We are soon ushered into a side room after the win.

Thankfully, the presence of the Headmaster calms down the spirits of everyone. Without this man, the entire world would probably be ruled in the same lording, unjust manner that I've witnessed everywhere else.

It's interesting that it's only at the Academy that I find this weird justice. Sadly, the Headmaster can't be everywhere at once.

The girl in rags walks ahead of us and both Lancelot and Orrivane keep sneaking glances at me and nodding at her as if to say, 'are you going to say something or not?'

I clear my voice.

"By the way--"

"Why did you do this?" Nimirea spins on her feet. "What do you gain from this?"

"You ungrateful girl!" Lancelot chimes in. "What do you mean why? My Boss is incredibly generous! Look at him! Generosity is all he has!"

I turn to Lancelot and facepalm.

"Don't listen to him. I was helped by your father, Sir Renquell, a while ago. I owe the man. And listening to the charges, it didn't seem like they were that bad."

"I was planning to overthrow nobles and kill them," Nimirea frowns. "You don't think that's bad?"

"It depends on the nobles, I suppose," I shrug. "Do you want to kill every noble or just the bad ones?"

"What kind of question is that?" Nimirea looks at me, consternated.

"It's a genuine question," I shrug again. "So, what's your answer?"

"I'm not going to slaughter people for sport!" Nimirea walks up to me and hisses in my face. "What kind of feral animal do you take me for?"

"Not an animal," I say, stepping back. "Just making sure I didn't save a lunatic."

"And you didn't make sure before risking your life?"

"Risking my life?" I raise an eyebrow. "The moment I saw these two," I point at Orrivane and Fatty, "I knew we'd take the Elves easily. I could read their power level and tell which Skills they had. It could have gotten uglier if we dragged it, of course, but at no point I was actually in mortal danger."

Nimirea frowns and looks at me with narrowed eyes.

"And what do you want, now?"

"I have an appointment with a professor?" I say back. "That's what I want. To go to my appointment. I stopped here on the way to that appointment and curiosity got the best of me."

"Let me see if I understand," the girl in rags says. "You came to a trial by combat by chance, entered as my champion, and then you claim you have basically not even a good reason for what you just did?!"

"Sort of?" I frown. "That sounds crazier than it is. I already had troubles with Elves and they probably want to kill me anyway. The Headmaster... you know what? Nothing. I gotta go. Orrivane, Lancelot, thank you for the help. I owe you both."

"Jacob, I will owe you for a long time. This is the least I could do. As you said, it was an easy fight."

"Easy?" Nimirea looks at Orrivane. "Who the hell are you three?"

"Two Champions," Lancelot comments. "And the most handsome Squire that--"

"Shut up," I take Lancelot by one of his fat arms and drag him away. "We're going."

"Boss," Lancelot clears his voice as we walk toward Professor Veythra's Class. "May I ask a question."

I look over my shoulder and I already know what's coming.

"Go on."

"Why did you help her? Is it because she's pretty?"

"I'm trying to learn from the Headmaster," I say pensively. "I don't want to waste my life chasing empty goals. Helping people for the sake of helping them is what a Knight is supposed to do. And maybe that's what Karma is? Like, maybe you help people and then Karma..."

That is NOT how Karma works.

"Apparently not," I say after King Baalrek's comment.

If it worked like that. No one would do any evil. Karma is simply a bond with someone's fate or something's fate.

"Then, what do we gain from helping that girl? You just killed some nobles."

Royal Nobles. That House is OLD, Jacob Cloud. Those are eligible for the role of King.

"We killed Royal Nobles," I correct Lancelot.

"I was just following orders," Lancelot says, suddenly paling. "Oh no, are they going to kill me too now?"

"First of all, you're my Squire. If we faced Elves outside the Academy, they would of course try to kill you."

"What?! I never thought of that! OH NO!"

"Lancelot," I sigh, "please, I don't have the patience for your antics right now. I'm worried."

"Worried about what, Boss?" Lancelot switches it up real quick. This guy is way more perceptive and cunning than people give him credit for. Much more.

"Those Elves were not that powerful, Lancelot."

"What?! They were all Diamond Rankers! We're still Gold Rankers!"

"I am a Champion and you have a Draconic Bloodline," I say somberly. "And our real objective is to tear down the Cult of Asmodeus."

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"WHAT?! I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR--"

"Lancelot," I say, giving him a serious gaze.

Lancelot shuts up and his shoulders relax, settling down. He does a complete change in attitude.

"The Cult of Asmodeus sent the Princess's brother, sir," Lancelot says with an analytical tone. "Azrakel Drazhal was far beyond what you can accomplish now. And even those other two Cultists were. Even if they kept sending people at the level of the other Champions, that's still too much for you. You need to promote your Class to Platinum Rank in order to catch up to them a little. But they will be doing the same soon enough. That means you'll have to always grow faster than the greatest talent of this generation. That is a tall ask, sir."

I take a deep breath.

"I'm glad you understand."

"I've always dreamt of this life," Lancelot says slowly. "And now that I've seen how strong the Cults are..."

"We'll take care of them," I say, standing still and turning to grab Lancelot's shoulder.

"We will, sir," Lancelot replies.

This solemn moment is interrupted by Lancelot's belly grumbling.

"Huh, sir..."

My own stomach grumbles too.

"Right, I didn't have breakfast myself," I say with a little cough. "Why don't we stop somewhere along the road."

* * *

Veythra has been waiting in her office after receiving a communication from Elder Karl, Elder of the Astral Library, telling her that Jacob Cloud would be on his way.

She's surprised, however, when it takes longer than she had expected for the young man to show up.

"Jacob Cloud!" Veythra looks at Jacob with a sly smile on her face. "My favorite student."

"Professor," Jacob says, looking at the red-skinned woman.

"Are you here for the private tutoring?" She asks with a smile.

"Not really," he replies. "I'm here to ask whether you have a Skill Crystal I'm looking for."

"A Skill Crystal?" Veythra raises an eyebrow. "You've come to barter with Infernal Royalty?"

He doesn't know I've already received word from my sister that he's to be cut off from every Royal-Grade Skill Crystal. She's also trying to buy them all off the Hidden Market. Soon, his progress will be...

"Which Skill Crystal are you looking for?" Veythra asks, eyeing the Squire behind Jacob.

That fat kid's body is incredibly powerful. Who the hell is he?

"I have to upgrade Hellbane's Sword, the Dark Blade, and Black Flame. But Black Flame is a Fusion Skill. I know that there's one Skill Crystal which would consolidate all three Skills."

The air between Jacob and Veythra becomes denser as the Professor laughs internally.

He must have really received one hell of an Infernal education if he knows about this. Iskara is not pursuing this path... this is a very rare variant of an Infernal Class he's going for. And among my people, that's a Forbidden Skill.

"You're looking for the Hellraiser Sword."

"I am."

"You're changing your fighting style for the future Ranks," Veythra comments.

It's not a question.

"I am never going to be as physically strong as your niece, as Asterion, Vyrrak, or even just Lancelot," Jacob points at the Squire behind him. "That's not a good way for me to fight. My talents are different."

"You want to become an affliction-specialist," Veythra says with a raised eyebrow. "My niece has told me how you fought Azrakel and what you told her. If you became an affliction specialist, you two would actually make a great pair. That move that you two pulled... are you gunning for my niece, Jacob Cloud?"

"What? Why does everyone seem to believe that?"

"Anyway, Hellraiser Sword can open the gates for Classes that are heavily restricted among my people, Cloud," Veythra says, looking at the young man with a measured eye.

How will he reply to this? Was he trying to trick me into giving him the Skill? Is it possible that he thought I didn't know?

"I know," Jacob says.

Veythra waits for some kind of justification but nothing seems to come from the mouth of the young man and she's left quite bothered by that.

Why is he not saying anything?

"And?" She asks.

"And what?" Jacob looks confused.

"You want me to give you a Skill Crystal that is known to be not just Forbidden to most people, Royal-Grade, but also to someone who's not an Infernal? Why should I even consider doing something like that?"

Jacob seems to take a moment to think.

"I don't know? I came here to trade. Is there anything you might want from me, Professor?"

Veythra looks Jacob up and down, pondering what, indeed, such a little boy could provide her. She's got already access to many resources and she's already strong enough to get to things that she doesn't already own.

Yet, there's something in the back of her mind.

Iskara is alone at the moment. I've tied my Karma to hers, but her mother is stifling her potential growth. That woman is too controlling. If she keeps on wanting to act like our Royal Grandmother, Iskara will never progress beyond the limits we imposed on her already.

"What if I told you that I want you to retrieve something for me," Veythra says. "But that I want you to do that with my niece."

"Ok?" Jacob frowns. "That's all?"

"Oh no. I know that you have deep knowledge of Infernals and that you seem to be wildly knowledgeable about our Skills as well. If you want me to make such a big exception and break so many rules, you going around dilly-dallying with my niece is far from enough."

"Ok? You mentioned the Dungeon and the dilly-dallying, not me."

"Indeed," Veythra nods wisely, still reticent to provide such a Skill to Jacob Cloud immediately.

Hellraiser Sword is a Diamond Ranked Skill Crystal. If I gave it to him, he'd advance too soon. If he gets to Platinum Rank before Iskara, he might even become temporarily stronger than her. I can't allow anything like that to happen. I don't want to see this kid dead anymore, but I certainly don't want him to surpass my own niece.

"What do I need to do, then?" Jacob asks.

"I want you to consult your contacts, whatever knowledge repository you have your hands on, and tell me what's the way to resolve this," Veythra says. "Take a few steps back if you don't want to die."

Jacob and his Squire take several steps back and Veythra summons one of her most powerful Skills.

"Devilish Sight."

Veythra's irises turn purple from the original light yellow and they seem to slightly expand. The air in the room shimmers with power, but she starts clenching her jaw. There's blood dripping from the corner of her eyes.

"This is a Mithril Ranked Skill, Jacob Cloud. It's common at my level, it's one of the very first Skills we get from our Ancestors. I have been unable to progress because it's too powerful for me to control. I don't understand what sort of problems it contains at the moment. What I need you to do is to look for any information that might advance it. If you provide me with information I find good enough, I swear, once you're done with the Dungeon, you'll receive the Hellraiser Sword Skill Crystal from me."

He'll never be able to do that. But I don't need him to actually succeed. At some point, he'll bring me whatever information he found and I'll just fake surprise and tell him that it is enough. But before then, I'll use this to stall him. The Dungeon he could probably finish in less than a week. I don't want him, however, to get ahead too easily. Once Iskara gets to Platinum Rank, I'll just give him the Skill. He'll become a force to be reckoned with if he manages to get one of the stronger variant of the Classes available to those who use Hellraiser Sword as the cornerstone of their Platinum Ranked Class.

"Well," Jacob says. "Anything that allows you to better control that Skill, Professor?"

"Indeed, Cloud."

"Huh. Are you sure? Anything?"

If you somehow increased my control over this Skill, I would bow to you and call you my grandfather, Cloud. Of course anything.

"Just do your best and come back when you think you have something that could work."

Poor bastard, he doesn't know that even though this Skill is very common, it's also one of the hardest Skills to master at my level. There's nothing he can do to--

"Are you channeling through the Median Sky Vein in your brain?"

"Huh?"

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