Warlock Ch 325. Accusations
She had acted hostile to him before. Back at Cassius' place, she had openly challenged him, pushed him, even provoked Cassius into opening the Abyss, nearly getting herself pulled in. She had treated him like an unknown variable, a threat she needed to keep in check.
Yet now, here she was, making moves that—whether intentional or not—protected him.
'Why?'
It gnawed at him, clawing at the back of his mind.
And there was another thing. She should have known. She should have realized just how far his abilities stretched. She should have called him out on it.
When he first t her, he had pretended to be a clueless newbie, an unremarkable warlock barely scraping by. And yet… when she found out he had passed the S-rank exam in such a short ti, she hadn't questioned it. Not once. No interrogation. No accusations.
Instead, she had insisted on making him a Rank S warlock imdiately, even after this entire scandal had unfolded.
Damian's fingers twitched.
That wasn't normal.
Not for soone like Aria.
She should have wanted to investigate him further. She should have demanded explanations.
Yet instead, she had placed the title upon him without hesitation, as if she had already decided it was necessary.
His stomach twisted.
Sothing wasn't right.
"Thinking too hard over there?" Cassius' voice broke through his thoughts, amusent laced in his tone.
Damian blinked, glancing at him. Cassius was grinning, leaning slightly toward him, eyes watching with far too much curiosity.
"You've got that look," Cassius continued. "The one where you're either trying to solve a puzzle or plotting a murder. Or both."
Damian exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Just… trying to figure sothing out."
Cassius smirked. "You an her?" He tilted his chin toward Aria.
Damian didn't respond imdiately.
Cassius chuckled. "Yeah. Thought so."
Cedric's voice interrupted them. "They'll be taken into custody, but this isn't over yet. I will investigate this." His expression was unreadable, his sharp eyes sweeping over the restrained council mbers, their bodies trembling beneath Aria's magic.
Aria stepped forward, the soft clink of her boots against the stone floor barely audible over the low murmurs of the crowd. "I'll help with the investigation," she stated, her tone unwavering, cold and final. "Ralvek isn't here. He left just after making the announcent, and this place isn't within elven territory." Her eyes flickered with sothing dangerous, sothing calculated. "That ans I have the authority to oversee this."
Cedric hesitated.
It was subtle—the briefest shift in his stance, the slight furrow in his brow—but Damian caught it.
Because Cedric knew.
Everything Aria said was true. The security, the committees, even the healers—they were all possibly involved in this slaughter plan. If they had known, if they had actively participated, then this wasn't just negligence. It was preditated.
And the worst part?
Ralvek was nowhere to be found.
The bastard had played his cards too well.
Cedric exhaled, finally giving a short nod. "Fine. But we do this my way. We take them into custody properly. If we make a single mistake, he'll use it against us."
Aria smirked slightly. "Of course."
Damian watched as they turned, their soldiers moving in sync, escorting the captured council mbers away under heavy guard. The energy in the arena had changed—no longer burning with raw rage, but simring, boiling just beneath the surface. This wasn't over. Not even close.
And Damian?
He wasn't feeling great about what ca next.
Cedric barely made it five steps before stopping and turning right toward him, eyes locked with clear intent. "You."
Damian blinked. "Uh, ?"
Cedric pointed at him. "Follow ."
Damian sighed, already regretting existing. "Right. More interrogation."
Cedric barely reacted, already glancing at Evelyn. "Give the rune."
Evelyn arched a delicate brow, clearly enjoying the show. "So demanding." But she didn't argue, flipping the recording rune between her fingers before tossing it over to Cedric. He caught it effortlessly, his grip firm.
Damian groaned and stood up, rolling his shoulders. His limbs felt heavy, his mana reserves running on fus. His body ached in ways he didn't want to acknowledge, and the slow, persistent throb in his head wasn't helping.
He wasn't okay.
And they were definitely about to drag him into sothing he wasn't ready for.
His body hadn't fully recovered. The fact that he had lost so much blood after healing Selena was real. It wasn't just exhaustion—it was depletion. He had pushed himself too far. His skin felt cold, his vision slightly off, his balance just a little bit shaky.
And now?
Now he had to deal with this.
Cassius leaned in slightly, grinning. "Try not to get thrown into prison, yeah?"
Damian shot him a flat look. "Oh, thank you for the support."
Cassius smirked. "Anyti, buddy."
Victoria chuckled. "If you do end up in a dungeon, make sure it's one with good lighting."
Damian let out a mocking dry laugh. "Hahaha. Very funny."
"Glad you like my dry humor," said Victoria, but then her eyes grew colder, likewise with her smile. "But joke aside, I will wreck the dungeon, if they dare doing that to you."
"Thanks," Damian grinned. Yeah, sohow after staying together for a while, Damian began to understand that Victoria was honest and indeed fell in love with him. Obsessed to be exact. So yeah, he believed she would go that far.
Evelyn gave him a knowing look. "You'll be fine."
Damian sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck before glancing at Cedric. "Alright, let's get this over with." His body hated him. Every step felt like walking through molasses, his muscles screaming in protest, his mana reserves practically nonexistent. He had pushed himself too far. Way too far. And now he was paying for it.
Before he could take another step, sothing small and cool pressed into his palm. He blinked down at it. A vial—dark glass, faintly pulsing with magical energy.
Evelyn smirked. "For you," she said, flipping another vial between her fingers before tossing it at his chest. He caught it on instinct, barely managing to close his fingers around it. "You will need them."
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