Second day of Asta’xahr, 4044 AOT

  Blue Dorm, AB Academy

  It is past nine in the morning, Herneihmys’ and her aides are having teatime in the living room of her spacious dorm room. The air is filled with a sweet honey aroma. Athena is using magic to pour tea while Rio sets down a dish of macaroons. On the sofa beside are piles of paper documents and several tablets displaying different data arranged in graphs. Herneihmys reviews the documents while browsing different graphs and reports in her laptop.

  The atmosphere is quiet and peaceful until the door bursts open, an uninvited guest casually waltz in. A young man entered, he is a third-year blue-zone student, and he is followed by his four aides. The noble that takes the lead with a playful grin has black hair and red eyes. Underneath his blue-zone uniform, he is wearing designer polo, a black necktie, and a diamond-shaped pin with black rose inside, the emblem of the Livingstone family. Following behind him are his aides, two females and two males. Three of them are wearing a blue-zone uniform while one girl is wearing a fatigue with a biomechanical right arm.

  “Hey, hey!” He naturally sits and makes himself comfortable in the couch. “Herneihmys, I finally found time to visit after that crazy break-in incident. How are you?”

  Herneihmys gracefully sets down her teacup half-filled with tea. “Everything was tranquil before you barged in. State your business, Quartz.”

  “So cold. Is it because you’re an ice mage?”

  “You’re a natural airhead. Is it because you specialize in wind magic?”

  Quartz laughs aloud. Three of his aides that are standing behind him, lowers their heads as they sigh. Meanwhile, Athena politely serves him tea. Then she takes the place beside Rio who is standing behind Herneihmys’ side.

  Quartz Livingstone is Herneihmys’ childhood friend and fiancé. They spent a lot of time together when they were young, along with some of their current aides. The Livingstone clan is considered the most loyal ally and subordinate of the House of Strange since its founding.

  “Seriously though.” His tone deepens while he picks up the cup of tea. “The attack in the academy is quite concerning.”

  “Mhm… Yes, in more ways than it seems. If anything good happened, it’s that it gave me an opportunity to relieve some stress.”

  “How could you say that knowing that the High Nobles have fallen in disarray because of this? It seems that the same group have also attacked Lunaria International Prison.”

  “I see…” She checks her phone searching for something on the internet. “Hearing that first from you after several days have passed, it seems that ICA is not planning to release that information to the public.”

  “Yeah, there’s no way they’d tell the world that they failed to contain the prison break and let dozens of prisoners escape including three high profile ones.”

  “Come here, Seras.” She calls as she fixes her pale blue eyes to one of the aides. The girl with biomechanical arm responds walking closer towards Herneihmys. “Let me check your arm.”

  Quartz glances at them. “They have already mobilized the White Tiger Corp to hunt the escapees. On the other hand, investigating the group behind these coordinated attacks is given to the Vermillion Bird Corp lead by the House of Darko.”

  “Three high profile prisoners?” Herneihmys continuous to inspect the biomechanical arm. “Have you felt any discomfort that may be connected to this arm?”

  Seras shakes her head.

  “Mhm… Warren… Odessa… and Gamble.” Quartz recalls, his voice low but clear. “They are known for committing large-scale crimes despite operating alone. Warren, a mage proficient in Elite-tier magic, MER rank S. He was infamously known in Tuxia Empire as the “Wind of Justice.” He was arrested for multiple murders throughout the empire. He tortured his victims first before giving them a horrible death.”

  “Wind of Justice? A twisted sense of humor, perhaps?.. Never mind, please go on.”

  “Odessa is a level 5 esper, MER rank S. After getting arrested, they called her “Hexchantress.” She put a whole city under memory manipulation and pretended to be the daughter of the most powerful family in the region. It lasted for years until some relatives who lives in different region visited.”

  “And did she kill the agents that were sent to investigate and arrest her?”

  “No. She was caught easily by ICA’s agents, apparently… The investigation went smoothly as well.”

  “Hm… That’s it?.. And the last one?”

  “Riiight. Gamble, a level 4 contractor, MER rank S. He was arrested for treason, arson, massacre, and terrorism.”

  Herneihmys turns her head. “That one sounds pretty extreme.”

  “He’s quite the terrifying man. In terms of sanity, he has none.” His tone deepened. “He attacked and took over a military base and then killed everyone inside. Since he wasn’t caught, he proceeds to attack a hospital and laboratory. He held them hostage for several days but in the end, he also killed everyone inside. ICA’s agents relentlessly hunted him, some lost their lives, until he was finally caught. He was known as the Unbound Lunatic.”

  “Gather more information about them.” She gazed at Rio. “We must expect that those three will become our enemies in the future.”

  “Understood.” Rio responded.

  Athena nodded.

  “And how long are you going to play around with Seras’ arm?” Quartz raised a brow looking at them.

  She chuckles. “Our engineers recently developed a new biomechanical prosthetic. It’s lighter but it’s also made of stronger materials. I’ll send you one, you should try it out. We also have new products that has built-in weapons. I’ll give you one too, but you can’t wear it inside the academy. Well, in case of emergency, just keep it close.”

  “Thank you, Milady. I will keep your advice in mind.” Seras responds with a calm and gentle tone.

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  “You’re an ubliss so it’s better to have some weapon around in case of emergency… Since we just had one recently.”

  “Hey! Am I being ignored? And here I was kind enough to update you about the internal turmoil of those High Nobles.”

  “I missed not a single word from your report.” She continues to observe the mechanical arm. “You’ve done a good maintenance here.”

  “Because it’s a gift from you, Milady.”

  Quartz clicks his tongue. “You’re done. Seras, come sit here.” He then pulls her making her sit on the space beside him. “Right, so I was saying, two of ICA’s strongest forces have been mobilized. Something like this hasn’t happened since the fall of House of Il’Tradeo.”

  “Mhm… I see… Where is Acheron now?”

  “I’m not sure. Only the heads should know where it is. That place where they keep and seal away all the ancient relics.”

  “And who took those metaghost leftovers?”

  “Those are left to the House of Asero for safe keeping. The high command also gave both House of Xi and House of Strange the permission to study those machines. However, it is still prohibited for anyone to use the Trandium in them.”

  “Asero, huh…”

  “Is something up?”

  She scoffs. “Its politics…Nothing happens without ulterior motives.”

  He tilts his head. “What’s in your mind?”

  “The Xi and the Strange will secretly build some sort of weapon… Even just one metaghost would be enough to build something. The Aseros will make big profits out of his.”

  “And where would they use it?”

  “Nothing in particular for now. They are the kind of people who would go and try to increase their power whenever they could.”

  “Sounds about right.” Quartz finishes his tea and then crossed his legs. “What are you planning to do? Your younger brother is accumulating power as the next head… Even though the one who’s really in control behind it all is that despicable uncle of yours.”

  “I’ve long given up my right to inherit that position. Furthermore, Izakk isn’t an idiot. If my uncle thinks that he can control him because he is young, then he is making the biggest mistake of his life.”

  Athena fills the cup of tea again using her object manipulation magic. Herneihmys takes a deep breath to appreciate the scent before taking a small sip. Quartz gestures that he does not need a refill. Instead he takes a piece of macaroon. Then he gives some to Seras.

  “ICA’s High Command will have their hands full for a while.” Herneihmys states while putting her cup down. “The organization that attacked too… They won’t make any big move for now.”

  “You sound so sure.” Quartz replies while eating another macaroon.

  “They will probably need to recover from the last battle. They will also focus on smaller goals that will help their greater plans in the future. If their target is the fall of ICA… then they will prepare for a large-scale war.”

  “Aren’t we in trouble?”

  “We aren’t their enemy, why bother?”

  “Excuse me? Aren’t we nobles of ICA?”

  Herneihmys chuckles coldly.

  “You’re scaring me.”

  “Forget about it. Let’s focus on our own agenda first.”

  “Your supporters are ever so loyal. All you have to do is give them your orders.”

  “I’m looking for a certain someone.”

  “What? Who? Why?”

  Herneihmys stares at him, pausing for a second. “Because she’s a very talented mage. Have you heard about the barriers during the attack?”

  “Right… Not Sylpid Pandora’s? The thing that kept the student inside their dorms?”

  “Yes… Well, I was able to break through it simply because it’s me. However, casting an almost perfect high-tier spell and maintaining it for a long time, proves that she is on a different level among the students in AB Academy. Did she also plan it? Forcing the students inside to observe the situation helped them calm down and assess what to do next.”

  He tilts his head. “For someone who specializes in magical barriers and defensive spells, Athena should already be polished in high-tier spells.”

  “Athena, speak your mind.”

  “That mage does not specialize in barriers or defense.” Athena politely joins the conversation. “I analyzed the spell that time. That mage got the basics of defensive spells; however, she skipped the fundamentals, or perhaps she has not trained enough to stabilize it. If another, even a mid-tier mage, tried to break through it… it would have crumbled.”

  “I did my best not to accidentally break it while we slip through.” She adds as she picks up another document. “Still, I believe that she’s a talented mage.”

  “You’re sure it’s a she? And a student too?”

  “I saw her on the gym’s roof that day. I’m very sure she is the caster. All I can remember is that she was wearing an armor, and she has blonde hair. She also has a huge floating spear. It leaves quite the impression.”

  Quartz touches his chin. “Armor and spear aside, there are hundreds of students with blonde hair.”

  “She’s most likely a freshman.”

  “I see. We’ve already observed everyone who are enrolled before this school year. We’ve scouted all the ones with potential… Hm… Interesting. Now, we just have to look into a few dozens of students then. A blonde freshman, great.”

  “Make sure you conduct a thorough investigation before approaching.”

  He sighs. “Someone that prolific couldn’t have entered the academy without anyone knowing her true skills. I may need to look into the headmaster’s people.”

  “That old man is quite cunning. What is he up to this time?”

  He takes the plate of remaining macaroons and then passes it to Seras. “Did you like it? Here eat more.”

  “Uhm. T-thank you.” Seras takes another macaroon.

  “Don’t let him notice your movements. I don’t want to deal with that old man.”

  “Sure, sure.”

  “If you want a mistress, I won’t really mind.” Herneihmys says while looking at them.

  “Huh? Is that really something you should be saying to your fiancé?” He clicks his tongue. “I’m not that kind of bastard. If you want to cancel the engagement, I believe you can do so. I’ll still be your friend, and I’ll always be on your side.”

  “Do you really think I have the patience to go and talk to my uncle about it? Why don’t you do it instead?”

  He grits his teeth. “I’d rather not have any form of interaction with that scumbag.”

  “My Lord,” one of his aides’ cuts in. “Please be warry of your words. He is still your fa-”

  “Shut up! Or you’re gonna lose your two front teeth.”

  He steps back. “I apologize.”

  Their attention shifts to Rio when his phone rings aloud. The whole room goes silent. He picks it up and answers. He quietly listens to the person who called. Meanwhile, Herneihmys and Quartz continues to enjoy their snacks as it has been refilled by Athena.

  “Milady, a report from the headquarters.” Rio says after finishing the call.

  “I’ll hear it.”

  “The intruders’ corpses that were collected after the attack, they were taken to one of our laboratories for autopsy.” He says in a low tone but clear enough for everyone to hear. “When they were ready to start, the bodies exploded. There are no casualties, but some of our doctors and personnel got mildly injured.”

  “I see… That dear uncle of mine must be very pissed right now.”

  Quartz frowns. “That’s one hell of a gift they gave us.”

  “It’s highly likely that the best was chosen to look into that autopsy.” Herneihmys adds. “This is another score for that unknown organization. They’ve proven themselves to be a real nuisance again and again.”

  “Since when did ICA became so incompetent to let these blatant insults just pass? We must speed up the plans to clean up and reform the house.”

  “To heal this corrupted organization, we must get rid of the rotting roots. However, with these recent events, I’ll need to adjust parts of the plan.” She smiles.

  “Adjust? In what sense?” His tone falls deeper as the atmosphere turns heavier.

  “We’ll make use of the movements of this unknown organization.”

  “Milady, might that be too dangerous?” Athena interrupts with a worried tone. “You might end up stuck in between the two.”

  “She has a point.” Quartz agrees.

  “I know how to play my cards well. I was able to deceive uncle before. I did give him a hard time looking for my where abouts.”

  “And how did that end?” He raises a brow. “You ended up in a mental asylum. He told the subclan leaders that you were having health issues and needed to recuperate somewhere with healthier environment. You were just gone for a year… and during that time, he managed to turn some of your supporters to his side. He weakened your unstable position even more.”

  “I am not aiming to become the head. I don’t care how many more of them turns their back on me.” She lets out a cold laugh as a thought dawn in her mind. “That year wasn’t wasted. Furthermore, it did delay my enrollment to the academy for a year. If that did not happen, then I wouldn’t have been able to witness that attack and experience something quite interesting. Thanks to this health issues I am able to slack off now. I don’t have to waste my time in boring things, and I can focus more on my goals.”

  “Sometimes, I can’t help but think that you really are crazy.”

  “Well, this is just the prologue. You are yet to see how crazy I truly am.”

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