After much comforting, Elaine finally stopped crying, but she still kept her head buried in Owen's chest, unwilling to let go.
At first, it was because of the overwhelming emotions of relief and longing, but now, a deep sense of shyness took over.
This warm embrace and familiar scent made Elaine feel incredibly safe.
"By the way, how did you end up in Kur'gash?"
When Peter and Harry revealed their true intentions, Elaine had felt a despair she had never known before. She could never have imagined that Owen would show up at that exact moment, bringing light to her darkest hour. But how did Owen find her?
"When you left the Tower, I placed a tracking spell on you that allowed me to monitor your location. When I saw you heading to Kur'gash, I felt something was off and came immediately. Luckily, I arrived just in time."
"No wonder! I knew it! Those rumors outside were all lies—they said you were dead, but I knew it was all nonsense!"
"Well, it wasn't entirely false," Owen muttered under his breath, rubbing his nose, though Elaine didn't catch what he said.
The truth was, Owen hadn't been entirely sure he would make it back alive. The memory of that eyeball still sent shivers down his spine.
However, there was something else that was bothering Owen—how exactly did he kill those people earlier?
Owen frowned, a look of confusion crossing his face.
It had only happened a few minutes ago, yet he couldn't remember any details. By the time he came to his senses, there were already corpses lying at his feet, but the process was a blur. When he tried to recall, a sharp pain shot through his forehead.
"Strange, what's going on?"
"Owen? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Noticing the pained expression on Owen's face, Elaine panicked. "I'll take you to a healer!"
"I'm fine... I'll be okay soon."
Owen took a few deep breaths, trying to push the incident out of his mind. Only then did the pain in his forehead begin to subside.
"In any case, let's get out of here first. We'll go to Fox Academy to handle your withdrawal paperwork so you can transfer."
One of Owen's goals in coming to Kur'gash was to bring Elaine back to Crossbridge Academy. If Fox Academy's headmaster refused, Owen had already arranged for his mentor to back him up—there was no fear of being turned down!
Just as Owen was about to leave with Elaine, he suddenly felt a cold chill down his spine. Without a moment's hesitation, he pushed Elaine away and was instantly pulled into a domain!
The bustling cityscape was replaced by an endless barren wasteland. Looking up, Owen saw a figure hovering in the air, glaring down at him.
"Chief of Crossbridge Academy, you dare to kill the heir of the Troy family? What do you have to say for yourself?"
"So, this is a domain..."
Feeling the dense earth elemental mana surrounding him, Owen nodded thoughtfully.
Owen had heard his mentor mention domains before. A domain is a fragmented space where one's abilities are magnified exponentially. In a domain, one can unleash power many times greater than in the outside world.
Although Owen had awakened his own domain early on, he had never actually used it. He had only a vague understanding of its capabilities. But now, experiencing it firsthand gave him some new insights.
"Owen! Are you mocking me?"
"Shh... Quiet. I'm thinking."
Owen raised his hand to signal for the man to be silent. This gesture only enraged the man further. With a grunt, Fal Troy caused the skies to darken as yellow sand swirled around, forming a massive tower that descended upon Owen!
But before the tower could crush Owen, the domain was torn open by an external force.
"A sage-tier mage attacking a diamond-tier youngster—don't you think that's a bit much?"
The domain shattered, and Owen found himself back in Kur'gash. The lively city returned to normal, the noise of the crowds breaking his concentration. As he looked up, his gaze met Catalina's.
"Mentor! What are you doing here?"
"I heard from Andrew that you left the academy, so I guessed you were heading to the Ethereal Kingdom to find Elaine. I was coming to back you up and caught your mana signature as I passed by. Troy and Wayne families, you're quite bold, sending two sage-tier mages to bully my student. Do you think Crossbridge Academy is powerless?"
"Catalina, your student killed the heir of the Troy family in cold blood. Owen must be held accountable!"
Fal Troy's expression grew darker as he glared at Owen, emphasizing each word, "Owen must pay the price!"
"Catalina, Crossbridge Academy may be powerful, but not so powerful that it can stand against both the Troy and Wayne families! Today, no matter what, you must hand over Owen!"
It was clear that Peter and Harry's bodies contained a family seal.
When their lives were in danger, their families were immediately alerted and rushed to the scene.
Unfortunately, Owen's swift and decisive actions meant that even though the families arrived quickly, they were too late.
The bodies were already cold in the dark alley.
"Owen, is what they're saying true?"
Catalina frowned as she turned to Owen.
If this were true, dealing with the situation would be tricky.
Killing the heirs of two powerful families would have severe consequences, even if things were eventually resolved. The cost would be unimaginable!
However...
Owen's focus was entirely on understanding the domain's power.
As for what the others were saying, he hadn't heard a word.
"Just a moment, mentor. Give me a little more time, I'm almost done..."
"Such arrogance! Catalina, this is the student you've trained? I'm telling you, today's incident won't be brushed aside. You must answer for this!"
"Owen, tell me what happened."
"C... Catalina Headmistress, I know what happened."
Seeing that Owen remained silent, Elaine tugged on Catalina's sleeve and spoke softly, "Earlier today, I received a letter in Owen's handwriting asking me to meet him in Kur'gash. I didn't suspect anything, so I came to the location mentioned. But when I arrived, I found out that the letter was a forgery. Peter and Harry tricked me into coming here, intending to harm me. Owen arrived just in time to save me from their clutches. Headmistress, Owen only did what he had to in order to protect me. He's not a bad person!"
"Nonsense! Do you have any proof? My family's heir is dead, unable to testify, and you're trying to pin all the blame on us?"
"I... I'm not lying! This is the truth!"
"You say it's the truth, but who can verify your story besides you two?"
Faced with Fal Troy's questioning, Elaine's face turned pale.
He was right—besides her and Owen, who else could prove it?
Owen had killed everyone involved, leaving no witnesses. If they denied everything and refused to admit guilt, what could she do?
"But... Headmistress Catalina, I'm telling the truth—they really did trick me into coming here!"
"Elaine, don't worry. Leave this to me."
"Hand them over, and we'll call it even. Otherwise, Crossbridge Academy will face the wrath of both the Troy and Wayne families! Catalina, is protecting Owen worth the risk of endangering the entire academy?"
The tension in the air grew thick as the mana of three sage-tier mages weighed heavily on the city. Everyone in Kur'gash could feel the pressure, their hearts pounding in fear.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that if these three began to fight, it would be disastrous not just for Kur'gash but for the entire Ethereal Kingdom!
Just as the situation was about to erupt into violence, the long-silent Owen finally exhaled.
"I finally understand. Mentor, gentlemen, why don't we take this outside of Kur'gash? After all, the people here are innocent."
"A mere diamond-tier waste, and you think you have a say? Today, you will die, and no one can save you!"