The room where they were meeting inside the Jungle Kingdom's palace was dimly lit by green crystal lamps hanging from the ceiling, casting a soft light on the faces of the four seated there.
A moment of silence fell before Saruto broke it with slow steps as he approached the small table in the center of the room. His eyes flashed with a dark light, and his voice came out steady and calm, yet with a hint of defiance: "I think you should congratulate us first… We've won."
Kyle raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You've won?"
Lucian replied with a slight smile, extending his arms with undisguised pride. "Yes, we were the ones who recovered our families' treasures first. The mission is complete, and we've handed the treasures over to the Director."
Then, with a sly wink, he added, "In other words… you're the losers, and you must do as we've told you."
Ryan and Kyle didn't move, only exchanging a brief glance before Kyle sighed with a small, quiet smile, as if the news didn't concern him. Ryan sat on the edge of the table, running a hand through his hair and saying nonchalantly, "So, congratulations... on your victory."
Lucien chuckled softly, leaning against the wall, then said in a clearly sly tone, "Let me remind you of the challenge, in case you've forgotten what it is. The loser has to admit in front of everyone at the academy that the founder of the Saruto family and the founder of my family are the strongest, and that your founders... are too weak to even compare to them."
His words were accompanied by a confident smile, but something about Ryan and Kyle's expressions was off. They didn't display the expected anger or annoyance... instead, a strange calmness, as if the news of their loss had freed them from a heavy burden.
Saruto's eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed this, then his voice suddenly fell to a serious tone. "This is strange… You two seem unusually quiet."
He approached them slowly, then added, scrutinizing their faces, "What's the matter? I don't see any sign of disappointment in either of you… You look as if you've been relieved of a heavy burden."
Ryan and Kyle exchanged glances again, then turned away in deliberate silence. Lucien chuckled, his tone laced with mock derision. "Perhaps they've become so desperate that they've accepted the outcome!"
But Saruto didn't join in the laughter this time. He calmly raised his right hand, and two soldiers emerged from their shadows and entered Saruto's own shadow. Ryan looked up in shock, while Kyle exclaimed in barely concealed surprise, "What have you done?!"
Saruto smiled faintly, his voice calm yet tinged with pride. "I placed two Shadow Soldiers in your shadows from the very beginning of the journey. Now I know what you're hiding."
He closed his eyes, a dark aura slowly rising around him, his face hardening. A few seconds passed before his eyes flickered a deep purple, and he breathed slowly, his voice a mixture of surprise and sarcasm. "Now I understand…"
He looked at them, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "So, you two… have become attached to the princesses, haven't you?"
Kyle and Ryan froze, while Lucien's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. Then he burst into loud laughter, clutching his stomach. "What?! Are you kidding me?!" Ryan and Kyle are falling for the princesses?!"
Kyle covered his face with his hand, trying to hide his reddening, while Ryan sighed in annoyance, saying with feigned seriousness, "It's not what you think!"
But Saruto kept laughing, a deep, mocking laugh, but devoid of cruelty, more like the laugh of an older brother who knows what they don't want to admit. He moved closer and put a hand on Kyle's shoulder, saying with a broad smile, "I didn't expect you to fall for the princesses, especially since their ancestors stole your families' treasures. What will your ancestors' reaction be if they find out?"
Lucien laughed again and added with mock amusement, "You'll be a disgrace to the lineage."
Kyle offered only a small, nervous smile, while Ryan turned away, saying, "Laugh all you want, Saruto… one day you'll find yourself in the same predicament."
Saruto chuckled softly as he turned his back and headed towards the window, the shadows swirling He looked around him, then said in a low but confident voice, a mixture of sarcasm and certainty, "What are you saying, Irane? I have Star and Emilia."
"We don't know what the future holds," replied Rane. "Perhaps you'll meet another girl."
"Well, we'll see," Saroto laughed. "Although it's highly unlikely."
The four of them exchanged a silent glance before the moonlight streaming through the window illuminated their faces, reflecting a mixture of sarcasm, respect, and affection.