"What do you think we should do?"

Aester was looking at Lin Zhong. How could such a stroke of luck possibly fall to them? Everyone knew S-Class Raids offered rich rewards. Who would give away hard-earned spoils to strengthen their opponents?

"You understand what she means, right?"

"Her intentions?"

Aester wasn't a rookie; she naturally knew the other party had ill motives.

"Her goal is probably to gauge our strength. If she thinks she can take us down with just an S-Class Raid, she's sorely underestimating two Apostles and a Battle Mage."

Lin Zhong smiled. It was easy to see why they did this. Only two motives existed: assess opponents' strength, or use dungeon resources to eliminate them.

But the second option was clearly impossible. Could a single Raid really defeat two Apostles and an Apostle-level Battle Mage?

How could a seasoned mid-tier Apostle make such a simple mistake?

That left only the first motive: they wanted to assess Lin Zhong's power, or rather, Fool's Court's full strength.

They weren't fools. No one offers kindness without an ulterior motive. They'd fought hard for that spot—they weren't saints or idiots.

Aester understood this and nodded. She agreed with Lin Zhong; their opponent's goal was simply a test.

Just Aester and Su Han joining as Apostles had already drawn attention. What they wanted most now was undoubtedly to know their true strength.

"Um... Lin Zhong, should we refuse this?"

Though Charlotte was Club president, he often couldn't make decisive judgments. He lacked Lin Zhong's sharp mind and Aester's analytical skills.

As president, he trusted them completely. Though they might be a bit scheming, they'd never let Fool's Court come to harm.

Hearing Charlotte, Lin Zhong looked up and saw a trace of reluctance on his face. After all, S-Class Raid rewards far surpassed S-Class group dungeon loot.

Most Academy students would feel this way—except freshmen and Lin Zhong, of course.

"Refuse? Why refuse?"

Lin Zhong smiled. Why reject a free gift?

"Huh? But you said their purpose was..."

"Do you reveal all your cards at the start of a poker game?"

Charlotte was surprised. This was clearly a test—why agree? But Lin Zhong's reply was decisive.

"I..."

Charlotte's head spun. As president, his grasp of these matters was weak. He was new to this world and had tried his best lately.

Even Sebastian sometimes struggled with its complexity, let alone Charlotte.

"So for this Raid, we'll use only a fraction of our strength. Like poker, we'll reveal cards one by one—not show all our hands at once."

Aester smiled; she understood Lin Zhong. This matched her own plan. Raids were the fastest way for Charlotte and Sebastian to level up.

They needed gear and items. Unlike Lin Zhong's group with top-tier Exclusive Weapons, Charlotte and Sebastian had lower-grade ones.

Besides, if they could scout our strength, why can't we observe theirs?

Aester didn't know Lilianne's personal power—this was a perfect chance. Competition had begun the moment they entered the Club zone.

"Mm, I understand."

Charlotte sighed in relief and nodded, a smile returning to his face.

"Then let's plan how to play them."

Lin Zhong's face darkened. A sly smile appeared on his fairy-like features. Aester grasped his meaning instantly.

His ladylike grace vanished, replaced by pure cunning.

"Sure, how about we—"

"You guys with your tactics have such dirty minds."

Sebastian shook his head helplessly. He opposed their methods, but this era couldn't be solved by bushido alone.

If Alice sent him, the other side probably wouldn't even bother.

"Heh..."

Charlotte could only force a dry laugh. This wasn't his problem—he silently pitied Lilianne's group.

"Then I'll go reply. Only Alice and I haven't met them. This is a chance to see our 'partners'."

Lin Zhong picked up the envelope on the table.

"Wait, are you going alone?"

Su Han spoke up. She'd been quietly listening but couldn't stay seated after hearing Lin Zhong.

Who was he? Lin Zhong! The guy who circled the entire city just to get to school!

When Su Han shouted this, everyone except Alice looked uneasy.

They all knew Lin Zhong's terrible sense of direction. If he went alone, who knew where he'd end up?

"Then what?"

"I'm going too!"

Su Han stood and hooked her arm through Lin Zhong's. Alice grabbed his other arm.

"Why you? He said only we two haven't met them—it should be us!"

Alice clung tightly, refusing to let go.

"Step aside. I'm going with him. Stop messing around."

Aester pulled their hands away.

"Only I know their Club room location. Can you two stay put?"

Aester had a headache—these two were so troublesome.

Saved!

Lin Zhong's arm was free again. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"No way!"

Both glared angrily at the innocent Aester.

"Alright, I'll be back soon."

Lin Zhong patted their heads and coaxed them until they calmed slightly. But they sat on either side, still deeply displeased.

"Let's go."

Aester nodded by the door, waiting.

"Mm."