"Thank you, Your Majesty." Emma could understand Amara's concern as a mother. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of Lucien. I'll never let him down. And we'll come back to visit you often." Amara nodded in satisfaction. "Aurelia's in chaos right now, so I won't see you off. Be careful on your way." Leaving the palace with Edric and the others, Emma received a message from Lucien. Lucien: 'Emma, things here aren't resolved yet. I'll be a little late. Marcus and the others will take you home first.' Emma: 'Focus on what you're doing. With Marcus here, I'll be fine. We'll wait for you at home.' After replying, Emma closed her lightcore. Just then, Aria came running over, clutching a crystal fish tank in her arms. "Emma, this is for you."Inside the square crystal tank, a few tiny pink fish were swimming gracefully. Aria handed the tank to her with a smile. "I'm a little disappointed we didn't get to see Kieran this time. So, I asked someone to prepare these pink fish as a gift for you." Pink merfolk were rare, but pink fish weren't. "They're beautiful," Emma said, taking the tank carefully. "I'll take good care of them." After agreeing to meet Aria again in a few days for a beast hunt in the forest, Emma carried the fish tank and boarded her airship with Marcus and the others, leaving Aurelia behind. … Meanwhile, Merlin had been waiting near the manor for hours, watching messages flicker on his lightcore with a storm-dark expression. "Useless idiots!" he growled. "They can't even track down a half-dead fish." He turned to the subordinate behind him. "What's Lucien's status?" "Mr. Merlin, don't worry," the man replied quickly. "Our men have successfully held him off. He'll be at least ten minutes behind Ms. Emma Tibarn." Merlin's expression finally eased. "Good. Remember—no one is to harm Ms. Tibarn." As his order fell, Emma's airship appeared in the sky above the manor. Merlin straightened his torn combat suit and raised his hand. The moment the manor's shield opened, he gave the signal. "Now." A deafening explosion ripped through the air. The airship jolted violently. "Enemy attack detected… Enemy attack detected…" The ship's alarm system blared to life. Through the viewport, Emma saw dozens of therians charging toward them—one of them radiating the power of a Rank 10. Are Rank 10s that common now? she thought grimly. Do they hand out ranks for free these days? The manor's guards had already rushed out to deal with the attackers."Marcus, take the Rank 10," Emma ordered. Only he could fight him. Marcus gave a short nod and vanished from the airship in a blur. Edric and Corvin stayed by Emma's side, shielding her. The attackers—whoever they were—were many. Some had already reached the airship, clashing with Edric and Corvin in close combat. Though the two easily overpowered their foes, the skirmish split their attention. In that single distracted heartbeat, a streak of black light shot straight toward Emma's forehead. She barely managed to summon a shimmering shield with her ability when a figure suddenly lunged in front of her. "Ms. Tibarn, look out!" The black light sank into his chest. Blood sprayed as the man's body went limp and dropped through the air. Emma's eyes widened. She swept her hand, conjuring a current of water that caught him mid-fall and pulled him safely back to the deck.Edric and Corvin had already dispatched the last of the attackers. Marcus returned a moment later, the Rank 10 slain. It had all happened in under two minutes. The airship descended into the manor grounds. Emma guided the water flow, lowering the man gently onto the ground before letting it dissipate. When Edric caught sight of the man's face, his eyes widened. "Malrik." Emma froze. His long hair was tangled and half-hid his face, leaving only a sharp jawline and bloodstained lips visible. His mouth moved faintly, whispering something inaudible. His combat suit was in tatters, color had faded as if it had been worn for months. "That's Malrik?" Emma asked in disbelief. She quickly motioned for Corvin and Edric to help. Just this morning, she'd been wondering when they might meet—and now, here he was. She placed a leaf from Silas between his lips while Edric uncorked two vials of healing potion and fed them to him. "I've met him twice," Edric said quietly. "We're not close, but I know who he is." He explained that Malrik preferred scavenging wrecks on the outer battlefield and rarely returned to the Enchanter Clan. But even after taking Silas' leaf and two potions, the man didn't wake.