"My child... On the day you were born, the whole of Lordaeron whispered this name... Arthas... Snow White. One day, my life will reach its end, and you shall be crowned king!"
Lin Zhong declared solemnly in a deep voice, lifting Snow White’s paws and raising the tiny cat high into the air.
"Stop playing around! Come help me!!!!"
Aester was nearly driven mad, pressing his hands against Su Han and Alice on both sides to keep them apart.
"Aester, let me go! I’m going to kill that cat stealing my man!"
"Who’s the cheating cat? You bastard, cut off your fantasies about my fiancé!"
Both looked ready to tear each other apart. Charlotte and Sebastian, being guys, couldn’t touch them—only Aester could hold the two back.
"Um... Lin Zhong, this is..."
Charlotte pointed at the pair, his small face full of distress. Only Lin Zhong could stop them here.
"Enough. Now’s not the time for fighting."
Lin Zhong set Snow White down and sat on the sofa. His long silver-white hair flowed freely, blending with the cat in his arms, while a gray kitten perched on his head—a stark contrast against the white.
"Hmph!"
Both girls snorted coldly and stepped back. Aester sank to his knees on the floor, relieved.
Su Han rushed to Lin Zhong’s side, clinging tightly to his arm and glaring defiantly at Alice. Alice couldn’t stand it—she marched over and plopped herself onto Lin Zhong’s lap.
Poor Snow White was shoved onto Lin Zhong’s shoulder.
"You—"
"How about the club?"
Seeing Su Han’s hand twitch as if to draw a weapon, he gently stroked her head.
"Hmph!"
Su Han turned away, pouting with cheeks puffed up adorably, and tightened her grip on his arm.
"Heh..."
"Then today’s meeting can begin."
Aester sighed in relief, stood up, and grabbed his phone. The projector screen flickered to life.
"Our club has six members now: three Apostles, one Battle Mage, and one Forbidden Spell Mage."
"Wait—what’s an Apostle? And what are Battle Mages and Forbidden Spell Mages?"
Alice was a total newbie. As a freshman, she was still in orientation and hadn’t touched club matters. Freshmen rarely grasped club secrets fully—even after recruitment peaks, insiders stayed guarded. Most who knew were sophomores, though some, like Charlotte, hadn’t seen the deeper stories.
"Apostles are the academy’s top thirteen strongest. Su Han ranks third. I’m seventh. As for Lin Zhong..."
Aester pointed at Su Han, then himself, and finally at Lin Zhong.
"He has no official rank, but strength-wise, he’s easily top three. Battle Mage? That’s Lin Zhong—he masters both Supernatural Abilities and Martial Arts. And Forbidden Spell Mage..."
Her finger landed on Alice.
"That’s you."
"Me?"
Alice pointed at herself. She remembered being in the Magic Division—her title wasn’t Forbidden Spell Mage.
"Never mind. I’ll explain later."
Aester shook her head, not planning to detail it now.
"So far, we’ve had contact with No. 11, Black Blade Virgil, and No. 6, Collector Lilianne."
Two photos appeared on-screen. One showed Virgil from days ago; the other was unfamiliar to Lin Zhong.
"Who’s she?"
Lin Zhong pointed at the woman. Her stunning face wasn’t the focus—it was her hair.
Vibrant red, rare and uniform from root to tip—undeniably natural. Its beauty felt less like novelty, more like nobility. Lin Zhong’s silver hair radiated beauty; hers commanded respect. He was certain he’d never seen her—he couldn’t forget such hair.
"No. 6, Collector Lilianne. Rumor says she owns over five Exclusive Weapons, treating them like prized collectibles."
"Enemy?"
Lin Zhong strained to recall. He’d glimpsed her face once before, when Aester mentioned Apostles, but hadn’t studied it.
"Not sure. She’s not among the eight Apostles we monitor. Yesterday, she showed no sign of declaring war."
"Yesterday?"
Lin Zhong caught the word. He’d been absent yesterday, taking Alice through a Dungeon Instance. That explained the contact.
"Right. She left this for you."
Aester pulled an unopened envelope from a cabinet and tossed it to Lin Zhong, the seal still intact.
"We didn’t peek—we waited for everyone."
Aester read Lin Zhong’s suspicious look.
"Mm."
Lin Zhong unfolded the letter on the table. Beyond formal greetings, the ending made even Aester uneasy.
["I have secured entry to an S-Class Raid and seek cooperation with your esteemed party."]
An S-Class Raid offered the highest rewards outside story instances—clubs hoarded such chances, never shared them. Rewards were system-distributed, so no free labor. Fool’s Court was just starting; they desperately needed this.
And the timing felt far too convenient.
