Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 890: The Lionheart Delegation ( Final )

The two reached the stone elevator.

"When do you leave?" Before entering, Daniel asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I need to go back now and announce the final decision to the delegation that came with me." Andreas answered.

The stone doors of the elevator opened. He stepped inside and continued:

"A few of the elders are still unhappy about withdrawing the request for Lioran’s release. They’ll probably complain the whole way back, and when we arrive, they’ll go straight to my father."

"But will your decision change?" Daniel stood beside him.

Andreas looked ahead.

"No. As long as I’m the head of the delegation, the final decision is mine."

The elevator doors closed, and the two moved toward the upper floors.

When they reached the tower’s central ring again, their paths diverged.

Andreas returned to the delegation’s quarters to announce his final decision, arrange the family representative’s presence at the trial, and manage the unhappy elders.

Daniel moved toward one of the tower’s private balconies; where the tower leader, Serys, Varcas, and Azreon were waiting for a final meeting.

The balcony was at a height from which much of the city and the surrounding sea could be seen.

Clouds moved beneath the stone edge, and a cool breeze flowed through the white columns.

Serys stood by the railing, and when Daniel entered, she turned her gaze toward him.

"So your decision is final?"

"I’m leaving with the Lionheart delegation tomorrow morning." Daniel moved closer.

She was silent for a few moments.

"You really can’t stay until the ceremony?" Her tone was normal, but the hidden disappointment in it couldn’t be ignored.

"I have other things to do."

Serys looked away from him for a moment, toward the city.

"I understand."

A brief silence passed between them, and then she said with a faint smile:

"I hope at least we can see each other later, when I become the tower leader."

Daniel laughed.

"Then we won’t meet as two friends, but as two leaders."

A brief smile was exchanged between them, but Serys’s sadness didn’t completely fade.

Daniel saw this, but said nothing.

Varcas stepped forward from beside one of the columns and fixed his gaze on him for a few moments.

"In my entire life, I’ve seen many powerful people."

"Mages who could destroy cities, commanders who could bring armies to their knees, and politicians who could change the fate of nations with a few sentences."

He smiled faintly.

"But I’ve seen few people who could change the power structure of the greatest magic tower in just a few weeks."

"Lioran had already created many cracks. I just applied the right pressure." Daniel answered.

Varcas laughed.

"Knowing where to apply pressure is precisely what I admire. And you even managed to change the founder’s mind."

The tower leader stepped forward after him.

His expression was formal, but the cold heaviness that had been seen in his gaze over the past few days had somewhat subsided.

"I’ve said it before, but I’ll repeat it: without you, the truth of Aurelia’s death would never have been revealed." His gaze drifted into the distance for a moment.

"Maybe I can’t change the past, but at least her killer won’t go unpunished."

"This case isn’t completely over yet." Daniel answered.

The tower leader nodded.

"I know. But from here on, the responsibility is ours." Then he looked directly at Daniel.

"The tower’s doors will always be open to you. Not as a guest, but as someone the tower is indebted to."

"I’ll remember that."

Azreon was the last to step forward. Unlike the others, his gaze didn’t stay on Daniel’s face.

His old eyes deepened for a few moments, as if pushing aside the layers of body and mana and looking directly at Daniel’s soul.

There, the presence of a thousand spells could be felt like silent, living stars.

"I hope you take good care of them." Azreon said.

"Of course." Daniel answered without hesitation.

Azreon looked at him for a few more seconds.

"They matter more to the tower than you think."

"And perhaps in the future, they’ll matter more to you than we currently understand."

Daniel understood the hidden meaning of his words. The path of the thousand spells was not yet over.

The Mother Spell still hadn’t decided whether to choose or destroy him, somewhere beyond this tower.

But now was not the time to deal with that.

"So... goodbye?" Serys stepped forward.

"For now." Daniel looked at her.

That one word lightened the heaviness on Serys’s face somewhat.

Daniel left the balcony, and the tall doors closed behind him. After he left, no one spoke for a few moments.

Varcas glanced briefly at Serys, but hid his smile.

The next morning, the Central Magic Tower was covered in a thick layer of mist.

A cold wind blew from the sea, moving the tower’s tall banners along the walls.

In the western ring’s flight square, the Lionheart family’s massive airship was ready to depart.

The ship’s hull was made of white wood and golden metal, and red mana lines flowed along its sides.

Three large sails were unfurled above the deck, and on each, the family emblem glowed with a red light.

Beneath the ship, several large flight rings were active with a quiet rumble.

Family guards moved chests, documents, and equipment inside.

Senior mages boarded one after another.

When Daniel entered, many gazes turned toward him.

Some delegation members bowed their heads with respect, some just looked at him cautiously, but the fur-clad elder was clearly displeased.

As soon as he saw Daniel, he went to Andreas.

"It wasn’t planned for someone outside the family to return with the delegation."

"Daniel is my personal guest." Andreas didn’t even look up from the passenger list.

The family elder frowned.

"This decision must be approved by the family head."

Daniel stopped a few steps away from them, but didn’t enter the argument. He just gave the old man a calm look.

That look alone was enough for the family elder to pause for a moment.

He knew Daniel. He knew his arrival in the family’s territory was not without purpose.

And more than that, he knew that directly opposing him, especially in front of Andreas, would only weaken his own position.

Andreas finally looked up from the documents.

"You can file a complaint upon arrival."

The old man clenched his jaw.

"Andreas."

"I am the head of the delegation." Andreas’s tone turned cold.

"And until we return to the territory, the final decision is mine."

The family elder said nothing, just turned with a dark expression and moved toward the ship.

"A good start for the future heir." Daniel stood beside Andreas.

"I’m not the heir yet. But everyone already hates me... so I’m probably doing something right."

The two crossed the ship’s golden bridge and entered the deck.

A few minutes later, the flight rings began to spin with a deep sound.

The mana sails fully unfurled, and the massive ship slowly rose from the square.

The Central Magic Tower grew smaller below. Its massive rings shrank one after another.

White bridges, tall walls, and narrow towers disappeared into the mist, and finally, the entire island vanished behind the clouds.

Daniel and Andreas stood on the main deck.

The strong wind moved their hair and robes, and the clouds flowed like a white sea beneath the ship.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Daniel stared at the horizon. His mind briefly returned to the events of the past week.

He had come to the tower to prevent Lioran from becoming the heir.

Now Lioran was in the dungeon, Serys would soon become the heir, and the tower leader was indebted to him.

A thousand spells resided in his soul, and the founder, instead of becoming his direct enemy, had made a deal with him.

Of course, it was a false contract, because he had no intention of keeping it.

The outcome was better than what he had initially expected.

"Is your aunt still leading the family?" Daniel asked without preamble.

"No." Andreas, who was standing by the railing, answered.

"My father has returned. He’s personally taken control of the family again."

"So it seems I’ll finally get to see him." Daniel said quietly.

"He’s probably waiting to see you too. News of what you’ve done has reached him. Though I’m not sure his anticipation is out of happiness." Andreas nodded.

Daniel’s relationship with the current Lionheart family had never been simple, and more importantly, his relationship with the current patriarch of this family had never been normal.

They hadn’t seen each other, but they knew of each other and had heard about one another.

They were neither enemies, nor could they be called friends.

The family head respected Daniel’s abilities, but didn’t like his influence over his children.

Especially Andreas, who in many matters listened more to Daniel’s advice than to his father’s.

Daniel looked toward the horizon again.

The journey continued for hours.

The ship passed over vast seas, small islands, and mountain ranges whose peaks emerged through the clouds.

The closer they got to the family’s territory, the more aerial watchtowers and guardian creatures appeared.

The first group of massive golden hawks joined them mid-route.

Riders in red armor sat on their backs, and after verifying the ship’s emblem, they formed up on both sides.

A few hours later, the clouds ahead slowly parted. The Lionheart family’s territory appeared in the distance.

Golden plains stretched to the horizon, and wide rivers like silver veins cut through them.

Beyond the plains, red mountains rose, and massive walls stretched along their base; walls with numerous defensive towers and dozens of magical circles spinning around them.

At the center of all that grandeur stood the family’s main fortress.

A massive white castle built atop a high cliff, looking from a distance like a giant lion sitting over its domain, watching all the plains beneath its feet.

Several tall towers rose around the fortress.

As the ship approached, the defensive towers activated one after another.

Narrow beams of mana scanned the ship’s hull, and four massive winged creatures appeared on both sides; creatures resembling lions with golden wings and red eyes, the family emblem engraved on their armor.

"A lot has changed since the last time you were here." Andreas stood beside Daniel.

Daniel looked at the new walls, new defensive towers, and expanded flight paths.

"I hope the people have changed less than the walls."

"Don’t be so sure about that." Andreas laughed.

The ship gradually lowered its altitude.

The family’s air gate opened, and the landing path appeared before them.

At the same time, on one of the fortress’s high balconies, several shadows stood watching the ship’s arrival.

From this distance, their faces couldn’t be seen.

But Daniel knew the news of his return had spread inside the fortress before the ship arrived.

Old friends had learned of his coming.

Enemies who thought he would never return had probably also prepared.

And promises that had remained unfinished for a long time were reminding themselves of him once again.