Aeron appeared in front of him. “Were you saying something about my friend being a loser?”Darius swung desperately but his hands only moved like a helpless bird flapping uncontrollably to free itself from drowning. Aeron caught the punch, twisted his arm, and drove him face-first into the dirt. THUD! Darius screamed as pain shot through his shoulder. “Please! Stop!” he begged, his earlier arrogance disappearing. “I was wrong! I won’t touch your friend again!”At this moment, he couldnt take ut any longer! It seemed he had assumed wrong - Aeron wasnt just a nobody! Aeron released him and turned toward the Grey Wolf boy, who was trying to crawl behind the broken crates. “You were brave enough to attack Jace when he was alone,” Aeron said, grabbing the back of his collar and dragging him into the open. “Now look at you. Where’s that mouth you used to threaten him?” The Grey Wolf boy trembled, tears mixing with the dust on his face. “Please Senior! I’m sorry! I won’t bother Jace

Aeron withdrew his hand and slumped against the rock, breathing heavily. “I’m not sure I know how I did it. You’re welcome to explain why you were dying alone in the woods, though.”Ria stared at him for another moment before suddenly throwing her arms around his neck.Aeron went rigid instantly! “Thank you,” she whispered, holding him tightly. “You have absolutely no idea how much trouble you would have been in if you let me die.”Before he could respond, she pulled back and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.Aeron’s mind went completely blank. Ria seemed to realise what she had done. A blush crept across her face, but she covered it by punching his shoulder playfully.“Don’t get any ridiculous ideas! And if you tell anyone what happened, I’ll deny everything.”“You kissed me and threatened me in the same breath,” Aeron managed. “Are all noblewomen this unreasonable?”“Only when dealing with annoying men.” She rose carefully, testing her strength. Before leaving, she glanced back at

Aeron stared at the official while his father, Orion, and Ryan stood nearby, showing no intention of defending him.“Your registration has not been approved,” the official announced. “You must pay the remaining assessment fee before proceeding.”“How convenient,” Cassius sneered. “Can he even afford it? Or will he beg the royal family to sponsor his little performance?”Aeron silently counted the required coins onto the desk. They represented days of exhausting training and painful fights, but he refused to let Cassius take this opportunity away from him.Cassius laughed. “That’s all you have? You should return to the lower district. People like you belong there, not among nobles and genuine Beast Masters.”Elara stepped forward, wearing her familiar expression of false concern. “Please, Cassius. Aeron is already struggling enough. I only hope he understands how embarrassing this will be when everyone sees what his Guardian Beast can do.”Aeron looked at her coldly. “You ruined my rep

“Aeron!” Jace yelled, shooting to his feet in panic! Ria gripped the railing so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She wanted to rush into the arena, but the officials would immediately disqualify him if anyone interfered. Garron approached slowly. “You are quick, I’ll give you that,” he admitted. “But dodging won’t save you forever. You don’t have the strength to finish this fight.” Aeron tried to rise, but his injured ribs protested sharply. His arms trembled beneath his weight.“Ah!” He struggled not to wince but the pain was making things difficult! Across the arena, Cassius burst out laughing. “Look at him! All that determination, and he’s still lying on the ground! Haha! He should have listened to his family and stayed where he belonged.” Aeron’s father nodded grimly, while Orion muttered that the fight was becoming an embarrassment. Ryan watched with an impatient expression, seemingly more annoyed by the attention Aeron attracted than concerned about his injuries.

Regardless, Cassius straightened his torn coat and turned toward Seraphina. “As you can see, victory belongs to those with genuine strength. A difficult match means nothing when the stronger Beast Master ultimately prevails.”Seraphina smiled politely. “Congratulations on your victory, Prince Cassius. However, winning doesn’t give you the right to treat weaker contestants with contempt. Your opponent challenged you seriously, and he nearly defeated you. You might consider respecting his effort instead of using your victory to insult someone else.” Her voice was sharp but gentle…….like rose with thorns. Cassius’s expression faltered dramatically! His jaw clenched! Even King Tharos, who recently arrived at the festival, frowned at the spectacle. His son was supposed to represent the royal family but he seemed more interested in humiliating a young man than displaying leadership.Elara stood nearby, feeling the weight of several nobles’ amused glances. She tried to maintain her comp