No More Pain For This Villain.

348  Nobody moves

I looked at Raven's steady pace as she walked just in front of me. It was just her and me behind her, with her friends trailing behind us.

"Raven! Where are you going?" Cecelia asked, hurrying to catch up with Raven.

"Move!" But Raven just pushed her off, and soon we were in front of the headmaster's office. I understood what she was trying to do here.

She was going to ask permission to leave the academy to attend her grandfather's funeral from Headmaster Stormborne.

Other than Cecelia, no one said anything. I looked behind and saw Adam staring at me, standing behind Isolde, who had grasped his hand tightly.

Was he still in shock?

"Should've just fucked him up good," Blaze said.

I agreed, but for some reason, I knew why I had said those things, and I didn't like what I was thinking. If that's the case, then things are going to be really messed up.

I sighed, and then my eyes met someone even stranger. I didn't know how to feel about her. Mary... she was keeping her distance and hadn't said a word, but she was staring at me more intensely than Adam, not blinking at all.

Raven pushed the door open. It's not that tough, right?

"It shouldn't be...but yeah, I am not going in there with y'all. I'll stay outside," Smokeball said, jumping off my shoulder.

There was no reason for Stormborne to reject her request. It should be a piece of cake.

---

**Five minutes later.**

---

"I cannot allow you to leave the academy grounds," Stormborne said calmly, leaning back into his plush chair.

"Why!?" Raven uncharacteristically raised her voice, leaning forward on the desk.

I was standing behind her, and everyone else was to my left in a group. Mary hadn't come inside but stood in the threshold alone. What's the problem of this bitch now?

"Because of the attack last night." Stormborne stood up. "Most of you here have seen the creatures that emerged out of thin air and attacked Eshmera when you were there for The Mage Gambit."

"Last night, I was attacked," his speech came to a halt when Isolde yelped in shock, but he gestured for her to be silent. "It wasn't much, but somehow something weird and unexplainable happened. I wasn't hurt much, but after looking around the academy, we saw a big hole, almost a small crater, behind the first-year students' dorms." He emphasized the first-year part.

"And what does that have to do with this?" Another surprisingly bold question from our usually shy Raven.

Stormborne scrunched his nose but then, massaging his temple, he said, "I understand what you are going through right now, sweetie. I really feel sorry for your loss, but I can't risk you getting hurt."

"Hm?" I hummed, and everyone's attention was on me. What now? Can't even hum?

"Who's gonna hurt her?" I asked reluctantly. I didn't like talking with these guys around.

"The same creatures. I suspect that they're going to be back again, and this time at Solstice, so I can't risk you students getting hurt. I can't allow Raven to leave the Imperial Academy premises," he concluded.

And I would like to argue.

"For instance-" I opened my mouth, but I immediately shut it when I felt a hand squeeze mine. I saw it was Raven's.

"I don't think the headmaster can force a student to not leave the academy grounds on such baseless assumptions," she spoke, her hand tightening its grip.

"In the Imperial Academy's rule book, there's a simple rule about the student's rights on when and why they want to leave the academy. The headmaster or anyone cannot question them or force them to not leave," she spoke again.

Stormborne sighed. "I can, under the safety act. I can keep the students in the academy for security reasons, to protect their lives."

Wrong, but I didn't need to prove him wrong because Raven's tightening grip told me to stay silent.

"Safety against what?" Raven questioned. She wasn't in the mood at all, and I understood.

"Against the creatures. You know that too—"

"What creatures? There have been no sightings after that one day, and I am asking to leave the Hestia Empire. There are no sightings outside the Empire. I am going to be safe and sound, so your statement makes no sense." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Okay, she was on point and on fire.

There was a pause for a while, and then came—

"Raven, try to understand." Adam stepped forward. "The headmaster wants what is best for you. It's not safe, and I think you should stay too—"

And things went south. Raven's head turned like a ghost from a horror movie in Adam's direction. "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO TELL ME!?"

"A-am..." Adam fumbled his words when yelled at.

"I have lost my family! Can you stop trying to make it about yourself? I do not care what you think is best for me! I. Do. Not. Care!" She went off.

Well, what was he hoping for? Trying to negotiate and father her, coaxing her like a kid to get her to understand why she should be the one to make a sacrifice.

"I was just—"

"Shut up, Adam. I am not in the mood to have a conversation with you," her lower jaw quivered, her voice shaking, and her breathing was out of control. "I... I'm leaving the academy. I am no longer going to be in this place."

Bravo.

It was the best decision, to be honest. For some reason, Stormborne is obsessed with keeping everyone here—like how he convinced my parents to not take me out, and now this. I had to stay because of the curse, but I don't think Raven has any obligation. She deserves to see her grandfather for the last time.

I really would've left with her, but for some reason, the curse goes off. Still, I can keep an eye on her—maybe I'll ask Alver to get someone to tag along with her on her journey. I'll leave the academy in a month too, so it's not a big deal.

THAD

The door opened with a loud bang. Mary was shoved to the side by—

"Headmaster!" Professor Devereaux had entered. "Urgent news!"

Stormborne walked toward her. "What happened—"

"Reva Kingdom is under attack."

Looks like nobody's going anywhere.

All out