Chapter 448: James’s Despair

James's Despair

Damn it.

This girl had been standing beside him all this time.

This girl had been standing beside him all this time.

Why hadn't he recognized her?

If he had realized from the beginning that she was Leon's student, would today's disaster have happened?

He had already lost a fortune.

And now he had been forced to surrender the treasures he had finally obtained.

All of this could have been avoided.

James's heart ached so badly that he nearly felt dizzy.

The more he thought about it, the more miserable he became.

Rias had been wearing a mask earlier, and he had subconsciously ignored her.

Otherwise, how could he have made such a mistake?

By now, James had already learned that Rias had acknowledged Leon as her Teacher.

That matter had spread throughout the Drake Empire like wildfire.

When the prince of the Blue Empire had traveled to the Drake Empire for a marriage alliance, he had ultimately been forced to choose another princess because of Leon.

As a prince himself, how could James possibly be unaware of such an important matter?

He knew.

He simply had not connected the pieces.

No one could be blamed for what happened today.

He could only blame himself for being careless.

Leon looked at the old man kneeling before him.

Then, almost casually, he reached out and gently knocked James on the head.

James stiffened.

Leon smiled faintly.

"Let me tell you a secret…"

James raised his head cautiously.

"Respected One, please say…"

Leon leaned slightly closer.

"These treasures that you bid for are actually all mine. Thank you for giving me so much money…"

For a moment, silence descended.

James's eyes widened.

And in the end, one fled, another paid an enormous price, and the person who had seemed the most indifferent from the beginning walked away untouched.

He stared at Leon as if he had suddenly stopped understanding the human language.

Then Leon laughed loudly and turned around.

"Pfft…"

The sound came from James.

A mouthful of blood suddenly sprayed from his lips.

His body swayed.

His eyes rolled back.

Then he collapsed straight onto the ground.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

The attendant beside him immediately rushed forward.

He caught James before his head struck the ground and hurriedly supported him.

But James could barely hear the frantic voice beside his ears.

At this moment, he was so furious that he could hardly catch his breath.

His legs kicked weakly once.

Then again.

And finally, he lay there in complete despair.

James wailed inwardly.

His eyes were empty.

There was no longer any light in them.

His lifetime of hard work…

Gone.

All gone.

Previously, Leon had deliberately raised the price against him.

It had not been because Leon wanted to purchase those treasures.

Those treasures had originally belonged to Leon.

He had simply wanted to anger James and make him raise the prices of his own treasures.

And James had obediently fallen into the trap.

Not only had he spent an enormous fortune buying Leon's treasures back from the auction, but he had eventually handed them straight back to their original owner.

The absurdity of it was almost laughable.

Profit your head.

James's heart turned cold when he finally understood the entire scheme.

There was only one thing that comforted him.

He was still alive.

At least he had managed to exchange those treasures for his life.

That was probably the only fortunate thing left.

After dealing with James, Leon returned to his two students.

His expression had already returned to its usual calm.

He looked toward Kai.

For a moment, Leon's eyes held a trace of appreciation.

"You… are not bad. Perhaps, the Drake Empire can completely rise in your generation."

Kai's eyes immediately lit up.

The praise from a pinnacle expert was worth more than countless ordinary compliments.

He quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for your praise, Respected One."

Leon nodded.

"Alright…"

He did not continue the conversation.

Instead, his gaze shifted toward Cavir Walton.

There was a playful glint in his purple eyes.

"Shopkeeper Walton, thank you for what happened today. If it weren't for you, we would have probably been killed."

Cavir Walton's smile immediately became bitter.

He naturally understood that Leon was teasing him.

How could he possibly believe that Leon, a pinnacle expert, had truly been in danger?

Still, Cavir Walton did not take offense.

He simply gave a helpless smile and continued respectfully.

"Respected One, you're making fun of me again."

He paused.

Then his expression became serious.

"Respected One, I'll send the money for this auction to the Amethyst Summit Division after I buy the herbs. What do you think?"

Leon nodded.

"Yes, sure…"

Then he turned toward his two students.

The commotion was finally coming to an end.

The crowd slowly began to disperse, but the atmosphere remained strangely quiet. Everyone had witnessed something they would probably remember for the rest of their lives.

A prince had arrived with confidence.

A general had brought soldiers.

A powerful figure had intended to force his way through the situation.

And in the end, one fled, another paid an enormous price, and the person who had seemed the most indifferent from the beginning walked away untouched.

Leon looked toward the distant horizon.

The sky had already begun to darken.

A faint golden glow lingered between the clouds, painting the distant Academy Premises in warm light.

He turned to his two students.

"Let's go to the Sky Breaker Academy…"

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Grand Return System* into existence. If you're loving the chapters, I'd love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don't hesitate to share!

With love,

Scoturn777

Creator of Grand Return System

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