It wasn't until dinner time that everyone from each Department returned to the mansion.

Everyone gathered in the lobby on the first floor of the mansion.

The academy staff followed the instructions of the senior professor, Rok, who was in charge of the Hero Department.

They moved swiftly under Rok's command.

However, the atmosphere among the outsiders was noticeably tense.

Oliver, frowning, said to Fyat,

"This f*cking black panther, let's go at it again later. I haven't lost yet."

Fyat scoffed in response,

"If you had fought properly, you wouldn't be of this world anymore, rookie."

Fyat asked Maximin, who was standing nearby,

"Isn't that right, Maximin?"

Despite being over several hundred years old, Fyat, a dark elf, appeared to be in her twenties.

Thus, the scene looked like a woman in her twenties talking down to a man in his fifties.

Maximin found the situation amusing and answered with a light laugh,

"Hmm. Honestly, yes. The black panther has been going easy on you."

Maximin turned his gaze to Oliver,

"Oliver, the black panther is too tough an opponent for you as of now. Fold. Didn't you say to Theo earlier? Avoiding is also a tactic."

Maximin's words struck a nerve with Oliver.

But Oliver was not the type of man to back down just because he was hit where it hurts.

In an irritated voice, Oliver said,

"Ah, damn it, Senior Maximin. I didn't use my artifact. If I use it, it'll be a whole different story. I'll be at least 100 times stronger."

"What if the black panther uses her artifact too? Her artifact is one of the rarest and strongest on the continent. No matter how skilled you are at using artifacts, Oliver, you'll struggle to handle it."

"Ah~ Senior. We won't know which is longer or shorter until we compare. You said it yourself, didn't you? You weren't as strong as me when you were my age."

"The black panther is a master of real combat who has honed her innate talent over hundreds of years. I don't want to see Oliver die."

Before long, everyone's attention was on Oliver and Fyat.

Fyat pointed at Oliver,

"No using artifacts."

She waved her finger back and forth,

"If we both draw our artifacts, rookie, you'll die. But I can't kill you."

"That's funny. The murderer who could fill this mansion with corpses saying that?"

Fyat, standing next to Theo, said,

"Because then Theo Lyn Waldeurk would be troubled. I don't want to see him troubled."

Oliver looked puzzled,

"??? What's wrong with this old freak? Since when did the black panther start thinking about such things?"

"Well..."

"Well, what?"

Fyat, looking slightly embarrassed, lowered her head a bit and said.

"I'm going to be his wife. That's why, rookie, I can't kill you."

"What... What? Wife? Your junior?"

Oliver, at a loss for words, kept switching his gaze between Theo and Fyat.

The others in the lobby did the same.

Except for the Practitioners and Taylor, who had seen Fyat's fervent pursuit, everyone eyes opened wide.

"What, what's this? Did I hear that wrong? The black panther... is Theo's wife?"

"I've heard about it. The Empire's black panther said she'd become the wife of whoever defeats her."

People whispered to each other, looking at each other's faces.

Theo, while maintaining a calm exterior, was internally cursing.

'F*ck. What kind of day is this? Just when one problem is solved, another one erupts.'

He had just managed to convince Irene and was hoping for a breather when Fyat dropped a second bomb.

Theo surreptitiously rolled his eyes to gauge everyone's reaction.

'Life is indeed not easy.'

Irene looked shocked, her mouth agape.

Maximin also gaped, lacking his usual dignity.

After a moment, Maximin, finally regaining his composure, asked, "Theo, is what the black panther says true? That she is your wife?"

Maximin's pupils trembled, an uncommon sight for him.

That was understandable, considering he had been determined to marry Theo to his daughter, Piel, since Theo acquired the family treasure, the [Demon Sword].

He could never send Piel as a concubine due to various circumstances and had even directly expressed his intentions to Theo.

Theo quickly racked his brain for an appropriate response.

But he couldn't think of any answer that would defuse the situation.

There wasn't enough time.

Even with ample time, it was impossible to find words that would satisfy everyone present.

At that moment, Theo realized he had no choice.

He decided to confront the situation head-on.

"Half right, half wrong."

Maximin squinted, pressing for clarification,

"What does that mean?"

"Fyat is not my wife. Not yet."

Everyone was startled, no one spoke a word.

Seizing the opportunity, Theo continued,

"Fyat agreed to help me eliminate [Turning White]. My biggest goal in life is to eradicate everything related to [Turning White] from this world. Then, I promised to happily welcome Fyat as my wife."

Maximin revealed his true thoughts,

"As the main wife?"

Theo shook his head.

"Nothing is decided yet. Right now, I only want to focus all my attention on eliminating [Turning White]. Isn't that right, Fyat?"

Fyat nodded in agreement,

"Yes. Whether as the main wife or a concubine, it doesn't matter to me. Being Theo Lyn Waldeurk's woman is all I want."

Maximin, after silently observing Theo, spoke up again,

"Well, I see. I knew Theo was remarkable, but this reaffirms it. To think he defeated the black panther."

His words were sincere.

'Theo is no longer a being that can be measured by rankings.'

Maximin was a powerhouse who held the second rank among the continent's warriors until his retirement.

Even he doubted his ability to win against Fyat, especially now that she possessed the divine artifact [Eater], making defeat even more likely.

Theo calmly responded,

"It was just luck. The swordsmanship you taught me, Lord Maximin, was of great help."

Maximin chuckled, pleased despite knowing it was likely flattery,

"Stop it. I'm just an old retiree. Speaking of which, all this talking has made me hungry."

Theo seized the opportunity to change the subject,

"Yes, I've heard that dinner is almost ready. Taylor?"

A well-dressed Taylor stepped forward and announced to everyone,

"Hahaha, dinner is indeed ready."

As Taylor clapped his hands, staff employed by him came out from the kitchen with food, signaling the start of dinner.

Theo thought to himself while eating,

'I need to get away quickly after eating.'

He could feel sharp glances from all around. Getting caught would surely result in a sweaty interrogation.

He wasn't up for that right now.

"Please enjoy your meal without minding me. I'll go for a walk."

After finishing his meal, Theo quickly left the mansion.

Once outside the mansion, Theo ran at full speed until he was gasping for breath. He ran like hell.

After running for a while, he stopped, panting heavily.

But he felt somewhat relieved.

He had been focusing more on qi training recently, neglecting physical training.

Theo checked his watch after a brief rest, noticing about an hour had passed.

"Alright, that's enough for physical training."

Then, he looked for a suitable place to resume his qi training.

A giant tree came into view. Theo sat cross-legged under the tree and closed his eyes.

I ask for your guidance today as well, Nay.

Of course. Hmm, practicing outside like this is refreshing and nice. And the moon is beautifully up too.

Then, does it increase the chances of the Moon God noticing me?

Not likely. The moon hanging in the sky is just an image. The Moon God is not bound by mere forms.

It's difficult, isn't it? I'll just focus on my training. Perhaps I'll be noticed eventually. Especially with you, Nay.

Right. You're making sense for once. Let's start by circulating the qi.

Theo began to gather and circulate the qi flowing through every corner of his body.

About 10 minutes had passed.

Open your eyes, child! A being with tremendous qi is approaching this place!

Nay urgently spoke.