When Aaran returned to the Academy, his parents were waiting for him, but not out of love. His elaborate lie was about to be revealed, along with so scolding.
"Call him out," Lucien instructed.
Dread appeared before them in his ape form. Amara shook her head in disappointnt, while Lucien kept his poker face, which was worse than disappointnt.
"I expected better from you, Aaran," he said. "You did the one thing I asked you not to."
"Technically, that conversation happened between the three of you," Aaran pointed out. "I was unaware of the conditions—"
"Silence!"
Aaran pressed his finger against his lips. Lucien was angrier than he had ever been before. Aaran couldn't understand what the big deal was. Dread got his body, and in return, he saved Aaran's life.
They didn't know about it because he never told them what actually happened with the abbot. In their eyes, Dread had fooled Aaran to get his body back.
Yet, strangely, Lucien didn't explain how Dread's corpse ended up in the abbot's possession—not even when Dread asked about it.
It was even stranger that Amara didn't ask Lucien about it either. Usually, she'd be up in arms, demanding answers. It ant she already knew how Dread's corpse had ended up soplace else.
But if Lucien didn't want to talk about it, Aaran had sothing else to discuss.
"Father… what do you know about the Covenant?"
Silence.
Lucien and Amara stared at each other like they'd seen a ghost.
"Where did you hear that na?" Amara asked.
"In Brineport."
"Forget about them," Lucien said, getting up. "Whatever they told you, whatever promises they made, forget about it all. You are to stay away from them, understood?"
"Yes."
However, it didn't seem Lucien was interested in Aaran's reply and headed outside.
"We need to contact the rest."
That was all Aaran heard as Lucien rushed outside. Amara sighed and followed, pausing at the doorway.
"Go rest, Aaran. You've got a test tomorrow."
"A test?"
But once again, he was ignored as Amara rushed after Lucien.
"Will soone tell what the hell is going on here!?"
Dread couldn't hold back his laugh. Aaran was already annoyed, and Dread pushed him over the edge.
"What's so funny?"
"Funny?" Dread scoffed. "No, it's ridiculous seeing him panicked after hearing about his old friends."
"…Old friends? Why didn't you tell —?"
"No reason. Other than I wanted to see the backstabber panicking."
Aaran shook his head, pushing Dread back inside the vault. He thought his parents would tell him about it once they cald down. For now, he should focus on the test he had.
***
Combat test.
Aaran had been through plenty of such tests over the years. But this ti, things were different.
Usually, they would spar against the instructors and receive points based on their performance—one point for hitting, dodging, and blocking strikes, and ten points for pushing the professors out of the highlighted area or injuring them.
The students were also awarded negative points for getting hit. But to maintain a positive score, each hit cost a negative 0.1 points.
Each student had three minutes to collect as many points as possible. The evaluation ended when the ti was up or when the student couldn't continue.
Naturally, the professors went easy on them during the trial. If they were serious, over ninety percent of the class would receive zero points.
That's why it ca as a surprise when the students were asked to fight priests instead of their professors.
But that wasn't the only reason they were surprised.
The first combat test was over. No one could believe their eyes when the results were announced.
Seraphina D'Albrion: 0 points.
Healers rushed to the testing ground where Seraphina lay, bruised and bloodied. The priest examiner sat cross-legged before her, ditating. The students couldn't believe their eyes at what had happened monts ago.
The test began as usual. Seraphina began chanting, but she never got the chance to finish a single spell as the priest stepped out of the designated area and attacked her. The priest then hit her a hundred tis to bring her score to zero.
The professors were shocked, and the students? They were scared shitless. Yet no one took any action against the priest because it was the headmaster's instruction.
As long as they didn't kill a student, anything was allowed to happen.
No one knew why such a rule was implented, but they couldn't go against the headmaster. All they could do was treat Seraphina's injuries.
"The empire's future looks bleak…" the priest mumbled, shaking his head. "May the Goddess Luntia guide the weak with her eternal light."
The students were equally disgusted and scared by his words. That's why they readily accepted their failing grades rather than get beaten into a pulp by a fanatic priest.
After thirty students quit, the announcer simply asked if anyone wanted to take the test. For a mont, no one said a word, but as the priest was about to leave, a hand rose from the stands.
The batch's youngest student wanted a shot.
While people gasped, the priest smiled. The prey had taken the bait.
After arriving, the head priest had talked about Aaran to everyone, from professors to students. They all had one thing to say.
Aaran was too prideful, especially when it ca to his fiancée. That's why the head priest played his cards and had the emperor agree to let the priests be the examiners for the sudden combat test.
With the emperor's agreent, Igor had no choice but to let the head priest do as he pleased.
It was all a ploy to hurt Seraphina and lure Aaran out.
Since it was a test with pre-established rules, it allowed them to exact revenge on Lucien without killing Aaran. After all, crippling the promising talent was much better than just killing him.
"Finally, soone brave amongst the cowards."
The priest praised as Aaran looked at Seraphina and entered the arena. The professor tried to dissuade Aaran, knowing his pride was hurt, but their words fell on deaf ears.
If the priest wanted him so badly, then as a devotee of the Goddess of Salvation, Aaran would give them just that.
A one-way trip to hell.
Reviews
All reviews (0)