After clearing up the rubble on the road, the reinforcement under the regime of Commander Henry finally arrived at the academy. They were dispatching every scouting league member and helping the other knights who are established under the order of Commander Bill.
They prioritized the evacuation of the people outside the academy and gathered them at the city hall for a temporary shelter seek. The rest of the knights deal with the damage that the criminal has implanted throughout the whole town. This was the very first time that they have encountered large-scale terrorism. Almost all of the board members including the other departments were worried about the situation in the capital.
"Tie him up!" Commander Bill ordered two knights to drag the man behind all of the scenes.
The interference on the first day of their lesson had finally reached its peak. This is because of the work of the criminal who tried to unleash his anger to get his own revenge. Multiple charges and possible extermination would be planted upon his case.
Using the chain that has three locks on the outer compartment, they locked him up on his wrist and dragged him upward.
As soon as he started to walk, he noticed something.
All of them stopped on their tracks to see the man who came through the hall. It was Grandmaster Himawari holding a piece of chain and a lock enclosed within the glass. It was the Talisman of Regerenation.
"I assume you were looking for this..." Master Himawari walked through him.
"That... My treasure..." He stretched his arm, trying to grab the treasure that he always wanted. But he couldn't. He had just a solemn look on his face while trying to reminisce the painful memories.
"I know about you. You are an archeologist, Wendell Craule. Five years ago, you disappeared from the excavation site and were presumed dead. And now you are here destroying the lives of people who don't have anything to do with your past. You've grown tired of your nightmare that you became one-sided with it. But don't worry, I will have you know right now, that the artifact you discovered in the cave that day was a fake replica without any value at all. The real Talisman of Regeneration was found 2 years before you went rampage. This belongs to the group of candidates who risked their lives fighting monsters only to get this artifact. You clearly didn't think this through before getting your revenge. No, you made yourself blind. Perhaps, you're regretting it now, but it is already too late. All of these considerations and remorse are nothing but a sham. You played yourself and you also disrespected your grandmother..." The lethal words coming out of his mouth played an expected role in his mind.
Wendell, the man who has gone rampage because of a traitorous condition wasted his life trying to preserve his modicum of decency. He burst into tears after hearing that all of his hard work, sacrifices, and pain were nothing but a waste.
A counter to what is known as hard work.
A compelling mix of emotions generated through his twisted mind, decaying his personality as a grandchild who just wanted to have a decent life. He was crying until his eyes went sore, his body ached and he loses the composition of his normal mind.
Aran went to see how he looked right now. There was no light in his eyes anymore. He listed to the full story of Wendell a while ago. At first, he didn't think anything of it. But then he later realized that he was just the same as Wendell who wanted to get some revenge. Even though their course is aligned, their perspective is different.
"I see..." Wendell muttered.
"Your sins are far too unforgivable. But even though the grave of your past is heavy, you cannot do this. Your grandmother would've been happy to get her justice without shedding blood and destroying the city. You should have thought for another way to exercise revenge." Master Himawari gave advice.
Soon enough, the knights have taken him to custody. He left the academy with certain damages to its foundation and building. The area around it also did suffer from massive damage.
"Now then, everyone, you don't have to worry anymore. Everything is going to be fine. I apologize if I was late. Perhaps most of you are scared of what just happened." Master Himawari's words echoed in their heads, reassuring them that everything will be okay now. At this point, everyone's mood suddenly became engraved in relief and they all started to relax.
"Master!" Julia went on her way to confront Master Himawari.
"Ooohh! Julia, are you okay?"
"I am okay, Master." She responded.
"I see, thank you so much for protecting the candidates. You have my regards..." Master Himawari bowed. The reason why the reinforcement and other facilitators of the academy were late during the scene was because of the magic limitation charm that Wendell has cast. All of their magical power has gone into a vulnerable state and they cannot enter.
"No, actually... You should be thanking this boy." Julia promptly moved over to the side. Master Himawari turned his back to see who it was.
"Hmm?"
"I didn't do anything, that boy... Aran Crossford saved all of us. He is the one who went head to head with that criminal."
"What? What are you talking about? He is just a candidate?" Master Himawari doubted her report as he was skeptical of what happened.
"No, Master. What I am saying is no lie. Everyone here saw his battle with the masked magician."
"She's right! " Another voice joined in, powering up her support by Commander Bill. Master Himawari greeted them.
"Oh, Commander, thank you so much for handling the situation." He bowed in advance.
"There's nothing to worry about, Master. It is our job after all. Anyway, what this lady said earlier is true. That boy is the one who saved this day. If it weren't for him, the candidates may have suffered a legitimate death. I saw his battle and I know for sure that he is not just an ordinary candidate." Commander Bill supported her report.
"Hmm, speaking of that boy, where is he?" Master Himawari and the other looked around but they didn't find Aran.
"Umm, if you are looking for him, he ran straight through the training grounds area. He said that there are two candidates who suffered an injury." A random candidate told them where Aran is.
"What? Commander..." Concerned with this act, he ordered some knights to go after Aran to save those two candidates.
***
Meanwhile, Aran's face contorted in dismay as soon as ran off to the training grounds. He was worried about the situation of his two other friends.
"Eunice! Huck! Where are you guys?!" He shouted. After passing through multiple rooms at once, he found the door that leads to the outside field where the garden is located. He exited the building and shouted again.
"Eunice! Huck!" Even with his fatigue, he still kept on standing. After a few seconds, he finally saw Huck and Eunice laid in the garden.
"Eunice! Hey, are you okay?!" He immediately removed the rubble that was weighing on her body and dragged her carefully onto the field to protect her head from the sharp object.
A few minutes passed but since her injury is not that complicated and serious, Eunice eventually woke up, feeling a little bit dizzy in distress.
"Eunice! It's me! Are you hurt?" Aran asked once again, he lifted her body carefully. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Aran with a worried expression and smiled right away.
"Oh Aran, ow ow ow!" She tried pushing herself up to stand but her body and head jolted in pain.
"Hey! Don't stand up, you're still unwell." Aran grabbed both of her shoulders and leaned her down on the grassy soft ground near the wall.
"Urgh... What happened to the criminal?!" She finally regained her senses and asked about what happened.
"He is out and the knights are taking him now. There's nothing to worry about anymore. He barged in the hall earlier and started weakening us with his magic." Aran told her the events of what happened.
"I see... So you're the one who defeated him?" Eunice asked, she has a gentle smile on her face.
"I did confront him, but Miss Julia was the one who finished him. I was so worried about you guys! I tried to rush through here but he appeared out of nowhere! Why didn't you contact us?!" Aran's worries were reasonable. He warned them about what to do when they encountered the criminal but instead of following his orders, Eunice pushed herself and got in trouble. The same applied to Huck as well.
"Sorry, Aran... I didn't think well enough. We couldn't let him pass this building. If we contacted you or the masters, he would've gone straight inside to slaughter everyone." She gave her reason for her action.
"Please do not do that again... The thought of losing you guys... If that were to happen, I..." Aran remembered the way he loses his family right in front of him. It was recklessness. Those people who are trying to save him had their lives lost. They did that in order to protect him. Aran didn't want that to happen. He wants to fight as well and protect who's precious to him.
"...I won't be able to forgive myself if you were to die because of me." As soon as he said those words, Eunice's eyes widened in an instant.
(First time... This was the first time someone had said those lines to me...) In her life, Eunice was desperate in trying to become stronger in order to protect those who are important to her. She held a role that is somewhat unbecoming of her own nature. And because of that, everyone saw her as someone who's reliable.
Everyone's worries disappear when she is by their side.
But who's there to worry about her?
Eunice's cheeks went red when she heard that someone is worried about her. Her heart fluttered, she felt her face getting hotter. She couldn't help but feel attached to Aran's compassionate nature. It was the first time in her life that someone truly cares about her even if they are not that close yet.
"Anyway enough about that, we need to take you guys to the Sanitorium–" Aran waved his head left and right, he was trying to find Huck.
Eunice then grabbed his hand.
"Aran..." She mumbled.
"..." Aran looked into her eyes.
"I am sorry... We didn't listen to you..." She said as her frustration began to circulate around her mind. She viewed herself to be unsuccessful and not useful enough as she didn't follow the plan. It was her first failure as someone who is reliable and strong.
Aran noticed what she was implying. His other hand softly overlapped on her wrist. Eunice slowly moved her head to see his face.
It was beautiful.
Aran's face doesn't exude any sort of suppressed anger and resentment. His eyes are looking straight through hers. She didn't feel any disappointment from him.
They froze in time but then he started talking.
"It is okay, no one resents you. You did your best, both of you and Huck. Everyone was saved because of you two as well. Don't worry..." His enlightenment struck Eunice in her heart.
(Yes... There's no doubt, this man...)
After a few minutes of rest, she suddenly felt better and stand up. She was smiling.
"Aran!" Without any hesitation, Eunice pressed her body to embrace Aran. Her chest jiggled for a few seconds.
(EH?!)
Aran was getting squeezed, he peeling off his embarrassing side and not knowing what is going on.
"W-Wait! Eunice!" He tried to gently push her away but he couldn't. Eunice's embrace was more than he could handle.
"They are here, quick!" Suddenly, a voice went through the door.
"Hmm?!" Aran turned his head to see who it was.
Upon reaching the training grounds, Lisa, Nikki, and the other medical knights entered the area.
"Aran! I–"
Seeing the sweet embrace that Eunice is giving him, Lisa glared at him. They felt the coldness in her eyes. Nikki covered her mouth, she seemed to be embarrassed by the situation as well.
"Lisa?!" Aran was shocked. Eunice removed her face from Aran's shoulder to see who it is.
"Huh? Aran, who is this?" Her nonchalant tone gave Lisa a hurdle of pulsating nerves, she gritted her teeth and rushed into his side.
"Oh, this is uh..." Before he can introduce her, Lisa smacked Aran on the head and gripped his collar. She dragged his body on the rough surface of the ground.
Lisa was unstoppable at this point and her anger is continuously seeping. Her aura is something to be feared off as everyone felt the coldness in her stead. Except for Eunice, who seems to be confused.
"Now miss, we're here to help. Let me guide you." The medical team treated Eunice and Huck's wound. They sat down on the nearby bench.
"Ah! Lisa, that hurts!" Aran struggled as he felt the scratching of his back in the debris. Lisa throws him into the wall.
(DAMN! SHE IS ANGRY!)
"Oh my!" Nikki twitched. She realized that Lisa was a monster at heart.
"Answer me..." Lisa started to talk, her tone was creepier than Apollyon itself. She leaned her body and faced Aran. It was only an inch away before their nose can touch each other.
The overwhelming feeling of coldness and anger made Aran squirm in fear as she stretches his body on the wall. Lisa's gaze was on the floor, her hair and bangs are falling through the front. He can't see her eyes or expression.
"Who is that...?" Her question illuminated the spirits of Aran in fear. Controlling her mood, she moved even closer to his face while she trapped him with her arms on the wall.
"I-I... S-She is uhh... Her name is Eunice uhh... She is my classmate. She is the top 1 fighter in our section... Yeah. Hahaha..." Aran tried his best to answer while whimpering.
"Heh..."
"Umm! I don't know! It's a misunderstanding! She is just embracing me because uh... Because uh..."
"Because..." Lisa's eyebrow twitched.
Snapping out of it, Master Himawari, Commander Bill, and Julia called Aran inside the building.
"Aran Crossford..." Lisa gazed at the door and saw her grandfather.
"Ara, Grandpa!" She called to him as she approached, leaving Aran on the wall. He exhaled long enough to feel the relief.
(I think I almost died... Why is Lisa angry, anyway?)
"Oh, Lisa! I am so worried about you! Are you okay?" Master Himawari immediately hugged Lisa. He was worried about her condition.
"I am okay, grandpa. Nothing to worry about." She responded.
Aran stood up immediately to avoid embarrassing himself in front of them.
"Aran Crossford, am I correct?" Commander Bill confronted him.
"Yes, Sir," He responded.
"My name is Bill, I am the Commander in chief representing the Croalea city. I am here to give my thanks to you for helping us deal with that magician." He praised Aran as he bowed in front of him.
"Oh no, I didn't really do anything. I thank you as well for protecting the Academy." His modesty flared up in front of the commander as he returned the bow to him.
"You are really a good guy." He commended his decency.
"So umm, what can I do for you, Commander?" He asked.
"Well, there has been a complication for the activity that you and your other friends landed in. The board members are already investigating what happened. And it seems like, the academy has scrutinized you for not obeying the rules of the academy and as for your friends who acted on their own despite knowing that we are dealing with a deadly criminal. In other words, the three of you, you placed yourselves in danger and the whole academy as well. Which is in fact a major offense. Your disobedience and interference wouldn't be able to pass through the vetting and I am so sorry to say that you might get expelled and your friends will be suspended for two weeks."
Hearing the words coming out of the mouth of the commander, Eunice, Huck, and Lisa reacted.
"What?! That can't be!"
"Hey!"
"No! You can't do that to him!"
Hearing the pleading support, Aran raised his left arm to his side, indicating that they shouldn't interfere.
"I will take full responsibility, but I have one request!" Aran bowed once again.
"Hmm, what would that be?" Commander Bill raised his eyebrow.
"I will take my leave here, please reinstate their position as a candidate and do not suspend those two. I was the one who made them go here in the first place. I think I deserve every single punishment you can give." Aran said.
"Aran... No! Don't!" Eunice shouted at him. He turned around to look at her, his smile didn't disappear.
"Aran! You don't have to do this!" Huck also called him out.
"Will that be all?" Commander Bill sighed and took the request. Aran confronted him once again and bowed.
"Yes, Sir! That would be all..." Despite the bravery he had shown, his face was in a grimace of hopelessness as he broke the rule.
Lisa was on the verge of tearing up as he slugged her grandfather's clothes.
"Grandpa, can't we do anything to revoke this? I don't want Aran to get expelled from the academy. We've worked hard to get here and now that we are finally here, it started going down. I know that he is just keeping his composure up but deep inside, I know his pain." Lisa tried to contract his grandfather for interjecting, however...
"Lisa, we can't do anything about it. The master doesn't have the power to revoke his punishment. It is the law's department. If this is only an issue inside, I can still do something about it. But now that the law is involved, we can't say anything." He sighed as he threw the bad news to her.
"No way..." Lisa gazed at Aran once again in a sad state. She knows how Aran worked hard to get in here. The fact that he risked his position as a candidate to save the academy and all of those years of hard work was getting nowhere, he knows for himself that he mustered the courage to take the responsibility.
(I am so sorry... Mother... Father... Looks like I won't be able to get revenge. I am so sorry everyone... I let you down.)
Others were glaring at the knights. Aran risked his life and saved the academy but all he gets is a punishment for ignoring the rules. He acted on his own accord and he placed Eunice and Huck in danger.
"Well then, Aran Crossford, please pack your things and come with me." Commander Bill instructed him. Aran descended his head downwards as his bangs covered his entire forehead and eyes.
Everyone knows that they cannot do anything to reverse the situation. They all stood up in hopelessness as they watched Aran follow the commander.
However...
"That won't be necessary anymore..." Along the hall, footsteps arrived at the end of the door. A familiar presence gauged into the scene.
It was Commander Henry.
"Henry!" Commander Bill saluted and stopped on their tracks.
"Good work, Bill." He responded.
"Why are you here? I thought you were supposed to stay in the city hall?" Commander Bill asked. Henry started walking until he reached outside.
"What are you talking about? This was supposed to be a joint operation between two departments. So yeah, I am here to clean up the mess and have your men take a rest for now. Oh and Aran, you don't have to pack your things." He said while smiling.
"Heh?! What? Why?" He asked.
"I talked to the board members and the ministry about the events and activities. Seems like they have recognized your bravery and heroic act by defending the candidates and reducing the number of casualties inside the academy which is the criminal's main objective from the start. But of course, some of them are condescending and stupid so I defended your stance and you won. If it weren't for you and your friends, the knights wouldn't be able to take the advantage of apprehending the criminal. And there are a lot of candidates who were saved from his deadly attacks and you managed to counter them. Nash Sterling would be so proud of you." He explained.
Everyone froze in silence. Later that moment, they all eventually jumped in joy as they heard the news that his expulsion will be revoked completely. Aran stepped back as he became emotional by letting a tear drop from his eyes.
He was saved by Henry.
Lisa rushed down to give him a hug. Her embrace was filled with love, care, and respect. He raised his arm and grabbed Lisa's back to hug her as well. Her cheeks went red and her heartbeat suddenly raised as she felt the overwhelming warmth of Aran's body.
"T-Thank you so much, Commander Henry!" Aran shouted.
"Hahaha! I see that you're still a crybaby as ever. Now then, I shall take my leave. Bill, you may now go fetch the others and help the civilians. I will be in charge of organizing everything as well as fixing the buildings and this academy." He instructed.
"Well then... I should take my leave!" He responded as they both saluted to each other.
And thus, the interference in the academy finally came to an end.
***
Several weeks later.
Commander Henry and the other forces organized a building event where everyone did their best to construct new buildings and houses for the sake of those who got their home destroyed. The impact was scattered around the academy and they started excavating some lands in order to fill up the holes and the craters. They also built a new road near the academy to let the civilians enter the area without going on the other side of the city.
Because of so many workers and volunteers, they managed to finish everything in four weeks including a new establishment of security in order to monitor the area that surrounds the facility of the Fosier Academy. Other than that, they also improved the city hall and other various places with the help of the second department for their thankful appreciation for the help of the central capital.
Knightstar, also known as the capital of the Kingdom of Ruth.
The massive improvement in its foundation gave the citizen a new hope for their survival. All of them returned to their usual routine after the events of the masked magician's interference. Since then, Aran and the others went back to their normal lives as well and spent the first month in the academy learning a lot of things.
Though, there's also a little bit of a problem that he cannot handle.
Popularity.
"He's here..."
"Hey look at him!"
"Woah he is so good-looking!"
"Hey, do you think he will like me?"
"I heard that he was trained by Nash Sterling"
"Heh? That famous knight?"
"Man he is really lucky!"
Aran, Huck, Eunice, Lisa, and Nikki walked together in a group. Seeing as all of the attention of the candidates was focused on them, he can't help but feel uneasy and uncomfortable. After all, he was the one who saved their lives. And he is the renowned hero who went head to head with Wendell.
"I feel sick..." Aran murmured in a rough voice.
"Now you know how it feels like to be popular..." Huck teased him.
The murmurings of the candidates continued as they reached the cafeteria.
"Now then... What are you guys doing on my side? There's a lot of space there." Aran noticed the girls in the group are closer to him than usual. Huck and Nikki was the only one on the opposite side and the other two were sitting beside him.
Eventually, Lisa and Eunice glared at each other. They were trying their best to get Aran's attention (affection)
"D-D-Don't mind me, I just got in here first!" Lisa ignored Aran's question and scoot a little bit away from him. It is clear on her face that she really is embarrassed.
"Aran..." Eunice attacked.
"Mmm?" As soon as Aran turned his head on the left side, she catches Eunice with her spoon filled with food.
"Say 'Ahh...'" She guided in a cute tone.
Lisa went into a mental breakdown, she cannot bear the view of Aran getting fed by Eunice. Her expression is pretty funny and Huck is also enjoying the view.
Confusingly, Aran did follow Eunice's request as he opened his mouth. She raised the spoon and placed it inside Aran's mouth.
"Mmm..." Eunice went back to her seat and enjoyed how Aran chewed.
"W-W-W-What are you doing?" Lisa asked, her body was trembling.
"What? I am just feeding him?" Eunice replied with a smug.
"Y-You don't have to do that, he can just eat by himself you know?" Lisa huffed as she stood up from her chair.
"Lisa, calm down, they are watching us..." Nikki leaned close to calm Lisa.
"Mmm?" Aran doesn't have any idea what is happening.
"Hey..." Huck called him.
"Mmm?"
"If you keep being like that, another world war will happen..." He warned as he ate his food.
"What are you talking about?" Aran stopped and finally realized what was going on between the two. Their glare at each other reached the other tables in fear as the ice queen and the monstrous dragon clashes.
"Umm, guys?" Aran tried to step in.
"Shut up and eat!" Lisa grabbed a spoonful of rice and injected it directly into Aran's mouth, chugging down the food and swallowing it clearly.
"Hey–" Followed by another spoon from Eunice.
"S-Stop–"
After feeding him for like ten minutes, they finally calm down. Aran suddenly broke down on the table as he felt his stomach in pain.
"Heh? What's wrong Aran?" Nikki showed concern.
"I..." He struggled to speak.
After a few minutes, their break ended and everyone was called to go back to their section room.
"I am not going to lose! You may have him in your room, but I have him outside!" Lisa declared war.
"Heh! If that is the case then I am going to take him back from you even when we are outside!" Eunice replied. Their glare clashed once again as they moved closer to each other with a pulsating nerve on their head.
"Calm down..." Aran ended their discord.
"Hmph!"
Aran sighed and started walking back to their room.