“No, that’s not possible, Aether,” the Principal stated firmly, her face set in a stern expression. She had just listened to Aether’s story, and her reaction was one of unwavering disbelief.
“What do you mean?” Aether’s brow furrowed in confusion, he literally told her how he and Aria were almost killed by Alaric.
“According to the timeline of your attack…. Alaric was already here,” the Principal began, her voice steady and calm, “We were engaged in a discussion with the Archpriestess at that time… and Hell, Alaric had arrived at the academy well before the incident occurred.” Her gaze bore into Aether’s.
“Seriously?” Aether’s face contorted into an expression of disbelief and bewilderment. He couldn’t fathom how this could be true.
“Yes,” the Principal affirmed, her nod slow and deliberate. “You didn’t see the attacker’s face, did you?” she inquired
Aether hesitated, a lump forming in his throat.
He had to admit it.
He hadn’t seen the attacker’s face, just heard the voice….. those angry, hate-filled words. Yet, in his mind, there was no doubt, “I didn’t,” he finally murmured, the words feeling heavy on his tongue.
The Principal’s eyes softened with empathy, “I can’t say for sure… Maybe you misunderstood,” she suggested, her voice gentle yet firm. She was trying to be reasonable, to offer a logical explanation, but Aether’s expression showed he was far from convinced.
“If that’s the case, then who was that person, and why did they come after us?” Aether’s voice echoed with a mix of confusion and anger.
“… It will be difficult to determine,” the Principal admitted, her gaze becoming distant as she considered the implications, “Their plan was executed flawlessly. Whoever they were….. they knew exactly what they were doing,” she added.
“You mean?”
The Principal looked at Aether for a long moment, as if weighing her words carefully, “There were three death spells cast on you,” she finally said.
“Huh?” Aether’s eyes widened in shock. ‘Death spells? What on earth does that mean?’ he thought.
The Principal sighed, rubbing her shoulder, her eyes filled with tiredness after training Aether…. as if she indicating something.
Aether’s lips twitched into a half-smile, ‘Just you wait… You’re the one who’s going to be rubbing my… hehehe…’ he thought, his mind briefly wandering to a more dangerous thought. He stood and began to massage the Principal’s shoulder and of course, his eyes ‘unconsciously’ drifted to her cleavage.
Death Spells: These arcane incantations are typically cast on a person, allowing the caster to know instantly when that individual dies. This magic is often used by noble houses to monitor their heirs and ensure their safety.
Death spells are not easily performed; only those who have deeply comprehended the mysteries of life and death can wield them.
There are a few exceptionally talented casters who also gain a vision of the person’s last moments, providing them with a fleeting glimpse of the death scene.
“Oh!” Aether exclaimed, absorbing the information. He then asked, curiosity piqued, “So, three people cast the spell on me?”
“Mm~ Yes…” the Principal confirmed, her eyes studying Aether’s reaction. She chuckled softly, her amusement tinged with a hint of warmth. “But don’t worry too much; this spell isn’t harmful. Whoever cast it wanted to protect you,” she reassured him.
“… How did you know there were three spells?” Aether asked, eager to understand the intricacies of the magic involved.
The Principal smirked, a proud glint in her eyes, and replied with a single word, “Sovereign.”
Aether nodded, his expression one of amused respect…. He had an inkling of who the other two might be: ‘The Empress, the Archpriestess… and…’ he thought, then said aloud, “You too, right?”
The Principal chuckled warmly before nodding, “Of course, I wouldn’t let my disciple die without me knowing!” she declared, her voice filled with a mix of pride and protectiveness.
Aether smiled, as he stared at her, meanwhile, she also stared at Aether…
Her eyes gleamed with something as she looked at Aether, her gaze lingering on the faint glow of the three different arcane energy signatures enveloping his body.
She was still amazed at the confluence of energies!!
When the Principal first encountered Aether, she was taken aback to see a servant enveloped in a single death spell….. Initially, she thought it might be the Empress. However, the Empress had only cast the spell after the contest, upon witnessing his sacrifice to save her daughter….. then finally it was she who cast it… so she only knew two out of three.
‘Who could the third be…?’ she wondered the question gnawing at her, she frowned as she thought of the recent actions of the Archpriestess…..
Suddenly,
“But I still think it was Alaric,” Aether insisted, his tone unwavering. He couldn’t shake the feeling, the certainty that it was Alaric who had confronted him.
The Principal sighed deeply, a sound full of weariness and resignation. There was no concrete evidence, and without seeing the attacker’s face, it was all speculation.
She decided it was best to steer the conversation in a different direction, “Since you helped with Kennedy’s case, I’d love to reward you… so, what do you want?” she offered, her voice lightening, trying to bring some levity to the situation.
Aether blinked a few times, caught off guard by the sudden change in the topic…. Enjoy more content from
Then a grin slowly spread across his face.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
The opportunity to ask for something valuable, something he had been planning for.
Yes, He genuinely wanted to help the girls, but he also had another motive… to have the Principal owe him a favour.
He had grand plans for his future, plans that required specific things from the principal… or rather from the academy.
That was of course to get those tools from the laboratory…. for his plans!!!
Meanwhile, the Principal watched him, her brows furrowing slightly. She could see the, the hesitation in his eyes, ‘I know exactly what you’re going to ask for…. Tsk, Tsk you perverted bastard,’ she thought with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
It was obvious; he’d always asked for a hug in the past.
The Principal shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. ‘Well, it’s just a hug…’ she thought, before saying,
“I’ll let you hug me, though it’ll only be for a seco…”
“Well, since you’re pestering me, I want tools from the labora…”
Their voices overlapped, trailing off as they both looked at each other in surprise.
They spoke simultaneously again, the confusion palpable.
“What did you say?”
“What did you say?”
“…”
“…”
[+1000 AP]
They stared at each other, the silence stretching, before bursting into laughter.
“Haha… Y-You go first, Aether,” the Principal finally managed, still chuckling.
“Haha… N-No, no! It’s always Master first!” Aether insisted, his laughter infectious.
“Haha… It’s fine, you don’t need to hold back,” the Principal urged, trying to coax him into speaking.
“Haha… I respect my Master more than anything!” Aether retorted….
They started to act like weirdos….
The Principal’s lips twitched, a mix of amusement and exasperation. ‘Respect? Him?’ she thought, incredulous.
She sighed, shaking her head, and then asked, “Are you not going to tell me?” Aether immediately nodded, his expression serious again, causing the Principal to sigh once more. With a determined look, she suggested, “Let’s say it at the same time again, on the count of three?”
Aether nodded, his smile returning. “Of course…”
“One!”
“Two!”
“Three!!!!”
“…”
“…”
Neither of them spoke, the silence filled with a mixture of anticipation and awkwardness, their lips twitching in mutual annoyance.
“I thought we were going to say it?”
“I also thought that…”
The Principal sighed deeply, seeing this wasn’t getting anywhere. With a resigned look, she said, “I said I would let you hug me.”
Aether blinked rapidly, processing her words. He opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss for words, ‘Come on, Aether! You need the tools first! Say it, damn it!’ Aether screamed inwardly, yet his mouth refused to cooperate.
The Principal watched him struggle, a small, amused smile playing on her lips. ‘He’s really amusing…’ she thought, her eyes softening as she observed his internal battle.
[+1000 AP]
‘Come on, Aether, focus on your future!! YOUR FUTURE, NOT WOMEN!!!! BE A SIGMA MALE!!!!!!’ Aether shouted inwardly, trying to steel his resolve. He needed to prioritize his long-term goals, to use this opportunity wisely…
Boing, Boing
But then his gaze fell on the Principal’s busty bust, and his mind went blank as he watched the gentle and tantalizing movement..
‘Future?’
‘Tsk, Fuck off! I’m living in the moment, not for the future!’ Aether shouted inwardly, his resolve crumbling. Without warning, he lunged toward the Principal, shouting, “I want a hug, Principal~”
The Principal’s lips twitched, then curled into a dangerous smile, ‘Yep, I knew it!!’ she thought before,
BOOOM!!!
A powerful gust of wind erupted from the Principal, sending Aether crashing into the wall with a heavy thud.
“P-Prinicipal?” Aether gasped, his voice tinged with shock and betrayal.
The Principal cracked her knuckles, her eyes narrowing dangerously, “Tell me what you really wanted,” she demanded, her voice cold and unyielding.
“… Hehe–”
BOOOM!!!