The question from the purple-haired woman before her made Erica a little uncomfortable.
She didn't know who the woman was, there was a mysterious aura emanating from her.
Instinctively, Erica didn't want to answer.
Besides, she couldn't let her father know where she'd gone.
Seeing Erica dodging Kefra's gaze, Duke Levi's tone grew harsher as he questioned, "Erica, did you go to the academy today?"
Hearing that her father had already guessed it, she didn't dare to lie. Her voice became so faint that it was barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz.
"Yes…"
"But I didn't go inside the academy. I ran into someone I knew on the way, so I chatted for a bit, then came back."
Hearing that she didn't mention Viktor's name, Duke Levi's expression softened slightly.
Seeing this, Erica lowered her head and muttered under her breath, "Honestly, you're a duke, such a grown man, yet still so petty."
"If someone hadn't helped you out back then, you wouldn't even be a duke now."
Hearing Erica say that, Duke Levi's face froze for a moment. He gave a small cough and pretended not to have heard.
Truthfully, the duke felt a little embarrassed. No matter what Viktor's intentions were, the man had helped him in the palace.
It's just that Viktor's last words really left him feeling uneasy.
Something about how he'd have no choice but to "do something" to Erica.
'Do what, exactly? Huh?'
As a father, his sense of vigilance immediately exploded. Duke Levi absolutely would not allow Viktor to do anything inappropriate to his daughter.
Kefra, meanwhile, covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"I also heard from my sister what happened in the palace," she said. "But since the duke still sits in his position, if he accepts someone's favor and acts like it's only natural, that wouldn't look very good, would it?"
As for Viktor, no matter what kind of person he was, he was her sister's fiancé, which made him family in a sense.
So of course Kefra had to help out a little.
The duke, caught between the two women, flushed bright red. Fortunately, under the cover of night, no one could see it.
He closed his eyes, gave a few soft coughs, and said casually, "I'll find a way to repay Viktor."
Hearing that, Erica finally lifted her head, smiling brightly, clearly satisfied. At the same time, her impression of this big sister Kefra improved a lot.
'But… who exactly is this person?'
Erica looked curious, and Duke Levi immediately noticed his daughter's confusion. He introduced her, "This is the eldest daughter of the Delin family, Kefra Delin."
"Delin?"
Erica's mind turned, and she immediately thought of that beautiful sister she'd met atop the volcano.
She also had the surname Delin.
"Then that means Miss Gwen, she's…"
"She's my sister," Kefra said with a gentle, narrow-eyed smile.
Erica's mouth fell open in surprise.
In Erica's eyes, Gwen was a good person.
The Delin family was a family of knights, and knights were always righteous.
So this purple-haired sister before her must also be a good person.
Even if she did look a little mysterious.
Kefra looked at Erica, who seemed to have suddenly figured something out, and asked, "Erica, can you tell me exactly where you went today?"
"And who was the acquaintance you met?"
Erica didn't think much about it and blurted out everything that had happened that day.
Kefra learned that Erica had gone to the back mountain of the academy and met Viktor's teaching assistant.
The rest was just as Erica had said before.
"Oh? Viktor's teaching assistant?"
Kefra thought for a moment, then smiled and gently patted Erica's head, like a kind older sister.
"Thank you, Erica. But in the next few days, don't sneak over to the academy again, all right?"
"Duke, you have a very fine daughter."
After complimenting Erica, Kefra smiled and left.
Her purple hair shimmered seductively under the cover of the night sky, then gradually disappeared into the darkness as she boarded her carriage and departed.
Erica still looked puzzled.
Why had Gwen's sister asked her all those questions?
And why didn't she want her going to the academy?
She wanted to ask more, but when she turned her head, she saw her father's dark expression.
"Erica, come home and tell me exactly what you were doing sneaking off to the academy."
Erica immediately wilted.
———
Early the next morning, a gloomy air filled the Royal Academy of Magic.
The sky was overcast, the air heavy, it felt suffocating.
When people saw Viktor walking into the academy, many looked at him with fear.
Viktor had become quite famous yesterday.
Dragging Devon Lesser, a living person, all over the academy had become a story that spread like wildfire among the nobles.
Many nobles were fascinated by this new grudge between Viktor and the Lesser family.
Devon Lesser's disappearance enraged his family, who spent the whole night declaring they would demand an explanation from Viktor.
And then? Nothing happened.
The Lesser family only made some noise, a few loud words to show their stance, but nothing more.
Because the next day, Viktor swaggered right back into the academy.
He returned to the Mage Tower, dragged out Professor Devon himself, and threw the half-dead man right onto the academy square, drawing a huge crowd.
The incident spread wildly among the students and teachers.
Word of mouth carried it everywhere, one person told ten, ten told a hundred, soon, countless people came to the square to see for themselves.
In no time, the square was packed solid.
After all, some hadn't seen what happened yesterday and only heard about Viktor's actions through rumors.
The truth still seemed uncertain, maybe it was exaggerated gossip?
Most hadn't taken it seriously.
But today was completely different, they were seeing it with their own eyes.
And those who had come to "verify the rumors" were left stunned on the spot.
To hell with rumors, this was real, and it was insane.
No one knew what poor Professor Devon had done to provoke Viktor's wrath.
Under the gloomy sky, the academy square felt like an execution ground. Viktor kept Devon tied up there all morning.
Everyone only watched.
No one dared to approach or speak to Viktor, not even the few professors who were rare third-circle mages.
It was the same as what Devon had done to Heni, public humiliation.
In truth, since the dean still hadn't stepped forward, everyone had already understood the dean's stance.
Let Viktor vent.
And besides, the example of Professor Devon was right there before them, who would dare risk angering Viktor and becoming the next one strung up?
Finally, noon came.
The sunlight still didn't break through the clouds.
Clop! Clop! Clop!
The crisp sound of hooves slowly approached, drawing everyone's attention, even Viktor looked up.
The knights had arrived.
Led by Gwen, the knight corps surrounded the academy with hundreds of soldiers.
At once, the onlookers automatically made way, opening a clear path.
Clad in silver-white armor, Gwen strode forward at the head of the knights, heroic and radiant.
She looked straight at Viktor, her eyes fierce.
"Viktor Clavenna, do you know what you're doing?"
"Deliberately injuring someone in the academy, are you mocking the laws of the Empire?!"
Gwen spoke with righteous authority, her eyes showing not the slightest trace of personal emotion.
As a knight of justice, even if the one committing the crime was Viktor, her own fiancé, Gwen would neither allow it nor overlook it.
Viktor gazed quietly at her and asked, "Did the Lesser family send you to rescue him?"
Hearing his question, Gwen calmly replied, "The Knight Corps serves only His Majesty. We take orders from no one else."
Viktor had indeed broken the law, and the consequences were grave.
As a knight, she had to uphold the Empire's justice and arrest him.
But her hands wouldn't stop trembling.
She had received the Lesser family's plea for help, but truthfully, this task didn't require her personal command.
Yet she came anyway, because the one accused was Viktor.
Liya had told her that this time, Viktor might have committed a serious crime.
Liya had many informants, and she'd learned immediately when Viktor provoked the Lesser family.
Who was Devon Lesser? The emperor's nephew.
And Liya had shared this with Gwen, who hadn't known.
Even though Viktor had recently prevented the volcanic eruption, a tremendous feat, and was a fourth-circle mage,
Ordinarily, the emperor wouldn't punish such a powerful asset lightly.
But Viktor's victim was royal blood.
Gwen didn't dare gamble on whether the emperor would show leniency. So she came early to take Viktor away and have him charged with "intentional injury."
That way, she could minimize the damage, and maybe save him.
"Viktor! Don't resist! Don't act rashly!"
Her words were meant to hint to him, and she believed that with Viktor's intelligence, he would understand.
Sure enough, that last word, rashly, caught his attention.
He looked at Gwen, his expression still calm, yet somehow she could feel him relaxing slightly.
Just when she thought Viktor would comply and let her take him away,
BOOM!
A deep, pitch-black barrier suddenly rose from the ground, rapidly enveloping the entire academy.
The already dark sky turned even blacker, darker than night itself, as if ink was spilling from the heavens.
Everyone under the barrier suddenly felt weak and drowsy.
Even Gwen felt it, her strength fading, her heartbeat growing feeble.
Her "Heart of Justice" lost its power.
Those present thought Viktor had cast the spell, but when they looked up, even he seemed slightly surprised.
If it really were his doing, no one would have noticed when he'd cast such an enormous array.
It was too obvious.
Too illogical.
Viktor looked up at the barrier, a flicker of astonishment and admiration in his eyes.
Vega's voice rang only in his mind.
"What a magnificent composite array."
"If she can use magic like this… she might be a true genius."
Viktor murmured softly in reply,
"Yes."
"It seems… the time has come."
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