Everyone had been dismissed for the day, but the students still couldn’t shake the lingering thought of Victor’s ability to siphon Arcane energy.
The one thought that dominated their minds was, ‘A monster!’
Victor was immediately whisked away by Delphine to a secluded area.
“What happened?” Aether asked Delphine as he removed his mask. He thought everything was going according to plan, so why the sudden change? Why had his survival rate increased so dramatically in just a few minutes?
Delphine hesitated, sensing that something was seriously amiss. Aether tried to lighten the mood, teasing her, “So, how was my acting? Did your heart flutter?”
Delphine forced a smile and said, “You did a good job,” though there was an unmistakable tension behind her words.
Even more troubling for Aether, ‘There weren’t any affection points… what happened?’ he pondered, feeling a growing unease.
Meanwhile…
“Principal, what is the meaning of this? Who is that thing?” Alaric shouted, his voice echoing with frustration and fear. He desperately wanted to understand who Victor really was and how a being in their world could possess the unprecedented ability to absorb Arcane energy.
Until now, there had been no records of anyone capable of such a feat!
The Principal remained silent, not responding to Alaric or any of the other professors who were following her toward the underground punishment chamber, where Aether was being taken.
This chamber was a place designed for those betraying the Academy and also served as a severe punishment for students who didn’t obey the rules.
“There is nothing wrong here, and I was the one who found him. So… return to your positions,” the Principal’s words were as cold as ice.
Alaric and the others frowned but eventually sighed and returned to their posts, their curiosity and concern unassuaged.
As the Principal arrived at the chamber, the Empress stood there, waiting for her with a stern expression.
“He is from my Empire, so of course, I need to know the details,” the Empress demanded.
The Principal sighed and nodded, leading the Empress inside. Turning to Delphine, the Principal asked, “Did you know about this?”
Delphine flinched, lowering her head, “I-I thought it was a mistake—”
“There are no mistakes!” the Principal shouted, her voice causing the chamber to vibrate. She then glared at Delphine and ordered her to wait outside. Delphine reluctantly nodded, casting a worried glance at Aether before leaving.
The Empress glanced at her maid, who nodded in understanding. She bit her lip and walked out, hoping nothing terrible would happen to Aether.
Soon, the dark chamber held only Aether, the Empress, and the Principal.
“Boy,” the Principal called.
“Yes?” Aether answered, seeing the serious faces before him. He knew this was no time for games, ‘What did I do?’ he wondered.
“Tell me everything. How are you able to absorb Arcane energy?”
Aether shrugged and explained how he could do that. After hearing his explanation, both the Empress and the Principal exchanged worried glances before sighing deeply.
“What happened?” Aether asked, clearly understanding that something serious was unfolding just because he had absorbed Arcane energy.
The Principal then said, “Simply put, you are a ticking bomb.”
“Pardon?” Aether couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
The Empress stepped in to elaborate, her tone grave and measured, “What she means is that even though Arcane energy permeates everything as a fundamental fuel, each source carries a unique signature.
For instance, when I absorb Arcane energy from the surroundings, it becomes my raw material.” She demonstrated by holding out her hand, from which a small whirlpool of shimmering Arcane energy swirled, drawing from the ambient surroundings.
“Then,” she continued, her voice taking on an authoritative edge, “I transform it into my own unique signature—a product that bears only my mark.” Her other hand emitted a faint purple mist, which gradually morphed into a delicate blue water bubble, “Once I’ve used it for my desired output, that specific form of Arcane energy cannot be absorbed by anyone else.”
Still confused, Aether frowned. “So?”
If he was able to absorb means he might be special or…
“Is there any rule not to absorb the Arcane from others?” Aether asked cautiously.
The Principal explained, “It’s not about rules… it’s about a ‘thing’…..” She pointed to Aether and added, “….that can absorb Arcane energy. This is the first instance we’ve encountered of someone being able to do so directly from others.”
Aether finally nodded in understanding. ‘So they’re worried about the unknown—me,’ he thought, a sardonic smirk curling his lips as he considered the irony of his situation. “Every first has its place, right? Nothing is truly impossible.”
The Empress and the Principal exchanged sceptical glances before the Empress spoke again, her voice tinged with caution. “Yes, but your circumstances are different.”
“How so?”
The Empress proceeded to explain, her words measured and precise, “You absorbed Arcane energy from others. The question is, where does it go once it’s inside you?”
“…” Aether remained silent, thinking.
The Empress continued, her tone unwavering, “No being can store Arcane energy within their body indefinitely”
Aether ventured a guess, “It might be going back to the surroundings like a reverse process of sorts…”
Then the Principal stepped forward, taking something similar to a scanner from her dimensional space, “This device can detect the quality and quantity of Arcane energy,” she explained, positioning it carefully over Aether and scanning him from head to toe.
Beep… Beep…. Beep…..
As the scanner approached his heart…
Beep… BeepBeepBeepBeepBeepBeep
The Principal and the Empress exchanged a glance, their faces darkening at the sight of the red danger light flashing ominously.
“W-What is it?” Aether realized something shit was about to happen.
The Empress sighed heavily, her expression grave. “As she said… you’re a ticking bomb. The Arcane energy stored within you is poised to erupt at any moment.”
“What?” Aether’s face was filled with horror.
“If not for your strong body, you might have already exploded!” the Empress said with a dangerously delighted tone, making Aether gulp in fear….. She seemed to be enjoying this.
The Principal then stepped in, saying, “If someone punctured your body, you would explode into pieces.”
“OMG!!!”
The Principal’s lips trembled, trying to suppress her laughter. She couldn’t believe this was the same guy who had made others piss themselves in fear.
[+10 Affection]
[+100 Affection]
Aether’s lips suddenly twitched as he looked at the women, who had sad faces as if they had given up.
“You’re messing with me, right?”
“Pfffhttt!!! Hahaha”
“hahahahaha”
“….” Aether’s eyes twitched. He would make sure to make both of them pay for this!
“A-At any rate…” the Principal finally managed to compose herself, wiping a tear from her eye as she spoke. “You still pose a significant danger.”
“What do you mean?”
“The moment you die, the Arcane energy within you will unleash its destructive force, potentially obliterating not just this Academy…. but perhaps even this entire empire.”
“Say What!!!!!”