in the grand meeting hall. The atmosphere was tense, and the faces around the table ranged from furious to pale with shock.
Head of the Evren family, his face contorted with anger: "I can't believe we're paying such an outrageous amount! This is extortion!"
Head of the Falconir family, slamming his fist on the table: "And what did you expect? Why did you even interfere with their shipments? You were playing with fire!"
Head of the Draconis family, speaking in a calm yet intense voice: "This is not the time for blame. We need to gather the money and find a way out of this mess with the least possible losses."
Head of the Strathmore family, looking directly at the ruler: "But are we certain that paying is the best solution? Is there no other way?"
The Ruler of Asteria, his voice firm as he scanned the room: "We have no choice. We will cooperate and collect the required amount, and the Evren family will repay its debts to us later. We will not let this crisis shake the stability of our nation."
Head of the Nethrid family, stroking his chin thoughtfully: "But what guarantees that they won't return to demand even more? If we pay now, we might become easy prey for them in the future."
Head of the Zircon family, leaning forward with frustration: "Why don't we fight them? Why should we show weakness in front of Arcadia? We can unite our forces and eliminate this threat!"
The Ruler of Asteria, narrowing his eyes and staring sharply at him: "And who exactly will you fight? Do you even understand what Arcadia is? That organization could erase us from the map in a single night. No, fighting is not an option, and we don't have the luxury of indulging in fantasies. We must pay and end this matter now."
After the fight between Rio and Raven, with Rio's defeat, he decided to expose the masked fighter's identity to the Evren family. That night, Rio went to the Evren estate and confidently told the guards and officials present:
"The masked fighter is a second-year student at the academy... Raven."
The next morning, Raven received an official summons to the Evren estate. He knew something was wrong, walking through the luxurious halls while muttering to himself: "Looks like Rio exposed me... What do they want from me now?"
Inside the grand hall, the Head of the Evren Family sat on his ornate seat, his sharp gaze fixed on Raven before speaking:
"You're quite strong, Raven. That's why I have a special task for you. I want you to oversee this operation… You must ensure that the money reaches its recipients safely. You only need to secure the funds until delivery, where our family's representative will handle the rest."
Raven stared at the head of the family for a moment, thinking: "Right now, I'm stronger than everyone here… except for him. Should I refuse? Or accept?"
Then he asked in a calm but firm tone: "And what's my reward for this job?"
The Head of Evren smirked slightly and replied with confidence: "Complete this task successfully, and you'll receive a massive financial reward."
Raven considered for a moment before nodding and saying: "Alright… I'll do it."
Raven returned home, lying on his bed as he thought about the upcoming mission. Only three days remained before the event, so he decided to use this time for training to be fully prepared.