Chapter 130: Verdict
The next morning ca with the kind of quiet that made everyone on campus uneasy. Word had already spread that the student council would be convening again—this ti, not for another round of discussions or rumors, but for judgnt. The academy halls felt heavier, the atmosphere tight.
Arios woke up early. He hadn’t really slept much since the confrontation in the dungeon illusion. The mory of Garron’s face when the illusion broke still played in his head like a projection stuck on repeat. It wasn’t anger that filled him—it was calculation. Garron had looked like soone who knew his end had finally arrived.
Lucy and Liza were still asleep when he got dressed. He moved quietly around the dorm, checking through the docunts he’d prepared. Evidence—mana traces, falsified reports, ti logs, and the small charm he found in the illusion chamber that linked back to Garron’s mana resonance.
As he closed the folder, his mind went through the day’s sequence again. Alia was going to be called in for the official verdict. Garron would be summoned by the council. Regulus would likely be dragged in too, as his role had beco too public to hide anymore. And Chase... Chase Weaverake, of course, would sit comfortably behind his noble shield, the one thing Arios couldn’t pierce just yet.
He exhaled, long and steady, then picked up the folder.
****
Damian Ravencroft sat at the head of the long mahogany table, scrolling through his tablet as the other council mbers entered. He wasn’t smiling. Normally, he greeted everyone with polite nods, but today his expression was distant.
Thora, the disciplinary head, took her usual seat across from him, a small stack of reports in her hands. Harley Sapphire, the administrative officer, followed behind, whispering sothing to a council mber before settling down.
The room slowly filled with quiet whispers until Damian raised a hand. The mont he did, silence fell.
"This session," he said, his voice calm but cold, "concerns the investigation surrounding Instructor Alia of the Alchemic Departnt, and the alleged misconduct tied to both her and Instructor Garron. As of this morning, new evidence has been submitted."
He looked toward the door.
"Bring in the student witness."
The guard outside opened the door. Arios stepped in, wearing the academy’s standard white uniform jacket. He walked with a steady pace, stopping exactly where he was supposed to.
Damian didn’t say anything for a while, simply studying him. Everyone in the room could tell that this was going to be different from the previous sessions—this was the one that would decide everything.
"Student Arios Pureheart," Damian finally said. "You’ve submitted this folder as formal evidence to the council. Before we begin, I want to confirm—did you collect this data yourself?"
"Yes," Arios said, setting the folder on the table. "Everything inside was verified through mana trace resonance."
Thora raised an eyebrow. "Mana resonance?"
Arios nodded. "I developed a detection thod using an advanced perception skill. It allowed to view the residual mana traces left in Instructor Alia’s office and compare them with those of the students claiming to be victims."
Damian leaned forward slightly. "And your findings?"
"The traces don’t match," Arios said clearly. "Not even close. Most of the students spreading rumors have never even set foot inside her office. In contrast, the mana trace of Instructor Garron was detected multiple tis within restricted ti fras—particularly after class hours."
A few murmurs broke out between the mbers.
Thora flipped open the folder, glancing through the docunts. The graphs and resonance scans were clearly labeled, detailed with tistamps. It wasn’t sothing a first-year student should’ve been able to gather.
"And this charm?" Thora asked, holding up a small tallic tag with engravings.
"I found it in the illusion dungeon," Arios said. "The mana signature matched Garron’s. It was part of the construct that trapped . That alone violates academy regulations and constitutes malicious use of illusion arts on a student."
Damian’s eyes narrowed. He leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers lightly against the desk.
"Where is Instructor Garron right now?"
"He’s waiting in the hall," Harley replied.
"Bring him in."
---
Garron stood outside, hands clasped behind his back, forcing himself to keep his breathing calm. He could already hear faint echoes from the chamber. His thoughts were louder, though—rapid and sharp.
So it was Arios. That damned boy.
He had underestimated him. He thought the illusion would keep him trapped longer, long enough to arrange a few more things, maybe even pin the remnants of the evidence on soone else. But the illusion broke faster than it should have. Garron didn’t even understand how.
He adjusted his collar, running a hand over his wristplate armor. He could feel the council’s guards watching him.
When the door opened, the noise from inside hit him like a wall of judgnt.
He stepped in, keeping his posture straight. His eyes imdiately found Arios—standing there, calm, cold, unreadable.
"Instructor Garron," Damian said. "Please take a seat."
Garron sat. He didn’t like the way the chair creaked beneath him.
"You’ve heard the charges," Damian continued. "Do you have any response before we proceed?"
Garron gave a polite nod, his tone smooth. "Only that I am being falsely accused. I have served this academy faithfully for years. I’ve worked under multiple deans, across divisions. I don’t even know why a student would—"
"Enough," Thora interrupted, her voice hard. "You don’t get to redirect the conversation with rehearsed lines. The data before us shows your mana signatures were discovered in restricted areas, alongside a charm matching your energy pattern. How do you explain that?"
Garron’s lips twitched slightly. "I... may have visited the office to check on materials. Instructor Alia often forgets to lock her door. As for the charm, I can’t confirm it’s mine. Many illusionists use the sa template."
Arios watched him speak, every word feeling like the sa old manipulative pattern. He wasn’t angry; he was analyzing. Garron wasn’t denying smartly—he was deflecting.
Damian placed his tablet down and said quietly, "Instructor Garron, there is a record gap in your employnt history. Between years seven to twelve. I asked the administrative office to cross-check archives. The na that ca up matches several complaints across two other academies."
A silence spread.
The words landed like stones. Garron froze, his mouth half open. "That’s not—those were baseless! I was acquitted. There was no conviction!"
"But there were multiple dismissals," Damian said evenly. "And the allegations were always the sa—harassnt, manipulation, illegal illusion casting. The academy may have protected your record under contract clauses, but they did not erase the trail. We found it."
Garron’s shoulders stiffened. He looked toward Arios, his glare sharp enough to cut glass. "You did this."
Arios t his eyes. "No. You did."
Thora exhaled sharply. "We’ve heard enough. There’s more than enough here to move forward with disciplinary expulsion."
Garron slamd his hand on the table. "You’re making a mistake!" he shouted. "You think this boy understands the truth of the world? He’s just a first-year! A child manipulated by others!"
His voice echoed across the chamber.
Damian didn’t flinch. "Then tell us who manipulated him."
Garron opened his mouth, but no words ca out. Because saying the real na—the person behind him—would destroy his own leverage. Chase Weaverake’s shadow still lood large.
He clenched his jaw. "You wouldn’t understand."
Damian stood up. "Perhaps not. But I understand this academy will not harbor people like you. The decision is unanimous. Instructor Garron, you are hereby expelled from Vestoria Academy, effective imdiately."
The gavel ca down with a sharp crack.
****
Arios stood in the hallway afterward, his head slightly tilted down. He could hear Garron shouting inside as the guards took him away. The sound grew faint, then vanished behind the thick wooden doors.
Lucy and Liza were waiting outside the corridor. Lucy’s face lit up the mont she saw him. "So? What happened?"
"It’s over," Arios said. "He’s been expelled."
Liza grinned. "Finally. That creep got what he deserved."
Lucy sighed in relief. "What about Alia?"
"She’s safe now," Arios said quietly. "Her na will be cleared in the morning. The council just needs to finalize the report."
Liza leaned against the wall. "And Chase?"
Arios didn’t answer imdiately. His eyes drifted toward the far end of the corridor, where the council guards were still posted. "He won’t be touched," he said at last. "Not yet. He still has his noble backing. Regulus is suspended, Garron’s gone, but Chase will walk away clean."
Lucy frowned. "That’s not fair."
Arios nodded. "I know. But that’s how this place works. For now, we’ll let him think he’s untouchable."
He looked at the papers in his hand—the official report, the last proof of Garron’s guilt. But even with Garron gone, there was an emptiness inside him, sothing that didn’t feel finished.
"Let’s go," he said finally. "Alia’s waiting in the infirmary."
They escorted him out through the main gate, past the courtyard where students had already started whispering. The night air was cold, but the anger inside him was hot enough to burn.
He wanted to turn back, to shout, to tear the smug calm from Arios’ face. But he couldn’t. His reputation was gone, stripped bare. The academy he once called his ground of control had thrown him out like trash.
As the guards shoved him through the final archway, he looked up at the academy’s towering spires. His breath ca out sharp. "This isn’t the end," he muttered to himself. "Not yet."
The council chamber was nearly empty now. Only Damian and Harley remained. The rest had left to file reports or retire for the night.
Harley scrolled through the last of the notes. "It’s done. Alia will receive the formal letter by morning. Her na is cleared."
Damian nodded. "Good."
Harley paused. "But... about Chase Weaverake—are we really letting him walk away?"
Damian didn’t respond imdiately. He closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair. "For now, yes. There’s not enough to tie him directly to Garron’s actions. And his family’s influence runs deep. But make no mistake—Arios won’t let it end here."
Harley gave a small smile. "You think he’ll keep digging?"
"I’d be disappointed if he didn’t," Damian said quietly. "That boy... he’s not just reacting. He’s thinking ahead. And that’s what makes him dangerous to people like Chase."
Alia sat on the bed near the window, still wearing her partial armor. Her eyes were red, but the tension that had clung to her for weeks was finally gone. When she saw Arios enter, she stood up imdiately.
"Is it true?" she asked. "They said he was expelled."
Arios nodded. "It’s over. You’re free."
Her shoulders trembled slightly. She looked like she wanted to say sothing but couldn’t find the right words. Finally, she just nodded, whispering, "Thank you."
Arios sat beside her. "You don’t have to thank . You deserved justice."
Alia let out a quiet laugh, tired but genuine. "Justice... feels strange. I almost forgot what it felt like."
Arios turned his gaze to the window. "This academy hides too much behind its rules. People like Garron survive because others look the other way."
She looked at him for a long mont. "You didn’t look away."
Arios gave a small smile. "No. I didn’t."
For a while, they just sat there, listening to the faint wind brushing against the glass.
Outside, the academy was already moving on—students gossiping, classes resuming, rumors shifting from one topic to another. But beneath that calm surface, the balance of power had changed. One player was gone. Another was rising quietly.
And though Chase Weaverake had escaped untouched for now, Arios knew it was only a matter of ti before the next confrontation ca.
He stood up, adjusting his jacket. "Rest for now," he said softly. "You’ve earned it."
Alia nodded, her voice low. "You too, Arios."
He left the infirmary and walked through the corridor, the sound of his footsteps echoing lightly. The academy night was peaceful again—but it was the kind of peace that didn’t last.
Reviews
All reviews (0)