This was the only possible reasonable explanation that Rowan could think of after contemplating countless possibilities.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why these two prominent families acted so strangely.
For these families, stability was everything!
As long as they could continue to develop steadily, it would be the best outcome for them, as they already had a solid foundation.
They had the capacity to handle a certain level of risk, so there was no need to make unexpected moves.
It was like a strong adult who, after catching a cold, might endure it for a few days or take some medicine and then be fine.
They wouldn't consider something drastic like surgery, because an adult with a strong constitution wouldn't worry about such minor ailments.
In contrast, for someone weak, even a seemingly insignificant illness could be life-threatening, which is why they pay close attention to any slight changes.
The situation before them was similar.
The two families had no need to take such extreme actions. Logically, there was no reason to do so.
But these two families had done just that!
Internal troubles!
External threats!
These were the two possibilities that Rowan could think of.
However, in the short term, there were no external threats to Riverside City.
So it could only be internal troubles!
For the two families, Crossbridge Academy had always been a thorn in their side.
Especially under Daniel's recent drastic reforms, this thorn had become even more pronounced.
If they regarded Crossbridge Academy as their hypothetical enemy, then the actions of the two families made sense.
They aimed to eradicate Crossbridge Academy completely this time.
In this case, the ongoing sale of family assets—almost like self-inflicted injuries without regard for the future—was the only possibility!
Having realized this, Rowan hurriedly found Daniel, who was resting, to explain his findings and suspicions.
However, to Rowan's surprise, Daniel seemed to take the matter lightly, as if it were just an ordinary event.
Rowan grew anxious. "Headmaster, we must take this seriously! This time in the secret realm, those two families entered first, and our students are the last to enter. If they team up…"
What if they launched a surprise attack on the students from Crossbridge Academy in the secret realm?
How would they respond?
Inside the secret realm, those students wouldn't even be able to call for help!
Their only chance of survival was to hide and avoid being discovered by the Windwhisper and Lunastone families until the secret realm ended and they could escape.
Only then would Crossbridge Academy be able to protect them.
After all, casualties were normal in the secret realm.
No one could prove what actually happened.
If both families were to agree on a narrative that the students were killed by the spell beasts of the secret realm, Crossbridge Academy would have no evidence.
Moreover, there would be no means of resistance.
Would they just not participate in the next secret realm?
That would align perfectly with the intentions of the two families.
Rowan felt like a cat on a hot tin roof, not knowing what to do.
Meanwhile, Daniel seemed completely unconcerned.
"Rowan, don't worry. Everything will be clear after the secret realm ends."
"Ends… Headmaster, our students may be facing a joint attack from the two families. I can't help but be anxious!"
It wasn't a matter of possibly facing such an attack; it was already happening.
Right now, the remnants of the two families were being besieged by the students of Crossbridge Academy.
Rowan hoped they would find peace soon, so they wouldn't have to continue living in panic and fear.
Daniel thought to himself.
However, he couldn't directly tell Rowan this.
All he could say was, "Trust our students; they have enough ability to handle everything. The secret realm will end soon. By the way, you'll represent me tomorrow. I'll come out on the last day."
"I? Headmaster, I still feel that…"
Rowan wanted to say more, but Daniel waved his hand, signaling for him to leave.
The next day, Rowan stood in for Daniel, representing Crossbridge Academy.
The heads of the other two families were present in person.
They glanced at Rowan, seemingly puzzled about why Daniel wasn't there.
Did he not want to appear because he was worried about Crossbridge Academy performing poorly in the secret realm?
At that moment, Rowan noticed the heads of the two families looking at him with ironed expressions, not giving the two old men any courtesy.
Rowan's demeanor was evident in their eyes.
The heads of the two families were not very young anymore.
They had experienced many things and could roughly guess what was happening.
They were familiar with Rowan, who wore his emotions on his sleeve, and he showed no signs of hiding his feelings.
Such an attitude indicated that Rowan might have figured out the intentions of the two families.
Although their actions were conducted in secrecy, with patience, one could always find traces of their plans.
"Where's that little brat Daniel?" the head of House Windwhisper asked, looking at Rowan.
"Our headmaster doesn't want to be in the same place as you," Rowan replied coldly, then turned his head away, unwilling to engage with the two old men.
The two heads exchanged glances, and through this round of probing, they had gleaned some insights.
Rowan likely suspected that the two families would target the students of Crossbridge Academy during the secret realm.
They thought that Daniel was probably sulking in his room right now, which was why he sent Rowan out today.
Thinking about how the young generations of the two families would emerge victorious in the secret realm while Crossbridge Academy would face total annihilation, both of these older gentlemen exchanged glances that conveyed their delight.
Standing in the area of Crossbridge Academy, Rowan anxiously gazed towards the secret realm, constantly praying for the safety of the students who had entered.
Inside the secret realm, time was drawing to a close.
Basically, it could be said that only the students from Crossbridge Academy remained.
Their task was simple: to explore and gather resources.
As for who would ultimately win, there was no need for concern—it would be someone from Crossbridge Academy. It didn't matter who got it.
Everyone was leisurely exploring until the final day.
Suddenly, four towering beams of light appeared simultaneously from four different directions.
Everyone in the secret realm could see these four beams of light.
This was a notification from the secret realm, indicating that the exit had opened.
Those wishing to leave early could head to the locations of these four pillars of light, where a magic array awaited their departure.
If they didn't want to leave, they could wait until the last moment when the secret realm would expel all who had entered and announce the final recipients of the rewards.
Today, Daniel donned his cumbersome robe again, waiting outside the secret realm.
Meanwhile, his mind power was unleashed within the secret realm.
According to his estimation, the items obtained in the secret realm probably carried some form of weighting.
If translated into points, certain items might score significantly higher, making them much more valuable than several lower-scoring items combined.
Daniel used his knowledge to make a rough judgment on the items acquired by the students in this secret realm.
After comparing, he discovered something: perhaps the final recipient of the rewards from this secret realm would very likely be Rose.
He wondered what wish the secret realm would fulfill for her.
Outside the secret realm, the heads of the two families eagerly anticipated the end of the event.
With their collaboration to defeat Crossbridge Academy, the next step would be internal competition between the two families.
Who could secure first place would gain a degree of influence over Riverside City's future, including… swallowing most of Crossbridge Academy's legacy!