Chapter 109: ¹⁰⁹Departure Preparations

​Sage Cornelius’s study still trapped a cold silence. The light of the crystal lamp slowly dimmed to welcome the dawn, accentuating the lines of fatigue on the Headmaster’s face.

​The old man leaned back in his chair, which creaked softly. His gaze was no longer on Ethan Valen, but on the ancient parchment scroll on the desk.

​Across the desk, Ethan stood like a statue. His posture was upright, his shoulders relaxed. His pair of dark brown eyes stared at the Sage without a ripple of emotion, waiting for the concluding sentence hanging in the air.

​Cornelius took a long breath. His wrinkled fingers tapped lightly against the mahogany wooden desk.

​"That summons letter from the center has a very strict deadline, Ethan," Cornelius said. His voice was flat, yet laden with warnings. "You must show yourself in the Capital immediately."

​Ethan didn’t answer. He merely listened in silence.

​"High-ranking Palace officials from various factions will be present," Cornelius continued, staring vacantly at his parchment. "They want to see firsthand the young man who has disrupted the order of power in Zenithar. You must remember, the Ashford and Rosenberg Factions have surely placed their highest representatives there."

​Cornelius paused his sentence. "I am only emphasizing one boundary: never drag the name of Zenithar Academy into their political mud."

​Receiving that layered warning, there was neither a nod nor a smile from Ethan. The young man merely turned his body slowly, causing the hem of his black shirt to shift, cutting through the cold air.

​Right before reaching the door, Ethan stopped. He looked back from the corner of his eye.

​"That all depends on them," Ethan replied. His voice was as cold as ice, suffocating the room’s atmosphere. "Whether they want to welcome me as a guest... or as a disaster."

​Without waiting for a reply, Ethan stepped out. The carved wooden door shut tight behind him.

​The corridor of the Main Tower was like a graveyard. The biting morning air seeped through the narrow window cracks, yet Ethan walked calmly as if strolling through his own backyard.

​The moment he pushed open the door to his VIP room, the silence shattered instantly.

​Valera Voss was already awake. The female knight sat hunched over at the edge of the bed. Her right arm, wrapped in black bandages, was carefully supported on her lap.

​Her black leather armor was fitted back on, wrapping around her lethal, toned muscles. However, something was strange this morning.

​Valera wasn’t merely sitting still. She kept clenching and opening her left palm repeatedly. Her eyes stared at her own fingers, as if probing something invisible.

​Sorin’s stab wound on her left shoulder still throbbed, but felt much more docile. Her body no longer felt like a human on the brink of breaking down. Her flesh had condensed, her feral instincts boiled. The Half-Demon status from last night’s ritual had completely overhauled her biological foundation.

​Hearing Ethan’s footsteps, Valera turned her head. Her golden irises burned far brighter, radiating a dense predatory aura.

​"Hah... this body feels like it’s no longer mine," Valera chuckled hoarsely, displaying a faint smirk.

​Ethan strolled past the bed casually, stopping near the large window whose curtains fluttered softly.

​"You look much better," Ethan commented flatly, sweeping over Valera’s posture from the corner of his eye.

​Valera snorted softly. She stood up. Her leather armor creaked as she tested her balance. Her strength was truly overflowing, even though her right arm still couldn’t grip a sword.

​"You were gone for quite a while, Master," Valera said, staring at Ethan’s back. "Where have you been?"

​"Academy business," Ethan cut in sharply.

​Valera clicked her tongue softly—Tch—but didn’t press further. She stretched her stiff shoulders, then glanced at her giant Zweihander in the corner of the room. Her gaze was hungry.

​SLAM!

​Loud, repeated knocks followed by the door being roughly pushed open halted Valera’s movements.

​Kaelia von Ashford marched in like a hurricane. Her red hair, tied in a ponytail, swayed decisively. Her Student Council uniform was impeccably fitted, but her eyes narrowed, radiating an explosive anger.

​Kaelia’s index finger immediately pointed at Ethan, then shifted to glare cynically at Valera. Her jaw clenched.

​"So this is your excuse?!" Kaelia demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "You brought this woman, put her in your room, and ignored me without a word? I’m not some ornament you can just forget in a corner of the tower, Ethan!"

​Instead of shrinking back, Valera smirked condescendingly. The veteran knight leaned her shoulder against the bedpost, deliberately flaunting a relaxed gesture to provoke the young noble lady’s temper.

​"Please watch your tone, Little Miss," Valera mocked. "I’m his personal bodyguard now. My job is to stick to him day and night. Something a schoolgirl like you clearly can’t do."

​Kaelia’s eyes narrowed sharply. Hit right on the mark.

​"Personal bodyguard? With your right arm wrapped up like a mummy?" Kaelia shot back, her voice as sharp as a dagger. "Don’t be too proud. I have no desire to be jealous of a wild dog fresh off the northern streets."

​Valera’s smirk widened. She leaned her body forward. "Oh really? Because from where I’m standing, you look awfully heated realizing Master spent the entire night with me."

​Kaelia’s face instantly turned bright red. The veins on her neck tensed. The girl’s hand began to rise, preparing to summon Crimson Sin Fire. Seeing that, Valera’s left hand reflexively crept toward the hilt of her Zweihander.

​"Enough."

​A single word. Not spoken in a shout, but the pressure of Sin Mana accompanying it made the air in the room freeze over.

​Kaelia and Valera froze in place. They turned toward the window. Ethan stared at both of them with an absolute coldness that crushed any form of defiance.

​Although still throwing murderous glares at each other, the two women finally lowered their heads.

​The tension hadn’t fully dissipated when a soft, rhythmic knock sounded at the door. Polite and measured.

​Isolde von Rosenberg stepped in, carrying absolute elegance. Her dark blue silk dress swept the marble floor soundlessly. Her gold-rimmed glasses reflected the light, framing a pair of ice-blue eyes as cold as a glacier.

​Ignoring the killing intent between Kaelia and Valera, Isolde stopped in the middle of the room and bowed respectfully to Ethan.

​"Good morning, Master," Isolde greeted in an extraordinarily calm tone. "I bring official information from the academy’s communication channels. Your arrival at the Capital is expected."

​Ethan nodded slowly.

​"Furthermore," Isolde continued, her voice as flat as someone reading a report, "the Ashford and Rosenberg Factions will be present."

​Hearing her family’s name, Kaelia tensed. She looked up, staring at Isolde with her chin raised.

​"My father wouldn’t dare act foolishly if I’m there," Kaelia cut in defensively.

​Isolde slowly turned her head. Her ice-blue eyes swept over Kaelia from head to toe. The gaze of a mature woman assessing the whining of a child.

​"Bringing the Ashford princess to the center of the Capital’s storm will only spark cheap speculation, Lady Kaelia," Isolde replied smoothly, yet extraordinarily sharp. "An action that will only worsen the situation."

​Kaelia gritted her teeth, but Isolde had already broken eye contact, focusing her entire attention on Ethan.

​From within the folds of her dress, Isolde pulled out a high-collared black tunic. The tailoring was flawless, made of top-tier silk with a row of intricately carved silver buttons.

​"You cannot enter the Capital Palace hall in a mere ordinary shirt, Master," Isolde said as she handed over the garment. "This will ensure they see a figure that cannot be underestimated."

​Ethan accepted it with one hand, feeling the smoothness of the fabric for a moment, then placed it on a chair.

​Now, all three women were centered around him. Kaelia with her noble pride, Valera with her feral instincts, and Isolde with her secret-filled composure.

​Ethan stepped into the middle of the room.

​"We leave today," he decided with absolute authority. His eyes swept over them. "Kaelia comes with me to Valen. And Valera... you follow by land to Valen."

​Valera’s golden eyes widened. She flinched.

​"Huh?! What’s that supposed to mean?" Valera protested, her feral instincts rebelling. "I’m your bodyguard, Ethan! My place is by your side, not taking a detour like an errand girl!"

​Ethan offered no room for negotiation. He reached into his pocket and tossed a small leather pouch.

​Catch!

​Despite growling in annoyance, Valera’s left hand caught it deftly. Gold coins jingled loudly from inside.

​"That’s your travel expense," Ethan said coldly. "Rent the best horse in town. And don’t die on the road. That’s an order."

​Valera clicked her tongue loudly. Her jaw clenched, but the Lust Brand on her neck throbbed, forcing her to submit to her master’s authority. In the end, she could only snort softly with a bitter smirk. "Whatever you say, my cruel Master."

​In another corner, Kaelia crossed her arms, raising her chin high. She desperately held back a victorious smile for being chosen to fly directly with him.

​Meanwhile, Isolde remained silent. The elegant woman merely bowed respectfully. However, behind her gold glasses, a subtle flicker of disappointment was hidden meticulously. She wasn’t asked to come along.

​A few moments later, the cold wind slapped against their faces on the hidden stone balcony of the North Tower.

​Kaelia stood behind Ethan, staring at that broad back. Her heart was pounding, yet she maintained her arrogant mask.

​"Is it really fine for me to go with you to the Capital... I mean, will I even be useful?" Kaelia asked suddenly.

​Ethan loosened his shirt collar without turning around. "You will be very useful."

​Kaelia fell silent. For some reason, that simple answer made her face flush warm. But before she could reply, something shifted.

​The air temperature on the balcony suddenly spiked. Kaelia frowned and looked around. "What—?"

​WUSSSHH!

​A heat blast struck the balcony. Kaelia’s hair whipped wildly as a giant shadow suddenly stretched behind Ethan. Kaelia froze. Her eyes slowly widened as a pair of giant wings emerged as if born from the shadows.

​Kaelia stared at the wings without blinking, then looked at Ethan. Then looked back at the wings.

​Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

​Her master... had wings?

​All this time, Kaelia had assumed Ethan was merely a human with absurd power. It turned out he was even hiding something like this.

​"M-Master..."

​Ethan finally turned his head. "What?"

​"You..." Kaelia pointed at the giant wings behind Ethan with a trembling finger. "...have wings?"

​Ethan raised an eyebrow. "It seems so."

​"IT SEEMS SO?!"

​Kaelia almost lost her balance from shock. How could someone answer that casually after suddenly growing a pair of giant wings?!

​Before Kaelia could ask another question, a powerful flap shook the balcony.

​WHOOOM!

​Gravel flew, and Kaelia reflexively covered her face with both hands. "Ah!"

​Ethan wasn’t bothered in the slightest. He merely extended his left arm toward Kaelia. "Get in."

​Kaelia lowered her hands slowly. Her gaze shifted from Ethan’s hand to the giant wings behind him.

​"...We’re flying?" Kaelia swallowed hard. For the first time since becoming Ethan’s subordinate, she felt genuinely a little terrified of her master’s invitation.

​However, as soon as she stepped closer, Ethan immediately yanked her waist. Kaelia’s body was dragged to his side before she could even react.

​"Eh—?!"

​One of Ethan’s arms wrapped tightly around her back, locking Kaelia’s body so she wouldn’t slip while they were in mid-air. Kaelia spontaneously clutched Ethan’s black shirt.

​"W-Wait! Don’t tell me we’re really flying from here!"

​Ethan stared at the sky before them. "Hold on tight."

​"Why are you only telling me now?!"

​Ethan didn’t answer. Azhyrael’s wings unfolded completely.

​Kaelia looked up, her face turning even paler. "...I’m starting to regret coming with you."

​The air exploded. With a single brutal flap, the two shot through the morning clouds, leaving Zenithar behind.

​Far below, in the outer courtyard of the academy, Valera Voss had just led out a large black stallion.

​Her left hand tightly gripped the reins. She looked up, narrowing her eyes as she stared at two spots shooting away in the morning sky.

​Valera clicked her tongue in annoyance, squeezing her reins until they creaked softly. "Dammit," she muttered, before finally mounting the saddle, preparing to begin her journey.

​Up above, amidst the deafening roar of the wind, Ethan flew through the sky. Kaelia stayed silently obedient in his embrace.