His eyes narrowed slightly. “Liora told me about the incident in a letter. About the hydra in the mine…”
“Your cousins have maintained excellent vigilance,” the Director tried to reassure him. “Their unexpected dangerous encounter was something…”
“I don’t blame you director,” the prince interrupted. “I know those three, always getting into trouble… So I need to increase their security.”
“The academy is a target,” Ignatius agreed. “The agent’s attack made that clear.”
“The academy has always been a target,” Julius poured himself more wine. “It’s the nest that increases our kingdom’s power and home to perfect ‘hostages’ in the enemy’s eyes…”
“They have spies here,” the Director added. “Good spies.”
The Prince nodded slowly. “I know.”
“More guards?”
“Yes,” the prince nodded. “But common guards would draw attention. I need to increase the number of ‘handmaidens’ with additional training. The kind of handmaidens that only you can discreetly enroll.”
Ignatius accepted the request with a simple nod.
“And the informants?”
“They’re everywhere,” the prince rubbed his temples. “Every noble, every counselor… all have their own agendas. And with father absent…”
He paused, carefully choosing his next words. “Platinum rank used to be our last bastion of security. But neither I nor any of my siblings managed to match father’s cultivation, something was missing. And if what you say about the abyssals is true…”
“It is,” Ignatius confirmed. “The agent made it very clear after fleeing. They have a way to navigate the depths using the hordes themselves.”
“If Yino tries something with that while father is… absent…”
The word ‘absent’ carried the weight of years of frustration. The King, the only platinum tamer, chasing legends while his kingdom teetered on the edge of crisis…
“How much longer?”
“Until he returns?” the prince laughed without humor. “Does even he know? Let’s talk about something more interesting… Liora told me something about her adventure in the mines that coincidentally resonates with something Zhao mentioned…”
♢♢♢♢
“Han’s spider is problematic,” Min traced patterns in the air with his finger while his snake coiled nervously around his neck. “Those hexagons aren’t just decorative.”
Ren nodded while his mushrooms pulsed, analyzing the available information. “It can create traps and barriers too. Not as strong as Taro’s shell, but more versatile.”
“And Sora has good speed with her deer,” Taro added. “The horns in her hair aren’t just for looking pretty either.”
“At least Jun’s monkey is more straightforward,” Min sighed. “Enhanced strength, nothing complicated.”
Ren’s mushrooms pulsed while considering their options. If Taro had started his cultivation at the beginning of the semester, they would now be planning tactics with his evolution in mind.
But there was no point in lamenting.
“We’ll have to work with what we have,” Ren stood to draw some formations in the air. “Min, your snake has the best range. If we can keep Han busy and you take down his webs…”
“And Jun always attacks directly,” Min added. “If we could use that against him…”
A knock on the door interrupted their planning.
The three exchanged confused looks. It was late for visits, and Liu generally didn’t knock to enter.
Ren approached the door, the mushrooms in his hair pulsing with curiosity. When he opened it, the welcome words died in his throat.
Director Ignatius was there, his phoenix manifesting in a subtle golden glow. And beside him…
Prince Julius, heir to the throne, observed Ren with intense interest. His beast, a Qilin, created golden patterns that flowed under his skin like liquid gold.
“Young Ren,” the Director kept his voice neutral. “We apologize for the hour, but we need to discuss something important.”
Min and Taro stood up so fast they almost tripped over each other.
“May we come in?” the prince smiled slightly at their reaction.
“Of… of course,” Ren stepped aside, his mind racing with possibilities.
“Relax,” the Director noticed their nervousness. “Just…”
“Actually,” the prince interrupted softly, “we’re here about something that has intrigued me quite a bit.” His eyes fixed on the mushrooms pulsing in Ren’s hair. “Something about unconventional methods and unexpected knowledge.”
Taro and Min exchanged worried looks. How much did they know about the cultivation experiments?
“The director mentioned something Professor Wei reported… an interesting bet,” continued the prince while examining the papers with battle formations on the table. “About evolution and traditional methods.”
The mushrooms pulsed faster. Ren could feel the weight of the prince’s gaze, evaluating, measuring.
“Though that’s not all,” Julius smiled. “I’ve also heard fascinating stories about a certain student who seems to understand beasts better than some teachers.”
The Director remained silent, observing the interaction with an indecipherable expression.
“And I wonder,” the prince sat casually in one of the chairs, his qilin manifesting more completely, “what other secrets might you know?”
♢♢♢♢
Moments before…
“Zhao and Liora?” The Director observed the prince as they walked through the academy’s empty hallways. “It’s curious that both specifically mentioned this student.”
“Yes,” Julius smiled slightly. “Zhao spoke of a boy who seemed to have unusual knowledge about beasts. Specifically mentioned that his knowledge during the exploration was… too precise.”
“And Liora noticed something similar,” Ignatius nodded. “Though she focused more on how the boy seemed very confident while exploring.”
“As if he knew what to expect,” the prince stopped, his qilin partially manifesting. “Or as if he had detected something others couldn’t see.”
The Director considered the implications. “You think it wasn’t coincidence that he was in the cave that day?”
“Zhao said the boy appeared exactly when needed,” Julius continued. “And when my cousin was following him, coincidentally, that’s the same place where the agent appeared.”
His eyes gleamed while his second beast created crystalline patterns on his arms. “My earth beast can track underground movements. I came primarily to search for the mercenary, if he’s still nearby…”
“But you also want to know why a student with the supposedly ‘worst’ beast seems to have such deep understanding of the depths,” Ignatius completed the thought.
“Exactly,” the prince nodded. “A common spore that somehow guided my cousin exactly toward an infiltrated agent. A student who, according to Wei, is challenging all established knowledge about cultivation…”
“Wei tends to exaggerate,” the Director smiled. “Especially when it comes to this particular student.”
“But he’s not completely wrong, is he?” Julius arched an eyebrow.