Emperor's Reckoning

The large griffin flapped its wings a couple of times in quick succession before planting her feet. His head immediately hung down as her eyes hardly opened. 

Lyon got off the griffin before the rest did the same. He immediately caress her eagle head as he spoke softly.

"There, there, you did amazingly," said Lyon with a smile that brought his radiant charisma.

Porealus sighed, "I don't think the word low-profile is in his dictionary."

Renduval frowned as he looked at the young man casually drop the carcass of a kunpeng right in the middle of the yard.

"Oi Renduval, what is the meaning of this!"

Renduval raised his brows as he recognize the familiar voice. His eyes turned more lustrous as he turned around and saw the lady he was thinking of for quite some time.

"Luvia," Renduval called out her name. "How are you?"

"How am I?! You almost killed Jiji!" shouted Luvia as she put her hand on her waist. Her face was full of contempt and her glance could easily eat him up.

"K-Kill?!" Renduval panicked before he shook his head. "I-I wouldn't dare to hurt your friends."

"You said that but look at what you've done!" said Luvia as she furrowed her brows.

"B-But! It wasn't—"

"Not only you're a sad excuse of an alchemist but you also tried to kill my friend!"

Renduval had his head down with his hair covering his eyes. His shoulders stiffened as he muttered not a single word. Everything seemed cold as the radiant he once had vanished in an instant.

"Oh, so you are staying silent? Were it not because of your late grandfather you wouldn't even get the chance to be here!"

The nearby alchemists started to talk among themselves as they looked at him with disgust. The rumor that was already circling around seemed to be true. Renduval didn't even attempt to deny it. He stood there like a depressed statue. The azure cloak that he wore was nothing but an identity he had earned from connection and not the skill that he nurtured.

"Hmph!" Luvia turned around before she leered at him. "Don't look for me again, I have a boyfriend now, he is senior Ark."

Lyon furrowed his brows as he saw Renduval's finger twitching slightly as she said those words before she left.

Luvia got to Jiji before lifting her shoulders up with Cyril. "Let's go, Jiji, let's have you checked first."

Renduval turned around and pretended to not hear the alchemists talking about him. He walked past Lyon before muttering, "Let's go, I will escort you to the store."

Lyon sighed before he crossed his arms. "Oi lady!"

"Here we go again," Porealus smiled wryly.

He immediately courted all attention before he smirked as he watched the three women turn around.

"Yeah you, the brunette one," said Lyon as he raised his chin.

Renduval opened his eyes wide as his head slowly rose from the bottom of the pit of endless sadness. He looked at Lyon with disbelief, "What are you doing..."

Lyon didn't bat an eye at what Renduval was muttering. His sharp eyes were at Luvia.

Luvia frowned, "What do you want?"

Ark immediately stepped over and stood in front of her. "I'm sorry, but do you have something that you want to sort out with my woman?" he smiled.

Luvia immediately blushed as her head hung down with embarrassment. The whole alchemists bare witnessed of what he had just said."

"Golden cloak," Porealus muttered before he shook his head, "Not like that matter."

"Your woman?" Lyon raised his eyebrows, "I respect that, but I want your woman to apologize to my, what do you say, contractor here."

"Apologize? Contractor? Can you elaborate?" asked Ark as he crossed his arms.

"Renduval here hired me and my team, which coincidentally are the winners of the tournament, to slay this fledgling kunpeng," said Lyon as he pointed at the carcass with his eyes.

"Are w—" Zet's mouth was covered by Porealus almost immediately.

"Hush! Just play along!" Porealus whispered with a berating tone.

Zet's eyes opened wide before he slowly nodded.

"Renduval did?!"

"Woah..."

"Where did he get the money to hire them?"

The alchemists were wondering as they looked at Renduval in a different light. However, the latter was squinting his eyes as he couldn't understand what Lyon was doing.

"Hah, hahaha!" Ark laughed obnoxiously. "Do you really think that I would believe that? Don't you know how broke he is?"

"Oi, Oi, I'm not here to make you believe in me," Lyon shrugged. "I'm here to deliver this kunpeng, and also took a stroll here. In the meantime, your woman should apologize to my client this instant."

"Haha! Don't act all mighty in front of me now," Ark laughed. "Forget about the matter Luvia should apologize for not for a second. I see that the kunpeng is available for a price right?"

"Oh?" Lyon raised his brow before he laughed. "That's up to my client, Renduval, this kunpeng is not mine."

"I will pay you, double the price he paid," said Ark confidently.

"I know you are loaded, but really?" Lyon raised his eyebrows. "Do you think double amount to—"

"Triple! I will pay triple!" said Ark.

"Triple eh, Kesya, is triple enough?" asked Lyon.

"Absolutely!" answered Kesya with a nod.

Ark smiled seeing one of his underlings agree, "Then—"

"Not! Hahaha!" Kesya laughed before Lyon followed along.

Ark frowned as he contemptuously said, "What are you implying?"

"Oh~ So scary," said Lyon as he smiled obnoxiously.

Ark forced himself to smile, "Don't you know what this gold cloak means?"

"I don't care what it means," said Lyon as he shrugged. "This will end either with Luvia apologizing or her regretting it later."

Luvia took a step back as she saw the glint of his eyes.

"Is that a threat? You dare to threaten a student here?" said Ark as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't you know where you are right now?"