Chapter 13: For The Empire

Words : 1404 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 13: For The Empire"Phew..." Inside a vast, luxurious yet simple office furnished with only three sets of plush chairs and ironwood desks, along with a few shelves of tomes, scrolls, and files, Deputy Headmaster Korvus let out a heavy exhale after an exhausting afternoon. He still had work to do later, but for now, the old man would rest. His aged body could no longer work nonstop the way it used to. Turning to look at one of his two assistants, who had also been scribbling nonstop just a few meters beside him, the old man asked: "Omar, how's the kid?" The assistant—a charming young man of twenty-nine with white hair, a naturally sharp gaze, and tan skin, turned to look at his superior. He was the same assistant Hal had approached for help after drawing the Clown Box. "I shall check, deputy headmaster." The next moment, Omar tapped his forehead with two fingers, continuing his work as he activated the eye markings he had prepared across the campus—specifically those in the one-star dormitory. They glowed faintly as the young assistant used his "eyes" to locate Hal. He tapped a few more times, then momentarily froze upon finding his target. Of course, Korvus, despite his age, caught the subtle change in Omar's expression. "So, have you located him?" "Yes... Sir Korvus... Hal Fennec is currently approaching what appears to be a bullying situation, perhaps to help a fellow one-star student." "Hmm?!" The deputy headmaster's eyes widened at the report. Just a few hours ago, the darned young man had gotten himself involved in a wizardry duel challenge, which he thankfully hadn't signed yet and hopefully wouldn't, and now, he was approaching a situation he should be desperately avoiding again? "Aiihh... that young man..." Korvus thought that surely, anyone with such a bleak future would try to make himself as invisible to the public as possible. Yet Hal Fennec seemed to be actively looking for trouble. If he weren't Ennya Kasai's cherished friend, Korvus wouldn't give a damn what happened to him. Unfortunately, the deputy headmaster held a high enough position to be privy to several extremely important and confidential matters, and one of those truths was that the Arcanum Imperium desperately needed a prospect like Ennya. He couldn't allow minor inconveniences to disrupt the training of the future Flame Magna. And so, with an annoyed old heart, Korvus gave the order: "Sigh... share the vision with me." "Right away, Sir Korvus." *** "Kraisel, what a shitty position you're in, huh? Hahahaha!" laughed the leader of the trio—a tall young man with black, bald fade hair. The artifact-less, maroon-haired student merely glared back, showing not a hint of fear or even yesterday's devastation. Searᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seemed Kraisel had found the will to continue existing in the academy, much like Hal had. Though, compared to Hal's laughable one percent mana affinity, Kraisel's forty percent gave him a more feasible, brighter future. "Since we go way back, how about this: pay us fifteen copper coins a week and we'll protect you from bullies. What do you say?" the leader continued. "Hmph. You speak as though you've managed to reach the moon, Elias. Aren't you embarrassed spouting crap about protecting me when you're barely a star ahead of me as a student?" Kraisel retorted sharply, causing veins to pop at the sides of Elias' head. Feeling the need to back their leader up, another of the trio butted in and threatened: "Kraisel, do you think this is still like back when we were in Cullberry Town? Do you realize you can't even protect yourself anymore, much less your untalented friends who didn't even have a mana affinity? Keep talking back. In the future, we'll make sure to take extra good care of you, your family, and your friends." This time, the maroon-haired youngster's gaze turned way colder. Kraisel was about to respond to the threat when suddenly, a voice rang out from behind the corner of the one-star dormitory wall. "What's going on here? You guys know physical violence isn't allowed on campus, right?" Hal's voice cut through the air, loud and firm, drawing the attention of Kraisel and the three two-star hooligan students. "You're..." Elias began with narrowed eyes, sneering in disdain a moment later. Who wouldn't recognize the one-percent affinity trash? "Hal Fennec, I heard you're already in trouble, yet you still want more? Keep your hands to your lowly self and we'll let your dumb interference slide, alright? We have a bone to pick with this other garbage. We're not interested in you." But how could Hal not meddle when there was a possibility of earning Chaos Points? He didn't back down from three-star students, so why would he from mere two-star ones? "Hmph, I don't care who you're interested in. Why are you bullying my dormmate? Everyone in the one-star dormitory is family, so you better scram before I report you guys to the disciplinary office." Hal threatened back after spouting some bullcrap reasoning. Kraisel blinked in bewilderment at Hal's words. On the other hand, Elias and his goons clenched their fists tightly. "You bastard..." the leader of the trio said through gritted teeth, seething with fury. "Do you believe me when I say I would file a wizardry duel challenge right after your battle with that three-star student?!" But Hal wasn't intimidated in the slightest. If this prancing clown wanted to gift him more Chaos Points, then the idiot was welcome to, though he doubted Elias would push through with filing a challenge after his duel with Agon. In the end, Hal didn't take the three goons' threats too seriously. They didn't have a concerning present, nor did they seem to have much of a future. The trio were most probably all talk. "Go, and do it, then. I'll be waiting. Now, will you scram, or will the disciplinary officers have to make you?" Elias was utterly infuriated and humiliated. He couldn't understand why the garbage refused to back down and had the sudden urge to challenge Hal to a spicy wizard fistfight. However, he was too afraid of the repercussions, especially with his family's future resting on his shoulders. He could only grit his teeth harder, producing faint gnashing sounds. "You better remember this, Hal Fennec. I'm not done with you yet. And you, too, Kraisel." With that final threat, the trio left, anger simmering in their hearts. They glanced back multiple times, each look colder and more threatening than the last. Watching his childhood enemies leave, Kraisel shifted his attention to Hal, scanning the latter from head to toe. The maroon-haired young man couldn't fathom how Hal was still so audacious and willful. Soon, Hal also turned to look at him and was about to speak, when Kraisel spoke first: "I didn't need it, but thanks, I guess..." With those rather bland and cold words of gratitude, the maroon-haired young man turned and left, leaving Hal's words stuck in his throat. 'Oh well, I did butt in for my own gain, anyway,' he thought, not taking the young man's lackluster appreciation to heart. In fact, he couldn't even if he wanted to, especially not when the sweet and much-desired notification panel appeared right in front of him: [Congratulations! You've earned 5 Chaos Points!] Hal turned and strode back to his room the next moment, delighted at achieving his objective. Meanwhile, in his office, Korvus exhaled heavily. "This lad's every exhausting bit the person Ennya Kasai recounted him to be..." As per the Magna prospect, Hal had taken good care of her since they were both mere six-year-olds until the day their destinies diverged vastly. Ennya couldn't allow him to be bullied because of that history. This was why the deputy headmaster found the current situation so tiring. He was willing to look out for Hal for Ennya's sake, for the Arcanum Imperium's sake, but the darned lad just wasn't making it easy. "Aihh... whatever..." Korvus sighed. "For the empire, I guess..."

Chapter 13: For The Empire

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