“Still think you’ve got nothing to answer for? I have many other recordings if these aren’t enough for you.”

The room fell silent at those words from Alex. Other than the faint crackle of the recording crystals still glowing in Malen and Lena’s hands, no other sound could be heard.

The one who broke the silence was Malen. He straightened his shoulders as a smug grin spread across his face. He tossed the crystal to Rodeus standing in the group.

“Well,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery, “I guess the jig’s up.”

Lena’s sharp eyes scanned the room, taking in the wide-eyed stares and slack-jawed disbelief of the other teachers. She crossed her arms, her lips curling into a sly smile. “You all really thought we were in this for the money?”

“What—what are you saying?” Stammered Elenara, her icy composure cracking as her gaze darted between the two.

Malen chuckled, his laughter devoid of warmth. “Oh, come on, Elenara. You’re smart enough to figure it out, aren’t you? We were never on your side. This ‘union’ of yours was a joke from the start—a pitiful group of opportunists too blinded by greed to see the obvious.”

Kaelyn stepped forward, her expression darkening. “You were spies?”

Lena didn’t flinch under Kaelyn’s withering glare. “Spies, infiltrators, whatever you want to call it. Alex placed us here from the beginning. We’ve been feeding him everything—your plans, your schemes, your pathetic attempts at rebellion.”

The revelation hit the room like thunderclap. Gasps and murmurs filled the air as the teachers processed the betrayal.

“You traitors!” Shouted one of the teachers, a wiry man with a shock of gray hair. He took a step forward, his fists clenched, but the look Lena shot him froze him in his tracks.

“Careful,” Lena said, her voice a dangerous purr. “You wouldn’t want to do something you’ll regret. Or have you forgotten that you’re already a criminal? Do you want your sentence increased? You are all already cornered.”

Her words sent a ripple of unease through the room. The teachers turned toward the windows, their gazes scanning the courtyard below. It was true: the building was surrounded, not just by the student council members but by a formidable force.

Among the forces of the student council were also the people from the families of the pillars of the student council. If that wasn’t enough, behind them were rows of supporters—teachers, third-years, second-years—all standing in silently.

Kaelyn’s jaw tightened as she turned back to Malen and Lena. “You think you’ve won just because you’ve exposed us? Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You’ve betrayed your own colleagues, your own profession!”

Malen shrugged. “Spare me the moral lecture. You’re the ones who betrayed your profession the moment you started exploiting your students for profit.”

Kaelyn’s hands trembled, but she quickly clasped them behind her back to hide it. She wasn’t the only one shaken; the other teachers were panicking.

“We’re trapped,” whispered one, his voice trembling. “They’ve got us surrounded. What do we do?”

“We could fight,” another muttered, though his tone lacked conviction.

“Fight? Against them?” someone else hissed. “Our sentences would be increased!”

“Maybe we could run—slip out the back…”

“And go where?” Snapped Lena as she heard the whispers, her words cutting through their frantic whispers. “The entire academy would support the student council now that they have proof. You have nowhere to go, no one to turn to. Face it—you’ve lost.”

The weight of her words settled over the room like a suffocating blanket.

Alex stepped forward then, his gaze sweeping over the group of teachers. His calm demeanor only added to the air of authority he exuded.

“I’m giving you one chance,” he said, his voice steady but cold. “Surrender peacefully, and you’ll have the opportunity to explain yourselves to the council. Resist, and you’ll face the consequences.”

Kaelyn’s eyes burned with defiance, but she knew the truth. They were outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and completely exposed. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to admit defeat—not yet.

“And what happens after that?” she asked, her voice laced with bitterness. “You parade us around as an example, strip us of everything, and call it justice?”

“That depends on you,” Alex replied. “We’re not here for revenge. We’re here for accountability.”

The room fell silent again as the teachers exchanged uncertain glances. The once-mighty union, built on greed and secrecy, was crumbling before their eyes.

Finally, Kaelyn let out a slow breath, her shoulders sagging. “Very well,” she said, her voice heavy with resignation. “We’ll cooperate. But don’t think for a second that this is over, Alex.”

Alex’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

As he said those words, Alex took out a fresh recording device that would record everything going here.

The atmosphere in the corridor turned tense as every teacher realized that every word spoken now could be used against them.

Kaelyn’s eyes flickered between Alex and Theron, her mind racing for a way out. Around her, the murmurs of the other teachers began to pick up, low and frantic.

Alex stepped forward, his sharp gaze scanning the group. His presence, calm yet imposing, drew every eye in the room. “I’ll make this simple,” he said, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “Where is Lilia Morningstar?”

Kaelyn’s head snapped up, her expression hardening. “We don’t know,” she said firmly. “We had nothing to do with her disappearance.”

Her words were met with silence, and Alex’s cold stare didn’t waver. He tilted his head slightly, his tone calm but laced with menace. “You expect us to believe your so-called union had no involvement?”

Kaelyn opened her mouth to reply, but Theron cut her off, his voice steady and unyielding. “You’ve already been exposed for crimes against the student council and the academy. Fraud, theft, collusion—it’s all there, recorded in your own words.” His gaze swept over the group, his eyes narrowing. “Given your history, blaming you for Lilia’s disappearance isn’t exactly a leap.”

The teachers bristled at Theron’s words, shifting uncomfortably. Some exchanged uneasy glances, while others stared down at the floor, their guilt weighing on them like chains.

Kaelyn clenched her fists, her voice rising in defiance. “You can’t pin this on us without proof! Yes, we’ve made mistakes, but abducting a student? That’s a line none of us would cross!”

Alex raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. “Then prove it. Because right now, the evidence says otherwise.” He let the words hang in the air before continuing, his tone cool and measured. “If you want to avoid the blame for harming a student—a charge that would significantly increase your time in prison—you have two choices: prove your innocence or give us the name of someone who could’ve done it.”

The weight of those words settled over the room like a storm cloud. The teachers froze, their eyes darting nervously between one another. The silence stretched heavy and oppressive, until it was broken by a faint whisper.

“What if… what if it was him?”

The murmurs spread like wildfire, low and fearful. “He’s capable of anything…” “We all know how unpredictable he is…” “Could it really have been him?”

Kaelyn’s eyes widened, her head snapping toward the group. “Stop it!” she barked, her voice trembling with anger. “You’re just grasping at straws! He wouldn’t—”

Her protests were drowned out by the growing whispers and the fear and doubt of the teachers feeding into one another.

Alex observed the scene with a calculating gaze, letting the chaos simmer before stepping in. He raised a hand, and the room fell silent.

“I see,” he said, his tone laced with amusement. “You’re all so quick to turn on each other. No loyalty, no backbone. Just desperation.” He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “But I’m feeling generous today. I’ll make you an offer.”

He took a step forward, his voice dropping to a low. “The first one to reveal something useful will have my personal guarantee of safety. Your sentence won’t disappear, but it will be lessened. You’ll avoid the worst of it.”

The teachers exchanged panicked glances, their hesitation palpable. Kaelyn opened her mouth to protest, but before she could speak, one of the younger teachers, a wiry man with wide, darting eyes, stepped forward.

“It’s him!” He blurted out, his voice trembling. “The leader of the union—the one who started all this. He’s a fourth-year teacher and the treasurer of the teachers’ council. He lives here, on the Fourth Peak!”

A hushed silence fell over the room as his words sank in. All eyes turned to Alex, whose expression remained unreadable.

Kaelyn’s face twisted in fury, her voice a sharp hiss. “You spineless coward! You—”

“Enough.” Alex’s voice cut through her outburst like a whip. He turned to the trembling teacher, his gaze sharp. “Are you willing to stand by that statement?”

The man nodded frantically, his fear overriding any sense of loyalty he might have had. “Y-Yes. It’s the truth!”

Alex held his gaze for a moment longer before a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

He turned away, his back to the room as he muttered inwardly, ‘They are so easy.’

With this, Alex was done with the teachers union.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep