[3rd PoV]
The following day, the Dragon Clan and the Lion Clan agreed to merge, rebranding themselves as the Griffon Clan. They appointed Brian as the leader and Geralt as the deputy.
The purpose of this Clan was singular: to hunt down Raul de Garcia.
Brian and Geralt agreed to start the hunt tomorrow, spending today gathering crystals in the waterfall area together to ensure their point totals were high enough to pass their eliminated members. Currently, half of the Clan was out collecting crystals while the rest held a discussion at the former Lion Clan's basecamp regarding the logistics of hunting Raul.
"It is certain that the Pervert knows the geography of this island better than we do," Valeria said, noting how easily Raul had trapped half of their collective forces. "We must stay together and not be baited by his schemes."
The students present wore expressions of deep thought.
"That cowardly noble! He always plays dirty like a snake!" Brian cursed, visibly annoyed.
"Hmph! It's only natural for the weak to use unmanly methods to win," Geralt added mockingly. "If I find him, I'll burn his body to ash!"
Seeing the attitude of the two leaders, Valeria looked at them as if they were idiots. 'I bet if they even catch a glimpse of that pervert, these two will chase him and fall right into another trap', Valeria thought.
"Hah... you two, I told you not to be so easily provoked," Valeria said with a resigned tone. "Seeing your attitude makes me fear our new Clan will just walk into another one of his setups."
At Valeria's sarcasm, Brian and Geralt merely turned their heads away in embarrassment.
"Don't worry, Valeria. With everyone here, I'm sure we can defeat him together!" Ariel said with her typical innocence—the hallmark of a character who firmly believes in the Power of Friendship.
Valeria felt a twinge of jealousy toward Ariel, who always managed to see the positive side of every situation.
"Everyone, listen to me." Valeria stood up, drawing everyone's attention. "First, even though we are focusing on hunting that pervert, do not forget the Eagle Clan and the other small alliances," Valeria reminded them. "We don't know who he might cooperate with while we're hunting him. I want to ensure no one stabs us in the back."
Several students nodded in agreement.
"So, should we send someone to negotiate a truce with the Eagle Clan?" one student asked.
"We have to if we don't want a repeat of what happened before," Valeria answered.
In the previous confrontation, while the two Clans were focused on each other, Raul had struck from behind by interrupting the duel. It had enraged both sides, leading them straight into the cave trap. The Clan members' expressions turned grim at the memory.
"Alright, we'll do as Valeria suggests," Brian said, backing her plan. Valeria gave a small nod of thanks.
"Good. Second," Valeria held up two fingers. "How do we search for him? If we scatter, we find him faster, but the pervert will easily pick us off one by one if given the chance."
The members fell back into contemplation, but no consensus was reached.
"I suggest we search in groups of five," Valeria proposed. The members looked ready to question her reasoning. "We only have a few days left. I suggest we comb the areas we don't control yet, creating a perimeter to narrow his field of movement."
One student raised their hand in objection. "I don't think we have enough members to maintain a perimeter like that, Valeria."
Valeria sighed, as if left with no choice. "I suppose we'll have to make an agreement with the Eagle Clan that goes beyond a simple truce."
"You mean... form an alliance with the Eagle Clan just to hunt Raul!?" Brian asked, shocked.
The idea of the three strongest Clans on the island uniting to hunt one person seemed excessive to him, considering Raul didn't seem that strong when they fought.
"Hey, isn't that our main goal? Why not go all out?" Valeria countered.
"But Valeria, the Eagle Clan won't work for free," Geralt noted, rubbing his chin. "They'll definitely want a payment in crystals."
Valeria nodded. "You're right, Geralt. We will offer them crystals equivalent to 150 points to cooperate with us in cornering Raul starting tomorrow."
The members looked hesitant. 150 points was a massive amount. An average team only gathers about 10 points a day; even a large Clan only nets around 100 points daily. Giving away 150 points was essentially throwing away a day and a half of hard work just to corner one man.
"Alright, those in favor of the plan, raise your hands," Brian said, calling for a vote.
Ten out of twelve team leaders approved.
"Then it's decided!" Brian stood up. "The Griffon Clan will cooperate with the Eagle Clan to hunt Raul de Garcia!"
"Ohhhh!"
"Torture that rotten noble!"
"Humiliate him! Strip him until he has no honor left!"
The Clan members seemed eager to punish the man who had played them the day before.
***
[Raul PoV]
"Haachooo!"
"Ughh... Why did I suddenly sneeze that hard? Is someone talking about me?"
"What is it, Captain? Your expression looks strange," Piers said, grilling some fish for us.
"Ah, it's nothing. I just have a bad feeling."
"Is that so?" Piers muttered, glancing over at the still-sleeping Scarlett. "Captain, she still hasn't woken up. Should we call an Instructor?"
Scarlett was experiencing Mana Exhaustion, a phenomenon that occurs when someone forces magic usage after their mana is depleted. They typically lose consciousness for a full day and remain unable to use mana for several days, depending on the treatment.
"Don't worry, Piers. She'll wake up soon."
Yesterday afternoon, Scarlett attacked me for interrupting her brother's duel with Brian. I suppose her reaction was natural for an older sister. Scarlett is the type who loves her family deeply, yet she is quite different from the rest of the Jimenas.
In the world of Path of Destiny, there is a power called a Blessing. It's an innate power granted at birth, though the term 'Blessing' is mostly known to Players. The people living here call this power a Codex. Great Nobles usually inherit a Codex from their predecessors with a 95% success rate. This is why each Great Noble family has a signature Codex that serves as their family symbol.
For example, the Jimena family's Codex theme for all descendants is Hatred, Rage, and Spite. However, there is a 5% chance a descendant won't inherit the predecessor's Codex. Scarlett falls into this category.
Her Codex isn't based on Hatred or Rage. She possesses a Codex called Death Calm, which has a unique ability: the calmer the user's mind, the stronger their combat power becomes. Conversely, if the user's mind is chaotic or agitated, their magic weakens.
That's why Scarlett's magic didn't affect me. I only realized it when I saw that the fire burning the surrounding trees didn't actually char the wood. Scarlett herself doesn't know her true power yet; she assumes her Codex is the same as Geralt's.
"Captain, what do we do now?" Piers asked.
"Huh? About what?"
"Why are you so relaxed, Captain?" Piers asked loudly, shocked by my composure. "I heard news yesterday that the Dragon and Lion Clans joined forces specifically to hunt you down!"
"Don't worry, Piers. We'll be fine."
"Captain, how can you be this calm in such a dangerous situation!?"
Hearing his words, I simply smiled. I'd always wanted to use a line from a character in my favorite Netflix show.
"I'm not the one in danger because they're hunting me," I gave him a confident smirk. "They are the ones in danger for following the tail of the snake."
***
I was walking toward the Eagle Clan's basecamp after ordering Piers to take Scarlett and move our camp to the northern beach. With Scarlett unconscious, she'd only be a liability. For now, the Griffon Clan would focus solely on me. I'd be much more maneuverable alone if they started closing in.
After walking for a while, I reached the Eagle Clan's camp. I walked right in. Several members stared at me with wide eyes, seemingly unable to believe I was casually strolling into their base. If I did this at the Griffon Clan base, I'd be stew meat by dinner.
"Stop right there," said a woman with glasses. "What are you doing at our basecamp, Raul de Garcia?"
"I want to see your leader to negotiate," I replied.
The woman stared at me silently, weighing the request. "Alright, I'll call the President. Wait here."
She headed toward the beach. While waiting, I observed the camp. People were eating or training; they seemed very serious about the exam. Soon, I saw Elena walking over. It was obvious she'd just been training, as her clothes were damp with sweat.
"Oh, Raul," Elena greeted. "It's surprising to see you here."
"Well... there's something I want to discuss, President," I said bluntly. "But can we find a better place to talk?"
"Fine, follow me."
Elena led me to a wooded area not far from the camp. She leaned against a tree and looked me in the eye. "So, what is it, Raul?"
I tossed two red crystals I had in my pouch. Elena caught them with a confused expression.
"I want the Eagle Clan to help me against the Griffon Clan," I stated.
Elena's expression returned to normal, and she stepped closer. 'Huh? What is she doing?:
"You're reaping what you sowed, Raul," Elena said, using a metaphor to mock me. "Your stunt with Brian and Geralt was pretty bad, you know."
She drew closer until we were face-to-face. I backed up until my back hit the tree.
"Do I need to discipline you again, Raul?" Elena asked with a sadistic smile.
I shook my head in response. "P-President, what's your answer to my offer?" I asked, trying to get back on track.
Elena looked at the two red crystals in her hand. "Hmm... only 100 points, huh? You know this isn't enough, right?"
I knew that. My team only had about 150 points total so far. "I can only go up to 150 points, President."
"Want me to tell you something interesting?" Elena asked with a mysterious look. "The Griffon Clan just offered me the same amount to cooperate with them in hunting you, Raul."
Well... I didn't not predict this, but it definitely makes things harder.
"If you can give me more points than they offered, I wouldn't mind helping you."
"President, I told you 150 is my limit. Besides, the point amounts are the same. Why choose to help them over me, a noble in your own faction?"
Elena stepped even closer. I had nowhere left to retreat.
"Because I enjoy bullying a jerk noble like you, Raul," Elena whispered in my ear.
Her words sent a shiver down my spine. She wore a mischievous expression, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
"However, I'll accept your offer if you agree to be my sparring partner later. How about it?" Elena looked sincere about the sparring request.
"I refuse," I said without a second thought.
"Huh? Why?" Elena looked puzzled. "Don't you need my help to deal with them?"
I sighed. "I don't want to be your punching bag, President. The committee members would surely protest if their leader was constantly beaten up by a girl, and they'd think I was weak for losing to a woman," I answered with a fabricated excuse.
Elena's face turned annoyed. "How rude. You shouldn't underestimate women. We have the same capabilities as men!"
I bet if Elena lived in my original world, she'd be one of those very annoying feminist activists.
"I still refuse, President. I guess we won't be reaching a deal this time."
"Well... then try your best to run from us," Elena said, handing the red crystals back to me. "Starting tomorrow, even if you run to the ends of the earth, I will still hunt you down, Raul," she said with a confident smile.
For some reason, I felt like I had just raised a brand new **Death Flag**.