章節 264: Strong and the weak [4]
*Flap!*
With a strong swipe of my wings, I took to the air, keeping my eyes on the burly man who was grinning like a madman while making my way to my number Two, panting while trying to catch his breath.
Though he was trying to stand tall, it was obvious that his body was tattered and torn, as he had most likely been unable to stand against the head of the Juggernauts on equal grounds.
Noticing my ascent, Mr. Naut crossed his arms, all too aware that even if I joined the fight, we wouldn't stand much of a chance with Alexander in that kind of state.
"So, you are here as well boy? I suppose that our country has lost the princess then? Bahaha!"
Just like previously, I couldn't stop myself from smiling a bit when hearing the oh-so-uncaring man laugh without restraint. Luckily for me, as I was now once again hiding my face from the world, I didn't have to worry about him somehow interpreting it as a sign of disrespect.
"One might think so, but the princess is still very much alive. However, while we are on the subject of living and dying, you don't suppose you could let us go for now? There are some..."
"Are you playing with me...?"
*DON!*
For the very first time, I got to see Mr. Naut's expression change, going from the playful, aloof face that he had been wearing so far, to a cold, expressionless painting that could only be described as terrifying.
It was truly remarkable, that even though the disparity between me and my former classmates was now so incredibly large, I could feel that the distance between me and the [S]-rankers were even bigger.
Thankfully, I had at least gotten strong enough to stand up before the pressure that Mr. Naut exuded, still keeping myself in place beside Alexander. In the end, I could only throw my shot and hope for the best, unknown as to whether he would even care at all.
"I am not. But I am afraid that we can't afford to stay here for much longer. Therefore I just want you to know that if you don't let us go, I can't say for certain what will happen to your daughter."
Time seemed to freeze, with the man's eyes opening up a bit, unsure as to whether interpret my words as the truth or merely a bluff. A moment later, he appeared to have made a decision.
"If you hurt my daughter... I swear on all that's holy that your little games... whatever crazy plans you might have... I will destroy everything. And that includes you, boy."
Was I happy that I managed to piss off the [S]-ranked that could very well be regarded as the strongest in the world? Not particularly. But I was also aware that I couldn't think of any other way to dissuade the man from getting rid of Alexander.
I would have wished that I could have kept my somewhat neutral relationship with him for a bit longer, but as that would have likely caused me to lose a very valuable piece, there was nothing I could do about it.
So, striking while the iron was hot, and while our enemy appeared to have decided not to make a move, I tried to finish things up.
"Then, we will take our leave now, Mr. Naut. Two, let's move."
"Mm."
With his body still trembling slightly from the fatigue, we began to move, flying away from the academy in the sky.
*BOOM!*
And thus I ended the first act of the play that I was orchestrating, hearing the bomb that Mark had left behind after using the portal room to get to Jotunheim, leaving with one single thought still stuck in my head.
'How do I get rid of someone like that...'
****
[Frederick's Pov]
'Haa... How can one man cause so much trouble in a single day?'
After the Hurricanes had left the training grounds, I had no choice but to wait with the teachers until after they had left, and at the same time destroying my valuable portal room.
Now, however, we had returned to the demolished lecture hall, only to find a multitude of bodies lying around on the floor, as well as three decapitated corpses.
As all the teachers ran around checking on the students and their colleagues' conditions, I couldn't help but feel like I had greatly underestimated the playful man that most often had put up an aloof and uncaring façade.
"Who... who could have done something like this...?!"
Clenching his fights so tightly that a small tinge of blood emerged from his hands, Oliver's eyes were filled with rage. Of the teachers that had followed me out to the training grounds, none of them had actually gotten to see the villain of the story, as he had simply made his way here while we were distracted.
Naturally, I had no choice but to act the part as well, despite me being painfully aware of whose fault this ultimately was.
"I don't know. But as it seems most of the students and teachers here are alive, we have to..."
Suddenly, a hand took hold of my ankle, with enough strength to actually bring me a bit of pain.
Looking down, I was surprised to see that the pink-haired girl known as Sophie had opened her eyes, now looking at me with tears in her eyes.
"Don't go... James... You don't have to do this..."
'Hmm? Did she hit her head or something? No, she is still unconscious...'
"There's still... time..."
With her eyes dim, she was muttering words that I didn't expect to hear, with her seemingly still wanting to somehow save the one I could only describe as the devil himself. Unfortunately, it didn't take long until her head fell to the floor again.
There was no way the big man on my side could miss what she had said, his mind quickly honing in on but one thing.
"James? As in that James?! He did this?!"
At this point, his body was practically burning with anger, as he was even unable to stop his mana from seeping out, covering him with an orange glow.
Then again, it wasn't hard to understand him.
Just like for most of my staff, this was their home, a safe place where they got the chance to educate the next generation without having to worry. This event had now destroyed that image, and unfortunately, I knew that this wasn't just going to be something for them, but the whole nation would probably start doubting the security of my academy.
'Luckily, no students with a noble background died...'
If someone like Mike Denver, Bellatrix Rue, or even one of the two princesses had died, things would have been a lot worse than they already were. Not that things weren't incredibly bad...
Thinking back at when it all started, when I had given the information regarding James to the king, it was hard not to feel a tinge of regret. Not because of the people that had died, which didn't matter much to me, but because of how complicated things had become.
Finally, I realized what that man was up to, what he was doing, and what he was planning.
'A three-horse race, is it?'
In the past, when there had only been the allied races versus the demons, there had never been a question of whose side to stand on, and as a result, it had never been hard for the different races on Tella to unite against the foreign threats.
Things like tactics and logistics weren't all too hard when there was only one enemy, even more so when their numbers were often quite few. But what would happen if there was a third actor in the mix, an actor whose territory didn't actually exist?
Worse yet, what if this third part somehow managed to entice people to join him, while at the same time creating discord within his opposing nations?
'He used me quite well, didn't he? That devil...'
This whole incident, the chaos that he had caused here... it was purely symbolic. If people can't even trust the prestigious Ainu or their king, who could they trust? At this point, I also realized that he must've been aware of what the king had been doing, of how he had been trying to forcefully put the hidden families under his command.
But how was he supposed to attain unity within his kingdom if James continued to sow distrust and doubt within his country? Not only that, he somehow managed to get one of the hidden families under his command, meaning that he now also had the military power to back his actions up.
For the first time in the history of Tella, there was now a third player joining the chessboard, turning all the unwritten rules and conventions on its head. And I could only hope that with the circus he had arranged today, he would finally let me be.
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