Laughter echoed now and then through the spacious hall, but the further the evening stretched, the cruder it beca. The shouts of Valkeris’s lackeys lost what little restraint they had left, slipping into outright vulgarity, while the alcohol dragged their true nature further and further to the surface.
The general mood gradually slid from feigned rrint into sothing far more unpleasant. And the limits of what was acceptable were being pushed further and further.
Violet felt it more keenly than anyone.
The anxiety within her grew with every passing minute, becoming heavier. Clenching her fists, she tried to keep herself in check, not knowing where to direct either her gaze or her thoughts.
At so point, she looked at Estelle again.
As if catching that glance, she slowly turned her head in Violet’s direction. Their eyes t for only a mont, but it was enough. Estelle’s gaze was already damp, her lashes trembling, yet she was still holding on—as if by sheer force of will, refusing to break.
And it was at that very mont that Valkeris sharply pulled her toward himself.
Estelle cried out, unable to hold it back, while he only laughed, clearly enjoying the reaction.
“You’re still just as defiant, Estelle…” he drawled with a satisfied smirk.
Feigning tenderness, Valkeris ran his fingers along Estelle’s cheek, wiping away the tear that had rolled down, and added with a faint smile, “What’s the point of your resistance? If you enter the House of Logaris, your future will be far greater.”
Estelle pressed her lips together, and for a mont, a sharpness flared in her gaze, cutting through the fear.
“Leave alone!” she burst out. “Why are you harassing ?!”
In response, Valkeris only let out a quiet laugh, as though he had heard sothing amusing. Lifting a strand of her light hair, he slowly ran it through his fingers and calmly said, “You’re simply beautiful. And I like beautiful things.”
The words sounded light, but there was nothing warm in them.
And in the very next mont, he raised an eyebrow slightly, as if recalling sothing.
“By the way…”
Slowly turning his head, Valkeris shifted his gaze to Violet.
That look made sothing inside her tighten. Red eyes with narrow, almost reptilian pupils stared straight at her—appraising and cold, like prey.
Valkeris narrowed his eyes slightly.
“I noticed you and Estelle were whispering about sothing…” he drawled. “So—you understand the imperial language as well?”
A sly grin slowly spread across his lips, and, squinting with faint irritation, he added, “And here I thought only the Liaison understood us… Did you think you could lie to ?”
The mont he said that, a flicker of horror flashed in Violet’s eyes, and, before she could stop herself, she gave herself away, realizing she had just exposed Kael.
That mont did not escape Valkeris. Letting out a quiet laugh, he tilted his head slightly and drawled:
“Oh… So you really do understand …”
Violet rely snorted, turning her face away and trying not to give him a single opening.
But in the next mont, his hand jerked forward sharply, and grabbing her by the chin, he wrenched her toward him, forcing a cry from her.
Girren and Gilsh, kneeling off to the side, imdiately leaned forward, nearly springing to their feet, but Violet, quickly raising her hand, gave them a short signal, ordering them to hold back.
Gathering the remnants of her composure, she once again looked straight at Valkeris, while he, smiling in satisfaction, calmly said, “I am rich and influential. Submit, and you will receive a share of my influence.”
Letting out a quiet laugh, he added, as if stating sothing obvious, “Besides, it’s only natural… Provincial won adore submitting to mages from the capital.”
In that mont, Violet didn’t catch every word, but the aning was clear. Clenching her teeth and feeling a tremor run through her body, she hissed in broken imperial: “Remove hands from face… I strong than you…”
In response, Valkeris only burst into loud laughter, and the others imdiately joined in. Shaking his head, he looked at her with almost mocking interest.
“I already noticed that you’re a Marked Mage and a whole tier stronger than …” he said calmly. “You can try to attack. But then you’ll have to deal with Malzir. And he tas won far more roughly than I do.”
With those words, he tightened his grip on her jaw, preventing her from turning away, and pulled her closer, closing the distance between them.
At that, Violet felt everything inside her tighten. Her thoughts scattered, her breathing beca uneven, and fear and disgust began to wash over her in waves, not letting her pull herself together.
The realization struck sharply, almost painfully: “This bastard wants to kiss ! What am I supposed to do?”
She saw his face slowly drawing closer, saw his self-satisfied smirk widening, his breath already too close. Inside Violet, everything froze; fear locked her body, leaving her unable to move or break free.
But at the very mont when he was about to touch her lips, a sharp shout rang out from behind: “Leave her alone, you damn bastard!”
Estelle, breaking from her spot, grabbed his scarlet hair and yanked it hard.
Everyone around them froze for a mont, not imdiately understanding what had happened.
Valkeris jerked, losing his balance, then sharply turned and, without hesitation, struck her across the face with a resounding slap.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, you cheap whore!” he shouted.
Estelle cried out, staggering back, and in the sa instant, tears stread down her cheeks.
That was the final straw.
Sothing inside Violet snapped.
Through clenched teeth, she hissed, “To hell with it… This has gone too far…”
Calling upon her mana, she struck Valkeris’s hand, knocking his hand from her face, and instantly sprang up from her chair. It flew back with a crash, hitting the table, while the dishes nearby went flying to the floor, shattering and spilling.
At the sa mont, Girren and Gilsh, who had been kneeling by the wall, broke from their restraint and rushed forward, no longer holding back, ready to join the fight.
But at the very mont when the storm was about to erupt, a heavy sound of doors being flung open rang out.
A dull thud echoed through the hall, drawing everyone’s attention and, for a mont, easing the rising tension.
Kael appeared in the doorway.
He stepped inside calmly, with his usual faint smirk and a thoughtful gaze, as if he were still lost in his thoughts. But the mont he raised his eyes and looked over the hall, the expression on his face changed in an instant.
All trace of that ease vanished, and his gaze hardened at once.
Before him was an unforgivable sight: Violet standing tense, ready to launch into a fight; a tearful Estelle beside her; Valkeris and his retinue sprawled at the table; and dozens of Lasthold mages still kneeling by the walls.
For a brief mont, silence hung in the hall.
But in the next mont, Kael’s cold voice cut through the silence, speaking in the language of Lasthold: “What is going on here?”
It seed that Kael’s appearance slightly cooled the rising chaos.
Violet herself did not fully understand why, but the tension inside her faltered for a mont. She snapped her gaze toward him and burst out, “This bastard ca to humiliate us all!”
Her voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes again; she no longer tried to hide them.
“And to subject us to his filthy desires!”
The words hit hard and directly.
Kael understood imdiately.
Sothing heavy shifted inside him, as if a boiling rage had, for a mont, broken through his usual control. Images flashed through his mind—of Valkeris trying to violate the girls.
Valkeris, not understanding a word of what had been said, only widened his grin upon noticing Kael.
“Liaison, you finally showed up!” he called out with satisfaction. “You’re just who I needed for a proper bit of fun.”
Without the slightest hesitation, he grabbed Violet by the wrist again, holding her beside him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Turning his head toward Kael, he smiled lazily and added, “One of your won here can’t seem to understand her place. Care to help get my orders across to her?”
At those words, Kael froze for a mont, clearly feeling a surge of anger rising within him, ready to break free.
But almost imdiately, he took a slow breath, forcing himself to maintain control.
“Calm down, Kael. Right now, you need to protect Violet and the mages of Lasthold.”
The cold thought cut through his emotions, bringing his mind back into focus.
He quickly swept his gaze over those seated at the table, lingering on Malzir and the others, before adding ntally, “We won’t survive a direct confrontation. It will only make things worse for the Lasthold youths…”
Kael’s lips tightened slightly, and he muttered inwardly, “Conflict is inevitable. I need to draw all of Valkeris’s attention onto myself.”
Running his gaze over the crowd once more—over those kneeling, over the tense faces of his own people—Kael returned his attention to Valkeris.
This ti, there was not even a hint of his forr politeness in his eyes.
He spoke calmly, coldly, now in the imperial language: “Let go of Violet.”
Valkeris only smiled wider, as if he had heard sothing absurd.
“Why?” he drawled lazily. “I’m planning to spend the evening with her anyway. Which ans I won’t just be touching her wrist.”
At that, Kael rely exhaled in irritation, muttering under his breath, “So the rumors about this scum weren’t lies…”
Valkeris imdiately raised a brow, catching the tone, and tilted his head in displeasure.
“Speak louder, Liaison. I can’t hear you.”
Kael calmly lifted his gaze, not looking away, and said clearly, “You want to spend the evening with Violet?”
A pause hung for a second, but he didn’t even wait for an answer.
A faint chuckle slipped from Kael’s lips, and he added with contempt, “That’s sothing you’ll only get in your dreams… and with a little help from your own hand.”
Those who understood the imperial language fell abruptly silent, and the tension in the air beca palpable. It seed they simply couldn’t believe what they had heard.
Kael had crossed a line others were afraid even to approach. And he did it without hesitation.
Valkeris’s jaw slowly clenched, the muscles in his face twitching, and a vicious, almost animalistic rage flared in his eyes. For a mont, it was as if he didn’t believe what he had heard, as though his mind refused to accept being addressed like that.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
The next instant, his fingers loosened, and he shoved Violet away sharply, as if she had suddenly lost all value to him.
With a sharp motion, he sprang to his feet, and the chair shot back with a crash.
“Do you even understand what you’ve just done, dog?” he roared, stepping forward.
His voice grew louder, harsher—there was no trace of mockery left in it.
“I am the law here,” he continued, not hiding the threat. “From this day on, consider your life a chain of suffering.”
At that, Kael only raised an eyebrow, looking at him without a trace of reaction.
“You’re the law here?” he repeated calmly. “Save those fairy tales for the ones who kiss your ass.”
There was no shouting or excess sharpness in his voice, but the contempt was unmistakable.
Straightening slightly, he continued more seriously, not taking his eyes off Valkeris, “I’ve managed to learn a few things about you.”
Kael’s lips twitched into a cold smirk, and he went on, “It’s amusing that many, when talking about you, were surprised… how the Academy’s Headmaster could end up with such a rotten great-grandson.”
Those words landed heavier than the previous ones.
A smile slowly spread across Valkeris’s face, but there was not a hint of amusent in it—only a baring of teeth filled with malice.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at Kael differently now, and hissed, “You’ve said enough, Liaison.”
A cold, restrained fury crept into his voice—far more dangerous than his earlier outburst.
“I suggest you move out onto the streets of the Capital,” he continued, taking a step forward. “Starting today, it will be far more convenient and safer for you there…”
With those words, Valkeris sharply raised his hand and, not hiding his anger, snapped, “Teach the bastard a lesson… and throw him out into the street.”
The order rang out clearly.
Almost imdiately, the mages at the table began to rise. One by one, without unnecessary words, about two dozen of them stood, pushing their chairs aside and turning toward Kael. There was no haste in their movents, but there was a clear familiarity with such commands.
At that sa mont, Violet seized the opportunity.
Stepping forward sharply, she grabbed Estelle by the hand and pulled her toward her, not giving her a chance to stay behind.
Valkeris imdiately turned, noticing the movent, and with a contemptuous smirk threw out, “Hm… So the two of you have also decided to go live on the streets?”
He lazily shook his head, as if speaking of sothing obvious, and added, “You don’t appreciate the Capital’s generosity. You were given free housing and food… and this is how you repay ?”
Estelle flinched, and this ti she didn’t hold back.
“Go to hell!” she shouted, her voice breaking.
The mont the words left her lips, Violet didn’t hesitate. Grabbing her, she poured mana into her legs and pushed off the ground sharply. Their bodies shot upward, vaulting over the table, sending dishes and bottles clattering and scattering in all directions.
Landing on the other side of the table, they imdiately dashed forward, straight toward Kael, without slowing down.
Kael only narrowed his eyes, not paying attention to Violet and Estelle running toward him, and continued to look directly at Valkeris.
“You’re allowed a great deal…” he said calmly, and a clear threat crept into his voice. “But you are not all-powerful. Elder Cornelius is interested in the well-being of the mages of Lasthold, so I suggest you rein in your appetites.”
This ti, his words carried a different weight.
For a fraction of a second, Valkeris froze—and everyone noticed. His lackeys exchanged glances, and a flicker of doubt passed between them, though it was quickly suppressed.
Malzir, who had been silently observing from the side until now, leaned forward slightly and almost whispered, nervously wiping his hands on his robe, “Young Lord Valkeris… it’s said that Cornelius may soon beco a Magister. It’s better not to provoke him…”
But Valkeris didn’t even let him finish.
Turning his head sharply, he barked, “The Imperial Academy largely belongs to House Logarius! Cornelius has no authority here!”
Malzir flinched, his greasy hair shifting to reveal a bald patch. Still, he cautiously continued, trying to speak more gently, “That may be so… but the Scholars’ Guild is on very good terms with the Academy’s Headmaster… It would be foolish—”
Valkeris clenched his teeth, not listening to the end. His gaze locked onto Kael again, now filled with open hatred.
“If I let such an insult pass…” he ground out. “What will my reputation be worth then?”
Kael tilted his head slightly, as if assessing him, and unexpectedly replied calmly, “You are a descendant of a great House, Valkeris. That ans you should have at least so sense.”
A brief pause hung in the hall. And then sothing no one expected followed.
“I propose a compromise,” Kael declared firmly.
Valkeris only snorted contemptuously, the corner of his lips twitching.
“Trash like you dares to propose to —”
But Kael didn’t even let him finish, cutting him off calmly, without any haste, “To prove your authority, the three of us will leave the Student Quarter.”
He spoke evenly, as if it were already decided, and after holding Valkeris’s gaze for a mont, added, “Given our circumstances, surviving on the streets while continuing our studies will be extrely difficult… almost a guaranteed expulsion from the Imperial Academy.”
Deliberately holding a short pause, Kael tilted his head slightly to the side and asked, “Is that punishnt sufficient?”
The hall grew quieter.
Even those who had been ready to intervene froze for a mont, trying to process what they had just heard.
Valkeris did not answer imdiately either. His gaze beca more focused, colder, and beneath the irritation, sothing more calculating began to show.
“I can threaten them… I can make their lives miserable…” crossed Valkeris’s mind. “But I can’t throw them out directly. And if they leave on their own…”
Kael caught that hesitation.
Almost imperceptible—but enough for him to know he had struck the right point.
Not giving him ti to reconsider, Kael imdiately added, in the sa calm tone, “I also won’t ntion this incident to Elder Cornelius.”
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Kael added, “All I ask is that you don’t touch my people until they learn the language.”
His gaze briefly swept over those kneeling, lingering for a mont on Aiden, before he calmly continued, “I think so of them will choose to serve you on their own. Right now, they don’t understand you… and you’re simply frightening them.”
The tension hung in the hall again—but now it was of a different kind.
Several lackeys exchanged glances, and Valkeris’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly. He considered it, weighing Kael’s words, and a cold calculation flickered in his eyes.
Letting out a quiet snort, he slowly nodded to himself.
“I’ve never had any experience subjugating savages like you…” he drawled with open disdain. “You don’t even understand the language.”
He shifted his gaze to Kael, narrowing his eyes.
“Perhaps you’re right, Liaison.”
With that, he made a sharp gesture with his hand, as if casting the whole situation aside, and, louder now, with clear irritation, shouted, “Get out of here! If I see you in the Student Quarter again—I won’t let you leave in one piece!”
Kael only gave a short nod, then turned to his people.
Girren and Gilsh had already risen, while Roselle and Lissandra stood slightly behind, confused and frightened, clearly not fully understanding what was happening.
Switching to the language of Lasthold, Kael spoke quickly and calmly, “It’s fine, don’t worry. Gather all our things, and we’ll et at the Academy tomorrow.”
Then, glancing at Roselle, he nodded toward the blonde standing beside Violet and added, “Gather this girl’s belongings as well.”
Girren and Gilsh exchanged a brief look, then nodded confidently. Roselle and Lissandra did the sa, still processing everything, but already understanding that the worst had been avoided.
“Out!” Valkeris barked again, losing the last of his composure. “My patience isn’t infinite!”
Kael only gave Violet and Estelle a soft smile, trying to ease the tension at least a little, and said briefly, “Let’s go.”
They turned, preparing to leave, but had not even taken a few steps when a voice ca from the crowd behind them—steady, emotionless, tinged with exhaustion—and said, “Can I co with you?”
Kael stopped and turned.
Dorian was looking at him.
There was such weariness in his gaze, as if an unbearable weight had been placed upon his shoulders. He looked neither angry nor afraid—only utterly drained.
Kael narrowed his eyes for a mont, then gave a crooked smirk.
“Uh… sure. But are you certain?”
Dorian didn’t even answer imdiately. He simply stood up, paying no attention to the looks around him or to the situation itself, and calmly walked toward them.
“After tonight, there’s too much filth and trash here…” Dorian muttered tiredly as he passed by. “Both literally and figuratively.”
He was already moving on, as if the conversation were over, and, lowering his gaze slightly, muttered under his breath, “I can’t take this anymore… Even the streets would be better… We’ll clean up so corner… build a shack… Maybe fix up so narrow alley…”
Kael only chuckled quietly, overhearing Dorian’s muttering. Shaking his head, he moved after him, heading toward the exit of the dormitory together with Violet and Estelle.
And as soon as the doors closed behind them, silence fell over the hall once more.
It hung heavily, pressing down on everyone present, as if what had happened had not yet settled in their minds.
Valkeris slowly lowered himself back into his seat, not taking his eyes off the door through which Kael had just disappeared. His lackeys followed suit, one by one taking their places, though the previous ease was no longer in their movents.
“Why isn’t the music playing?!” Valkeris barked sharply.
The musician flinched and imdiately struck up a lively, fast lody that sounded out of place, almost absurd against what had just happened.
Valkeris swept his gaze over the girls still at the table and, with a careless wave of his hand, said, “Let them go. These empty dolls can’t even talk to us anyway…”
So of those sitting nearby exchanged displeased glances, but did not argue. The girls were roughly pushed away from the table, with gestures telling them to get out. They hurriedly stood and, without raising their eyes, quickly blended into the crowd.
Seiran, sitting off to the side, leaned a little closer and cautiously asked, “Are you sure you should’ve let them go so easily?”
Valkeris gave a quiet snort, not taking his eyes off the table.
“And who said I let them go?”
He lazily tapped his fingernail against the table, and a cold glint returned to his eyes.
“Do you think I don’t have ways to teach them a lesson on the streets of the Capital?”
A slow smile spread across his lips, filled with anticipation.
“For starters, I’ll wait until they hit rock bottom…” he said quietly. “And when they’re at their lowest, I’ll show them it can get even worse…”
✦ ✦ ✦
At that very mont, Kael, Dorian, Violet, and Estelle had already moved away from the Fourteenth Dormitory, leaving behind the noise and soone else’s will.
They walked in silence, and no one hurried to speak. Each was imrsed in their own thoughts, and the silence between them felt heavy, yet at the sa ti necessary.
But suddenly, it was broken by a quiet sob.
Kael stopped and turned around.
Tears were already streaming down Estelle’s cheeks.
She tried to hold herself together, but the emotions she had been suppressing all this ti finally broke free. Her shoulders trembled faintly, and her breathing faltered.
Violet imdiately stepped closer, hurriedly wiping the tears from her face. She wanted to say sothing, to support her, but the words wouldn’t co, and that only made her helplessness more apparent.
Seeing this, Kael stepped forward and gently took Estelle’s hands.
“I’m sorry we dragged you into this,” he said softly.
At those words, Estelle raised her gaze to him.
Her eyes were wet, her lashes trembling, and upon hearing him, she only broke down even more.
“N-no…” she managed, shaking her head. “It’s not your fault…”
The words ca with difficulty, her voice breaking, her breathing uneven.
“It’s just… I don’t know what to do now…”
She inhaled sharply, trying to gather herself, but her thoughts only tangled further.
“My money won’t be enough to live in the city…” she sobbed. “And if I work more, I won’t be able to study… And if I get expelled from the Academy…”
She didn’t finish.
Anxious thoughts ca one after another, building and spiraling, not letting her stop.
But at that mont, she felt Kael’s fingers tighten slightly around her hands.
Estelle froze involuntarily, staring at him.
Kael looked at her calmly, without fuss or excess emotion, and in that calm there was sothing steady—almost overwhelming in its certainty.
“Don’t worry,” he said evenly. “I take care of my friends, and since fate brought you to us, I’ll take care of you as well.”
The words sounded simple, without pathos, but there was not a trace of doubt in them.
And in that mont, Kael’s aura seed to change. Like a quiet wave of warmth that washed over her, for a mont muffling all the inner noise. The thoughts that had been racing through Estelle’s mind suddenly retreated, leaving behind a strange, unfamiliar silence.
She blinked, as if not fully understanding what she had just felt.
“But… how?” she asked quietly, still looking at him with doubt. “You’ve only just arrived in the Capital... You have neither money nor connections...”
Dorian’s voice ca from nearby. He stood with his head slightly tilted, looking at Kael with a carefree expression.
“Do you have so kind of plan, Kael?” he asked calmly. “I thought you were just improvising…”
Letting go of Estelle’s hands, Kael lowered his gaze for a mont and, thoughtfully rubbing his chin, said calmly, “I don’t have a plan… but I do have an idea.”
He grimaced slightly, as if he himself wasn’t entirely satisfied with what he was about to suggest, and added, “Not the best one. But given that we don’t have a choice…”
Noticing that hesitation, Estelle tensed slightly.
“And what kind of idea is that?” she asked quietly.
Kael lifted his gaze and looked at each of them in turn, lingering a second longer than necessary, as if gauging their reactions in advance.
“Do you know where we can get so good alcohol?”
For a few seconds, confusion hung between them.
Dorian frowned and, tilting his head slightly, said with a hint of doubt, “Your idea is that we get drunk? I an, I’m not against it… but I doubt that will help us.”
Kael rolled his eyes, letting out a short breath.
“No, of course not…” he began, but imdiately faltered and grimaced slightly before adding, “Well… I an, we might have to drink…”
He closed his eyes for a second, clearly realizing how unconvincing it sounded, then explained more evenly, “If we don’t want to spend the night on the street, we’ll have to negotiate a deferred rent paynt. The alcohol is for negotiations.”
Estelle herself didn’t understand at what exact mont she had stopped crying.
Kael’s words sounded far too calm for their situation, and because of that, sothing inside her seed to shift. What just a minute ago had felt like a dead end suddenly began to feel different—not like an end, but like a strange, almost absurd turn.
She took a deep breath, lifting her gaze to the sky.
The dark sky was strewn with stars, and the sight unexpectedly helped her to gather her thoughts.
“There’s a good distillery near where I work…” she said quietly, still looking upward.
Kael gave a short nod, as if that answer was enough.
“Then let’s hurry. The night is just beginning.”
He didn’t wait, imdiately setting the pace and heading for the exit of the Student Quarter.
Violet exchanged a glance with Dorian for a mont, then with Estelle. None of them fully understood what exactly they were getting into, but there was too much confidence in Kael’s actions to question him.
They simply followed.
The night around them felt cold, almost alien, yet at the sa ti clean. The darkness didn’t press down, but instead seed to hide what was unnecessary, and the stars overhead seed to quietly remind them that even in the worst situation, there was still a path forward.
User Comments
0 comments from readers