That night, the boys' dormitory felt incredibly silent. No one dared to greet me, not even look me in the eye in the hallway. Good. I was just about to lie down on my hard bed when my door was pounded loudly. No, more like thrashed.
"Alex of House Baron Grey! By order of the Disciplinary Committee and the Heist Family, you are requested to attend for an incident report!"
I let out a long sigh, staring at the bedroom ceiling. "Even in a fantasy world, bureaucracy remains my main enemy."
I wasn't taken to the principal's office or the teachers' lounge. Those silver-uniformed guards took me to the West Tower, an exclusive wing accessible only to high-ranking nobles. They pushed me into a spacious room scented with sandalwood and roses.
Click.
The door behind me was magically locked.
I didn't see the disciplinary committee. All I saw was a girl sitting behind a magnificent mahogany desk, sipping tea from a thin porcelain cup. Elara von Heist. She had already taken off her academy cloak, wearing only a black silk gown that fit her body perfectly, giving off a dangerous, mature impression.
"Sit," she commanded briefly.
I pulled out the chair in front of her without being asked, leaned back casually, and crossed my legs. "Midnight interrogation? Lady Heist, if you miss me, you could just send a letter. No need to involve armed guards."
Elara set down her cup. The clink of porcelain on the wooden table sounded like a death knell in the silent room. "You destroyed Marcus's armor. Not by splitting it, not by blowing it up, but by turning it into molecular dust. Do you know what that means for the royal military if that technique were to leak?"
"It means blacksmiths will lose their jobs?" I answered sarcastically.
BOOM!
Elara slammed the table, her eyes flashing sharp blue. Her mana overflowed, causing the magic lights in the room to flicker wildly. "Stop playing games! Who are you exactly? It's impossible for a Baron's son from a remote territory to possess such a master-level Mana Collapse technique. Who trained you? A neighboring kingdom? Or are you a spy from the Demon Cult?"
I stared at her flatly, not intimidated in the slightest by her pressure. "I already told you, I'm just someone who hates wasting energy. Your magic is too full of decorations. I just toss the decorations and leave the core. If you want to know who my teacher is... its name is 'Reality.' The reality that in this world, if you're not strong, you'll die as an extra."
Elara fell silent. She stood up, slowly walking around my chair. I could feel her sharp gaze scanning the nape of my neck.
"Reality, huh?" Elara stopped right behind me. She leaned down, whispering words that set my instincts on high alert. "Back at the arena, when you released that mana... I felt it. Not just power, but disgust. You looked at all of us—the Prince, the knights, even me—as if we were just a bunch of noisy flies."
Suddenly, her cold hand touched my shoulder, creeping up toward my neck.
"Eh? What the hell?!" I flinched, trying to stand up, but Elara pinned my shoulder down with enhancement magic. Damn, she was strong for a mage. "Let go! Lady Heist, this is harassment!"
"Quiet," Elara whispered. She didn't let go; instead, her fingers began to trace the mana circuits at the base of my neck. "I want to know... what it feels like to have power like yours. Why do you hide it? Are you waiting for me to beg you to show more?"
My face suddenly flushed hot. My sarcastic strategy suddenly went blunt as she began to bring her face close to my ear. Her warm breath felt in stark contrast to the icy aura she emitted.
"Are... are you crazy?" I tried to look away, my voice trembling slightly. "Back off! You're the Prince's fiancé, remember?!"
Elara let out a small laugh, a sound I had never heard in the original game. It wasn't an evil laugh, but the laugh of someone who had just found the most interesting toy in the world.
"Julian? He's just a boring puppet. But you..." Elara gripped my jaw, forcing me to look into her eyes which now looked a little... unstable. "You are the anomaly I need. I've decided, Alex. I won't report you to the disciplinary committee. In exchange, you will be mine."
"Yours? What does that mean—"
"Starting tomorrow, you are my personal assistant. You will eat with me, study with me, and train with me," Elara smiled, a smile that sent danger signals to my entire brain. "If you try to run, I will make sure the Baron Grey territory is wiped from the royal map overnight. Understand, my pebble?"
I swallowed hard. This was no longer about politics or magic secrets. This was the beginning of an obsession.
'Damn it,' I screamed internally. 'I saved myself from being a background monster, only to step right into the cage of a top predator.'
"Oh, and one more thing," Elara released her grip, returning to her desk as if nothing had happened. "Never speak to that Saintess again in a soft tone. Or I will make sure your tongue can no longer be used for speaking."
I could only stand there frozen. My plan for a quiet life was not just shattered; it had been thrown into the fires of hell by a Villainess who was starting to lose her sanity.