"Sigh….This kid… He is a bit too mysterious…"
Inside the place filled with only little dim light, a woman with blonde hair and serious clothes could be seen. Her expression looked troubled as her eyes locked into the heinous-looking humanoid thing before her.
The young boy, whose face was handsome before, was now filled with dirty-looking veins all around his body. If one looked at the boy, they would turn their hands with the feeling of disgust.
"No matter where I look at this from, there is nothing logical that explains his prowess. From a person who hadn't received any blessing to the first ranked student…. Just who is this kid? Where does his strength come from?"
Seraphina asked herself. Just yesterday, Callius contacted him at night time. Normally, there was no way a student would be able to contact her randomly, but for some reason, he knew where she was.
He came to her little garden where she liked to spend her time, a place that no one knew about. For some reason, he knew where she would be, and he even made it sound like he accidentally stepped on her garden, even though she could see he was lying.
After all, her experience of dealing with people made her know when the person was lying or not. And she was sure Callius knowingly came to her garden.
'First, it was the Princess, and now this guy? What are the deals between these two? How come they know about this place?'
Seraphine thought.
These two students were the ones that were the most mysterious.
A young girl who was always praised as the most talented individual of the century, but at the same time, a young girl that looked strangely too mature for her age.
And a young boy who was banished from his household but came back as a force of his own, probably with the best talent that this world has seen.
"But, this is not important. The important thing is, how did this guy know about the existence of demons inside the academy?"
That was the question that was needed to ask. The way he came and asked her to be present at the duel was like he knew that Declan was a demon contractor itself.
'Does he have a special ability that helps him detect the demons?'
That sounds plausible. There were some those with special eyes through the course of this world.
'If so, then I need to keep this a secret.'
Just as she was thinking to herself, suddenly she felt something moving.
THUD WRIGGLE
It was the boy before her.
"Sigh…."
Seraphina took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure despite the grotesque sight before her. She had used special artifacts to restrain Declan's demonic form and prevent any further self-destruction.
CREAK
As Seraphina focused on containing Declan's demonic form, the door to the dimly lit room creaked open, and a woman with an air of arrogance and authority entered. She had long, flowing green hair and was dressed in elegant, regal attire that befits her status as a noblewoman.
From her looks alone, it was evident that the woman was someone of high standing, as she did not even bulge before the presence of Seraphia Riftwind.
"What is happening here?" The woman said, her voice both dripping with pride and anger at the same time. "What are you doing to my son?" With her words, she tried to approach the boy that she claimed was her son, but she was stopped.
Stopped by an invisible barrier that disturbed the space.
"What is the meaning of this Archmage Seraphina?" As the woman addressed Seraphina with her title, that meant she was not here as the guardian of the boy but as a mage. "Explain yourself."
"Vice Headmaster Seraphina." However, that was not something Seraphina could overlook. After all, this place was her grounds, a place she ruled. Thus she corrected her words and waited for the woman to acknowledge it.
They entered a contest of stare, but in the end, it was the woman that needed to back down.
"Explain yourself, Headmaster Seraphina." As the woman spoke with a stern tone, Seraphina nodded her head.
Seraphina's expression remained calm and composed, despite the tension in the room. "Lady Blackwood, your son has contracted with a demonic entity. I am trying to contain his form to prevent any harm to himself and others."
She knew the Blackwood Family would be related to the demons somehow. After all, neither contracting with demons was easy nor obtaining such a high-level one. Declan's strength jumped from 4-star to 6-star with one transformation, and that was alone to show that the strength of the demon that Declan contracted was high.
Lady Blackwood scoffed, her green eyes flashing with indignation. "Contracted with a demon? Preposterous! My son would never involve himself in such vile practices. This whole stage is rigged against him!"
However, the woman denied the claims as she raised her hand in a threatening manner. "That Commoner Callius was the one that framed my son. I already knew he was a rapist, but it seems he is also a fraud."
But that was also between the expectations of Seraphina. Considering the personality of the woman before her, she knew that woman would not stay idle when her son lost against a student with complex conditions like Callius.
Seraphina's gaze remained unwavering as she replied, "I assure you, Lady Blackwood, the situation is very real. Your son's actions and his use of demonic magic have put himself and others at risk. There are countless witnesses that had felt the energy of the demonic entity inside the arena."
"Ridiculous!" Lady Blackwood spat, her arrogance evident in her words. "You're just trying to tarnish my family's name. I demand that you release my son immediately and end this charade. I am sure that this son of a whore was the one that used demonic magic. How can you be this sure that it was my son!"
Her exclamations and her attitude alone made Seraphina want to smash this woman's face, but she couldn't. After all, a battle between powerhouses like herself was something that wouldn't end in seconds.
"Lady Blackwood, as the Vice Headmaster, it is my duty to ensure the safety of all the students," Seraphina said firmly. "I cannot simply overlook such dangerous behavior."
Lady Blackwood's face contorted with anger and frustration. "You and the rest of this academy are conspiring against my son. You all envy his talents and want to see him fail!"
'Tch! Then, why is your disgusting son here lying on the ground with his ugly face?' Seraphina thought; however, she needed to act according to her role.
Seraphina shook her head. "That is not true. We only want what's best for him and the other students. I implore you to listen to reason and understand the seriousness of the situation."
However, Seraphina knew this situation was going to escalate. It was what she had wanted as well. Though that would make Callius enter the spotlight more, she also needed to verify the mystery around him.
In her mind, she was hitting two birds with one stone. She knew this woman before she was going to play her cards soon.
Lady Blackwood's face twisted with rage as she clenched her fists, her authority as the Green Tower Master backing her every word. "Enough of your lies, Seraphina! If you don't release my son this instant and provide a satisfactory explanation, then I shall take this matter onto the Council of Towers."
The woman in green robes raised her head with a proud tone.
'Tch….Those old geezers will sure take her side.' Seraphina thought that most of the tower masters were all people with discriminatory traits towards those they deemed to be lower births.
However, that didn't mean she was someone that would bend down like that. After all, there was a reason why this woman before her sent her son into this academy instead of sending him to her own tower…..
There was a reason why this academy was a place that could still run even though these types of people always existed….
And most importantly, she knew the woman before she was bluffing….There was no way she could take this matter to the Council of Towers, especially when her son was in such a state.
That was the reason why she was composed. "I cannot comply with your demands, Lady Blackwood," she said firmly. "My duty as Vice Headmaster is to ensure the safety and well-being of all the students. Your son's involvement with a demonic entity poses a serious threat to himself and others. I will not risk the safety of the academy for the sake of your family's reputation."
She spoke. At the danger of her voice being recorded, she never spoke in a disrespectful tone, just to make sure that none of her words could be used against her.
And at that moment, the woman in green robes could no longer contain her anger inside. The tension in the room escalated as Lady Blackwood's anger reached its peak. "You will regret this, Seraphina! Mark my words; I will make sure you pay for your insolence! And that son of a whore! I will make sure to crush him!"
With her finger dangling in front of Seraphina, the woman spoke. But her words just entered from one ear and exited from another.
Seraphina's expression remained resolute, undeterred by the threat. "I am prepared to face the consequences of my actions, but I will not compromise the safety of the academy. Your son must face the consequences of his own actions as well."
Lady Blackwood seethed with fury, her plans to protect her son and preserve her family's reputation now crumbling before her. She demanded an explanation and demanded to see Callius, but Seraphina refused to give in.
SMASH
In the end, she could only smash the door with her wind-enchanted hand as she left the place at a rapid speed.
And the moment she left, Seraphina's face took a more serious and tired tone.
"Now, let's see if whatever he said was true or not."
With that thought, Seraphina put a small pocket of space just before Declan, who was lying unconsciously….
"I really hope that demons are not related to this a lot deeper…."
Just like that, she too left the place….
---------------------A/N---------------------
Hope you liked the chapter.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦