Chapter 289

Chapter 289 – Clearly, It Was Supposed to End Quickly…

The moment the Third Princess stepped onto the raised stage, the cloaked magician offered a respectful bow.

Though it wasn’t a rehearsed routine, she gave a subtle nod of acknowledgment before turning her gaze toward the assembled crowd.

“Respected peers of the academy, please permit me to extend my sincerest regrets first and foremost.”

Uttering those words, she lowered her head in a deep bow, pausing for a brief moment before straightening up to address the crowd once more.

With a composed demeanor, she laid bare the hidden machinations surrounding the recent crisis involving the First Prince and Second Prince—matters completely hidden from the student body—as well as the involvement of the Grand Duke of Muspellun. Yet, the crowd gathered there found it nearly impossible to concentrate on the details of her explanation.

What was the reason?

Her speech was incredibly polite, which was startling enough. But witnessing a direct member of the royal bloodline bow her head in submission was truly unprecedented.

It sent a fresh wave of disbelief through everyone.

Granted, the authority of the royal family had diminished over time with the ascent of powerful noble clans, but royalty remained royalty.

They were the sovereign rulers of the vast Adelian Empire!

To see someone carrying that absolute lineage lower her head in apology?

Standing amidst the onlookers, Aster found the sight deeply jarring.

Yet, the development that truly caught him off guard unfolded immediately afterward.

“…Consequently, I have unintentionally brought unwanted chaos upon all of you, my fellow classmates. I am truly sorry for permitting the sacred Ivory Tower of Knowledge to be defiled by such abhorrent political conflicts. Furthermore…”

Having finished recounting the background events, the Third Princess delivered her next statement.

It was an announcement that even Aster had never foreseen.

Departing from her initial posture, she now bent slightly at the hip in a display of strict aristocratic decorum, elevating her speech to an even more formal tone.

“My own sibling, the prominent Second Prince of the Adelian Empire, Deoric, has chosen to associate with wicked factions. The grief this brings me is beyond words. For his actions… I take it upon myself to offer a solemn apology on behalf of the imperial house.”

…This explained why the Third Princess had adopted such an incredibly submissive attitude.

She wasn’t asking for absolution for any personal transgressions.

Second Prince Deoric de Giggas Adelian.

She was step by step resolving the disaster he had orchestrated, speaking as the representative of the throne itself.

“…”

“…”

The entire pavilion, which had already fallen completely silent upon her arrival, grew utterly freezing.

The students, many of whom had entertained lingering doubts regarding the rumors of the Second Prince conspiring with dark sorcerers, let out low, heavy breaths.

In their minds now, his treasonous partnership with the black mages was an absolute reality. It couldn’t be anything else.

An official apology delivered by royalty, combined with her deeply respectful vocabulary and an earnest speech that disregarded her own pride, provided an undeniable layer of truth.

Meanwhile, Aster’s gaze sharpened beneath the cover of his mask.

‘…Has she lost her mind?’

The tactic was undeniably… potent.

However, he had never anticipated such an extreme, unyielding approach.

The core objective of Aster’s initial strategy was to utilize the agitators to stir the crowd while leveraging the Third Princess’s non-committal attitude to secure an escape hatch later on: ‘What? We never claimed the Second Prince was working with black mages. Didn’t you all just jump to conclusions?’

Directly proclaiming that the ‘anonymous sorcerer’—himself—or Third Princess Bellos was openly shouting ‘the Second Prince is a traitor!’ might provide a momentary rush of satisfaction, but it was bound to trigger an aggressive retaliation.

This approach was akin to…

‘Taking a minor goblin from the local bazaar, inflating it into a massive ogre, and then decapitating that ogre to display as definitive evidence.’

Was she genuinely unhinged?

Aster creased his forehead, quietly analyzing the Third Princess’s behavior. Yet, she showed no signs of madness; she appeared entirely collected.

Holding the audience captive with a moving, genuine speech that lacked any unnecessary flair…

‘…Is this what it looks like when a lie is delivered with absolute conviction?’

Going any further, however, was entering dangerous territory.

From the very beginning, Aster’s only objective was to draw in Pellina, Parun, and the former headmaster, while thoroughly disrupting the Salvatium ritual.

He had no desire for the situation to spiral out of control to this degree.

Consequently.

[Alright, this ought to suffice.]

Aster sent a quiet transmission to Bellos, but no acknowledgment came back from her.

As if completely ignoring him, she remained entirely fixated on swaying the assembly with her intense rhetoric and calculated narratives.

And she did so with such fervor…

“Princess… what can we say? To go to such lengths for our sake.”

“Sniffle.”

A few of the more sensitive listeners were actively dabbing at their tears.

‘…What on earth is this? It’s terrifying.’

How much time slipped away in that manner?

The tense atmosphere dissolved much quicker than anticipated.

The catalyst was the abrupt arrival of a contingent of armed warriors. Aster focused his vision, taking stock of the newcomers.

‘Those individuals…’

The Black Falcon Knights.

One of the elite military divisions belonging to the crown. The warriors, moving in flawless formation, carved a path through the gathering toward the royal daughter, drawing their weapons in a unified salute.

“For the Empire!”

“For the Empire!”

“We have arrived to attend to the Third Princess. Are these the targets?”

“Precisely. Clear them out.”

Following the Third Princess’s directive, the Black Falcon Knights seized the noblemen collapsed across the floor along with the golden horse positioned before Aster, before making a swift exit.

They materialized in a flash and dissolved from view just as rapidly.

Observing the entire sequence.

Aster finally comprehended the source of the Third Princess’s immense confidence.

The Black Falcon Knights.

‘…She managed to bring the First Prince onto her side?’

The underlying strategy was transparent.

To utterly dismantle the Second Prince to the point where any political recovery would be impossible.

No, it went even deeper…

‘To completely eliminate him?’

Indeed, any other conclusion failed to explain the scale of these actions.

Therefore.

Aster made up his mind.

‘…I need to distance myself from this.’

It was always wisest to steer clear of volatile individuals.

The chaotic scene eventually settled, and the crowd that had assembled for the upcoming headmaster’s investiture began to scatter bit by bit.

The academy pupils, intoxicated by an unprecedented event they would likely never witness again, chattered away with immense fervor.

Yet, not everyone was granted the luxury of time.

Immediately following the departure of the Black Falcon Knights, specialized inquisitors aligned with the First Prince’s faction swarmed the area and began detaining the academy’s faculty members.

“Un外部! Remove your hands, you lowlifes! Do you have any idea who I am?! Well?!”

“I-I possess no knowledge of this. I am innocent…”

Those who had been ensnared by the Second Prince’s covert plot offered fierce but ultimately useless resistance.

They possessed the magical capabilities to attempt an escape, but doing so would transform them into permanent outlaws on the run.

Standing upon the elevated stage, Aster monitored the ongoing detentions until he noticed a highly recognizable profile amidst the chaos.

‘That fellow…’

“I shall cooperate without resistance for the time being. I am entirely unaware of the allegations, but given that this is a royal decree, I comply willingly. I only request an opportunity to present my defense at a later date.”

Adopting a slippery, harmless expression that radiated artificial innocence, the individual quietly complying with the inquisitors was none other than Assistant Professor Yorvi.

In a sense, a truly dangerous eccentric.

His status had crashed from the peak of prestige directly into the mud within a single moment, yet he calculated his survival with absolute self-control.

‘Reflecting on it, I never could tolerate that individual.’

Targeting and quietly manipulating pupils out of a bizarre sense of personal inadequacy… Even someone like Aster, who generally ignored the affairs of others, was well aware of it—meaning the man’s actual conduct must have been far more malicious than it appeared on the surface.

Aster silently concluded that the man was merely reaping what he sowed and resolved to look away, but his feet moved toward the lead inquisitor anyway.

“Ahem. Wait a moment.”

“State your identity.”

“I am an agent in service to Her Highness the Third Princess. I possess critical information for your team.”

“Speak your piece.”

“Well, the matter is…”

What would be the most effective angle?

Right, sticking to the unvarnished reality.

“That individual right there is the mastermind behind the operation.”

“The mastermind…?”

“Your interrogation will inevitably uncover it regardless, but the vast majority of the junior faculty involved were manipulated by that man’s deceptive rhetoric. He possesses a highly persuasive tongue, so you would be wise to exercise extreme vigilance.”

“Hmm…”

The inquisitor shifted his gaze back and forth between Aster and Yorvi. Meanwhile, Yorvi tilted his head with an expression of complete bewilderment, pretending to be utterly baffled.

Shortly after, the officer spoke.

“Message received. We shall take that into consideration.”

“Ensure that the rest of your unit is informed as well.”

“…You are inserting yourself quite heavily into this matter.”

“Ahem, consider it merely a bit of well-meaning advice.”

…An incredibly perceptive officer.

Aster rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably and took a few steps back.

Fortunately, the inquisitor did not disregard the tip.

Smack!

“…Gah! W-what is the meaning of this?!”

Assistant Professor Yorvi, struck across the face completely out of nowhere, stared in absolute shock. Yet, the officer offered no explanation.

Smack!

“Guh!”

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Without uttering a single word, the inquisitor continuously struck Yorvi’s face. The sharp, resounding impacts drew the attention of every remaining soul within the grand hall.

After administering the silent discipline for a duration, the officer cleaned his stained palm against his trousers and locked eyes with Yorvi.

Yorvi, who had been preparing to loudly proclaim his lack of guilt, shuddered and pulled his head into his shoulders the moment the officer casually raised his hand once more.

“W-why must you do this… Whimper!”

The inquisitor maintained his silence.

How long did that heavy quiet endure?

“I-I will confess to everything, absolutely everything.”

Yorvi’s words were barely audible.

Only at that point did the officer break his silence.

“Your willingness to speak holds no value to us. We are well-acquainted with handling degenerates of your caliber. Move out.”

With those final words, he forcefully hauled Yorvi away.

Aster scratched his head as he observed the departure.

He had desired some form of retribution, but he hadn’t anticipated it becoming quite so pathetic.

‘My heart is simply too compassionate, that’s my true weakness.’

Even so, because Aster had initiated the conversation, both the inquisitor and Yorvi were likely in a better position.

Judging from a brief look at the officer’s hands earlier… those thick calluses were telling.

‘Those are definitely hands accustomed to utilizing torture implements.’

Royal interrogators certainly wouldn’t be engaging in manual labor to earn extra coin on the side.

What those implements were meant for, and how they were applied, required no imagination.

Yes, this outcome was far more efficient for everyone involved.

In any case…

Aster watched Yorvi’s departing figure fade away, then swallowed hard as an intense, piercing sensation washed over the back of his neck.

‘Why hasn’t that person departed yet?’

The individual in question being…

…Damian.

No, Chenbi was present as well.

The pair remained rooted to the spot, staring blankly even though the vast majority of the student body had already exited.

They weren’t merely standing there, however.

If that were the case, his instincts wouldn’t be flaring up like this.

‘…Tch, have they deduced my identity?’

That knowing, amused expression… could only belong to someone who had seen through the deception.

It was a high-stakes standoff of perception.

Acknowledging them by turning around would equal a total admission of defeat.

While he was attempting to maintain his composure, a highly welcome voice cut through the tension to rescue him.

“As…”

“…Tch.”

“Ahem. You should know, Her Highness the Third Princess is requesting your presence.”

Aster directed a swift look toward the completely oblivious Altex and immediately changed location.

The Third Princess had made her way back after temporarily departing to establish urgent communication with the security detail assigned to the former headmaster.

However.

‘Tch, they couldn’t have picked up on our conversation, could they?’

He felt a powerful urge to turn back and verify Damian’s reaction, but he forced himself to resist.

Hold on…

‘…It feels as though I’ve overlooked an entry on my agenda. What was it again?’

This layout didn’t quite feel like a complete resolution.

“Is something troubling you?”

“It’s nothing. Let us proceed.”

Halting briefly to review his thoughts, Aster moved forward at Altex’s prompting.

It was most likely a non-issue. Most likely.

Along a secluded courtyard path within the academy grounds.

Mysern was perched calmly atop a mountain of incapacitated adversaries, staring idly into the heavens.

Dark, corrupted essence flowed steadily from their lips—their internal mana centers appeared completely pulverized.

An incredibly savage display of martial prowess, yet anyone familiar with their true allegiance would never label the act as uncalled for.

What was the reason?

They were heretical sorcerers who had actively dabbled in forbidden dark arts.

“…Hmm.”

Mysern, who had successfully apprehended the dark spellcasters hiding within the borders of Jenion Academy at Aster’s explicit request, let out a soft, tired breath.

“Clearly, it was supposed to end quickly…”

Mysern simply continued to watch the shifting clouds above, lost in thought.