Chapter 615 (1/2)
Shal stood calmly with his hands behind his back. He was currently abreast with a stern woman with her grey hair shorn short. They both stood behind an aged and slim woman who sat at an ornate wooden table in a dimly lit room.
There were three other figures at the table.
Versault Ignis, a morose-looking man with dark black hair and pink skin, steepled his fingers. “We have been unable to determine what occurred. But… as you all have said, it is undeniable that someone in my School betrayed us. Inquiries will continue.”
The leader of the Spearman School, Aylwind Sky, was an imposing individual whose arms with crisscrossed with scars. He closed his eyes before he spoke. “Versault, is your Death School really unable to discover a single thing? Is this a cover-up, or is the sadistic discipline of the Death School simply a tale invented by the Spear School to scare their children?”
Versault could only stare at the table.
Sighing, Sheenissi Faa waved her hand. She was the leader of the aforementioned Spear School, and there was a small crease between her brows as her School was the made the butt of a barb. “Enough. Normally I would agree with you Aylwind, but the question you keep ignoring is why. The only people who benefit from the betrayal were the Wights; none amongst us can continue to grow in Level like this-”
‘Which isn’t exactly true,’ Shal thought to himself.
Faa threw up her hands. “...it is difficult to admit, but perhaps the oracle was wrong.”
All three other figures looked to Ophelia Vade, the head of the Heart School, behind which Shall stood.
She smiled. “...if we begin believing that the Oracle is not prescient, has not all of our actions these past 100 years been for naught?”
A heavy silence filled the room. On Aylwind’s face, especially, the tightly controlled fury could be seen. But just as soon as it was there, it was gone, and his face was a blank mask. Shal glanced at his fellow Lieutenant behind Ophelia. The corner of her mouth twitched.
“Let’s shift the discussion,” Faa said. “The under 25 competition will be held soon. The shift of venue to the Spearman School was supposed to lower the danger… yet after reading the rules-”
“And do not forget the recent attack on Niergem,” Ophelia said quietly.
Inwardly, Shal winced. His disciple, Randidly Ghosthound, was back. What did it mean? That part of his life seemed to be covered with a thick fog that stemmed from the influence of Lucretia. His mother.
If Randidly was back, did that also mean…?
Faa nodded. “Indeed, my thoughts were on the same matter. Although it ended up being a victory in that one of the rings was obtained from the Wights, we cannot count on such things happening again. We were taken by surprise… again. If we remain on the back foot-”
“Is it not fine?” Versault interrupted. “The Spearman taught us that only through struggle may we find growth. These are our most talented youngsters… and our most valuable resource now that many in the elder generation have been injured. If we are to benefit most from their presence we must make use of them.”
“And making use of them will help them grow, I agree,” Aylwind said with a nod. “Look, I know the area best. Although the Southern Domain is lost, the rest of the areas are largely safe.”
It was an interesting statement to make, Shal reflected, from the man who famously had never left his high tower in the Central Domain.
“According to your suggestion, the Southern Domain will be the theatre of the competition,” Faa hissed. Her perpetually worried face contorted further. “I agree these youths are an invaluable and largely intact resource, but I hardly see how that means we should-”
“It,” Ophelia said shortly, “Is an auspicious time for battle.”
Everyone paused and looked at her. Although it was inconsistent, it couldn’t be denied that the Heart School held great influence for the past 100 years due to the arrival of the Oracle. And as her representative, Ophelia could not be ignored.
Aylwind slowly released a breath. “Is that a specific or general prediction?”