When she heard the last name, Aurelian's eyes lit up slightly.
Toward Claudia standing before her, she couldn't help but feel a faint sense of goodwill.
"Was it Teacher who asked you to come see me?" Aurelian spoke with eyes full of anticipation.
Because she had just received news that Viktor would be returning to Braeston for a while, her lessons had been temporarily suspended as well.
So she thought that Claudia had been sent by Viktor to check on her.
Claudia didn't answer. She simply kept smiling, a hint of indulgent affection in her eyes.
Then, she reached both hands behind her neck and removed the pendant she was wearing.
She bent forward slightly, reached out, passed her hands around Aurelian's neck, and placed the pendant on her.
After Claudia straightened up, Aurelian lowered her head and looked at the black crystal pendant hanging on her chest.
She examined it again and again under the sunlight, following the strange shape of the pendant with her gaze.
Although the pendant was very beautiful, Aurelian had no idea what it actually was.
Claudia spoke to Aurelian in a very solemn tone, "This is a protective charm. It's a gift from me to you."
She placed one hand on Aurelian's shoulder, narrowed her eyes slightly, smiled faintly, and said, "I like your innocence and kindness. Keep that mindset, and grow stronger."
Aurelian blinked and looked at Claudia. "You… are you very strong?"
"Of course."
The moment Claudia's confident words fell, several lines suddenly spread across half of her face.
A powerful aura instantly surged out, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze, turning into blade-like spatial edges.
In just a brief moment, Aurelian had already felt how strong she was.
Before Aurelian could recover from her shock, Claudia had already withdrawn her aura, and the lines on her face gradually faded until they disappeared.
Aurelian stared blankly at Claudia and murmured, "So amazing."
Claudia stood up and gently continued encouraging Aurelian, "You're still young. Your talent is better than anyone else's."
"I'll look forward to the day when you become so strong that you can even defeat me."
After speaking, Claudia turned around.
In Aurelian's gaze, she slowly walked away.
Leaving Aurelian standing alone in the garden, tightly gripping the black crystal pendant in her hand, lifting it up and examining it again.
Sunlight passed through the pendant, casting rainbow-colored light into Aurelian's eyes.
On both sides of the small blade-shaped ornament were wings like those of a bat. After passing through the sunlight, they even looked a little sacred.
———
Claudia was walking along the road when she felt a gaze fall upon her, constantly watching her.
She stopped in place and let out a soft laugh.
"No need to keep staring at me, Aubrey."
"I know you don't like me, so I won't put you in a difficult position."
"But the children are innocent."
A phantom red lion stepped down from the sky and landed steadily in front of her.
The lion carried overwhelming majesty, its eyes incomparably cold, as if it were looking at a dangerous beast.
The powerful pressure made Claudia feel an oppressive heaviness.
"Remember what you told me."
"Fulfill your promise."
After leaving those words behind, the majestic lion turned and left.
Its body gradually turned into dust and disappeared.
Only after sensing its aura completely fade away did Claudia place a hand over her left eye.
That eyeball had become a deeper crimson.
Like a heart, it thumped and thumped as it beat.
As if she had entered a demon hunter's combat state.
She slowly raised her head and looked up at the sky.
In her crimson gaze, memories of that battle with the demon resurfaced, she had lost. Her clothes were completely torn apart, the blade in her hand was too weak to lift, and even her mask had shattered beyond repair.
Yet only that crimson eye, beating like a heart, continued to stare stubbornly at the red demon in the sky.
Fifth tier. Claudia could feel it clearly.
It was far too powerful.
Claudia couldn't understand how a demon could be powerful to such an extent.
But at that moment, a raven flapped its wings and slowly landed in front of her.
"You are indeed stronger than other demon hunters, but…"
"You failed."
Those who fail must willingly accept punishment.
"I will allow you to always remain rational, freely adjusting your power."
The red demon gradually disappeared into boundless darkness.
Only waves of darkness remained in the sky, as if they were about to completely engulf Claudia.
The raven's single eye gleamed with cunning light, looking extremely mysterious.
"And I want you to return to the imperial palace."
"This is something I promised Viktor."
———
Claudia looked at the bright sky, as if she had suddenly snapped back to her senses, and paused for a moment.
If she had been a little steadier, a little more rational... Would she have been able to defeat that monster?
"Heh. Defeated by a demon, coerced by a raven."
"That's really not a pleasant experience."
That crimson eye gradually calmed down, the red fading away until it returned to a normal eye.
To freely retain a demon hunter's power.
A true miracle.
———
Batch after batch of demon hunters boarded the carriages, their bodies bound by iron shackles, like prisoners being escorted away.
They would be sent to Braeston under the guard of demi-human soldiers.
On the territory of the Clavenna family, they would perform labor-like work and undergo ideological reform.
What Viktor needed was a group of demon hunters who could unleash combat power at any time, not people who only had strength when facing demons and would also lose their rationality.
Viktor watched them board the carriages and gradually depart, then turned his head.
Liya was standing beside him.
"I've already notified Halnarsen. He'll send a few craftsmen to repair the house."
Although Viktor was a mage and could probably restore the damaged house with a few casual spells, Liya didn't want him to do that.
On one hand, she didn't want Viktor to involve himself in such trivial matters, and on the other…
Liya raised her head and glanced at Viktor. Even in the scorching summer, Viktor still wore an old trench coat as if he weren't afraid of the heat at all.
She really couldn't accept Viktor's sense of fashion.
Liya crossed her arms in front of her chest and said from the side, "So we'll need to go back to Braeston and stay there for a few days."
Viktor nodded lightly, agreeing.
"Since traveling back and forth might be troublesome, I temporarily postponed your lessons with the princess. You can make them up later."
"And also, Henny will be going back with us for a few days too. Um… you know the reason."
Liya sighed helplessly as she spoke.
Although Liya had already figured out who had beaten the prince, Henny had taken the initiative to explain it to her, no one knew where the person who actually injured the prince was or where they had gone.
At least for now, Henny was still taking the blame.
So Liya could take Henny back to Braeston to hide out for a few days.
With Viktor's relationship with the princess, the royal soldiers wouldn't dare to directly go to the Clavenna family's territory to arrest Henny.
"And the academy hasn't started yet. Even if she goes there, she'd just be volunteering."
Liya explained everything clearly to Viktor.
Honestly speaking, even Liya herself didn't really understand what was going on.
Clearly, she hadn't had much contact with Henny, but every time she saw her, she would unconsciously develop a fondness for her.
An instinctive desire to protect her.
Even… an instinctive urge to touch her, like touching her body or something.
Yesterday, she had actually reached out and touched Henny.
Thinking of that, Liya felt a bit awkward.
Ever since Henny arrived, she had more than once wondered whether her s*xual orientation might be a little abnormal.
But every time she thought that, she would look at Viktor again.
Like right now.
Liya stood beside Viktor and carefully examined her older brother.
Mm. She still liked men. No problem.
At that moment, Viktor seemed to think of something and spoke up.
"Going back and forth isn't really troublesome. You don't need to postpone my..."
"Viktor."
Liya stood straight in front of him and grabbed his collar with both hands.
As if she had obsessive-compulsive tendencies, she straightened his messy collar.
After finishing, she raised her head and met Viktor's eyes directly.
"I hope you can take a good rest for a while."
Viktor looked down at Liya's gaze, and the words he wanted to say after that were difficult to speak.
"…Alright."
At this time, Cocotte was sitting on a cloud, lazily drifting over.
Henny was following beside her.
Cocotte went limp and lay on the cloud, saying painfully, "Why do I have to go along when you're going back home?!"
Henny stood to the side, helplessly watching Cocotte complain, without saying anything.
Liya snapped back to her senses, put her hands on her hips, and spoke teasingly with a playful look in her eyes.
"Don't forget, you still have work to do."
"Slacking off isn't good behavior, my Elf Queen."
When she heard the words "Elf Queen," Cocotte's body trembled, and she immediately became much more spirited.
"Fine, I'll go, okay…"
As her words fell, the sound of rubble falling came from behind them.
Everyone turned to look. Amid the lightly rising dust, Vanilla walked out of the residence.
She forced open the shattered door, dragging a huge pile of luggage as she slowly walked down the steps.
Despite her small body, she didn't show the slightest sign of strain.
And on top of her head, a black one-eyed raven was perched there, dozing off.
Vanilla slowly walked over, twitched her ears, and calmly reported to Viktor without blushing or skipping a beat, "Master, everything has been packed."
The raven flew up from her head and landed back on Viktor's shoulder.
Viktor nodded, put his hands in his pockets, and turned around.
Then, a blue glow surged in front of him.
The light gradually expanded, spinning rapidly in midair.
On the azure magic array, an astonishing gate rose from the ground, slowly appearing before everyone.
The gate looked like something unreal, extending endlessly in all directions, as if struggling to hold itself open.
Finally, the azure gate slowly opened. A deep, starry passage rippling with blue light appeared before them.
A fierce wind burst out, kicking up clouds of dust, and everyone instinctively raised their hands to hold down their clothes.
Viktor, however, didn't care at all. Even as his coat flapped loudly in the wind and the collar Liya had just straightened became messy again, he seemed completely unaffected.
He simply stared at the azure gate, his voice falling into everyone's ears.
"Let's go."
"We're going home."