Chapter 83
Shwaaaaaa wind blew violently as heavy rain poured alongside roaring lightning. A raging storm had descended upon Solar City.
Raymond listened to Selvian's findings listlessly. A report had already been sent to the palace, and it was discovered that an underground ant monster had been used as an emergency signal by the black mage to warn the Soran family.
He clicked his tongue and stood up.
Nothing would change. These bastards had been spreading their roots for years. The capital had discovered a massive underground prison for monsters and still couldn't find a single useful clue because they had no means to approach the door left behind by the Soran family.
Now they were waiting for Azek to wake up.
Veins bulged on Raymond's forehead. They couldn't even handle a single matter without his brother, who was lying on a bed covered in wounds. And the moment he woke up, another responsibility would immediately be thrown onto him.
He was furious beyond words and had already sent a letter to Marquis Adrian to firmly lodge a complaint. A sixteen year old student shouldn't have to bear responsibility for the empire's incompetence.
His Majesty had assured Marquis Adrian personally, but even then they had no other option.
Apparently all of the empire's ministers and department heads had been summoned for an emergency meeting and severely reprimanded. The head of intelligence had directly been stripped of his title and forced into retirement.
Click.
The door opened and Azek came into view.
The Milborne family had designated an entire floor for the injured students. Professor Zen was already sitting beside his students. He had regained consciousness yesterday.
"Why don't you go and rest for a while? Your face looks like it wants to murder someone," Raymond said.
Professor Zen, who was checking Genevieve's condition, slowly looked up. His face remained cold and expressionless. Without replying, he continued what he was doing.
Raymond shook his head helplessly. This fella was beyond saving now.
Silence lingered briefly between them while rain continuously battered the windows outside.
"What do you think you would feel if Azek had gotten hurt and you were in my position?" Zen suddenly asked.
Raymond froze.
"I understand what you are trying to say," he replied quietly before walking over and sitting beside Azek.
A faint smirk appeared on Professor Zen's face. Raymond had been successfully irritated by the taunt.
The storm outside only continued growing louder.
"Have you ever thought about what you would do if they never woke up?"
Zen tilted his head slightly toward Raymond, whose back was facing him.
He remained silent for several moments before looking away.
Princess Lyana was lying nearby. Her entire body had suffered torn muscles while even parts of her bones had been exposed earlier, but Genevieve's healing had barely managed to hold everything together and keep her alive.
When the priests first saw them, they were shocked the students had survived at all after the condition their bodies had been reduced to.
Even after receiving healing from Cardinal Magnus, they still hadn't regained consciousness. It showed just how far their bodies had been pushed beyond their limits.
"They have to wake up," Zen muttered. "I will make sure of it. By any means."
A dangerous light flickered within his eyes.
Serbian and Arnold had been relieved to see him awake, but Zen himself felt the exact opposite. He was supposed to protect them.
Instead, the roles had reversed.
He had never felt this useless in his entire life.
His fingers tightened around the bedsheets as he tried to calm his emotions.
But Raymond wasn't listening anymore. His focus had shifted elsewhere.
Hmmmm?
Was it his imagination?
He thought he felt a finger twitch slightly.
Lightning roared outside once more. The dark clouds made the afternoon feel like late evening already.
Booooom.
Another bright flash illuminated the windows.
"M....ssst....."
Raymond's eyes widened instantly.
He looked toward Azek.
His lips were moving slightly as if trying to say something. Suddenly, Azek weakly lifted one arm before it immediately dropped back down.
Raymond instantly grabbed his hand and leaned closer.
"Hmmm? Azek? What are you saying? Tell your brother."
He lowered his head and listened carefully.
Azek's lips moved once more.
"Stop... it... is... loud."
Broken words escaped slowly between pauses while his head shifted slightly.
Professor Zen had already appeared beside the bed.
"Azek, what is loud?" he asked gently.
Azek only frowned as another flash of lightning illuminated the room.
"He is getting irritated by the storm noise," Zen concluded immediately.
He closed the curtains before casting a silencing spell over the room.
Almost instantly, Azek's tense expression relaxed.
Raymond continued holding his hand tightly.
Zen quietly placed a hand on Raymond's shoulder.
"Let him rest for now."
Raymond looked toward him and noticed the slight trembling in Zen's hand.
Professor Zen was barely holding himself together as well.
Raymond slowly loosened his grip on Azek's hand before remaining seated quietly beside him.
The atmosphere in the room finally eased slightly as the storm continued outside.
Two hours later, Azek finally opened his eyes properly.
Clink.
Milborne Castle staff busily arranged dishes across the dining tables. All of the students who had regained consciousness immediately requested food after waking up starving.
Azek quietly sat at the table while waiting for the maids to finish plating everything.
The moment they finished, he immediately cleared nearly everything before calmly requesting more.
Every dish placed before him consisted of soft foods or soup according to his earlier instructions.
Princess Lyana continuously nodded off beside him. Azek lightly shook her shoulder whenever she started falling asleep.
The moment he woke up earlier, he had felt hungry beyond words. However, normal food had immediately made him vomit everything out.
That was why he had specifically instructed the kitchen regarding the meals.
After finishing his own food, he forcibly woke Princess Lyana and Genevieve as well.
Although several professors looked concerned, Azek calmly explained his reasoning.
"If they only rely on healing magic without properly restoring their bodies, eventually everything else will shut down. Their bodies may survive, but they could remain comatose forever."
Now he was forcibly feeding Genevieve, who kept falling asleep at the dining table.
"Azek, don't you think this is too much? He isn't even conscious right now," Professor Sevile asked seriously.
"If I stop now, he may never wake up."
Genevieve's eyes watered from the force Azek used while pulling his hair upward.
"Wake up, senior."
Azek lightly slapped his cheek with his other hand.
Genevieve immediately jolted awake.
Without hesitation, Azek grabbed the bowl and directly poured fish soup into his mouth in one smooth motion.
Princess Lyana was still in slightly better condition since she could at least feed herself while struggling to remain awake.
"OK. We're done. Let's go."
The professors carefully transported them back onto their beds using air spells since their bodies were still partially paralyzed.
Azek still couldn't properly move his legs. Princess Lyana's body trembled continuously, while Genevieve could barely even hold utensils by himself.
"Is this really alright?" Serbian asked worriedly.
But Raymond immediately snapped back at him.
"Do you have any better option?"
Serbian immediately fell silent.
Peeeeeee—
A sharp sound echoed near the window before it slowly opened.
The patriarch of Milborne stepped inside.
"The Royal family has sent a letter."
His expression turned serious.
"Royal knights will arrive shortly to escort the students."