When Raven entered the hall, both Miles and Edward had their eyes fixed on him, waiting for him to sit. Although Edward's face was expressionless, he was giving Raven a terrifying look, while Miles sat next to his father with a fearful expression. From Miles' gaze, Raven realized he was about to be questioned. He slowly walked forward and sat across from Edward Hunter. Silence filled the room, only interrupted by Miles' audible gulp, as Edward Hunter kept his eyes on Raven. Taking a deep breath, Edward finally spoke. 'Before anything else, what was your reason, Raven?' Oddly, Raven wasn’t as afraid as he used to be—maybe because he had started to see himself as his father’s equal, or perhaps he simply no longer thought there was anything to fear. Without breaking eye contact, he replied, 'To become stronger.'

Edward studied him seriously for a moment, then turned away and leaned back. 'I've lost interest. I can't be mad at someone who left to become stronger.' Miles was stunned, glancing at his father in disbelief as Eleanor Hunter appeared at the top of the stairs. 'That wasn’t our agreement, Edward!' she said. Edward looked at his wife and spoke calmly. 'I suspected all along that he left to strengthen himself, so I knew I couldn't blame him. I don’t enjoy being forced to get angry.' Eleanor scowled, her lips pursed, and she raised her voice. 'Even if he is our son, I don’t want you to go so easy on him, Edward. If he runs off again in the future and something happens to him, it will be your fault.' Edward laughed slightly and looked at Raven before turning back to his wife. 'I’m sure he won’t let anything happen to himself. Raven, do you swear nothing will happen to you?'

Raven looked at Eleanor and then answered with his head held high, 'I swear not to cause trouble for myself or for you, Father and Lady Mother.' Edward abruptly stood up, stretched, and left the room, saying, 'I knew I could trust him.' Miles laughed, and Raven grinned. Once their parents left the room, they both stood, embraced, and shook hands. They sat across from each other again, and Miles began, 'Brother, where on earth were you for two days? And what happened to your clothes?' Raven glanced down at himself and began recounting everything—from his fight with the serpent and mastering his instincts, to visiting the doctor in town and learning how the Nightmare organization operates, to his battle with the masked man and the eventual decay of the man’s body. Miles listened intently for several minutes, and once Raven had finished, he pondered it before speaking. 'I knew there was a gang in the city, but Father never told me about them in detail. I didn’t know their names, but I was aware of how they operate, as well as some of their assassins and a few of their spells.'

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Raven nodded in agreement, and as he began to think, Miles continued, 'The reason that man's body decayed was because of a dark spell. You said you didn’t deliver a fatal blow, but he died because the people controlling him cut off his soul connection the moment they realized he would lose, and they controlled his corpse with their mana from afar. It’s a temporary and weak control spell, so it’s considered separate from necromancy, yet it’s still useful in some situations since it allows a corpse to be made into a temporary weapon.'

Raven nodded slightly to show he understood and took a deep breath. Then he spoke, 'So, you're saying my opponent can use dark magic and that even his lowest-ranked assassins are on par with me?' Miles answered, pulling a face as if trying to lift his brother's spirits, 'Well, even if that’s the case, I’m sure you can get through the tournament with ease. And besides, they aren’t your enemies; they’re our enemies. I’ll be fighting in the tournament too.'

Raven choked on his breath and started coughing. 'What are you talking about? If it gets out that Miles Hunter is personally participating in an underground tournament, and this reaches your father, your life will be over.' Miles laughed. 'Don’t worry; I’ve been working on some tech for a few months now. I created equipment that can cast a projection spell similar to the one in simulations. It doesn’t provide protection, but visually, it can let me project any appearance on any part of my body.'

Raven, having no knowledge of technology, just looked at Miles blankly, and Miles continued, understanding this. 'So, by expending a bit of my mana, I can copy another face or a mask without actually using a face that could be found in records. I’ll just join with a cosmetic mask, and since it can’t break or fall, it won’t put us at risk.'

Raven nodded in understanding, but still felt hesitant about Miles’ involvement. 'I still think you shouldn’t join. I’ve already started gathering members for the gang.' Miles sat up straight, staring seriously into Raven's eyes. 'The people you trust are only with you because they can fulfill their own goals too. But we’re brothers—eternally brothers—and I’ll never leave my brother alone in such a serious situation.'

For the first time in his life, Raven felt emotional. Growing up without family or friends, he had never had someone he could trust or someone whose presence made him truly happy. Raven took a deep breath and threw his hair back. 'Thank you, brother.' Both of them stood up and circled the table, shaking hands. Miles held Raven’s hand and looked him in the eyes. 'Since we’re in this together, why don’t you come and test my technology, brother?'