What Should To Do Now?

In the afternoon, after the classes was over, I went to the Academy's Laboratory as always to complete my task as Mina's own guinea pig.

Even though I didn't want to, to get more information about the academy or to outside, I forced myself to endure what I was about to experience next.

"Why am I tied while sitting on a chair today?" My brows twitched as I looked at the damn Loli, who was sitting on her desk while holding a shiny red button, with a bitter expression.

𝘏𝘦𝘺... 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳!!?Although I wanted to say this, I remained silent.

Wiping the red button with clean cloth, Mina ignored my question and giggled sweetly to herself... I have a bad feeling about this.

Since one could easily predict what torturous will happen next, let just get straight to the point.

Anyways, what I experienced was pure hell!!

After enduring the torturous torture that almost destroyed my dignity as a man, while with tears forming between the side of my eyes, I stared blankly in the space.

"I want to die..." I muttered, hugging both of my knees as I tried my best to keep myself from a mental breakdown.

𝘐'𝘮 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦, 𝘺𝘦𝘵...

"Okay, then... About the people you wanted me to investigate, here's the files about them." Taking out a folder inside her desk, Mina placed them beside the chair where I was sitting.

I just ignored the papers of course, after experiencing that 'hell', I could only contemplate about my sole reason of my existence.

[𝘋𝘶𝘥𝘦... 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺...]

...𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘶𝘱, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳!

Of course, while I was being tortured, I tried asking Deus for some help. Even though I bribed him saying that he can control my body for a whole month, Deus deliberately ignored my pleading, just hiding himself inside the katana.

As I was silently pondering of a proper punishment for Deus inside my mind, the door suddenly opened as Xavier went inside.

"Athan, can we-- Oh, shit..." Cutting his mid-sentence short, Xavier noticed the grim atmosphere I was excluding and walked towards me with pity.

"I know what you are feeling. You're not the only one who experienced that 'shit'. We three also experienced it when we were about to visit you yesterday." Saying this, he patted my shoulder while informing me that I'm not alone.

For the first time, I finally found a real comrade who shares the same pain as I am.

Eventually, thanks to Xavier, I managed to keep myself together and took the papers that was beside me before walking towards the exit.

"Hey, careful with your steps."

While walking, Xavier supported me by placing my arm on his shoulder while his hands on my waist. Anyway, he's a great friend everyone needed, but don't deserve... That includes me.

To the people who is suffering from hell because of me, I will apologize even though you guys deserve to suffer in that place.

As we walked in the hallway that was filled with students from left to right, some of them couldn't help but stare at us.

Ignoring them, I patted his shoulder to inform him that I was now fine, and he could let go.

While walking, I cocked my head to his direction before asking, "... Anyway, what do you want to ask earlier?"

"Ah... Umm... It's nothing special. I was just about to ask you if I can borrow the core we obtained during the exploration," Xavier scratched his cheeks. "Because, it so that the three of us could figure out more about more of it... You know, after seeing it, we suddenly felt some weird connections to it."

𝘋𝘶𝘥𝘦... 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯? 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘵.

When I heard this, I massaged my temples before letting out a sigh. "Of course, you can. It's you guys who got that thing anyway."

Although I wanted to keep that core and investigate it for myself, since they were the one to find it in the dungeon, they have all the rights to keep it.

"No! It's the whole team who obtained it." He raised his voice with his eyes that was flaming with determination. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have figured out a way to enter that room. Even though I was the one to find it, compared to you, you did almost all of our job on your own." Xavier proudly raised his head while announcing those words. Because of this, some people looked at us before whispering to each other.

Student A : "What's that guy doing?"

Student B : "Beats me. I think there's something wrong with his head."

Hearing those whispers, I couldn't help but cover my face with my hand.

𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦... 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. I thought, clicking my tongue out of frustration.

After reaching his destination, Xavier waved his hands to say goodbye. But before he could even leave, I called out to him for the last time.

"Hey Xavier, when will the festival be held?"

"Ah! The festival will be held two months from now on. Do have something in mind? Why do you ask anyway?"

"... It's nothing," I raised my hands and gestured them that it was nothing.

Nodding, Xavier stretched his arm up. "Okay, then. I better get going."

With that, he finally left me alone at the gate, which was supposed to be the Academy's Entrance, half confused.

Looking around, I rested my chin onto my fingers.

"What should I do now?"

***

At night...

Somewhere within an unfamiliar place, a fairly handsome youth, with pale white skin, emerald green eyes, and silky black hair wearing a noble outfit as he stared at the window.

"Hmm..." Closing his eyes, he let out a deep sigh. "How's the assassination plan for two of my 'most beloved' brother and sister coming along?" Reopening his eyes, he glanced at the his back, as a trace of a tall dark figure, wearing a black mask, and a formal medieval black clothes came out of the shadowy shade behind the walls were lights couldn't be seen.

A political purge, in other words coup d'etat.

Since childhood, Michael was raised to be a proper successor of his family. But, right after two of his siblings were born, his successor title became in danger.

Due to the immense talents that two of his siblings has, specially to his sister, Lilian, the two's fame immediately rised drastically.

Lilian became the Academy's President because of her talent between magic and swordsmanship, while the other obtained quite a fraction of connections between the other races.

Of course, when their father heard about their achievements, he immediately revoked Michael becoming the successor, replacing him with his brother since, although he was too cocky and arrogant, he was also a political genius.

Because of this, Michael was angered. The long fear of his title as the successor of the Broaden Family being revoked came true.

Michael asked his father for this reason and his father only replied.

'It's because he's talented.'

'Talented'

This was the only word that shook him to the core.

Grinding his teeth, the glass of wine he was holding broke into pieces.

𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦.

Michael decided to do things in his hand to make sure that title stay's and REMAIN on the same spot.

With his crimson eyes pierced through the darkness to behold his figures, and a gorgeous sword hung on his waist, the masked figure replied, "The plan is working fine, sir. It won't be long until the plan be executed. And when it do, we'll make sure that it succeed." His voice was cold and loud enough for the noble man to hear.

Turning his head towards the masked man's direction, Michael spoke, "That's good. I guess I could trust you after all, Shadow."

Nodding, the Shadow vanished and appeared behind behind the noble. "I thank you for saying such kind word, sir Michael."

With his head still bowing down, the masked youth continued, "But sir, are you sure that you won't do anything about the boy named, Arthur? Not to mention, there had been a rumor spreading around the academy about a boy named Athan, who's apparently strong, and was said to be... a playboy? ...Being close to that particular 'girl'."

Michael, who had just turned around after hearing his words, placed his glass of wine on the table as he squinted his eyes.

"As long as they don't interfere with my plans, there's no need for you to touch them... That includes 'her'. But, of course, you still have a mission to observe them, so that they won't cause trouble."

Placing his hands inside his pocket, Michael's lips curled up. "If they did do something weird, don't hesitate to cut them. Specially, to that boy named Athan..."

"Although it was the first time seeing him a month ago during my visit, I don't know why, but my guts and some part of me already hate him."

When the masked youth heard this, he raised his head up slightly. "Yes, right away, sir Michael."

Almost immediately after he said that, the youth vanished after he sank and was swallowed up in the darkness.

Turning his attention back to the window, Michael calmly looked at the moon outside while remaining indifference.

"Soon..."

Raising his hands up, he slowly placed them on the window as he shifted his attention to his reflection.

"I'll make sure that my title will come back... Haha... Hahahaha!"