Chapter 98: My Dear Count
Dusk gradually drew to a close, and the Arcane Hall fell dark.
This farce of a battle had continued all the way into the evening.
The defeated grew more and more nurous, and the students remaining inside the Arcane Hall fewer and fewer.
The Professors and lecturers had long since left—they still had their own responsibilities to see to.
As for those students?
Well, they didn't feel like studying anymore anyway—so what was there to manage?
The gifted students who had seen through things early on watched the spectacle for a while, then gradually drifted away, just as Erika had done.
But for having never stepped onto the stage themselves.
A flicker of resentnt stirred in the hearts of those who had failed.
If those people had also stepped up and tried...
There would surely have been hope.
Surely, they could have made Professor Viktor take a step.
Their inaction had turned the fantasy of a universal pass into nothing but empty air.
When the last cluster of students who had banded together were sent tumbling off the stage by Viktor's magic, there was no longer a single person left with any right to step up and challenge him.
Viktor withdrew his magic. The vines and blossoms on the stage gradually withered and faded, dissolving back into a haze of green Magic Power that drifted back onto his Coat.
A faint green light flickered softly, and the magic arena returned to its usual silence.
The audience below was completely still. In the vast, empty Arcane Hall, the only sound that could be heard was Viktor's footsteps.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Viktor walked to the entrance of the Arcane Hall. The defeated students behind him watched his retreating silhouette in silence.
His hands never moved—yet the doors swung slowly open on their own.
The last light of the setting sun slanted into the hall, falling across Viktor's figure and casting itself across the faces of the defeated students—each one dim and drained of luster.
"It seems your ability falls short of your confidence."
"Class dismissed."
The Crow on his shoulder suddenly turned its head, its single eye sweeping over them—seeming to mock every last one of the failures.
In the instant Viktor stepped out of the Arcane Hall, countless jet-black feathers rained down from the sky, enveloping him entirely.
As though ten thousand Crows had descended at once, a Crow-dark radiance shot toward the distant horizon.
By the ti they ca back to their senses, Viktor's figure had already vanished without a trace.
Only a single tail feather remained on the ground—like the parting trick of a charlatan.
The students still said nothing, as though lost in so illusion they had not yet managed to shake free from.
The shadow the Arcane Hall had cast was etched into every one of their hearts.
***
《Chief Professor Takes On Thousands Alone—Refuses to Yield a Single Step Against Hundreds of Students—》
《He Declared: Make Him Move a Step and Everyone Passes the End-of-Term Exam!》
《Shocking—The Untold Story of Chief Professor Viktor at the Royal Magic Academy》
The Second Prince leafed through the news in his hand, a beautiful Maidservant beside him feeding him plump, glistening grapes.
He ate and read at the sa ti, laughing out loud whenever he ca across sothing amusing in the papers.
"Impressive—truly impressive. As expected of Council mber Clavena."
"Riding high right now."
All at once, the Second Prince set the newspaper down and said to the Maidservant beside him with a pleasant smile:
"You may go now. Oh—and don't forget to leave the fruit."
The Maidservant bowed in acknowledgnt, placed a plate of grapes on the table before the Second Prince, curtsied, and slowly withdrew.
From the Second Prince's sleeve, a mass of Black Ink ca crawling out.
The little toad scrambled onto the table at speed, shot out its long tongue, curled up a particularly large grape, and swallowed it whole.
Only after finishing did it speak, unhurriedly:
"That so-called companion of yours—when exactly is it going to show up?"
The Second Prince was entirely unrattled, responding with a smile.
"What's the rush?"
"My dear elder brother is coming back tomorrow. The grand gift I've prepared for him is naturally not ant to make its entrance just yet."
The toad let out a satisfied belch, eyeing the Second Prince, sensing the dense emotional undercurrents radiating from him.
"Tsk."
A mighty Demon like itself—reduced to eating grapes.
How utterly absurd.
***
"From now on, take this with you whenever you go out."
In the Study, Viktor called Heni before him. With a flip of his hand, a small red crocodile appeared in his palm.
Heni was a little startled.
"This... isn't this Mr. Crocodile?"
Mr. Crocodile—what an interesting nickna.
The little crocodile was set down on the writing desk by Viktor, drowsing away.
As though sensing sothing, it lifted its head. The instant it caught sight of Viktor, its entire body gave a visible jolt.
"Big bro!"
The crocodile even seed to attempt rising to its feet, raising its little claws in a respectful salute toward Viktor.
Weija shot Viktor a speechless glance.
How on earth had this perfectly good Demon of Wrath been trained into this state?
Viktor paid no attention to Weija's pointed look, and simply tapped the desk lightly with his finger, saying evenly:
"Didn't you say you liked the scent on her?"
"From today onward, you stay by her side and protect her at all tis, and your strength will be at her disposal."
"But don't forget what I told you—keep your temper under control."
The little crocodile gave a shiver. Hearing these words, it nodded rapidly:
"Understood, bro!"
"From now on, I'll treat her like royalty!"
Never mind being under soone's roof—Laiton had already breathed a quiet sigh of relief in advance.
Not having to stay with Viktor anymore was, for it, absolutely a liberation.
It had never imagined that it, a Primordial Demon, would one day find itself afraid of a human being.
Heni still hadn't quite caught up with what was happening, a sowhat bewildered expression on her face. She looked down and found the crocodile gazing up at her with a pitiful pair of eyes.
But she wasn't paying attention to the pitiful crocodile—she was turning Viktor's words over in her mind instead.
The Professor wants it to protect ...
Is he worried about ?
Heni was still deep in thought when she heard Viktor speak:
"Mm—you may go."
"O... okay, Professor."
Heni carefully scooped the crocodile into her palm and turned to leave.
Only once Heni had gone did Weija spread its wings and say, in its rasping voice:
"Viktor—I genuinely cannot believe you're willing to keep sothing this utterly vile around!"
Its tone dripped with unambiguous disdain.
After all, it had said as much before—as a noble God, Evil God or not, it found these repulsive things deeply tireso.
Viktor simply replied, unbothered:
"You once entered a Contract with a repulsive toad yourself—and deceived the thing on top of it."
"Pot and kettle."
With that, Viktor tapped the writing desk. A book appeared in his hand of its own accord.
In the stillness of the Study, the only sound left was the occasional turn of a page.
***
The sun revealed its rosy face to the welcoming embrace of morning clouds.
The streets of the Royal Capital today were alive with noise and excitent.
People gathered along the sides of the road, gazing ahead at the procession of returning Mounted retinue, looking on with lively curiosity.
The army marched in a perfectly organized formation, advancing into the Royal Capital.
Their iron armor clattered against itself in steady rhythm, and the horses beneath them trod the streets in even steps.
At the very head of the procession was a man clad in golden armor. A plu of silver horsehair rose from his golden helt, and he walked along the street with a broad smile, nodding and greeting the citizens around him from ti to ti.
Even the dogs at the roadside seed to settle down at the sight, tongues out and tails wagging, welcoming the returning victors.
Behind him, an enormous open-top Carriage rolled along the road.
The massive dragon skull, resting within what looked like a cage of steel, lay there in silence.
Aubeny Sorel.
Today was the day of this First Prince's triumphant return. The slain dragon's head would be paraded through the streets for the entire day.
The crowd gazed at the enormous dragon skull and burst into animated chatter:
"That must be the dragon's head—the First Prince is incredible!"
"They say His Majesty the Emperor once slew a dragon himself, back in the day."
"Praise His Majesty, praise His Highness the First Prince—may they watch over us common folk and keep us safe from worry."
Accompanied by the colorful banners and cheers lining the streets, the residents smiled and sent up waves of celebratory praise for the army.
After all—this was a dragon's skull.
The dragon race were powerful beings straight out of legend.
Not only did they boast lifespans asured in the thousands of years, they also held extraordinary mastery over the elents.
According to ancient lore, dragons were the guardian emissaries of nature itself.
They were existences capable of razing an entire city to the ground.
Those who could slay a dragon were few and far between—the achievent reached heights that the average person could scarcely fathom.
Yet the festive mood had not spread to every corner of the Royal Capital.
Inside the Clavena Manor, Leah swayed her way to the Training Ground and found Viktor there.
At this mont, Viktor was directing Auréliane.
"Yes—that posture. Hold it."
"Don't move."
Auréliane held a Knight's longsword in both hands, arms suspended in the air, blade held out before her.
The longsword was enormously heavy. Auréliane's face had gone red with the effort.
Beads of sweat began to erge on her brow, rolling down her cheeks.
Cilia, the guard standing nearby, watched the scene with her heart aching. The more she recalled just how grueling her own training had been, the sorrier she felt for the Princess.
But this was the Princess's teacher's requirent—she had no authority to interfere. She could only turn to Viktor and demand:
"Viktor, what is the aning of this?"
"The Princess is a Mage. Do you understand what a Mage is?!"
"You're having the Princess train with a sword? Are you telling a Mage needs to practice close-range combat? Or are you claiming you know swordcraft yourself?"
Leah ca walking over with a slight frown, caught sight of the scene, and forgot whatever she had been planning to say. She simply said, standing beside Cilia with a calm tone:
"He does. You needn't trouble yourself over that."
"Uh..."
A Mage who knew swordcraft?
Cilia was left completely at a loss.
Auréliane endured for a little while longer before she was forced to set the longsword down, propping it against the ground as she caught her breath in ragged gasps.
Her stamina still wasn't quite there yet.
After resting only briefly, Auréliane spoke again:
"Teacher—I can keep going."
Viktor took the longsword from her hands and said evenly:
"I know you can. But the practice can stop for now."
"Since early this morning I've been sensing the noise from outside. Tell —what's happening out there?"
Leah gave a sowhat resigned shrug.
"And here I thought our esteed Mage already knew."
She composed herself, adopting a sowhat more serious tone.
"You'd best prepare yourself. The First Prince has returned."
"When a Prince cos back with spoils of war, all the nobility is expected to be there to welco and congratulate him."
"You are no exception, my dear Count."
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