Anjelia, left with no choice, finally hoisted Betty onto her back, intending to carry her to the courtyard. Her mind raced, desperately planning how to plead with Zhong Shenxiu to restore Betty to normal!
The mere thought of Betty's current state sent shivers down Anjelia’s spine!
“Sister, do you think Sister Betty is sick?” Amyreda asked, her voice laced with worry.
Anjelia jumped at the sound of her voice and asked, surprised, “Why did you follow me?”
“I was worried about Sister Betty. And I wanted to…” Amyreda’s voice trailed off quietly.
“Go back immediately! I will handle Betty’s situation!” Anjelia commanded again, genuinely not wanting her sister to become entangled with Zhong Shenxiu.
Unable to defy Anjelia in this moment, Amyreda pouted but ultimately retreated!
Only after meticulously confirming her sister was no longer trailing her did Anjelia proceed toward the small courtyard with a sense of relief.
Liss arrived back slightly earlier than Anjelia. He was currently animatedly recounting the day’s matches to Charlotte, his voice practically spitting when describing the fight against Robin!
When the two saw Anjelia approach, they both paused, especially when they noticed someone slung across her back. This only deepened their bewilderment!
“Senior Sister, you’re back!” Liss managed to say, though his eyes kept darting toward the unmoving Betty!
“Anjelia, what is this?” Charlotte’s expression was puzzled.
Anjelia offered no reply, instead wearing a look that suggested the situation was too complex for words.
Just then, a voice suddenly drifted into Anjelia’s ear.
“Anjelia, where are we?”
It was Betty speaking! How could she talk if she couldn't move?
Startled by the sudden sound, Anjelia nearly dropped Betty!
Under the stunned gaze of the others, Betty slid down from Anjelia’s back, stretched her limbs, and mumbled, “My bones feel like they’re about to fall apart. What just happened? Why couldn’t I move?”
Anjelia had been hoping to ask Betty that very question, never expecting her to bring it up first. Now, Anjelia was even more desperate to know: how could she suddenly move again?
(This was actually because the pressure points Zhong Shenxiu had applied to Betty were set to automatically release after a specific duration.)
“Where are we?” Betty asked again, which showed remarkable adaptability. If it had been anyone else, unable to move for so long, they would likely be lamenting endlessly right now!
“Are… are you alright?” Anjelia asked uncertainly.
“Hello, I’m Anjelia’s roommate, my name is Betty!” Betty, however, ignored Anjelia and instead greeted Charlotte and Liss.
“H-hello!” Charlotte was still reeling from the rapid sequence of events.
Betty seemed naturally outgoing, striking up a conversation with Charlotte almost instantly upon meeting. Most of the time, Betty asked the questions while Charlotte provided the answers.
Anjelia was currently preoccupied with figuring out how to subtly get Betty to leave. This place wasn't a guesthouse, after all. Now that Betty could move freely, it was best they departed soon, at least before she encountered Zhong Shenxiu again.
Just as she was about to speak, a single sentence from Betty left her utterly dumbfounded.
“Anjelia, did your sister tell you? We’ve already decided—we’re going to the ‘Summer Star Empire’ to study in the latter half of the year!” With that, Betty turned her head back, resuming her chat with Charlotte.
What?
Anjelia froze, unable to help but lurch forward and firmly turn Betty’s head back. “You, what did you just… say?”
It wasn't surprising that she was shocked. Studying in the ‘Summer Star Empire’ was equivalent to ‘studying abroad,’ involving countless considerations—the journey was long, and cultural differences, customs, and habits all needed to be factored in.
More importantly, her sister, Amyreda, hadn't breathed a word of this! This was no minor detail!
“What? Didn’t Amyreda tell you?” Betty inquired.
Anjelia responded with a perfectly eloquent look: Absolutely not!
Betty smiled, acting as if it were nothing, and continued, “Amyreda probably didn’t tell you because she wanted to give you a surprise!”
Anjelia’s face grew cold. She certainly hadn’t received a pleasant surprise, though she was greatly astonished!
“Don't worry, I’ll look out for Amyreda; everything will be fine!” Betty declared with utter confidence.
But the more Betty insisted on that point, the less assured Anjelia felt!
“I do not agree to this!” Anjelia stated definitively.
The ‘Summer Star Empire’ is leagues away from here, and we have no contacts there. Furthermore, Amyreda is still naive about the world; what if she encounters danger?”
Yet, Anjelia remained unaware that Betty and Amyreda had already prepared for a ‘secret departure,’ and even if she could protect her sister temporarily, she couldn't do it forever!
However, putting danger aside, if they truly could study in the ‘Summer Star Empire,’ the prospects for growth were undoubtedly far superior to those in the ‘Winter Moon Empire’! In the ‘Summer Star Empire,’ magical education was paramount. Not only did they possess educational facilities unmatched by other nations, but their educational system itself was the envy of the others!
If ranked by overall strength among the Four Great Empires, the ‘Summer Star Empire’ absolutely stood supreme!
The ‘Winter Moon Empire’s’ system, which placed excessive importance on Swordsmen, was clearly becoming outdated. Should war erupt, while Swordsmen were undeniably formidable in frontal assault, if an enemy nation provided extensive magical backing and support, the resulting casualties would be devastatingly immense!
Fortunately, since the ‘War,’ all nations had enjoyed peace without any large-scale conflicts, allowing the ‘Winter Moon Empire’ to remain standing in this era of calm!
But could such peace last?
The way of the world dictated: long peace inevitably leads to war; long war inevitably leads to peace!
The ‘Winter Moon Empire’ would sooner or later suffer a bloody lesson due to this fatal flaw!
Returning to the main thread, Anjelia managed, by pulling and dragging, to finally get Betty out of the small courtyard. As for her sister’s plan to study in the ‘Summer Star Empire,’ she temporarily shelved the issue!
.
Time slipped by quickly, and nothing major occurred in the following days.
Charlotte and the others practiced the ‘Butterfly Step’ technique taught by Zhong Shenxiu, while Zhong Shenxiu and Robin continued their frequent visits to the library. The only noticeable difference was that ever since that friendly match, the entire school faculty and student body regarded Robin with near-divine reverence!
One day, when Zhong Shenxiu and Robin were out, a knock suddenly sounded at the courtyard gate.
Opening it, they found several of Charlotte’s subordinates.
“Why are you here?” Charlotte was visibly surprised. “I told you all to go back first, didn’t I?”
Several days prior, Charlotte had entrusted the management of the group’s affairs to Caine and the others. She assumed her ‘Cloud Rift Mercenary Group’ would already be taking on missions. Why were they still lingering in ‘Gulu City’?
Caine’s expression was slightly awkward as he chuckled and said, “Leader, the general consensus was to wait and watch the ‘Academy Ranking Tournament’ before leaving. We heard it’s quite lively, and it’s a rare opportunity. Everyone wanted to relax a bit, so… ha.”
Charlotte sighed speechlessly, not blaming Caine, but she pressed again, “Then why are you here? Haven’t I told you not to come here unless there’s something important?”
“Leader, we really don't mean to bother you, but we discovered something that we felt needed to be reported to you!” Caine said again.
He still couldn't fathom why their leader chose to reside here. Not only was this place small, but they also had to watch the moods of others (referring to Zhong Shenxiu and Robin). What was so good about it?
This confusion stemmed from Charlotte not telling them about her and Anjelia studying martial arts with Zhong Shenxiu.
The ‘Butterfly Step’ was profoundly mysterious. To avoid unwarranted scrutiny and to gain more means of self-preservation, Charlotte, Anjelia, Liss, and the others had unanimously agreed: they absolutely could not tell anyone, not even their closest family!
“What is it?” Charlotte asked casually.
Caine hesitated for a moment, not speaking immediately, glancing instead at Anjelia and Liss, who were both looking their way.
“It’s fine, you can say it here!” Charlotte said generously.
“Well… Leader, one of our brothers happened to see many members of the ‘Stacy Family’ today. They were all clearly masters, moving with a secretive air, and we couldn't tell what they were up to!” Caine’s expression suddenly turned grave.
“What did you say?” Charlotte exclaimed, pressing for details. “Did you see them clearly? Are you sure they were from the ‘Stacy Family’?”
“More than one brother saw them. They all recognized the ‘Stacy Family’s’ unique crest; there’s no mistaking it!” Caine confirmed confidently.
“Do you know what they were doing?” Charlotte asked with a heavy expression.
“We don’t know that part yet, only that they entered a manor with two young men and haven’t come out since. Our brother mentioned that one of the youths looked like he might be named Austin!” Caine glanced at Charlotte and then asked, “Leader, should we investigate secretly?”
“No need!” Charlotte immediately stated.
After a long silence, she continued, “Alright, I understand the situation. Instruct your brothers to be extremely careful in their conduct and absolutely avoid starting any arguments!”
“I’ve already given those orders, but I hope you will also be careful, Leader,” Caine cautioned.
“Mm, you can go back now!” Charlotte’s expression remained somewhat distant.
After the men left, Liss turned to Anjelia, who also looked perplexed, and asked, “Senior Sister, what exactly is this ‘Stacy Family’?”
Anjelia shook her head; she wasn't very clear either. She usually focused only on training and never concerned herself with such matters.
At that moment, Charlotte provided the answer to both of them. She said, enunciating every word: “The ‘Stacy Family’… is the foremost of the Five Great Families of the Winter Moon Empire!”