The Fan Club

‘Die.’

The warning was heavy.

This sudden threat made Black’s brows knit together tightly.

The meaning of the note was self-evident.

And the mastermind behind the arrow was also obvious.

Besides the old Pope Randolph and Alvin, who else would warn him like this?

However, what puzzled Black was why the other party would go to such lengths to warn him in this way.

Instead of directly dispatching an assassin to eliminate this hidden threat?

“Are they wary of something?”

He thought deeply.

“I’m just a low-ranking Dragon-Slaying Guard. Logically, I’m not worthy of the old Pope’s concern.”

“Unless… he knows some information about me?”

Black guessed that the source of this wariness came from either the Empress or the higher-ups of the Dragon-Slaying Guard.

The fact that he had been specially recruited into the Dragon-Slaying Guard was something that could be found out with a little investigation to be the will of the Empress and Noa.

The old Pope was most likely wary of this point.

After all, he didn’t want to go head-to-head with the Imperial Family and the Dragon-Slaying Guard.

Pinching the warning note, Black became even more keenly aware.

The enemies he was facing were real people with their own free will.

Not characters who acted strictly according to a script.

The mistake he had made before by underestimating this point could absolutely not be repeated.

His fingers dug into the windowsill.

Black’s expression gradually darkened.

A new idea appeared in his mind.

He had to prepare a backup plan to deal with the worst possible outcome.

What if, after exhausting all efforts, he still couldn’t prevent Kristine from degenerating into a Dragon-Corrupted?

The probability was low, but not zero.

Although he didn’t want to reach that point, and he wasn’t even sure if his preparations would be of any use by then.

But it was better to be prepared than to be caught helpless when disaster struck.

This backup plan followed the path of the hidden ending.

That’s right, a third ending, different from the good and bad endings.

This ending was too uncertain, so Black hadn’t considered taking this route at the beginning.

But now, he had to consider it.

Of course, this was just a backup route.

The most important thing now was still to prevent Kristine from degenerating into a Dragon-Corrupted.

The next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Black set off early for Dragonheart Academy.

On one hand, he did want to receive the gift promised by Headmaster Troy.

But more importantly, it was an opportunity to meet this top powerhouse of the empire.

A genuine Emperor-Tier Sorcerer.

If he could establish some sort of connection with him, it would not be a bad thing.

After walking for about ten minutes.

Not long after he left the neighborhood where Uncle Victor’s house was located.

Black felt that something was not right.

A feeling of being watched followed him like a shadow.

Someone was following him, and there was more than one.

He nonchalantly slowed his pace.

‘The old Pope’s men?’

At first, he suspected it was people sent by the old Pope.

But strangely, he couldn’t feel any killing intent from these followers.

They didn’t even have the stealthiness that a tracker should have.

Instead, there was a sense of… clumsiness and curiosity?

Black was puzzled, but he didn’t alert them.

‘Forget it. My destination is Dragonheart Academy anyway. If you have the guts, then follow me into the academy.’

He simply pretended not to notice and maintained a normal pace.

He walked towards the academy at an unhurried pace.

Arriving at the magnificent gates of Dragonheart Academy, Black briefly explained his purpose to the guards.

He mentioned Headmaster Troy’s invitation.

The guard was quite shocked to hear this. He sized up the Dragon-Slaying Guard uniform on him, and his attitude immediately became respectful.

Not only did he quickly grant him passage, but he also enthusiastically pointed out the route to the Sage’s Loft where the headmaster was.

He walked along the winding stone path shaded by trees.

Fallen leaves rustled under his feet, and the morning sun cast mottled spots of light through the gaps in the branches.

Occasionally, students carrying books hurried past, startling a few sparrows foraging for food.

Looking at these students with their faces full of youthful vigor, Black couldn’t help but feel a little emotional.

He had never expected to step onto a campus again in such a situation.

As he walked, he once again sensed the gazes following him.

Black frowned slightly.

‘They can even get into Dragonheart Academy?’

He deliberately turned around abruptly at a corner, his gaze quickly sweeping behind him.

He saw, not far away by the flowerbed bushes.

Several heads ducked back with a “swoosh,” their movements flustered, even knocking off a few leaves.

Black saw clearly that they were a few young girls in academy uniforms.

He was instantly speechless.

‘So it’s just a few students.’

‘Their tracking skills are so poor, and they still dare to play at tailing people?’

They were a little bit clear-eyed and foolish.

‘But, why were they following him?’

Black smiled helplessly and decided to end this farce.

His pace suddenly quickened, his figure making a few agile turns on the campus paths.

He disappeared from the sight of the girls.

“Where’d he go? Where’d he go?”

“How did he disappear in the blink of an eye?”

“It’s all your fault for walking too slowly!”

“It was obviously him who was walking too fast! Like a gust of wind!”

The girls emerged from their hiding spot behind the bushes and started discussing animatedly.

One of the girls looked at the newspaper in her hand and muttered.

“But… he looks much handsomer in person than in the portrait in the ‘Imperial Times’!”

“Wearing that black uniform, his figure is so tall and straight, and his face is so stern. I feel like he could be a popular candidate for the campus beau at our academy.”

“Standing next to Senior Kristine, it seems… they’re quite a good match?”

Another girl who looked to be from a well-off family said in a low voice.

“My dad is a four-star Dragon-Slaying Guard. I got some inside information from him!”

“This guy didn’t get into the Dragon-Slaying Guard through the normal assessment at all. He was specially recruited by that First Chair!”

“I heard… he even has some connection with Her Majesty the Empress!”

The other girls were stunned by her words.

Their faces were filled with disbelief.

Just then.

The leader of their group.

A girl with twin ponytails who looked quite assertive interrupted their fantasies.

She clenched her small fists, her face righteous.

“Is this all the love you have for Lady Kristine? Don’t forget our identities!”

“We are all daughters of nobles, after all. There’s strength in numbers! As long as we unite, we won’t be afraid of him!”

“Our mission is to let him know that Senior Kristine belongs to everyone, not just him alone!”

Hearing this.

Another girl with glasses, who seemed a bit timid, hesitated and spoke.

“But Miss Nadia… Mr. Black is the great hero who saved so many new students.”

“Are we really going to follow him, and even… even spread rumors about him like we discussed before?”

“And we’ve been following him all this way. We saw him help an old lady cross the street, buy bread for a beggar on the roadside, and even help a child get a balloon stuck in a tree…”

“I feel like… he’s a good person.”