Chapter 981

"....?!"

Leo was momentarily paralyzed, unsure of how he was even supposed to react.

The only visible sign of his shock was the sudden dilation of his pupils as he watched the Supreme Magus materialize beside him like a spectral apparition.

With Leo’s seasoned strength, very few individuals possessed the capability to sneak up on him without being detected.

Only those who significantly eclipsed his power—which, in this case, Grey clearly did—could bypass his heightened senses so completely.

In fact, he had been capable of tracking Selene’s movements previously, so how had he failed to perceive Grey’s approach?

... Wait! The more pressing inquiry here was why he was back at all.

He had returned to his original world only a few weeks ago; how could he have returned so rapidly?

The consensus among his allies was that since he had spent over a year away from home, he would surely take several months to reconnect and bond with his loved ones.

Yet here he stood, back in the thick of it.

Scanning the warrior mage, Leo noted how remarkably calm he appeared.

Grey wore a light, plain tunic that seemed to accentuate his toned physique and lean muscle.

He stared ahead at the raging conflict with a stoic, unreadable expression.

He didn’t seem particularly fazed by the carnage, nor did he look hurried to dive into the fray.

Grey waited in silence for the Vice Principal of the academy to find his voice.

"Uh... what are you doing back here so soon?"

"..."

Folding his arms across his chest, Grey continued his observation.

His eyes glided across the various skirmishes unfolding on the plains.

He quickly identified Thalos, Fenrir, and the others battling with fierce desperation.

"Why? Did you not want me to return?"

Leo shook his head vigorously.

"No. It’s just that I never expected you to be back so quickly."

Grey offered no immediate reply for several seconds, simply exhaling a sharp, weary breath.

"The Behemoth Clan. Aren’t they one of the two primary clans of the Noxarian faction?"

Leo blinked, processing the question for a moment before nodding.

"Yes. That’s them."

Grey heaved a tired, heavy sigh.

"War simply doesn’t seem to end..." he mumbled, a trace of anger coloring his tone.

It had been only a few days since he partook in a brutal campaign against a kingdom that had dispatched ten thousand soldiers to assault his own realm.

A demon had followed that initial strike, an entity he had dispatched swiftly with the assistance of the Emperor.

Following those events, he had made the firm decision to return to Vayun, deeply concerned that a similar demonic threat might be looming over this world as well.

He had discussed this choice with his squad back home.

Though they had been understandably worried that he might become stranded on Vayun for months once again, he had reassured them of his eventual return.

After handing Jesse over to the care of Elara and Scarlet, he prepared for his departure.

He had allotted himself three days because he needed to gather supplies and sort through several administrative affairs.

He left Jesse with a strict training regime, placing Arthur in charge of her education to ensure she followed every instruction to the letter.

In the aftermath of the battle back home, the Emperor had been severely weakened, making it impossible to pry any new information about the Otherworlders from him.

Consequently, Kael had been summoned to the capital to manage affairs as the Emperor’s heir.

It was becoming increasingly obvious that Julius’ time was nearing its end; it was merely a matter of time.

Therefore, Kael was being groomed to understand global politics and handle the heavy administrative workload.

The three additional days Grey chose to wait were intended to see if the Velzoria Kingdom would launch a retaliatory strike following the loss of ten thousand men and three of their top Generals.

However, they remained quiet.

Once his affairs on Arondale were settled, he finally began his transit back to Vayun.

The journey back had proven more taxing than expected, as he had to constantly recover his mana throughout the trek while maintaining the intensive use of his spatial magic.

Reaching Bronzeland and checking on Randin while recovering his mana, he finally arrived here with only half of his total reserves.

He had entered the faction territory just as the sounds of explosions and rhythmic rumbling rolled across the entire landscape.

He needed to discern what was occurring, so he moved from civilian to civilian, inquiring about the situation.

Due to how plainly he was dressed, they simply threw furtive glances at him, treating him like he was trash—completely oblivious to the fact that the head of the faction was standing directly before them.

The citizens knew their leader was a young man, but not all had seen his face, and they assumed if he were present, he certainly wouldn’t be dressed so modestly.

Besides, in their minds, who could possibly be within the faction and not already know the cause of the chaos?

After a few stops, frustrating halts, and numerous looks of disdain, a patient Grey finally secured his answer and the location of the conflict.

Remembering the walls from his previous patrol with Leo, he swiftly teleported to the vantage point.

That was the reason Leo had been unable to sense his approach; he had simply manifested out of thin air using his spatial magic.

Grey was inwardly incensed and annoyed by the sight before him.

Why couldn’t he ever seem to catch a break?

From the ten thousand mages of the Velzoria Kingdom to this assault of over four hundred thousand warriors from the Behemoth Clan, it was a never-ending cycle.

Battle after battle.

War after war.

It was becoming old and tiring.

Casting a quick glance toward the sky, his brows knit for a second in suspicion.

’Why am I getting an odd feeling from that place?’

BANG—!

Another clamorous sound rolled across the battlefield, drawing the mage’s gaze back to the blood-soaked plains.

Their side was losing men at an alarming rate.

The heavy hitters were growing more exhausted by the second, and the number of injuries they sustained was mounting rapidly.

Meanwhile, those battling the three vice leaders were still pushing with relentless intensity.

"... Are you joining anytime soon?" Leo couldn’t help but ask.

A profound sense of relief washed over him now that the Supreme Magus had finally arrived.

If he intervened, the morale of their forces would be boosted beyond imagination.

Folding his hands across his chest and staring directly at Devan’s position atop his mount, Grey uttered:

"Not yet. I want to observe and give the others time to shine some more."