"Can you let me borrow one of them?"

"By 'them'… you mean the prisoners, right?" Rowan asked, looking curious.

Eman nodded. "Yeah. There's something I'm curious about, so I want to question them—see if they know anything."

"I see. Alright, I'll relay the message to the captain."

"Thanks."

"There's no need to thank me."

Eman smiled faintly. "Alright."

After discussing things with Rowan, Eman had his meal. Once finished, he decided to inform Rowan that he would soon visit the academy in the capital—he needed to take action regarding his clan's current situation.

As he made his way toward Rowan's office, he happened to meet him in the hallway. Rowan looked equally surprised to see him.

"Well, well, Eman. I didn't expect to run into you here. Do you need something? Come inside," Rowan greeted.

But Eman politely declined. "There's no need, Senior. I just wanted to inform you about something—it won't take much of your time." He had noticed Rowan looked busy, and he didn't want to interrupt his work.

"Is that so? Then go ahead, I'm listening."

Eman didn't waste time. "I'm going to the academy after this."

"Eh!? You're leaving already?" Rowan looked genuinely surprised, clearly not expecting Eman to depart so soon.

Eman quickly shook his head, smiling awkwardly. "No, not permanently, Senior. I'm just going to visit for a bit—I'll be back later."

It seemed Rowan had misunderstood. Then again, Eman admitted it was partly his fault for not explaining clearly.

Still, Rowan furrowed his brows, still looking confused. Sensing his reaction, Eman felt he needed to clarify.

"Uhm… I have a way to travel faster back and forth," he whispered.

"Oh? I-Is that so?" Rowan stammered, then recalled something. "Ah, that pet of yours—it's incredibly fast," he muttered, half to himself. A frown was still on his face and Eman wondered if something was troubling the senior.

Eman smiled lightly. It seemed there was no need to mention the Gate Ring. "I'll be back before sunset," he added.

"Before sunset?" Rowan repeated, blinking in disbelief. "You mean next week?"

"No. Today."

"What—!"

That wasn't even half a day. The distance between Rothsport Town and the Capital City was far too great—no known mount beast in the current time could travel it in less than a week, even at top speed.

And yet Eman was claiming he'd go there and return before the sun touched the horizon.

If anyone else had said such a thing, Rowan would've thought they'd lost their mind and would've had them detained on the spot.

But this was Eman—the same man who defeated an impossible-to-beat monster.

If it came from him… then maybe, just maybe, the impossible was worth believing.

"I see."

He noticed Rowan sighed in relief, looking as if a thorn in his throat was lifted—but Eman didn't take it too seriously.

Just then, something else caught his attention.

'Aren't they busier than usual?'

The mansion was unusually lively. The manservants and maids moved briskly through the halls, each carrying decorations, fabrics, or trays.

'They seem to be doing more work today than before,' Eman thought, watching for a moment.

Outside the window, he noticed the lawn being adorned with colorful plants and vibrant flowers.

He wanted to ask, but he was already aware that Rowan looked busy enough—he didn't want to interrupt his work.

However, Rowan seemed to notice his curious gaze.

"Ah, you've noticed," Rowan said with a small, awkward smile.

Eman turned toward him, raising an eyebrow. He hadn't planned to bring it up, but since Rowan had already opened the topic, he decided to go along with it.

"Are they preparing for something?"

Rowan's smile widened. "Ufufu, I didn't want to be the one to say it, but since you've already caught on—well, it can't be helped. They're decorating for a grand celebration tonight."

"A grand celebration…?"

"To celebrate your recovery, of course."

"Ehhh? There's no need for that," Eman replied, looking genuinely bewildered. "The town is still facing a supply crisis—I don't think it's a good time for a celebration."

He wasn't trying to be harsh, but Eman wasn't fond of public attention or parties to begin with.

Rowan rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed. Eman's point was fair—the town was still struggling with limited supplies, and everyone was working tirelessly just to keep things running. It was only thanks to Sol's help that they'd managed to sustain their daily necessities at all.

"Don't worry," Rowan said reassuringly, regaining his composure. "With the lake now on our side, it won't take long for the town to recover completely. And besides—Miss Sol's men have already delivered more than enough supplies to last at least a week."

Eman blinked, a little surprised.

So while he was lying unconscious, his people inside his Lord's Domain had managed to deliver enough aid to stabilize the town.

"In fact, it's not only me and my family who wanted this but the whole town asked for it. It seems everyone wanted to express their gratitude towards you in any way they could."

In the end, he agreed to the celebration.

He used his Gate Ring to teleport straight into his dormitory in the city.

As usual, the same scenery greeted him—a gloomy room.

There wasn't much for him to do there. He only used the place as his safest teleportation point.

As quickly as he arrived, he left again and headed to the academy.

Now that he no longer had to worry about the calamity centered in Rothsport Town, it was time to deal with the matter involving the Merciless Clan.

Maybe it was also time to reconsider changing the clan's name. The thought had crossed his mind several times already, but Eman quickly pushed it aside. Something like that wasn't as important as the current issue.

When he arrived at the clan barracks, he noticed all the members gathered inside—Hirro, Paula, Fatsu, and Faye were all present. Distress was clear on their faces, but the moment they saw him, their expressions brightened.

"Lead!"

Paula was the first to call out.

"Bro!" Hirro quickly stood and approached him, followed by the others. In an instant, they surrounded him.

"About the matter I asked you about last night," Eman said calmly, turning his gaze to Hirro.

"Yes. They agreed to meet you. However…" Hirro trailed off, hesitation flickering across his face.

"However?"

"One condition — they want you to come alone!" Hirro's voice rose, laced with worry and frustration. The others wore the same tense expressions.

"Those motherf***ers! I'll tear them apart!" Fatsu ground his teeth and curled his hands into fists.

"Dammit!" Faye shouted.

"Lead, we can't gamble on this. Those bastards are definitely laying traps for you!" another voice warned. It was from Paula.

"Forget traps — even their numbers make it suicide to go alone," Hirro added.

"Is that the only condition?"

To their surprise, Eman remained nonchalant and calm. The usual him.

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