The Next Morning.

Class 1-A, Mage Course.

The morning sun filtered through the grand windows of the lecture hall, casting streaks of light onto the polished wooden floors. The room hummed with idle chatter as students settled into their seats, the noise of rustling of notes and the occasional scrape of chairs clear in the class.

“Hey, have you heard about the treasurer?” Whispered a girl with black hair streaked with golden highlights, leaning closer to her deskmate; her features were soft but concern etched on her face.

Her deskmate, however, grimaced, replying sharply, “Are you talking about the bastard who used female students to satisfy his disgusting desires?”

The golden-streaked girl nodded, her lips pursed. “Yeah. Apparently, his case has finally reached the teachers’ council. Everyone’s talking about it.”

Her deskmate snorted, crossing her arms. “About time. People like him deserve nothing less than being thrown out of the academy in disgrace.” Her voice dripped with venom as she leaned back in her chair.

News about the treasurer’s predatory actions had spread like wildfire through the academy. Students whispered about how he had blackmailed several girls into satisfying his vile desires. The scandal had reached every corner of the school.

“I really admire that Ben guy and the knight course’s girl for daring to expose him,” the first girl added, her tone softening with admiration.

“Honestly, Ben Dover deserves all the credit for bringing this to light,” the golden-streaked girl said with a hint of admiration. “If he hadn’t stood up for his classmate, who knows how many more girls would’ve fallen victim?”

Her deskmate nodded solemnly. “It’s brave of that knight course girl to speak out too. Without her courage, none of this would’ve come to the surface.”

Their conversation reflected a broader sentiment across the academy. From students to teachers, everyone was abuzz with speculation. How would the student council, the institution’s governing body, handle this disgrace within its ranks?

How could the students feel safe and assured under the protection of a person like the treasurer?

Step-Step.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew attention. A boy with dark blue hair and sharp, commentary eyes entered the room. He scanned the classroom before addressing the two girls.

“I heard something interesting,” he began, his tone conspiratorial. “People are saying that the other pillar of the student council knew about the treasurer’s actions.” He paused dramatically before adding in a louder voice, “There’s even a chance Alex Drakathor was aware of it.”

The moment his words settled, the classroom fell silent. All eyes turned to him, their gazes sharp and unforgiving.

“Where did you hear that?” demanded a boy sitting at the front. His voice was laced with skepticism, echoing the thoughts of the entire class.

No one in the class was going to believe just whatever was told to them, not when the one in question was Alex Drakathor, someone they heard a lot from their seniors about.

The blue-haired boy hesitated, his confidence faltering. “Uh…” He stammered, searching for an answer. He was never told what to do in this situation and only told that he needed to keep saying shit about Alex.

Before he could dig himself deeper, a hand rested firmly on his shoulder, bringing him relief. “Haha, he must have heard wrong,” came a calm, soothing voice.

It was Keryu, smiling disarmingly at the class. “There’s no way Alex Drakathor would’ve ignored something like this.” Turning to the blue-haired boy, Keryu’s tone grew more pointed. “Right, Darial?”

“Y-Yes!” Darial blurted, nodding furiously. “I must’ve misunderstood!” He rubbed the back of his head, attempting an awkward laugh. Relieved, the rest of the class dismissed him with exasperated shakes of their heads.

As Keryu returned to his seat alongside Darial, his smile faded. Frowning inwardly. ‘That guy Alex is harder to deal with than I thought.’

His carefully laid plan to sow distrust against Alex had backfired perfectly, if not for him stepping in to help Darial, he was sure that this news might’ve reached Alex as well. Even a minor insinuation against Alex seemed enough to turn the whole class against the accuser.

‘He wasn’t even supposed to be a character in the novel!’ Keryu’s frustration grew. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

[You were the one who altered the plot.]

Suddenly, a mechanical yet feminine voice echoed in his mind, its tone both melodious and indifferent.

Keryu’s jaw tightened as he heard those words for the umpteenth time. ‘Just stay quiet if you can’t help,’ he growled inwardly, silencing the system—his so-called golden finger.

The system, which was supposed to help him understand everything this world had to offer, became useless whenever Alex Drakathor was involved. No matter how hard Keryu tried, he couldn’t uncover anything about Alex’s abilities, past, or motives.

‘Do I need to change my approach?’ Keryu wondered solemnly. A dangerous thought flickered in his mind. ‘Could I kill him if I tried?’

The thought, however, was dismissed the moment it came. His instincts screamed against it, warning him that such an attempt would be his undoing.

‘Ben Dover is manageable,’ Keryu reasoned, shifting his focus. ‘I could eliminate him if necessary, but he’s more useful alive for now.’ Manipulating Ben into opposing the student council had been effortless. Keryu had fed him fabricated evidence, posing as a powerless but righteous person—something Ben believed without a shred of doubt.

But Alex? Alex was an enigma—a variable Keryu couldn’t control. He needed a new strategy.

He didn’t want someone he had no information about in a world he had decided to conquer. But maybe there was a way—a way to solve things which he couldn’t see right now.

He kept thinking of ways to deal with or do something about Alex, but his musings were interrupted by the sharp click of heels against the classroom floor as a melodic voice greeted the class. “Good morning, everyone.”

A smile spread across Keryu’s face as he looked up. He could tell who it was even without looking at the person who spoke.

‘Maleshia,’ he thought, thinking about how he was going to deal with her and make her fall for him. All of his plans were halted for now as his sister—who was still in his ‘father’s’ grasp—but once he settled it, he would be making a move on Maleshia.

At that moment, Maleshai’s gaze met his, and she returned his smile warmly, mistaking his expression for the innocence of a hardworking student. ‘I wish every student was like him.’

Unbeknownst to her, Keryu’s thoughts were anything but innocent. His schemes churned ceaselessly, even as he greeted her politely.

Meanwhile, across the academy, the atmosphere within the student council chamber was just as tense as the academy, if not more. The news had made its way to their ears as well, but that was not all, as the council had to make a decision soon—a decision about how they were going to deal with their treasurer.

Mainly because, by now, many people were already looking into this case.

And Alex Drakathor, ever composed, was right now, at the center of it all.

“I told you to be careful, didn’t I, Zyrrak?” Theron’s voice broke the uneasy silence of the chamber.

Alex’s sharp gaze flicked toward the speaker, his expression unreadable as he sat on his throne-like chair, fingers tapping against the armrest.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep