Chapter 78 - Meanwhile (1/2)

ARTHUR LEYWIN’S POV:

“Hey, Art.  I thought we were heading back to your home; where’re we going?” Elijah looked at me after noticing we took a different turn on the way back to Helstea Manor.

“There’s a place I need to stop by first.  Don’t worry, it’ll be a quick detour,” I answered as I sped up with Sylvie on my head.

“Wait up!”

When we reached the destination, I couldn’t help but let out a disappointed breath, my shoulders dropping.

“I thought so…” I mumbled to myself.

“Xyrus Elixers?  Did you need to buy something from here?  It’s almost midnight; of course it’s closed.”  Elijah cupped his eyes over the front gla.s.s door in hopes to spot someone inside.

“It’s nothing.  Let’s head back home,” I let out a sigh in disappointment.  As I was about to turn away from the building, a shiny object caught in the crevice of the aged alley leading to “Xyrus Elixirs” caught my attention.

As I kneeled down to retrieve it, my eyes narrowed.  It was an orb similar to the one used on Tess, except, instead of rainbow speckles inside, there were golden flakes floating within.  Attached to the small marble-sized orb was a crudely written note saying:

“Your little Princess will probably need this”

“What are you staring so intently at?” Elijah leans over my shoulder to see.

I crumple up the piece of parchment and put the orb inside my dimension ring.

“Let’s head back home first, Elijah.  I’ll need to tell my family that I might have to miss a couple more days of school after.  Go back to school tomorrow and tell everyone that I’m okay and safe,” I pat my best friend’s shoulder and give him a rea.s.suring smile in response to his concerned expression.

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you about everything after I’m back.” With that, Elijah gives me an accepting nod back.

­__________________________________________________________

The day after~

KATHYLN GLAYDER’S POV:

After finding out what happened down at the dungeon from my brother, I was shocked.  I almost wanted to blame him, to blame Professor Glory, to blame someone but I know it wasn’t anyone’s fault.  Why do I always feel this way when it came to Arthur?

Besides, he already had the Student Council President.  Well, I’m not sure of that, but I just have a feeling that there was something going on.

I shook my head.  Why was I placing more importance on his love life than his actual life?

Arthur is going to be okay, right?  He’s just that type of person.  No matter what situation arises, he always manages to come back with a nonchalant smile on his face that always calms me.

I’m confident that he’ll be okay!

I’m sure of it…

“Ugh…”

Surprised that I let out an audible groan, I quickly covered my mouth, hoping that no one heard something so disgraceful.  After checking that I was alone, I exhaled a sharp breath of relief.

It had been rather stressful these days being a disciplinary committee officer.  I a.s.sumed things would stay quiet after the formation of the Disciplinary Committee – almost to the point of wondering if we were even needed, but recently some unforeseen circ.u.mstances have been brought to our attention.

Claire Bladeheart, our leader, pulled each of us aside a few of days ago.  While explaining the cause, she implied this would stay a secret from Arthur for now because of the relation he has to the events.

I wanted to rebut then, but I decided to hear her out.  Claire had been secretly gathering information with Kai, who specializes in stealth.  It seems that there was a radical group that was dissatisfied with the direction the Academy was heading towards recently.

This group was made up of only humans, and from the few faces that Kai was able to catch a glimpse of, they were all from rather high up n.o.ble families.

One particular n.o.ble that was spotted was named Charles Ravenpor.  His father was on rather close terms with mine, but strictly business.  Father would always grumble in dissatisfaction after having a meeting with Mr. Ravenpor because of how ill-mannered and self-centered he was.

The reason Claire did not want to involve Arthur just yet was because Arthur was actually one of the main reasons this radical cult-like group started. There was a big faction from this group that thought Arthur did not belong in this Academy because of his humble background.  The fact that he was a professor on top having the privilege of taking upper division cla.s.ses fueled the already built hatred that some of the envious royal students had.

We weren’t allowed to confront them as of yet because of the lack of evidence, and the fact that they haven’t really done anything bad, but from the looks of it, there were even some professors of this Academy supporting them, making it all the more difficult to rashly make a move.

It wasn’t until yesterday, however, that some of the radical group members started to act.

It was one of my cla.s.smates, Denton.  We had the same second period together under Arth—Professor Arthur.  He was actually one of the students that strongly opposed Professor Arthur teaching a cla.s.s that was so important in building foundations as this.  However, he warmed up to him, rather he looked up to him now.

Denton… was found battered and naked while hung upside down from one of the statues in our campus for all of the pa.s.sing students to see.

Director Goodsky was still away so her a.s.sistant, Tricia, and Professor Glory ended up pulling him down and making sure he was okay.

After being questioned, it turned out he had been taken to one of the narrow alleys between the buildings in the back and beat up by the radical group.  From what Claire told me, they wanted to “teach” him how to properly use mana, since they didn’t really think Arthur would be good enough to fulfill the “potential” that he had.

My cla.s.smate ended up becoming a target dummy for various spells after resisting.  After he finally pa.s.sed out, they left him hung upside down, stripped naked, with a note covering his private part that he should drop out of the plebeian’s cla.s.s if he didn’t want this to happen again.