Eliionia Nightborn found herself inside of the Academy's library once again. The library within the Academy contained almost all the known knowledge within all the nearby nations. It even contained some of the more obscure pieces of information gathered from distant lands. Ever since she was accepted into the Academy, Eli had been spending as much time as possible inside of the library, trying to learn as much as she could about the Overflow.
Though the library had a lot of information about the Overflow, many of it was anecdotal evidence from those who lived through it. There was no information related to what caused this nightmarish event to occur or how to stop it. Eli, being a part of the royal family, had a strong sense of duty and wanted to figure out a way to end the suffering of her people. Somewhere within these books, she hoped that there was information that would help her mother with creating a weapon to fend off the monsters during the Overflow.
"Damn it!!" Eli slammed her fist on the table. "I have been through nearly all the books that are connected to the Overflow and have come no closer to learning how to fight this."
The problem was that Eli wasn't sure whether the lack of information was due to natural reasons or unnatural ones. There may be nothing known about how to fight against such an event or it may be connected to the mysterious organization that tries to prevent anyone from fighting the event.
Getting up from the table, she stretched her arms and tried to shake off the sleepy feeling. Looking out the window and seeing the black night let her know that she had been inside the library for several hours. Looking around, the library was completely devoid of any fellow students. Most of the mana stones were turned off, so there was an eery feel to the area. Bookshelves created shadows to further represent the knowledge hidden from her.
Taking the books that she grabbed, Eli went to put them back where she found them. With how often she studied in the library, there was no need for her to grab one of the portable lamps. There was still plenty of ambient light to help her. To help prevent students from accidentally using a fire spell the people who created the library created a magic suppression array. Only the mana stones would be able to work in this location, providing light for everyone.
The place she was sitting at is a study area within the library. Set up in a corner, the area felt like the destination within a labyrinth, where the bookshelves were the walls that you had to traverse between. At the intersections, there were lamps placed, with directions on where to go.
Permeating throughout the library was the smell of aged books that have been inside of this place for ages. Walking down the paths caused an echo to be created from her walking on the wooden floors. Though she enjoyed being inside of the library while there were students and teachers walking around, being inside here when it was empty was a lot better. Being a Princess, Eli always had to pay attention to how others perceived her, so she valued the moments of silence and emptiness that this place provided her.
Finding the empty spot and inserting one of the books into it, she sighed thinking about another dead end in her research. Walking away from the book, she continued towards the next spot. As she navigated her way through the bookshelves, she thought she heard a tapping noise.
"Hello?? Is someone there?" Eli called out into the dark. It was unusual to hear any noise this late, which made her curious.
After waiting for a reply and getting none, she shrugged her shoulders and continued deeper into the library. Reaching the spot, Eli placed another book where she had grabbed it earlier. Each of those books was relatively thick, so her arms felt better for not needing to carry them.
A part of her thought about heading back to her room and getting some sleep. Not being able to find any additional information that could help her mother was disheartening. Everything that she tried to do to learn more seemed to hit a dead end. Even the ruined city that she traveled to didn't have any useful information.
Walking between the racks of books helped to clear her mind. Placing a hand on the books, feeling the rough texture of the cover as she walked town the aisle, she hummed a tune that her mother used to sing to her when she was a kid.
Sounds of footsteps made her stop humming and look behind her towards the sound. This time, the sound was clearly heard which made her feel anxious. She could feel her heartbeat quicken as she stared into the darkness. Coming to the library at night and roaming between the shelves in the dark, with only the ambient light to guide her, was something she enjoyed but now the darkness seemed sinister.
"Whoever you are, I demand that you show yourself!" She yelled into the void. The trembling in her voice gave away the fear that she was feeling.
Listening to the silence, Eli started to back away and decided that leaving the library quickly would be her best solution. Making sure to keep an eye on where she thought the sound came from, Eli began to navigate her way to safety quickly. Her footsteps echoed, with each step making her feel a little more frightened about her current plight.
What went through her mind was how she didn't hear anyone trying to pursue her, though she was getting away. A part of her wondered if maybe everything about this was just in her mind. Stopping at one of the intersections, where there were mana stones providing light, Eli tried to steady her breathing.
"There is no one here, Eli." She tried to comfort herself. Thinking that someone was after her made her feel silly and childish, for being afraid of the dark. "This is what happens when you think that there is some secret organization covering up information." She nervously laughed.
Feeling her heartbeat steady, Eli smoothed back her hair and felt better about the situation. "Eli, you are a Princess, not a child that gets easily frightened." She scolded herself.
"You should be frightened," a voice whispered into her ear.
"AHHH!!!" She screamed, scrambling away from the voice and dashing down an aisle. Her mind was scrambled trying to understand what was happening. The usually calm and rational side of her was gone within an instant.
Glancing back, Eli didn't see anyone behind her, so she quickly ran into another aisle, trying to lose her pursuer. This library was like a maze, so if she could lose the person after her, then she would be safe for a time. Thoughts of being able to survive until students and library personnel coming into the library went through her mind.
Checking to make sure that there was no one behind her, again, she was relieved to see that she wasn't being chased. She slowed her pace to lessen the sound of her footsteps. Looking away where she came, she turned her head and headed down the twisting aisle. Turning around a corner, the image of a figure standing beneath the light could be seen.
Gasping in fright, she turned back the way she came only to find another figure blocking her way. Backing into the corner of the bookshelf, Eli desperately tried to create an ice spell to fire at them. It felt like she was trying to pull herself out of knee-deep mud, the way the mana in the air wasn't responding to her.
"No! No! No! NO!!" She yelled out in frustration, her voice going up in octaves. Her head jerked back and forth as she looked at the two figures that were slowly walking towards her. "Why are you doing this!!" She screamed at them, tears streaming down her face.
"You will be a message to your mother." The figure to her left spoke quietly, with no malice.
"You should be thanking us for being so professional, considering how pretty you are." The figure to her right spoke menacingly. "If it were anyone else, they would likely have fun with you before killing you."
When they got close enough, she used all her strength to kick the figure to her left. The person easy caught her leg and gently stroked her leg.
"There is no reason to be frightened. Though my partner enjoys the theatrics, I do not want to make you suffer. Your death will be swift and painless, so do not be scared. A beautiful Princess like yourself should not be crying like that." The person released her leg and walked closer to her. Placing a hand on her face, the figure whispered, "it is such a sad thing, for a child to suffer the sins of the parent. Hopefully, your mother will understand that her attempts will only lead to heartache."
"Is this about the Overflow??" She cried out, wanting to understand the reasoning behind her death.
The figure sighed in regret. "There is no need for you to know the reason. You will soon be passing on to the next life, where you will, hopefully, be happier and not have such an irresponsible parent." Looking at the figure to her right, they said, "now gently place the hood over her head, so that she does not have to see what happens. There is no reason for us to be cruel."
Snorting at the remark, the other figure pulled out a hood and placed it over Eli's head. Eli could smell a sweet scent that helped to relax her. Breathing in the aroma, she could feel a sense of drowsiness overcome her. "Please! You do not have to do this! We only want to protect everyone from the Overflow." She tried to cry out.
"It is sad that you will not understand how ignorant you are," a voice gently said to her as her consciousness drifted away.
-----
The person looked at the Princess as the sleeping plant took hold. Her body slowly relaxed as her anxiety-ridden body became peaceful.
"I don't understand why you couldn't let me enjoy a piece of her before we kill her, Wolf," Fox whined.
Wolf look at Fox angry at Fox's mentality. If it weren't for the masks he wore, Fox would have been able to see how angry Wolf was. Wolf understood that Fox was the type of person who enjoyed sexually assaulting the victim, though Wolf made sure that Fox stopped that kind of thing when they were working together. This poor girl had done very little to deserve death and was only a message for her mother, who was trying to develop technology to fight the Overflow. Wolf understood why this couldn't happen, though Wolf knew that Fox wasn't completely with them.
Pulling out a serrated blade, Wolf placed the knife on the girl's neck and prepared to saw through. Though Wolf only needed to kill the girl, Wolf felt that sawing off her head would provide a stronger message. There was a feeling a sympathy for the soon to be deceased and the person that would come across this horrific scene.
"You say that my habits are disgusting, but I always wonder what goes through the head of someone that can so easily cut up a body," Fox remarked.
"Once the person is dead, the body is no different from any animal. There is no need to have any feelings in the act. I only pity the innocent that will see my work." Wolf emotionlessly answered.
"How about the two of you step back from her." A girl's voice called out to them.
Wolf's head whipped towards the voice, surprised by someone sneaking up on them.
"Shit!! Who the hell are you!?" Fox cried out alarmed.
"There is no need for you to know that." She said to them, before raising her hand and firing bolts of fire at them.
Wolf quickly jumped away from the Princess and avoided the fire magic. Seeing the girl use magic was a surprise considering the magic suppression array.
"Wolf, how is this bitch able to use magic!!??" Fox yelled out.
"I do not know, but we need to deal with her. She looks like a student here, so we should be able to handle her." Though the fact that the fire magic used didn't light the books on fire meant that they had excellent control. "Be careful of her." Wolf cautioned.
"I'll make sure to do that. I'm going to have fun with her, so don't think about standing in my way." Fox said.
"Fine," Wolf said through clenched teeth. Having Fox agree, instead of arguing, would be the best thing in this situation. Considering where they were, the mission being completed was their priority and so getting rid of this person was important. After they defeat this girl, Wolf planned on letting Fox restrain her. Wolf could then complete the work and then convince Fox just to kill the girl instead of playing around. Fox tended to play with the victim before doing anything, so Wolf figured there would be enough time.
"You are not going to get away!" The girl called out to them, as she dashed after them around the corner.
"You're opponent is me, little girl!" Fox cried out in delight, as he leaped over the bookshelf and ran away, leading the girl away from Wolf.
The girl fired off more bolts at Fox, as she gave chase.
"Now I can get back to finishing the task at hand." Wolf calmly said. It was foolish for that little girl to think that she could take on two opponents at once. Even if she was able to use her magic, the two of them were professionals who had taken on stronger opponents. "The problem with being a greenhorn." Wolf chuckled.
Checking to make sure that the Princess was still unconscious, Wolf once again tried to finish his task. "I am glad that you did not wake up. It will soon be over." He whispered.
"My. My. You are an impatient individual." A woman's voice whispered behind Wolf.
Wolf felt killing intent behind him and dodged to his left, down the aisle. "There was another?!" Wolf thought. Hearing a blade lodge itself into the bookshelf, Wolf understood that this person wasn't able to use magic, unlike that girl. "I will be able to finish..." His train of thought was derailed, as Wolf hit a wall. The way it gave, Wolf didn't think that it was a bookshelf. "What is this?!" He cried out, after trying to get away and being unable to move.
"It seems like you got caught in my delightful web." The voice giggled. "You are one of the first people to be snagged inside of the web that I can create. This ability which was given to me by my Master."
"Web?!" Wolf asked, unable to understand what was happening. Unable to look at the woman that was talking, Wolf's breathing started to quicken in fear.
As if to try and comfort Wolf, the woman's voice gently spoke, "there is no need to be frightened. You are merely trapped and unable to move. Let me help you move your head."
Wolf felt soft hands remove the mask and the voice sounding delighted, "Oh my! I did not expect you to be such a gorgeous woman!" The woman's hand caressed Wolf's cheek, after learning that Wolf was a woman. Out of nowhere, there was a light that was created, not as bright as the mana stones but enough to shed more light in the dark aisle.
As Wolf's head was released from the webbing, she turned her head and cried out in fright. "Yo-you are a..."
"Yes. I am an Aracnia, what you people call a beast person, I believe? My name is Aracia, a Floor Protector and loyal creation to my Master." The woman named Aracia bowed her head.
Wolf looked at this woman and realized how beautiful she was, even if she was a beast person. Her hair was a dazzling shade of purple, matching her eyes, and reached her shoulder. With a heart shaped face, Aracia looked like a cool beauty. Her skin was like ivory and wasn't covered by any clothing. Looking down, Wolf noticed full breasts that were not covered by anything. Below her belly button, there was the body of a large spider which made up her lower half. The exoskeleton was midnight black and seemed to glow from the light, like obsidian.
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Aracia's laughter sounded as refreshing as wind chimes. She looked at the way Wolf gazed at her body and seemed to find it amusing. "It is understandable that you find my figure to be eye-catching, considering that my Master is the one that created it."
"Created it?" Wolf wondered.
"Yes. My Master formed me from nothingness with only his thoughts, creating me into something that would serve his purpose." Aracia answered. Noticing Wolf's confusion, she elaborated, "My Master is what you humans would consider a God, but not like your powerless ones that only seem to hide."
"I do not understand." Wolf tried to wrap her mind around what she was being told.
"Shhh. Shhh. There is no reason for you to wonder about that. I am only here because He asked me to keep an eye on the Princess. Being such a wise being, my Master found it odd that none of you had made yourself known, even though the Princess was researching ways to stop the Overflow. Seeing what happened to the two ruined cities, it was not difficult to guess that someone wanted the Overflow to occur. I watched as the two of you stalked the Princess, which I commend you for your skills." With her index finger, Aracia used a nail to cut open the clothing and revealing Wolf's bosom. "I did not expect that one of you would be a woman, especially one with such shapely assets. Why would such a woman, such as yourself, become an individual that kills?"
Trying to stuff in her growing fears, Wolf replied, "I understand how important the task we do is, so I feel no shame for doing what needs to be done. No matter how much you torture me, I will not reveal any secrets."
Covering her mouth, as if she was shocked, Aracia exclaimed, "I never planned on torturing you. We are aware of many aspects of your organization. Even if we did not know, my Master is not one that needs to fear anyone." The expression on her face changed to delight as she placed both hands on her cheeks, "the way my Master moves around with such assurance, understanding that all obstacles are meaningless before him. I can only hope to be something that he can count on, to support him in all his desires." Her eyes started to roll back, and her tongue came out as her back slightly arched.
Wolf could only look at the way Aracia was acting, not understanding what was happening. The one thing that she knew was that this person wasn't something she would be able to fight against. She could only hope that there would be an opportunity for her to escape and tell the organization how dangerous Aracia's Master was. It wouldn't be too difficult for them to learn who this individual was, especially with a beast person as a servant.
"No. Torture is not in your future. Actually, with how voluptuous you are, I would hesitate in placing you in front of my Master." Aracia placed both hands on top of her breasts and lowered them so that she could cup them in each of her hands to show off her breasts. "As you can see, my Master enjoys to surround himself with well-endowed women. To have my body be shaped into one that fulfills his sexual desires is happiness for me." she calmly explained.
"Since I am not the only person my Master has his sights on, I am unable to monopolize his attention. I do not fault him for this, and only wish him to be surrounded by those who love and cherish him." Looking at Wolf, Aracia expression turned sinister. "Though I may not have an issue with the other women taking up his attention, this does not mean that I would be foolish enough to place another one in front of him."
"What are you going to do?" Wolf hesitantly asked, not liking where this was going.
"It just means that I will need to remove you from the picture. But killing you would not be enough. I think a better plan would be along this line of thinking." Aracia's mouth began to open wide, to such a degree that would be impossible for most humanoid beings. Out of her mouth came two insect like mandibles appeared.
"No! NO! NOO!!" Wolf struggled to get free. The thought of being consumed, instead of just being killed, was too much for her. All she could think about was getting free and Aracia's nightmarish mouth getting ready to eat her. "Please! I will forsake everything! Just do not eat me!!!" She pleaded. The mandibles guided her head into Aracia's mouth as Wolf continued to scream in horror.
------
Fox jumped over aisles, and occasionally flew down and navigated through the maze-like path, in an attempt at confusing his victim. Fox was someone that was used to being chased after, though the people chasing him usually found out why he was code-named, Fox. "Come on my pretty toy. I know that Wolf is going to try and take you away, so I'm going to take you someplace where we won't be interrupted." Fox giggled at the thought of what was going to happen.
After he was confident that he had confused the prey, Fox began to hide his presence. He was looking forward to tasting this girl, considering how long it has been since his last encounter. Wolf was always trying to act noble, and preventing him from taking in the sweet things in life.
As Fox began his hunt for the girl, all he could think about was tasting her naked body after he cut off all of her clothing. Picturing her writhing under him as she looked at him terrified made Fox enjoy trying to find her. She should be getting closer soon, and when she's looking for him, he'll pounce on her. Though she may be able to use her magic, everyone knew that mages were not skilled in close quarter combat.
With his senses heightened, Fox listened for her movements. The sound of a book falling and hitting the floor could be heard. Grinning he slowly made his way towards the sound. Greenhorns would always make a mistake at a crucial time, so waiting was his best strategy which paid off.
"Come to me, my little bunny," Fox whispered to himself.
Seeing the book on the ground, Fox carefully looked around. Since she made a mistake, it was likely that she was nervous and give her position away.
A whip made out of flames came out of nowhere and bound his body. "What is this!!??" He yelled out in alarm.
"Look what I found," the girl giggled. "The big bad man fell for such a simple trap. With how confident you were acting, I figured that you would be at least a little suspicious."
"You fucking, bitch!! Let me go!!" Fox screamed at the girl. "When I get out, I'm going to cut up that body of yours and enjoy watching you scream!!!"
There was a moment of silence before the girl started laughing hard. "Are you joking? What kind of fantasy world are you living in?"
Seeing her reaction, Fox was caught off guard. Her mannerism was completely different from what he expected.
"That look of confusion is nice." She grinned. "Too bad that I am not interested in playing around with you." Lifting up her left hand, she made a cutting motion.
"What?" Fox asked, not knowing what was happening. The world tilted confusing him. He could see the feet of someone laying on the ground.
--------
Eli opened up her eyes, trying to understand what was happening. The last thing she remembered was the two figures in front of her, and then the world going black along with a sweet smell.
"Looks like she is awake." a woman's voice that sounded familiar spoke.
"Just a second, Eli." a girl's voice spoke as the black bag was removed.
In front of her were Selestra and one of Yi's servants. "What happened?" Eli asked, feeling a little light headed.
"You were attacked by assassins, sent by some secret organization," the beast person, Eli remembered that her name was Aracia, spoke.
Helping her up, Selestra placed Eli's arm over her shoulder. "Let us get you back to your room."
-----
Han sat on his throne inside of the Stronghold, inside of his city. Though he was still a student, there were some matters he thought would be better to handle in person. In front of him was a monitor, where he enjoyed watching certain elements inside of his city.
"What would you like for us to do, with those vermin?" Brittany asked him. She was still standing in for Helania, while Helania was fulfilling a task for him.
Though Han enjoyed having Brittany near him, a part of him missed the resolute nature of Helania. He tapped on the armrest, as he thought about what needed to be done. "Have the students use them as an exercise on surveillance. Remind them that they are forbidden with being detected, so only have top students be assigned. You mentioned someone looking promising?" Han asked.
"Yes. There is a young girl that arrived recently, who has been performing rather well. Her instructors expect that this girl will be a glowing model for future students. She is very talented in infiltration and reconnaissance." Brittany replied.
"See if her instructors believe that she is ready, and have her, along with her team, follow our guests." Han decided.
The doors to his throne room opened, and Aracia, Selestra, and Eli walked in. Both Aracia and Selestra looked pleased, Han assumed things went well considering that Eli was with them.
"Master, as you requested, I, along with Selestra, made sure to keep an eye on the Fourth Princess and were able to fend off assassins sent by the organization that is actively interfering with the Fourth Princess's mother's research." Aracia and Selestra kneeled in front of him.
Eli was wide eyed, as she looked around at everything. Compared to what this world considered as luxurious, he could understand what was going through her mind.
"Welcome to Felicitas," Han said to Eli. "What do you think of my humble city?" Han grinned at how she hadn't taken everything in yet, looking like a tourist who was seeing NYC or LA for the first time.
"W-what is all of this? Where did it come from? I-I do not remember a city that existed inside of the desert." Eli stammered.
"We enjoy our privacy, and only recently started to advertise our presence." Han tried to sound mysterious. He liked the idea of those mythical cities and thought it would be fun to create such a narrative. He thought of Felicitas as the Atlantis of the desert.
"Everything here is so different." she continued.
"Instead of standing around in this stuffy room, we should get something to eat. I am sure that you will enjoy it and I can find out what happened." Han started to walk out of the throne room.
Since the first time he created this construct, Han had added several more floors. On one of the floors, there was a fabulous restaurant that served great food and was available to anyone that wanted to dine there. The trick of it was that the restaurant existed in its own dimension, so even though it was a part, and not part, of the Stronghold.
The interior is made to look as if the restaurant is floating through the sky. As you dine, you can watch as the restaurant circles the city. When the sun sets, the restaurant begins its ascension into space where you can look at the world. It was kind of an illusion, but also not an illusion. Thinking about it made Han's head hurt.
Entering the restaurant, several servers greeted him. He acknowledged them and had one of them guide him to his area, which was a raised area off to the side. It gave a sense of privacy, while not keeping him separate from the other guests. Sitting at the head of the table, Han swiveled his seat so that he could watch the city below.
Looking at the city made him think about how society was always wasting its potential, trying to compete with one another. This city proved that real innovation could be accomplished when people decided to work towards the betterment of everyone. No longer were people chained to some artificial construct, and instead of freely pursue their dreams and aspirations.
"How is something like this able to exist? Are we still inside of the building?" Eli asked
Turning his chair around to face her, Han grinned. "Yes and No. The images you see is an accurate reflection of what is happening in the world, and this area exists in its own dimension but also inside of the Stronghold. Are you amazed?"
"I do not even know what to think." She said.
Selestra giggled at Eli's reaction.
"Master is someone that stands above all," Brittany stated. She simply stared at him, as if there was nothing else that was important.
He saw Aracia motion for servers to approach them. Five servers appeared, with only one of them bringing a menu. Considering this was the first time that Eli dined at the establishment, it would be unusual for her to know what types of foods were served. The other servers stood next to each person and waited for the person's order.
"Bring me some steak strips, with mashed potatoes and gravy. Also, include some vegetables and biscuits. Have a cup of gravy just for the biscuits." Han ordered. The server inclined her head and walked away, as the other servers followed after receiving the orders.
Looking at Eli, Han smiled, "it appears that we did not need to worry about the question of why the organization was not interfering with our adventure."
Eli sighed, thinking about what almost happened. "How long did you know that they were likely to attack me?"
"I, personally, did not know that they were likely to attack you. One of my servants had informed me that there was going to be an attempt on your life, so I had Aracia and Selestra follow you." He shrugged his shoulders, making it seem like it was not a big issue.
"Do you know who is in this organization?" It dawned on Eli by his reaction to her question.
"Of course Master already knows who is in this organization," Aracia laughed, thinking how ridiculous the idea was.
"Then are you going to do anything about them?!" Eli demanded.
Hearing the tone that Eli was using towards Han, both Brittany and Aracia narrowed their eyes at Eli. They didn't appreciate her taking advantage of his kindness, expecting him to bend to her whims.
"What if I did know," Han spoke with a slight edge in his voice.
Realizing that she may have gone too far, Eli quickly stammered, "I-I am sorry. I did not mean to order you."
"Hahaha! There is no reason for you to apologize. It is understandable that you would have an interest in seeing such an organization destroyed." The mood around the table improved in an instant. "I have my reason for why I do not interfere, at certain times, in this world's affairs, so you will just have to respect my wishes."
Understanding the position Eli was in, she heavily sighed in frustration.
"In consideration to our friendship, I will at least let you know that this organization believes that the Overflow is something necessary to keep this world at a particular societal state." Han threw her a bone of information.
Eli slammed her fist on the table. "The deaths of my people are a necessity?! What kind of monsters are they to believe in such nonsense?!!"
"Like any person that looks too deeply into a particular set of beliefs, it is understandable to see people reach a false conclusion." Han
-----
"Today, the Academy has announced that due to concerns about whether students can support cities, towns, and villages during the Overflow. They expect all students to be at a certain level of combat proficiency. To help reach this goal, we will be going to a dangerous location where monsters are known to exist. These sites are called dungeons, and they are referred to as dungeons due to how easy it is for monsters to thrive in the said area." Ha-Yoon informed the class.
Han somewhat paid attention to what was going on in class, and mainly enjoyed the attention Anacolis was giving him. Lately, Han had Anacolis accompanying him to class, considering her tail being able to form into a chair. She also acted more like an older sister, which Han enjoyed. It reminded him of those adult comics where the older sister had a brother complex.
"Master, would you like to head home? You seem a little bored with the class today." Anacolis mentioned.
"Though the current topic is boring, I should at least act like a student. I am sure that this trip will bring some entertainment, and give me an opportunity to interact with the class." Han replied.
"Now some of you may remember what happened during our first class trip and are concerned about something similar happening." Ha-Yoon looked at the class. "To help alleviate your fears, we will be having several adventuring groups coming along with us."
Though the strength of the students has increased, the concern about deaths occurring was somewhat high. Several students in the Academy had been killed by monsters, recently.
"It is good to know that we will have people to protect us during this trip," Han murmured.
Anacolis giggled hearing what Han said. "Master, is there any need for them to hire these people when you are in the class?" She wrapped him in her arms and squeezed, she always found his sarcasm to be cute.
"I know that some of you have your own protection, so feel free to bring your own people," Ha-Yoon added.
The class was dismissed, and they were informed to meet at the city's entrance at the end of the day, to give them enough time to prepare. The school would supply many of the provisions, so they were told just to bring things they would personally need.
As Han was heading out of the class, Ha-Yoon called out to him. "Yi, if you would come with me to my office?"
His classmates looked curious after hearing the teacher ask to see Han and wondered what they were going to talk about.
Han and Anacolis followed Ha-Yoon, as she guided them to her office. The office that she used was somewhat different compared to the other teachers. With her background as an adventurer, she, along with other former adventurer teachers, stayed in a building that had its own training area. This was so that they could keep up their skills, which was one of the reasons they were hired by the Academy.
They entered the nondescript building, which was a giant boxy looking building. "This area is where all the offices for each of the teachers are, and the rear portion is where all the training is done. A fifth of the building is the office area." Ha-Yoon explained.
Going up some stairs, to reach the third floor, they went down a hallway and reached her office. The room reminded him of the offices his various professors had when he was in college. There weren't as many papers, but there was still a significant number of books.
"You are probably wondering why I have asked you to come to my office." Ha-Yoon started. Seeing Han looking at her, she continued, "Considering your accomplishments, fighting off the monsters during our first class trip and going to the ruins, I thought it would be a good idea to touch base with you. Though we will be bringing adventurers with us, there is still a concern about the monsters. I know that you have several servants that are capable, so I wanted to ask if you could bring as many as you have on this trip."
Seeing that she was finished, Han thought about it and said, "I have no issues with doing this."
Ha-Yoon sighed in relief, hearing that Han would go along with her request.
Han listened to some more questions and answered them without giving away unnecessary information. He excused himself and left her office. On his way out, he saw Eric Lightwing heading down the hallway.
Eric, seeing Han leave Ha-Yoon's office, looked angered, his face contorting. "What do you think you are doing here." Lately, Eric had been sporadically attending lessons, which explained him not knowing about Ha-Yoon inviting Han to her office.
"Just discussing the latest class trip," Han said without much thought.
"Weaklings like you need to try so hard, compared to the inherent talent that we nobles have. Unlike you trash, I along with the other nobles will going on a diplomatic mission of great importance." He sneered at Han and Anacolis. "We will be journeying to the newly discovered city inside of the desert, to encourage relations with the local government and our nations. You people will be fumbling around, likely getting eaten." Eric seemed to be intentionally not mentioning his personal encounter with Han, along with how Han had saved many of the nobles from getting eaten. Eric passed them by as he chuckled, before entering Ha-Yoon's office as if it was his own.
Leaving the building, Anacolis asked, "Master, why do we not just turn him into paste. With a flick of my tail, I could have him smeared across the street." She sounded annoyed.
"I get a feeling that things will get interesting with that person." He commented.
"Should I let Queen know to assign people to watch him?"
Han shook his head. "There are more important things to worry about, and I do not think we need to waste much energy with him. Part of me thinks that this class trip will be enjoyable. Have everyone meet me in the throne room."
There was a smile on his face, as he had a feeling that things would be getting interesting.