Rivers of the Night

Theron devoured the meal in front of him, large gulps only paused by the grinding of his teeth. But he seemed to be drinking even more water than eating, and it was a wonder he even had the stomach space to keep going.

What no one knew was that he could control the water in his body almost as easily as water outside of it now. So, each time he took a large swig of water, he was actually sending it into a spiral down his gut, churning it in his stomach and helping the food to break down even more than his chewing had already done.

This made more space in his stomach and also made his digestion smoother than ever before.

Water was a huge part of digestion, and it didn't take in-depth medical knowledge for Theron to understand that this would allow him to process a larger amount of food with much greater efficiency.

Although he couldn't accelerate the actual nutrient absorption—that would require control of water down to his cells—he could increase the availability of those nutrients, giving his body the best chance to absorb them quickly.

Plus, by accelerating the flow of blood to the areas in his small intestine, he could boost that pace just a bit more.

No one knew what was happening inside his body. All they could see was a 14-year-old boy swallowing down meat from both Feral and Mana Beasts like he hadn't eaten his entire life.

Aliza, Gengh, and Shah were seated on Theron's side of the table. And though Theron was eating quite neatly given his speed, they still gave him a wide berth—just in case he ended up upchucking everything he was swallowing.

Ray and Supra were on the other side, along with a replacement for the spy that had once been the second-year...

Sigil.

The day Sigil appeared to participate in the gathering, none of the others knew how to react. They had just been fighting life-and-death battles against one another, and now they were suddenly meant to link arms and battle together?

This made quite a bit of sense to Theron, though. It also explained the calmness that had ensued when they returned to the Imperial Capital.

The Thistles had a mess to deal with at their Clan due to Theron killing all their heirs except Sigil.

By comparison, the Imperial Clan had a different sort of mess. Only a fool wouldn't have noticed the shift in the Nightingale Province's Mana. The Clans that had been on the fence about things might now easily lean toward the Thistles.

In addition, it was in the best interest of both parties that the Nightingale Province performed well this time around. This wasn't just a matter of face, but also tied to the Black Clan and how much emphasis they would place on their Empires in the future.

Plus… if they performed well, they would earn quite a few benefits—like laxer taxes and other incentives.

In the end, there really was no better representative for the Second Years than Sigil himself, who was exceptionally talented.

Even with all of this said, their group still looked to be one short. While all the other Empires had sent eight, Theron was occupying two spots all on his own.

However, there were things more pressing than the Thistle's odd move or Theron's genius right now—things that had everyone else on edge. These were the real reasons only Theron seemed to be eating so enthusiastically, while the others looked uneasy.

Right now, they were in the Sangun Empire.

The hosting Empire rotated every generation, and this time it was the Sangun Empire's turn to handle things. And if Sigil being here made them uncomfortable, one could only imagine how being here made them feel.

Well… if they knew that Theron had killed one of their princes just a few months ago, they'd probably be even more nervous than they already were.

Even now, they could feel countless eyes on them. The sigils of the Nightingale Imperial Academy were boldly displayed on their bodies, and this restaurant was one of the highest-end establishments in the entire city.

All those dining here were likely of noble status or exceptional in some field. Which meant… their knowledge ran deep.

They knew the enemy when they saw them, and they stared intently. Some weren't even pretending to eat anymore, as though they planned to drive the Nightingale representative party out by gaze alone.

That was when a shift came from the stairs.

An aura spread out, and at that moment, two couples walked in.

One of them, Theron recognized immediately—without even looking up from his food.

Crown Prince Aetherion Nightingale, and the woman hanging from his arm… Thessa Firewing. The two looked like a dominant power couple, their auras well-matched.

Aetherion wasn't a participant because he had long entered Gold Mancy, but Thessa… she was the real surprise. She had used her second Fire Spirit to enter Quasi Gold in just a few months' time from Seventh Resonance. She looked as though she could challenge her Tribulation at any time.

She carried the same confident air Theron remembered her having when he first met her. And if she was repulsed by her fiancé, she showed none of it now.

But then there was the other couple—one whose auras Theron didn't recognize at all. Even so, he could sense their Mancy Paths with exceptional clarity.

A Water Mancer and an Earth Mancer.

It was the kind of pairing that seemed amusing for how opposite they were… until one realized how serious the implications were. That was because, in a rare showing—

This Water Mancer felt exceptionally dangerous, almost like a bottomless abyss that could swallow up everything. Maybe to others she would look like a cutesy, almost ditzy little girl--well, as much of a "little girl" as a young woman in her late teens could look--but to Theron who was exceptionally sensitive to Water Mana, he could only describe her one way.

Heavy.

There was no doubt about it. This Water Mancer—the woman hanging from the man's arm...

She was a member of the Black Clan.