"How'd it go?" Professor Fitzburg asked.

  "We got a reward." Walking behind Amber, Adonis smiled.

  "He got a reward." Amber corrected.

  "They offered." Adonis shrugged.

  "They said that as a formality!" Amber said.

  "It'd be rude for me to decline."

  "You're just a greedy pig."

  "I'm starting to get the feeling that you don't like me." Adonis chuckled.

  "You're so bright."

  "I'm glad to see you two are in high spirits." Professor Fitzburg said.

  "I mean we are on holiday." Adonis shrugged.

  "Holiday?"

  "It'll be announced soon," Amber said.

  "Okay... Until then, go join the other students in the courtyard for rolecall."

  "Yes sir." They said.

  ***

  Academy courtyard

  More than four hundred students gathered in the spacious courtyard, all three grades lined up alphabetically per their class. In front of these students were the respective professors and assistants in charge.

  "There they are!" Standing first in line, in the long queue of Class 1A students, Maxwell Aster smiled cheerfully.

  "Vindicta." Holding her weeping sister in her arms, Vera glanced at the approaching students.

  "Tsk, if I knew the whispering weirdo was that strong I would've challenged him long ago." Still bitter from the loss of the damon, Luna shook her head disappointedly.

  "..." Tarzy and Lutz merely stared at the two Rising Stars, albeit for two completely different reasons.

  "You're hurt." Dropping her cold demeanour, Hiram frowned at Adonis concernedly.

  "I'm alright." Adonis grinned.

  "You should go to the medical facility." Hiram said.

  "No need. Amber will heal me... Right, Ambe-" When he turned to face the Light Prodigy she was no longer by his side.

  'She doesn't like me.'

  {I don't blame her.}

  'You never miss the chance to insult me do you?'

  {Why would I miss my chance at happiness.}

  'How low has the Mighty Devil God fallen?'

  {Don't start with me mortal!}

  'You started though.' Adonis frowned.

  "What's wrong?" Hiram asked.

  "Do your wounds hurt?" Hiram leaned forward, caressing the boy's face.

  "It's nothing, I'm okay." Adonis caught the assistant's hand gently and smiled softly.

  'I don't care that they're related, why's she being so touchy with him.' Vera shot Hiram a glare from the corner of her eye.

  'I feel like someone's watching me.' Feeling a shiver up her spine, Hiram pulled her arm back out of fear.

  "Hero Magic Knights' Academy Students, thank you for your patience..."

  "Here comes the long-ass speech." Toni sighed.

  ***

  "In light of the recent damon incident, we've decided to close the academy for forty-four days." After Elder Hercule's endless speech, he finally reached the point of the assembly.

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  "Please be sure to leave your dormitories in decent condition and not to slack off during the break."

  {Did you hear that last part mortal?}

  'You're going to torture me, won't you?' Adonis lowered his head sadly.

  {Of course!]

  "Enjoy your break, may Jupiter and the Gods of Olympus be with you." Elder Hercule smiled.

  "Finally!" Toni cheered.

  'If I leave now I can catch the cheaper carriages!' Adonis followed the crowd of excited students.

  {There's only a two-silver coin difference.}

  "Vindicta!"

  "Hm?" Adonis followed the voice and turned around.

  "You haven't answered any of my questions yet." Amber said.

  "I'm kinda in a hurry." Adonis said.

  "You said you'd answer."

  "You're very eager to speak to me, for someone who doesn't like me."

  "How petty..."

  "I'll answer one." Adonis sighed.

  "Good enough."

  "Did you also know about Wendy?" Amber asked somberly.

  "Of course not...How could I have possibly have known?" Adonis smiled at the girl and carried on walking.

  "Liar." Amber shook her head and walked in the opposite direction.

  ***

  Adonis's room, Dormitory Alpha

  With a large leather bag hanging from his shoulder, Adonis dropped placed his folded sheets in the closet and approached the room's large doors.

  "Hel-" Adonis opened the door and when he recognized the person behind the door he immediately swung it closed once more.

  "I thought I was welcome here." Scipio Mars frowned and stopped the door by lodging his foot into the space.

  "You're not." Adonis continued to try to close the door, despite the Elder's resistance.

  "I just came for some tea." Elder Mars licked his lips.

  "I've run out." Adonis said.

  "You're lying, I can smell the tea leaves." Elder Mars inhaled sharply.

  "That's ridiculous, how can you smell the tea leaves!"

  {That glutton probably can.}

  'I know.' Adonis sighed.

  "Speech magic: Absolute comma-" Giving up on trying to convince the student to move aside or destroy the door, Elder Mars took the quickest route.

  "Okay okay geez, I'll let you in." Feeling the surge in mana, Adonis stepped away from the door and invited the Elder into his room.

  "Thank you." Gratefully accepting the invitation, Scipio walked into the room.

  "It's not a pleasure." Adonis pouted.

  "I knew I smelt hibiscus." Following the scent of the alluring tea leaves, the vice commander walked toward Adonis's pantry.

  "What do you want? Other than finishing my groceries?" Adonis scowled.

  "To offer you my otherworldly wisdom... That's my job as an educator, isn't it?" Elder Mars used a kettle-like magic item to boil some water.

  "And ask you questions, of course." He smiled.

  "Start with the questions." Adonis sat on his stripped bed and stared at the Elder.

  "I'm glad you're so eager!" Elder Mars smiled cheerfully.

  "Before we speak, would you like some tea?" The Elder poured hot water into the teapot and dropped a few tea leaves inside.

  "Yes please." The first year suddenly broke out into a cold sweat.

  'He just wasted three bronze coins worth of tea!'

  {Oizys, this is getting out of hand.} Forever amazed by the mortal's cheapness, the Devil God sighed.

  "Do you take your tea with sugar?" Scipio asked.

  "Nope." Adonis studied the prince's movements carefully, calculating the price of each ingredient he used.

  "I knew you had amazing taste. I've been preaching the banning of sugar in tea, it diminishes the natural taste!" Elder Mars squealed.

  "I know right!" Adonis smiled.

  'Plus sugar is expensive.'

  "Haha." Elder Mars put the tea and tea cups on a tray and approached and placed it on the small wooden table between two sofas.

  {A prince serving you tea. You've come a long way Oizys.} The Devil God chuckled.

  "So what do you want to know?" Ignoring Eos's remarks, Adonis sat himself on one of the sofas near the table.

  Elder Mars poured two cups of fresh tea and sat himself on the sofa opposite Adonis.

  "Simple really, what're you going to do from here?" The Elder blew on his fresh tea.

  "What am I going to do?" Fetching his cup of tea, Adonis frowned.

  "You recently defeated a damon, as much as it's an achievement it also put a huge target on your back. Junius Cecil will want revenge."

  "Not only will Junius be after you, but many more. After killing Wendy during the outing you've made your name known, the traitor among the Academy Elders will be weary of you." Elder Mars continued.

  "There's a traitor among the Elders?" Adonis feigned ignorance.

  "I'm disappointed that you think that act works against me." Scipio shook his head.

  "If you think you're going to be safe in the academy you're wrong, you've also become target. So, I'm fascinated...What're you going to do?" The Elder lowered the teacup away from his lips.

  "What am I going to do?" Adonis tilted his head confusedly.

  "Yeah, you're too weak to keep yourself safe: physically and politically. In case you haven't noticed, you're fucked." Scipio pointed at the student.

  After processing the Elder's words, Adonis took a sip of his tea and pointed at him; replicating his gesture.

  "You."

  "What?" Scipio raised his brows.

  "You'll protect me... No one will try to mess with me once they know Prince PTC Scipio Mars the vice commander is backing me." Adonis shrugged.

  "Kid." Scipio's face straightened and he placed his teacup on the table.

  "Don't overestimate your value...What makes you think you're that important to me?" The Elder's Holy Aura began to seep out, causing the boy's bones to rattle.

  'Hm? I've never seen him mad.' Unable to move any part of his body but his face, Adonis hid his fear.

  "Because I'm the next PTC." Adonis smirked.

  ***

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