Silas stared at Edsel while curiosity burned intensely within his mind.
He was now overly interested in understanding the whole existence of this young master before him.
A human who could bear such power of dark mana within his body was supposed to be impossible. Any human who tried to wield dark mana in the past ended up dying painfully and then rising again as an undead creature with no will of their own.
But Edsel had the ability to control it perfectly.
He was still breathing and living just like a normal human, and strangely enough, no one else could feel the death mana radiating from him except for Silas himself, a demon. It was as if there was an invisible barrier surrounding Edsel that hid his true nature from the world.
"If you do not mind me asking, my lord, where did you learn such techniques? Who taught you how to absorb life force like that?" Silas asked while watching him carefully.
Edsel thought about the question for a moment before responding. "I learned it on my own through practice and experimentation."
That was clearly a lie, and Silas could tell immediately that Edsel did not trust him at all with the truth. Still, he felt a faint sting of disappointment, though he quickly hid it.
He had been a fairly loyal subordinate so far.
Still… when he thought about it more carefully, he realized how strange that feeling was. Even when he served the Demon King in the past, he had never thought about loyalty like this. Back then, he had only cared about money, survival, and power.
'I should stop thinking so deeply about things that do not concern me,' he thought to himself. 'I need to focus on what is in front of me right now instead.'
He wondered how Edsel would succeed in the future and what kind of ruler he would become.
"That skill that you just used on Calix, I wonder if you used the same technique on the orcs back at the village of Cairo?" Silas asked while tilting his head.
Edsel stared at him with an unreadable expression. "You should already know the answer to that question without needing to ask me, Silas."
"Guhh," Silas gasped while stepping back involuntarily. He had completely forgotten how unsettling Edsel could be at times. He was simply telling him to think faster and figure things out on his own without needing constant explanations.
"I will certainly teach you more about dark magic in the future, my lord. You can count on me for that," Silas promised while bowing slightly.
"Good. I am glad that we understand each other," Edsel responded while nodding in approval.
Edsel got up from the ground and brushed off his clothes casually. Silas stared at the unconscious boys lying nearby and then looked back at his master.
"So what are we going to do with them now? We cannot just leave them here like this, can we?" Silas asked while gesturing towards the bodies.
"We will do nothing with them. We should head back to class immediately. I am sure that Calix will come looking for revenge again once he wakes up. He is the type of person who does not give up easily after being humiliated."
Edsel nodded while smiling at the thought.
In the game, Calix had been pretty persistent as a minor antagonist who kept causing trouble throughout the story.
Silas scratched his head in confusion while trying to understand the situation.
"To be honest with you, I still do not understand anything that is going on around here. What is your actual goal in coming to this academy? You wield black mana and dark powers that no human should possess. To be completely honest with you, I do not think that you belong in a place like this at all."
Edsel wrapped his arm around Silas's shoulder in a friendly manner and started walking.
"Let us go now and stop asking so many questions for today."
"Yes, sir," Silas responded while accepting that he would not get any answers right now.
Although Edsel did not show it on his face, in his mind he was thinking deeply about the question.
He did not have any specific goal other than becoming the perfect villain according to the system's expectations.
Because the closer he moved to the story's key events, the more Authority powers he could unlock.
And that was something he absolutely couldn't ignore.
************
Later — Phoenix Wing
The Phoenix Wing was the building where second-year students held their classes. This was where Edsel would now begin his proper lessons.
Silas glanced at the class assignments posted on the wall.
"Ah… it seems we aren't in the same class, my lord."
Edsel frowned slightly.
"You need to refrain from calling me that from now on while we are in public. People might start thinking that I have restrained you or something worse."
Silas clenched his fist in frustration. 'Maybe because you actually did restrain me, you damn demon,' he thought bitterly. He sighed deeply before responding.
They both parted ways and walked towards their assigned classrooms. Edsel was in Class A, and Silas was in Class B.
The moment that Edsel stepped inside the classroom, he could feel multiple pairs of eyes turning towards him. Some students were staring, and others were smirking while whispering to each other.
"Wow, the rumors were actually true. He did in fact come back after everything that happened last semester."
"I wonder what sort of fight he will pick this time? Who will he challenge next?"
Penelope glared at him from across the room with obvious dislike. Edwin, who was sitting nearby, watched Edsel enter and felt a growing sense that he would not have peace this semester with him around.
Cecilia glanced at Edwin and whispered quietly. "If he comes over here to threaten you or start something, I will be ready to intervene."
But Edsel simply walked past everyone's gazes without acknowledging any of them. He made his way to the back of the class and sat down in the seat beside the window. He folded his arms on the desk and laid his face down to rest.
"Did he just completely ignore us like that?" Cecilia asked with surprise in her voice. She had not expected Edsel to act that way at all.
"People do not usually change their nature so suddenly. He must have some reason for acting this way," Penelope whispered while keeping her eyes on him.