Free Web NovelChapter 91: Give the boy his jacket back
"Good evening, Lord Cendral," Aldric said, his tone professional. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture impeccably straight despite the oppressive heat radiating from the inferno before him.
"Good evening, Lord Cendral," Victor greeted with a slight bow. His voice was strained, nervousness clear on his face. A sheen of sweat coated his brow, though whether from the blazing warehouse or the formidable presence before him, even he could not tell. The firelight painted golden highlights across Astrid’s gleaming antlers and caught the polished hilt of the sword at Victor’s waist.
"Good evening, professor Aldric, professor Victor," Lucas said as he walked out of the flames, completely unscathed. There was not even a mark on his cloth. "Where is Sera?"
"When we arrived, Lady Cendral had already left the warehouse," Aldric revealed, tapping the centre of his spectacles. "She has entered the academy." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
"The other thugs behind the attack?" Lucas’s eyes narrowed. The warehouse continued to burn, its iron walls groaning under the assault of the flames.
"They have been arrested by the authorities."
Lucas gave a slight nod, his jaw still tightened. He was clearly furious about the incident. He had left his house the moment he was notified by the storage ring that Seraphina wore about her losing control over her vampire’s traits.
If not for Aldric contacting him midway that Seraphina was safe, Velarum would have witnessed why he was called the Pyro Tyrant.
Now that he thought about it, another question appeared in his mind. His brow furrowed as he turned his attention back to the professors.
"How did Seraphina regain control over herself?" Lucas asked. "Forget it, I will ask her myse—" ƒreewebɳovel.com
"Lord Lucas, every student’s safety inside the campus is the responsibility of Arcane Academy," Aldric said, cutting him mid-sentence, his voice even. "We cannot allow even one of the five heroes to endanger the life of our student."
Lucas’s black eyes narrowed at Aldric, causing immediate flinch from Victor who was only a bystander. Aldric kept his composure despite the sharp gaze of Lucas, his sea-green eyes meeting the Pyro Tyrant’s glare without flinching.
’Professor Aldric, be polite for once,’ Victor screamed inwardly. ’He is the Pyro Tyrant, an eight circle Archmage for god’s sake.’
"This is the academy of my master. Why would I even attack anyone in the academy?" Lucas asked, obviously confused by the strange warning of Aldric.
Aldric’s index finger slightly flinched, the only break he was allowing in his composed demeanor. "Even if the kid is the bloodbound of Lady Cendral?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the temperature of the area exponentially increased, a suppressive aura exploded from Lucas’s body, sun-like blinding flames dancing across his form. The ground beneath him cracked and blackened, the grass withering into ash in an instant. Waves of scorching heat radiated outward, the very air shimmering with intensity.
’H-he is one of the five heroes alright. So this was the depth of mana possessed by the man who fought against the dragons,’ Victor murmured inwardly, his voice carrying deep awe and shock as he barely kept himself standing on his feet. His clothes, along with his hair fluttered backward, his arms covering his face from the burning energy. He could feel his skin prickling under the oppressive heat, his very breath stolen by the overwhelming presence of the Pyro Tyrant.
Meanwhile, Aldric was completely unscathed, his posture relaxed as a mana of sea-green energy, just like his hair, surrounded his body, protecting him from the suppressive mana of Lucas.
"Whatever do you mean, Professor Aldric?" Lucas demanded, his tone threatening.
"Lady Cendral left the academy as the President of Student Council for the one-on-one meeting with the Crownbearer of the freshers," Aldric explained in a calm tone. "He is the one that subdued the traitor maid and her companions. Also, he was the one that stopped Lady Cendral from consuming the blood of Gabriel. However, because he did not possess even the basics of knight yet, he was incapable of subduing a frenzied vampire. He ended up being attacked by her."
Aldric’s words only increased the outburst of Lucas’s mana, causing even his hair to flutter backward that was calm just now.
’Professor Aldric, do you not wish for me to return alive?’ Victor whimpered inwardly, barely keeping himself conscious. He was trying to summon his aura to protect his body but the sheer pressure was not allowing him to move even a muscle. His knees threatened to buckle, his vision swimming as the world around him blurred with heat and force.
"Who is that brat? Which house does he belong to?" Lucas demanded, his fist tightened until his knuckles turned white.
Aldric released a sigh inwardly. He knew there was no point hiding it. He would find his identity one way or another. The best he could do was protect him as long as he stayed in the academy. "He is a commoner," Aldric revealed. "His name is Vlad Lumberjack."
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"Thank you, Vlad, for bringing her back safely," Sophia said, holding both of Vlad’s hands as she released a long sigh of relief. Her breathing was ragged, and her face was covered in sweat from the worry that had weighed on her shoulders for the past hour.
She was standing in the open campus grounds outside the main building with Vlad and Seraphina in front of her.
"It’s alright. She is a friend," Vlad replied with a smile. "Moreover, I did nothing more than lose a few litres."
He said the last sentence in a low tone and instantly received an elbow to the gut from Seraphina, the only one who had heard him. It had not even been ten minutes since she had told him not to reveal that part to anyone.
"How delusional!" Seraphina scoffed in her usual narcissistic tone, rolling her eyes.
"Who are you?" she asked, turning to Vlad and pressing her index finger against his chest.
"Your friend?" he replied.
"Your child’s father?" Sophia whispered into Seraphina’s ear, causing an intense blush to flood her cheeks. She had almost forgotten about the ridiculous story that Sophia still believed to be true.
"Y-you are a commoner! A commoner," Seraphina blurted, trying to jab his chest with her finger. "And I am the young lady of House Cendral. We can never be friends."
Before Vlad could say anything, she grabbed Sophia’s hand and walked away from him with quick steps. She had had her fill of the transgressions she had committed that day.
"A-at least return my jacket," Vlad called after her as his jacket swayed behind Seraphina, its sleeves tied around her waist. His voice was low, as if he already knew it was a lost cause.
