CHAPTER 74: JUDGES FROM THE TEST

Derek continued his training with his new weapon, the twin daggers.

First Level One, then Level Two, and finally Level Three — all cleared with ease.

Surprisingly, he finished each stage even faster than the time it had taken him with the sword.

After completing the third level, Derek sat down on the floor, sweat rolling down his neck, but a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. The training had been intense, but the rhythm of the twin daggers already felt natural — almost as if they had been forged for him alone.

Meanwhile, somewhere else in the academy, Nicholas sat inside the Lion’s Heart Housemaster’s chamber. In front of him stood two instructors in respectful silence — Alfred and Sebastian, the very same judges who had accompanied Meridith during the Arcadia Hunter Academy admission test.

"You wanted to speak with us, sir?" Alfred asked politely.

"Yes," Nicholas replied, leaning back slightly in his chair. "Recently, a certain student has piqued my interest. He’s definitely from Raging Bulls — I’m certain of that. But I can’t seem to identify who he is. At first, I thought he might be from the third or fourth year, but after checking the records, none of the senior students match the level of ability that boy displayed. Not the second years either. So that leaves only the first years."

He paused, his sharp gaze shifting between them. "You two were both present during the entrance test, weren’t you? Tell me the names of all the talented new students who joined Raging Bulls this year."

Sebastian straightened his posture before replying confidently, "Talented students who went to Raging Bulls, sir? I can recall their faces clearly. The most promising ones are Henry, Leo, and Fiona. Those three stand out the most."

Nicholas was about to respond when Alfred interrupted quietly, "Don’t you think you’re forgetting someone, Sebastian?"

Sebastian blinked, frowning slightly. Then realization dawned. "Oh, you mean that cultivator kid, right? Yeah, I suppose he could be one of the best among the new batch — maybe even the best. But since he was placed in the normal class instead of the elite one, I didn’t mention his name."

Nicholas raised an eyebrow, amused. "A cultivator? Talented? You two must be joking. Henry, Leo, and Fiona — those are the ones to watch among the new Raging Bulls, correct?"

"Y–Yes, sir..." Both Alfred and Sebastian exchanged a quick glance. Neither of them liked how Nicholas dismissed Derek so easily, but they hid their thoughts behind calm expressions.

"Good," Nicholas said, his tone cold and deliberate. "Make some arrangements. I want Henry and Leo to face each other in a sparring duel. Fiona’s a girl, so she’s out of the question. It’ll have to be one of those two."

His eyes gleamed faintly with intrigue.

He was desperate to uncover the identity of the masked boy — the one who had cleared three consecutive floors in the Tower. The rumor had spread like wildfire across the academy, and Nicholas couldn’t rest until he found out who it was.

Of course, many dismissed it as nothing more than a wild rumor — an exaggeration or a mistake.

Alfred frowned slightly. "Make them spar? But sir, the orientation period hasn’t ended yet. We can’t officially force first-year students to duel unless they volunteer themselves."

Nicholas’s expression darkened. "Then create a situation that makes them fight. I don’t care how. I want to see them spar — and soon."

Sebastian stiffened, hiding his discomfort. "A... Alright, sir. We’ll make the arrangements."

Though neither instructor approved of his methods, they had no choice but to obey. Nicholas was the second-highest authority in the academy after the Headmaster — and he was vengeful.

After that, Sebastian and Alfred stepped out of the housemaster’s chamber.

Sebastian let out a frustrated sigh. "What are we supposed to do now? How can someone like him behave that way when he’s a housemaster, a respectable instructor of the Hunter Academy?"

Alfred shook his head helplessly. "If he were just an instructor, it wouldn’t be a big problem. But he has considerable influence, both inside and outside the academy. His brother is the guild master of one of the top five guilds. With that kind of backing, it’s only natural he acts however he pleases."

Sebastian clenched his jaw. "Still, that Demonbane kid the housemaster is looking for — do you think the rumors are true? That a student actually cleared three consecutive floors of the Tower?"

Alfred frowned, uncertainty flickering across his face. "Hard to say. But... should we talk to Meridith? I heard she was there when it happened. Since she’s from the same house, she might know something."

"Yeah, that’s what I was thinking," Sebastian agreed. "If she’s willing to talk, we won’t have to do the housemaster’s dirty work. And we’ll know if the story’s real or not. She should at least share that much, don’t you think?"

Alfred nodded. "Let’s go, then."

With that, the two instructors headed toward the Raging Bulls, intending to meet Meridith.

Meanwhile, after finishing his weapon mastery training with daggers, Derek spent some time cultivating to stabilize his energy before finally stepping outside.

He was heading toward his room when he noticed two familiar faces approaching — Sebastian and Alfred. They were already there.

Seeing Derek, Sebastian smirked. "Well, look who it is."

Derek stopped, recognizing them immediately. He gave a respectful bow.

"How have you been, kid?" Sebastian asked in a friendlier tone this time. Derek remembered both men clearly. He had seen them beside Meridith during the entrance test.

"I am fine. Thanks for asking." Derek replied politely.

"So, how’s life in Raging Bulls?" Alfred asked with a half-smile. "Though honestly, I wanted you in my house. What a shame you ended up there instead."

"It’s good," Derek replied politely. He wasn’t yet accustomed to the competitive atmosphere between the houses, but he genuinely liked his stay in Raging Bulls. Yami was cooperative and supportive, and Derek even had access to the instructor training chambers — something normally the students could only dream of.

He wasn’t sure if any of the other houses would have treated him the same way.