The hall fell completely silent as Terra began to move forward; the sounds of her footsteps seemed to dominate the entire space, her eyes locked on the immobilized woman in the crowd.
Soon, whispers quickly erupted among the onlookers as they watched the dragon general advancing, a touch of curiosity, fear, and confusion spreading through the crowd.
“Why is… she going after her like that?”
“Isn’t that woman a Union official… isn’t she one of the good guys?” ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
“Wait, is Alister’s dragon going against the Union now?”
A reporter in the crowd murmured to his colleague, “Are they really turning on the Union?”
An older reporter shook his head in disbelief. “This isn’t right… If they’re truly going rogue, the Union won’t let this slide.”
Others tried to reassure themselves. “No, she can’t be disobeying the Union. Alister wouldn’t let it go that far… right?”
As Terra finally reached the restrained woman, she gritted her teeth, her expression showing a mix of anger and fear. Terra paused for a brief moment, her blue eyes glowing behind her glasses, her gaze piercing into the woman’s eyes as if she could see right through her. Then, without a word, she slowly reached out, taking a firm hold of the woman’s hair.
The woman gasped, barely holding back a cry of pain as Terra began dragging her across the floor and over all the debris, her expression hardening as she resisted, though unable to break free.
Seeing this, the crowd’s murmurs grew louder.
“Look at her! She’s treating her like a criminal already…”
“Just what did that woman do for Alister’s dragon to react like this?”
“Do they think they’re above the Union’s authority?”
“Maybe she really is a threat… why else would a dragon take it this far?”
The tension in the room grew as Terra neared Alister, dragging the woman along, ignoring her pointless human protests. With a final, firm tug, she brought the woman to a stop before her lord, her gaze never wavering as she awaited his next command.
Aethel’s voice echoed sharply through the hall as Terra finished dragging the woman before Alister.
“What is the meaning of this, Mr. Hazenworth?” he demanded, stepping forward.
“This behavior is unacceptable, and if you don’t stop now, things could-”
“Things could what?” Mar’Garet’s voice interrupted as she stepped forward, her eyes glinting dangerously. She twirled her spear, an amused smile on her face.
“Yes, what do you intend to do?” Cinder asked, her words calm yet sounding like a threat as she fixed her gaze on Aethel.
“Punish him?”
“Or put him down?” Mar’Garet asked as well, her tone sharper now, her aura starting to radiate slowly.
“Or chase him from this city?” Cinder asked, her voice becoming as intense as Mar’Garet’s. Her aura flared, a dark heat simmering in the air around her.
Aethel appeared unfazed, but deep down he was uneasy, feeling suppressed under the twin pressure of their combined presence.
He gave a calm response, his aura no less intense than theirs. “Things could get complicated.” “Oh?” Mar’Garet and Cinder said together, mockingly. As they took a step closer, their auras pulsed, sending waves of dark and warm mana across the room.
The intensity of their power made Aethel, along with several of the Union board members, shift slightly. They remained calm on the surface, but unease crept into their minds.
“Enough.”
Alister suddenly spoke, causing both their auras to instantly die down. His tone was cold and firm, leaving no room for argument.
“Both of you will remain silent. Until I permit you, neither of you is to speak again tonight. Have I made myself clear?”
Mar’Garet and Cinder exchanged a brief glance before lowering their heads. “Yes, my lord.”
They replied together, the oppressive atmosphere they had created vanished, leaving an uneasy silence in its wake.
‘There it is again, they listen to him without question,’ Aethel thought, narrowing his gaze. ‘If he can command such obedience from these powerful creatures, then it is very likely the monster that wiped out the Reapers may be a summon of his.’
‘After all, he said he has over a hundred. That one could easily be among the ones he didn’t summon.’
In the background, among the murmurs of the crowd, Chen sauntered over to Adrian and Eryx with his usual confident, almost mocking demeanor. He leaned in slightly, his grin sharp as he watched the scene unfolding before them.
“Damn, the Summoner kid practically has the Union director by the balls,” he said, chuckling lowly. “No one’s ever managed that before.”
Adrian and Eryx both turned their heads in his direction, their expressions hardening the moment they saw him.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tensing as he shot a glance at Eryx, silently sharing his frustration. “Great,” Adrian muttered under his breath, “just what we needed.”
Eryx crossed his arms and shot Chen a look of pure disdain. “Do us a favor, Chen, and stay out of this,” he snapped, his voice dripping with annoyance.
Chen raised both hands in mock surrender, his grin widening. “Hey, hey, no need to be so harsh.” He tilted his head in feigned confusion. “I’m just commenting on the show. You guys act like I’m up to no good or something.”
Adrian scoffed, not even trying to hide his distaste. “Is there ever a time when you’re not up to no good?”
Chen feigned a thoughtful look, tapping his chin dramatically. “Hmm, I suppose not. But hey, that’s just me, isn’t it?” He winked, clearly enjoying the irritation he was causing.
“Anyway, don’t let me interrupt your little grumpy party. Just thought you’d want to chat a bit about what’s going on here.”
Adrian and Eryx both exchanged a brief, pointed look, then turned back to the scene unfolding before them, choosing to ignore Chen. It wasn’t worth engaging with him any further,
especially when he was clearly enjoying pushing their buttons.
Chen’s grin didn’t fade as he continued watching the drama unfold, his voice lowering
slightly as he spoke with a mocking tone. “Though…”
“…the kid’s summons are no joke. I mean, even one of them could give the director a real run
for his money.”