Ares didn't care about the attitude of August IV.
She smiled and said, "In that case, I won't beat around the bush.
"I assume His Majesty the King is already aware of the Cult of the End?"
August narrowed his eyes slightly. "I've heard about it. Supposedly their so-called 'Lord of the End' has descended.
"You don't actually believe that kind of nonsense, do you, Holy Maiden?"
Faced with August's mockery, Ares maintained her smile and replied, "The key isn't whether I believe it or not, but whether there's even the slightest possibility it could be true."
"Impossible." August stood up and sneered coldly. "It's been ten thousand years since the Holy Empire was destroyed. Not a single miracle has occurred on the Godforsaken Continent since then, let alone a divine descent.
"This kind of rumor is clearly just a trick conjured up by the Cult of the End."
Ares replied leisurely, "Since His Majesty considers it a mere trick, then why post such a massive bounty instead of simply leading troops to wipe out the entire Cult of the End?"
That alone showed the king before her wasn't as carefree as he appeared to be.
"How the Royal Family handles its affairs is none of your concern, outsider." August stared at the Maiden of Dawn before him and said calmly, "If this is all Holy Maiden has come to say, then I suggest you take your leave."
A hint of the smile faded from Ares' face as she cut straight to the point. "Doesn't His Majesty want to know whether this 'Lord of the End' is real or not?"
"What have you learned?" August asked instinctively.
Then he realized he'd fallen right into this woman's conversational trap.
If he truly didn't care, he should've told her to get lost by now.
"I recently paid a visit to the Cult of the End," Ares said with a small smile, continuing at her own pace. "Although that person managed to conceal their presence through some unknown means, I still picked up on a few clues."
As she spoke, she turned her palm over, revealing a piece of dark red stone resting in her fair, jade-like hand.
"This is…" August focused on it for a moment before realizing it wasn't a stone at all—it was a piece of bone, specifically part of a human skull!
"This is Richard's remains," Ares said calmly, toying with the skull fragment in her hand. "The marks on it were caused by corrosion from the power of The End. The energy originates from the Scepter of the End.
"If we can find a top-tier Diviner, it may be possible to use the lingering power on it to trace that person's location."
"A Diviner…" August frowned slightly. "You want me to ask Rayne to help you divine that person's identity?"
Rayne Howard, current Dean of White Star Academy, and a peak Super-Level Diviner—just one step away from becoming a demigod. His divination abilities were nothing short of unfathomable, though he rarely involved himself in the struggles of any faction.
The key point was, in his youth, Rayne owed August a favor—one that the king had never called in.
"So it turns out you're here for Rayne." August finally understood what Ares was really after, and he let out a laugh—half anger, half amusement.
He sneered coldly, "Why should I pay the price to go to Rayne? What benefit would I even get from it?
"I don't see any reason to continue this conversation. See her out."
Faced with August's anger, Ares's expression remained completely unchanged. She said calmly, "You only need to help me divine his location. As for everything that comes after, just leave it to us—Cult of the Dawn will handle it.
"If the rumors are true, we split the spoils equally. If it turns out to be false, our Cult of the Dawn will compensate the Royal Family with a Tiered Sealing Relic. How does that sound?"
If things were truly as Ares said, then even in failure, the Royal Family's losses could be minimized.
And if they succeeded, they would eliminate a major hidden threat to the Clinton Empire.
No matter how it played out, it was a guaranteed win.
As for what the Cult of the Dawn actually wanted—August knew full well.
It was nothing more than a chance…
The anger faded from his face. He gave Ares a long, meaningful look and said, "I'll need some time to consider this. If I decide, I'll contact you. Holy Maiden, you may go."
With that, August turned and sat back down on the throne, clearly indicating the meeting was over.
Since her objective had been achieved, Ares had no reason to linger.
She smiled and said, "Then I'll stay in Fallen Dragon City for a while and wait for His Majesty to make a decision."
With those words, she gave a slight bow, turned around, and exited the gilded palace.
...
Two days flew by in the blink of an eye. The people from White Star Academy were about to arrive.
During those two days, aside from getting used to his newly acquired powers, Dusk spent most of his time exploring Fallen Dragon City with Emily and the others.
Having grown up in a modern metropolis in his previous life, the medieval-styled city was a refreshing novelty for Dusk.
On the morning of the third day, the day of the White Star assessment finally arrived.
Ruen personally drove the carriage, taking Dusk and Emily toward the city center.
Along the way, they saw many others headed to the same assessment—some of them even from noble or wealthy families.
"There's still time to surrender," Emily teased. "I'll only charge you fifty thousand Gold Coins."
Dusk chuckled. "I could say the same to you. If you give up now and apologize, we can call the bet off. Once the assessment starts, though, you won't have a chance to back out."
Emily pouted. "Stubborn mule. I just hope you won't be the one heartbroken when it's over."
From the front, Ruen overheard their banter and asked curiously, "Emily, what are you and Mr. Dusk talking about?"
"We were discussing what kind of assessment we might face," Dusk replied.
Emily added, "I have a feeling this year's trial is going to be tougher than usual."
Though Ruen felt something was a little off, he didn't dwell on it.
The carriage rolled forward, and as they neared the city center, the streets grew increasingly crowded.
Because there were simply too many carriages, they eventually had to find a spot to park temporarily.
Dusk glanced outside and said, "Let's stop here. White Star Academy isn't far—we can walk the rest of the way."
With that, he and Emily stepped out of the carriage.
Seeing this, Ruen and Nara followed along behind them.
When they arrived in front of the White Star Academy plaza, they found the entire square packed with a dense crowd of people.
Besides those participating in the assessment, the majority were family members who had come to watch.
Fortunately, a path had been cleared down the middle of the crowd, so it wasn't completely impassable.
After squeezing their way through the throng with great effort, Dusk and the others finally reached the gates of White Star Academy.
Family members were not allowed inside the academy during the entrance exam, so the crowd thinned out significantly here.
Dusk smiled at Ruen and the others. "We'll head in now. Find a place to wait and get ready for good news."
Nara and Quinn's identities were ultimately somewhat special.
The longer they stayed here, the greater the chance they'd be noticed by powerful individuals within the academy.
Keeping them at a distance was also a measure to ensure their safety.
The two understood what Dusk meant. Nara gave a small bow and said, "Wishing our lord a swift and triumphant victory."
They didn't doubt Dusk's ability to pass the White Star Academy's entrance exam—there was no need to worry about that.
"Dad! Just wait for my good news!" Emily waved with a radiant smile.
A kind, warm smile appeared on Ruen's face. "I've booked a hotel. Once you finish the exam, we'll celebrate properly."
There wasn't much time left before the assessment began.
With no time for idle chatter, they waved goodbye, and Dusk and Emily stepped into White Star Academy.
The architecture of White Star Academy was reminiscent of Baroque style. Colonnades, arches, domes, vaulted ceilings, along with ornate carvings and murals—though the buildings weren't tall, they exuded grandeur and elegance.
At the center of the garden stood a massive fountain statue.
It depicted the first headmaster of White Star Academy, a legendary Transcendent.
Even though classes were in session, students occasionally passed by within the academy grounds.
They wore navy-blue and black uniforms, instantly drawing envious stares from those gathered for the assessment.
To these applicants, every student here was a chosen one.
Eventually, the group of assessment candidates made their way to the academy's stadium.
Many people had already gathered there.
Scanning the crowd, Dusk quickly noticed that many of them were noble-born—their attire stood in stark contrast to that of the commoners.
He even spotted members of the Royal Family among them, clustered together in a tight group.
The most eye-catching of all was the girl standing at the center, dressed in a lavish gown.
If Dusk remembered correctly, that outfit was exclusive to the Clinton Royal Family.
Which meant she was most likely a princess.
"What are you staring at? Be careful or one of Princess Laura's followers might gouge your eyes out." Emily suddenly shoved him, snapping Dusk back to reality.
"Princess Laura? No wonder…" He averted his gaze, silently thinking to himself that it was no surprise she was the center of everyone's attention.
Princess Laura, the Third Princess, was the youngest of the Clinton Royal Family's daughters—and the one most adored by Emperor August IV.
She was also the only princess who hadn't yet been engaged.
Just a glance at the cluster of noble heirs surrounding her was enough to show how highly sought-after she was.
Soon after, Dusk and Emily slipped into the crowd within the stadium, quietly waiting for the assessment to begin.
Time passed, and the number of spectators in the stadium stands kept growing.
Aside from a few instructors, most of the crowd consisted of students who had come just to watch the excitement.
Then, just as the sun rose over the horizon, a streak of silver-white light suddenly flashed in the center of the stadium.
A moment later, a middle-aged man with silver-white hair appeared before the crowd.
The man had handsome features and wore a black robe embroidered with golden patterns.
Pinned to his chest was a medal with a white star on a black background—the emblem of White Star Academy.
This man was none other than Rayne Howard, Headmaster of White Star Academy!
Upon seeing him, the instructor overseeing the assessment gave a slight bow and respectfully said, "Headmaster, the time has come. We are ready to begin the assessment."