Chapitre 27: #1 Looking in the principal's office

Celine got up with a very excited expression, although she had slept just a few hours she was excited by the things they discovered during the night.

The others looked tired, but like Celine they were happy with the 'successful mission' they had, but that excitement didn't last long.

As soon as they finished their breakfast they left for the school, finding many people walking the halls, talking, mumbling to each other.

– They said they found traces of the culprit in the library.

– Trails? Do you mean the aura?

– Yes, Professor Itzal is there right now looking around the library.

– We are safe, right? The culprit is still here… what if he does something again?

Some of those who muttered stared at Asterin, who was walking calmly beside Celine, Leila, and Harumi.

– Don't mind them Asterin, they're just people who don't have nothing to do, so they want to take care of other people's lives – Harumi looked at Asterin with a determined expression.

Asterin smiled – I don't care anyway.

– Asterin – A firm voice was heard in the hallway, the crowd of students froze as they made their way to the handsome Professor Itzal, an 18th-level wizard specializing in black magic and shapeshifting, well... He and Professor Weilyn beside him.

Everyone looked at Asterin, who was being seriously stared at by the professor, she looked at him stunned.

Weilyn stared at her for a while, as if he was trying to check something, then looked at Leila, Harumi and Celine, frowning as he realized something – You all, come with me to the principal's office.

They looked at each other, and then silently followed the professor, as soon as they disappeared, an explosion of conversation and gossip was heard.

– Do they have something to do with it?

– They are the Princesses of four of the nine great kingdoms, why would they do that?

– You never know, just because they belong to royalty doesn't mean they are good people, with a good heart and good attitudes, they can be as rotten inside as they look beautiful on the outside.

…

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– Here it is, Headmaster – Itzal spoke to the tall, handsome man who was sitting in front of his large desk.

– What does this even mean? – He spoke when he realized that the young women in his room were respectively, the only child of the current King of Argon, Asterin, the second daughter of the Emperor of Yuugen, Harumi Saito, the only child of King Leonar, Leila, of Waterfall, and the daughter of the Greatest Sorceress of the Nine Kingdoms, Celine Eslif.

– There are traces of that aura in them, what could I do? It was the most our investigation got us – Professor Weilyn said as he plopped down into one of the chairs facing the principal. Itzal remained silent, just watching as his colleague presented his suspicions.

The director frowned, facing the group he asked – What did you find?

The young women were silent, he really had guessed right. First, why would princesses of four great kingdoms do something as ridiculous as stealing someone else's powers? And second, it was impossible since no such art was taught, and to be able to use this type of magic, you would need to be at least a level 24 wizard, and of the four girls in the group, one was level 8, two were level 7 and one … there was no level, it was practically a human…

Weilyn yawned and stared at each of them, finally settling his gaze on Celine – Celine Eslif, daughter of Isleen, the Great Sorceress, and Aillard, Lord of Celestia, deliver the item that's hidden in your sleeve.

…

There was no escape, Celine sighed. She removed the item and handed it to the Professor. Weilyn just looked at the item, motioning for Itzal to take it and analyze it.

After a few seconds of staring, Itzal turned to the Principal, nodding, the Principal seemed relieved, he looked at the four young women who were staring at him and waved his hand:

– You can go, I know you wanted to investigate but leave this to more experienced mages.

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– We can't let them handle this.

– What are you talking about Asterin? They've already got the hairpin, we can't do anything – Aysel said while leaning on the desk in Celine, Leila and Harumi's room.

– Now it's happened, the Principal said he would investigate...

– He definitely won't do that – Asterin sighed sitting on Celine's bed, and looking at Celine, who was at her desk reading something intently – You agree with me, right Celine?

Celine looked at her a little stunned, realizing what they were talking about and replying.

– Oh... yeah, we need to get the hairpin back, we'd better investigate – So she turned her attention back to the book.

– See? Celine agrees with me.

Elaxi frowned – And what will we do next, you want to investigate, what should we do? Running away from high school to stalk a person we don't even know what is or how looks like?

The young women looked at Elaxi with thoughtful and hesitant expressions, this was a great question: 'How would they investigate this?'

– Yes, we will do it! – Celine spoke while looking seriously at the book, catching the eyes of the girls in the room.

Elaxi sighed in frustration – How are we going to get out of here? Celine, investigating something isn't easy, you need clues, we don't even know if that hairpin will help, we're chasing an invisible person.

Celine continued to stare at the book, the silence lasted a few minutes before Celine replied – Maybe not completely invisible, we know this person is a Light Mage of at least level 19, we also know his possible purpose, which is the forging of the Amulet of Spirits. Seeing that hasn't been able to collect enough powers we can go after people who excel in their own abilities, we also know that maybe this person is a woman and… is trying to free something, and I'm pretty sure that's it.

They heard the whole explanation, these were good leads, maybe they still had a chance to investigate, and hearing the last part they got up to see what Celine was showing.

– These are the 'Creatures extinct from the Nine Realms in the last millennia', here, trolls, goblins, giants, griffins and… dragons.

– Heh? The big winged lizards? – Harumi asked, receiving complicated looks and some expressions of doubt:

– Dragons? – Aysel asked.

– Yes, here, they look like this – Celine pointed to the drawing of a large, scale-covered creature with long outspread wings, its gaze menacing, as if to show how powerful it was:

– This symbol, it's probably their symbol, and it's the same symbol that was on that hairpin, what if… they haven't gone extinct?

– What? What do you mean 'what if they haven't gone extinct?' – Harumi asked with a startled expression, then, thinking - 'And how could something this size go unnoticed?'

Leila nodded – It could be, although they are described as 'extinct' it's not impossible that there are some left, plus, as Celine said, it's the same symbol, which could also mean that this person is on the side of these creatures… right ? – She looked at Celine, who nodded firmly.

– What if they weren't extinct and were trapped in this 'dark dimension', and this person is acting to help them, to free them… – Celine calmly spoke every word, and with every word, the more they listened, the more scared they were.

– You've got to be kidding... – Harumi spoke as she stared at the drawing with an incredulous expression.

– Heh? Why? – Celine also stared at the cartoon for a while – They're not even that scary.

All looked at her with different expressions.

– Aren't they even that scary? Look at the size of this thing, they literally used a mountain as a reference – Harumi pointed to the surroundings of the drawing.

Celine hunched her shoulders – They're just big...

…

They had complicated and hesitant looks, only Elaxi and Asterin seemed to be in a moment of contemplation, their expressions thoughtful. Asterin looked again at the drawing, and then at the book beside which was open to the 'black dimension' page.

Staring at the words again:

'Last time opened: Year 125, opened and sealed by Isleen Eslif, wife of Lord Aillard Eslif and Mistress of the city of Celestia'

...3000 years ago.

– The great war… – She muttered. Celine looked at her, she had thought of that too

– What? – Leila also heard her mutter and asked.

Asterin looked at them with an excited expression – The great war that took place 3000 years ago, this portal was also sealed apparently in the same period.

Elaxi stared at her – You mean there must be something in between these two things?

Asterin nodded – This portal was opened and sealed during the great war, and what we have as clues tells us that these creatures are probably the ones trapped there, which makes us think...

– That for the end of the great war, these creatures had to be imprisoned, so apparently everything indicates that these creatures caused terror on the continents, and with their imprisonment and defeat it was that there was peace between the nine kingdoms, as indicated in history, that only after this great war that we had peace… – Leila completed.

– How so does everything indicate that these creatures caused terror on the continents?" Celine asked.

Leila was about to answer, but was interrupted by Harumi – It's obvious that everything indicates that, just look at these creatures...

Everyone automatically looked at the drawing again.

Aysel nodded – Yeah, they definitely look like the kind of creature that would cause nightmares in a child and fear in adults, well... more than that.

– So… are we still going to investigate? – Leila muttered.

…

– Yes! – Celine smiled as she carefully packed the books into a small bag, she went to her closet and pulled out three ordinary sets of clothes, placing one on the bed as she tucked the others into her space bag.

Leila and Harumi stared at her shocked.

Asterin smiled and stood up – I'll pack my things too, but first, how are we going to retrieve the hairpin?

– Haven't thought about that part yet, do you have any ideas? – Celine looked at the others, and Asterin did the same, being stared at with such expectation, Leila and Harumi hurriedly denied, they hadn't thought of anything, Elaxi was still thoughtful, and Aysel was expressionless: 'Ah… this is so cool! Let's run away from high school!! Investigate a scary creature, we might even have a chance to fight!! So cool!!'

– So, we need a practically insignificant person, that others look at and have no suspicion of her... as all things have already been cleared up, the best person for this mission is...

Aysel watched as everyone looked at her and smiled with her hands on her hips – Raphael Tasvali, the protégé of the First Mage of Night.

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