The uproar in Wyvernia quickly reached Drakoria, thanks to the many Drakorian students and workers living there. With photos and videos as proof, the truth was undeniable.
Earlier, residents near Drakoria's border had noticed a large military presence moving toward Wyvernia, with fighter jets roaring overhead.
At first, they assumed it was just a drill—but now, it was clear: Drakoria was actually going to war.
And the reason? Wyvernia had kidnapped Julian from Drakoria.
The authorities knew they couldn't keep it under wraps anymore, so they decisively released the full details of what had happened—and the public reaction was explosive.
[@Gardevoir'sStockings: If I'd known, I would've enlisted—maybe I would have been part of this fight against Wyvernia.]
[@HowlingWolf: Clever me already signed up for this year's military recruitment.]
[@VileplumeFragrance: Wyvernia really shot themselves in the foot this time—Julian's fine, but they lost their own Champion.]
[@KingJulianFanatic: Our King Julian is incredible! How could a place like Wyvernia ever hope to hurt him?]
[@SiberianHusky: Julian's still inside Wyvernia right now—we can't let our guard down, the danger isn't over yet.]
[@StubbornGeodude: Of all the people Wyvernia could've kidnapped, they just had to pick Julian—they might as well have slapped a Champion in the face.]
[@WishfulThinker: That's because the plan failed—if it had succeeded, even Champion Walker and Drakoria would've been forced into a passive position.]
The online discussions were endless—most comments were a mix of fury and mockery toward Wyvernia.
---
Lake City, Walker Family Home
Tina, who had been kept completely in the dark by Jake, stared at the news online—only now did she realize why Jake had gotten up in the middle of the night and rushed out after a phone call.
He'd told her it was "just some issues in the secret realm."
Turns out it was their son who was in trouble! Something this important—and he'd kept it from her!
Furious, she immediately called Jake.
At this moment, Jake was riding his Skarmory at top speed toward Havenburg. He was still an hour away from there.
Just then, his phone rang.
Wife is calling~ Wife is calling!~
The custom ringtone forced Jake to stop and answer.
As soon as he picked up, Tina's enraged voice blasted through the phone:
"Jake! If you don't bring my son back in one piece, I'm divorcing you the second you step foot in this house!"
"Dee! Dee!"
In the background, Indeedee screeched: "If anything happens to my cub, I'll feed your ashes to a Houndoom!"
Julian had been practically raised by Indeedee—of course it saw him as its own.
"Nothing will happen to our son. I'll bring him back safely," Jake said before hanging up. His expression darkened as he glared toward Havenburg.
"Damn it—this is all your damn fault."
If he didn't bring their son back, his wife would divorce him.
And Indeedee was furious too—even though he didn't understand what it said, the tone alone made it clear: If Julian wasn't brought home safely, the consequences would be dire.
---
At home.
Tina set down her phone and turned to Indeedee.
"Don't worry. The news says Julian has already escaped."
"Dee~"
Indeedee nodded firmly.
'Dee!'
Indeedee: "That child, eating something as unclean as beef intestines! If he must eat them, they should be homemade! And Slowking too—how could it not keep an eye on him? If he hadn't eaten those intestines, none of this would've happened!"
Indeedee: "When he gets back, I must discipline him well."
Indeedee clenched its little fist—convinced that Julian had grown too wild after being away from home for so long.
Not only did he stay up late in the night, but he even went out for midnight snacks—and beef intestines at that, oily and dirty.
Discipline. Strict discipline was necessary.
---
At the same time, Julian, who was on his way to the Blue House with Bellsprout and Pierce's group of four, suddenly shuddered violently.
He instinctively looked around but didn't see any danger.
But what was that sudden feeling of impending doom just now?
"What's wrong?"
Pierce asked, noticing Julian's tense expression.
"Feels like something's watching me…"
Julian muttered, still looking around warily.
Rather than laughing, the other four immediately grew serious, scanning the area with heightened alertness.
Instinct—the stronger someone was, the more they trusted their gut.
But after a few minutes, they didn't find anything unusual. And Julian no longer felt that sense of danger either.
"Maybe I'm just tired," Julian finally said.
"Or maybe you're just nervous about what's coming?" Asher teased.
"Nervous my ass."
Julian shook his head, then said to the four of them, "When the time comes, you guys just deal with the others—you're too weak to help me with this."
"Don't worry, we definitely won't come help you," Rowan nodded firmly.
Fighting a Champion-level opponent? That was suicide. Even if they were just supporting Julian, a single stray attack could wipe them out.
Julian just rolled his eyes at Rowan's blunt honesty.
---
Blue House–Council Chamber
The Ninth Councilor's motion to elect an interim president had reached the voting stage.
Isaac, the current President, looked absolutely livid, his face twisted with rage—but then a staff member suddenly leaned in and whispered something in his ear.
Instantly, the anger on his face vanished, replaced by a look of excitement.
"Hold it!"
He directly interrupted the voting session just as it was about to begin.
The Ninth Councilor noticed Isaac's expression had changed and immediately guessed something was up. He kept his face calm and asked, "Isaac. Do you have something to add?"
"Chairman William Lancaster of Five Stars Group has arrived."
Five Star Group—the largest chaebol in Wyvernia and a globally renowned conglomerate, with total assets ranking among the world's top fifty.
There was even a saying in Wyvernia: "There are three inevitabilities in a Wyvernian's life—birth, death, and Five Star."
Five Star Group's products permeated every industry in the country, meaning that every citizen, at some point, interacted with their businesses. In Wyvernia, the group was nothing short of an empire.
And Isaac's greatest backing was precisely from Five Star Group.
William was the patriarch of the Lancaster family—the founding and ruling family of Five Star Group.
Even though he held no official government title, his influence dwarfed even that of the President.
So with his arrival, the election for the interim president had to be put on hold for now.
Of course, everyone knew exactly why he was here.
Watching Isaac's smug, triumphant expression, several councilors who had hoped to oust him inwardly sighed in defeat.
Yes, Isaac's approval rating had plummeted below 10%. Under normal circumstances, they, as Councilors, absolutely had the right to replace him.
But now? The Lancasters had intervened.
With the sheer weight of Five Star Group's influence in Wyvernia, once the family stepped in, Isaac's presidency was all but secured.
As for the people's approval rating?
Well, they were just foolish commoners anyway—say a few sweet words, make a few empty promises, draw a few bigger dreams—wouldn't the approval rating go right back up again?
*****
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