Chapter 278: Confrontations and Half-Decisions (Owen + Han)

"What?" The Headmaster stared at his grandson with a frown on his face. "Those two bumbling idiots were people under the castle and were employed by His Majesty Sargon?"

Professor Owen nodded. "They came from the King himself—I saw the brooch. Not simply attendants that by chance are located in the castle, but personal people who report to His Majesty himself."

"But their arrival was not related to the House of Crowel's own arrival?"

"No, Headmaster." At least not exactly.

The older man, once a renown Assassin, Headmaster Pierce, sighed and looked at him. "Who was involved then?"

Perhaps it was his age that made him lazy, or reliant on Owen—but regardless, he had the answers. "One of the men looked for Timothy Cook but stopped when he saw the confrontation between Han and of Lady Crowel—it is a little interrelated, but not entirely." The Professor thought of the events that happened just this morning and shook his head. "One employee of His Majesty, Gesth Carter has a grandson that was also related to the Crowel House. Other than that, I do not think that there is much more?"

"What is the reason for their investigation? One of them had shouted something about murder, and that's something that can disrupt the peace in this Academy."

A grimace crossed over Owen's face.

… if he said it was something about rats, the old man wouldn't take him seriously.

"I do not think His Majesty will reveal such information, but we can assume that it's related to him asking for the barriers to open up even before the Colossal Wyvern's attack?" the High Mage Pierce said. She sipped her cup of tea regardless of the conversation between the two of them.

"I think it only happened by chance—how the Wyvern ended up somehow teleporting to our location couldn't have been seen by him." Professor Owen Liddel folded his hands and then scratched his head. "However, His Majesty's intervention regardless of foresight or lack of it also brings the idea that something or someone is important within this Academy."

His grandmother didn't offer too many words in the first place, but she had a point.

He had to confess that it was difficult to imagine the King moving with no reason. The Professor sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Perhaps I should have stopped one of those Bodyguards, one wasn't even too high level despite his position. It should have been easy enough to stop him and the Beast Tamer."

"If you wish to offend them." Headmaster Pierce didn't look at him too kindly.

He chuckled. "I was only going to ask a question, Headmaster. It would cause no offense."

"Well then, I suppose it makes sense that the kids Joseph would bring would cause mayhem in their own way—it was only a matter of when. At least we're rid of one of them and it was something out of my control too," the Headmaster sighed and glanced out the window.

"I should send him a Message then."

"Of course you'd take a chance to do so."

Owen didn't exactly have any inkling on who his grandparents were referring to, but he had a hunch. However, for now he stood up. "We'll have to discuss this for another time since I have to excuse myself—perhaps we could sell the information about their visit. The earlier we can sell it then the higher we can earn."

It earned him a narrowed eye look from both the elderly people in the office.

"Do the two of you honestly think that nobody else would have sold it if it was possible to learn of it earlier?" he asked and raised a brow. "Three people working under the crown—or perhaps two of them arrived at Kraelonia Academy. The Beast Tamer didn't exactly look like someone the Chamberlain would employ."

"We're a neutral Academy and will not interact with this matter beyond this inquiry."

"We have to keep the Kingdom's trust and keep silent about this."

Both of his grandparents answered differently, and the two would eye each other—but then stop. His grandfather gave him a nod. "Thank you for the information, Professor Owen. You are now dismissed."

He wished he was dismissed.

But all he was going to do was attending the Academy and cater to the Students once again. The man was itching for the end of the day. If the Kraelonia Academy would not reveal this information, he had a feeling that someone else would.

It was also another matter of when—for now he stuck with his part-time job. He checked his belt pouch and whisked out a bottle. He sighed and took a sip, the delicious liquid coursing through his tongue. "Nobody really said anything about not drinking while on the job."

"Really?"

He glanced at Professor Lavelda and half-smiled. "We're going to be late to our classes if we stick around here."

"I'm here to update about the incident at the dining hall—it wasn't Han but Timothy Cook… or Timothy Crowel that was the actual son of the Lord of the House." The Wizard backed off the wall and bowed at him. "If you'll excuse me."

"No worries." he waved a hand and drained the bottle. He hid it back in his belt pouch and went on his way. Professor Owen almost thought he'd actually lose the opportunity to uncover what exactly was happening with Han and his secrets.

For now, he had another chance.

—

"Han?" Sir Leon de Harrington gave him a look.

He was standing in front of the Noble and refused to budge. "I have something important to discuss with you." The Illusory Mage had evaded him from getting interrogated, but he thought he could get information from this Noble with no trouble.

At least this guy was friendlier and easier to talk with.

"Oh." 

"Yes."

Sir Leon tried for a smile. "Well, we still have a class to attend? Perhaps we can do this after—"

"No." Han shook his head. "We have to talk about this now and in private." The Professor for this Class wasn't still around and he bet it was the same for the others—for whatever had made itself down in the academy's dining hall was worthy to be talked about.

"Sounds like Timothy all over again," Donovan grumbled underneath his breath. 

He narrowed his eyes at the Axe Wielder. "I heard that, but yes—it's important. Let's go now." Han needed to know what happened to Iola… and then what?

Sir Leon de Harrington gave him a sympathetic look. "Vehicles and animals like carriages and horses have their Acceleration Skills—if you wish to have stopped Timothy. You should have blocked him even before he left."

He leaned down closer to the man, "Not him." People were always assuming he'd go out of his way to chase after Timothy. The guy who made a decision to follow his half-sister? Han frowned and said, "You know where she is?"

The Noble's eyes widened. "You knew?"

"Of course I do, but now she's—"

"She's fine," he said, trying to reassure him. "I have made sure of all the accommodations—"

"Do you know where she'll be heading?" he asked. That was the only important information he wanted right now… because? What could he even do, actually?

The Noble blinked and whispered, "You have intentions to chase after? I am not sure if our objectives are the same and that means I cannot help you. What do you intend to get from this?"

What exactly would he get? Han knew that his desire for answers didn't make any sense and it might have just bordered on something bordering to obsession, but now he truly understood how important she was in terms of position. "Do you really think that a young woman like herself would be fine?"

"Are you judging someone based on whether they're a man or not?"

"No, but you know what I mean." Han glared at him and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "She's alone—why couldn't you have asked Donovan to come with her or something?"

Donovan raised his voice, "Oi!"

"She refused that and other intentions to delay her for even an hour," Sir Leon de Harrington said. He grimaced slightly, possibly because of the people looking their way, and spoke even more quietly. "We did the best that we could and one can only hope that she is alright, Han. What else did you want us to do? Even if I tried my best, I'm still not powerful enough to counter someone of a higher Class."

He made sense, he really did.

But Han Jing refused to listen and rubbed his face. "Hope? Seriously? That's all we're going to rely on for her safety?" He narrowed his eyes at him. "I'm not sure if I'm speaking to Sir Leon or someone else. You could have already gone and convinced her to stay or something like that… or at least stopped her, couldn't you? That would have been for the best!"

"I do not think that you have the right to determine what's right or wrong in this situation, Han."

Before he could say anything else, a door swung open and its sound echoed in the room.

"Ah, what are you standing there around for Han?" The voice of Professor Owen rang through the classroom as well. "Keep the 'staring into one another's eyes' for another time and sit down. I understand a lot happened and one of your classmates. Perhaps you know him by name—Timothy has been retrieved by his father's family. However, it does not change our schedule at all."

Han reluctantly made his way to his seat.

"Now then it's also a fit matter of discussion—how do long-lost children from Noble families get their Class? What of the Nobility that refused and turned down their Class? We'll discuss it a bit today and then return to our own lessons about Class Advancements of Warrior and Mage Classes."

… Han really shouldn't be here. He wanted to go out, but if the Noble's words were true—then perhaps it was better he just kept out of it. Perhaps everything would work out in the end? 

A thought like that just made him even more anxious. He didn't actually have faith in such a thing like that.