"Have you heard? This time's recruitment assessment for the Great Ruler Empire is being led by Princess Lyra herself," one of the young men whispered, clearly trying to sound casual but unable to hide the excitement in his tone.
"Yeah, I heard they're getting desperate," his companion replied with a frown.
"Desperate?" the first man scoffed. "You kidding me? They're the strongest first-class force in the Middle Domain. What could they possibly be desperate about?"
"The Divine Mandate Grand Tournament," the second said, lowering his voice further. "For the past few sessions, none of their geniuses have made it into the top ten. It's becoming an embarrassment. If it happens again this time… it might threaten their standing among the other major powers."
Max chewed slowly, his expression unchanged, but his mind was already racing. 'Seems like I picked the perfect time to arrive,' he thought, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he took another bite.
