Inside the carriage, only Emma and William could be seen, the latter lying on the former's lap.

Emma was healing his broken body…he was in tatters.

Several of his ribs had been snapped, his jaw broken, nose dislocated, a few fingers mangled, shoulders injured—she couldn't keep count, nor did she have the courage to dwell deeper into his wounds.

She believed that being a warrior made her immune to seeing such injuries, but when it came to this particular man, she couldn't bear to see him suffer even a single scratch.

"I look ugly, no?" His question came, voice hoarse.

Emma sniffled. Looking down at him, she said, "Of course you do." She wiped his bleeding lip with her sleeve before adding, "I told you to return with just a few scratches. Now there isn't even any space left on your body to scratch."

William chuckled, only to wince as a sharp pain shot through his ribs, making it difficult to even breathe properly.

Emma told him to stay still as her lips moved in a chant, healing his wounds at a rapid pace. However, what concerned her most was the amount of blood he had lost.

A brief silence descended in the carriage before William muttered, "You know…Emma…in that dungeon, when everything began to crumble and darkness swallowed me…for a moment, I felt I might not make it out alive."

Her breath hitched. Her fingers trembled as she gazed at him, her body frozen in terror.

William sighed and held her hand.

Bringing it close to his face, he added, "But then, suddenly, your crying face came to my mind. It's strange—I love my father just as much, and there's Nana too…but the only face I could see when nothing but darkness surrounded me…was yours." He pressed her hand against his cheek, as if trying to absorb every bit of warmth she had to offer.

Emma sat there, head slightly lowered, her mind devoid of any swirling thoughts.

She exhaled a long breath and rested her back against the carriage wall before muttering, "Well, you guessed wrong. If something had happened to you…I wouldn't have sat there and cried." Her hold on his face grew a little firmer as she continued, "I would have followed you, William. To the afterlife."

William slowly opened his eyes.

Cold, determined, and beautiful—her gaze carried all three impressions at once.

He smiled softly and asked, "Would you mind kissing me? I can't move much at the moment."

Her eyes softened before she lowered herself and pressed her lips against his.

The taste of blood was strong in their kiss, but the warmth they shared was relieving.

It reassured them that despite the obstacles and disaster, they were here…together again.

….

Inside another running carriage moving away from the Academy sat several members of the Great Hall.

They hadn't waited to ensure others' safety. The moment it was relayed that William had survived, they left.

"I am astounded," one of them said—a woman with pale blue hair streaked with silver near the ends. "That boy might be the strongest student in the world."

"No offense to your assumption, but there is Brutus in the far south, if you remember," another said. This time, it was a man with a stout build, balding head, and droopy eyes.

"Brutus might be strong, but he has reached his limit, hasn't he, Routree?" asked the third and final member, a woman with short black hair and green eyes.

Routree shrugged. "Yes, one could assume that—"

"Can you stop being a bootlicker of the south and accept that what we witnessed today was mind-boggling?" the first woman snapped, her voice edged with fire.

The taller woman hummed. "Menema is right. William Delimore is an anomaly. He didn't just overcome every unexpected battle—he dominated the battlefield."

Routree sighed. "Well, I've never heard of anyone in history taking down an entire dungeon with a single spell. Even Sir Arthur took a different approach, and he still never damaged a dungeon to that extent."

Menema scoffed. "Finally, you admit it." Turning to the other woman, she asked, "Kiera, what do you say? Should we recruit him right away?"

The older woman crossed her legs and leaned back. "Of course we are. One of the four Guardians from Ardentia will be Delimore William. And based on his strength alone, he's going to be Commander-rank."

Routree spoke hesitantly, "No offense, Lady, but aren't we being hasty? The Headmaster clearly indicated another potential candidate with leadership qualities."

Menema snickered. "That Kevin guy? A wannabe protagonist? I saw him trying to look mysterious by standing alone in the corner, muttering things to himself."

Kiera didn't comment on that and instead replied to Routree, "I am not the final judge of who becomes Commander, but my vote would go to William."

Kiera's stance was as clear as daylight.

She admired William's composure during the battle above everything else. Setting aside his fight against the Ape, he had shown instincts and caution that only came from years of experience.

As Domella had told her, Delimore William would become an irreplaceable asset—not just to the Great Hall, but to the entire world.

….

At the Academy's entrance, a few instructors stood alongside the Headmaster, waiting for the carriage to return.

Normally, they would have waited inside, since news of William's recovery had already reached them.

But the Headmaster remained outside because he was accompanying someone he couldn't afford to ignore.

The Tower Master.

Vitori wore a look of concern.

No one could tell what was going through his mind.

However, the way a certain silver-haired girl had acted back in the Common Hall led many to speculate that Vitori and Emma shared a relationship.

The most prominent evidence was their strikingly similar hair.

But Vitori couldn't care less. His focus was entirely on his daughter.

Not long after, the carriage rolled along the grassy path toward the Academy.

Vitori stepped forward, hope flickering in his eyes.

A healer stood beside him, just in case Emma hadn't been able to fully heal William.

As the carriage stopped, Vitori moved closer.

The door opened, and Emma stepped out, supporting William with his arm draped over her shoulder.

Vitori extended his hands to help, but—"It's okay. I've got this." Emma rejected his assistance instantly, without even looking up.

Her tone was flat, and the rejection in her eyes made his arms fall helplessly to his sides.

Without another word, Emma guided William away from the carriage and walked straight toward the dormitory…

…leaving a crestfallen father behind.

°°°°°°°°°°

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