbed his chin, thinking out loud. "You won’t find beauties like them anywhere else. So why not take the chance and relax a bit?"
Before Garion could respond, he suddenly felt a sharp pressure behind him.
He tilted his head slightly. Rachel stood there, staring at him with a clear frown.
Garion only smiled faintly. "...No need."
He shook his head. "I’m not a pervert like you."
Floren noticed Rachel as well and let out a quiet laugh. "...I see."
He raised both hands slightly. "Alright, alright."
A small grin remained on his face. "Your loss."
Clark stepped forward next, adjusting his posture. "Then how about visiting ?"
His tone was calm. "We can discuss cultivation paths."
Garion shook his head. "Sorry. Our paths are too different."
He paused, then thought of sothing. "...Actually."
He looked at Clark again. "Why don’t you co visit instead? I can show you so proper workouts."
He smirked slightly. "God Gym style."
Clark paused for a mont, then gave a small smile. "...I’ll consider it."
In his mind, though, he had already decided against it.
His cultivation focused more on mana and foundation. Not the body.
Then Sianor stepped forward again. "...Alright."
His tone returned to its usual composed state. "You can leave if you want."
He paused briefly. "But before that..."
He looked at Garion directly. "...Tell what you want."
He gestured toward the surrounding area. "You’ve contributed the most in this war."
He stepped closer slightly. "Think of it as a trade for Draconia’s territory."
Garion thought for a mont. Then he nodded. "...Alright. That sounds fair."
He looked at Sianor again. "What I want is simple."
There was a short pause. "...I want a fourth realm cultivation thod."
His tone remained calm. "Do you have one?"
Sianor’s expression changed instantly. "...Where did you hear about that?"
Garion answered without hesitation. "Pelion."
Floren blinked. "...He told you that?"
Garion nodded. "Yeah."
Sianor frowned slightly. "...What exactly did he say?"
Garion sat down casually. "Alright."
He leaned back slightly. "I’ll tell you what he told ."
---
All three of them fell silent after hearing Garion’s explanation.
The atmosphere shifted imdiately.
Sianor was the first to speak. "...To think the Black Chira has a fourth realm cultivator."
His voice stayed calm, but his eyes had sharpened.
Floren frowned, the usual playfulness gone from his face. "...This is more serious than I thought."
He tapped his fan lightly against his palm, no longer smiling.
Clark nodded slowly. "...Yeah."
He looked down for a mont, thinking. "That changes everything."
Sianor exhaled quietly. "...Indeed."
He lifted his head again, gaze steady. "This situation is far more dangerous than before."
No one spoke after that. The weight of it settled in.
What they had just learned... was only the beginning.
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