Seeing the door click shut, the four of them stood still, exchanging slightly confused looks.
A guilty expression crept onto Jasmine's face.
"...I didn't think he'd actually leave. Besides, is there even soone he's close enough with to stay in their room?"
Nol ca to mind, but his room only had one bed. Unless they planned on sharing it—a thought Jasmine imdiately dismissed—Azriel wouldn't have gone there. No matter how close the two were.
And yet, for reasons she couldn't quite grasp, Nol never ca to Azriel's room either, despite it having multiple bedrooms.
Azriel did say that he was going to be on the floor beneath them, which was Lumine's room.
So, were they actually much closer than she thought?
Iryndra lingered by the door, her gaze fixed on it as if expecting him to co back. After a mont, she turned toward the others, her expression filled with concern.
"Did sothing happen to Big Brother today?"
She directed the question specifically at Celestina, who blinked at her before offering a gentle smile. Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire
"Nothing much," Celestina replied, "except for the fact that he managed to defeat a grade 3 demon all on his own."
For a mont, silence filled the room. Then Amaya broke it, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"H-he what? Defeating a grade 3 demon on his own as a grade 1 interdiate? This has to be a joke, right?"
Celestina shook her head calmly.
"No, the instructors confird it themselves, and Azriel didn't deny it. The grade-3 demon originally had a mana collar strong enough to suppress it, but the collar broke, and he still managed to take it down."
Jasmine's expression darkened, her face turning cold, while Amaya's jaw tightened, her eyes hardening.
Iryndra, however, seed unfazed by the revelation. Her golden eyes remained locked on the door. Ignoring the others, she spoke quietly, almost to herself.
"...But then, why did it feel like he was sad..?"
*****
The sun had already set. The wind howled through the streets, carrying a sharp chill, while soft droplets of rain pattered rhythmically against the pavent.
Azriel adjusted the collar of his black coat, its fabric damp from the rain. He had changed into it after a brief stop at Nol's room, pairing it with equally dark pants. His steps were purposeful as he entered a tall building.
This was where many of the instructors and staff from the Hero Academy stayed. Not everyone lived here, of course, but it was far more convenient than commuting every day.
Azriel stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the correct floor. The faint hum of the machinery accompanied him as he ascended, his reflection staring back at him from the polished tal doors. Once he arrived, he walked down a quiet hallway, his boots clicking softly against the tiled floor, until he reached a specific door.
Leaning casually against the wall beside it was Nol, his hand covering a yawn. Hearing the approaching footsteps, Nol turned his head, his expression brightening instantly.
"Master, you're finally here!"
A faint smile tugged at Azriel's lips as he approached. Nol's energy was infectious, even at tis like this.
"Was it difficult?" Azriel asked.
Nol shook his head, though his eyes grew sharper.
"Not at all. He was only a grade 2 dormant. I searched his room thoroughly but found nothing. Are you sure it's him, Master?"
Azriel nodded.
"It is. There's no one else. But I'll take over from here. You can rest now—I'll contact you later about our next moves."
Nol hesitated, his disappointnt evident. Scratching his head, he sighed deeply.
"Alright... but, Master..."
His tone shifted, and Azriel noticed the seriousness in Nol's expression.
"You promised we'd go out to eat. Rember?"
"Ah…"
Right. Azriel had promised him that—before the incident with the Void Dungeon.
Quickly composing himself, Azriel patted Nol's shoulder.
"After I confirm a few things here, we will. I promise."
Nol studied him for a mont before a wide grin spread across his face. He nodded enthusiastically.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Master! Goodnight!"
"...Goodnight."
As Nol walked away, Azriel's smile faded. He turned toward the door, his expression hardening. Without hesitation, he stepped inside. The door had been left slightly ajar.
Once inside, he closed it behind him, his hand brushing over the light switch. A soft click later, the room was bathed in the dim, artificial glow of a single overhead bulb.
The apartnt was small—just a one-bedroom unit—but chaos ruled here. Furniture was overturned, papers were scattered across the floor, and shards of glass glinted beneath the light.
In the middle of the room sat a man, bound to a wooden chair. His wrists were tied tightly behind him, and a cloth gagged his mouth. His eyes, wide with desperation, locked onto Azriel. Muffled pleas escaped his lips, though his words were incomprehensible.
Azriel approached calmly, unbothered by the ss or the man's frantic struggles. Reaching out, he removed the cloth from the man's mouth, then conjured a throne of ice behind himself. Taking a seat, Azriel rested his chin on his fist, gazing down at the man with an unreadable expression.
"Haa… Haa… Y-your Highness!" the man stamred, his voice shaking. "Thank the gods it's you! Please, you've got to untie ! So lunatic barged into my room and tied up after trashing the place!"
The desperation in his voice was palpable, his wide eyes filled with fear.
Azriel's crimson eyes bore into the man, devoid of warmth. His silence stretched, and the oppressive weight of his gaze made the instructor squirm. Under that piercing stare, the man's heart raced uncontrollably, each beat pounding against his chest like a warning bell.
Realization dawned on him in a cold wave. That silver-haired boy wasn't just anyone—he belonged to the prince.
Azriel tore his gaze away, his expression unreadable, and began surveying the disheveled room. His voice broke the silence, calm and neutral:
"At first, I suspected Instructor Juliet. But then, I reconsidered. If she had done sothing like this and Solomon found evidence, he'd have seized the opportunity to remove her. She's too afraid to act recklessly with Instructor Ranni and Solomon still around. So, it couldn't have been her. For a mont, I thought maybe I was overthinking it. I an, these days, my head's a ss. I won't deny that. Funny, isn't it? The only ti my mind feels clear is when I'm in so kind of... fucked-up situation."
Azriel licked his lips, his gaze returning to the bound man. He continued, his tone sharp yet detached:
"But then I rembered sothing—sothing the book barely ntioned. It glossed over a detail that didn't seem important back then. But now... Now I realize there was an instructor, wasn't there? Soone with ties to the underground world. And who just so happened to work on developing the mana collars used in today's void hunting test."
The man's eyes widened in shock as Azriel's narrowed, his suspicion solidifying.
"Isn't that right, Instructor Drew?"
"I-I..." Drew stamred, his voice trembling.
"P-please... forgive , Your Highness."
Azriel's face remained impassive, unmoved by the desperate plea.
"Who hired you?"
"W-what?"
"You heard ." Azriel's voice grew colder, cutting through the man's rising panic.
"You're not bold enough to tamper with mana collars unless soone paid you. Who ordered this?"
Drew hesitated, his lips trembling as sweat dripped down his face.
"Y-Your Highness, if I tell you anything... they'll kill . Please, I needed the money. Even as an instructor, I couldn't pay off my debts."
Azriel's gaze hardened, his voice dropping to a chilling monotone.
"It seems you're mistaken, Instructor Drew. No matter what answer you give , you're already dead."
"W-what?"
"Did you really think I'm so rciful prince? The mont you accepted that deal—one that endangered and potentially everyone I care about—you sealed your fate. Your answer only decides how you'll die."
"Y-you can't kill ! I'm still an instructor, and—AH!"
Drew's face drained of color. He opened his mouth to protest, but before he could finish, a sharp cry escaped him as his left ear fell to the ground. Blood spilled, only for the wound to freeze over instantly as Azriel sealed it with ice.
"AAAH! YOU MONSTER! I-I'LL KILL YOU!"
Azriel, unfazed, stepped behind him and began tapping the back of his neck with an icy calm.
"Threatening in your current position? Unwise. Speak, or I'll remove sothing more vital next."
Void Eater materialized in Azriel's hand, its cold edge pressing against Drew's neck. Drew's trembling grew violent as the sharp edge slid downward, inching closer to his spine.
"I-I..." Drew bit his lip, his voice breaking.
"I only know them as FreeWings. They contacted m- through a burner phone. They promised to wire 500,000 velts if I tampered with the mana collars, making them remote-controlled. P-please, Your Highness... forgive . That's all I know. They haven't even sent the m-money yet..!"
Silence fell. Drew sobbed, his body trembling as the cold edge of Void Eater lingered against his neck.
Then, without warning, the chair he was bound to tipped backward. Drew cried out as he hit the floor with a thud.
Azriel dismissed his blade and rubbed his face with a groan.
"You absolute idiot. Do you even understand what you've done?"
"H-huh?" Drew's voice was barely audible.
Azriel gripped his hair and yanked his head upward, forcing Drew to et his furious gaze.
"Making a deal with that lunatic? Did you sell your brain to pay off your debts?!"
Drew froze, the pain in his scalp overwheld by the venom in Azriel's voice.
"You didn't even think to do a bit of research? Those devils are unpredictable, especially that lunatic. Forget about —this entire academy might be at risk now!"
"I... I didn't..." Drew's words faltered.
Before he could finish, Azriel slamd his head into the floor, knocking a few teeth loose.
"To think they're targeting now instead of Lumine..." Azriel muttered, pacing the room in frustration.
"I'll have to deal with them before my family gets dragged into this ss like Lumine and Yelena's were. Dammit. They should've been focused on Lumine, not . And yet here I am, dealing with villains straight out of the later stages of the damn story!"
He ran both hands through his hair, exhaling sharply. His gaze returned to Drew, now barely conscious.
"Still, what the hell is my luck?"
"Y-Your Hwighnessh..." Drew whimpered.
Azriel stepped toward him, summoning Void Eater once more. Drew's eyes widened in horror as the blade hovered above him.
"Instructor Drew..." Azriel's voice was calm, almost gentle.
"In your next life... maybe stay away from gambling."
Before Drew could utter another word, the blade descended, and darkness consud him.
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