.
.
.
—
"You think we can pass by them without them attacking us?"
"... I don't think so, but... There are too many ears…"
Her voice was low as she said that, looking around warily, fearing someone might hear them.
"Right."
So Philip linked their minds together, allowing them to communicate mentally without interference:
{... So? What do you think?}
{I still can't get used to this… But for your question, no}
{Maybe if we were famous and somewhat high up in the rankings, they would let us pass, but as we are now, I doubt it}
{It wasn't my intention to ask anyway…}
{... Can we not go down that route? Causing trouble in this place won't help us in any capacity; it'll do the contrary, even. I'd rather not leave the Academy just yet…}
"Humph…"
Philip looked at the crowd of students and almost spat angrily on the ground.
{If you attack them first, their guards won't even need to move. And in the off chance the students attack you first, even though you'll be allowed to defend yourself, the guards will also move accordingly to fight in their protegees' place, so nothing will change}
{Not to say you can't force your hand too much. All it takes is one complaint, and you'll still be eligible for punishment for going too far. That's how things are around here}
{And at the end of it all, you'll be persecuted by them either within the college grounds or outside… So let's avoid any form of confrontation if possible}
Philip frowned and looked at the ground...
{Sigh… What a mess, it feels as if everything is against us}
Viera shrugged and added helplessly:
{It has always been this way, whatever rules this place has… Nobles are the ones who make them at the end of the day}
She stayed silent for some time and said once more:
{It's best we just give in. We aren't anything in their eyes, just three students, one severely hurt and another just a measly second year. We just need to give them something convincing and move on…}
{I am not worried about such a measly thing. If it's about money, We could have both of you go first. I could easily make everything back with the remaining hours I have left…}
{Doing this, however, leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so I was considering the other possibilities…}
{Please, let's not brute force this. You said so yourself, it's just a measly thing. Let's move past this and forget this ever happened… You didn't even come here to make credits, didn't you? And I already made far more than I would've ever been able to do alone}
{Let's cross a small portion of our profits and move on… Before her condition gets any worse}
"..."
'She's right, it's childish to consider pride in a children's game. I came here to protect her and to confirm if Viera is the target I'm looking for… Nothing else matters.'
'That said, I have no intention of giving away my hard labor to some half-assed noble… Nonetheless, between leaving without trouble and maintaining my pride… With my future missions in mind, the answer should be obvious.'
'I could even call this an investment… There's little to think about, but I feel terrible about it. Am I supposed to be thankful to them for not doing anything worse?'
{I think... I'll just brute-force my way through it}
{You don't need to go so far… This is different from when we jumped past everyone. It really won't cost anything at all!}
{You are absolutely right. But I suppose… This is a matter of principle for me}
{Why are you so stubborn all of a sudden?}
{When haven't I?}
{... Fair…}
{Look… Regardless of what I do, we should first think about you two first. If I do this, it's going to cause quite the commotion}
Viera remained silent after she heard his words, but she smiled helplessly:
{I don't know if I should kick and curse you… Or thank you for considering our situation… But you said that to me at the start, didn't you? That one day, they will come after me and force me to make a choice… So I'd like to make it now}
{I can't speak for this lady over here… But considering how far she went on her own, I don't think she'd care much about causing trouble… And on another note… I would gladly see you punching a few of these arrogant kids in the face}
"Heh..."
'I don't know how influential Fabrin is, but he doesn't seem like your run-of-the-mill professor. That said, it'd be best if we didn't drag him and her into this mess.'
'I'm still considering what to do anyway.'
Philip looked at her and smiled faintly, {It seems I took you too lightly…}
{Hum? How did you see me before?}
{... I'd say… You're a little more courageous than before…}
{Humph… Look, our time is running out. I'd rather just go and be done with this, but it's your call, just tell me your plan}
"Yeah…" Philip said out loud as he looked ahead into the distance
"... We could go back and have her stay at one of the Outposts' medical facilities, this should work as well…"
"How does that change anything? It's impossible to find a free Outpost out there; the only thing that does is change the number of groups we offend from half a dozen to one."
But Viera shrugged…
"One is better than half of the entire academic year, isn't it?"
Philip nodded with her in agreement and replied, this time telepathically:
{You're not wrong, but before I say anything, let's take a look at how they do things. We have no idea how much they are asking and how they are operating. It'd be too reckless to step out when no one is}
{... You said before about scamming them… But I don't think that'll be so simple}
{…}
{Look at the expressions of those students. They all have something in common, and that is helplessness}
{Some groups look pretty capable and they would have definitely hunted enough to pay off a simple toll, yet, they remain here, waiting for the remaining hours to pass… This can only either mean that they're unwilling to pay… Or they can't}
{Look at them. Some are hurt, others are holding onto raw materials. They are risking their well-being and Credits by staying here. There is clearly something going on with the prices, so I say… Let's go get some information}
"... Sigh… No problem in being careful… Aside from her."
She looked around and eventually pointed towards a small group of five, "I'll try and speak with them. You stay behind and make sure her wounds don't flare all of a sudden."
The students welcomed Viera surprisingly well. They looked at Philip as he cared for Ivia and shook their heads in understanding. They were all wounded as well.
After a few minutes of talking, Viera bowed slightly and came back with a gloomy expression. Her questions answered.
"By your expression, it seems things didn't go well?"
"I got what I wanted… And it's not pretty. They are pretty much robbing everyone of what they have, I am relatively surprised by how bold they are."
"Why? Robbing little or everything. What does it change?"
"Well… For starters, they are requesting to see our completed contracts…"
"... Alright, you can stop there, I can already understand that paying for the toll is a fruitless endeavor."
Philip closed his eyes in frustration.
'If they can see our missions, then they can see how much we made, and appropriately rob us of essentially everything. We've hunted a lot outside of those missions, but the contracts are well beyond half of our pay.'
'That said… I don't need any of the Credits, but taking this just doesn't feel right to me at all… I am completely fed up with this Academy and its rotten personnel.'
'Laziness and corruption have driven this place completely off the rails of what this place was built for… But enough of that. What to do…'
'Perhaps… What if I show my identity as an Advanced Course student? Since I am something akin to a teacher, my rank surpasses theirs, so they have absolutely no authority to tax me and stop me from making my way up. I could then bank all contracts and just leave with them.'
'But that would be breaking my persona, the Nexus gave me. And I suspect there would be a penalty for doing so… Although a penalty is still better than getting nothing at all.'
'Would they believe it, though? I doubt I'm the first one who thought about this... Actually, no... Wouldn't the students know themselves best? But I can't rely on that either.'
"... To be honest, I think their actions today won't go unpunished." Viera added as she crossed her arms
"You think so?"
"Yes, it's simply too much. And to a certain degree, these students are spitting on the Academy's prestige… No matter how much those in charge ignore their actions, they won't sit still to see their authority undermined this much."
"The Great Hunt is an event meant to train the students and help them develop. What they're doing invalidades its very purpose. It won't take long for others, including teachers, to burst in anger."
"It makes me wonder why they even tried such a thing in the first place… It's too high profile even for them… Something feels fishy."
'As if they are trying to gather way too much-unneeded attention... Nobles may be arrogant, but they aren't completely stupid.'
"I have a few ideas… Are you ready?"
Viera nodded silently.
"Good, then first… Have this cloak."
Philip took a large dark robe from his inventory. It was neatly folded and it had a faint flowery smell.
"Huh? Why a cloak?"
"Well, it's true that you'll be forced by them one day or another, but that doesn't mean you need to wave a flag at them…"
As he said that, he covered Ivia in a cloak as well, hiding her appearance from the others, he even pulled a mask from his inventory and put it on her.
"It isn't much but it's better than nothing."
"Sigh, alright, you win..."
'You and your strange ideas…'
"But why do you have these anyway?"
Philip smiled and replied:
"A man has to be prepared..."
'Let's make some noise.'
…
"... Excuse me… Out of the way…"
Philip made his way through the crowd with Viera and Ivia, stopping by a small line of students gathering at the side of the blockage.
It was a rather well-done station with a large barrack surrounded by guards of all factions on all sides. The station appeared to be made of stone, as if someone had molded it from the ground like clay.
There were faint traces of magic in the air, which Viera promptly pointed out. Although she was unsure of which spell or conjecture of spells was used to mold the surrounding stone.
Behind the house was the area directly below the large hole that led to the entrance, through this angle, Philip could already see the fake stars that lit up the ceiling of the Nexus.
With a single jump, he'd reach it, but he doubted people would let him do it.
"..."
'So close yet so far, I feel as if I could just jump away from this fucking place… And at this point, I might as well do that.
"... Next!"
Philip looked at the side and saw a waiting line composed of many students. Every time they took a step on the line, their expressions got slightly darker.
A few students gathered at the very front was a table next to the barracks, one from each faction of this alliance. They discussed and talked with their soon-to-be-robbed clients about the conditions and terms for their passage to be allowed..
They would never claim they were robbing, but they would use excuses like it being a protection fee for maintaining the safety of this very room… A completely shameless lie, deeming they were directly beneath the Nexus, Philip himself hadn't seen a single creature for at least a kilometer after he went down with Viera at first.
But Philip also noticed something else.
"It's quite inefficient..."
The room's size simply prevented them from defending it completely from one end to another, especially with the massive circular hole in the ceiling serving as the exit.
And yet, no one dared to make a move and flee, staying either put or going to the waiting line.
'It wouldn't take much to pass through… But I'm not the sneaky type… Nor do I think Viera could prevent us from being found.'
'Maybe we could disguise ourselves like them?...'
Surprisingly, from time to time, a small team of students would come from the caves and pass through their defensive line without resistance.
Philip figured out the reason, but he promptly raised the subject, nonetheless.
"Why can they just pass through?"
"Oh, they? Look at their clothes…"
She didn't say anything out loud anymore, but continued by tapping onto their mental link:
{In the end, even though this toll station was set by some of the most influential groups of the Academy, they still aren't strong enough to go against everyone else}
{I imagine that to prevent the situation where the other groups ally themselves against them, they are simply allowing their members to pass with little trouble}
{... We could make use of this. I don't think it'd take much to get a few of their uniforms… Maybe we should've stolen the uniform from those fools from before} Philip pointed out as he looked at them pass by
{Your point is valid… I'd rather risk it with one group alone then everyone else… But it won't be so easy. They likely set up methods to identify who's passing by. It may look like nothing's happening, but I can feel magic everywhere… I can't say who exactly it belongs to, but they aren't trying to hide it}
"Hum…"
{Maybe we could convince the students…}
{Don't even think about it. No matter if a hundred or two hundred of us gather, they won't move an inch… Let's not dwell on this anymore}
Viera seemed unusually distant about this, but she acted no different when they first met. So he dropped the subject.
That said, there wasn't much he could do to help these students. Attacking the toll and destroying everything in the name of freedom?... Plain stupidity.
That wasn't going to work… The students here were either commoners of small Nobles and wealthy descendants from surrounding nations. They wouldn't want to cause trouble with the successors of other major houses over something so little.
They were taught from an early age about dealing with such frustrations, and it was the reason why they acted the same way to those beneath them. It was a cycle… One very hard to break.
Back on Earth, it ended when the people realized they could just cut the heads of everyone that did them wrong. But in this world, what can a commoner with little power do against people with the ability to turn them into ash?
They needed a Hero… But Philip wasn't this Hero.
Everything would have been easier if he were younger, he could have just attacked them all and their bodyguards wouldn't retaliate…
But oh well, he is already past the age by a few years...
…
Finally, it was their turn. But rather then stopping at their toll station. Philip walked right past it with Viera and Ivia on her back.
"... STOP!"
Of course, it didn't work.
Philip turned to the man and asked, "Hm? Why?"
It was a dude wearing heavy gray armor, looking like a knight, but it was clear he was rather awkward as he wore it.
Philip found his movements stiff and heavy. And he was also sweating considerably. In this damp and hot place, heavy armor, especially one that was full of unneeded decorations, wasn't to be worn.
At least not by a brat ignorant of proper sword strapping. How was he going to unsheathe a long sword from his back with that much armor around his shoulders? Telekinesis?
The boy pointed at a large sign floating in the air above a small stone pedestal:
"... Don't you know the rules?! You have to pay a toll…"
Philip raised his eyebrow at the blunt boy… But he didn't let him finish:
"Even for the teachers?"
His tone was neutral and cold. Carrying a deeper pitch common in older men.
"Wh…!!"
The guard stood there stunned, looking at him with confusion, but he asked, this time in a different tone:
"Are you perhaps… A teacher, sir?"
'Shit… I thought no teachers would return or even participate in the Hunt this time… I wasn't told what to do in this situation!'
While he was flustered. Philip pressed on, pushing him out of the way with his left arm as he stepped before him.
"Correct. Now, get out of my way."
But the guard's eyes were full of suspicion…
'He's too young though…'
"... Sir, would you mind showing me your credentials…"
Philip, however, almost laughed out loud.
"Since when did I have to show my credentials to a student just so I can pass through common school grounds?"
"Step aside."
"Sir…"
'Something isn't clicking… Dammit, I'll get my neck cut for this…'
The guard isn't giving in, his gaze changing as he grasped Philip's hand.
It wasn't the first time someone had tried to impersonate a professor. And this guy? He looked young, and his voice wasn't that old either… By these factors, he assumed there was no way he could be a teacher.
What broke the camel's back for him were the two girls behind him, one of them clearly hurt. The smell of blood and medicine surrounding her…
For him, Philip was clearly a desperate student trying to leave without paying the toll… How foolish of him, right?
"You know… You are breaking…"
For one last time, Philip tried to argue with the guard, but the guard cut Philip and said:
"Yeah yeah, I heard that many times today already, could you just fuck off already before I make you?"
He stepped forward full of confidence. No more backing down.
"..."
Philip simply looked at the guard with expressionless eyes. Meanwhile, Viera grew worried. Gulping down air as she looked around warily.
She tapped his arm. They were so close, he just needed to say… To say the truth.
"... Fine, you want to see it? Here, take it."
The guard rolled his eyes and took the credentials without any formality.
"...!"
But the more he read, the more he understood… And at that moment, Philip said:
"Satisfied? Get out of my way before I make you."
'Let's hope the Nexus doesn't penalize us for this. Technically speaking, there shouldn't be a need to do it.'
'Either way, I'm having Fabrin pay the difference if we do lose something from this… It's his and the other professors' fault for letting this escalate, anyway.'
"..."
The guard finally realized, this time it wasn't an impersonator, but an Advanced Course student whose authority was only beneath that of a professor.
He really could not stop him this time.
"I…"
/THUD!/
Philip didn't even grab his credentials, passing through the student and throwing him onto the ground without mercy.
"..."
Viera soon passed by the student and grabbed Philip's credentials with magic, not even looking at the boy's dumbfounded expression as he laid there on the ground.
If he wanted to, Philip could penalize the student. And quite heavily at that for breaking academic rules. And given what he had done, expulsion could even be within the realm of possibility.
But he passed by him without a second look. He and whatever was going on wasn't worth the trouble.
When a young kid annoys you don't simply kick him aside, right? As an adult, it wasn't mature to behave like that around them.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?!"
Just when everything seemed to be going well, and they were just a few steps away from leaving, someone exclaimed loudly behind them.
"Sigh..."
'So close…'
With annoyance in his eyes, he turned around to face the source of the problem.
"What is it now?"
"I'm the one asking questions here… Whoever you are." The man said as he approached Philip, putting his finger on his chest and pushing him back
He was quite physically fit, pushing him back even as his feet dragged on the ground, leaving a trail of dirt as he completely disregarded his personal space, acting as if Philip owned him something.
When he finished pushing him back, he looked him up and down, momentarily surprised at his condition before his expression returned to "normal".
He wore flamboyant clothes and with a bowl-cut hairstyle, he was a rather thin and ugly young man. But vision was often misleading… This boy was no poser… Maybe only a little…
Seeing his actions, Philip shook his head before turning around, "I don't have time for this…" He said as he ignored the man, gesturing for Viera to walk past them
'This guy is completely delusional… Better just leave before he does something ridiculous.'
"You! How dare you!" He exclaimed as his face turned red with anger and embarrassment
"S-Sir Machol, this isn't a stu…"
The guard tried to clarify the situation. But he was clearly between a rock and a hard place as immediately after…
/SLAP!/
The boy turned around and slapped the guard, sending him rolling backward as he collided against a nearby table, shattering it.
"I don't remember giving you permission to speak, peasant!"
He then turned to Philip and company:
"And that ignorant peasant! Come back here and face me, Machol Reil!"
"..."
{Please… Just ignore him…}
{... I didn't even do anything yet}
{You talk as if you didn't just try to turn around!}
Philip momentarily stopped, but as Viera said, there was no need to do so. He buried whatever insults he was ready to throw at the man deep down and walked forward, pushing Viera onto the platform directly beneath the entrance.
As an Advanced Course student, Philip had no reason to follow the orders of a student. It didn't matter if the student did not know or felt, it wasn't of any consequence.
/Fwush!/
But Machol didn't accept this. Still under the belief Philip was beneath him.
Immediately in a fit of anger, Machol took out his rapier and swung it forward, trying to pierce the girl on Viera's back.
The speed and precision of his attack were such that even Viera barely had the time to compute something was wrong by the time his blade reached them.
"?!"
But in response, Philip simply turned around and grasped his rapier with two of his fingers, looking at the boy with a sharp, angry glare.
"Are you out of your mind? There's a limit to recklessness."
But the boy simply snickered.
/SLASH!/
"Me? Aren't you the one who is delusional?" Machol responded with a smirk as he swung his rapier sideways, slashing through Philip's fingers
However, he failed to realize they only bled for a moment before it stopped completely.
"How so?"
"You lack tact."
"Tact?"
"I can see it from far away, the smell of a commoner." He said as he looked at Viera, making her look towards the ground
"And I can also tell… The smell of failure." He said as he looked at Ivia
"Then I suppose you haven't realized your own smell." Philip said with a sarcastic smile as he stepped between them
He wanted to gesture for them to move away, but the students had already circled them. So he kept them close instead.
"Humph… You talk strong and mighty, but I can see your true appearance!"
"Oh yeah? And how do I look under your eyes?"
"Someone who clearly doesn't know his place!"
For the first time in a while, Philips' lips twisted into a calm and warm smile.
"This ability of yours is truly impressive… Because you're goddamn right."
'A commoner, a failure, and someone who doesn't know their place… Truly, a bunch of strange abilities all around…'
And then, it came...
/BOOOM!/
[Predators presence LvMax has activated]
Without showing any signs, Philip bombarded the boy with his Skill while pressing down at him with his Mental power, causing his mind to momentarily go blank as he fell on his knees.
"?!?!"
The same happened with the surrounding students, and for a moment, he thought about what to do as he felt the presence of a dozen individuals rapidly close in on them.
Viera urged him to leave, but he had another idea…
/SMACK!/
/BAMM!/
In a fit of anger, Philip finally snapped out and smashed the boy's face with his fist, sending him flying towards the opposite end of the cavern like a bullet.
"Phew... I feel better now."
[Predators presence LvMax has deactivated]
/Fwush fwush fwush!/
Within a moment, multiple shadowy figures appeared, circling Philip and Viera as they pushed the collapsed students away.
"..."
Without saying anything, Philip carefully shook Ivia…
"... I'm already up."
"That was fast… How do you feel?"
"I've been up for quite a while. If it weren't for my injuries, I would've done the same thing… Thank you. That's a load of stress off my back."
"Not mine though… Huff…"
"Ahem… Can you stay up?"
She nodded, getting out of Viera's back. Finally letting the poor girl breathe calmly.
/Crack… Crack…/
While Ivia looked at Viera awkwardly, Philip cracked his neck and said:
{Viera, I'll clear the way. Take Ivia outside before something happens}
{Then… What about you? These guys don't seem that happy…}
{Me? I'll take care of this… I'll open a path, that is the least I can do… Besides, I want to blow off some steam, break a few of their bones…}
Although he said that, Philip didn't know if he was that capable. If even one of them was as skilled as Fabrin, then he wouldn't be getting out of this with a few bruises…
If push came to shove, someone might force Philip to reveal his true identity. After all, he knew it was impossible for the Crown not to be aware of his overall location. If he called for them, they'd immediately move to get him back.
The Heroes' identities were meant to remain hidden; therefore, revealing them would have severe consequences, but he could use this information as a lifeline if nothing else worked.
Just a few words would strike a heavy blow on everyone around him that would reach down to the very core of their families, regardless of their nobility. This was how severe this information was… And why the Crown was so adamant on keeping it secret.
That was why he knew they were around. For all he knew, some people around him could be their agents, tracing his movements for the first sign of a breach. As soon as they felt he was compromising national secrets, they would take him back.
{Still…}
{There's no more time!}
/SWOOSH!/
Before Viera could reply, one guard, someone with an enormous sword and a twisted expression, attacked Philip in utter silence!
To this, Philip got into a stance, taking a deep breath… Even if he wanted to de-escalate the situation, with the overflowing emotions of everyone around him, it was clear they would only ask questions after he was cold on the ground.
It didn't matter if they were following orders or not. This was likely not their first time acting in the name of their master. Especially when they acted like this.
They deserved no mercy. And Philip wasn't someone who'd shy of giving anyone a good piece of his mind… And when two overbearing people meet, it takes a greater power to stop them…
And there isn't such a force around.
/BOOM!/
The moment the guard arrived within a meter of Philip, swinging his sword at his neck, he acted.
With a fist fast enough to break the sound barrier, Philip combined several of his abilities and delivered a fist right towards the guard's face!
/SMASH!/
Metal cracked and shattered as his hand smashed through his helmet, sending him flying through the air in the same direction Machol was sent before.
"That must've been that idiot's bodyguard from the swordsmanship he showed…"
'That queen ant was more impactful… Perhaps I simply didn't give him enough time to shine and struck for his vitals too quickly… But it doesn't matter.'
Philip quickly turned to Viera who was still there stunned.
"Wow?!" She exclaimed suddenly as they felt a foreign force clutch onto them and drag them towards the hole in the ceiling
"You two go first." Philip said as he lifted them into safety, using the rest of his Mental powers to prevent others from going after them
It was too quickly for others to react, so they crossed the barrier in no time.
"I... Dammit."
Ivia looked at him with frustration. Being reduced to nothing but a spectator did little to help her esteem, especially for the prideful girl.
Viera felt no different, but in her own way…
"Not so fast."
"!"
Philip suddenly felt someone disrupting his telekinesis, but ultimately, their power couldn't overpower his mental strength, and he successfully escorted the two girls outside.
Viera didn't stand still either, using her magic to propel them outwards as they quickly ran away.
"Phew..."
'My work here is done, now it's time for me to leave… But I guess it will be a bit more complicated than that.'
He looked around the place and saw a large crowd of people cutting all of his escape routes. Their lack of coordination indicated they were likely strangers.
At the front rolls were their guards. Behind them were their masters. AKA, the descendants of the many noble or influential groups/families of the Continent.
He focused. A mistake here could mean his life.
He sharpened his senses to the limit. His body tensing like never before.
[Apex Evolver has automatically activated]
His body replied to his emotions, it was now or never.
"..."
'They stopped attacking?' He thought as he looked around, puzzled
/Sha!/
The guards opened a small gap in their shabby formation, allowing a few people to cross and get closer to Philip.
Two boys and one girl, Philip immediately recognized two of them. He remembered seeing them in the meeting of the factions before he entered the cavern.
He quickly assumed who the third one was. Not that it changed anything.
'It seems some of the big shots of these groups are here… Hooray for me… But really now, when did they arrive? Were they nearby by any chance?'
'I thought the higher ranks of each faction would still be deep in the caverns by now… Then again, it doesn't really matter how well they do in the Hunt… They're likely not lacking in any way. They don't need the Academy's sponsorship.'
'Say… Don't tell me the leaders of each faction are here as well? That would be a pain in the ass for a single punch I threw out of anger.'
Despite his thoughts, Philip did not regret his actions. Always looking forward, for he'd commit to whatever choice he made until something made him change it, Even then, he wouldn't regret it.
/CLAP!/
/Silence…/
One boy clapped his hands, making everyone around him shut up. Only faint whispers from afar now reached them. Their words reverberated throughout the cavern.
""...""
Seeing that the situation was under control, the guards marched to their respective masters' sides to protect them. In the end, they didn't care about anyone else aside from their own masters. They moved when they felt they were in danger, and now that they weren't, they retreated.
Still, the tension was high and their wrathful gazes were still locked on him. Waiting to see what he would do next.
Meanwhile, the three students before him had no guards. But it didn't seem like they needed to.
Philip didn't even bother to check them with Scholar Vision, knowing full well nothing would come out of scanning them. He had tried a few times before, but aside from a few, most students and their guards were beyond his range of observation.
Much less students within the very top of this Academy.
The first one to speak was the same one who silenced everyone, a boy in golden clothes, the patterns on his cloak similar to the ones he'd seen before "It seems my subordinate wronged you Mr. May I ask you who you are?"
He didn't recognize him at first, but this man was undoubtedly the leader of his faction. He didn't know why he hadn't appeared at the start of the Great Hunt, but now wasn't the time for that.
Philip could sense the many meanings hidden in his words. And snickered mentally.
'Instead of an apology, you ask who I am… Acting as if nothing happened…'
While the man acted cordial, he was the very individual who tried to stop him from sending Viera and Ivia outside the cavern.
He could still sense the mental power around him. Philip was clearly not as skilled as him, but his raw power dwarfed him severely. Even without that, he already knew the boy was the culprit.
However this time, he did not mock nor push the boy back… Michol said he lacked tact… He couldn't be more wrong.
Philip just couldn't bother with it around the undeserving.
Regardless of who he was, however, Philip kept his act and turned around, "... It doesn't matter anymore, I already delivered the punishment he deserved."
'Time to go. Rudeness or not, I'm fed up.'
""!""
His blunt words and lack of consideration for the boy surprised many. He was completely and utterly ignoring the authority of the three factions! Even a professor wouldn't act like this to them.
Some might even say this was an evident undermining of their house's prestige.
However, while the boys were surprised, the girl seemed to smile faintly as she looked at him, just as surprised but in a good way, showing even a bit of respect for him.
If not already clear by her military attire, she seemed to value strength and power.
"... Punishment? Why was he deserving of punishment? His actions were grave but utterly not out of line. He attacked another student, but that was because…"
"Shut the fuck up, my ears hurt." Philip said out loud as he reached for his ears
/Silence/
"Excuses and more excuses…"
Philip turned his head and looked at the kid who was now biting his lip trying to maintain his calm demeanor.
"If you can't tell what he did wrong, then that's all you can do. I have no obligation to explain myself to some kids."
And after saying that, Philip stepped aside from the crowd, ignoring them. And this time, he didn't plan on stopping again.
"Very well..."
The man in the golden clothes slowly raised his hand towards the air and then swung it down with expressionless eyes...
/FWUSH!/
/Splurge!/
Suddenly, a flash of red light lit up, casting strong shadows throughout the cavern.
In one swift motion, it cut towards Philip's neck before he could even react. Slashing across the wall and leaving behind a simple line going all the way to the ceiling.
Blood splattered on the ground of the cavern, and everyone thought that Philip was a goner.
Such things were common, at most, the young noble would receive a little disciplinary action. It happened before, it would happen again. Those that did not conform with their rules… Were preemptively eliminated.
Back in the Palace, the indoctrination was quite strong. The Crown didn't try to directly force the Heroes into servitude but it ingrained the idea of it onto their minds.
Absolute respect for the nobles and royalty. Trying to make them subconsciously associate them with figures of power back in their own world…
"How funny."
Philip crouched down to grab a strange item on the ground… A bloody hand!
It still seemed to twitch as he held it, warm blood running down his fingers as he turned around.
"What?!"
The boy was agape as he saw the hand, his forehead damp as he connected the dots…
/Swoosh…/
"Huff…"
Behind him, a shadowy figure appeared. A woman with long dark hair covered head to toe in dark clothing. She had a badge on her chest indicating the house she belonged to, but one thing was quite glaring…
The fact she was missing a hand…
Seeing this made the boy's eyes shoot out as he realized what had happened. He turned back to Philip with a trembling gaze, trying to figure out what to say next.
But Philip did not give him the chance to do so.
/Burn…/
"Hm… Can I treat this as you attacking me? So be it."
Philip ignited the blood within the woman's hand, spreading the sickly smell of burnt meant throughout the cavern, causing many to gag as they couldn't stomach the scene.
"..."
The woman watched the scene with extreme hatred and even a hint of fear. Only she knew what had happened when her strike collided with his neck…
Philip looked at the lady and the young man, and despite his actions, the other two beside him only stepped to the side. Unwilling to offer assistance to him.
Their collaboration was merely professional at best. Some of them weren't even part of the same Empire, why would they endanger the safety of their own servants for the pride of another nation's noble?
"ENOUGTH!"
A scream loud enough to shake the entire cave suddenly came from the hole in the ceiling. A sickly old man on a wheelchair slowly fell from the sky like a feather, holding onto its armrests with a deep expression as he looked around sharply.
"This is enough for today. This matter has already escalated beyond the permitted limits."
He looked towards the three students and said:
""Clean this up and disperse. We will not tolerate any further escalation. This verdict is final.""
""?!""
All of the students were shocked. They didn't even know what to do next.
Was the Academy directly intervening on this matter now? After all this time?... Then what about those already scammed? What did this mean in the grand scheme of things?
Looking at their lack of attitude. The elderly man sighed and continued, this time, his voice was even louder:
"Don't make me repeat myself. I've had enough of your behavior. Be prepared for severe disciplinary action against all individuals involved in these barbaric acts."
"The Great Hunt is meant to teach the students at the end of their course what it means to be on their own before nature. To have them test the skills they've learned throughout the years and apply them on the field. To have them come face to face with their limits and stimulate them in growing past them…"
"We have rules, expectations, and you've gone past them all, in all the wrong interpretations."
Without waiting for their reply, he looked at Philip. And he wondered if he was seeing right because it seemed the old man… Was smiling at him?
"As for this troublemaker... Just leave, and next time, try to not be so cheeky…"
His voice echoed in his ears in a strange way. As if he was speaking right beside him…
"..."
'What?... Who is this?'
But who was he to refuse? Before he changed his mind. Philip happily agreed and jumped, disappearing soon after.
"Hum… Now… Disperse."
After all of this was done, the old man in the floating wheelchair disappeared like dust...
/Silence.../
Following his disappearance, there was a momentary silence followed by whispers and the heavy echoing of footsteps as the students gathered their courage to move past the blockage.
While chaos ensued with no one knowing what to do, the leaders of the groups issued their orders:
"There you go… This time, it seems you messed up with the wrong person." The girl said as she raised her hand:
"Retreat!" She exclaimed, and soon, many girls in similar attires gathered together and left towards somewhere deeper in the cavern
Rather than leaving, they went deeper down. Away from the confusion.
/CHATTERING!.../
And this was the spark that led to the fall of the blockage. In a moment, it all fell into chaos as the students ran away with everything they could hold…
…
"..."
'... Interesting.'
Meanwhile, a man watched from afar, a faint smile on his lips as he watched it all unfold.
'Seems like the man you told me to watch over is quite the troublemaker… Father will be very happy to hear about this.'
After seeing the situation sort itself out, the black haired man turned around and stepped into the wall, merging with the stone, vanishing from sight…
...
/Meanwhile…/
The elderly man in a wheelchair frowned as he looked at a tall man, his hand high in the air as he shook his fist at him:
"... I did as you asked. Now I don't owe you anything anymore."
"Gezz, you are as petty as ever."
"Humph, you're one to talk. Pulling things from who knows how long ago… If it wasn't for your problematic daughter, I don't think I would've paid it within the rest of this life. You would've sucked me dry before I died of old age… Hell, you probably already took a few years of my life away with your unreasonable requests."
"Unreasonable you say…"
"Tche! As if you ever cared about those twerps… You're the last one who should be judging others."
Fabrin looked at him with a constipated look before turning around, unwilling to reply to the grumpy old man.
"Leaving already? Do you fully intend to drop this matter onto my shoulders?"
"Yes."
"At least you're honest… But tell me the truth. Don't tell me you're afraid of the backlash? You've never…"
"..."
"... Right. Stay silent… Besides that, who's that young man with your daughter? Her boyfriend?"
Fabrin's expression twisted as he looked at the old man with a frown. It was the first time he was showing genuine emotion in this conversation.
"By the looks of it he isn't… Or rather, you wish he wasn't! Ohoo..."
His expression then eased as he thought about him.
"He looks rather talented... And reckless… A boy that doesn't know when to stop… Although he's more patient than some people I know…"
"..."
"From the Academy's perspective, he did nothing wrong, and he made my job easier by hiding his identity from others, so he should be fine… for the most part… But since when were things so simple?"
The old man turned his wheelchair to the side, slowly pushing himself away.
"You better teach him some good manners soon… Or marry your daughter to him, Ohooho!"
"... Else he is going to fall into the hole he is slowly digging… At least, I've yet to see anyone climb out of it… Without causing trouble."
"He'll be fine… I'll make sure of it."
"Sure you will… Personally, I had enough of seeing kids like him being nipped by these leeches… Though I suppose this does little to pay for the crimes I've committed…"
"..."
"But oh well, I'm but a senile old man who can't even move his legs anymore… Who's going to listen to me?"
And like that, the old man turned into dust once more, disappearing somewhere unknown, leaving Fabrin alone with his thoughts.
...
.
.
.
Notes
This concludes this Arc. I often try to end things within a few chapters, and I'm happy with how this Arc came to after the rewrite.
From here on out, Philip is free to continue exploring the Academy and progress in his relationships as he prepares for his "big operation", the next step of his plans.
That's about it. Peace!