Chapter 108: Back to Everyday Life (2)
YEdGShirone’s face turned incredulous. His friends’ reactions were no different. Amy shook her head in disbelief and then, pressing her forehead with her hand, said,7ddYuF
fHsEFRT“Sharelle, what book have you been reading these days?”eUt522
26chH“Yes! This one!”FsjG2lT
rKVISharelle eagerly pulled out a novel. The provocatively red cover bore the title “Primitive Snare.”UmGn
SPhqM“This is the hottest book in the bookstores right now. Its about a married nobleman who falls in love with a maid. Theres this line where the maid breaks his dish and asks, ‘What are you going to do now? Are you going to demand my body?’ Then the nobleman ties her up with ropes and…”KY8Q1a
GCjcgq“Stop! That’s enough!”ifs
OoSO5dAmy raised her hand to stop her. It felt like they shouldnt hear anymore.jxZ
Sgu“Why? The interesting part is just coming up.”4Cuh
du2JBH“Sharelle, even if you like novels, please don’t confuse them with reality. Such books are vivid and provocative to captivate readers.”cDGa7HZ
8DWyZ“Humph! You say that because you haven’t read it. If you read it just once, youll be hooked. Speaking of which, do you want to borrow it?”QWTa9Fl
bsBAs Sharelle offered “Primitive Snare,” Amy quickly turned her head away. Accepting her request would mean enduring a week or more of her reviews.Kdn5t
F1HShirone leaned back against a cushion and spoke.xAZhPe
j0Lw“Ah, today’s the last day in the infirmary. Thanks for coming by. You too, Senior Sharelle.”7Me
Sx1yl“Don’t say such disheartening things. Honestly, studying in the advanced class was killing me. It was a nice break for both Amy and me.”8HMWt5
vSI3PAmy didn’t disagree. The stress of daily ranking competition had reached its peak. Thus, the temporary closure of the academy was like a blessing for the seniors.LZmjhK
npALSharelle spoke with a gloomy expression.CPqcwEV
v73“But I’m worried about the headmaster. Honestly, this decision was unexpected. It was something the Creas Autonomous District could handle, but he chose to undergo the Magic Associations inspection.”P7Ia
mB7qS6Alpheas had voluntarily filed a lawsuit. Although he could have easily defused the situation due to his high standing in the continent, he accepted all the student council’s demands. Consequently, the case had been transferred to the most dreaded Inspection Division 3 of the Magic Association.ZYT
mxx1gp8“The Inspection Division 3 is known as the special investigation unit in the Magic Association. They strictly abide by the law, regardless of connections or status. Even Headmaster Alpheas can’t avoid disciplinary action.”Hn27
7rrvJSMShirone thought it was for the best.nZu
qPExBdL“The headmaster has been carrying this pain for 40 years. If this opportunity can lighten his burden even slightly, I think accepting the punishment is a good thing.”i7H5zGK
01wt9QNade commented.bhTsT
dS6m“Let’s just wait and see how things go. Who are we worrying about? It’s Alpheas Myrhe, a Grade-4 mage. We’ll be busy again once the academy reopens, so let’s rest while we can.”dWb
a74g“Yeah, that sounds good.”x7K
UXEShirone turned to look out the window.NDMT
mE0r2The afternoon sun poured in lazily.EM2
xW2Bashuka, the Capital.W8s
6bWkViewed from the Jijeon Mountain Range, the scenery of Bashuka was dominated by the towering royal palace, with key institutions spread out around it in concentric circles. The residents of the capital say that the buildings visible from the mountain range symbolize the nation’s key institutions.AKB
r8Ok1One of these was the Magic Association. The 18-story building oversaw the affairs of all registered mages in the Thormia Kingdom and handled the surveillance and intelligence tasks of the mage community in collaboration with other agencies.Fhh
t2iCJXWhile any mage would want to visit the place at least once, Thadd, assigned as the guide for Alpheas, Canis, and Arin’s party, felt like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse.ITn
bBt“Master, is this really the best course?”sM4GI
YyRnLz“This is what I’ve chosen. My only regret is that it took too long.”KPB
R0AnKAlpheas’s determination was unwavering. Thadd didn’t really expect an answer; he just wanted to reconfirm his master’s will before crossing the Association’s threshold, from where there was no turning back.Z9G
OLkN“Understood. Then I’ll wait until the trial is over.”2n7foH
tt3Alpheas looked pleased. Taking Canis and Arin with him, he surrendered to the inspection department, and thus, the three were locked in separate cells for a day.V2CQ9
1UCaCYZThe next day, Alpheas was the first to be called into the interrogation room. Meanwhile, Canis and Arin waited in an isolation facility decked with magical devices. The magic control devices made entering the Spirit Zone impossible. Additionally, even Harvest couldn’t operate.X43
aavWlAfter about three hours, they were called.Jy23ycI
QkT7Kr“Canis, Arin. Come out.”oghDHD
gD6p9TPAlthough no formal charges had been proven yet, the Association’s staff already treated them like criminals, likely influenced by Alpheas’s report.x3cV
e0HzCanis and Arin silently complied. As they entered the corridor to the interrogation room, they saw Alpheas approaching from the opposite side. Canis intended to pass by him indifferently, but Alpheas turned to the guards and spoke just as they were about to cross paths.AwgQNNJ
Noox06l“Excuse me, could we have a moment to talk?”Bex
IhNES5“Yes, but please be quick.”gdBC7mX
a3WsZ3Canis snorted at the guard’s completely different attitude towards Alpheas. It wasn’t Alpheas’s strength but his fame that earned him such treatment. The fact that Alpheas, whose magic skills were inferior to Arcane’s, could exude the air of a victor, irritated Canis.v76
VI0O0wAs the guards stepped aside, Alpheas said,hiv
Es6“Don’t be too tense. Just answer a few questions and you’ll be out.”ZGM7
xZh7Y“You’re mistaken. We’re not your docile students. We’ve fought countless battles. No situation scares us.”KQY7waA
NkIOTpuHaving experienced life and death in battle, Canis had something that his peers lacked. But that life also meant many losses. Alpheas wanted to help them regain what they had lost, with their future still so promising.Bgx5fVK
zhWM8ID“That’s actually why I wanted to see you.”dNj
x6OZRt7“What do you mean?”38eM7F
wJT“How about enrolling in the magic academy after this is over?”Bp19QaU
zA5PZrCanis felt insulted. Didn’t Alpheas know how he had lived? Being told to mix with sheltered students after learning magic in life-threatening situations.Lah2x
eWeLAgJ“Don’t joke around. We didn’t lose because we were weak. If it weren’t for Abyss Nova, or if it had been a fair fight, master could have taken you down in one hit.”BOwvC
WPqOZn“That might have been possible.”yMrDq7
Z6g4WvSAlpheas readily agreed.dBC
oH5fv“But if it hadn’t been for that method, maybe I would have been the first to kneel and apologize.”VBs
jD8uCanis bit his lip. It was an unacceptable statement, yet he couldn’t argue against it.RFyXRZ
hncEm“Canis, that’s what evil is. No matter how justifiable the reason, hatred is inevitable. You can rise higher. I want to give you not darkness but a bright future.”Lth
1wYe“Why do you care about me? Is it sympathy?”jfY
x8F1l“I, too, was a disciple of Arcane. You could say it’s a death sentence for you. Just as time can’t be turned back, connections last forever. If you want to start a new life, I will help you.”ozNw
FkDCanis didn’t respond. What could a new life possibly mean now? He had only learned combat, and thus, it was his fate to live on the battlefield.D9RSd2
52hAs Alpheas walked away down the corridor, the guard grabbed Canis and Arin and dragged them back to the interrogation room. Contrary to what he had imagined about Inferno’s prison, the interrogation room was neat and tidy. A slender man sat at the table, his back turned, unidentifiable except for his silver hair.8Mm
jBH5“Investigator, these are the suspects in this case, Canis and Arin.”NkWNPd
4Cev“Ah, come this way.”Rkc2
WrCqCHis voice was chilling, like sharpening steel. Fitting for someone who roamed the notorious Inspection Division 3 fields, there was a blade-like aura about him. Canis and Arin walked around the table to face the investigator. Contrary to expectations, he wasn’t a fearsome sight. His chin was pointed like a cat’s, and he was smiling with narrow eyes.3xw
68cqn“I am Sakiri, an investigator of Inspection Division 3. You are Canis and Arin, correct?”BINPLC
nk68MM“Yes.”nNdx
6JHzcBCanis answered calmly. However, there was no response from Arin. Not wanting to irritate the investigator, Canis turned to her and asked.1LY1Vpb
M5nta“Arin, what’s wrong?”dlUlQu7
XkbArin was trembling, her face pale. Canis realized from her eyes, shaking with shock as she looked at Sakiri, that she was horrified.9p0g
JnyzKGM‘What did she see to be this scared?’O7Q3Bik
yXEr0“Canis, I can’t read it…”Edy
WlLrNRArin, being at the first stage of her psychic abilities, should not be unable to sense the feel of objects. This meant the object originally had no feel, or the feel was artificially erased.Zqf
F6JIndeed, Sakiri, as seen by Arin, appeared bizarre. His whole body was like smooth metal, mirror-like, and his egg-shaped face lacked any features. His hands and feet were pointed like cones, making reading even the slightest emotion impossible. It was a form of the first stage that could only appear in a state of perfect emotional blockade.FB9p0aE
YpqgiMr“Oh, it seems the lady is startled. Its the first stage, right? Magic is blocked, but there’s no way to block inherent traits. Of course, I don’t think you two will cause any trouble.”nwS8A
XbrtnpSakiri seemed intrigued, putting down his pen and crossing his legs.1gbC
Y9SArin watched as his cone-shaped legs twisted. They coiled and uncoiled like a pretzel.TghL3ZQ
IUX‘This person is playing games.’RpsgMNK
MpsdReIt wasn’t just about suppressing emotions. He was someone who could perfectly control his own emotions.XYfv
Xz7iRyv“Focus.”UnIrXYK
PzFArin jerked her head up. The mirror-like face of the investigator extended sharply into a cone, coming right in front of her forehead.sLW
ajZ9onI“Please do. We are on official duty, after all. Arin, is that correct?”dXj0
oRRG0c2“Yes, it is.”xvYc1w
umAnaTerrified, Arin didn’t even realize she had answered. The sharp cone pointing at her forehead must have been Sakiri’s intense gaze. It was her first time seeing the first stage manifest in such a clean form. Any criminal caught by this man would have no bones left to pick.6TUMG
ODejCanis and Arin finally faced reality. They were caught by the most powerful and authoritative judicial body in the kingdom. As they waited, deflated, Sakiri’s face returned to its smooth, egg-shaped metallic form.wSqW
DOQg“Well, I have prepared a report based on Alpheas’s statement, but there are a few things I need to confirm. Please answer my questions.”BJxV
aqnxSakiri checked several things through question and answer. Canis and Arin answered honestly. An hour passed, and Sakiri, looking satisfied, organized his files and said,gzUtp
wp8OxXl“Yes. Most of the statements match. There are some discrepancies, but nothing important.”VQpo
8MgcUJHis words were too casual to have come from an investigator of the Inspection Division. But Sakiri leaned back in his chair, seemingly unconcerned, and continued.JeJCA
PJ8kF4r“So it’s like a kind of brainwashing, isn’t it? Basically, Arcane used your unhappy lives to brainwash you from childhood.”GmW7
AdFJ892“What?”eWkke
OxYRCanis’s eyes narrowed with intensity. He would have preferred to be called a villain. Sakiri’s statement was no different from denying the root of Canis’s entire life.CfLHZ
2yxaY1U“Master never forced anything on us. I did it, and I committed those acts.”3TRlF
hCEQ3PKnowing the investigators strength, Arin was nervous as Canis became angry. However, Sakiri’s first-stage form remained unchanged.e7xT
ApPFiV“A vicious tactic. To save and make you respect, then to say this. I need this, but of course, it doesn’t have to be you who does it.”DbYpUR
Y6dnCanis couldn’t understand what the investigator was saying. He had come here to pay for his crimes. And now, brainwashing? Were they planning to put him in a mental hospital?9L4wmVm
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