As they approached the base of the tournament, Andrew and Lusian's group split up.
Upon entering the tent, Lusian found his mother, Sofia, waiting for him, clearly annoyed by the recklessness he had shown during the tournament. Sofia pinched his cheek and scolded him sternly.
—Why did you do so many foolish things? —she reproached—. I was very worried about you.
Lusian responded calmly:—I was never in danger, Mother. Everything was under control.
Sofia, still concerned, stared at him, trying to understand how Lusian had anticipated the attack on Prince Andrew.—Why did you send Umbra to follow Andrew? —she asked.
Lusian explained sincerely:—I wanted to play a prank on the useless Andrew, but when I sensed he was in danger, I had to help him.
Sofia studied him carefully, trying to discern if he was telling the truth. Finally, she decided to trust her son and said:—I hope that's true, Lusian.
—Yes, Mother, —he replied—. I swear it.
Although Sofia remained worried about Lusian's actions, she chose to trust him and hope he had learned from his mistakes. She knew her son had an adventurous and sometimes impulsive spirit, but she also recognized his bravery and unique skills.
At dusk, the king held a small gathering at the hunting tournament camp to announce the results and reward the participants. He also took the opportunity to invite everyone to a banquet at the royal palace, to be held in two days, celebrating the conclusion of the event and the start of the school year at the academy.
After the tournament ended, the final results were announced with great anticipation. In first place was the Douglas family, with 160,000 points, taking the grand prize: one million gold coins. The Bourlances were not far behind; with 146,000 points, they earned 900,000 gold. Erkhan, with 143,000, won 800,000 gold, while Sneider, with 136,000 points, took 700,000.
Further down the table, Kesller achieved 124,000 points and 600,000 gold; Denisse, with 117,000, received 500,000; and Carter, with 109,000, earned 400,000. Mondrig, with 107,000 points, rounded out the top ranks, taking 300,000 gold.
The other participants did not leave empty-handed: each received 20,000 gold coins in recognition of their effort and participation in the tournament. Excitement and relief mixed among the competitors, some celebrating while others already began planning their return for the next contest.
The announcement generated great enthusiasm and expectations among the participants and their followers. The palace banquet would be a special event to celebrate the hunters' achievements and mark the beginning of the new academic year at the academy.
In a room of a capital city casino, a man entertained several women when the casino owner interrupted him by knocking on the door.
—My lord, apologies for disturbing you.
—What do you want? —the man replied.
—Sir, they are looking for you.
—Who dares to be so reckless?
—Your men, sir… the ones you sent on that mission.
—They're back? About time.
As they walked, Ambrosio was careful not to anger the man. He had already brought great benefits to both the Empire and the kingdom.
—Sir, are you well? —Ambrosio asked—. Shall I bring more… attendants? Just tell me what you need, and it will be an honor to serve you.
(Damn bootlicker… if I hadn't guaranteed him a comfortable life, he wouldn't be so servile. Disgusting.)
—Not necessary for now, I'm fine, —Marcus replied with disdain.
In a secret room inside the casino, twelve men knelt, fearful of how Marcus Valentine would react to the news of the mission's failure.
—Where is Nic?
—I'm sorry, my lord… he's dead.
—Shame. He had potential. And the mission?
—We failed, sir.
Marcus rose, furious:
—WHAT?! You useless fools… couldn't you kill a mere child?! What happened?
—The brat from the Douglases appeared, —one of the subordinates said.
—Where are the others?
—We are the only survivors.
—Are you telling me thirty-eight Imperial soldiers died and you still couldn't complete the mission?
—I'm sorry, my lord, —another said, bowing his head—. We can retaliate and… attempt to assassinate Lusian Douglas, who interfered with the mission.
Marcus glared at him.—You're an idiot. What are you going to do? Face five thousand highly trained soldiers head-on? Or infiltrate at night to be detected and tortured to death? Or, better yet, plan a daylight assassination, when he's walking through the city, alerting all the kingdom's knights to our presence?
—Forgive my ignorance, sir… we await your orders.
—Contact the Denisses and tell them to halt everything. Do not move a single finger. This failure will alert the king, and he will send his hunting dogs… the Douglases.
—Yes, my lord.
Left alone, Marcus cursed his bad luck, clenching his fists as the silence of the casino enveloped him.