chapter 77
Rushed footsteps resounded in the corridor.
The academy was continuing its routine as usual.
The news had arrived, but Theodore decided to keep it under wraps to prevent lowering the morale of students.
Crown Prince Daniel had become a sleepless study maniac.
He had been shocked after hearing the news at first and tried to go to the Westfront himself,
but he was held back by the Queen, who had collapsed and was still not in good spirits.
After finding out the details of the incident, he hadn't been sleeping much.
Study, practice, study, eat, then practice again—
this had become his routine.
Professors were keeping a close eye on him in case he burned out.
Mathew and Edrin tried to pry into his condition, as Edrin felt it had something to do with the North situation, since Princess Layana went there as well.
But Daniel didn't give an answer.
A professor was rushing into Theodore's office as the first investigation report had arrived.
"Do you think it is a good idea?"
Mathew looked horrified as Edrin dragged him here in the middle of the night to eavesdrop on Theodore's office.
Edrin shut him up with a spell and tried to listen. They were hiding in a corner of the 5th floor, which had Theodore's office.
He wanted to ask Professor Ashvile about Azek and had come here in hopes of getting some information.
But the faculty office on the 4th floor was shut.
And just when he was about to give up, some movement occurred and the closed office opened.
"What are you two doing here?"
A professor asked them.
Mathew became tongue-tied.
Edrin continued flawlessly.
"I came to ask which professor will attend our morning lecture, as Professor Sevile and Professor Albert are on leave."
The professor saw them suspiciously.
Mathew had become stiff, while Edrin gave a gentle smile.
He scrutinized them for a few seconds, but nothing was suspicious about their inquiry.
"Professor Ashvin will cover both their classes for a short while. Tomorrow it will be displayed on the notice board as well. Now return to your dorms. Don't loiter around so late at night."
"Yes, thank you so much, sir."
Edrin flashed his signature smile and returned to the stairs leading down the floors. He had seen the other professor rushing to the 5th floor.
When he reached the 3rd floor, he opened the window and climbed out, dragging Mathew behind him.
They climbed all the way to the 5th floor, and he immediately took shelter behind a corner.
The professor had already entered the office.
The door shut soundlessly.
Edrin waited for a few seconds.
Phew.
A mana thread came out from his body.
But he soon realized something.
Threads were appearing around his body.
He got confused.
Where are these things coming from?
As soon as the thought came, he got lifted from the ground, and a window latch opened, and he got thrown out.
Getting thrown from the 5th floor would definitely spell trouble,
so he produced air to cushion his fall.
Mathew was already on the ground, grunting in pain.
He had not been lucky, as he didn't have time to break his fall.
He looked back at the 5th floor after landing.
Theodore was standing in the window.
"Shit."
Zew.
His body got dragged again, and he felt his sense of direction going haywire. When the spell ended, he landed in his dorm room on his bed.
Air currents crackled, and a page got plastered on his door.
Words started appearing on it.
Edrin Lionheart
10-day probation.
He looked at the page and sighed.
He would rather have gotten fined than probation, as a he would need to spend this time at home and would need to study twice harder for missed lectures.
Ahhhhh.
He suddenly remembered—
where was Mathew?
He stood up and tried to walk.
Thud.
He fell down as soon as he took the first step.
His mana had been drained.
I guess I really went too far.
He shook his head and smiled helplessly.
While Mathew was sobbing and cursing him right now endlessly for getting him dragged into this, as he had gotten punished as well.
Mother will surely kill me.
Mathew thought, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Edrin, just you wait.
Edrin suddenly got chills.
He slid the covers up to his shoulders and went to sleep.
"Is that alright, sir?"
Professor Diaz asked Theodore.
"It's fine, they are still kids.
But they need to learn discipline."
A report was lying on his desk.
Professor Sevile had concluded his report.
And Helen's findings had arrived not late as well.
"The mage was one of the suspects,"
she said while talking to Theodore.
"But his attitude changed after the Serbian party left.
I didn't notice it at first."
She clenched her fists.
"That bastard left behind the party and had conjured a puppet to mislead us… to buy himself time.
When I realized that it was actually a puppet conjured with black magic, it was already too late.
There was another small attack on the town.
Not much of a threat—just enough. Just enough to hold us in place… to chain us there while he moved freely."
Her fists turned pale under the strain.
"And when Serbian sent the message, I understood…
just how massive the blunder I made was,"
she said, her voice turning rigid.
Theodore watched her quietly.
"It is not your fault. A puppet made of black magic—I am hearing of such a thing for the first time as well.
Even I would not have seen through it.
If we had known, we would have prepared. But this… this was engineered. So do not turn that blade on yourself."
Silence lingered—tight, suffocating.
Then her tone changed.
"We are living in a world that is changing faster than we can grasp.
And if we fail to keep up… we won't even know when we are buried six feet under."
Her eyes darkened.
"And right now, not knowing is no longer an excuse.
I marked him. I knew. And still… I let him slip through my hands."
A pause.
"I didn't just fail. I let it happen."
Theodore said nothing.
"And now that I have slipped once… there will not be a second time.
The Soran family will pay for their misdeeds.
Not a single hint will be dropped."
Her voice dropped—cold, absolute.
"I will personally deal with them."
"You are at Westfront right now. Are you going to leave?"
"Yes. I will be arriving in the capital by tomorrow morning. Rias has arrived with his students, and they have already begun clearing monsters."
Theodore nodded.
Rias was one of the 10 Tower Masters as well.
But compared to Helen, who ranked 9, he was at 5th position.
And these positions didn't display seniority, but mastery over high-level Grade 1 spells.
And Rias had a full mini brigade under him, as he liked gathering talent.
He was honest to the basics to a fault—but that alone made him terrifying.
He had reached a level of mastery where he could exhibit a Grade 1 spell with nearly 10% precision of a Grade Zero level.
And he alone had achieved such a feat.
Although it was a simple fire spell—
nothing survived its path.
"Then we can leave it to them."
Theodore said, finishing the necessary details before cutting the communication crystal off.
He looked out of the window.
The Soran family had become traitors—years of planning, festering beneath their very feet.
He placed his hand on the glass.
Crack.
A thin fracture spread across the surface.
We have our own people carving us apart from the inside.
His jaw tightened.
Rage was boiling inside him.
They will not be forgiven easily.
He withdrew his hand.
The glass mended itself—
as if nothing had happened.
But his eyes didn't.
The Soran family would fall.
And when they did—
there would be nothing left to remember them by.