Chapter 297: Marriage not registered.

Everyone instantly drew their weapons, aiming at the center of the collapsing rubble.

"Something’s coming out!" Phillip screamed, his voice cracking. "The King Beast is still alive! I repeat_"

His panicked words trailed off into dead silence as two tiny, soot-covered little robots casually wheeled themselves out of the dirt, totally fine.

The whole squad burst into roaring laughter.

"Phillip, don’t faint just yet. This King beast is so scary." Bianca mocked lightly.

Gilby wiped tears of laughter from his eyes, shaking his head with a shudder. "Man, can you imagine if we actually had to fight a King Beast powered by dark energy?"

"I can say for sure that we would have gone home with half of team injured." Zyra shared. She looked at Hunter again. "Where are they going?"

"First to Rose water briefly, and then, another nation, far away from here." He replied.

Once the area was completely cleared and the bodies burned away, Tessi stepped forward, waving her hand to tear open a portal back to base. One by one, the tired squad stepped through, finally heading home to the valley.

When the portal closed, the mountain as a whole roared and exploded, its own weight collapsing inward. The ghost mines and their ugly past and present were buried forever.

The moment the group reached the valley, Hunter went straight to the medical pavilion. Maverick was lying on a soft bed, fast asleep. Hunter let out a sigh of relief, but a split second later, a fresh wave of panic hit him.

Maverick was the only person Hunter completely trusted to protect his grandfather. If Maverick was stuck here half-dead, then the Grand Elder was completely unguarded out there.

Hunter stepped out into the quiet corridor, rubbing his face. Achilles walked up to him, looking concerned. "How is he doing? Do we need to transfer him to High-well Hospital?"

Zyra approached them, holding a medical tablet. "There’s no need. Malia said he’s faring well, and his body is already purging the rest of the venom."

Achilles let out a long breath of relief, scratching the back of his head nervously as he looked at Zyra. "Hey, Zyra_ I really hope you don’t feel like I disrespected you by bringing Maverick into the Valley without asking first. It’s just... this was the only safe place I could_"

Zyra cut him off with a gentle smile. "Achilles, stop talking. You all consider Maverick family, so he’s family here too."

Suddenly, Maverick opened his eyes and tuned his ears to the voices around. His eyes landed on Hunter for a few seconds, holding his gaze. He nodded once and closed his eyes tightly, as if silently thanking the stars that Hunter was standing there alive.

When he opened them, they were full of accusation. "How could you do that to the Grand Elder?" Maverick muttered, his voice raspy. "The old man worried about you every single day, kid. Where the hell have you been hiding all this time?"

Hunter crossed his arms, cracking a small smile. "I wasn’t hiding. You guys just didn’t look hard enough."

Maverick narrowed his eyes, his gaze shifting past Hunter toward Zyra, who was leaning against the wall in the corner. "And what about you two? How are you guys even together?"

Hunter stepped closer to Zyra, glaring at Maverick. "That’s no way to speak to the owner of the territory that just saved your life, Maverick."

Maverick’s eyes went wide. He looked around at the fancy lights, the advanced medicinal machines, and the entire high-grade setup. "And how on earth did you manage to set up a place like this?"

Zyra chuckled softly. "It’s a secret."

Maverick lowered his head, bowing deeply toward her. "Thank you for saving my life. If you ever need my help with anything. Anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask."

"Oh, don’t worry, I’ll definitely collect that debt," Zyra smirked.

Maverick chuckled, then his face softened. "You know, the Grand elder is worried sick about you as well."

Zyra frowned, genuinely confused. "Why would he be worried about me?"

"Because Zena was one of his most trusted people," Maverick explained gently. "All these years, he was the one sending money to your nanny to make sure all your needs were taken care of."

Zyra’s mouth fell open in shock. She had no idea! She had always wondered how her nanny never ran out of money, even giving her a generous weekly allowance yet the Froods paid her pennies. So all this time, the Grand Elder had been silently watching over her from the shadows.

A tear welled up in her eye, and a warm smile spread across her face. "It’s really nice to know that someone out there was caring for me." Although, where was he when she was killed in her last life?

Hunter walked over and pulled her into a warm hug, resting his chin on her head. "A lot of people care about you. Like me. And Achilles and everyone at this valley."

Maverick’s brows drew close together as he watched them. The way Hunter held her told volumes. This wasn’t just two acquaintances being friendly, it was more.

Achilles caught Maverick’s confused look and blurted out, "Oh, right! They’re married."

"Married?!" Maverick jumped off the bed, nearly losing his balance and he fell right back onto the bed again.

Hunter nodded proudly. "Since you’ve become like an uncle to me, it’s only right that I introduce my wife properly." He straightened his clothes and held Zyra’s hand. "This is Zyra Scorpion Kaelion, my wife."

Maverick shook his head violently, a tight frown on his face. Everyone in the room stared at him, wondering why he looked so disapproving.

Maverick waved his hands frantically. "Don’t get me wrong! I’m happy for you two! It’s just_ if you got officially married, the Registrar of Marriages would have automatically informed your Grandfather and the clan!"

Achilles blinked, his jaw dropping. "Wait_ what does that mean?"

Maverick sighed. "It means there is no way such news wouldn’t have spread by now, especially since half the capital was looking for Zyra."

"The magistrate_." Hunter muttered, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white. Pure anger seeped through his veins. "He never actually registered the paperwork!"

Zyra gently patted Hunter’s back, calming him down. "Hey, it’s okay. If it wasn’t registered properly, we can just do it again ourselves."

Hunter gave a tight nod, but knowing their official marriage wasn’t legally binding yet still made his blood boil. It put him at a disadvantage.

Maverick smiled warmly at the two of them. "Well, maybe you should just use this opportunity to do everything properly this time. Hold a real ceremony and involve both your families."

"NO!" Hunter and Zyra chorused instantly, their voices echoing in sync.

Maverick folded his lips, holding back a laugh. Youth these days.

Hunter looked at Achilles and Maverick, "This changes nothing, Zyra is my wife."

Maverick nodded, "No one said otherwise, Hunt."

Achilles nervously chewed on his thumb nail, looking at Maverick. "So, where could the Grand elder actually be right now? If he’s alive, why is he nowhere to be found? Why isn’t he answering my calls?"

"He has his reasons," Maverick replied calmly. "Right now, he’s lying low in his secret place. He is safe with Samson and Grit."

Hunter stepped forward. "Do you have a way to contact him? Just so he knows you made it out alive? And to confirm that he is okay."

Maverick nodded. He recited the private, encrypted number off his head. Then he added, "Start with the news of your marriage."