Chapter 86: Sent flying with one move, an alarming turn of events! (2/2)
Divine Shield Academy also had a very long history, but because those who first established the school all originated from clan Lannister’s western territories corps, the atmosphere inside the campus also resembled a very large army camp. Buildings were arranged row after row in a very rigid and orderly manner, and also very compact. There were very clear road signs at the end of every road, and even someone like Ayrin who entered Divine Shield Academy for the time could clearly tell at first glance which building was used for what, which site was used for which training.
“Charlotte, isn’t it a shorter way to the infirmary if we go through the great road in the middle? Why do you detour along the walls?”
“Because I like this small path along the walls.”
“Why?”
“There are fewer people for one, so I won’t be bothered when thinking about something. The other reason is, from what some seniors who left the school said, we’ll cherish the memory of these walls after we leave the school, because after we reach the western territories or any other territory, they’re all filled with barren plains or forests. Thinking about these perimeter walls would give them some warmth and a feeling of security.”
“You’re definitely going to the western territories in the future?”
“That’s not certain. But everywhere’s the same for a battlemaster, everywhere we go is a dangerous place where we need to fight. Ayrin, you came here even after injuring Ivan so heavily, aren’t you afraid of being besieged by our Divine Shield Academy’s people?”
“How could that be? People who can stake their lives away for the sake of their dreams in a fair match, shouldn’t they respect each other. After the match’s finished, of course we can still be friends. Just like you and me.”
“Then you’re a little special. The great clans nominally all share the duty of protecting the kingdom together, but for the sake of reputation and self-interest, many clans and elite arcane masters compete among themselves, or are in open conflict. Many especially powerful people are easily prone to look at powerful opponents as future enemies.”
“Is that so. No matter what, I hope we can be friends forever.”
They chatted idly, and at the same time came to a place not far away behind Divine Shield Academy’s infirmary. Ayrin’s words made Charlotte silent for a long while.
Divine Shield Academy’s infirmary was a lone stone building four stories high.
A field of sunflowers filled the space behind the stone building, looking extremely neat and tidy. The patch of gold also looked very beautiful.
The entire school was managed like a sealed-off camp, and they usually didn’t receive patients from elsewhere the way Holy Dawn Academy did, hence there seemed to be no special protection about the infirmary, and no surrounding wall either.
“Something’s off!”
Charlotte’s expression changed all of a sudden when she reached the edge of the sunflowers’ field. She didn’t even explain the reason why to Ayrin that she already accelerating abruptly, passing through the field of sunflowers in a straight line, then skimming at top speed toward the upper stories of the infirmary as if she were wall-running!
“Did something serious happen?”
Ayrin simply had no time to think for too long. Afterimages heavily dragged behind his silhouette in the space of an instant. As soon as he trod a few steps on the wall’s surface, he saw Charlotte above him twist her body and push open a pair of tightly-shut windows with a snap, then leap inside the windows on the fourth floor.
Sensing Charlotte’s anxiety and impatience, Ayrin gave up the idea of wall-running. Instead, he pounced upward, his hands continuously grabbing the chinks in the stone. Coordinating his hands and feet, he charged into the same windows Charlotte rushed into a moment ago, after a mere few flips.
“Ivan?”
Ayrin saw with his first glance Ivan who he came to visit lying in front of Charlotte, tied in snow-white bandages all over, only half his face exposed, and still deeply asleep from the effect of some drugs.
“Keep watch here, don’t move.”
Without waiting for Ayrin to speak, Charlotte made an extremely grave hand gesture at him and let him stand beside Ivan’s bed. She shifted toward the doorway at the same time, explaining very quickly in a low voice, “Our Divine Shield Academy’s infirmary only does some simply therapies and doesn’t have the level of your Holy Dawn Academy, it doesn’t receive arcane masters who are extremely important for the kingdom either, but our infirmary’s still managed very strictly according to the rules of the army. Now should be the time the infirmary opens the windows and airs the rooms. I saw the windows on the first and second floors open, but the windows on the third and fourth floors were still shut. Ivan should be the only somewhat important person on the third or fourth floor…”
“You think someone wants to harm him?” Ayrin immediately understood. “But now’s daytime, and we’re still inside your Divine Shield Academy.”
“I hope it’s only a small mishap. I’m going to inspect the situation right now.” Hazy clouds flashed across Charlotte’s eyes. Her hand lightly fell on the door handle.
“Boom!”
However, a terrifying aura suddenly exploded outside the door just at this time. The entire door, as if made of paper paste, suddenly burst into countless splinters.
“Heavy Ions!”
Charlotte’s face turned deathly white in this frozen instant, facing the sick ward door suddenly turned into countless fragments. She only had enough time to use Heavy Ions, cross her arms in front of her, and curl her body forward, protecting her vital spots.
“Pa!”
The next instant, her already extremely heavy body suddenly flew backwards like a ball, heavily crashing against the wall on one side of the windows, embedding itself into the shattered wall.
Ayrin’s eyes narrowed quickly. A silhouette obviously wearing Divine Shield Academy’s uniform just like Charlotte, but with a silver-white mask and terrifying black flames curling all over his body, appeared in his vision!