“Let’s go.” Zhang Wen was quite satisfied with the surprised look on Carrie’s face. He reached out and pulled open the heavy door of the isolation room, gesturing for Carrie to proceed. Naturally, Carrie, anxious and impatient, didn’t dare hesitate even for a moment and quickly followed Zhang Wen out of the isolation room.
Although it was still early morning when Zhang Wen and Carrie left the isolation room, far before the start of the day’s lessons, Almeythas Academy was already bustling with activity.
Anyone with even a basic understanding of mental arts knew that after a night’s rest, the early morning hours were when a mentalist could perform at their peak. If one wished to attempt more advanced mental techniques, the moments right after waking up were the best time.
On their way from the isolation room to the gates of Almeythas Academy, Zhang Wen and Carrie encountered five or six students who were dressed in disarray, with messy hair resembling bird nests, bread sticking out of their mouths, running at top speed. Witnessing such a scene, anyone would understand why Almeythas Academy’s mental arts department ranked among the best in the Empire.
Thanks to these diligent mental arts students, Zhang Wen and Carrie didn’t have to worry about any sudden ambushes from assassins along the way out of Almeythas Academy.
Considering the assassination attempt from the previous night, Zhang Wen and Carrie decided not to take the risky mental-powered hovercar for their trip to the Governor’s Mansion this time. Instead, they opted for a more conservative choice: a four-wheeled carriage. Of course, on the planet Kasares, the term “carriage” was merely a habitual expression used by Zhang Wen. The animals pulling the carriage were two-legged creatures known as “Benz beasts.”
When Zhang Wen first heard the name “Benz beast,” he couldn’t help but jokingly wonder if there might be “BMW beasts” or “Ferrari beasts” on other planets in the Empire. However, compared to horse-drawn carriages on Earth, the “Benz beast carriages” native to Kasares truly lived up to their name in terms of speed.
Of course, even with the Benz beasts galloping at full speed after having just eaten breakfast, the journey to the Governor’s Mansion still took quite a bit of time for Zhang Wen and Carrie. When they finally arrived at the Governor’s Mansion, they found it already in a state of chaos.
After a night filled with emotional highs and lows, Governor Temisso’s sleep the previous night had not been ideal. Upon waking up in the morning, his mind was still restless. He kept recalling the events of the previous night and couldn’t help but engage in various analyses. It wasn’t until he was prompted by his personal aide to sit down for breakfast that he suddenly realized he had forgotten something.
“Oh, right, Mishia. Did the representatives from Almeythas Academy stay at the Governor’s Mansion yesterday?” Governor Temisso suddenly put down his utensils and looked up to ask his beautiful personal aide.
“Of course. After receiving the news of the attack on Governor Karajan last night, I immediately notified the guards to bring the Almeythas Academy delegation back to the Governor’s Mansion,” the elegant female aide replied, adjusting her glasses.
“Oh, that’s good to hear,” Governor Temisso exhaled in relief, pretending to continue eating while sneaking a peek at the elegant legs beneath his aide’s short skirt. “What about Carrie? Since she stayed at the Governor’s Mansion, she doesn’t need to be so formal, right? Why didn’t she bring everyone else here for breakfast?”
“Governor, I was just about to report that,” the female aide, unbothered by the governor’s lustful gaze, stood even straighter and grew more serious. “Miss Carrie disappeared somewhere after the banquet last night. Several members of the academy delegation said they saw her chasing after Professor Zhang Wen from the Governor’s Mansion, and then she never returned.”
“Oh, right… she ran off after that guy,” Governor Temisso nodded thoughtfully, his expression somewhat strange, but he said no more.
“That’s not the most important part,” Mishia quickly pulled out a report from her folder before the governor could lower his gaze to her legs again, placing it on the table with a blank expression. “This is an urgent report from the city defense commander, sent two hours ago. A severely damaged psychokinetic hovercar and two corpses were discovered on Lorraine Avenue, the road connecting the Governor’s Mansion to Almeythas Academy. Preliminary analysis suggests it was an assassination attempt. The estimated time of death was around midnight last night.”
“What? Another assassination attempt?” Governor Temisso was greatly startled, furrowing his brows as he reached for the report. However, before his hand could even touch the document, he suddenly jumped up from his chair as if he had been scalded.
“What did you say?! An assassination attempt?! Was it Carrie? Was it Carrie? Is she alright?!” Governor Temisso, losing his composure, grabbed his aide’s shoulders and shook her frantically.
“Calm down, Governor, please calm down!” The female aide was clearly well-prepared for Governor Temisso’s excited reaction. She stared unflinchingly into his eyes, waiting for him to settle down.
“Alright, alright,” Governor Temisso muttered impatiently, releasing the aide’s shoulders.
“According to the city defense report, the two corpses should belong to the assassins. There were no signs of blood near the damaged psychokinetic vehicle. In other words, even if Miss Carrie was the target, she is likely still safe. What you need to do now is to stay calm.”
“Nonsense! How can you expect me to stay calm?! Even if there’s no blood near the psychokinetic vehicle, how can you be sure that Carrie is definitely fine? Besides, if Carrie is really alright, why hasn’t she come back yet? I think there must have been more than just two assassins! The others might have already kidnapped my little Carrie! Damn it! If they dare to harm even a single hair on my little Carrie, I will make them pay with their lives! I swear!!!” Governor Temisso ranted anxiously, pacing back and forth in the room, ending with a string of curses filled with profanity and bloodthirsty threats.
In fact, when Mishia first saw the report, her thoughts were almost identical to Governor Temisso’s current judgment. However, the experienced female aide knew she couldn’t let Governor Temisso remain in such a state of anxiety.
“Governor, if Miss Carrie has indeed been kidnapped, you need to stay calm even more. Only then can you rescue Miss Carrie from the kidnappers,” Mishia quickly spoke up again.
“Alright, alright. What you said makes sense,” Governor Temisso’s agitated mood slightly subsided. He rubbed his forehead and sat back down, muttering, “So now we can only wait.”
To be fair, among the generally impatient imperial officials, Governor Temisso’s patience could be considered quite commendable. Although he had been causing chaos among the servants and attendants in the Governor’s Mansion, at least the governor had not yet given in to his impulsive urge to declare a full city lockdown.
Finally, under Mishia’s persuasion, Governor Temisso managed to suppress his anxiety and contacted the city defense headquarters. On the communicator, Governor Temisso finally had the opportunity to vent his anger. And just as Governor Temisso was yelling furiously at the poor city defense commander, Zhang Wen and Carrie happened to walk through the gates of the Governor’s Mansion.
“Miss Carrie!” The diligent and beautiful aide immediately noticed the two entering, slightly reprimanding as she called out Carrie’s name.
“Big sister Mishia,” Carrie stuck out her tongue, displaying a slightly awkward expression that was probably never seen by anyone at school.
It was evident that Carrie truly held both respect and fear towards the beautiful female aide by the governor’s side. After observing Mishia carefully for some time, Zhang Wen even felt that perhaps Carrie’s usual behavior at school was actually an imitation of this pretty, serious, and commanding female aide.
“Carrie? Thank goodness, you’re finally back!” Hearing Mishia’s voice, Governor Temisso immediately turned his head. Seeing Carrie and Zhang Wen appear before him, the governor finally let out a long sigh of relief.
“Uh-huh,” Carrie hadn’t expected her return home would cause such excitement, so she could only nod helplessly.
“It’s nothing, nothing at all. As long as you’re safe,” Governor Temisso, disregarding the fact that the communicator was still connected to the city defense commander, kept reassuring his beloved treasure.
“Miss Carrie, you really shouldn’t have done that last night!” Mishia continued to play her role as the responsible aide. Since the governor had taken on the role of the good cop, she naturally had to be the bad cop.
“I’m sorry,” Carrie’s reverence for Mishia was clearly deeply ingrained in her heart. Facing Mishia’s reprimand, the student council president, who was used to having her way at school, dared not even breathe too loudly in front of Mishia.
“Miss Carrie, do you know how worried the governor was yesterday? Even if you encountered trouble and couldn’t return to the Governor’s Mansion in time, you should at least have found a way to let the governor know you were safe. Do I really need to teach you that?” The way Mishia scolded Carrie reminded Zhang Wen of the strict, old-fashioned house tutors he had seen in foreign movies from his past life.
Although every word Mishia spoke was directed at Carrie, Zhang Wen could sense that the blame directed at himself was likely even heavier. Carrie was still a child; it was understandable for her to be flustered after an assassination attempt. However, as a teacher at Almeythas Academy, Zhang Wen should have at least thought to inform the governor after such an incident occurred.
“Oh, Mishia, as long as they’re safe, that’s all that matters. You don’t need to scold them too much,” Governor Temisso, clearly helpless against his stern aide, could only smile and plead.
Just then, a teasing voice suddenly rang out in the ears of the four: “Oh! Who made our governor so upset?”
“Huh?” Governor Temisso turned around in slight annoyance, only to see the unpleasant smile of Laimu. Although the captain of the imperial capital’s Eagle Guards held a much lower rank than the governor, no sane governor would dare to offend such a powerful figure who was deeply trusted by the emperor. Seeing Laimu’s visit, Governor Temisso dared not be careless.
Beside Laimu, there was a woman with a serious expression. However, to everyone’s surprise, this woman was not Laimu’s aide, Saixiya, but rather the female mental arts teacher from the Temis Academy delegation. The combination of the Eagle Guard captain and the female mental arts teacher from the Temis Academy delegation was indeed quite peculiar.
Governor Temisso glanced at Mishia and promptly handed the still-connected communicator to her. Then, with a hint of a smile, Governor Temisso approached Laimu and the female teacher: “Ah, it’s Captain Laimu and Teacher Karolin. Well then, did you have a pleasant night last night?”
“Hmph!” In response to Governor Temisso’s question, Karolin gave him a sharp and embarrassing snort.
“Hehe, last night I indeed had a very enlightening experience. Kasares truly is a place full of hidden talents,” Laimu smiled, his words filled with inexplicable depth.
“I’m very sorry about the attack on Governor Karajan. However, I can assure you, in the name of the Governor of Kasares, that we will quickly find the culprits behind the attack on Governor Karajan and eliminate these terrorists for him. As for Captain Laimu, as long as you are satisfied, it will be in line with the Kasares people’s hospitality,” Governor Temisso, having spent many years in the imperial bureaucracy, naturally wasn’t affected by the cold snort of a mere female teacher.
“Oh? Haha! Governor, you flatter me,” Laimu laughed heartily and continued, “But last night, Governor Karajan complained to me the whole night.”
“Oh! This…” Governor Temisso was momentarily at a loss for words when Laimu suddenly brought up the topic of Karajan’s assassination.
Deep in his subconscious, Governor Temisso had already thought that Karajan would definitely report the assassination attempt to Laimu. However, he had been too flustered before to confront this thought directly.
At the critical moment of deciding Princess Sophia’s fate, an assassination attempt targeting the governor had suddenly occurred on Kasares. Such a terrible security situation would undoubtedly raise significant concerns for the Eagle Guards captain sent from the imperial capital for inspection. After all, if a governor could be attacked on Kasares, then Princess Sophia might also face a similar situation.
Governor Temisso even felt that Kasares was probably already removed from the list of candidates by the smiling tiger-like Eagle Guards captain in front of him. And his sudden visit today was likely to inform him: your Almeythas Academy is out of the running.
“Exactly. Last night, some unforeseen emergencies did occur. I was just handling these matters. As for Governor Karajan, I will certainly provide a satisfactory explanation.” Of course, since the events had already transpired, Governor Temiso could only adjust his mindset and solemnly assure the group.
“Hehe, there’s no need for the Governor to be nervous. Although Governor Karajan has some concerns about the security situation on Cassares, I believe these are just sudden incidents. Governor Temiso will soon have the situation under control, am I right?” Remiu said with a smile, his words inadvertently lifting Temiso’s spirits—the Almis Academy was still in the game.
“Of course!” Governor Temiso nodded resolutely. Although he didn’t understand why Remiu would still give Almis Academy a chance despite his major oversight, he wasn’t about to back down from the opportunity.
“Hehe, I believe Governor Temiso has the capability,” Remiu continued, his ever-present smile making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
“Governor,” Temiso was about to probe further when his deputy, Mishia, suddenly called out to him with a serious expression.
“What is it?” Governor Temiso immediately turned around. Mishia had been his deputy for five years, and their coordination had always been seamless. Temiso knew that unless it was something extremely important, Mishia wouldn’t interrupt him at such a moment.
“Governor!” Mishia approached him solemnly and whispered a few words. Immediately, everyone present could see a flash of surprise on Temiso’s face, which quickly turned grim.
“Governor, I hope you don’t have more bad news,” the female teacher Caroline sneered sarcastically.
“I’m afraid so,” Governor Temiso hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded seriously and spoke rapidly, “At the scene of the assassination, the city defense forces were attacked! The assailants were five masked eighth-tier experts. Although our soldiers managed to repel them, they took away two of the assassins’ bodies. Moreover, they threatened that such attacks could happen at any time in the coming days. I’ve already ordered the city defense forces to heighten their vigilance.”
“Oh…” Remiu nodded with an inscrutable expression, his smile unchanged, as if he had anticipated this all along. Caroline sneered again.
“Captain Remiu, do you have anything to say? You and Teacher Caroline didn’t come to the Governor’s mansion just to chat, did you?” Mishia once again helped Governor Temiso out of an awkward situation at the perfect moment.
“Hehe, no need to be nervous. As I said, this is Cassares, and I believe Governor Temiso has the ability to control the situation,” Remiu said with a faint smile, waving his hand dismissively. “Actually, I’m not here to meddle in your work. I’m just accompanying Miss Caroline to convey Governor Karajan’s suggestion.”
“Governor Karajan’s suggestion?” Temiso frowned at the mention of Karajan’s name.
“Exactly. Although I trust Governor Temiso’s capabilities, Governor Karajan complained to me all night yesterday. He believes that under the current circumstances, he cannot risk students staying in Cassares City with the threat of attacks.”
“What? Is Thamis Academy going to withdraw?” Governor Temiso was anxious. If Thamis Academy really withdrew from the competition due to safety concerns, no matter how much Remiu trusted his ability to control the situation, Almis Academy would lose without a fight.
“Of course not,” Caroline immediately refuted Governor Temiso’s statement.
“Then…”
“Yesterday, all members of Thamis Academy carefully considered the situation. We believe that the current state of Cassares City is no longer suitable for us to continue the exchange competition. However, if we completely cancel the exchange and show weakness to those terrorists, that is not the style of Thamis Academy. Therefore, we propose canceling all competitions within Cassares City and proceeding directly to the final phase of this exchange. The terrorists’ main target is within Cassares City; they probably wouldn’t risk going to the other side of the planet, to the Sandra Forest, just for a few students.”
“Hmm… That does make some sense… But…” Hearing that Thamis Academy wasn’t planning to withdraw, Governor Temiso felt somewhat relieved. However, he couldn’t quite figure out what Governor Karajan was up to, so he continued to ponder while stalling with bureaucratic rhetoric.
“Alright. I’ve conveyed the message. Almis Academy can carefully consider our proposal. However, if the members of Almis Academy insist on disagreeing with our proposal, for the safety of the students, we will have no choice but to abandon this exchange,” Caroline said, completely unfazed by Governor Temiso’s stalling. After dropping a few near-threatening remarks, she walked away with a cold expression.
“Hehe, the final decision is not for me, an outsider, to interfere with. I believe the Governor will make the best judgment,” Remiu said with a meaningful glance at Governor Temiso before leaving the Governor’s mansion with Caroline.
“Thamis Academy suggests directly entering the Sandra Forest?” Shortly after Remiu and Caroline left, the representatives of Almis Academy were summoned to the study by Governor Temiso. After hearing Mishia’s briefing, the group of spellcasting teachers couldn’t help but exchange puzzled looks.
To be honest, at last night’s banquet, Sailin and Zhang Wen had left a deep impression on them. Even if they didn’t say it out loud, the teachers present were all secretly thinking: Thamis Academy’s spellcasting department was likely to lose this time, while the martial arts department might just turn the tables.
Thamis Academy’s proposal to cancel the exchange competition and proceed directly to the final survival challenge phase effectively spared Almis Academy’s spellcasting department from a potentially embarrassing situation. However, the spellcasting teachers didn’t dare to accept this magnanimous gesture from Thamis Academy and instead hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.
Frankly, if this exchange had been a routine visit like previous ones, the spellcasting teachers would have eagerly agreed to Thamis Academy’s proposal. But the Almis Academy teachers present knew that things weren’t that simple. This exchange wasn’t just about the academy’s reputation; it also concerned Princess Sophia’s future!
Thamis Academy’s proposal to proceed directly to the survival challenge phase, ostensibly out of concern for student safety, was something the Almis Academy teachers saw through. They clearly realized that after witnessing Amelie’s impressive performance under Zhang Wen’s guidance last night, Thamis Academy no longer felt confident about winning the tournament. After all, a prodigy like Xiao Ji was a once-in-a-century occurrence. The other students in Thamis Academy’s spellcasting department were still no match for Almis Academy’s.
Even if Thamis Academy could rely on Xiao Ji’s extraordinary abilities to win and embarrass Almis Academy’s spellcasting department, it would only be a narrow victory. On the other hand, given Amelie’s demonstrated strength last night, even a fool could see that Thamis Academy’s martial arts department was likely to suffer a major setback this time! In other words, while Almis Academy’s spellcasting department might face some humiliation, their overall probability of winning still exceeded seventy percent.
“Indeed. Last night, some unexpected emergencies occurred that I hadn’t anticipated. I was just handling these matters. As for Governor Karajan, I will certainly provide a satisfactory explanation.” Of course, since the events had already transpired, Governor Temiso could only adjust his mindset and solemnly assure the group.
“Governor, there’s no need to be nervous. Although Governor Karajan has some concerns about the security situation on Cassares, I believe these are just sudden incidents. Governor Temiso will soon have the situation under control, am I right?” Remu said with a smile, his words inadvertently lifting Temiso’s spirits—the Almicus Academy was still in the game.
“Of course!” Governor Temiso nodded resolutely. Although he didn’t understand why Remu continued to give Almicus Academy a chance despite his significant oversight, he wasn’t about to back down from the opportunity.
“I believe Governor Temiso has the capability,” Remu continued, his ever-present smile making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
“Governor,” just as Temiso was about to probe further, his deputy, Mishia, suddenly called out to him with a serious expression.
“What is it?” Governor Temiso immediately turned around. Mishia had been his deputy for five years, and their coordination had always been seamless. Temiso knew that unless it was something extremely important, Mishia wouldn’t interrupt him at such a moment.
“Governor!” Mishia approached him solemnly and whispered a few words. Immediately, everyone present could see a flash of surprise on Temiso’s face, which quickly turned grim.
“Governor, I hope you don’t have more bad news,” the teacher Caroline said with a sarcastic sneer.
“I’m afraid so,” Governor Temiso hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded seriously and spoke rapidly, “At the scene of the assassination, the city defense forces were attacked! The assailants were five masked eighth-tier experts. Although our soldiers repelled them, they managed to take away the bodies of two assassins. Moreover, they threatened that such attacks could happen at any time in the coming days. I’ve already ordered the city defense forces to heighten their vigilance.”
“Oh…” Remu nodded with an inscrutable expression, his smile unchanged, as if he had already anticipated what would happen. Caroline sneered again.
“Captain Remu, do you have something to say? You and Teacher Caroline didn’t come to the Governor’s mansion just to chat, did you?” Mishia once again helped Temiso out of an awkward situation at the perfect moment.
“Don’t be nervous. As I said, this is Cassares, and I believe Governor Temiso has the ability to control the situation,” Remu said with a faint smile, casually waving his hand. “Actually, I’m not here to meddle in your work. I’m just accompanying Miss Caroline to convey Governor Karajan’s suggestion.”
“Governor Karajan’s suggestion?” Temiso frowned at the mention of Karajan’s name.
“Indeed. Although I trust Governor Temiso’s capabilities, Governor Karajan complained to me all night yesterday. He believes that under the current circumstances, he cannot risk keeping the students in Cassares City.”
“What? Is the Themis Academy planning to withdraw?” Governor Temiso grew anxious. If Themis Academy were to withdraw from the competition due to safety concerns, no matter how much Remu trusted his ability to control the situation, Almicus Academy would lose without a fight.
“Of course not,” Caroline immediately refuted Temiso’s assumption.
“Then…”
“Yesterday, all members of Themis Academy carefully considered the situation. We believe that the current state of Cassares City is no longer suitable for us to continue the exchange competition. However, completely canceling the exchange and showing weakness to those terrorists is not in line with Themis Academy’s style. Therefore, we propose canceling all competitions within Cassares City and proceeding directly to the final phase of the exchange. The terrorists’ main target is Cassares City, and they are unlikely to venture to the other side of the planet, into the Sandra Forest, just to target a few students.”
“Hmm… That does make some sense… But…” Hearing that Themis Academy wasn’t planning to withdraw, Governor Temiso felt somewhat relieved. However, he couldn’t quite figure out what Karajan was up to, so he continued to ponder while stalling with bureaucratic talk.
“Alright. I’ve conveyed our message. Almicus Academy can carefully consider our proposal. However, if Almicus Academy insists on rejecting our proposal, for the safety of the students, we will have no choice but to abandon this exchange,” Caroline said, completely unfazed by Temiso’s stalling. After dropping these near-threatening words, she walked away with a cold expression.
“The final decision is not for me, an outsider, to interfere with. I believe the Governor will make the best judgment,” Remu said with a meaningful glance at Temiso before leaving the Governor’s mansion with Caroline.
“Themis Academy suggests directly entering the Sandra Forest?” Shortly after Remu and Caroline left, the representatives of Almicus Academy were summoned to the study by Governor Temiso. After hearing Mishia’s briefing, the teachers from the psychic department couldn’t help but exchange puzzled looks.
Frankly, at last night’s banquet, both Sailin and Zhang Wen had left a deep impression on them. Even if they didn’t say it out loud, the teachers present were all secretly thinking: Themis Academy’s psychic department was likely to lose this time, while the physical department might just turn the tables.
Themis Academy’s proposal to cancel the exchange competition and proceed directly to the final survival challenge effectively spared Almicus Academy’s psychic department from a potentially embarrassing situation. However, the psychic department teachers were hesitant to accept this generous gesture from Themis Academy and instead exchanged uncertain glances.
Honestly, if this exchange had been a routine visit like previous ones, the psychic department teachers would have eagerly agreed to Themis Academy’s proposal. However, the Almicus Academy teachers present knew that things weren’t so simple. This exchange wasn’t just about the academy’s reputation—it also concerned Princess Sophia’s fate!
Themis Academy’s proposal to proceed directly to the survival challenge, ostensibly out of concern for the students’ safety, was clearly a strategic move. After all, who among the Almicus Academy teachers didn’t know? They had seen how Amelise, under Zhang Wen’s guidance, had displayed extraordinary power last night, making a victory in the arena uncertain. After all, a prodigy like Xiao Ji was a once-in-a-century occurrence. The other students in Themis Academy’s psychic department were still no match for Almicus Academy.
Even if Themis Academy could secure a narrow victory thanks to Xiao Ji’s exceptional abilities, it would only be a marginal win. On the other hand, given Amelise’s performance last night, it was clear to anyone that Themis Academy’s physical department was likely to suffer a major setback! In other words, while Almicus Academy’s psychic department might face some embarrassment, their overall chances of winning still exceeded seventy percent.
“Of course!” Governor Termiso nodded decisively. Although Termiso didn’t understand why Remu would still give Almeximus Academy another chance after such a major mistake, he certainly wouldn’t shy away from an opportunity when it presented itself.
“Hehe, I believe Governor Termiso has that capability,” Remu continued smoothly, his ever-present smile making his thoughts completely inscrutable.
“Governor,” Governor Termiso was just about to probe further when his female aide, Mishia, suddenly and seriously called out to him.
“What is it?” Termiso immediately turned around. Mishia had served as Termiso’s aide for five years, and their coordination had always been seamless. Termiso knew that unless it was something extremely important, Mishia wouldn’t interrupt him at a moment like this.
Mishia solemnly approached the governor and whispered a few words in his ear. Immediately afterward, everyone present could see that Termiso’s face first showed a flash of surprise, then quickly turned grim.
“Governor, I suppose you have another bad piece of news?” Caroline, the female teacher, scoffed with an ironic tone.
“I’m afraid so,” Governor Termiso hesitated briefly, but quickly nodded seriously and spoke rapidly. “At the scene of the assassination attempt, the city defense forces were attacked! Five masked eighth-rank experts were responsible. Although the soldiers repelled them, the attackers managed to steal the bodies of the two assassins. Additionally, they issued a threat that such attacks could happen anytime in the coming days. I’ve already ordered heightened alertness for the city defense forces.”
“Oh…” Remu nodded inscrutably, his smile never wavering as if he had anticipated this all along. Caroline merely scoffed again with another faint, ironic laugh.
“Captain Remu, do you have anything to say? Surely you and Teacher Caroline didn’t come to the governor’s mansion merely for a chat?” Mishia once again helped Termiso out of an awkward situation at just the right moment.
“Indeed. Last night, some unexpected emergencies occurred that I hadn’t anticipated. I was just handling these matters. As for Governor Karajan, I will certainly provide a satisfactory explanation.” Of course, since the events had already transpired, Governor Temiso could only adjust his mindset and solemnly assure everyone.
“Hehe, Governor, there’s no need to be nervous. Although Governor Karajan has some concerns about the security situation on Cassares, I believe these are just sudden incidents. Governor Temiso will soon have things under control, am I right?” Remu said with a smile, his words inadvertently lifting Temiso’s spirits—the Almis Academy was still in the game.
“Of course!” Governor Temiso nodded resolutely. Although he didn’t understand why Remu would still give Almis Academy a chance despite his major blunder, he wasn’t about to back down from the opportunity.
“Hehe, I believe Governor Temiso has the capability,” Remu continued, his ever-present smile making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
“Governor,” just as Temiso was about to probe further, his female aide, Mishia, suddenly called out to him with a serious expression.
“What is it?” Governor Temiso immediately turned around. Mishia had been his aide for five years, and their cooperation had always been seamless. Temiso knew that unless it was something extremely important, Mishia would never interrupt him at such a moment.
“Governor!” Mishia walked solemnly to his side and whispered a few words. Immediately, everyone present could see a flash of surprise on Temiso’s face, which quickly turned grim.
“Governor, you don’t have more bad news, do you?” Teacher Caroline sneered sarcastically.
“I’m afraid so,” Governor Temiso hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded seriously and spoke rapidly. “At the scene of the assassination, the city defense force was attacked! The assailants were five masked eighth-tier experts. Although our soldiers repelled them, they managed to take away two of the assassins’ bodies. Moreover, they threatened that such attacks could happen at any time in the coming days. I’ve already ordered the city defense force to heighten their vigilance.”
“Oh…” Remu nodded inscrutably, his smile unchanged, as if he had already anticipated what would happen. Caroline sneered again.
“Captain Remu, do you have anything to say? You and Teacher Caroline didn’t come to the Governor’s mansion just to chat, did you?” Mishia once again helped Governor Temiso out of an awkward situation at the perfect moment.
“Hehe, no need to be nervous. As I said, this is Cassares, and I believe Governor Temiso has the ability to control the situation,” Remu said with a faint smile, waving his hand dismissively. “Actually, I’m not here to meddle in your work. I’m just accompanying Miss Caroline to convey Governor Karajan’s suggestion.”
“Governor Karajan’s suggestion?” Temiso frowned at the mention of Karajan’s name.
“Indeed. Although I trust Governor Temiso’s capabilities, Governor Karajan complained to me all night yesterday. He believes that under the current circumstances, he cannot risk students staying in Cassares City with the threat of attacks.”
“What? Is Thamis Academy planning to withdraw?” Governor Temiso was anxious. If Thamis Academy really withdrew from the competition due to safety concerns, no matter how much Remu trusted his ability to control the situation, Almis Academy would lose without a fight.
“Of course not,” Caroline immediately refuted Governor Temiso’s statement.
“Then…”
“Yesterday, all members of Thamis Academy carefully considered the situation. We believe that the current state of Cassares City is no longer suitable for us to continue the exchange competition. However, completely canceling the exchange and showing weakness to those terrorists is not the style of Thamis Academy. Therefore, we propose canceling all competitions within Cassares City and directly proceeding to the final phase of this exchange. The terrorists’ main target is within Cassares City; they likely won’t risk going to the other side of the planet to venture into Sandra Forest for a few students.”
“Hmm… That does make some sense… But…” Hearing that Thamis Academy wasn’t planning to withdraw, Governor Temiso felt somewhat relieved. However, he couldn’t quite figure out what Karajan was up to, so he stalled for time while frantically thinking.
“Alright, I’ve conveyed our message. Almis Academy can carefully consider our proposal. However, if Almis Academy insists on disagreeing with our proposal, for the safety of our students, we will have no choice but to abandon this exchange,” Caroline said, completely unfazed by Temiso’s stalling. After dropping these almost threatening words, she coldly walked away.
“Hehe, the final decision is not for me, an outsider, to interfere with. I believe the Governor will make the best judgment,” Remu said with a meaningful glance at Governor Temiso before leaving the Governor’s mansion with Caroline.
“Thamis Academy suggests directly entering Sandra Forest?” Shortly after Remu and Caroline left, the representatives of Almis Academy were summoned to the study by Governor Temiso. After hearing Mishia’s briefing, the group of teachers from the psychic department couldn’t help but exchange puzzled looks.
To be honest, at last night’s banquet, Sailin and Zhang Wen had left a deep impression on them. Even if they didn’t say it out loud, the teachers present were all secretly thinking: Thamis Academy’s psychic department was likely to lose this time, while the physical department might just turn the tables.
Thamis Academy’s proposal to cancel the exchange competition and directly enter the final survival phase effectively spared Almis Academy’s psychic department from a potentially embarrassing situation. However, the psychic department teachers couldn’t bring themselves to accept this generous gesture from Thamis Academy and instead hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.
Honestly, if this exchange had been a routine visit like before, the psychic department teachers would have eagerly agreed to Thamis Academy’s proposal. But the Almis Academy teachers present knew that things weren’t that simple. This exchange wasn’t just about the academy’s reputation—it also concerned the fate of Princess Sophia!
Thamis Academy’s proposal to directly enter the survival phase, while ostensibly about student safety, was clearly motivated by their realization after last night’s events that they might not have a guaranteed victory in the arena. After all, a prodigy like Xiao Ji was a once-in-a-century talent. The other students in Thamis Academy’s psychic department were still no match for Almis Academy.
Even if Thamis Academy could win through Xiao Ji’s exceptional abilities and embarrass Almis Academy’s psychic department, it would likely be a narrow victory. On the other hand, given Amelie’s performance last night, even a fool could see that Thamis Academy’s physical department was likely to suffer a major defeat! In other words, while Almis Academy’s psychic department might face some embarrassment, their overall chance of winning still exceeded seventy percent.
“Karajan’s suggestion?” At the mention of Karajan’s name, Governor Termiso frowned immediately.
“Exactly. There were indeed some unforeseen emergencies last night that I hadn’t anticipated. I was just handling these matters earlier. As for Governor Karajan, I will certainly provide a satisfactory explanation.” Of course, since the events had already occurred, Governor Temiso could only adjust his mindset and solemnly assure everyone.
“Hehe, there’s no need for the Governor to be nervous. Although Governor Karajan has some concerns about the security situation on Kasares, I believe these are just sudden incidents. Governor Temiso will soon have the situation under control, am I right?” Remu said with a smile, his words inadvertently lifting Temiso’s spirits—the Almis Academy was still in the game.
“Of course!” Governor Temiso nodded resolutely. Although he didn’t understand why Remu would continue to give Almis Academy a chance despite such a major oversight on his part, he wasn’t about to back down when opportunity knocked.
“Hehe, I believe Governor Temiso has the capability,” Remu continued, his ever-present smile making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
“Governor,” Temiso was about to probe further when his female aide, Mishia, suddenly called out to him with a serious expression.
“What is it?” Governor Temiso immediately turned around. Mishia had been his aide for five years, and their cooperation had always been seamless. Temiso knew that unless it was something extremely important, Mishia would never interrupt him at such a moment.
“Governor!” Mishia walked solemnly to his side and whispered a few words in his ear. Immediately, everyone present could see a flash of astonishment on Temiso’s face, which quickly turned grim.
“Governor, you don’t have more bad news, do you?” the female teacher Caroline sneered sarcastically.
“I’m afraid so,” Governor Temiso hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded seriously and spoke rapidly, “At the scene of the assassination, the city defense forces were attacked! The assailants were five masked eighth-tier experts. Although the soldiers repelled them, they managed to take away the bodies of the two assassins. Moreover, they threatened that such attacks could happen at any time in the coming days. I’ve already ordered the city defense forces to heighten their vigilance.”
“Oh…” Remu nodded inscrutably, his smile unchanged, as if he had already anticipated what would happen. Caroline sneered again.
“Captain Remu, do you have anything to say? You and Teacher Caroline didn’t come to the Governor’s mansion just to chat, did you?” Mishia once again helped Governor Temiso out of an awkward situation at the most opportune moment.
“Hehe. No need to be nervous. I’ve said it before, this is Kasares, and I believe Governor Temiso has the ability to control the situation,” Remu said with a faint smile, casually waving his hand, “Actually, I’m not here to meddle in your work. I’m just accompanying Miss Caroline to convey Governor Karajan’s suggestion.”
“Governor Karajan’s suggestion?” Temiso frowned at the mention of Karajan’s name.
“Exactly. Although I trust Governor Temiso’s abilities, Governor Karajan complained to me all night yesterday. He believes that under the current circumstances, he cannot risk having students stay in Kasares City where they might be attacked.”
“What? Is Themis Academy withdrawing?” Governor Temiso was anxious. If Themis Academy really withdrew from the competition due to safety concerns, then no matter how much Remu trusted his ability to control the situation, Almis Academy would lose without a fight.
“Of course not,” Caroline immediately negated Governor Temiso’s statement.
“Then…”
“Yesterday, all members of Themis Academy carefully considered the situation. We believe that the current state of Kasares City is no longer suitable for us to continue the exchange competition. However, if we completely cancel the exchange and show weakness to those terrorists, that is definitely not Themis Academy’s style. Therefore, we propose canceling all competitions within Kasares City and directly proceeding to the final phase of this exchange. The terrorists’ main target is within Kasares City, and they probably wouldn’t risk going to the other side of the planet, to the Sandra Forest, just for a few students.”
“Hmm… That does make sense… But…” Hearing that Themis Academy wasn’t withdrawing, Governor Temiso immediately felt relieved. However, he couldn’t quite figure out what Karajan was up to, so he stalled for time while racking his brains.
“Alright. I’ve delivered the message. Almis Academy can carefully consider our proposal. However, if the members of Almis Academy insist on disagreeing with our proposal, for the safety of the students, we will have no choice but to abandon this exchange,” Caroline said, completely unfazed by Governor Temiso’s stalling. After dropping a few near-threatening remarks, she coldly walked away.
“Hehe, the final decision is not something I, as an outsider, should interfere with. I believe the Governor will make the best judgment,” Remu said with a meaningful glance at Governor Temiso before leaving the Governor’s mansion with Caroline.
“Themis Academy suggests directly entering the Sandra Forest?” Shortly after Remu and Caroline left, the representatives of Almis Academy were invited into the study by Governor Temiso. After hearing Mishia’s briefing, the group of teachers from the psychic department couldn’t help but exchange puzzled looks.
Frankly, at last night’s banquet, Sailin and Zhang Wen had left a deep impression on them. Even if they didn’t say it out loud, the teachers present were all thinking the same thing: Themis Academy’s psychic department was likely to lose this time, while the physical department might just turn the tables.
Themis Academy’s proposal to cancel the exchange competition and directly enter the final survival competition phase effectively spared Almis Academy’s psychic department from a potentially embarrassing situation. However, the psychic department teachers were hesitant to accept this generous gesture from Themis Academy and instead exchanged uncertain glances.
Honestly, if this exchange had been a routine visit like before, the psychic department teachers would have eagerly agreed to Themis Academy’s proposal. However, the Almis Academy teachers present knew that things weren’t that simple. This exchange wasn’t just about Almis Academy’s reputation—it also concerned Princess Sophia’s fate!
Themis Academy’s proposal to directly enter the survival competition phase, while ostensibly about student safety, was clearly motivated by their realization that, under Zhang Wen’s guidance, Amelie had shown extraordinary prowess the previous night, making their victory in the arena uncertain. After all, a prodigy like Xiao Ji was a once-in-a-century occurrence. The other students in Themis Academy’s psychic department were still no match for Almis Academy’s.
Even if Themis Academy could win with Xiao Ji’s exceptional abilities and embarrass Almis Academy’s psychic department, it would only be a narrow victory. On the other hand, given Amelie’s performance last night, even a fool could see that Themis Academy’s physical department was likely to suffer a major setback! In other words, while Almis Academy’s psychic department might lose face, their overall chance of winning still exceeded seventy percent.
“What? Are Tymes Academy going to withdraw?” Governor Termiso grew anxious. If Tymes Academy truly withdrew from the competition due to safety concerns, no matter how much confidence Remu had in his ability to control the situation, Almeximus Academy would essentially be defeated without even fighting.
“Of course not,” Caroline immediately and decisively denied Termiso’s assumption.
“Then…”
“Indeed. Last night, some unforeseen emergencies did occur. I was just handling these matters. As for Governor Karajan, I will certainly provide a satisfactory explanation.” Of course, since the events had already transpired, Governor Temiso could only adjust his mindset and solemnly assure the group.
“Governor, there’s no need to be nervous. Although Governor Karajan has some concerns about the security situation on Cassares, I believe these are just sudden incidents. Governor Temiso will soon have the situation under control, am I right?” Remiu said with a smile, his words inadvertently lifting Temiso’s spirits—the Almicus Academy was still in the game.
“Of course!” Governor Temiso nodded resolutely. Although he didn’t understand why Remiu continued to give Almicus Academy a chance despite his significant oversight, he wasn’t about to back down from the opportunity.
“I believe Governor Temiso has the capability,” Remiu continued, his ever-present smile making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
“Governor,” just as Temiso was about to probe further, his deputy, Mishia, suddenly called out to him with a serious expression.
“What is it?” Governor Temiso turned immediately. Mishia had been his deputy for five years, and their coordination had always been seamless. Temiso knew that unless it was something extremely important, Mishia wouldn’t interrupt him at such a moment.
“Governor!” Mishia approached him solemnly and whispered a few words. Immediately, everyone present could see a flash of surprise on Temiso’s face, which quickly turned grim.
“Governor, you don’t have more bad news, do you?” Teacher Caroline sneered sarcastically.
“I’m afraid so,” Governor Temiso hesitated briefly but then nodded seriously and quickly added, “At the scene of the assassination, the city defense forces were attacked! The assailants were five masked eighth-tier experts. Although our soldiers repelled them, they managed to take away two bodies of the assassins. Moreover, they threatened that such attacks could happen at any time in the coming days. I’ve already ordered the city defense to heighten their vigilance.”
“Oh…” Remiu nodded inscrutably, his smile unchanged, as if he had anticipated this all along. Caroline sneered once more.
“Captain Remiu, do you have anything to say? You and Teacher Caroline didn’t come to the Governor’s mansion just to chat, did you?” Mishia once again helped Governor Temiso out of an awkward situation at the perfect moment.
“Don’t be nervous. As I said, this is Cassares, and I believe Governor Temiso has the ability to control the situation,” Remiu said with a faint smile, casually waving his hand. “Actually, I’m not here to meddle in your work. I’m just accompanying Miss Caroline to convey a suggestion from Governor Karajan.”
“Governor Karajan’s suggestion?” Temiso frowned at the mention of Karajan’s name.
“Yes. Although I trust Governor Temiso’s capabilities, Governor Karajan complained to me all night yesterday. He believes that under the current circumstances, he cannot risk keeping the students in Cassares City.”
“What? Is the Themis Academy withdrawing?” Governor Temiso grew anxious. If Themis Academy withdrew from the competition due to safety concerns, regardless of Remiu’s trust in his ability to control the situation, Almicus Academy would lose without a fight.
“Of course not,” Caroline immediately refuted Temiso’s assumption.
“Then…”
“Yesterday, all members of Themis Academy carefully considered the situation. We believe that the current state of Cassares City is no longer suitable for continuing the exchange competition. However, completely canceling the exchange and showing weakness to those terrorists is not the style of Themis Academy. Therefore, we propose canceling all competitions within Cassares City and proceeding directly to the final phase of this exchange. The terrorists’ main target is within Cassares City; they are unlikely to venture to the other side of the planet, to the Sandra Forest, just to target a few students.”
“Hmm… That does make sense… But…” Hearing that Themis Academy wasn’t withdrawing, Governor Temiso felt somewhat relieved. However, he couldn’t quite figure out what Governor Karajan was up to, so he continued to ponder while stalling with bureaucratic rhetoric.
“Alright. I’ve conveyed our message. Almicus Academy can carefully consider our proposal. However, if you insist on disagreeing with our suggestion, for the safety of the students, we will have no choice but to abandon this exchange,” Caroline said, completely unfazed by Temiso’s stalling. After dropping these almost threatening words, she walked away with a cold expression.
“The final decision is not for me, an outsider, to interfere with. I believe the Governor will make the best judgment,” Remiu said with a meaningful glance at Temiso before leaving the Governor’s mansion with Caroline.
“Themis Academy suggests directly entering the Sandra Forest?” Shortly after Remiu and Caroline left, the representatives of Almicus Academy were summoned to the study by Governor Temiso. After hearing Mishia’s briefing, the group of teachers from the psychic department couldn’t help but exchange puzzled looks.
Frankly, at last night’s banquet, Sailin and Zhang Wen had left a deep impression on them. Even if they didn’t voice it, the teachers present were all secretly thinking: Themis Academy’s psychic department was likely to lose this time, while the physical department might just turn the tables.
Themis Academy’s proposal to cancel the exchange competition and proceed directly to the final survival challenge phase effectively spared Almicus Academy’s psychic department from a potentially embarrassing situation. However, the psychic department teachers were hesitant to accept this generous gesture from Themis Academy, instead exchanging uncertain glances.
Honestly, if this exchange were just a routine visit like previous ones, the psychic department teachers would have eagerly agreed to Themis Academy’s proposal. However, the Almicus Academy teachers present knew that things weren’t so simple. This exchange wasn’t just about the academy’s reputation—it also concerned Princess Sophia’s future!
Themis Academy’s proposal to proceed directly to the survival challenge phase, ostensibly out of concern for student safety, was transparent to the Almicus Academy teachers. It was clear they had seen Amelie’s impressive performance under Zhang Wen’s guidance last night and were no longer confident of winning the tournament. After all, a prodigy like Xiao Ji was a once-in-a-century occurrence. The other students in Themis Academy’s psychic department were still no match for Almicus Academy.
Even if Themis Academy could secure a narrow victory with Xiao Ji’s exceptional abilities, embarrassing Almicus Academy’s psychic department, it would still be a close call. On the other hand, given Amelie’s demonstrated strength last night, even a fool could see that Themis Academy’s physical department was likely to suffer a major setback! In other words, while Almicus Academy’s psychic department might face some embarrassment, their overall chance of winning still exceeded seventy percent.
“Hmm… That does make some sense… However…” Upon hearing that Tymes Academy wasn’t actually withdrawing, Governor Termiso immediately felt much relieved. Still, for the moment, he couldn’t quite figure out what Karajan was really up to, so he stalled for time while racking his brain.
“Alright, I’ve delivered my message. Almeximus Academy can carefully consider our proposal. However, if Almeximus Academy insists on rejecting our suggestion, for the sake of student safety, we will have no choice but to abandon this exchange altogether.” Without hesitation, Caroline ignored Termiso’s stalling, delivering those nearly threatening words before coldly walking away.
“Hehe, the final decision is not something for an outsider like me to interfere with. I believe Governor Termiso will make the best judgment.” Remu gave Termiso a meaningful glance before leaving the governor’s mansion with Caroline.
“Entering Sandra Forest directly is Tymes Academy’s suggestion?” Not long after Remu and Caroline departed, representatives from Almeximus Academy were summoned into Termiso’s study. After hearing the situation explained by Mishia, the group of psychokinetic arts teachers from Almeximus couldn’t help but exchange glances.
Frankly speaking, both Sayling and Zhang Wen had left deep impressions on them during last night’s banquet. Among those present, even if they didn’t voice their opinions, they were all privately speculating: Tymes Academy’s psychokinetic arts division was likely destined to lose this time, while their physical arts division might very well stage a comeback.
Tymes Academy voluntarily proposing to cancel the exchange competition and move directly into the final survival phase essentially spared Almeximus’s psychokinetic arts division from a potentially embarrassing situation. However, the psychokinetic arts teachers dared not accept this enormous favor from Tymes Academy so readily, instead hesitating and exchanging uncertain glances.
Frankly speaking, if this academy exchange were merely a routine visit like those in the past, the psychokinetic arts teachers would probably have eagerly agreed to Tymes Academy’s suggestion. However, the Almeximus teachers present knew that things weren’t that simple. This exchange wasn’t just about Almeximus Academy’s reputation; it also involved Princess Sophia’s future!
Although Tymes Academy’s proposal to proceed directly into the survival competition appeared, on the surface, to be about student safety, the teachers from Almeximus Academy all understood the real reason. It was clearly because they had witnessed Amelie’s extraordinary performance under Zhang Wen’s guidance the previous night, and Tymes Academy no longer felt certain of victory in the upcoming contest. After all, a prodigy like Xiao Ji was at least a once-in-a-century phenomenon. Other students in Tymes Academy’s psychokinetic arts division were certainly no match for those from Almeximus.
Even if Tymes Academy could achieve a narrow victory through Xiao Ji’s exceptional personal abilities and embarrass Almeximus’s psychokinetic arts division, their win would at best be a close one. On the other hand, anyone with eyes could see that Amelie’s performance the previous night indicated that Tymes Academy’s physical arts division would likely suffer a major defeat this time. In other words, although Almeximus’s psychokinetic arts division might suffer some loss of face, their probability of ultimately winning still exceeded seventy percent.
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