LUCAS WYKES’ POV:
"And what the hell is this supposed to be?" I raised an eyebrow, looking around inside the dimly lit room that reminded of so crudely built wine cellar.
It was that poor excuse of a mage from the Ravenpor House that brought here, telling that it would be sothing I’d be interested in.
I normally would’ve blasted that sod away when he talked to so arrogantly, like he was doing a favor; but I was quite curious, especially after the explosion at the Tri-Union Building earlier today.
"Welco to one of the many humble dwellings that we use to hold our etings," said a coarse voice. I was surrounded by at least sixty hooded figures, but only the one sitting lazily in the middle while addressing had a mask on.
It was a plain white mask with two small eyeholes and a smile crudely drawn where the mouth should be. The mask was rather simple enough but the simply drawn smile gave off a sinister feel.
Charles Ravenpor, who was next to , put on his own hooded robe and knelt down on one knee with his head bowed.
"My lord, I have brought Lucas Wykes like you asked," he said in a careful, hushed tone.
"Ahh, the famous Mr. Wykes, here in the flesh! So glad you could join us for our little...crusade!" he laughed, averting his attention from Charles.
I looked around. "I’m not here to join anything. I ca here out of curiosity, but I’m not impressed. Who are you supposed to be, anyway? You don’t seem to be a student... Don’t tell you’re a professor?" I scoffed.
"How dare you! You should be grateful that we even considered letting a mutt like you join us!" one of the hooded figures to my right hissed.
"A mutt?" I echoed back, feeling a vein bulging from the side of my forehead.
I soundlessly prepared a spell for the ingrate who dared to mock , but before I could finish the chant, the man behind the smiling mask snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, the hooded snob that call a mutt let out a shrill howl as he combusted into flas.
I couldn’t help but click my tongue. Even for instant casting, that was fast... frighteningly so.
"Now, now. That isn’t a very courteous thing to say to our newest mber, right?" As the masked man, who was still lazily sagged down on his earthen throne, spoke, the fire had already burned through the boy’s robe, burning his skin.
"F-Forgive ! I was wrong. I apologize! P-Please!" he begged as he desperately tried to crawl toward the masked man. anwhile, the other hooded figures were too scared to do anything to help him.
Turning away from the hooded figure still screaming in pain, I faced the masked man. "Before I decide whether I want to even join this little cult of yours, what is it you’re trying to accomplish, and why do you even need ?"
I couldn’t sense his mana core but it didn’t seem like I was on the sa level as him.
"Circumstances make it unable for to personally act for now, so I need so capable mages in order to thoroughly complete my plans. You see, I hate leaving loose ends," he explained as he used an arm to prop his head up.
"Taking advantage of your director’s absence, it is the opportune ti to act so that by the ti she cos back, it will all be too late," he continued. After snapping his fingers again, the fire suddenly disappeared, leaving the boy twitching from the pain.
"And as for what I hope to do, let’s just say that my goals coincide with these folks and I simply thought that it’d be nice to kill two birds with one stone. Everyone here is a dissatisfied human noble that once took pride in the fact that this academy was ant only for the purest of lineage. While you may be a special exception to this case, I would still like to have you on board," he answered plainly.
"Besides, the whole ’accept all’ motto that this academy now follows makes want to barf. Don’t you agree, Mr. Wykes?" As he said this, the hooded figures all nodded fiercely in agreent. Just from his tone, I could tell that this guy was smirking behind his mask.
"Whether they make you want to barf or not doesn’t matter to . Why waste my ti and energy on bugs I could squish at any ti? The peasants that were able to weed their way into this academy aren’t any better than the low-class adventurer thugs that go around blindly flailing their weapons. Even the nobles that were brought up in the most pampered conditions aren’t worth crap to . If this is all that you have to say, then I have no reason to lower myself to be put on so leash and take commands from you," I snapped at him, turning my back.
"Lucas, what a hurtful thing to say. How could you ever compare yourself to so sort of dog tied to a leash?" He covered his mouth with his hands, sarcastically, like he was actually surprised.
"It seems like what I’ve heard is true. That you are a rather prideful mage that looks down on people of low birth. Did your friend, Arthur Leywin, not prove you wrong in this aspect?" The coarse voice playfully egged on, making stop in my tracks.
I whipped my head around. "What did you—"
"It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that, although you were hailed as a prodigy in the field of magic and have been pampered with elixirs and strengthening thods since your awakening, you aren’t a match for the child, Arthur Leywin," he shrugged, holding his hand up.
I could feel my fists whiten in frustration, but he cut off before I was able to refute.
"The sad thing is, he was never even trying. I bet even you always had a nagging suspicion that he had always been holding back, hahahaha!" He erupted into a fit of laughter as he clutched his stomach, legs kicking in the air.
"Who do you think you are?" I growled.
My body was already glowing as mana spilled out from my mana core, ready to fire at him, but I never did. This throbbing sense told to not ss with him, like it was... hopeless.
No! I’m Lucas Wykes of the Wykes Family!
But who the hell was he and why did he talk like he was here the whole ti, watching over us?
"I told you. I am but a re benefactor that ca here for the betternt of this land." As he said this, he got up and gave an exaggerated bow with his arms spread out.
Sitting back down on his crude throne, he continued, "Mr. Wykes, I believe that, even if our views aren’t the sa, we could have so sort of mutual benefit in this."
"Go on," I said through gritted teeth.
He ignored the fact that I was still completely surrounded by fire attribute mana, dangerously close to releasing it.
"Soon, I will be able to personally take part in this and when I do, I want to completely shatter the frail glue holding the three races together. However, until that ti cos, I need your strength to help run things smoothly," he explained.
"How do you personally plan on splitting up the three races and why would you think that doing this would even benefit in any way? Besides, you think The Council and the Lances were made just for decoration?" I argued.
"The Council is tied up with various things at the mont, and I’ve taken extra precautions to make sure that your director is held up and out of reach. The field is set, Mr. Wykes, so let ask you this—how would you like to have the ever so cautious Arthur Leywin fight you at his full strength, and for you to obtain the necessary power to defeat him even then?" He lifted his hand up, beckoning toward him.
"How do you know about Arthur?" I pried, growing more cautious.
The man in the mask shrugged. "It’s obvious that I’d do at least so research on my lovely recruits. So how about it... the power to defeat even your beloved Arthur?"
I remained silent, unable to make heads or tails out of this character.
"As long as you agree, I promise that you will get your hands on a level of power that you never thought was possible," he continued.
I looked at the hooded figures and could tell that they were interested as well, but stayed quiet due to the fear of becoming the next victim of the masked man’s ’discipline.’
This was all too good to be true.
"If what you say is true and he has been cautiously hiding his powers to the extent that he has, how are you going to get him to fight at his best?" I scoffed, unwilling to believe.
"Quite simple, actually, and it is also a task that I need to get done as well so it works out. Arthur is only human and he holds great importance to his family and his friends, but particularly more so to one person," he says as he lifted his index finger up, the smile on the mask most likely matching the sinister expression he had as well.
"Tessia Eralith..." I whispered, unable to hide the smirk on my face.
"Yes! Tessia Eralith! An elf! In this sacred Xyrus Academy, an elf is the leader of the students! Do all of you think this is right?" he bellowed at everyone so his voice echoed in the small dungeon.
"NO!" the hooded figures all roared in unison.
"She may not be here yet but I reckon she will soon, and most likely with Arthur. Don’t you think that maybe a bit of elf princess blood being shed ought to get your buddy ’ol pal, Arthur, riled up?" he sneered as his hands ignited in flas.
I never cared for the elf princess besides thinking that she suited my tastes. I let her be since her body hadn’t even matured yet but it did seem like sothing was going on between her and Arthur. Who did he think he was anyways, to think that he deserved soone like the princess of the elven kingdom?
He was just a lowly peasant.
As I began playing through the possible scenarios in my head, I couldn’t help my lips from slowly curling upwards as I imagined his precious little lover’s life in my grasp as Arthur begged to stop. The brat who always thought he was better than I was...on his knees.
I wondered if he’d lose his sanity if I were to slowly bleed her in front of him?
I began licking my lips in anticipation. "Why the hell not!"
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