Hearing this, Emily thought Dusk had admitted defeat and playfully made a face at him, saying, "I guess you know your limits."
Her father Ruen could only sigh at this.
He had spoiled his daughter too much, and she clearly didn't understand just how formidable some people really were.
If the other side really cared to argue, these guys probably would've ended up dead.
After they rested, the group set out again.
Now they were less than a day's journey from Fallen Dragon City.
If nothing unexpected happened, he should reach the place before nightfall.
As time passed,
the road gradually widened, and more and more people appeared along the way.
At the edge of their view, an immense and magnificent city emerged.
At a glance, it looked like a colossal beast resting on the horizon.
Dusk looked out the carriage window, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Fallen Dragon City, they had arrived!
The ancient city walls stood tall, Gothic architecture lined up neatly, and in the very center, a magnificent palace gleamed with gold and jade, towering into the clouds.
One carriage after another rolled into the city like beetles.
Before this bustling city, everyone seemed like little ants living within it.
Dusk, Ruen, and the others rode the carriage inside and showed the caravan's travel permit to the gate soldiers.
Then they passed through the city gates and entered the imperial capital of the Clinton Empire.
What greeted their eyes was a scene of bustling streets.
Shops lined both sides of the street—fruit stands, blacksmiths, potion shops, all kinds of businesses were there.
The road was crowded with people: ordinary folks dressed plainly, armored adventurers and Extraordinary Beings, and even some half-beasts who looked part human, part animal—it was lively.
Seeing this scene, which he had only encountered before in movies and games, Dusk felt a bit dazed.
Only at this moment did he truly feel like he was in another world.
Ruen said, "White Star Academy is in the city center area. My caravan still has deliveries to make, so we won't be going with you.
Emily, you take Mr. Dusk and Miss Nara there together."
Fallen Dragon City was full of powerful people; there was no need to worry about danger. Besides, after some contact, Ruen realized that this seemingly cold gentleman had a kind heart, which was why he trusted Emily to take them.
Also, this was a chance to build a good relationship.
"In that case, I'll trouble Miss Emily," Dusk said, taking out a pouch of Gold Coins and handing it to Ruen with a smile, "Consider these Gold Coins a thank you for taking care of us along the way. I hope you'll accept them."
Although he knew Ruen meant well, it was better not to owe favors if he could avoid it. Anyway, money wasn't an issue for him; before coming, Fursa and the others had prepared over a million gold coins as starting funds, enough for him to splurge for a long time.
"Mr. Dusk, you're too kind. There's no need for so many Gold Coins," Ruen hesitated a little. Dusk was just too generous—this many Gold Coins were more than he'd earned from this whole trade trip.
But after a brief moment, he waved his hand to refuse and said, "It's nothing; just escorting you along the way. Please take your money back."
With that, before Dusk could say more, he smiled, waved goodbye to Dusk and the others, and headed west with the caravan.
Dusk shook his head and could only say that merchants really knew how to do business.
He casually tossed the heavy pouch of coins to Emily beside him and said, "Let's go, Miss Emily. This is your fee for guiding us."
Emily was hit by the heavy pouch of coins and stumbled a few steps, almost falling. She opened it and glanced inside, then couldn't help but widen her eyes. "You noble kids really do waste money. This must be over two hundred Gold Coins, right?"
After spending these days together, Emily's impression of Dusk had improved somewhat.
But she still thought of him as a useless playboy.
After all, an ordinary person simply couldn't have such a beautiful maid and such powerful bodyguards, nor could they possess so many Gold Coins.
However, there was no reason to refuse free money, so Emily happily pocketed the pouch, thinking it would be good to buy some snacks and clothes for herself.
"That little girl's quite cute," Nara said, covering her mouth with a smile.
Emily's lively and charming personality was indeed endearing.
Dusk said, "Let's go. We're heading to White Star Academy."
After waiting a moment, the group found a carriage by the roadside.
Then, following the address Emily had given, they headed to the White Star Academy registration site.
White Star Academy was located in the heart of Fallen Dragon City, one of the most bustling areas of the city.
The closer they got, the more obvious it became that many people on the street were dressed in luxurious clothing and carried an extraordinary air about them.
The shops along the street were also more lavish and refined in decoration, making the difference from the outer city feel like two separate worlds.
The carriage traveled on, and soon they arrived at their destination.
In front of them stood a grand school gate crafted from white jade, carved with countless obscure runes. The shifting glow along the carvings looked quite mystical.
In the square outside the academy, thousands of boys and girls who had come to register stood packed tightly together.
More than a dozen instructors were busy struggling to keep up with the registration, which showed just how attractive White Star Academy was and hinted at the fierce competition.
Dusk and Emily waited from noon until night just to register.
Their legs went numb from standing so long, and it was only just before the instructors were about to finish their shift that they finally got their names down.
Of course, Dusk's identity and name were false, created in advance by the Cult of the End, while Quinn and Nara had also used High Tier magic to hide themselves, so they didn't fear being recognized.
"The assessment starts three days from now, at the academy stadium. Remember to come early," the instructor responsible for registration reminded them as he tidied up the papers on his desk.
Then he looked at Dusk sharply and said without mercy, "If you haven't undergone Class Change, don't bother coming. It's just a waste of time."
After saying this, the instructor stood up and turned to head into White Star Academy.
"See? I told you there's no chance you'd get through," Emily said, shrugging her shoulders with a look that said, "Told you so."
Even a clay doll has some fire in it, and after being provoked repeatedly, Dusk decided to give this little girl a lesson.
He looked at Emily with a cheerful smile and said, "Since you don't believe I can pass the assessment, how about we make a bet?"
For some reason, Emily suddenly got a chill running down her spine, feeling like the other person was up to something sneaky.
But losing to someone weaker than herself was not her style at all.
She definitely wasn't the type to give up to someone weaker than herself.
Emily lifted her chin and said, "Speak. What's the bet? And what's the wager?"
After saying that, she seemed to remember something and added, "Oh, and no crossing the line, no cheating."
Dusk's smile didn't change in the slightest as he said, "Don't worry, I'm not as dirty-minded as you think. Let's just bet on whether I can pass the academy's test tomorrow. As for the wager..."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, "If you lose, you'll be my maid for one semester. If I lose, I'll pay you 10,000 Gold Coins. How does that sound?"
Emily's beautiful eyes immediately widened in shock. "You want me to do what?"
Dusk repeated cheerfully, "If you lose, you'll be my maid for a semester."
Emily stared at him for two seconds, then her fair and pretty face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger. "My father trusts you so much, and yet I never expected you to be this kind of person!"
With that, she immediately turned to leave.
Dusk didn't stop her, just said lazily, "You were the one who said I wouldn't be able to pass the test, so I wanted to make a bet with you. Now that you're backing out, how can it be my fault?"
"Or... are you secretly thinking I might actually have a chance to pass?"
Emily's footsteps gradually slowed as she was about to leave.
After a moment, she grit her teeth, turned back, and glared at Dusk. "I'll take your bet, but if you lose, I want 100,000 Gold Coins!"
What a greedy little girl — she just multiplied the stakes by ten the moment she opened her mouth!
But Dusk didn't mind at all. "Fine, I agree."
He really didn't care much about the bet, he just wanted to mess with this little brat.
"If you lose, no backing out!" Emily stared at Dusk as if she was afraid he wouldn't keep his word.
Dusk chuckled and casually waved his hand. A luxurious Black Gold Card appeared in his palm.
"You know what this is, right?" He waved the Black Gold Card with a teasing smile.
"This is... the Zenith Trading Company's Black Gold Card?!" Shock flashed in Emily's eyes.
Zenith Trading Company was the largest guild on the entire Godforsaken Continent!
Their Black Gold Card was only issued to those with top-tier strength and supreme influence.
Only a handful of people across the entire continent owned this card, and the overdraft limit on it was a staggering one million Gold Coins.
In other words, as long as Dusk showed up at Zenith Trading Company with this card, he could instantly withdraw one million!
"Who the hell are you really?" Even Emily, who was usually pretty thick-skinned, felt something was seriously off now.
Ordinary people, let alone owning a Black Gold Card from Zenith Trading Company, probably haven't even heard the name before. Yet this guy who looked like he had no strength at all casually pulled one out.
"I am... a Deity." Dusk put the Black Gold Card away and said casually.
Emily couldn't help but sneer, "If that's what a Deity is like, then the Devotees who believe in you must be blind."
In the distance, Quito, who was waiting outside the square, suddenly sneezed for no apparent reason. Rubbing his nose, he frowned and said, "Which little bastard is talking shit about me behind my back? If I find out who it is, I'll smash his head in!"
Nara laughed softly beside him, "It's rare to see a powerhouse like you catch a cold."
At this moment, Dusk and Emily walked out from the crowd.
Dusk glanced at the sky and said, "It's getting late. Let's find a place to stay first, then go eat."
The entrance exam was in three days. They had wasted quite a bit of time on the road, so he needed to hurry and figure out how to gather materials to refine the Elixir in the next few days.
Emily thought for a moment and said, "I know a good place. My father and I used to stay there often. I can take you all there."