Through the portal, Lucas returned to Library No. 36.
There was no sound outside. Lucas cautiously poked his head out but saw no one.
The sheriffs and Imperial agents must have gone elsewhere.
Since Lucas had already obtained the Book of Calamity, he should leave the Arcanum Academy, while the agents and sheriffs will continue their search here.
Lucas stepped out of Library No. 36 and carefully climbed up the stairs.
At this moment, a small head peeked out from behind a chandelier on the ceiling.
It was a tiny monkey, only the size of a teacup.
It stared at Lucas with wide eyes. After he disappeared at the top of the stairs, it jumped down from the chandelier.
In mid-air, it transformed into an owl, spread its wings, and silently glided to the spiral staircase, then changed back into a monkey, swinging up by grasping the handrail.
Unaware that he was being followed, Lucas relied on his familiarity with the Arcanum Academy's layout to leave the library and enter a forest.
Beyond the forest was the main teaching building of the Arcanum Academy.
It consisted of four castle-like structures, connected by three corridors—upper, middle, and lower.
In the basement of the northeast castle, there was a secret entrance to the sewers. Following the sewers would allow him to leave the Arcanum Academy, find the connection point to the main space outside, and return to Storm City.
At this moment, Arcanum Academy had entered the highest state of alert. In addition to a large number of Imperial agents and sheriffs searching for the intruding elf, the academy staff had also been mobilized.
They formed patrol teams to protect the teaching building.
Some senior students were dispatched to guard the entrances and windows of the teaching building.
They were informed that the intruder was a female elf assassin with short green hair and two exquisite curved swords on her waist.
If they encountered the intruding elf, they were instructed not to engage but to flee immediately and seek protection from the nearest staff member.
Lucas crouched low in a bush, using his concealment skill to blend into the environment by reducing his brightness and grayscale.
After a patrol team of Arcanum mages walked past the path in front of him, he deftly jumped out and dashed to the corner of the northeast castle.
How could he get inside?
Lucas realized he had underestimated Arcanum Academy's response. There were shadows moving everywhere inside and outside the castle, leaving no opportunity for infiltration.
Should he log off and come back tomorrow?
Just as Lucas was hesitating, a soft voice called from above his head, "Professor Ela, Professor Ela..."
Lucas looked up and saw Mark, whom he had met on the academy bus, sticking his head out from a second-floor window and waving at him.
"Professor Ela, people are coming over there... Quick, come up!"
Lucas also heard the approaching footsteps and immediately teleported to the second-floor window, slipping inside.
Inside was a corridor.
His sudden teleportation startled Mark, who was guarding the window, as well as the three children with him. The girl who had sat with Lucas on the bus, Lydia, was also there.
Lucas smiled at the four nervous children and said, "Everyone at Arcanum Academy is looking for me now. Aren't you afraid?"
"We... we believe that Professor Ela, you are a good person... no, a good elf. It must be Congressman Virgil who is framing you. My father says he is a liar, a scoundrel, a criminal who should be sent to the gallows.
We'll help you hide. Lydia, go check if anyone is coming."
"Okay, okay."
Lucas's approachable demeanor eased Lydia's nervousness. She gripped her wand and mustered the courage to run to the other end of the corridor.
Lucas then said to Mark and the other two children, "Thank you for your help, but helping me will put you in danger.
I know how to leave, so you should find a safe place to hide and not tell anyone you saw me."
Mark stubbornly said, "Professor Ela, we're not afraid of danger. We can..."
The blade pressed against Mark's neck, stopping him mid-sentence.
Holding the knife, Lucas spoke to the terrified children, "You should be afraid! Congressman Virgil wasn't wrong—I am very, very dangerous! I'm not even a professor at Arcanum Academy; that was all a lie. Kids, just because you think someone is good doesn't make them good.
Next time, listen to your teachers. Do you understand?"
The three rigid children nodded dumbly.
At this moment, Lydia shouted as she ran back, "Someone's coming! Run!"
But when she saw her three companions being threatened by the elf with a knife, she froze in shock.
Behind her, a team of Imperial agents rounded the corner and rushed forward.
Seeing the intruding elf, they immediately drew their swords, knocking down the stunned Lydia and trampling over her.
Lucas saw that these Imperial agents, releasing combat skills as they charged, paid no regard to the safety of the three academy students with him. Quickly sheathing his knife, he rushed toward the agents.
"Run!" Lucas warned Mark and the other two.
With dual blades in hand, enchanted with Frost Wheel, icy air blasted forward.
Ela's level surged to 100.
Lucas was infuriated by Lydia being trampled by the Imperial agents. He had to rescue the girl who had tried to protect him as quickly as possible.
(A/N: Readers might find this contradicting, that he is dropping his persona and felt like helpint others. this is due to influence of certain someone that will be introduced after some chapters.)
Just as Lucas was about to swing the Frost Wheel at the Imperial agents, an owl swooped past him.
Suddenly, a fierce wind stormed through the corridor, forcefully pinning the charging Imperial agents against the walls.
In the eye of the storm, the owl transformed into an elderly man in a black mage's robe. Leaning on a long-handled magic staff, he walked past the pinned agents and picked up the unconscious Lydia.
At that moment, the wind stopped, and the agents fell heavily to the ground.
"Headmaster Willard!" Mark shouted loudly upon seeing the old mage.
The Imperial agents, who had just risen from the ground, found themselves caught between the Headmaster of Arcanum Academy and the elf assassin Ela, unsure of what to do.
A leader among the agents asked Headmaster Willard, "Headmaster, we were helping you capture the assassin. Why did you attack us?"
After checking Lydia's condition and confirming she was not in mortal danger, Willard handed her to an approaching Arcanum mage.
"Helping me capture the assassin? But why do I see you harming my students! I should never have let you in. Leave, all of you, leave Arcanum Academy."
The Imperial agents realized they had angered Headmaster Willard. They hadn't expected the headmaster to appear here by chance.
Given the situation, they knew they had to leave if they wanted to stay alive. They would report what happened to Congressman Virgil and let him handle the headmaster.
The Imperial agents left dejectedly.
Mark and the other two students pressed themselves against the wall, moving to Willard's side to check on Lydia.
Willard tapped his staff, sealing the window behind Lucas.
"Elf, tell me why you infiltrated Arcanum Academy."
Lucas smiled and said, "Infiltrated? I came openly on the Arcanum Academy bus and entered through the front gate."