After the incident that became known as the Student Massacre, it was reported that 193 students of the 1500 student body had been found dead. Another 231 were missing but were presumed dead.
Although there was a huge ongoing investigation into the matter, there wasn’t enough evidence to blame anybody. After Leon and his friends had been found - without any injuries - the Department of Animal Control had managed to subdue the Wendigo, and most of the other monsters.
Velereth was under much attack from the media, as they accused the famous school of failing to protect its students properly. And in many ways, it had. Although teachers were supposed to make sure students were safe, many had fled, leaving only a couple to fend for themselves.
The couple of teachers left behind had also been slaughtered.
The Academy soon built a huge memorial to recognize those fallen during the massacre, and many people came from afar to pay their respects.
The school also provided the traumatized students with counseling, which many attended.
However, one student was too busy to waste time on such things.
***
Leon sat at a table, sipping tea.
“Why tea?” He asked, looking at the little boy in front of him.
Jafir shrugged. “Only beverage I had.”
Leon stood up, looking around the room. “I’m not surprised. Why are you living here?”
‘Here’ was under the school, inside the sewers. Leon had barely mustered the will to come when he had gotten the message, holding his breath the whole time.
“Where else would I stay?”
Thinking about it, Leon couldn’t come up with anything.
He turned to Jafir. “Anyway, why’d you ask me to come here?”
Jafir nodded. “I assume you know that I was the one who saved you and your friends?”
Leon agreed. “Yeah. I mean, who would be desperate to help me that much, then just leave me to die?”
Jafir smiled. “See… remember when I told you that I didn’t want anything in return for my favor? Well… something came up.”
Rolling his eyes, Leon muttered, “This was this bastard's plan all along.”
Turning back, he asked, “So what do you want?”
Jafir walked over to a drawer. Pulling out an official-looking document, he showed it to Leon.
Official Order of Representative 14
Reading the title, Leon asked, “What does it mean?”
“Read it.”
This order is officially documented…
‘Skip.’
In order of representation of 14 sectors…
‘Skip.’
After the date of…
‘Skip.’
It has come to our attention that criminals…
‘Skip.’
To decrease the number of those convicted, we will issue a lottery base…
‘Skip.’
The lottery will be chosen at random, and those with more charges will have more likelihood…
‘Skip.’
If a convict is chosen, they will be executed immediately…
‘Sk - wait what?’
Leon looked at Jafir in shock. “What does this mean?”
Jafir’s face darkened. “It means what it says. To decrease the number of convicted people from the Student Massacre, they will be issuing a luck-based execution.”
Leon’s face turned into a grimace. “But there are no convicted, right?”
Jafir nodded. “The people that will be killed are all accused. And many of them are simply witnesses.”
“Are the people that caused the massacre the ones that accused these people and issued the order?”
“Yes. Most likely,” said Jafir, crumpling up the order and tossing it away. “They're trying to direct the blame to dead people.”
“So what do you need me to do?” Leon asked.
Jafir replied. “During your school break, I’ll need you to break into the home of Representative 14. As he’s the one who proposed the idea, we should find some evidence to use against him there.”
Nodding, Leon agreed. But he had a question. “Even if we do find evidence, how will we do anything with it?”
“You know your friend Clement? He’ll be fighting a duel against the 14th Sector’s opponent. If the Nephilim takes control of it, then you’ll be able to show him the plans. He’ll have enough support to stop it from happening.”
Leon stood up, finishing his tea. “The school break starts tomorrow. Why’d you ask me so late?”
Jafir smiled, “The break is a week, right? I’ll ask you to do the mission during the last two days. Before that, enjoy your break. You earned it.”
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***
Leon packed up his bags with his clothes.
‘Now that I think of it, all my clothes are so poorly made.’
He was still wearing the clothes that Clement had given him, which were covered with holes and ripped areas. Going onto his Genesis Plate, he bought a catalog of popular clothes, glancing at his decreasing bank account.
‘Hopefully, I’ll have enough until I can finish this trial.’
Although Leon had made some friends during his time here, his main priority was still returning home.
‘I need to get back to Ollie.’
Waiting for the clothes to arrive, he read some books, marveling at the writing style of the demon world. Like that, a couple of hours they were passed.
When the notification that his package had arrived, he left his room, walking down the hallways that were being repaired by an army of Lost engineers. He passed the Animal studies room, which was barricaded with warning signs and guards. He also walked by the memorial, nodding his head at the inscribed names of the fallen.
Opening the door to the Mailroom, he stepped in, picking up his box. Going back to his room, he slipped on the clothes, shoving the rest into his bags.
[You have deactivated the Skill [Hunter’s Seal]
Staring at his reflection in his mirror, Leon still wasn’t used to his new image.
He had avoided it, even taking to wearing his mask when he was showering. But he was slowly becoming accustomed to it, even taking pride.
‘I mean, you have to admit. I look good.’
As the Queen’s mirror had been cracked and dusty, he hadn’t been able to see his new face properly. But now he could, studying his new shiny blonde hair, blue eyes that looked like the sea, and his perfectly symmetrical face.
[You have activated the Skill [Hunter’s Skill]
Leaving the bathroom, Leon grabbed his bags, meeting up with Elvis as he left the counseling session.
Luckily, his friend wasn’t too traumatized but still had some nightmares involving the Wendigo. Of course, Leon wasn’t suffering any mental drawbacks at all, his mental fortitude was among the best from his first trial.
“Hey, Elvis.”
Elvis smiled, “Hey, Leon. Time to get out of here, huh?”
“Where should we go?”
After all, Elvis and Leon both were technically homeless, Elvis having run away, and Leon’s probably light years away.
“I don’t know. Maybe we should just settle in a park?”
“Can’t you ask General Charon to take you back in?”
“Um… no.”
Elvis sighed. “If only the school let us stay here…”
“They need to rebuild this place.”
Leon looked around at the students who whispered, gazing at Leon with both admiration and envy. “Maybe we should ask one of these guys?”
Elvis laughed. “So they can try and get on your good side? No, we need to preserve your identity as a stupid, ice-cold, and indifferent King.”
Groaning, Leon spotted Luna walking down, some of the student's gaze shifting to her. “I’ll go ask her.”
“Who? Luna? But I- wait, Leon! Wait!”
Ignoring Elvis, he approached the girl, waving at her.
Luna tilted her head, her short hair falling to the side. “Hm?”
Leon spoke first. “Can we stay at your house? He’s homeless, you see.”
Elvis, catching up, shouted, “Don’t believe anything he says! That bastard!”
Luna shrugged. “I’m homeless too.”
‘Wait, what?’
Seeing Leon’s confusion, she added, “My parents aren’t home right now, and all the attendees for some reason left for another family. So I can’t go back.”
“Then where are you going to stay?”
Luna shrugged again. “I was going to ask you.”
Sighing in disappointment, Leon and Elvis looked around, searching for the next victim. However, it was Luna who saw him first. “Let’s ask Tariz.”
***
It turned out that he didn’t have any place to go either, as he had been planning on staying at school during break, as his parents were doing business in the Elf lands.
Gradually, the group grew, as Lily just simply didn’t want to go back to the Seekers, and another of Elvis’s friends - shocking, right? He had other friends? - joined them. He looked almost exactly like Tariz, both looking like the very model of demonic genetics. He introduced himself as Felix, a spirit user just like Tariz. The two hit it off right away, laughing and joking in the background.
Luna and Tariz had also recommended Luke, but Lily, Elvis, and Leon had managed to discourage them.
Luna spoke up again. “How about the Ensnare?”
Leon was tempted to disagree but realized this might be a good opportunity to infiltrate the house of a Baron. ‘He might also be involved in the execution order.’
After spotting the graceful girl in the distance, the group lunged at her, pulling her in.
They didn’t let go till she agreed to host them.
***
The group of students walked down the huge path, which was decorated with inlaid gold spirals.
Leon turned to Elvis. “So this is how the rich live, huh?”
Elvis was too shocked to answer, his face swiveling around like it was spinning, trying to absorb the sight.
Soon, the huge mansion came into view. The huge pillars of black twisted upwards, supporting a finely crafted building. The servants that had teleported them here bowed, as Astarte waved them away.
She turned to the group. “Luckily my father is not home, but still be careful not to do anything rash.”
Leon chuckled internally. ‘Is she that afraid of her dad?’
Arriving at the steps of the huge building, they entered, shoes clicking on the perfectly polished marble floors.
Maids bowed, perfectly synchronized. A huge woman approached, her face bowed deeply.
“Welcome home, my lady. Are these your friends?”
Astarte shook her head. “Never mind that. Please show them to the guest rooms. I assume Father is arriving soon?”
The woman nodded. “Sir Mara will be here soon. He is very eager to meet your guests.” Turning to the bowing maids, she nodded at them. Immediately, they went up to one of the students and then directed them down a long corridor filled with finely crafted artifacts and paintings.
Stepping into his room, Leon’s mouth fell open in the huge area. Although his apartment when he was with Clement had been designed for the rich, this was on a whole different level.
‘Guess this is the level of fame a Baron would have,’ thought Leon.
After all, a Baron was powerful, as it was one of the highest ranks out there.
Throwing his bag to the ground, he began to unpack, slipping on a white shirt and pants. Stretching, he shoved the rest of his clothes into the closet, leaving the room.
He tried to meet up with Elvis, but a maid quickly intercepted him, dragging him into the dining room.
The room was much more decorated than the rest of the mansion, but Leon barely paid any attention. His entire focus was on the delicious smells drifting through the room.
Noticing Elvis and the others coming in, he paused, realizing that they weren’t sitting. As he stood there, feeling awkward, a heavy presence began seeping in.
‘What is this power level?! It’s insane!’
Indeed, the fiery Mana that drifted into the room was so potent that it seemed like it sucked the very air out of the place. Sweat began building on Leon’s face, his clothes suddenly feeling itchy.
A huge, menacing demon stepped inside the dining room, slamming his huge sword down onto the ground.
“All welcome the Baron! Praise to the Admiral of Fire!”
Following his friend’s examples, Leon bowed deeply, hands unknowingly clenched tightly at his sides.
The demon that walked into the room could only be described by one word: menacing.
His eyes glowed bright crimson, tiny trials of red light floating out. His hair was neatly parted to the side, a huge gruesome scar on his forehead. His face remained impassive, but his eyes gazed around, seeming to peer into the souls of them.
“Please sit down.”
His quiet voice carried much authority, as Leon and his friends quickly sat down on their chairs, at least a couple of feet between them.
“I am Baron Mara. Such a pleasure to meet you all.”