Chapter 242: The Crimson Witch’s Folly
Back at the Academy, a sudden, violent shiver ran down Lucien’s spine.
I stopped wiping the booth counter. My breath hitched.
It wasn’t a physical threat. It was a digital one. A translucent red notification flashed violently across my retina.
[Warning: Bound Entity ’Alicia Valemont’ has bypassed perimeter wards. Target has exited the designated Safe Zone.]
My hand gripped the edge of the counter hard enough to splinter the wood.
That foolish girl.
She had actually done it. She had disobeyed a direct, absolute order and walked straight back into the meat grinder.
"Lucien? What’s wrong?" Ariana asked, noticing the sudden, murderous tension in my jaw.
"Nothing," I lied through my teeth, forcing my hand to relax. "Just a headache."
I wanted to drop everything, and drag her back by her ear. But I couldn’t. I looked out over the sprawling courtyard. Thousands of civilians, nobles, and the entire Golden Generation were still packed together. If Infernus attacked now, leaving my post meant abandoning Ariana and the tactical chokepoints I had established.
I was paralyzed by the board. I had to wait until the exhibition ended.
Just stay alive until sunset, Alicia, I thought, my eyes narrowing.
The stench of the Capital’s lower sewers was just as suffocating as it had been the night before.
Alicia dropped silently from a rusted drainage pipe, her boots splashing softly into the ankle-deep muck. She kept her breathing shallow, her crimson eyes scanning the pitch-black tunnels.
She moved faster this time. She knew the layout. She bypassed the outer patrol routes, weaving through the labyrinth with the lethal grace of a trained assassin. Her hand never left the hilt of her rapier.
She finally reached the deepest sector. The heavy, moss-covered gear door that led to the Valemont Restoration Army’s underground stronghold was just fifty yards away.
She exhaled a quiet breath, channeling a spark of heat into her palm to melt the rusted lock.
Clack.
The sound of a heavy steel boot hitting the cobblestone echoed through the tunnel.
Alicia froze.
Suddenly, a dozen mana torches flared to life, violently illuminating the dark sewer.
She wasn’t alone.
Standing directly in front of the gear door, blocking her only path forward, was the hulking mass of the Knight Commander. His corrupted greatsword rested casually on his massive shoulder. Surrounding him, stepping out from the shadows of the adjacent tunnels, were over twenty elite Valemont veterans and Infernus cultists.
"Did you truly believe it would be that easy, little princess?" the Commander rumbled, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. "Did you think we wouldn’t anticipate you coming back?"
Alicia drew her rapier in a flash of silver. "Where is Leon?!"
"The Prince is preparing for his grand coronation," the Commander sneered. "The Chancellor correctly deduced that you wouldn’t be able to stay away. You Valemonts suffer from a pathetic, predictable disease. Familial loyalty."
"You bastards are sending him to his death!" Alicia screamed.
Her crimson eyes flared. The temperature in the sewer skyrocketed. She didn’t hesitate—she instantly channeled her Level 9 Fire Magic, preparing to turn the entire tunnel into a white-hot crematorium.
"Subdue her!" the Commander barked. "Alive!"
Four Infernus mages slammed their staffs into the muck simultaneously.
A suffocating, sickly purple shockwave pulsed through the air. The anti-magic suppression field locked into place. The blistering heat radiating from Alicia sputtered out instantly. Her mana pathways felt like they had been filled with concrete.
She gasped, stumbling forward as the magical backlash hit her chest.
"Magic isn’t my only weapon," Alicia hissed, her survival instincts taking over.
She lunged. Without her flames, she was still a lethal combatant. She ducked under the swing of a veteran vanguard, driving her rapier perfectly through the gap in his armor. He dropped with a gargled cry. She spun, throwing three knives in rapid succession, catching two cultists in the throat.
But there were simply too many.
A heavy steel shield slammed into her back, knocking the wind out of her lungs. She hit the ground hard, the filthy water splashing into her face. Before she could scramble up, a massive, armored boot stomped down on her wrist.
Crack.
Alicia screamed as the bones in her wrist fractured. The rapier slipped from her grasp.
The Knight Commander reached down, grabbing her by her silver hair, and hoisted her brutally into the air.
"A spirited fight," he grunted, ignoring her thrashing. "But the board is set. The Chancellor will be thrilled. Two royal bloodlines for the altar."
He pulled a heavy pair of runic suppression cuffs from his belt and snapped them violently onto her wrists. The remaining dregs of her mana were instantly sealed.
Alicia’s vision swam with pain and despair. She had failed.
"Take her down to the ritual site," the Commander ordered, tossing her limp body to two waiting guards. "And prepare the Vanguard. At midnight, we take the Academy."
The sun finally dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in deep shades of bruised purple and gold.
The Mid-Semester Exhibition officially came to a close.
I stood near the academy gates, watching the long line of luxurious carriages carry the visiting dignitaries, merchants, and off-duty faculty back into the Capital. The chaotic, suffocating crowds finally thinned out. The massive courtyards of the Imperial Academy emptied, leaving only the residential cadets and the night-shift guards.
I let out a long, heavy exhale. The tension that had been coiled in my chest all day finally loosened.
Nothing had happened.
There was no ambush. No explosions. No demonic barrier.
"Looks like we survived the day," Ariana murmured, standing beside me as we packed up the club’s ledger.
"Yeah," I replied softly, though a knot of unease still twisted in my gut.
If they didn’t attack during the most crowded event of the year, it meant one of two things. Either Infernus aborted the mission, since they knew it had been leaked... or they were waiting for something else.
Alicia, I thought, my gaze shifting toward the lower districts.
I needed to find her. Immediately.
"President Lucien!"
I turned. Kael was jogging toward us across the courtyard, his golden armor catching the faint light of the newly lit mana-lanterns. Elisha, Bordon, and Mariella were trailing right behind him. They looked exhausted from a full day of patrol, but Kael’s expression wasn’t one of relief. He looked genuinely panicked.
"Kael. What is it?" I asked, snapping the ledger shut.
"Have you seen Princess Celestia?" Kael asked, his breathing elevated.
I frowned. "Not since noon. She came by the booth, then went back toward the VIP podium. Why?"
"She never made it to the podium," Elisha interjected, her violet eyes scanning the empty courtyard. "Her royal escort has been searching for her for the last three hours. We thought she might have just retired to her dorm early, but her room is completely empty."
The knot in my gut violently tightened.
Princess Celestia was missing. Alicia was missing.
And the Academy was finally isolated from the rest of the Capital.
I slowly looked up at the darkening sky.
They hadn’t aborted the mission. They were just waiting for the heavy hitters to leave.
"Kael," I said, my voice dropping to a dead, icy calm. "Draw your sword."
