Dorian frowned after hearing what Lucius said. He then stood up, stepped forward and looked at Lucius. "What do you intend to do, young master Lucius? This is my estate, and I will speak as I please."
Lucius only smirked as he looked back at Dorian. "You can speak as you please, Patriarch Dorian. I just want you to watch your tone when you are talking to her."
Lucius also cautioned him once more about Luna. "Luna is no longer Sadrina Garran. She is my property and I protect what belongs to me."
Lucius' reminder caused Dorian to frown, as he could not ignore it. However, Kalidorn was less restrained and with his father's presence, he stepped closer to Lucius.
Kalidorn then sneered, ""Oh, protect her? How noble you are. Please tell me, young master, do you take all your trash to heart? Or is this one just a particularly obedient—"
Before Kalidorn could finish, Liora stepped in between him and Lucius. She glared at Kalidorn and threatened him. "Watch your mouth! One more word, and I'll make sure you choke on it."
Kalidorn was surprised by it and began to step back as he was threatened. He glared at Lucius, who was now calm and smiling, and it made him frown.
Lucius took a step forward, placing his hand on Liora's shoulder to signal her to step back. He then looked at Kalidorn and smirked. "Kalidorn, you should listen to her. I'd hate for this to turn... unpleasant."
Kalidorn was pissed by this scene. He had his pride as a noble and he wanted to retort, but Dorian suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "That's enough, all of you."
Dorian then turned to Lucius and said in anger, "You have a mission to complete, young master. Please leave my estate to do it."
Lucius nodded, smirked and mocked him a bit. "Of course. I'll retrieve the 3-Star Storm Bear Core and evolve the Thunder Hawk."
But before he turned, he stepped closer to Kalidorn and smirked. "But remember this, Kalidorn. Do I need to remind you who has been tasked with evolving your beast?"
Lucius then turned, smiled, stood up, and chuckled, saying, "Perhaps you should reconsider your attitude, lest something unfortunate happens to it."
Even when they were in Garran's noble estate, Lucius's daring threat to Kalidorn took him by surprise once more.
Lucius then stepped back and smirked as he turned his attention back to Dorian. "I also need to remind you, Patriarch Garran. Mockery is a dangerous game that you should be careful in."
After warning both of the Garrans, Lucius turned around and left the noble estate. He also gestured for Liora and Luna to follow.
Dorian stood in the hall, his hands clenched into fists, as he watched Lucius leave. Meanwhile, Kalidorn clenched his teeth as he was filled with anger.
---
Lucius and his maids were now staying in a nearby inn before going to the Wind Valley for their mission. Lucius was now sitting on a chair in the room, where Liora was also sitting beside him.
On the bed behind him, Luna was now sleeping. The day had taken a toll on her after being scorned by her family that had shaken her deeply. Lucius then gave her permission to rest before anything else.
Liora suddenly clenched her fists as she murmured in anger. "They should pay. The way they spoke to you—and to Luna—is unacceptable. Just say the word, Master, and I'll tear them apart."
Lucius glanced at her and smirked. "Calm down, Liora. We don't act on impulse. Besides…I have no intention of letting them get away with it."
Liora frowned but nodded as she relaxed a bit. "Then what's the plan, Master? Do we need to go and retrieve the needed material?"
Lucius leaned back in his chair and said, "Yes. We need to focus on the mission. The Storm Bear Core is our priority. Admittedly, I didn't anticipate taking on the responsibility of gathering the materials myself."
He then let out a chuckle. "Of course, I could evolve the beast without the core. My system makes that trivial. However, secrets such as mine should remain hidden. Not yet."
Liora then stood up and spoke confidently. "You don't need to worry about the Storm Bear, Master. I've trained hard under your guidance. A mere 3-Star beast won't be a match for me."
Lucius nodded and smirked as he put his hand on Liora's shoulder. "Good. I'll count on you, Liora. However, this mission is not as straightforward as it seems. This assignment feels... a bit off."
Liora was a bit confused as she tilted her head and twitched her tail in curiosity. "What do you mean, Master? What is off with this mission?"
Lucius then began to remind Liora who he was. "Think about it. I'm the Rank 1 Golden Evolist of Astra Academy, backed by the Volcaria family—one of the most influential names in the region."
He then explained the thing that was off. "With all of that background? Why am I given a mission like this? To hunt down materials myself? It doesn't align with my status."
He then smirked as he told Liora about his conlusion. "This mission reeks of manipulation. Someone is trying to test me—or set me up to fail me."
Liora frowned after hearing Lucius' conclusion. "You think it's a setup? By who? Is it one of our past enemies or new enemies?"
Lucius chuckled as he was amused. "I don't know but the Garrans should be involved in this. We can see it from Dorian's attitude earlier that they clearly wanted me to suffer but they are not the mastermind."
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Lucius immediately informed Liora, who he considered to be the primary suspect. "I think the one who is the mastermind is the Kryndals."
Liora was surprised and clenched her fists again. She growled in disdain. "Kaelix Kryndal... That snake must be behind this. He still hasn't learned anything from his last defeat."
Lucius smirked and let out a low laugh. "Of course it's him. But Kaelix isn't acting alone. This mission is too complicated for him. There is another Kryndal involved—someone who is manipulating the situation."
Liora, who heard it, frustatiously said, "I don't know any other Kryndal besides Kaelix, but it doesn't matter. If he's involved, I'll make him pay for this."
Liora looked at her master, worried, and said, "But still, master, now that we know it's a trap, what's our next move? I'll follow you, no matter what. Just say the word."
Lucius smiled and said, "We play along. I am now pretty bored and I want to see just how far they're willing to go. I want to uncover every piece of their plan and watch them scramble when it all falls apart."
Liora nodded as she would follow Lucius and Lucius soon leaned back on his chair. "When the time comes, we'll show them why it's a mistake to underestimate us."
The room fell silent as Lucius and his companions entered the game—not as players, but as the new administrators who would alter the games for his own amusement.