I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

He then quickly disappeared at the end of the passage.

And so, the strongest third-year student was defeated without even being able to unleash a second decent spell.

The referee raised Luke's hand: "Winner, Luke!"

The stands were filled with boos; some people threw fruit pits down, while others angrily clenched their fists.

Luke didn't seem to care at all, and even bowed to the audience while muttering, "Sixty-third consecutive win... at least give me some applause."

Elena, standing next to Ji Tian, ​​stared dumbfounded at the victor being "cheering" by the crowd in the arena, and it took her a long time to come back to her senses.

She glanced at Ji Tian, ​​then at the victor covered in oil, and then back at Ji Tian.

"Ji Tian".

"Um?"

Her tone suddenly became unusually serious, "Why don't you stay in the outer courtyard? My room in the inner courtyard is quite big, why don't you move in... Inner courtyard students can apply for visitor status, short-term stays are allowed, just apply a few more times."

Ji Tian remained silent for a moment, then glanced at Luke, who was standing in a thunderous stance, receiving the fruit pits thrown by the crowd.

That makes sense.

After two long years of grueling training, to finally fight a boss like this... wouldn't that just be like playing dumb and eating feed? The outer courtyard arc is utterly devoid of fun.

He stood up, patted off non-existent dust from his robes, and glanced at the training ground one last time.

"Let's go then."

Elena paused for a moment: "Now? Now?"

"Now."

She didn't ask why, but simply stood up, straightened her skirt, and reached out her hand.

"Let's go then, I'll take you to get a visitor's pass."

Ji Tian grasped that slender hand, and the two walked through the passageway at the highest point of the stands and down the stone steps. Behind them, the referees in the martial arts arena began announcing the list of finalists again, with cheers and boos mingling together and gradually fading away.

The path leading to the inner courtyard was eerily quiet, with only the rustling of the evening breeze through the vines and the low hum of the crystals atop the distant magic tower.

Elena walked ahead with light steps. "Visitor passes require the tutor's signature, but immediate family members or...good friends of inner court students can be sponsored by the student and use the fast track. My senior just told me this yesterday; I can just fill out a form at the administration building in a bit."

"Um."

Ji Tian followed behind her, his gaze falling on her slightly reddened earlobes, and said nothing more.

As I passed through the barrier gate, a familiar light membrane of runes swept over me.

The white stone buildings in the inner courtyard gleamed with a warm glow in the twilight, while the crystal atop the distant magic tower lit up, emitting a soft blue light.

The administration building is located deep within the inner courtyard. It's a three-story building with vines climbing its exterior walls. The person on duty is a middle-aged female tutor wearing glasses, who is looking down at some documents.

"Elena? What are you doing here so late?" The tutor looked up, his gaze lingering for a moment on Ji Tian behind her, then he understood. "Visitor's pass?"

Elena placed the prepared form on the table. "Yes, inner court student guarantor, relationship... friend."

The tutor picked up the form, glanced at it, then looked at Ji Tian, ​​a slight smile appearing on his lips.

Without asking any further questions, she took a silver-white badge from the drawer and placed it on the table.

The instructor adjusted his glasses and said, "Magic binding, blood oath. Visitor privileges are limited to the inner courtyard living area, the library's public areas, and the garden. The teaching area, meditation tower, and forbidden library require separate applications. Furthermore, visitors are prohibited from using offensive magic within the inner courtyard; violators will have their privileges revoked and receive a demerit. Also, you are a student in the outer courtyard; you can skip classes, but don't forget your final exams. Understand?"

Ji Tian nodded and absorbed the badge into his palm. He probed it with his divine sense and discovered a sophisticated identification array engraved inside. He forced a drop of blood from his fingertip and fused it into the badge; a silvery-white light flashed for a moment, then dimmed.

The instructor waved his hand, "Alright, go ahead... be careful."

Elena didn't understand the hidden meaning in her mentor's words. She thanked him and pulled Ji Tian out of the administration building.

The night breeze carried the fragrance of roses, and she took a deep breath, then suddenly turned around and looked up at him.

"Now... wouldn't you say you're back by my side?"

Ji Tian looked into her eyes, which reflected the blue light of the magic tower, and said, "I have never left."

Elena paused for a moment, turned her face away, and walked quickly forward. "Don't look at me when you say things like that."

Ji Tian followed in her footsteps, and the two walked side by side on the white stone-paved path.

The cheers from the distant training ground could be faintly heard, as if they came from another world.

"Where is your room?"

Elena pointed north, "Over there, the entire Building 61 has a great view; you can see the Magic Tower and the garden. But... there's only one bed available for now."

Ji Tian paused slightly. "Didn't you say there was a meditation room? I can just meditate in there."

Elena didn't turn around, but her ears were already bright red, as if she was embarrassed by what she had just said. She said tremblingly, "Okay."

The two continued walking forward, their figures gradually blending into the night in the inner courtyard.

A night breeze swept by, and rose petals fluttered down from the garden, landing on Elena's shoulder.

She didn't slap it away; she simply reached out and gently touched the back of Ji Tian's hand before quickly withdrawing it.

Ji Tian glanced at her sideways, said nothing, and simply plucked the flower petal from her shoulder.

In the distance, the crystal atop the magic tower flickered briefly before falling silent again.

……

Royal capital, Prime Minister's residence, study.

Augustus sat behind his desk, a report about the Northern Factory spread out in front of him, his fingers tapping lightly on the edge of the pages.

A guard announced from the doorway, "Earl Clyster has arrived." He put the report in the cabinet and said, "Quickly, invite him in. Someone, pour him some tea."

The Earl of the West entered, his imposing figure adorned with three medals on his dark blue military uniform, each representing a victory in a border battle. He strode to the desk and bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty Prime Minister."

Augustus waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down, and without any pleasantries, went straight to the point: "Has the matter in the West been resolved?"

The count nodded, his voice steady. "The aftermath of the Third Legion's annihilation has subsided. Those who spread rumors and undermined morale within the army have all been rooted out and dealt with according to military law. From now on, no one will use this matter against us."

When he said this, his gaze was open and honest, as if he were truly just reporting on official business.

Augustus's fingertips paused on the table for a moment, his gaze lingering on the count's face for a brief instant, but he didn't press further, simply humming in agreement.

The Earl picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then changed the subject, "Speaking of which, my son Hollen participated in the end-of-month challenge at the academy today and lost to a young man from the outer academy named Luke."

"Luke?" Augustus raised an eyebrow. "That commoner from the outer court?"

The Earl of the West gave a wry smile. "Indeed, that kid's methods are indeed... unconventional. Hollen grew up in a military camp; he's never seen that kind of fighting style before. He deserves to lose."

The Prime Minister recalled that his second son had been thrown to the ground by Luke's greasy technique in a challenge a few years ago, and was so angry that he didn't eat for three days afterward.

Back then, he had scolded his second son, saying, "If you're not as skilled as others, you can't blame anyone else." Little did he expect that the young master of the Clyster family would now fall into the same trap.

Even though he knew the other person was flattering him, Augustus's lips still curled up slightly.

He picked up his teacup, his tone lighter than before, "Young man, losing a few games isn't a bad thing. At least it lets him know that not everyone in this world follows the rules."

The Earl of the West nodded repeatedly. "You're right, sir. Hollen is just too well-behaved."

He paused, gently setting down his teacup. "I've made all the arrangements in the western border region. What needed to be cleared has been cleared, and what needed to be stabilized has been stabilized. The remnants of the Third Army Corps have withdrawn to the rear to rest and reorganize, and will not affect the border defense in the short term."

He raised his eyes, his gaze briefly meeting Augustus's before they looked away.

"My lord, please feel free to act as you see fit. There will be no more trouble in the Western Regions."

Augustus set down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the armrest. He understood perfectly what the count meant—those who "should have been eliminated," including the count's own pawns, were now dead. The dead are the most discreet; they will never betray anyone.

Augustus stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the deepening twilight outside. "You've worked hard. The Augustus family will take care of things in the north. You just need to guard the west and not let the demons take advantage of any loopholes."

The count also stood up, bowed, and said, "Serving the kingdom is my duty."