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They were once again back under the familiar sky. The black sun was still hanging high up in the sky, like a black hole that would swallow everything, including one’s mind. However, the green fields and the rising smoke were still assuring sights.

“We’re finally out!” Lucas plopped down on the ground, feeling almost tearful. “Why do I feel like I have lost something important during my trip there?”

Everyone speechlessly looked at Lucas, who was only in a pair of red underwear.

“Oh yeah, what do you guys plan to do next?” Lesiah looked at Durance and the others. Now that Lilith had been rescued, there was no need to force them into participating in the next agenda.

“I will follow you, Your Royal Highness!” Rosdell was the first to speak, almost as if he was concerned that Lesiah would abandon him. “I will go wherever you go, princess!”

However, Lesiah shook her head firmly, “No.”

“Why?”

“You are leading the Macedonian Empire’s team right? The situation here is not clear yet and they still need a leader.”

“But princess, your safety is…”

“Rest assured.” Lesiah gave him a small smile. “I am no longer the same little girl in the past who needs you to take care of everywhere I go. Even if it is for my nation, I will make sure to proceed cautiously.”

“I see.” Rosdell smiled in disappointment, glancing at Lilith who was lying motionlessly on the grass like a salted fish looking at the sky. Her body seemed to have become a few dozen centimeters shorter.

“You have changed a lot, princess, but in a good way. Change is good, in fact, it is ultimately a good thing.”

Rosdell also plopped down on the ground next to Lucas. He retrieved a bottle of home-brewed wine from his storage ring, as well as two wine glasses. He waved the bottle at Lucas, and the sound of its content sloshing inside could be heard. “How about a glass, bro?”

Lesiah then looked at Durance. “What about you then? What’s your plan?”

Durance caressed the hilt of his rapier, as if in deep thought. His gaze slid past Lesiah, and landed right on Lilith.

“Lady Dragon, I have a question. What is your purpose of coming to the human world to attend an academy that is not useful to you?”

Lilith flipped over and stared at Durance with her dead fish eyes. “Why? You’re saying dragons can’t come to the human world? I know quite a few of them hiding among human society to experience life.”

Durance was shocked. To think that the dragons, a race which was powerful enough to exterminate humans, had actually infiltrated the human world. This was indeed important news.

Lilith scratched her cheek in embarrassment and continued, “Actually I came to this academy for a reason, but I’m not going to tell you what it is.”

Durance was in a greater shock. This dragon girl had secretly come to the human nation with a hidden ulterior motive. If word of this got out, it would definitely cause a huge uproar in human society.

The thought got Durance tightening his grip on the hilt of the Stella, as if it was a reflex action that could make him feel at ease.

Regardless of the dragon girl’s motivation to infiltrate human society, it was his duty to share at least the basic information with the rest, as a human.

“Oops, you’re not thinking of exposing my identity when you get out of here, right?” Lilith pouted. “I’d advise you against that.”

“How could I possibly? After we’ve been through thick and thin together, I can’t possibly kick Lady Dragon when she is down.” Durance wore a sincere smile when he said that, but knowing very well that telling the truth at a moment like this would be dumb.

“Glad to hear that. I was just thinking that if you really do that, I’ll have to bring a few relatives of mine to collect the debts. By then, the money you owed would be enough to fill two caves. I’ll be in a pinch if I don’t bring enough helping hands. Fortunately, you’re a loyal person. I like people like you. Good to know that I won’t be needing my relatives so soon”

Durance’s smile instantly stiffened.

“Heh.” He could only laugh wryly, plop down next to Rosdell and gestured to him. “Give me a full glass too.”

Lastly, there was Choobchoob and Diana, whose presence was somehow growing weaker.

Noticing both Lilith’s and Lesiah’s gazes, Choobchoob shrunk and sat down next to Durance. “I won’t expose your identity. I won’t owe you money either! D-Don’t find me…” she waved her hands at Lilith.

Lilith rubbed her chin helplessly. Was she this terrifying?

She turned her head to look at Diana.

“My martial niece, what’s wrong with you? Why do I feel like you have grown less talkative lately?”
“Hmm, is that so?”

Diana was deep in her thoughts when Lilith’s voice pulled her back to reality. She scratched her head and said, “Haha, I guess I just have a bit of a hard time to suddenly accept that my subordinate is a dragon.”

While saying that, Diana leaned forward shamelessly and smiled cunningly. “You’ll count me in, right?”

Lilith pressed a finger on Diana’s forehead and gently pushed her away. Her dead fish eyes were as still as the water of an ancient well as she uttered every word, “My good martial niece, address me as your martial aunt.”

Diana instantly became crestfallen. She took a seat beside Durance, then waved. “Hand me the entire bottle!”

Rosdell rolled his eyes at her. “I don’t have much left. Just one glass at most.”

“Tsk, stingy.”

Lilith looked at Lesiah, who also returned her gaze.

In the end, it was Lilith who broke the silence first. “Aren’t you leaving? It’s going to get really dangerous from here on out.”

Lesiah answered her question with another question instead. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No.”

“Then that settles it.” Lesiah smiled and took a seat beside Lilith.

Lilith sat up and gently leaned on Lesiah.

“I told you, I won’t run away again, no matter in what aspects. I’m done running.”

Lesiah secretly held Lilith’s hand. Their body heat was transmitted to each other through their skin. She looked into Lilith’s eyes, her jewel-like eyes seemed to have stars shining in them. Her soft and silver hair glimmered like the Milky Way.

“So Lilith, you have to fulfill your promise too. Don’t let me die.”

The corner of Lilith’s mouth lifted into a smile.

“Of course.”

Cough! Cough!

Rosdell’s eyes reddened slightly as he cursed angrily. “Stupid wine is really too strong.”

Like a caring brother, Lucas patted his shoulder and comforted him in a serious voice, “Think on the bright side, at least you didn’t lose to a man or even a human. This is nothing to be embarrassed of, if words get out.”

Rosdell was rendered speechless. He threw away his wine glass and started chugging the bottle instead.

The wine was a highly distilled home-brewed rice wine, so it had a very bitter taste.

As soon as the wine entered one’s throat, its bitterness was enough to drown out someone’s sorrows momentarily.

“Uhmm…” Choobchoob, the only one who had not been drinking among their group, raised her hand and asked, “Isn’t this entrance blocked for some reason? Where are we going?”

“…..”

The atmosphere suddenly turned eerily silent. No one answered.

Diana stroked her chin in deep thought. “Speaking of which… Did we forget something?”