Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 891: Handsome Brother

The Lionheart family’s flying ship entered the fortress’s airspace with the quiet rumble of its magical rings, and after passing between two massive defensive towers, it slowly landed on the main platform.

At the moment the ship’s hull touched the stone platform, golden lines on the ground lit up, and a wave of wind spread around to stabilize the ship’s massive weight.

The red sails were furled one after another, and the family emblem carved on both sides of the hull gleamed under the morning light.

Around the air platform, a large group had gathered to welcome the delegation.

Servants in the family’s formal attire stood in two neat rows.

Armored guards were positioned at the main bridge’s entrance, and several internal administrators, military commanders, and members of the family’s branches had also come to receive the report.

However, the welcome atmosphere bore no resemblance to the return of a successful delegation.

No music was played, no celebratory flags were raised.

And even the formal smiles of the servants were too dry and controlled.

The news of Lioran’s arrest had spread before the ship reached the family’s territory.

Rumors had spread with terrifying speed among the main buildings, military units, noble residences, and council halls.

The heir of the Central Magic Tower, the most popular figure of the family’s new generation.

A child in whose hands many had seen the future of the Lionheart family.

Now imprisoned in the central dungeon on charges of murdering several professors and the tower leader’s daughter.

From the moment the ship’s bridge opened, almost all eyes were fixed on Andreas.

He was the first to descend from the ship.

The family’s formal robe hung over his shoulders, and his usual sword hung on his left side. His face was calm, but the silence that formed around him carried a clear meaning.

Lioran had not yet been officially removed from the family’s succession status.

But almost everyone knew that if the tower’s evidence was true, there would be no return.

And after Lioran, no name was repeated more than Andreas’s. Some of those present bowed their heads with more respect than before.

Some looked at him cautiously.

And a few tried to hide their worry, because they had tied their entire political future to Lioran for years, and now they might lose everything in just one day.

Daniel descended from the ship a few steps behind Andreas.

His arrival created another wave of murmurs among those present.

Some recognized him immediately, some had only heard his name.

And a few, especially the older family members, became serious upon seeing him.

Daniel had lived in this territory for a while, long enough that his presence was a distant but unforgettable memory for many.

After descending the bridge, Andreas paused for a moment.

He looked at the main fortress; a massive structure of black stone and golden metal that rose along the cliff, with several tall towers rising from both sides.

The Black Palace... the central headquarters of the Lionheart family.

Then he turned to Daniel.

"I need to inform my father and the council of the tower’s decisions." His gaze lingered on him for a moment.

"Are you coming with me?"

Daniel turned his head slightly. From the eastern section of the fortress, not too far away, the regular sound of swords clashing could be heard.

Metal on metal, short mana explosions, the shouts of instructors, and the sound of footsteps hitting the ground with military precision.

A faint smile settled on his lips.

"No. First, I want to visit the training ground."

"You want to see your old students that you used to bully every day?" Andreas laughed upon hearing this.

During the time his friend had been in the Lionheart family, on days when he had nothing to do, he would spend his time beating up the young members of the Lionheart family—though he called it training them.

"Yeah." Daniel answered without a hint of shame.

"Good luck. I hope they don’t just hold a grudge against you."

"If they’re still alive and stronger, it means my training was effective."

"That same logic is why they had nightmares at night." Andreas laughed again.

Daniel didn’t answer, just changed his path toward the eastern hallways.

Andreas, along with two guards and the delegation’s official representative, moved toward the family council hall.

Before parting, he looked back at Daniel for a moment. His return to this territory was certainly not going to remain peaceful.

Daniel walked through the stone hallways and courtyards connected to the fortress.

Each step awakened a part of past memories in his mind. Many of the paths still had their old shape.

The same tall columns with carved lion heads, the same arched windows, and the same red and gold banners hanging from the walls.

But changes were also undeniable.

Where once a small courtyard for beginner mages’ training had stood, now a multi-story building of red stone had been built.

New statues could be seen along the main path; commanders who had been killed in recent wars or had achieved important victories for the family.

On the eastern walls, banners had been installed, each bearing the emblem of a battle, a conquest, or a political treaty.

The fortress had grown larger, more organized, and a greater security pressure could be felt in it.

But the main training ground had almost kept its old appearance.

A massive courtyard with a stone floor, multi-level platforms, training pillars, and magical rings used to create pressure, artificial gravity, or various obstacles.

When Daniel entered, dozens of young people were training in various sections.

On the right, a group was practicing with wooden and metal swords, their strikes cutting through the air at high speed.

In the central section, several young mages were circulating mana through their body channels, trying to maintain the flow without the slightest leak.

On the higher platform, six people were kneeling under artificial gravity pressure, trying to stand up again despite their legs trembling violently.

Instructors’ shouts echoed in the space, the sound of weapons clashing never stopped, and the smell of metal, sweat, and dense mana flowed in the air.

A few people glanced briefly at Daniel upon his entry, but most returned their focus to their training.

The new generation didn’t recognize him.

Daniel walked slowly along the training ground, examining the faces one by one.

But he didn’t see any of his old students.

"Some of them are probably commanders now," he thought to himself, his gaze passing over a group of young people.

"The rest are either on missions or have left the territory."

It was a simple thought, but for a moment, it conveyed the passage of time to him with strange clarity.

This was the same training ground where he himself had once stood as a newcomer.

The same place where many had seen his power for the first time.

The same place where he had taken on students and pushed most of them so hard that some actually thought he intended to kill them.

At the center of the training ground, a girl stood among a group of young people. She was showing one of the students the proper foot placement with unusual patience.

"Your left foot is too far forward." Her voice was soft and calm.

"If your opponent attacks from the side, you’ll lose your balance before you can turn."

The young man tried to correct his stance, but made the same mistake again.

The girl didn’t get angry. With the same calmness, she stepped forward, adjusted the tip of his foot slightly, and placed his wooden sword at the correct angle.

"Try again."

Daniel first saw her long pink hair that extended down to her waist, shining under the morning light.

He stood still for a few moments, and then a genuine smile appeared on his face.

Not that faint smile he usually used for mockery or hiding his thoughts, but a warm, direct smile.

"Avina." He said in a voice that easily carried through the training ground.

The girl stopped mid-explanation. Her fingers were still on the student’s sword hilt.

For a moment, she didn’t move, as if she thought she had heard a voice from the past and her mind was playing tricks on her.

She slowly turned her head. Her gaze passed through the training groups and finally fixed on Daniel.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. Her lips parted slightly, and she stood completely motionless for a few seconds.

Then an indescribable joy appeared on her face; so bright and clear that even the young people training around her unconsciously stopped moving.

She dropped the wooden sword without paying attention to the ground and ran toward Daniel.

"Handsome brother, you finally came back?" Her voice echoed across the entire training ground.

Several young people turned their heads toward Daniel upon hearing the nickname "handsome brother."

Two of them laughed under their breath.

"So this is the handsome brother?" One of the students even said to his friend.

But Avina didn’t care. She reached Daniel at full speed and threw herself into his arms.

Daniel caught her without hesitation and wrapped his arms around her.

For a moment, all the curious looks from the training ground were ignored.