“Once we’re here, there are very few entities that can pry into this place.”
This was a shared understanding.
After all, when it came to participating in battles here, there were certain pieces of information that needed to be explained to the younger generation in advance.
So, this place was relatively safe.
As soon as they entered the barrier, Nora also felt a familiar aura—an energy she had once felt in the academy.
It was a power capable of causing a significant impact on the world. The reason Nora had stayed at Karea Academy was precisely because of this power.
She wanted to investigate what this strange energy was all about.
Later, when Daniel’s message came through, Nora learned that this unusual power had another name.
The foreign energy had the potential to wreak great havoc on the world, which was why Daniel had intended to come in person.
And now, here, Nora felt that strange force once again.
“There is almost no one who can spy on us here,” the old man said slowly.
Just then, Nora noticed a figure behind the old man. It was Nina, seemingly preparing to sneak attack him.
Seeing this, Nora quickly coughed twice to stop Nina.
Nora was aware of the dangers of this place. While she believed Nina had the confidence to go unnoticed by the old man, there was no need to take risks now.
Once the headmaster arrived, these people would be as powerless as grasshoppers after the autumn harvest.
There was no need to be reckless at this time.
Nora could sense that the old man was strong, so she didn’t want Nina to take any unnecessary chances.
The old man showed no signs of noticing Nina’s little move, seemingly unaware of it at all.
“Let’s go, we’ll head inside,” he said.
With that, they walked toward House Ponton.
The servants at the door of House Ponton were naturally very perceptive.
They quickly welcomed the old man and Nora inside, especially since the large Karea Academy insignia on the nearby ship couldn’t be easily faked.
Due to the location of House Ponton, these days, the reception duties for the major factions had been entrusted to them.
But mostly, they were just resting here.
The real action was still happening in the secret realm.
House Ponton was large and luxurious.
After walking for a while, they finally arrived at the reception hall.
At that moment, the current head of House Ponton, the father of the student Nora had killed, came out to greet them.
His attitude was extremely respectful, even a bit fearful:
“My lord, I didn’t expect you would come in person…”
It seemed that House Ponton’s head knew the old man, and from his tone, it was clear he was surprised to see him here.
Behind him stood several young people, likely the younger generation of House Ponton. It was unclear how they compared to the genius from House Ponton who had been killed by Nora.
The young people watched the old man curiously, having never seen the head behave so humbly.
“As for the unexpected death of the student, we at the academy are deeply regretful. After all, such an event is also a loss for the academy. Please accept our condolences,” the old man said to House Ponton’s head.
Although the head believed the academy’s explanation, some formal words were still necessary.
What if House Ponton produced another genius?
“Thank you for your sympathy, my son was indeed unlucky. There’s nothing to blame anyone for,” Lord Ponton said, almost resigned.
Tier-sages were not easily attained; if they were, the most recent tier-sage would have come from House Ponton.
The path to becoming a tier-sage was fraught with danger, and untimely death… that had already happened. Complaining to Karea Academy at this point would be futile.
Lord Ponton then turned his gaze toward Nora.
Given that she had been brought here by the old man, he guessed that this girl was the one chosen to replace Karea Academy in the battle.
However…
Lord Ponton’s gaze toward Nora was far from friendly.
Although he couldn’t gauge Nora’s true strength, he couldn’t help but feel that she was no match for his son.
If his son hadn’t died, it would have been him representing Karea Academy in this battle.
Even though Lord Ponton had accepted his son’s death, it didn’t stop him from looking down on Nora.
She was too pretty—what kind of strength could she possibly have? He wondered if she had received this spot simply because of her looks.
Lord Ponton thought to himself, but of course, he only dared think it.
“I’ll introduce her. This is Nora, the one representing Karea Academy in the battle,” the old man said.
He noticed that Lord Ponton wasn’t pleased with Nora, so he decided to give the man an opportunity to quiet his objections. This way, others could keep their opinions to themselves.
“However, Nora has spent most of her time in the academy, so why not let someone show her around House Ponton?”
Upon hearing the old man’s words, Lord Ponton’s face immediately brightened, and he quickly responded:
“Zero, take this young lady around the grounds, let her see what House Ponton is all about.”
At Lord Ponton’s command, a young man stepped forward.
“Nora, please follow me.”
Nora nodded and followed Zero as they left.
The young people behind Lord Ponton quickly left as well.
As for these little moves, the old man merely observed without reacting.
Nora’s strength was such that she wasn’t afraid of any of the younger generation. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have caught his eye in the first place.
There was no need to worry.
And if House Ponton’s people could offer him a surprise, he would be happy to replace the current candidates on the spot—it wouldn’t be a problem at all.
For him, there was no rush; he could afford to wait.
…
“Nora, this is the place where one of our ancestors achieved tier-sage. He understood his path to tier-sage here and ascended,” Zero said, showing Nora around.
House Ponton was an old tier-sage family, so there were many such places scattered around. These locations were preserved for the descendants to visit.
If any of them could comprehend the path to tier-sage, it would be ideal.
Therefore, these areas were generally open to the younger generation of House Ponton and their guests.
Zero led Nora here for a tour, a common practice whenever they had guests or friends.
It served to foster goodwill and showcase House Ponton’s foundation.
Just as Zero was giving Nora a brief introduction, his expression suddenly changed. He whispered:
“Nora, I know your strength is considerable, but be cautious. Something might happen soon…”
Zero’s warning caught Nora off guard. Before entering, the old man had already mentioned that House Ponton might have some tricks up their sleeve.
But she didn’t expect him to actually warn her, which made her view Zero more favorably. If things escalated, she’d go easy on him.
“I understand, no worries,” Nora said with a smile.
Just as Zero was about to say something else, a voice suddenly came from outside:
“Zero, what are you doing here? Head sent me to find you, something important has come up.” frёeωebɳovel.com
Hearing this, Zero gave Nora an apologetic look and quickly left with the person.
Before long, a stranger appeared and shouted:
“Who are you? Why are you trespassing in House Ponton’s forbidden area?! This is where our ancestor became a tier-sage. How dare someone like you just waltz in!”
With that, a group of young men and women appeared behind the stranger, surrounding Nora.
Nora didn’t bother to explain.
If it was a fight they wanted, she was more than ready.