William watched quietly as the beastfolk princess sat on the floor of the prison, holding the chocolate with both hands and chewing on it with bestial instincts.
Her sharp canines dug into it without hesitation, as if her body had long stopped caring about manners and only responded to hunger.
[Seems like she hasn’t eaten for days.]
William’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer.
"The kidnappers most likely took off her ring," William said with certainty, "so she must have been going hungry for days without access to stored supplies."
Only then did he notice the rest of the kidnapped individuals, whose eyes were repeatedly drifting toward the chocolate in the princess’s hands.
Their expressions were tense and unmistakably filled with hunger, but they were too afraid to ask William for food.
William exhaled quietly before taking out an entire crate of chocolate from his inventory.
Without saying a word, he distributed the chocolate evenly among them, making sure that no one was left out. He used spiritual energy to send chocolates through the prison bars.
He did not bother trying to release the individuals who were still trapped inside the prison structure.
Help would eventually come for them as he would send divine mails to almost every race’s leader soon.
He also did not release Sara’s restraints, not because he lacked compassion, but because he already knew her motive.
If he freed her now, she would attempt to move towards the south again, just as she had earlier, before inevitably turning back and placing herself in danger once more.
Instead, William decided on a more controlled approach.
He planned to send a divine mail to the nearest empire, reporting the existence of the prisoners and the destruction of the base.
Under a temporary barrier he had erected, these people would remain safe until proper authorities arrived.
They would survive.
As for the beastfolk princess, her situation was different.
She was no longer just a rescued captive.
She was important to William now, not because of her status alone, but because she carried his binder.
That alone made her survival non-negotiable.
He could not allow her to risk her life again by charging blindly into cult territory.
William dissapeared frommthe prisoner’s sight and appeared a few miles away, and then he called out Maris from the domain of infinity.
He instructed her to keep an eye on the princess while hiding at a safe distance away, far enough to avoid detection but close enough to intervene if necessary.
Before Maris left, William handed her the Trickster’s Veil.
Why the Trickster’s Veil?
Because when he would send the divine mail, he intended to mention the presence of the beastfolk crown princess explicitly.
If that message was taken seriously, which it would be, powerhouses far beyond Maris’s level would appear here.
If any of them sensed Maris, it could complicate things in unpredictable ways.
William did not need unnecessary headaches.
Once Maris nodded and withdrew into a distance, William turned back toward the center of the ruined base.
Amorphous approached him from the side, his form returning to his original before he dropped to one knee and bowed his head respectfully.
"My lord," Amorphous said in a steady voice, "I have extracted every piece of information I could from the dragon. We now have records of nearly eighty percent of the Clayman cult’s operational bases across southern Aris, along with several primary installations located in the northern regions as well."
William nodded slowly, absorbing the information without much reaction.
"Make a list of bases similar to these," he said calmly, "but be precise. Only include bases that function as temporary holding facilities for kidnapped individuals, places like this one. Do not list research labs, summoning sites, or logistics hubs."
Amorphous inclined his head further. "Understood, my lord."
As Amorphous began compiling the data, William cracked his knuckles, and his gaze lifted toward the horizon.
He was ready to go to his next destination.
***
World Academy..
Andrea sat in her second office, the secluded chamber that floated above the academy domain, surrounded by drifting clouds and silent formations that masked it from mortal eyes.
She usually retreated here when she needed space to think, to distance herself from endless reports, meetings, and political pressure.
But today, relaxation was the last thing on her mind.
In front of her sat Tamasya.
And Tamasya was glaring at her like a furious cat.
"Ahem," Andrea cleared her throat lightly, feeling an unusual sense of awkwardness as she slid a cup of tea across the table. "Have some tea."
"How many million gallons of tea do you consume daily?" Tamasya sneered, her eyes were sharp and unamused.
Andrea chose to ignore the mockery.
Instead, she tried a safer reply.
"So," Andrea asked carefully, "how was your training?"
"I can’t find Willy," Tamasya said bluntly, skipping all pleasantries.
"Oh," Andrea replied reflexively. "He must be attending his classes."
Tamasya’s gaze hardened instantly.
"Don’t jest with me, Andrea," she said coldly. "Speak the truth. Where is he?"
Andrea’s expression shifted.
The moment she had hoped to delay had arrived.
She realized that there was no point in trying to conceal it any longer.
"Sorry," Andrea said quietly. "I broke my promise."
Tamasya stared at her without blinking.
Seconds stretched into minutes.
Then, unexpectedly, she sighed.
"I get it," Tamasya said, her voice carrying resignation rather than anger.
Andrea blinked. "You... really do?"
"Yes," Tamasya replied calmly. "I know my Willy. I spent time with him before the academy trials."
She leaned back slightly, her expression softening.
"He’s still inexperienced," she continued, "but he has a quality I don’t see in many people."
Andrea listened silently.
"Almost every time," Tamasya said, "one way or another, he manages to get what he wants."
She smiled faintly.
"He must have really wanted to leave. Even you couldn’t stop him."
Andrea’s embarrassment deepened.
"Remember when I told you I sent him to deliver our letter to Anne?" Tamasya asked suddenly.
Andrea nodded slowly, already sensing where this was heading.
"At that time," Tamasya continued, "he wanted to enter the Abyssal Node."
She smirked.
"The brat didn’t ask. He just declared that he would go. Tsk. So disrespectful to his master."
Andrea’s eyes widened. "I remember you mentioning this. But how did he get an entry permit?"
Tamasya’s eye twitched.
"Remember Yue’s junior brother?" she asked. "That nosy brat who used to piss his pants when we tossed him down a mountain."
Andrea giggled despite herself. "You mean Klaus."
"Yes," Tamasya confirmed. "Him. He gave Willy the permit because he lost a bet."
"Really?" Andrea asked, genuinely surprised.
"Yes."
"And you didn’t stop him?" Andrea asked cautiously.
Tamasya smiled.
"That’s what I was trying to tell you," she said. "I made a bet with him. If he managed to deliver my letter to Anne, he could go."
"And guess what?" she continued, eyes glinting. "He actually did manage to reach Anne."
Andrea stiffened slightly.
"Although," Tamasya added, "I have no idea how he cooked up whatever plan he used. He even involved the cults in it."
Her smile faded into something more thoughtful.
"No matter how much he tries to hide it," she said, "I clearly saw the dates overlap. The cult attack on the Holy Sun Palace and his departure matched too precisely."
She shook her head lightly.
"As I told you before," Tamasya concluded, "he’s still inexperienced when it comes to covering his tracks, but his mind is still sharper than people his age."
Andrea looked at her seriously now.
"Now that you mention it," Andrea said slowly, "I have my own experiences with your disciple."
Tamasya’s eyes widened slightly.
"Oh?" she said with interest. "Do tell me."