Chapter 1009: Kill Her

Proofread by Thomas F

Margaux Swan

They started betting until only my people and I remained. Raiza turned to me.

"Everybody needs to bet; it's a tradition, headmistress." She said. I wanted to, but I didn't want to seem too eager. Also, I wasn't sure whether it was limited only to the academy's staff or whether others could also take part.

"Winner gets all the winning rights?" asked Nysera; she looked quite excited.

The pool is quite substantial.

It isn't just teachers here who have bet, but also those in the academy. Everybody takes part in it, teachers as well as the support staff and others.

"Not quite. Half of winning goes to the winner of the hunt, the rest to the winners of the bet." She replied.

Her enthusiasm dimmed a little, but she bet, and so did others, leaving only me. Feeling all eyes on me, I smiled and took out two violet cards from my bag and placed them on the table.

"I will bet on Etra," I said. She is one of my students in the painting class.

"You can only bet with money, Headmistress," pointed Vaelith, condescendingly.

"What are the cards, Headmistress?" asked Raiza, after giving him a glare.

"They are coupons of a sort. Each one will let you get any mist-crafted good up to a certain value from any Velvet Stores," I informed, and immediately, eyes around me lit up.

Including those of my people.

They get a heavy discount, but even for them, it's a big deal, not to mention for these people.

"Including the store in Twilight Hall?" asked Mivra, Raiza's personal mage. She is really smart. She asked about Twilight Hall.

Knowing this could act as an entrance pass to the legacy.

Unlike Velvet Garden, where anyone could come in on the store floor. Twilight Hall is more restricted.

"Yes, in Twilight Hall and the store in Velvet Garden, but it only has validity for one year. So, you will have to spend it in that time," I replied.

"What if more than one person won the bet, which is usually the case?" asked Mivra again. Another valid question. With the number of people betting, there ought to be more than one person betting on the right person.

"In that case, I will make sure every winner will get a card," I replied. Their eyes lit up, hearing that.

"That's quite generous of you, headmistress," said Raiza. I didn't reply other than to smile.

Master Silver has asked me to create an impression. He has eyes on teachers here. I did not agree at first about trying to hire from here, but every one of them is incredible.

Even that hateful Vaelith; I don't want to admit it, but he is the best among them all.

"Now that we've placed the bets, it's time to see how our pupils are doing," she said and tapped on the eggs. Immediately, a large screen projected in front of us, with a lot of squares, showing a different girl.

The monsters came out of it, not only to fight but also to transmit visuals.

"Yrata is doing well," commented Raiza, looking at the orc woman's delicate saber. "She is good, but too calm. Calmness is good, but this is a match."

"A person should also have some aggression in them," replied Vaelith.

These girls are good; the way they are moving and fighting tells me they have extensive experience.

The academy teaches them everything, from etiquette to arts to spellcraft to combat. Every teacher is accomplished; they have combat teachers who have had decades of actual war experience.

Many are accomplished duellists.

There is even a Mage Tower here, headed by a High-Mage who is very close to becoming a Great-Mage.

There is intense competition to get into the academy not only for the scholarship seats but also for the general seats as well. They only select the best of the best, and it shows.

A few minutes passed as we watched the girls fight monsters; many women are doing well, but there are failures as well.

One failure walked out of the forest, looking disappointed and nearly cried when she realized she was first. The healers quickly cast the spell on the girl, healing her injuries, while the girl quietly stood behind us.

Two more girls came, including Etra, whom I had bet on, and after the healer cast a spell, they stood beside the first.

"I hate this part," said Zaira under her breath and got up. A few of the teachers, including Vaelith, got up as well.

"Come, Headmistress. It's time we saw some fights with our own eyes," she invited. I got up, along with two of my teachers, and mounted the beasts.

"Do they really have to follow us on foot?" I asked, glancing back at the three girls trailing behind us, their eyes lowered in quiet shame.

She answered with nothing more than a weary sigh.

"I hate this part of the tradition. I managed to do away with many of the academy's old customs, but not this one. Like Lady Saelith, who established it, the board insists it builds character."

"They believe the pupils must understand the cost of failure," she replied, unable to hide the contempt in her voice.

"You may disagree, Principal, but it is the truth. Many of them will one day hold positions of great authority; some will even lead their Houses. At that level, the price of failure is immense."

"Better they learn that lesson now, when the consequences are still small, than later," Vaelith countered.

"I don't believe humiliation teaches that lesson," I said. "All it does is leave scars on young hearts. I cannot agree with it. In Greltheaven, we have laws against it.

In school and academy charters that govern them. Humiliation is banned.

Teachers are penalized for it and even removed. The city has removed many of them that had humiliation as part of teaching, especially in the empire.

That is one thing the teacher training curriculum covers, which is mandatory for all teachers coming to the dominion.

Even the teachers of the college are not excluded from it.

Though we draw a clear distinction between punishment and humiliation.

"So sensitive, Headmistress. I wonder what sort of women you train. They must all be delicate things. Then again, considering who they are, I shouldn't be surprised," the man mocked.

"Provost," Raiza warned, her voice quiet but edged with anger.

I laughed.

It was not laughter born of amusement, but of smoldering fury. A man could insult me all he wished, and I would endure it. But I would not tolerate a single slight against my girls.

"They are steel, Provost Vaelith," I said, my smile never wavering. "Sharp enough to carve men like you into pieces."

This made him angry, and he opened his mouth when a sudden change appeared on his face.

"Raiza!" he warned.

At the same time, a beautiful, gem-studded rapier appeared in his hand. It looked like a ceremonial blade, but it was far from it.

Gilded Thorn, one of the three artifacts of the academy. It remains in the hands of the Provost.

The principal reacted at the same time; the nine-square mirror necklace she was wearing lit up, and seven mirrors came out, and energy poured from them, forming a protective dome around us.

Nine Mirror Bulwark or Alestarisa's Necklace; it is an artifact that used to belong to House Ravelorn.

It is one of the most powerful defensive artifacts in Oksall. It's one of three artifacts of the academy, as powerful as the Thorn's Brazier.

I was just going to ask what was happening when something crashed into it.

Not something, but a figure that came really fast and clashed against the shield. If it had not appeared on time, they would have come inside, and that would have been troublesome.

The figure landed, and I saw her.

It's a woman, masked and wearing a cloak that hides all her features. In her hand, a half-artifice short sword, covered in an aura method.

"Well, I had expected it would be easier, but it seemed like it would not be," said a voice, and soon a tall, cloaked man walked out of the trees; and he wasn't alone.

There were five people behind him, all cloaked in grey.

He is the leader. It's clear

"Well, it could still be easier. Hand over Margaux Swan to us, Principal, and we will leave without touching a single hair on the head of anyone here," he said.

So, they are here for me. Master Silver warned me that I might be attacked. Though he thought that if they tried something, it would be on the way, not in the academy.

"You filthy bastard! This is Revlon Academy. We would sooner die than allow a single hair on our guest's head to be harmed!" Vaelith thundered, to my utter astonishment. Only moments ago, the man had been hurling insults at me.

"Whoever you are," Raiza said, her voice cold as winter steel, "it would be in your best interest to leave immediately. You are going to be hunted like a dog; you'd best escape quickly."

I am still shocked that they attacked. It is one sacrosanct place in the Oksall and the whole of the merchant state.

There was a reason; there had been no incident here for millennia.

"You have forced me, Principle. What happens from now on will be your responsibility," he said with a sigh, and a moment later, three orbs appeared in his hand.

Alchfire Orbs.

Not the regular ones either, but Grade V orbs. I shuddered because I knew the power of them.

I have seen them used; there were two Grade V among the orbs we used against the undead, but they helped wipe away the great horde of millions of undead.

Now, this bastard is going to use three.

I looked around and saw everyone shudder except for Raiza and Vaelith, both of them looking at it unflinchingly.

…

White Gyrge

"Last chance, Principal?" I asked, hoping she would accept my offer.

I don't want to use them; they are expensive. I'd rather keep them or sell them. There is an open offer from Silver to buy alchfire orbs of any grade.

We have sold some of ours which were near expiration. Earning us quite a lot of money; a lot of people did the same.

It's a lot better option than simply disposing of them.

"Do your best!" replied the woman, looking at me with all the pride in the world.

I sighed internally and activated Single Target on the artifact.

Against most defensive artifacts, a single Grade V is more than enough, but this is no simple artifact. It is one of the most powerful defensive artifacts, and the woman also has an aura to strengthen it further.

I would need all three orbs and my skill to break through it.

"Back!" I ordered, and we retreated, while I threw the orbs toward the dome.

…

Raiza Kadiz

The alchfire orbs exploded, and their alchemical fire hit the shield.

The moment it did, I felt a shock I had never felt in nearly a decade, since I have had this artifact. It's powerful; nothing that ever came at it put such strain on it.

The only time I used aura to strengthen it was when Vaelith's mother, the former principal, trained me to use the artifact. The principal needed a certain proficiency in it.

It's tradition, but also a condition. Without it, an interim principal couldn't become a full principal.

Now, the enemies came, and they came prepared. Using alchfire to break through its defenses.

'Raiza, are you able to handle it?' asked Vaelith. I could feel his worry. 'Don't worry, I will not let the fire in,' I replied with confidence, which I did not have.

I gritted my teeth, pushing more aura into the artifact.

I am regretting it right now, not focusing on the aura method.

Isolde and my brother reminded me time and time again, but I hid behind my responsibilities and didn't give time to focus on the aura method.

The fire burned around the dome, eating away its power, while I pushed my aura to keep it from collapsing.

I have to protect my staff, my students, and guests, and I will.

It would be a great shame if I let even a single one of them come to harm. So, I pushed more and more aura into it, harnessing every part of me and pushing it into the artifact.

'Principle, something is blocking the message spell,' Mivra informed, and I wanted to curse.

Though I am not surprised. If they dared to attack us, it means they have come prepared, and they did. There are two Lv. 40's and others seemed to be at Lv. 30s.

We didn't even have a single Lv. 40.

Like me, Vaelith is also at Lv. 39, but he is a warrior and knows the aura method, and with that artifact, he could handle one Lv. 40.

He might have handled two of them, but both of them know the aura method.

The woman had used the aura method earlier to come at us, and since she is a subordinate, that means the leader knows the aura method as well.

Then I will have to keep him contained with an artifact until the help arrives, and it will arrive.

He may have blocked the spell and might have even hidden the explosion, but he won't be able to hide the battle for long. Soon, others will notice, and they only need to notice it.

We are out of range of Thorn's Brazier, but we are in the range of the Mage Tower.

Meldhorn will not remain quiet, either. The Grand Mage might teleport someone, or he might come himself.

Though it would not be easy to survive until that happens. They are seven, while we are only four, five, if I counted myself. Vaelith, two guards of the Headmistress, for which I am grateful.

Silver's people had fought for it. They wanted at least two guards with her wherever she went.

I was against it, but they threatened to cancel the entire agreement.

I only brought Mivra.

Never in my dreams, I thought, would we be attacked? It had not happened in hundreds of years.

Even in wartime.

Moments passed, and the fire burned, forcing me to push more aura to sustain the shield. The pressure was so much that I started to bleed through my orifices.

As I was doing so, I noticed something and looked.

A shock couldn't help but appear on my face, and I wasn't the only one; Vaelith looked shocked too, even more so than me.

'Did you know about it?' he asked, and all I could do was shake my head. 'Those bastards from Silent Forest didn't mention it?' I once more shook my head.

Every time a foreign guest comes, Silent Forest gives the principal a briefing about them. They did this time as well and revealed some shocking information, but not as shocking as this.

The woman had taken out her brush and was now painting in the air; that is not shocking or even surprising.

Nor is the Grade III spell she is painting.

It's the aura and not just the aura. An aura method; she is merging it with her spells as she paints it.

Isolde said not to underestimate anyone from Velvet Garden. Especially not the upper echelon of Velvet Garden, and this woman is at the top.

She is one of the triumvirate.

I felt the shield shaking and pushed all distracting thoughts away. I am glad she has an aura and an aura method, which increased our chances.

Moments passed, and I reached my limit and went beyond it. I am barely hanging there as alchemire fire burned on the dome, wanting to turn it into nothing and turn us to ashes.

Its power is tremendous, and only because of the nine mirrors was it able to hold on against it, but it is at its limits because of my limitations

Still, I didn't give up and kept pushing more aura into it.

I don't know how long it passed when, finally, its power weakened, and it weakened rapidly until the flame disappeared.

"Everybody, prepare to fight," I said with gritted teeth, and the dome collapsed.

The man stepped into view before us, a grin spreading across his hidden face. Though I could not see his features, I could hear the certainty in his voice. There was not a trace of hesitation. He believed, utterly and completely, that victory was already his.

He was wrong.

I would not let him.

Neither our guest nor a single one of my people will die today. If they wished to spill blood, they would have to walk through me first.

"Kill her!" he commanded, surging toward us with his men at his heels.

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