Chapter 94 : Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Marcel, who was tidying his desk, paused.

His body tensed slightly at the sudden sound of Eddie’s voice.

Marcel slowly turned around to face Eddie.

“You’re going out in the middle of the night?”

“Yes.”

That was the end of his reply.

Normally, a further explanation should have followed.

Where he was going in the middle of the night.

Why he was going.

When he would return, and so on.

For a tail to go out alone at night, it was a necessary procedure to obtain the young master’s permission.

But Eddie offered no explanation, only asking a short question about whether he could go out.

Marcel asked back with the intention of getting an explanation, but Eddie did not respond.

‘Are you saying you won’t speak first unless I ask?’

In this situation, going along with Eddie’s intentions was unavoidably upsetting.

Where was he planning to go in the middle of the night anyway?

Could he be going to meet Dean Devens?

No, if that were the case, he would have gone secretly without telling me.

With his skills, it would be a simple matter to leave and return without my knowledge.

Countless thoughts momentarily flashed through Marcel’s mind.

“…Ha.”

Marcel let out a hollow laugh.

The fact that he couldn’t bring himself to ask Eddie these questions directly suddenly felt absurd.

‘For me, the next head of the Kirhausen family… to be walking on eggshells around my aide.’

He had resolved it in his mind a thousand times, but it was instinct for one’s spirit to falter in the face of power.

He had been pretending not to be, but in truth, he too was wary of Eddie’s changed status.

Marcel smiled bitterly.

‘And even in all this, that guy has done nothing wrong.’

Eddie had never been intimidating, nor had he ever ignored him.

The reason for his late-night outing might not even be a big deal.

But he couldn't ask.

Even if Eddie gave him the opportunity, it would be the same.

In the end, Marcel silently nodded his head, granting permission to go out.

“Thank you, Young Master.”

Eddie bowed his head, but Marcel had already turned his body away.

Then, he gathered some study materials and left the room as if fleeing.

He couldn't bear to be in the same space as Eddie any longer.

The more this meaningless condescension and empty respect continued, the more he felt like he was plummeting to the bottom.

And Eddie watched Marcel’s retreating back with a thoughtful gaze.

* * *

Eddie lay on his bed, looking at the clock.

It was late, almost 9 p.m.

Marcel had not yet returned from the library.

During the exam period, the library could be used all night, so he would probably not be back until dawn.

For Eddie, who had to be busy tonight, it was actually a good thing.

‘It’s about time to get going.’

Eddie dispelled the Nux he had been rolling on his palm and got up.

Then, he took his wand and left the room.

The place he headed to was the academy’s Magic Training Hall, where the first-years would be practicing duels in preparation for the midterms.

There was some work he needed to do with a certain delinquent there.

* * *

9 p.m.

Alexein’s group, having finished their duel practice, came out of the First Magic Training Hall.

They were all perfectly equipped with various training gear emblazoned with their family crests.

Of course, all the equipment they wore was without a single scratch, gleaming like new.

It was called duel practice, but in reality, it was nothing more than occupying the training hall and playing around with magic amongst themselves.

The only one who had used magic properly was Alexein.

But even that was not for the sake of practice, but merely to show off the only high-level magic he knew in front of his friends.

“Ugh- I’m exhausted. My whole body is stiff.”

“Puhaha-! All you did was fool around on the dueling stage and fall off, what’s there to be stiff about?”

As Jeremy burst out laughing, Derrick made a motion to hit him in a fit of pique.

Alexein and Russel watched from behind and chuckled.

Just then, as if remembering something, Russel asked Alexein.

“Oh, by the way, I heard the person who was supposed to use the First Training Hall tomorrow canceled their reservation? Does that mean we can use it, Alexein?”

“Yeah, we’ll be using it.”

“Wow- Dickens really is different, huh?”

“The First Training Hall that others have to apply for two weeks in advance to barely use, for two days in a row! Thanks, Alexein.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Although his friends thanked him and praised his family, Alexein’s expression was subtly stiff.

‘…This is annoying.’

The person who was originally scheduled to use the First Training Hall tomorrow but had canceled.

It was Marcel.

The reason Alexein knew this was because he had also tried to make a reservation to use the First Training Hall tomorrow.

When a duel is included in the exams, reserving a training hall during the exam period is nothing short of a war.

There are only nine training halls, and the number of students who want to use them is overwhelming.

Therefore, the academy had made it so that training halls could only be used by reservation during the exam period.

And the cunning children of influential families, as always, found a way to exploit the system.

They would ask professors friendly with their families to cut in line for reservations.

Cutting in line for training hall reservations was one of the bad practices that Leodimir was determined to improve, but had been unable to do so due to the interference of the elder professors.

The reason Alexein’s group was able to use the First Training Hall today was also due to such a bad practice.

Although there were 10 members in their group, they had submitted their application late, so originally, Alexein’s group shouldn’t have been able to use the training hall.

But thanks to an elder professor who wanted to get on the good side of the Dickens family, who pressured the staff managing the training hall reservations, they were able to use it.

They had cut in front of a group of commoners who had submitted an application for 11 members long before.

Thanks to that, Alexein had once again become arrogant within his group.

So, he got greedy and tried to occupy the training hall until tomorrow using the same method.

But that attempt was blocked.

By none other than the pro-Kirhausen elder professor, Anton Lener, who had cut in line for Marcel’s training hall reservation.

Alexein was furious when he heard yesterday that Marcel, with only two users, would be using the First Training Hall after being pushed aside by Anton.

But the new information he heard a few hours ago infuriated him even more.

It was that Marcel had canceled his training hall reservation, making it available for him to use.

The staff member who came to find Alexein after school trembled as he delivered the news.

Because Alexein’s expression had hardened frighteningly as the news was delivered.

‘To think I’m picking up something that Marcel Kirhausen threw away.’

His pride was wounded.

But Alexein soon changed his mind and relaxed his expression.

His friends didn’t know the situation anyway.

So this was just a good opportunity to once again show off the power of the Dickens family to his friends.

Moreover, he had a good guess as to why Marcel had suddenly canceled the training hall reservation, which made him feel a little better.

‘He probably couldn’t stand the sight of Eddie Summerson losing to him on purpose in duel practice anymore.’

In the end, Alexein decided to choose practical gain over pride and took the reservation that Marcel had dropped.

After all, the one whose pride was more wounded by the training hall reservation issue would be Marcel, not him.

“Ah, wait a minute. What the.”

“What’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“My wand is gone!”

It was just as Alexein was finishing his reminiscence.

Derrick frowned, patting the inside of his training uniform.

The place where his wand should have been was empty.

He hadn’t realized it because he was fooling around on his way out, but it seemed he had left it in the training hall.

“Ah… what a pain……”

Derrick rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Jeremy chuckled and playfully clicked his tongue.

“Tsk tsk. You should be more careful, Derrick. We’re heading off first.”

Led by Jeremy, Alexein’s group chuckled and headed back to the dormitory first.

Derrick irritably ruffled the back of his hair and turned his steps back to the training hall.

Returning to the First Training Hall, Derrick searched here and there for his wand.

But for some reason, no matter how long he searched, the wand was nowhere to be seen.

“Aish- This is so annoying. Where did I put it?”

It was when he was grumbling and checking the corner of the training hall.

“Are you looking for this?”

“Aack! You scared me!”

At the sudden, unidentified voice, Derrick jumped back in fright.

The voice was right in front of him.

It came from the hard-to-see darkness in the corner of the training hall.

“Wh-what! Who’s there!”

The person who slowly emerged from the darkness and revealed himself.

It was Eddie, holding Derrick’s wand.

Eddie’s golden eyes flashed as he slowly approached him.

Derrick asked in astonishment.

“Y-you… what… when did you get in there?!”

“Right after you left the training hall, Young Master.”

“Why… why is my wand in your hand? Don’t tell me you…?”

“That’s right. I slipped the wand from your clothes. I wanted to see you alone, Young Master.”

“What…?”

At Eddie’s unhesitating answer, Derrick was at a loss for words.

Moreover, Derrick found himself unconsciously stepping back to avoid the approaching Eddie.

“First, I’ll return your wand. I apologize for stealing it.”

Eddie stopped his advance and held out the wand.

Although it was his, Derrick couldn’t bring himself to reach out for the wand.

But soon, his pride was wounded by his own tension, and he roughly snatched the wand away.

Then, regaining his bravado, he growled.

“Did your guts grow along with your fame? What is the meaning of this?”

“I told you. It was to see you alone, Young Master.”

“So what business could you possibly have with me…!”

“……”

Derrick, who had been shouting with spirit, suddenly stopped.

It was because of Eddie’s expression, which seemed to ask, ‘Do you really think we have no business with each other?’

That meaningful expression instantly made Derrick recall a forgotten memory.

The day of the entrance exam, when he had been greatly humiliated and had his weakness exploited by Eddie.

As that terrible memory resurfaced, Derrick’s expression crumpled.

‘Damn it…….’

Knowing that Derrick had realized, Eddie nodded with a meaningful smile.

Then, with his hands behind his back, he walked past Derrick and said in a low voice.

“Let’s move for now. We need somewhere a bit more cramped and secret, so no one can eavesdrop.”

“……!”

Eddie said it as if in passing and left the First Training Hall first.

Derrick stood there for a while as if nailed to the spot.

But he eventually realized he had no other choice now and moved his feet.

Eddie, who had left first, was already out of sight, but Derrick knew exactly where he had to go.

The place where, on the day of the entrance exam, he had been greatly humiliated for being caught trying to sneak in.

The closet at the end of the third-floor hallway in the lecture building, next to the restroom.

* * *

Eddie stood in front of where the closet door would open, waiting for Derrick.

After a short while, Derrick approached with a hardened expression.

“You found your way well.”

“…Aren’t you going in? Why are you just standing there?”

“It’s because you’re so impatient that you make mistakes like last time.”

“What?”

Leaving the irate Derrick behind, Eddie entered the restroom at the end of the hallway, not the closet.

“Wh-what the……”

Derrick followed Eddie in, bewildered.

Eddie opened every stall in the restroom to check if anyone was inside.

Derrick was puzzled at first but soon realized why Eddie was doing this check.

On the day of the entrance exam, he had been trying to enter the closet when he ran into a commoner brat coming out of this restroom.

‘If only I had checked this restroom first back then, I wouldn't have had my weakness exploited like this.’

Looking at Eddie, Derrick grit his teeth.

That cautious action felt like it was mocking him from that day.

After checking the last stall, Eddie nodded at Derrick and left the restroom.

Derrick glared at Eddie but quietly followed behind.

“La Amusiento.”

Rumble-

As Eddie chanted the password, the wall opened inward, revealing the closet.

“Come in.”

“……”

Derrick was reluctant but had no choice but to follow Eddie into the closet.

From the moment he met that guy in the training hall, he had a feeling that he had fallen into a trap.

‘No, maybe it was from the day of the entrance exam when my weakness was exploited.’

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