In the throne room, King Eldran sat silently and emotionlessly on his throne, his eyes observing the conversation below. Norton and Vesanze were absent due to personal complications, and Noah Heeden was missing simply because he couldn't be bothered to attend.
"It seems the bloodline is factual," Vergil Killer shook his head, relating Shun's betrayal of Jeremy Lionheart to Shun's ancestor, Sirius Xshasi.
"He made the right choice, sacrificing everything to secure victory. A kingdom needs warriors like that," Violet acknowledged, her expression still showing admiration.
Dominic laughed in joy, "Nonetheless, treachery is unacceptable in the eyes of the mortal world. Poor boy, he is destined for a hard life."
The Tenth Complete Ethereal Warrior, Tom Smith, remained silent as always, refusing to engage in the conversation.
"That boy isn't normal. I can't sense anything from him," Ariel quietly stated, his usually cheerful face turning serious whenever the topic of Shun arose.
"I doubt he will care."
"Cannot sense anything from him?" King Eldran finally sat up, his face stern and focused. "I need to ensure something immediately."
He stood up and rushed toward the door, his golden cape trailing behind him.
The king's sudden appearance on the streets surprised everyone. Normally, no one expected the king to leave the castle; if he needed anything or anyone, he would send someone. The serious look on his face made the Haven citizens uncomfortable and alarmed.
Ignoring the citizens' curious stares and bows, King Eldran finally reached his destination: a grey castle located north of the royal palace, perhaps the second most stunning architecture in all of Haven. The dull color added a sense of mystery and power rather than boredom.
The guards gracefully opened the castle gate, sensing the king's presence. Slightly bowing, they spoke in a powerful yet well-mannered voice. "Welcome to the Belkarn Clan."
King Eldran walked directly to the highest tower, the residence of Glynn Belkarn.
"Glynn," he called intensely as he opened the door to Glynn Belkarn's room.
As he was about to continue, Glynn's smile halted his words. Realizing something, the king sighed with grief. "You already know my intentions, don't you?"
"Of course I do," Glynn replied gently. A glimmer of worry was evident in his voice, contrasting with his usual demeanor. "But I'm afraid you came to the wrong place."
"I can't read anything from him either."
King Eldran nearly collapsed. Despite expecting this response, his body trembled with horror. Glynn Belkarn, the second grand head of the Belkarn Clan, was adopted by the previous grand head, Glenn Belkarn, and possessed a terrifying ability that everyone feared.
"His mind is like a black hole. As soon as I try to approach it, all my powers get sucked away. Without reading his companion, Silver Iricson's mind, I would have never predicted the outcome of the previous battle."
"Furthermore, I heard some interesting thoughts in her head."
However, I'm afraid I have to keep this information to myself," Glynn lowered his head. "Sometimes information is better left unsaid. What is destined to happen is destined to happen. Knowing it doesn't mean you can stop it."
"Maybe I'm simply curious about what's truly going to happen. Who knows..." He sighed, for the first time lacking his characteristic bright smile.
King Eldran remained silent the whole time, confused by Glynn's words, the puzzling net within his heart only entangled more.
After a moment of silence, Glynn collapsed onto his sofa. "Silver Iricson possesses a secret that will plunge the world into horror and chaos. No matter what happens, keep her alive at all costs."
He looked at the king, his expression a mixture of worry and determination.
"Alfred, you must be tired. Don't dwell on it. Frowns won't solve any problems. All will be well."
"If it won't... then it's just another of God's dry jokes. Unfunny, but we still have to laugh while facing it." Glynn forced a smile on his face.
...
The next day, back at the Interacademy Ethereal Combat Tournament arena, King Eldran sat valiantly in his seat, his previous frowns and anxiety nowhere to be seen. Only Glynn Belkarn beside him could read his true mental state.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the semi-final match of the Interacademy Ethereal Combat Tournament," the host announced brightly.
"In contrast to the previous deathmatch, this round will return to the classic 16v16 team fight. Without further ado, let's reveal the matchups of the four remaining teams who have conquered all previous combats."
"The opponent of the past year's champion, Haven Royal Academy, will be the prestigious Lordrixis East Academy!"
Steward Evans and the king of Lordrixis East Academy sighed in despair. Despite their competence, matching the strongest team with the strongest ethereal warriors of the generation seemed impossible.
"This means the second matchup of the day will feature the mysterious and famous Belkarn Clan against the newly risen star, SIGMA Academy."
The audience booed in fury, still displeased with Shun's previous betrayal. Glunn Belkarn gave an intimidating stare towards Shun, his eyes filled with determination to defeat them.
As always, Leon Ermy had already constructed a plan for all their possible opponents. Truth be told, the Belkarn Clan was the worst option for them. They would rather face Haven Royal Academy. The queen of the Belkarn team possessed an ability they absolutely did not want to face.
Above the arena, Glynn Belkarn signaled one of his subordinates to come closer. Using the speaker he created, Glynn interrupted the audience's roars.
"I'm the grand head of the Belkarn Clan, Glynn Belkarn. Can you hear me?"
The audience's murmurs subsided as they focused on him, their eyes filled with curiosity and confusion.
"Just a quick announcement. Won't take too much of your precious time."
Glynn let out a dry cough, pausing for a few seconds to let the suspense build.
"The Belkarn Clan concedes the following match."