MTLNOVEL Chapter 93: Epilogue
"Commander..."
A formless mass of darkness coalesced, twisting until a figure emerged—a man, draped in black-red garment. The dimly lit chamber around him exuded an air of refined elegance, its gothic splendor marked by towering obsidian pillars and flickering ethereal lanterns.
"Any news?"
The voice came from a figure lying within a grand coffin, its polished ebony surface adorned with intricate silver engravings. He did not stir, his eyes remaining closed even as the figure approached with measured steps.
"Silver has fallen..." the man responded, bowing deeply in reverence.
"I see..." The voice from the coffin remained detached, utterly indifferent. "And what of… 'It'?"
"We have its location," the man answered, his tone carrying the weight of significance.
"Good. Assemble a small unit—a single High Blood should suffice."
"Understood."
"...The Gyrods?"
"They have decided to grant us the final say in the matter."
A moment of silence stretched between them before the figure in the coffin finally spoke again.
"Is there anything else?"
"...With the location came another revelation."
"What revelation?"
"It concerns the prophecy."
The instant those words settled in the air, the figure's eyes snapped open.
Blood red.
"He might have found the 'One',"
"….It can't be,"
"There is reason to believe so."
"Do not tell me... A human?"
"According to him, the human's identity is… questionable. He possesses no known bloodline, which should be impossible for humans. And also he sensed…"
"…what?"
"...Royal blood within him."
A deep, unnatural silence followed. Then—
"Lodrid."
"Commander," the kneeling figure straightened at attention.
"Assemble the finest soldiers we have. I will lead them myself."
"No, Lord Commander, you—"
"Fear not." The voice was cold yet assured. "I will speak to the Queen. It seems the humans have played a clever hand against us..."
…
…
"I bring word from the newly established counsel… The empires have united," said a man with a neatly combed back mane of silver-grey hair and a long, well-groomed white beard. His voice was calm, too calm for someone who just dropped a bomb.
"...Tell me, while I was absent, what really happened?" asked the woman seated at the forefront of the grand, circular table.
She was the principal.
A sharp silence followed before a woman with cascading midnight-blue hair and piercing golden eyes finally spoke. Her voice was smooth, measured, but carried an undercurrent of concern.
"Well," she began, her gaze scanning the room before settling on the principal, "it appears the vampires have also joined forces with the Gyrods. Just a month ago, there were sightings of both vampires and Gyrods at the border of Yuphenia, and most of the vampires reported there were high-bloods."
The principal's eyes narrowed, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wooden surface of the table.
"…And?" she prompted.
A hush fell over the room. The assembled professors exchanged uneasy glances, their reluctance evident in the way they shifted in their seats.
Finally, after a deep, weary sigh, the vice principal spoke. His tone was heavy, as though burdened by the weight of his own words.
"We… We assigned the fourth-year students the task of defeating them as part of their semester examination," he admitted, rubbing his temples.
A tense pause followed.
"And…?" The principal's voice was sharper this time, her impatience bleeding into the very air around them. The mana in the room trembled in response, a subtle warning of the storm brewing beneath her composed exterior.
The vice principal hesitated before forcing the rest of the truth from his lips.
"Groups 10 and 15… were taken by them," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "They were likely captured and taken to the Gyrod's hideout."
The moment those words left his mouth, he was hurled backward by an invisible force. A deafening crash echoed through the chamber as he slammed against the stone wall, the impact sending parchments and quills flying from the table.
"HOW COULD YOU ALL BE SO UTTERLY FOOLISH?!" the principal's voice thundered through the hall.
The other professors lowered their gazes, unwilling to meet her piercing glare.
"…We didn't realize the situation was this severe," Malina murmured hesitantly. Her normally confident voice wavered. "It seems… there were royal-ranked vampires among the high-bloods sighted at the border."
The principal clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth in pure frustration before turning sharply to the grey-haired man.
"So, what does the Empire want from the Academy?" she demanded, her golden eyes burning with barely restrained fury. "Why are you here, Kandel?"
The older man exhaled deeply before meeting her gaze, his expression grim.
"We need all the help we can get," he admitted gravely. "The vampires have already begun taking over villages in the south of the newly established empire. They have seized several small cities and are spreading fast. The soldiers and royal knights are doing everything they can, but the sheer number of these creatures is overwhelming," he confessed.
"Why have they suddenly become so desperate?" the principal asked through clenched teeth.
"…The corruption," Kandel said, drawing all eyes to him.
"It's spreading faster than ever before. In less than a year, it will engulf the entirety of the vampires' territory," he continued, his voice heavy with grim certainty.
"So you want the students to lend a hand?" she asked, her expression darkening with anger at the mere suggestion.
"Principal… there is no other choice. If we don't use every resource we have to defend ourselves… there will be no home left for anyone to return to," Kandel said solemnly. She remained silent, her brows furrowed in deep contemplation.
…
…
"I—I'm sorry… I lost to him," Lucas murmured, his gaze fixed on Liliana.
"It's okay… You did well," she said gently, brushing a hand against his cheek. A small smile flickered across his lips at her touch.
"But… are you sure you got him?" she asked, watching him intently.
"Yes. He didn't even realize it," he replied, though a frown crept onto his face. "But… what was it meant for?"
She grinned. "That's a secret."
....
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