“You? You claim you’re thinking about the interests of Dragonscale Bank? Do you even know why headquarters sent me here over a decade ago? Do you think that all the effort of these years can simply be dismissed with a single sentence from you?”
“Elise, you must think quite highly of yourself!”
Faced with Reno’s scathing words, Elise remained calm.
“Lake City—we cannot act rashly there!”
Having interacted with Daniel, Elise understood his terrifying strength.
The upcoming Battle for Dominance was, in her eyes, meaningless.
No matter which force emerged victorious, what would it achieve?
Who would dare provoke Daniel under his watchful eye?
Absolutely no one.
Currently, two individuals from Crossbridge Academy were spreading their influence across the Free Federation’s eastern and western regions.
Lake City had already fallen into Crossbridge Academy’s grasp.
With Daniel’s temperament, how could he tolerate interference there?
After all, even in the past, Daniel had stormed the Lake City headquarters simply because a single academy guard had been killed.
Now, things had escalated far beyond that.
“So, you’re suggesting we abandon the Battle for Dominance?” Reno’s sharp gaze bore into Elise.
“Yes,” Elise replied firmly.
“You think I’m a fool? You expect me to abandon a plan over a decade in the making just because of your words?!” Reno rose from his seat, his towering figure looming over Elise.
“Listen, boy, just because you’re a steward doesn’t mean you can throw your weight around in Sunken City. This is my territory. You don’t have that authority!”
As the tension in the room escalated, threatening to erupt into violence, an elderly man entered.
“Enough! Calm down, both of you! You are both indispensable to Dragonscale Bank, so why let such matters spark conflict?”
The old man stepped between Elise and Reno, his voice steady and authoritative.
Reno retreated to his seat, though his anger lingered.
“Grand Steward, I cannot accept this! We’ve spent over a decade preparing for this moment, and now this boy wants me to back down?!” Reno protested.
“The boy built Dragonscale Bank’s second forge, while I only have this Battle for Dominance to rely on! This is Dragonscale Bank’s strategic plan for Lake City—I must see it through! If not, I’ll be the one held accountable!”
Dragonscale Bank’s plans in Lake City were multifaceted.
One aspect was Elise’s mission to collect mana stones and construct a forge.
The other was the Battle for Dominance in Sunken City.
Only by securing both could the next phase of the plan proceed.
Elise had already completed her task, which was why she had come to Sunken City.
However, rather than assisting Reno, she was here to halt him.
This was a directive from headquarters, and Reno couldn’t simply take Elise at her word. If headquarters later placed the blame on him, it wouldn’t affect Elise, who had already fulfilled her role.
That was what frustrated Reno the most.
“You completed your task, but now you’re telling me not to complete mine? If something goes wrong, will you take the blame for me?”
“No, the forge has already been sent back to headquarters. Thousand-Household City’s setup is complete,” Elise stated calmly.
“What?!”
Both the Grand Steward and Reno were stunned by her revelation.
The Grand Steward even exclaimed aloud.
If the forge had been sent back, it could only mean one thing: the plan for Thousand-Household City was being abandoned.
But the forge was a critical component of Dragonscale Bank’s strategy.
“Is what you’re saying true?” The Grand Steward asked, needing confirmation.
“Yes, it’s true,” Elise confirmed with a nod.
“Why would you do such a thing? The layout for Thousand-Household City was decided by the higher-ups! Aren’t you afraid of being held accountable?” the Grand Steward asked.
“Grand Steward, as I’ve said many times, a formidable force has emerged in Thousand-Household City. The area is now under their control, and even the Free Federation is gradually falling into their hands,” Elise explained.
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“You mentioned something about a place called Crossbridge Academy?”
“Yes. Over the past few years, I’ve witnessed Crossbridge Academy’s growth firsthand.”
Elise had seen enough to understand the terrifying strength of Crossbridge Academy.
A few years ago, it was just Daniel. Now, Crossbridge Academy was no longer the same.
The younger generation had grown stronger. Elise had no doubt that given more time, Crossbridge Academy would become a superpower.
“What they’ve achieved is beyond ordinary. The headmaster of Crossbridge Academy—I can’t even discern his true strength. If you don’t believe me, Grand Steward, you can investigate for yourself,” Elise suggested.
She recounted witnessing Rose’s sword strike, which had nearly destroyed half a city when she was just Tier-Silver or Tier-Gold.
Now, a few years later, how much stronger had Rose become?
And Daniel? Elise dared not imagine.
This was why she was determined to stop this plan. Dragonscale Bank could not afford to provoke such a powerful enemy.
“If that’s the case, why haven’t you reported this to headquarters?”
“I’ve tried, but received no response,” Elise replied.
She knew that headquarters wouldn’t believe her.
Even she wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes.
The room fell silent. Reno began to weigh the validity of Elise’s claims.
If the forge had already been sent back, even victory in the Battle for Dominance would be pointless, as the next phase required the forge to proceed.
The Grand Steward was also deep in thought.
Was this Crossbridge Academy Elise spoke of real?
If her account was true, a near-destroyed rural academy transforming into a first-rate force—or even a superpower—in just five or six years was inconceivable.
Normally, the Grand Steward would have dismissed such claims as nonsense.
But Elise’s determination, risking her career to make this case, gave him pause.
Perhaps it was worth investigating.
Seeing the wavering expression on the Grand Steward’s face, Elise pressed her point.
“Grand Steward, there are still four days until the Battle for Dominance begins. We can make a round trip in that time. If you see Crossbridge Academy’s development for yourself, you’ll understand that I’m telling the truth!”
“Elise, have you grown so timid over the years? What a disgrace to the family name!”
A scornful voice came from the doorway.
Elise turned to see a familiar figure.
“Imora… What are you doing here?”
“Miss Imora, please have a seat,” Reno said respectfully, signaling her importance.
Elise immediately understood.
“You… You’re the chosen representative for Dragonscale Bank this time?”