Chapter 45: Dragon Contractor...?
One week later...
A full week had passed since the incident, and life within the Imperial Zenith School had gradually returned to normal.
Most matters related to the Outer God had been quietly handled behind the scenes, and the academy resumed its routine as if nothing extraordinary had ever occurred.
After finishing his classes for the day, Caelum said his goodbyes to his friends and headed toward the medical wing alongside Loreal, as the two of them went to visit Anastasia, who was still recovering from the earlier incident.
"Are you seriously not going to answer me even now? What exactly was that ’bad feeling’ you kept talking about?" Loreal asked, her tone carrying clear frustration as she refused to let the matter drop.
"Can you stop acting like a brat for once? How many times do I have to explain that a secret is called a secret for a reason?" Caelum replied casually, fully knowing the two of them were currently brats.
"You–!" Loreal snapped, ready to lash out as usual, but as they approached Anastasia’s room, she forced herself to calm down, unwilling to create a scene there.
The moment they entered the room, Caelum spoke without restraint.
"Yo! Anastasia, are you still operational or do you–"
Before he could finish his sentence, a solid punch landed squarely on his abdomen, cutting him off mid-speech.
He paused before slowly turning his head.
"...What did I do this time?" he asked, his voice filled with quiet disbelief.
Loreal, who had delivered the punch, simply looked at him with mild irritation.
"Just stop talking," she said flatly, having decided that letting him speak freely around Anastasia would inevitably lead to something unnecessary, after all she had completely read B.O.M.B and had situational awareness.
Inside the room, Anastasia was lying comfortably on the bed, casually eating red berries.
The moment her eyes landed on Caelum, however, her expression brightened noticeably.
"You’re here!"
"Princess, I’m here too," Loreal added immediately as she walked closer and wiped the berry juice from Anastasia’s lips.
"Loreal, you don’t need to act like my nanny all the time," Anastasia said with a hint of annoyance, though her tone remained soft.
"Do you feel better now? Also, why weren’t we allowed to visit yesterday? I heard someone important came," Caelum asked, ignoring Loreal’s earlier warning.
"Yes... the Crown Prince came," Anastasia replied, her expression dimming slightly as she pulled the blanket closer around herself, as if retreating into it.
Caelum observing her reaction.
"Do you two not get along or something?" he asked directly.
"I told you to stop talking! You’re unbelievably insensitive," Loreal snapped immediately, her irritation returning in full force.
’So he really doesn’t know...’ she thought to herself, realizing that Caelum was completely unaware of the rumors surrounding her.
"W-well... Anastasia, I didn’t mean it like that, how about–" Caelum began but before he could finish, the door opened, and a woman who appeared to be part of the medical staff stepped inside.
"A brat with blue hair and a nasty look... so it’s you," she said bluntly, her tone carrying none of the restraint one might expect.
’He looks good though,’ she thought inwardly.
Caelum blinked, clearly taken aback.
"Kid, don’t give me that innocent look, and the Headmaster is calling you, he said it’s already been a week," she replied, before turning and leaving just as abruptly.
For a brief moment, Caelum stood still, processing her words.
"Oh right! I completely forgot about that."
Turning back toward Anastasia, he spoke quickly, already halfway to the door.
"You’re getting discharged today, right? Let’s meet again," he added before rushing out without waiting for a response, clearly focused on claiming the rewards he had nearly forgotten about.
As the door closed behind him, Anastasia’s gaze lingered in the direction he had disappeared, her expression unreadable for a brief moment.
Loreal, however, felt something shift.
A subtle chill crept up her spine as she observed Anastasia more carefully, noticing that the faint redness in her eyes seemed to deepen ever so slightly with each passing moment.
"A-Anastasia...?" she called out her name cautiously.
Anastasia blinked, as if pulled back from a distant thought.
Then she smiled faintly.
"Oh? I was just a little dazed..."
***
Caelum arrived in front of a neatly maintained and lavish-looking office, its design radiating authority and quiet prestige.
Just as he was about to knock, the door opened from the inside, and someone stepped out.
It was a tall, well-built man with sharp features and black hair, carrying an unmistakable aura of power.
However, his expression was slightly irritated, as if something had recently annoyed him.
The moment his eyes fell on Caelum, he paused.
"This brat... your face looks familiar," the man muttered, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Then, as if something else caught his attention, his gaze sharpened further.
"But more importantly," He leaned closer.
His pupils shifted, becoming vertical as they gleamed faintly with a draconic intensity.
"You..."
Before he could finish, Caelum instinctively stepped back, his expression turning wary.
"My father told me to stay away from suspicious individuals," Caelum said without hesitation, eyeing the man as though he were some questionable rogue.
For a brief moment, silence followed.
Then a vein visibly throbbed on the man’s forehead.
The impulse to crush the small creature standing before him rose instantly, but he suppressed it with effort.
Instead, he extended a finger toward Caelum.
In the next instant, Caelum found himself lifted off the ground and pulled forward, appearing directly in front of the man without any means of resistance.
"How idiotic can an adult be? The Headmaster’s office is right behind you!" Caelum remarked dryly, even managing to mock him despite the situation.
"Shut up," the man said flatly, his tone no longer irritated but serious.
"Hey, kid." As the man said this, the entire atmosphere changed.
A suffocating, otherworldly pressure descended upon Caelum, far heavier than anything he had experienced before, as if he were standing in front of a colossal, ancient beast that could erase him with a single thought.
The man’s gaze deepened.
"Which Dragons are you contracted with?" he asked, his voice carrying an invisible weight.
"And don’t lie... I can clearly sense the two energies within you."
