Return of The Alpha Heiress-Chapter 78: Richard – The End of Training

"He’s sick," I replied flatly to the unfamiliar nurse, offering no further explanation.

"Iris, why are you standing in front of the entrance?"

A familiar voice came from behind her.

Rora, Noah’s fiancée, appeared. "What happened to Oliver this time?" she asked, immediately assessing his condition the moment she saw us.

"Dehydration. Too much diarrhea," I answered.

Rora guided us inside. She already knew Oliver’s habits all too well. Every Moonlight ritual left him like this, even though all he ever did was stand on the altar without doing anything strenuous.

"Iris, are you just going to stand there blocking the entrance?"

Her words reminded me of the strange nurse who apparently couldn’t tell who was sick and who wasn’t. I didn’t care much. I stepped aside, keeping some distance from the makeshift bed so Rora could tend to Oliver.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the nurse named Iris staring at me openly.

Only after Iris left did Rora explain. "She likes you. She’s asked me several times to introduce you to her. But... her attitude isn’t exactly great. Besides, no one knows when this training will end or where you’ll be sent afterward. She’s already at an age where marriage is expected."

I simply listened. I had assumed she was related to the Black family. Since she wasn’t, she didn’t matter to me.

...

Five years had passed since the Lycan King Candidate Selection training began.

Five years of strict discipline and relentless routine could change anyone.

Oliver was no longer the constant complainer he used to be. He stopped whining to Noah and others, though he still complained quietly to me. As for myself, these five years had shaped me into someone calmer, less reckless.

Last month’s Moonlight Selection left only three participants whose names were not marked with a cross.

And because only three remained, the three of us, myself included, stayed in our original teams, training alongside those who were no longer candidates.

Tonight, night training was canceled for Battle Night. Selected participants would fight in matches, an event held once a week as entertainment for those of us who saw nothing but trees and the same faces every day.

But tonight felt different.

Instead of sitting around the arena, we were ordered to line up neatly.

"This feels like an announcement," Oliver whispered. "What do you think it is? Another wild beast attack like two years ago? But after that incident, the number of Enforcers increased. It shouldn’t be a problem anymore."

He rambled, asking and answering his own questions.

Soon, Milton stepped forward. His face was serious, but his eyes sparkled.

"Over the past five years, you have trained relentlessly, conquering this dangerous forest," Milton declared. "You are no longer flashy sons of Alphas. You are warriors stronger than even senior Enforcers. You lack only one thing."

No one interrupted. No gasps, no whispers.

"You have never carried out real missions."

Oliver visibly struggled to keep quiet. At least now, he knew how to hold himself back.

I had my own suspicion.

Has The Healer finally appeared?

Milton’s next words confirmed it.

"The Healer has emerged. This training has come to an end."

The announcement hit us like a wave.

Life here was no different from imprisonment. We hadn’t been allowed to step even a single foot outside the Centrum Great Forest.

The appearance of The Healer meant the doors had finally opened.

We would still be bound by missions, but those missions would take place outside. We would see new faces, eat different food, and witness landscapes beyond these trees.

"Marvin Dawn. Richard Black. Camden Steel. Step forward."

I moved out of line. Marvin, with his silver hair, and Camden, with his burgundy hair, joined me at the front.

"You three are officially Lycan King Candidates," Milton announced. "You will each lead a legion and carry out missions alongside The Healer. After several missions, the Moon Goddess will decide our next Lycan King through The Healer."

This wasn’t just an announcement of roles. It elevated our status.

Any one of us could become the next Lycan King, the strongest werewolf chosen by the Moon Goddess and blessed with extraordinary power.

Which meant that, from this moment on, even senior Enforcers like Milton and members of the royal family stood below us in rank.

I had thought I’d be eliminated in next week’s Moonlight Selection.

Instead, the candidates were finalized before that even happened.

I hadn’t seen this coming.

The Moon Goddess always has her ways. I, who had no intention of becoming the Lycan King, and Camden, who is famously goofy with unremarkable skills... the two of us became candidates instead.

"Your legion names will be taken from your surnames," Milton continued.

"Marvin Dawn will lead Dawn Legion."

He draped a red cloak over Marvin’s shoulders, embroidered with a roaring wolf’s head crowned by a trident, a full moon circle behind it.

"Richard Black will lead Black Legion."

A black cloak, identical in design, settled onto my shoulders. Camden received his own, dyed light blue.

"With this, you are all officially Enforcers of the Lycan King," Milton declared.

The Enforcers lining the sides began to clap. One by one, the participants joined in, until the applause thundered through the forest. Some even cheered.

For tonight only, discipline was forgotten.

For tonight only, we were truly happy.

Next came the legion selection. Everything moved quickly, as we were scheduled to head to the South Region border area soon for our first missions.

The top ten of the overall assessment were asked to choose their legions first.

Marvin and I were both in the top ten, leaving eight others to choose.

Seven chose Marvin, exactly as everyone expected.

What no one expected was the last choice.

One person chose me.

The person I least expected, considering how much he hated me.

Larry Green, his brunette hair reminding me painfully of Clarissa, met my gaze with clear eyes.

"I’ve never been wrong about choosing people," he said.

...