For a moment, the arena fell into a complete silence. No one moved and no one even seemed to breathe. In the end, the uproar came all at once.
"What just happened?!"
"She won?!"
"That fat boy actually lost?!"
The spectators erupted into a chaotic noise. What they had just witnessed contradicted everything they had expected. The moments earlier, Alicia had been on the brink of defeat. Her mana was nearly exhausted and her stance had faltered. The outcome had seemed obvious, and yet, the result had reversed in the final instant.
Alicia Xavierius was the one still standing. The noble girl herself looked completely stunned.
She remained on one knee. Her breathing was uneven as she stared blankly at the ground where Baston had fallen only few moments ago. Her mind struggled to catch up with the reality.
She had been certain she would lose. She was very sure since she knew herself better. The referee stepped forward and helped her stand.
"You are the winner… Congratulations…" the man announced loudly.
"I won?" she whispered.
Only then did Alicia fully return to her senses. Her eyes immediately searched the arena but Baston was already gone.
The place where he had fallen was empty. There was no trace of him. There was not even the shadow of the fat boy that lingered in the arena.
However, the audience had already begun forming their own conclusions.
"Ha… ha… ha…! I thought she was finished!"
"Yes! That fat boy must have thought eliminating her would be easy!"
"The goddess of fate had other plans!"
"Where did he go? I want to see his face!"
"I can't see him anywhere."
"He probably ran away in shame."
The laughter spread through the stands. The defeated were quickly forgotten while the winner received all the glory. That was the nature of the public attention.
By the time Baston quietly left the arena, only a few curious eyes still searched for him. Soon, even those faded since the crowd had already moved on.
He himself felt nothing about it. There was no frustration, no embarrassment, and no regret because losing this match had never truly mattered.
Walking through the quiet stone corridor of the academy, his thoughts were already focused on something else entirely.
Now that the competition no longer concerned him, there was only one task remaining. He must kill Levan. The thought sat calmly in his mind which was cold and precise.
The outcome of the battle had happened too quickly for most people to understand. From the outside, it simply appeared as if Alicia had seized the victory through a sudden reversal.
A stroke of luck and it was the last moment of surge. However, he knew the truth since he was the one who had allowed it.
If he had fought seriously, Alicia would never have won. At least, not with her current strength.
However, that truth was something only a few people might notice. Supposedly, that people were Claire and Principal Viral since those two had keen eyes. He had already considered that possibility.
Still, even if they felt curious, it would not change the outcome. The match had already ended and the public had witnessed Alicia's victory with their own eyes.
Once it was accepted by the majority, the reality rarely changed.
If anyone attempted to question it now, the damage to Alicia's noble reputation would be severe. No one in the academy wanted that, so the truth would remain buried.
Baston walked slowly through the corridor while thinking about his next move. By then, he noticed someone was waiting for him.
A student boy leaned casually against the stone wall with his crossed arms. He had clearly been watching the exit just to encounter him.
"I watched your battle," the boy said calmly, "I have to say that you could have won."
His tone held no accusation and there was only a quiet observation, "But in the end, you gave the victory to Alicia."
Baston shrugged slightly, "Yes…"
The boy raised an eyebrow, "You don't want to win?"
"For what?"
The boy tilted his head, "For glory, for recognition, and for respect…"
Baston laughed softly, "Those things are useless."
"Why?"
"Because people already decided what I am."
The boy studied him, "And what are you?"
"The villain..."
A moment of silence passed before the boy slowly nodded, "I see..."
His gaze turned thoughtful, "So… No matter what you do, people will only see the ugly side."
Baston didn't respond since there was nothing to add. After a brief pause, he simply walked past the boy and continued down the corridor. The boy watched him leave without saying anything further.
Only when Baston had already turned the corner, the boy muttered quietly.
"Your thinking is quite interesting…"
*****
Meanwhile, Baston was recalling where he had seen that boy before. He pondered for a moment before the name of Anderson popped up. The boy before was a noble student from the Anderson family.
At the beginning of the academy year, Anderson had openly looked down on him because of his poor background. For the nobles like him, associating with lower class students was considered improper. Eventually, that attitude seemed to have changed.
The hostility was gone, and now, the boy only observed him as the spectator.
He found that slightly amusing, "I wonder what changed his mind…"
He shook his head since it didn't matter. The academy was full of people who were chasing their own understanding of the world.
Some learned quickly and some never learned at all. However, none of that concerned him now because he had more important matters to handle.
He left the academy grounds and headed toward the merchant district, specifically at Levan's company.
The building looked exactly the same as before. It was elegant, respectable, and trustworthy. It was such a perfect mask to hide the vile inside.
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, someone immediately noticed him. Levan's assistant approached quickly with a polite smile.
"Baston…" the man greeted warmly, "Sir Levan would like to see you in his personal office. Please follow me…"
Baston nodded, "Alright…"
The assistant seemed relieved. He had planned earlier to summon the fat boy at the next day, but since he appeared here naturally, the timing was perfect.
The two of them walked into the building. Inside, the interior was quiet and orderly.
The employees moved through the hallways while carrying the documents and the crates, completely unaware of the events that would soon unfold. They soon arrived at the familiar office door.
The assistant knocked, "Sir Levan… Baston has arrived."
A voice answered from inside, "Let him wait for a moment."
The assistant turned to Baston, "Sir Levan is currently busy. Please wait here…"
Baston sat calmly in the chair. Several minutes passed from ten, fifteen, and twenty. Eventually, thirty minutes slipped by. He remained perfectly still and he wasn't impatient.
If anything, the delay was convenient. Either Levan was genuinely occupied or he was intentionally demonstrating his authority as the boss. Both possibilities revealed something about the man.
Finally, the door slowly opened.
"You may enter…"
The assistant stood beside the door as usual. Baston stepped inside and Levan sat behind his desk, smiling politely.
"Good to see you again, Baston…" his tone sounded warm and welcoming, "Originally, I intended to discuss this matter a few days later. But unfortunately, it has become somewhat urgent."
"What is the matter?"
Levan clasped his hands together, "Well… It concerns the resources. You know that talented wizards like yourself require significant investment."
He sighed gently, "After carefully reviewing my company's finances, I realized something unfortunate."
"What is it?"
"I simply cannot afford to provide you with the level of resources you truly deserve."
Baston listened quietly and Levan soon continued, "The salary and the support that I can offer may not meet your expectations. I hope you understand my situation."
Baston nodded thoughtfully, "I understand…"
Levan relaxed slightly but Baston's next words made him freeze.
"After all…" Baston said calmly, "You still have many workers to feed which is the old ones and the disabled ones."
Levan blinked, "Yes, that's correct…"
The merchant smiled again, "Those loyal workers have served my company for years. I could never abandon them."
Baston nearly laughed. Recently, he had heard the truth with his own ears. Levan and the assistant had discussed about dismissing several elderly workers in order to increase the profits.
But now, the same man spoke like a compassionate benefactor. The hypocrisy was almost impressive.
"I actually have an idea," Baston said.
"Oh?"
"It's a solution to all of your problems."
Levan leaned forward slightly, "What solution?"
Baston looked at him calmly, "If you die, everything becomes simple."
The silence fell and Levan stared at him unbelievingly, "What?"
The assistant also froze. For a moment, they both assumed they had misheard the boy. However, Baston had already moved.
The puppets were quickly summoned and four figures appeared around him.
They emerged silently like the shadows who were stepping into the reality. Each one wore the appearance of hidden guards.
Before Levan and the assistant could react, they were seized. They were forced to the ground with their hands pinned down and their mouths restrained.
"What are you doing?!" Levan roared, "You ungrateful brat! After all the opportunities I gave you…!"
The assistant screamed as well, "No wonder you're from the poor class! The gods clearly want you to suffer forever!"
Baston calmly took the main seat behind the desk, "Let's not waste a time since I have known everything."
Levan stiffened, thinking the boy just blabbered nonsense.
"Your company is just a disguise. The money doesn't come from trade since it comes from the robbery."
Levan's face paled but he forced himself to laugh, "That's absurd... I have no idea where you heard such nonsense."
Baston shook his head, "There's no need to pretend. Today is your judgment day."
Levan's expression twisted, "You fool! Even if you kill us, how will you explain it?! No one will believe you!"
"I already have a plan..."
The assistant spat angrily, "Who do you think you are?! You're nothing but a low-born worm! How dare you kill someone above your class!"
Baston smiled faintly, "Think carefully… Do you really believe someone like me could appear from the lowest class of the kingdom?"
Both men quickly froze and their minds immediately raced toward the same conclusion. Baston surely had a hidden identity, a secret noble lineage, or a powerful backing.
In their desperation, that explanation seemed far more believable than the truth. The fear soon consumed them and Levan began trembling.
"I… I can give you money… Anything you want!"
However, Baston had already made his decision.
The puppets raised their knives. Two precise strikes were launched with two pierced hearts. The room fell silent and Levan collapsed first. His final dream dying on his lips.
"I just wanted to become a noble…"
The assistant followed seconds later, "Please… I don't want to die…"
Their voices faded, and then, nothing remained.
Baston opened the old book. The page shifted, signifying that the quest had been completed and the result was perfect. A new puppet was added to his control.
He looked at the book, thinking it was not bad. Although he had hoped for an excellent result but the reward was still useful. Slowly, he looked at the two corpses and a quiet sigh escaped him.
"This will be troublesome..."
Levan had built an excellent reputation. If the truth appeared now, no one would believe it which meant the truth needed help.
A carefully crafted illusion was a must in this situation. However, something unusual happened a moment later.
One of the puppets that had been restraining Levan suddenly trembled. The movement was subtle at first, almost like a ripple that was passing through its artificial body. Eventually, the thin cracks of faint white light began spreading across its surface.
He noticed immediately, "Ah… So the contract finally reacts…"
The puppet's body stiffened as if the invisible chains had tightened around it.
When he had signed the magic contract earlier with Levan, the agreement carried a hidden clause. It forbade him from harming the merchant directly or indirectly.
Normally, violating such a contract would trigger severe backlash. The magic would punish the violator by attacking their mana core or even their soul.
Still, he had never truly been the one who was bound by the contract because it was the puppet.
From the moment the agreement was signed, he had already shifted the contract's burden onto the puppet that represented him. In the eyes of the magic contract, that puppet was Baston, and therefore, the punishment would fall upon it.
The puppet trembled once more then the cracks widened. The faint strands of magic began leaking from its limbs like the escaping mist from a broken vessel.
The other puppets remained still, silently guarding the room while the condemned one slowly deteriorated.
He watched calmly since there was no reason to interfere. After all, the puppet had already fulfilled its purpose.
The puppet's body soon collapsed into several fragments of fading light. Within seconds, there was nothing remained. There was not even a corpse and dust.
There was only a faint ripple of mana that lingered briefly in the air before dispersing completely. The magic contract had already claimed its price.
Baston leaned slightly back in the chair, "As expected…"
The punishment had been severe but it was also predictable.
From the contract's perspective, the puppet had violated the agreement by assisting in Levan's murder. Therefore, it was immediately erased from existence.
However, the loss was only temporary.
Unlike the normal being, his puppets were not truly destroyed when they vanished this way. They were merely forced back into dormancy within the old book.
After a full day passed, the connection would stabilize again. Tomorrow, the puppet could be summoned once more. It was a disposable sacrifice.
That was one of the greatest advantages of controlling the puppets.
He closed the old book slowly. The room was quiet again with two corpses lay on the floor and yet, the balance of power had already shifted completely.
He glanced once more at the luxurious office around him before letting out a quiet sigh.
"Looks like I need to stage a drama..."