The stifling, drowsy atmosphere in the air could not be dispelled.
Afternoon sunlight poured through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows into the lecture hall, yet it could not dispel that drowsy, stifling feeling in the air.
On the podium, the old history professor with a graying beard was writing furiously on the blackboard, and the sound of chalk scraping against the blackboard made one’s head ache.
He was still chattering endlessly about the logistical details of some battle from several hundred years ago, so dull it was like reading an old ledger.
Helos sat in the back row by the window, one hand propping up her cheek, the feather pen in her other hand twirling aimlessly between her fingers. She stared out the window at the unchanging scenery, her gaze a little vacant.
For her, who possessed memories of a previous life, this kind of history class—lacking logical deduction and relying purely on rote memorization—was simply mental torture.
She even missed the burnt-smelling air of the workshop.
Just when Helos could not help but want to yawn for the tenth time, a subtle stir suddenly rippled through the lifeless classroom.
At first it was just whispered murmurs from a few students in the front rows, their voices pressed extremely low, like mosquitoes buzzing.
But soon, the whispering was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, and ripples spread rapidly.
The students around began talking in hushed voices, their expressions carrying an unconcealable panic and excitement.
“Hey, have you heard?”
A boy sitting diagonally in front of Helos lowered his head very low and said mysteriously to his deskmate, “Something big seems to have happened in the slums.”
“The slums?”
His deskmate was a thin, frail boy wearing thick-lensed glasses, clearly not fond of that dirty, messy place, and his tone carried a trace of indifference, “What could happen there? At most, those vagrants or thugs got into another fight over territory, right? How many times a month does the peacekeeping team have to deal with that kind of crap?”
“This time it’s different!”
The boy grew anxious, his voice involuntarily rising a few notches, then he hastily glanced guiltily at the professor on the podium.
Seeing that the old man was still lecturing self-absorbedly, he lowered his voice and continued, “When I went for a walk after the last class, I heard several instructors discussing it.”
“They said that early this morning, the Imperial Guard surrounded the entire slums! Not even a fly is allowed to fly out! And I heard they’re even going to mobilize the court mage corps to set up a formation!”
“A lockdown? And they’re even sending out the court mage corps?”
The bespectacled boy’s expression finally changed, the pen in his hand stopped, and his eyes behind the lenses went wide, “Th-this is way too exaggerated, isn’t it? Is there a large-scale plague? Or did they dig up some incredible Ancient Ruins down there?”
“Who knows. Anyway, there are all kinds of rumors going around outside now. The most absurd one says that people from the abyss Cult were performing some evil ritual there and sacrificed everyone in the whole block.”
The boy swallowed and an unconcealable fear appeared on his face, “Anyway, the alert level for the entire Imperial Capital has been raised now, and our Academy will probably tighten its gate restrictions too. Ugh, what is this? We run into this kind of trouble right after the semester starts.”
The feather pen spinning swiftly in Helos’s hand suddenly stopped.
The conversation between the two was like sharp thorns, instantly making her more alert.
She also unconsciously straightened her back, and a faint, hard-to-notice cold light flashed through those light purple eyes.
In this seemingly peaceful and prosperous Imperial Capital, turmoil of this level was absolutely not some accidental event, and even less likely an ordinary public security problem.
She slightly turned her head and looked at Julius beside her.
No words were needed; with just a collision of gazes, their eyes silently met in midair.
Helos understood the gravity in his eyes.
Julius had obviously heard those rumors too, and compared with those ignorant students, as the chosen one, he had smelled an even more dangerous aura.
The bell signaling the end of class finally rang.
Before the professor could assign that headache-inducing essay homework, the students poured out of the classroom like a pot boiling over.
All kinds of discussions burst out completely, making one’s head ache.
Everyone was discussing the sealed-off slums, with fear, curiosity, worry, and all sorts of emotions interwoven.
Helos did not join the excitement. She briskly packed up her books and gave Julius and Gavi a meaningful look.
The three left the teaching building one after another, against the flow of people, and headed quickly toward the Rose Pavilion.
When they returned to the Rose Pavilion, the sky was somewhat gloomy, with thick dark clouds pressing low over the castle spires, giving off an oppressive feeling of a coming storm.
Helos plopped herself down into the soft sofa, raised her hand to look at the ring on her finger, and shook it hard.
“Teacher! Stop sleeping, teacher!”
Following her words, a translucent, elegant figure slowly appeared in midair.
Sylvia yawned and lazily stretched her illusory limbs.
“Oh my, little girl, why are you calling me out in such a hurry? Could it be you’re planning to lend me your body to play with for a couple of days?”
Sylvia floated in front of Helos, her tone carrying a bit of teasing.
Helos rubbed her brow, pointed at Julius standing nearby and Gavi, who was walking over carrying a tea tray, and said, “No time to joke with you. Something’s happened. The Imperial Capital isn’t peaceful right now.”
Julius nodded, his expression gloomier than it had been in the classroom.
He unfastened his sidearm sword and placed it aside, pulled over a chair, and sat down, crossing his hands under his chin. He said in a low voice:
“The news is indeed bad. On the way back just now, I noticed the patrols around the Academy have increased quite a bit, and judging by their equipment, the situation is no longer limited to the slums. The entire Imperial Capital is on guard.”
“The slums being sealed off is a first.”
Gavi handed over Red Tea and responded, “If it were an ordinary plague or riot, there would be no need for this kind of setup. The only explanation is…”
Helos took a sip of tea, felt the slight warmth it brought, and picked up Gavi’s words, “Someone is making a big move.”
“Chaos Believers.”
Julius spat out these four words coldly, his eyes instantly turning sharp, “Only the messes created by those lunatics would make the Royal Palace so wary, even going so far as to seal off the entire area to cover up the news. Ordinary criminals don’t get this kind of treatment.”
“Those persistent rats.”
Sylvia floated in midair, her originally playful expression also restrained somewhat, and a trace of disgust appeared in those illusory eyes, “But isn’t the timing a bit too coincidental?”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Julius frowned deeply, tapping the table lightly with his fingers, “We’ve only just started the semester a few days ago. Logically, this is when the Imperial Capital has the largest flow of people and the tightest security.”
“Those Chaos Believers usually hide their heads and tails, wishing they could burrow into a crack in the ground. Jumping out to cause trouble now is like throwing themselves right into the line of fire.”
He paused here, and his gaze turned toward Helos again.
In that gaze, besides gravity, there was also a trace of complicated inquiry.
Helos felt a little creeped out by his look and could not help shrinking her neck, “Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t go to the slums.”
“I’m not suspecting you.”
Julius sighed, his tone easing a little, “I just feel that all of this seems to be targeting some kind of ‘change.’ Think about Mr. Christ’s condition before.”
At the mention of her older brother Christ, Helos’s heart suddenly sank.
That day, they had just returned from outside and saw their older brother looking exhausted, his eye circles as black as a panda’s, his whole person carrying a weak, hollowed-out feeling.
At the time, he said it was only to handle some official business. Thinking about it now, it probably was not that simple at all.
At that time, perhaps he had already sensed something, and had even already clashed with those things.
“You mean, my brother already knew about this?”
Helos put down the teacup, her voice a little tense.
Julius stood up and paced back and forth in the room, his boots making dull sounds on the carpet.
“Not only knew. He is very likely already deeply involved. The tower of truth must have detected the abnormality long ago, and as a core member there, Mr. Christ being dragged in was inevitable. Those Chaos Believers choosing to act at this time may be precisely to tie down the relevant people.”
The room fell into a brief silence.
Julius knew some things about Helos, but he could not say these things out loud.
After a long while, as if he had made up his mind, Julius took a deep breath and broke the silence:
“I want to go see Mr. Christ.”
Helos looked at him in surprise, “But the Academy currently forbids leaving at will… now?”
“I am the chosen one. I have an obligation to step forward at a time like this.”
Julius interrupted her, his voice not loud but filled with determination, “Although Mr. Christ is a powerful mage, for this kind of real confrontation, he needs help.”
“Besides, those Chaos Believers previously targeted you. I’m doing this to protect you too.”
Helos was stunned.
She looked at this serious guy before her. At this moment, he stood tall and straight as a pine, his face written with the responsibility of a man.
That look in his eyes, wanting to step forward to protect, actually made her feel inexplicably reassured.
“…If you want to go, then go.”
Helos turned her face away, not wanting him to see the momentary unnaturalness on her face, “Anyway, you are my Guard. I grant you leave.”
“However, I can’t let you go take risks alone. I’m going with you.”
Julius was stunned for a moment, but before he could speak, Helos turned her head and looked at Gavi, who had been quietly standing by.
“Gavi.”
“I am here, Master.”
“Go around the Academy, especially those dead corners no one usually goes to, or near the teachers’ office building.”
Helos lowered her voice and instructed, “See if you can gather any additional intelligence. The rumors those students spread are too messy. I need more accurate information.”
“Understood.”
Gavi lowered her head slightly and responded loyally.
“Also,” Helos seemed to remember something and added with a serious expression, “when necessary, you may leave the Academy to confirm whether the intelligence is true or false.”
“Although your body is very sturdy, it’s very chaotic outside right now. If you encounter danger, don’t fight head-on. Retreat first. If you get broken, I’ll be very heartbroken. After all, you are unique.”
After arranging everything, Helos leaned back on the sofa again and let out a long breath of turbid air.
She looked at the increasingly gloomy sky outside the window. The unease in her heart had not dissipated because she had made a plan; instead, like these dark clouds, it piled up thicker and thicker.
Sylvia floated back above the ring, looked at Helos’s worried appearance, and for once did not mock her. Instead, she lightly landed on her shoulder like a weightless cloud.
“Don’t be afraid, little girl.”
Sylvia’s voice sounded by Helos’s ear, “Although I don’t like trouble, if any ugly thing dares jump out to scare people, I won’t just stand by and watch. After all, you are my disciple.”
The corner of Helos’s mouth curved into a helpless bitter smile, and she followed her words to tease:
“Then I really have to thank you, old hag.”