The white light of the Celestial Treasury faded slowly, Lian felt the ground beneath his feet taking shape again.
A moment later he appeared in front of the spatial crack, the air of the main territory of the Vorhelm clan filled his lungs once more.
A few meters away, Seris and Nova were also standing, although a little curiosity could be seen on both of their faces, no one said anything.
All three knew that the others had obtained something.
But no one asked, this was one of the unwritten rules of the awakened world.
Treasures, legacies and skills, these were personal secrets.
Secrets that even the closest people did not ask about, after all, these were secrets that could cause jealousy and ruin relationships and maybe lead to conflict.
Damian gave a quick look at all three, curiosity could be seen in his eyes.
But he did not ask anything, he knew better than anyone that some answers should be revealed at the right time.
However, this did not apply to him, the Vorhelm clan would find out sooner or later what had disappeared from the treasury.
After all, the treasury’s consciousness had witnessed all the choices, and whether it wanted to or not, it would report all the treasures that had been removed from the treasury.
And if it was revealed that the Celestial Book of Treasure had been taken out of the treasury... Damian was not sure even he himself would know how to react.
That book was beyond a normal treasure, that book was part of the history of the Vorhelm clan, part of the reason they became one of the most powerful clans in the world.
But the thought that any of these three could obtain that book had not even crossed his mind... because he was sure the treasury’s consciousness would not even bring them near it.
But the problem was that even the treasury itself did not know how Lian had found his way to that book...
...
After a while they reached the central section of the clan’s territory.
Calmness ruled the environment, no explosion sounds could be heard, no mana waves were in the air, no insane excitement existed.
Only a quiet silence that announced the end of a long ceremony.
The birthday ceremony and the duels had ended, it was almost night now, but many of the guilds, clans, politicians and military personnel had left this place.
Each of them had their own jobs and troubles and had to return to take care of them.
In the distance a group of people from the Nova’s guild were waiting, when Nova saw them, she understood that the time for parting had come.
She looked at Lian for a few moments and then gave a faint smile.
"I hope next time I see you, I can have a fight with you too."
"Sure." Lian smiled.
Nova rolled her eyes and glanced at Seris and Damian, then raised her hand.
"For now."
"For now."
And then she left with her guild’s people.
After a while, people from the Pendragon clan also arrived, but Seris showed no hurry to leave.
She stood a few meters in front of Lian, there was no battlefield, no sword in her hand, no mana pressure could be felt in the air, only two people looking at each other like two friends.
"I hope to see you again." Seris was silent for a few seconds and then said quietly.
"Me too." Lian smiled.
"Next time I will win." The girl’s silver eyes locked onto his for a moment.
"I don’t think so, but you can try again whenever you want."
A small smile appeared on Seris’s face, a smile that almost no one except Lian had ever seen.
"What is your next plan?"
"I want to go back to the Ruined Realm." Lian answered.
"Then maybe we will see each other again." Seris nodded and then turned around, and left with the Pendragon clan’s people.
Lian watched her until the last moment, until her silver hair disappeared.
In the end only Damian and Lian remained, Damian locked his hands behind his back, looked at him for a few moments and then said.
"Now I am really curious to know what my nephew found."
"I am sure you will find out later." Lian smiled, he had no interest in revealing the truth himself right now.
"That’s right, we will definitely find out." His uncle laughed.
"Honestly, I did not think you would really let us take anything we wanted, even the most important treasures of the clan, treasures that act like pillars of the clan."
Damian was silent for a few moments and then sighed.
"The truth is, this was not what we wanted." And he continued.
"The original plan was for the three winners to enter the treasury but under supervision, we would choose a few treasures and each one would take one of them, not freely roam around the entire treasury."
"But after the patriarch’s interference, everything changed, after he told us he wanted you to definitely participate in the duel ceremony, he personally ordered that no treasure be hidden."
"Nothing be removed from the treasury, and all three winners be given free choice, even appearing in different sections was his direct order."
Lian was truly confused. Every time he heard more about that man... he understood him less.
What if the Celestial Book of Treasure fell into the Pendragons’ hands? What if Nova found it? What if one of the other treasures that acted like pillars of the clan was lost?
Why would he take such a risk? Did he trust the outcome? Or did he know something that others did not?
Many questions formed in his mind, but he had no answers.
"Do you really want to go? Don’t you want to stay longer?"
"I have already stayed longer than I planned, it is time to go." Lian answered without thinking.
Damian sighed, a sigh that sounded more like surrender, of course that did not mean he was willing to give up.
"Say goodbye to Cassius, Diana and Aaron for me."
"Sure." Then he said with a strange tone.
"Of course, I doubt Cassius is in the mood to talk right now, he is probably being punished by those two women right now."
"Same for Evangeline and Adrian, those two are definitely either being punished or being cursed at."
Lian immediately understood what he meant, the two matriarchs would definitely see their children’s weakness as the reason for their failure in this competition and would definitely punish them.
The image of Cassius trapped between those two made him want to laugh, but he knew those two women would definitely be ruthless.
They are definitely angry and humiliated right now, everyone will blame Celestia for the failure in these duels, and more elders will turn against her and she might become more isolated.
"Instead of punishing them, it is better to send them to the Ruined Realm soon, maybe they will become stronger there." Then he shrugged.
Damian nodded.
"In the next few days all of them will enter, you should not be lazy either, if you are lazy that girl will surpass you."
There was no need to say the name, both knew he meant Seris.
Damian continued.
"Diana too, and Rain."
The name Rain made Lian silent for a few moments, a brother he had not seen for years, the owner of a five-star class, one of the greatest talents of the clan.
Diana.
Rain.
Seris.
Cassius.
Everyone was becoming stronger, but he was sure none of them could reach him... except Seris, if he was lazy that girl really might catch up to him.
He was also a little curious to know what that girl had obtained from inside the treasury.
"I am not going to be lazy."
"Good." Damian also smiled.
A few minutes later they reached the main gate of the territory, the moment of farewell had come, Lian did not want to stay here tonight.
He wanted to leave this place before they found out that the Celestial Book of Treasure was in his hands, of course he knew if they really came after him to take it back, he could not do anything.
But if he stayed here, they would definitely bother him and try to persuade him to return the book.
Damian placed his hand on Lian’s shoulder.
"Take care of yourself, as I promised you have one absolute request from me, if you need help you can contact me."
"You take care of yourself too, uncle."
They looked at each other for a few moments.
Then Lian turned around and walked toward the outside.
This time he did not look back, not at the clan’s mansions, not at the massive walls, not at the land that was once his home, and he left directly from there.
The time had come to return to the academy and the Ruined Realm.