Unlasting World

Later that day in the evening, Arfius came to me while I was reading in the library. 

He sat down on the chair without asking for any consent. The way he sat down was more or less as if he knows me well, and he is my bestest friend or something, because he truly does not care about sound at all.

NYEET!!

When he pulled the chair, the chair made quite a loud sound as it grazed the floor. He then sat down and slammed the table as he placed his shoulder on it--which, again--caused more sound.

I saw a glimpse of the librarian turning his annoyed gaze this way…

I turned my gaze at him when he slammed his shoulder and closed my book while wearing a very annoyed expression.

"What do you want?"

A single question came out of my mouth.

The two of us were never friends, not even since the beginning when we met. Sure, we acknowledge each other as strong, but not to the point where we acknowledge that the other is funny or friendly.

In fact, nothing is funny or friendly from this guy. Heavily proven by the amount of friends he had, which is probably very close to 0.

"That wave earlier… you sensed it."

Ah, of course. He would ask about that.

It's about the wave from earlier. He was rendered unconscious when he felt it, while I simply lost the ability to think, breathe, or use my body for a flat fifteen seconds.

I only told him what I know, like the fact that the wave is extremely powerful and nowhere near the kingdom.

Hearing that, he immediately turned into thinking and tried to guess what happened.

"Before he left, the headmaster told me to guard the academy… And clearly, I failed that.

When I asked why he wouldn't just come if something bad happens, he told me because something even worse will be happening to him."

Oh? He didn't mention this to me, but it's probably because he already knew that I would've guessed it by myself.

So… I was right.

"The headmaster… he must be the one dealing with it. Either he is the cause... Or he was trying to stop whatever it was."

Arfius nodded, and he turned towards the bookshelves on his left.

"When he returns later, we should definitely question him."

No…?

The way he said it, it sounded like we were friends or something.

"... We?"

"Yeah. The two of us were the only ones capable of sensing a wave that powerful, so we should be able to help the headmaster with his issue."

"... Should I really do that?"

He suddenly glared at me with a demeaning look. I let out a sigh and waved my hand around.

"Okay, okay... fine. The headmaster only asked me to protect the academy. He didn't ask me to help him in... whatever business he has outside. 

So maybe… I'll think about it."

After hearing my answer, he gave me one disappointed glare before silently standing up and leaving the library.

What an antisocial…

The next day, the news about the headmaster returning spread like wildfire. The assistant, Plauren, was most happy hearing this news and has been waiting for him at the gate since six in the damn morning.

It is now ten o'clock, and his carriage is just arriving. Dude really was waiting for four hours straight...

All the students quickly gathered outside on the front court to welcome the headmaster. They all shouted when the headmaster stepped down from his carriage wearing his usual white robes, but somehow there's something weird about him.

He waves to the crowd using his left hand. Nobody does that.

Looking all happy and stuff, he then went to his office immediately, leaving the group of fans outside and continued living with his own business.

I watched from the top of the class building when he entered the middle building, leaving the students screaming his name outside the middle building's entrance.

Some return of a hero, huh…

I turned around, ready to leave. But as soon as I took the first step, my surroundings turned black. I arrived in the secret room that belongs to the headmaster, which I assumed to be underneath his office or something.

"Well, well, well... The big boy has returned."

That voice came from Arfius' mouth, who is currently wearing his pajamas and standing next to me. He noticed the sofa that was behind him and immediately sat down while saying that. I also followed him to sit down on the sofa behind me as well.

Looks like the headmaster teleported us here as soon as he got into his office. It seemed that we were the number one business for him upon arrival, and I felt rather worried by that.

The headmaster, who is sitting on the sofa in the middle of this dark room, looking quite surprised seeing Arfius in his sleeping clothes.

"Oh, sorry... Did I mess up your nap?"

"… More or less. But since we are here anyway, let's just get on with it."

The headmaster turned his gaze to me, and I nodded at him. Now, he can continue with the shady business we have going on here.

"Before anything… I must thank the both of you for keeping the academy safe. Though, I can see that you two failed at saving the buildings, but what is more important is the students."

Hearing the headmaster's opening sentence made Arfius look away. And seeing that Arfius flinched like that, simply made the headmaster chuckle a bit.

"I heard what happened... The enemies lured you out of the academy because they know that you are a threat, Arfius. The fact that you managed to survive and return to the academy after capturing all the enemies is already great enough."

"Yeah… Great for the dumbass who gets lured out of the academy, leaving the ones he was supposed to protect."

My guess was correct. Arfius was just as annoyed regarding that situation as me.

We both failed to protect the students, but he had it worse. While I was still at the academy, he got lured out on purpose and got trapped for the entire day, completely leaving the students to themselves.

The moment he found out that a lot of students got hurt while he was missing and even close to dying… 

For someone as prideful as Arfius, I don't even want to imagine the guilt he felt.

"Don't curse yourself, Arfius. Thanks to you, over two hundred demons hidden inside the Xyphon kingdom have been taken down and captured. All because you managed to beat them all."

"It still doesn't go easily on my chest..."

"It's all right. Stop worrying."

Arfius nodded at the headmaster, and the headmaster grinned at him. He then turned to me, but then his expression turned grim immediately.

"As for you... I am quite disappointed."

Hmm?

He is… disappointed?

At… me?

"Excuse me?"

"You activated the foreign power inside you and lost control… You slaughtered those demons without mercy. My men mentioned that the demons don't even have shape anymore. You killed them with cold blood. 

Don't you get it, Rize? You have killed... People."

He said with a very cold tone, which I assumed was because he is angry at me.

But… why?

Is he being serious…? 

Though, I can't help but think he isn't wrong, but still…

"Veneo… we are at war."

I reminded him coldly, not even bothering using his title as the headmaster. And hearing stern words from me, the headmaster only chuckled.

"I understand that, possibly a lot more than you do. After all, I myself have seen it… rather up close. But, that still doesn't justify killing. Not even Arfius killed the demons who ambushed him.

Even though you captured three of the demons' higher ups, you still killed nearly a hundred and twenty of them. Some, who are actually students in disguise."

The way he mentioned it, it's like he was implying that he knows about something. I immediately looked away to stop him from reading my expression, but something tells me he already knew.

"... Stop."

"You are regretting it more than ever, aren't you?"

I quickly glared at the headmaster and unleashed my bloodlust slightly, but he was unfazed. His magic soul's strength is definitely strong enough to withstood my bloodlust. He lifted his palms at me to calm me down.

"Easy… I just saw an even worse level of pressure just yesterday, so you can keep your breaths to yourself."

Hearing his words suddenly made me question. I quickly inhaled and calmed myself down while closing my eyes. There is no point in fighting here.

"You're right... I do regret it. Possibly a lot more than you think. But, I don't regret killing the other demons... even the slightest."

"That… will be a burden you will have to carry in the future."

I turned my annoyed gaze at him and simply continued.