Chapter 70

this is a fictional story by realTensai

“Good, everyone is here,” Ms. Myth said after counting her students.

They stood in a line, fidgety, waiting for Ms. Myth’s next words.

“Listen carefully,” she said, attracting everyone’s full attention. “I will now tell you how we as a school will proceed.”

Let’s see what they came up with.

Ms. Myth cleared her throat before she continued.

“We will continue with normal classes.”

“What?!”

“Are you kidding me? No one can focus on class in a situation like this?”

Before she could even finish elaborating, Joel and Erema cut in. However, their responses mirrored the opinion of most of the other students, as Alvis could see several nods. Even Alvis raised his eyebrows for a second before he understood the meaning behind it. Still, Ms. Myth just sighed.

“The same goes for the teachers,” Ms. Myth said, her eyes cold yet still containing a soft touch.

After hearing that, Erema audibly gasped as she took a step back.

“We will continue with classes because it makes organization a lot easier. This way, it will be easier to oversee everything and everyone will have a daily schedule.”

As Ms. Myth explained the plan, Alvis noticed the initial murmur of dissent fading into thoughtful nods and exchanged glances of understanding. Alvis had already guessed that this would be the case. In times like these, organization was the most important. They had to make sure that no matter what, chaos wouldn’t break out.

“After classes, everyone is free to do what they want. However, no one is allowed to leave the school building or the dorms after 20 o’clock.”

Those words stirred up murmur, yet the restriction made sense.

“It’s for our own safety,” Lia said, explaining the reasoning behind it.

They calmed down again and Ms. Myth went on.

“Those of you who live in the dorms can sleep there just like usual. But those of you who don’t can either sleep in the classrooms or with a friend in their dorm. Either way, you have to tell me first so I can write it down.”

Some students already started asking around, debating over where they should sleep. Alvis also had to think about whether he should sleep in the classroom or ask Sekki if he could stay in his dorm.

“Settle this later. I’m still not finished,” Ms. Myth said, silencing the students once again. “The school will take care of your provision and everyone can eat at the cafeteria. Every class will get a timeframe in which they can dine. There is no need to worry, as the school has enough supplies to feed everyone.”

Alvis raised his eyebrows as his face tightened. Even though Ms. Myth had said these words with confidence, the facts spoke against her.

How long will the supplies last?

If they were meant to feed the entire school, it couldn’t be that long. Their supplies were limited, after all. However, most of the students, and maybe even teachers, assumed they wouldn’t stay here all too long anyway, so maybe this was where their confidence came from. Still, Alvis could only frown.

“At 20 o’clock and in the morning before breakfast, you will have to personally meet me to make sure everything is fine.”

They just want to see if one is still alive.

“This is it for now. Once I get new information, I will tell you, but for now, you can go to your classes.”

Ms. Myth concluded her explanation and dismissed her students. Alvis looked at the time and figured that he had his spell formula class now. A deep sigh escaped his throat, as he didn’t look forward to it at all.

——

Alvis finished all of his classes for the day, yet there was still something he had to do. He had to go there anyway, yet he also wanted to do it since he heard the Devil Cult’s Priest introducing himself.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

I’ve got to talk to Elise.

An icy shiver ran down his spine just thinking about the name the Priest had said. If it was true, if he really was a Zweistein, then he had to be related to Elise. Alvis clicked his tongue, as he couldn’t even rule out this possibility. After all, he knew nothing about Elise and her family.

As he sludged through the school grounds approaching his destination, he noticed how the people didn’t become fewer.

Odd. Normally, no one is in this area.

However, what made Alvis frown was the unnatural noise coming from Elise’s lab. With every step he took, the noise became louder, and he identified their source.

“It’s the people!”

Almost instinctively, he broke out into a sprint. Yet it was upon arriving at Elise’s lab that his heart dropped.

“What the hell is going on?!”

Countless students surrounded her lab and were trying to break in.

“Explain yourself Mr. Zweistein!”

“Come out, we know you are working with the Devil Cult!”

“You fucking traitor!”

The students' shouts were deafening, each accusation echoing in Alvis' mind like a thunderclap, yet this wasn’t even the worst. Sparks of every element created explosions as they fired spells at the lab, coloring Alvis’ vision into a nightmare.

“Stop!” Alvis rushed in between the students, succeeding in getting their attention. “Mr. Zweistein is my mentor and I know he has nothing to do with the Devil Cult.”

They just stared at him, yet Alvis’ gaze didn’t waver. With spread-out arms, he tried to protect her.

“If this is the case, why is he hiding in his lab?” they said almost in unison.

“Considering how you guys want to break in, I think he has legitimate reasons.”

“We don’t care. All we want is an explanation. If this Devil Cult Priest is part of his family, then maybe Mr. Zweistein knows a way to get us out of here.”

They agreed and shifted their attention back to the lab.

“However, if it turns out that he has betrayed our school, we will make him pay!”

Before Alvis could even answer, they continued bombarding the lab.

“You idiots.”

He forced his nails into his palms in a desperate attempt to calm down. The mana within him circled, urging him to use force to stop them. However, he just suppressed it. The only thing that somewhat eased his mind was that no matter what, they wouldn’t be able to break in. No matter how many spells they would fire on this building, it wouldn’t fall.

It was created to withstand Elise’s crazy experiments, after all.

So as long as Elise wouldn’t open the gates, no one could enter. However, the same went for Alvis. Even he couldn’t get in if she didn’t want him to.

“But I have to talk to her.”

Not only did Alvis have to find out about her connection to the priest, but he also had to find out about her state of mind.

This might even be more important.

Even though she always acted so haughty and confident, she was still a child. Also, their last conversation hadn’t yet vanished from Alvis’ mind. It was the first time her guard broke, and she felt vulnerable. Alvis’ heart twitched just thinking about how she might feel right now.

And even if he didn’t want to admit it, there was a connection between the Priest and his mentor. A connection that could, in the worst-case scenario, make them enemies.

He circled the lab, searching for even the slightest opening. Yet there was no way he would find one, and he knew it. She wouldn’t even open it for Alvis with all these people still surrounding her lab. Still, immediately giving up just felt wrong, so he waited there for over an hour.

However, the situation didn’t change. The people trying to break in eventually got tired, but they were just replaced by others who had the same glorious idea. Seeing that even Alvis would call it a day.

“Guess I’ll have to try tomorrow.”

He walked away, right to his next destination. Within five minutes, he arrived at the fountain in the backyard. He turned his head, yet he couldn’t see her, so he just sat down on the bench, letting the fountain’s sprinkles calm him down.

In what did we get in to?

It was only now, with no one on his side that he could process the situation they were in. Alvis had just been battling against Voyzez, yet he already had to go up against the next Priest. However, this time their conflict would involve everyone in this school. And there would only be one survivor...

A sudden surge of heat rushed through him as the urge to vomit overcame him. His sight change, a field filled with the corpses of his classmates manifesting before him. However, the dearranged corpses of Sekki and Dane stood out, their hollow eyes staring at Alvis as if he was responsible for all of this.

Shit, shit, shit!

Alvis shook his head, forcing his brain to leave these thoughts alone. The fountain’s sprinkles dripped down his forehead merging with his cold sweat yet easing his mind.

I can’t despair.

He remembered everything he already went through. If there was one lesson that his cursed loops thought him then it was that he could never give in to despair. Instead of worrying about the worst future, he should create the best one with his own hands. This was what his ability was good for.

He took a deep breath in and out, his mind now relaxed again.

“I’m sorry, I’m late.”

Alvis looked up again and before him stood the girl he loved. Her blond hair was as beautiful as ever, yet one glance at her heavy eyelids was enough for Alvis to gauge her condition.

“It’s fine, just sit down.”

She nodded with a weak smile and dropped onto the bench.

“How are you doing?”

“My head is burning,” she said, grabbing it with a sour expression. All these strong emotions weighed down on her more than Alvis could have imagined. “But now isn’t the time for me to break down.”

Her emerald eyes burned with resolve.

“As the student council president, I have to take responsibility. I have to lead the students, just like Mr. Woltzer did. They are all depending on me.”

Alvis would’ve loved to tell her this wasn’t true, yet it would be a lie. Lia’s influence within this school was just this great. However, he couldn’t just leave her like that. It was because he knew how she felt that he knew what she needed the most.

“Don’t overdo it,” Alvis said, caressing her back with a soft smile. “If everyone is depending on you, you can rest next to me.”

Just like Lia had always been there for him in his darkest hours, he also had to support her.

“I will be taking you up on this offer,” Lia said, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Thank you, Al.”