Chapter 47: Chalu’s Journey (23)

Colerio, with a nonchalant expression, looked at the transformed beastfolk. "What's going on here?"

Ms. Lerona Everdale caught sight of Marlo, her fallen knight student, causing her to mutter in disbelief, "No... no..."

Aro Lupe's gaze fell upon Chalu, Raro, and Gori, his voice filled with accusation. "You... you are beastfolk!!" His shouted echoed through the tense silence as he looked over the injured students and the deceased Marlo.

"You BEASTS!! YOU'RE THE ONES WHO DID THIS TO THEM!!" Aro's anger reverberated through his words.

Bale, despite her own injuries, stepped forward with conviction, interrupting Chalu before he could explain further.

 her voice, though strained, held a note of urgency. "No, Sir Aro, Chalu didn't do this. There's a monster responsible for all of this."

Lyro Spera, another student caught in the fray, stepped forward to support Chalu. "It's true, Teacher Aro. Chalu didn't harm us."

Ms. Lerona Everdale's grief and anger were palpable as she drew her sword, her eyes fixed accusingly on Chalu and his companions. "They killed Marlo, my student! They must pay!"

....

[Raro side]

Seeing the escalating tension, Raro helped Gori to his feet, both seeking refuge near Chalu.

Gori winced from the pain of his injuries but kept a steady gaze on Chalu, waiting for guidance.

Raro, assisting Gori to stand, glanced anxiously at Chalu, seeking guidance amidst the chaos. "What should we do?"

Chalu, trying to maintain composure despite the escalating tensions, spoke calmly. "For now, let's try to explain everything to them. They need to understand."

Gori, struggling with his injuries, interjected bitterly. "They won't listen. Those Eldoans won't believe what we said."

.....

[Aro side]

Petra Haws, attempting to calm the situation, addressed the group earnestly. "Everyone, let's calm down. They are just students."

Aro scoffed at her plea. "Students? They're pretending to be Eldoans just to infiltrate us. They're beastfolk, for God's sake!"

....

Meanwhile, on the other side of the conflict...

Shen Mort, checking on Roki and Bax who were injured, inquired with concern. "Are you both okay?"

Roki and Bax nodded, their expressions grim with the weight of recent events.

Shen Mort, puzzled by the conflicting accounts, pressed for answers. "What happened?"

Roki spoke earnestly, seeking to clarify. "Teacher, Gori, Raro, and Chalu—those beastfolk didn't do this to us."

Shen Mort's surprise was evident. "What?"

.....

Back on Chalu's side of the confrontation...

Chalu pleaded with the teachers, his voice tinged with desperation. "Please, we didn't do anything wrong. We were trying to save them."

Aro scoffed dismissively, his distrust palpable. "You can't fool us, beast. Your kind cannot be trusted."

Lerona fixed a stern gaze on Bale, her tone accusatory. "You're from the Lomius family. You know well what beastfolk have done to us Eldoans."

Bale hesitated, torn between loyalty and reason. "I understand the history, but—"

"What do you mean, 'but'?" The voice came from Ash Minse, the martial arts teacher, who had been quietly trailing the group. Despite his typically cheerful demeanor, there was an unmistakable intensity in his eyes whenever the topic of beastfolk arose.

Petra Haws turned to Ash, surprised to see him there. "Ash, you followed us?"

Ash nodded innocently, his smile remaining but his eyes hardening as he locked gazes with Chalu and his companions. "Yep, just keeping an eye on everyone."

He turned to address everyone, his voice carrying a strangely persuasive edge. " Anyway These beasts, they're nothing but trouble as these creatures are descendants of the first calamity, Aurathos. How can we trust anything they say? We shouldn't believe them."

His words seemed to strike a chord with Aro, who nodded in agreement. "Exactly, Ash. Beasts can't be reasoned with."

With a sudden shift in demeanor, Ash's smile widened slightly, but it held a chilling undertone. "They're really sneaky, disguising themselves as beastfolk. Are they spying on our kingdom to gather intel and defeat us Eldoans?"

His words hung heavy in the tense air, casting suspicion anew on Chalu and his companions.

Lerona, gripping her sword tightly, eyed Chalu and the others with a mix of anger and suspicion. "Disguising themselves... Are they plotting against us?"

Bale stepped forward, her voice wavering but determined. "No, you're wrong, there was a monster—"

Ash cut her off with a dismissive wave of his hand, his eyes narrowing. "A likely story, but can we really trust your word? You know Beastfolk ... They've always been our enemies."

His demeanor shifted subtly, the innocence in his smile now replaced by a steely resolve. The other teachers exchanged uneasy glances, torn between their allegiance to their students and the weight of Ash's words.

Then Aro's frustration reached its peak. "I've had enough of them!" he shouted. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and summoned a powerful spell. "Take this! Flame Tempest!" A surge of fiery magic shot forth toward Chalu, Raro, and Gori, aiming to engulf them in its destructive blaze.

Chalu acted quickly, gripping his sword tightly. He concentrated deeply, summoning his inner strength to form a protective aura shield. Just as Aro unleashed his fiery spell, Chalu's aura barrier shimmered into existence. The torrent of flames crashed against it with a thunderous boom, erupting into a blinding burst of heat and light. The force of the impact sent powerful ripples across the forest, shaking the ground beneath them and leaving everyone stunned by the sheer intensity of the clash.

Chalu, still not fully recovered from his battle with Athos, gritted his teeth in pain as he maintained the shield. His muscles strained, and sweat poured down his face, but he stood firm. Despite his exhaustion and the lingering injuries from his previous fight, he held his ground, the aura shield protecting Raro and Gori behind him. The sheer force of Aro's spell tested his limits, but Chalu's determination kept the barrier intact.

Just as Chalu felt his strength waning, Colerio Sapher intervened. With a swift motion, Colerio cast a counter-spell that extinguished the lingering flames, turning them into harmless sparks. His quick intervention protected them from harm, showcasing his mastery of magic amidst the heated confrontation.

The students, who had been watching the intense confrontation unfold, were left in stunned silence at Colerio's unexpected intervention. Their expressions ranged from confusion to disbelief as they processed the quick turn of events.

"Teacher Colerio always been so composed," Bax murmured, breaking the silence. "Why would he suddenly go against Sir.Aro like that?"

Roki Bilzton, usually the voice of reason, shook his head slowly. "I've never seen teacher act so decisively. It's unlike him."

 Rika who still nursing her injuries, spoke up with a mix of confusion and pain. "Chalu ... Gori"

Nearby, Lory and Lucy whispered among themselves, their voices hushed with uncertainty. "Did you see that? Sir Colerio just stopped Sir Aro's spell..."

"Yeah, what's going on? I thought they were all against the beastfolk..."

.....

Aro, Ash, and Lerona looked on in stunned disbelief, their faces a mixture of shock and outrage at Colerio's interference. Ash, in particular, was visibly taken aback, his composed demeanor faltering briefly before he masked it with a thin smile.

Ash's brow furrowed in disbelief he is still smiling. "Are you betraying us, Colerio?"

Colerio Sapher, maintaining his nonchalant demeanor, turned to address both the teachers and the shocked students. "Let's not rush to judgment. Accusing them without solid evidence won't help us uncover the truth."

Ash's smile remained, but his eyes glinted with a chilling intensity. "What truth? Look at them. They're similar to monsters, and monsters harm people. It's obvious, isn't it?"

Aro's suspicion deepened into accusation as he glared at Colerio. "I knew it! From the moment I saw you pretending not to be bothered by anything, I knew one day you would betray us Eldoans, your own kin."

Colerio sighed softly, his expression unchanged. "No, I didn't. You're misunderstanding the situation."

The atmosphere crackled with tension as everyone's eyes remained fixed on Colerio, awaiting his next move.

Aro's patience wore thin, and he erupted in anger. "I don't want to hear any more words from you, Colerio!" With a fierce determination, he unleashed his powerful spell, "Take this!!!! Magnum Flame!!"

As the flames surged forward, Colerio reacted swiftly, countering with a burst of ice magic that neutralized Aro's attack in an instant.

Colerio's voice carried a hint of resignation as he addressed the gathered group. "Since none of you seem willing to listen to reason, we should leave now."

With a sudden shimmer of bright blue light and a faint hum of powerful magic, Colerio Sapher cast a teleportation spell. It swiftly spirited him and the weary students away to safety.

Ash, who had been watching with growing concern, couldn't hold back. "No, wait!!!!" His voice echoed in the courtyard, filled with a mix of frustration and disbelief at the turn of events.

Then the air crackled momentarily with arcane energy, leaving behind a fleeting trail that soon dissipated into the calm surroundings of their new location. With that Colerio, Chalu, Raro, Gori, Bale, and Lyro were teleported to safety, leaving behind a stunned silence

The courtyard fell into an uneasy silence as the students and remaining teachers grappled with the sudden departure of Colerio and the group he had teleported away. The lingering magic from the teleportation spell dissipated, leaving a quiet emptiness that contrasted sharply with the recent event.

Ash Minse, still reeling from the unexpected turn of events, broke the silence with an incredulous mutter. "They... they just vanished?"

Aro, his features contorted with frustration, slammed his staff against the ground. "Dammit! They escaped!"

Ms. Lerona Everdale, her sword still drawn but now hanging loosely at her side, scanned the surroundings with a mix of anger and confusion. "Where did they go?"

Petra Haws, typically composed and wise, spoke softly as she tried to make sense of the situation. "Colerio must have teleported them to safety. He wouldn't have done that without good reason."

Ash Minse, his voice tinged with concern, adjusted his glasses nervously as he surveyed the aftermath of Colerio Sapher's unexpected actions.

"This... this changes everything," Ash Minse murmured, his usually composed demeanor faltering under the weight of the situation. He knew all too well the repercussions that could follow. "Colerio Sapher, a vassal of the king, now potentially a wanted man... Shit What will happen to our country..."

Now the students and remaining teachers stood in uneasy silence, grappling with the abrupt departure and the unanswered questions that hung heavily in the air

....

Meanwhile on the other side

Colerio who acted calmly and quickly, using magic to transport Chalu, Raro, Gori, Bale, and Lyro to a quiet, hidden spot in the forest. They appeared in a peaceful grove where the sounds of nature surrounded them, creating a refuge away from the tense and chaotic situation they had just escaped.

Chalu broke the quietude with a hesitant address to Colerio, "Sir..."

"I know you three didn't do it," Colerio reassured them, his gaze encompassing Chalu, Gori, and Raro.

The trio exchanged looks, their emotions a mixture of relief and curiosity.

Bale stepped closer to Chalu, her expression understanding yet inquisitive. "Chalu, you're from the chimpanze tribe, aren't you?"

Chalu nodded, a hint of apology in his voice. "Yes, I... I'm sorry, Bale."

"It's okay," Bale replied gently. "There must be a reason why you've been pretending to be an Eldoan."

Lyro approached Raro with a curious expression. "So, you're a cat...?"

Raro tensed slightly, uncertain of how Lyro would react. "Yeah, I am. Does that change things?"

Lyro shook his head enthusiastically. "Are you kidding? Now I have a friend who's a beastfolk! That's pretty cool!"

Raro's surprise gave way to a relieved smile. "Really?"

"Absolutely," Lyro affirmed warmly.

Meanwhile, Gori remained silent, observing the interactions quietly.

Chalu turned his attention back to Colerio, a question weighing on his mind. "Sir, how long have you known that we're beastfolk?"

Gori interjected, his voice incredulous, "Wait, he knew about us being beastfolk all this time?"

Raro chimed in, equally astonished, "That's impossible. My fok ability, shapeshifting, is strong. There's no way he could have known from the beginning."

Colerio sighed softly, his demeanor solemn. "I've known since the day I met you three."

Everyone reacted in unison, their disbelief palpable. "What?!"

What does Colerio's revelation mean? Why did he save them? What are his true motives? Find out in the next chapter.

To be contineud