Chapter 198: Registration Token

"Long live Lord Elysian!"

"Lord Chancellor!"

The people around Moon began greeting him at once, showing their respect.

Just by looking at his face, Moon knew this was Levi’s father.

The man had come to oversee the preparations on behalf of the council.

He had also heard about Moon and the others from their Shadow Lord, though he hadn’t expected to encounter them in the middle of a public dispute.

Beside him walked another familiar figure.

The old man from Moonveil Academy.

The same man who had tried to buy Axe’s machete at the market.

His gaze passed over the group before settling on Axe. A faint crease appeared between his brows, but there was a trace of interest in his eyes as well.

The Elysian Crown Alpha stopped in front of the registration manager.

"What happened?"

The manager straightened, then looked at the group. He hesitated before speaking.

"Lord Chancellor, these..." He paused, rearranged his words, and started again.

"They want to register, but when I asked them to show their wolf spirit, they refused. They’re clearly defectives..."

Evan also stepped forward.

"My lord, these people are defectives. I can swear to it. They were on Vaelis’s wanted list just a few days ago."

He didn’t mention that Elysian Crown had taken them in.

He could only hope that this was all the whim of the young master in the caravan and that the main branch of Elysian Crown knew nothing about it.

The Alpha’s gaze moved toward Moon and the others.

Although his presence was intimidating, he had no repulsive or aggressive aura.

Moon was impressed.

So far, this was one wolf who could actually control his presence.

"Is that so?"

Alpha Elysian asked Moon; a faint interest danced in his eyes.

Moon was about to answer when the old man from Moonveil Academy spoke first.

"Since when did proving one’s spirit become part of registration day?" he scoffed.

"It is already a busy enough day just getting everyone’s names down. Zenith Moon certainly seems to have plenty of leisure time."

"You! Don’t drag the academy’s business into this!" the manager snapped.

Alpha Elysian chuckled.

"Just list their names. That’s enough."

The manager’s face changed.

"But..."

"It’s already evening. Finish all the registrations before night falls."

Alpha Elysian left those words behind and didn’t wait for an answer.

Moon watched the man’s back, unsure whether he was trying to help them or was simply someone who judged everyone equally.

The Moonveil elder looked at the manager and sneered. Then he turned toward Moon and the others.

"Remember to activate your tokens before entering the trial grounds. Otherwise, you’ll be disqualified before you even cross the threshold."

With that, he also left.

The manager gritted his teeth and dispersed the gathering.

For the rest of the registration process, Moon faced no further problems.

Even when he went to register five names without all five people present, the manager kept his mouth shut.

However, his expression turned ugly when he realized Moon was registering exactly five defective names—the infamous LUNAR brothers.

But not his own.

He threw five tokens to them and let them go.

Moon let out the breath he had been holding when he finally stepped out of the queue.

"Mooney..." Nox mumbled.

"I know. Don’t say anything here. Let’s eat something and head back to the inn," Moon said.

They hurried back to the inn.

To avoid any more trouble, Moon even covered their faces like a thief.

At least this way, no one would approach them just to relieve their boredom.

On their way back, they bought roasted meat and flatbread from a street vendor. They ate while walking and didn’t linger.

By the time they reached their inn, the sky had turned dark, and the moon was shining high above them.

The moment the door closed behind them, the tension that had been weighing on everyone’s shoulders finally eased.

Axe dropped the satchel with a thud and stretched until his joints cracked.

Ugo went straight to the window, checked the street below, and then pulled the curtains shut.

Nox remained near the door, his amber eyes unfocused as his fingers absently rubbed the hem of his tunic.

Moon watched him for a long moment before sighing.

"Nox, are you still thinking about your wolf?"

Nox forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Um... hmm."

Axe glanced at him before sitting down.

"Are we going inside the Lost Realm?" he asked Moon.

"Yes. It’s not safe here."

Moon nodded, and the group checked the room again to make sure no one would disturb them while they were inside the Lost Realm.

Nox was still tense.

He knew what they were going to do, and he knew he shouldn’t overthink it. But he still couldn’t dismiss the possibility that he might not have a wolf.

When Moon, Ugo, Axe, and Nox teleported into the Lost Realm, they appeared in front of their cave dwelling.

A strange feeling washed over them.

It seemed they had been away from home for far too long.

"Should we call Master Lupine?" Axe suggested.

Moon glanced at Nox’s fidgeting figure and shook his head.

Nox was already this nervous.

Wouldn’t he feel even worse if his wolf failed to appear in front of Master Lupine? It might only make him more insecure.

So Moon simply took Nox by the hand and led him into the cave.

"You two stay outside. I’ll call you if anything goes wrong."

As the two disappeared into the room, Axe clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Tsk! Why is it that when it was my turn, everyone had to watch, but you two get private treatment?"

Ugo raised his brows and chuckled softly.

"Weren’t you the one who went first in front of everyone? What, are you jealous now?"

"Jealous of what? I’m a warlord, okay? I was born to display my aura!" Axe declared with a cackle before settling down on the terrace.

Ugo was speechless at how shameless Axe’s narcissism was.

He completely ignored the man, setting up a tea table to relax a bit while waiting for Moon.