Chapter 227 20
In the principal's office within the Monarch Palace, Raphael was sitting and looking at the magic projection. He seemed to be having a conversation with someone there. That person was the homeroom teacher of class S, Jourelio Cronan.
Even though Raphael could see Jourelio's face in that magic projection, that didn't apply to his interlocutor. Jourelio could only see the darkness in his magic projection because Raphael used a spell to cover himself from being seen by him.
"What about the class S students who are in charge of guiding the guests?" Raphael asked Jourelio in a dignified voice.
"They did their job well, and everything went smoothly. But there's still something I don't understand, principal." Jourelio answered Raphael's question in a rather high tone. He said with great respect and worship.
"What's that?" Raphael asked Jourelio in an indifferent tone.
"Do the class S students have to do that? I think it would be best if the class S students keep studying and leave the task to the people from the Beast Kingdom." Jourelio still didn't understand why Raphael had asked the students of class S to guide the guests who would participate in the inauguration ceremony of the Arcuz Grand Academy.
Jourelio thought the task would be a complete waste of their time. Although he told the students that what they were doing was a socialization exercise, he said to convince them to take the task seriously. Because of that, Jourelio wanted to know the purpose of Raphael asking the students from class S to guide the guests.
"As you already know, I asked the class S students to guide the guests so that they learn to socialize with influential people from all over the Clorius continent. I also want those people to see the capabilities of the younger generation of the demi-human region." Raphael calmly explained to Jourelio.
"Is that all?" Jourelio subconsciously asked out of curiosity. His action made Raphael narrow his eyes at him. Jourelio quickly realized that he had made a mistake by being too curious about Raphael's intentions.
"Sometimes curiosity can kill a cat." Raphael said coldly to Jourelio.
Jourelio was in his office and fell silent after hearing Raphael's words. His body was shaking, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead. He held his breath and didn't dare move an inch from where he was standing. Not long after, Raphael finally spoke.
"My goal is very simple. I want the class S students to keep an eye on and restrict the movement of the guests. I don't want the guests to be wary because I mobilized people from the Beast Kingdom. Did you feel a surge of unusual strength this morning?" Raphael explained his purpose of giving class S students an assignment to Jourelio. He didn't look like he was telling Jourelio but was talking to himself.
"I also felt it, but I couldn't find the culprit when I got there and only met the kings of various kingdoms. could that surge of power come from one of the guests we invited?" Jourelio also came to where Kalya and Azalia fought this morning. He came along with the kings who also felt the power, but unfortunately, he was too late because the person who released the power was no longer there.
<br/>"I don't know if that person is part of the guests we invited or not. A third party interfered with my vision by covering the area with a barrier so that I couldn't inspect it. That's why I couldn't find out who was there. If only I could see one of the students there, I might be able to ask him directly." Raphael sighed heavily, and his tone sounded annoyed.
"There is a strong person in this academy who can block the principal's vision!?" Jourelio was shocked after hearing Raphael's answer.
Jourelio thought the academy's principal was peerless after hearing that Raphael could defeat all demi-human region's four kingdom leaders. He didn't expect that there would be someone stronger than Raphael and that person inside the Monarch Palace. Moreover, there wasn't just one but three strong people hanging around the academy.
"It was only natural because the world was vast, and many powerful people were unknown. But you take it easy. At least those guys won't act rashly under the tutelage of the class S students. But if those people dare to mess up at tomorrow's inauguration ceremony, they will die at the hands of my artifact no matter how strong they are." Raphael's words were cold and contained killing intent. Jourelio felt a chill run down his spine after hearing Raphael's last sentence.
"I can calm down after hearing the principal say that." Jourelio breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Raphael was still stronger than the intruders.
"You don't have to worry about anything else. All you need to do is supervise the assignments from class S. Don't let those guests roam around without a guide inside the Monarch Palace, let alone enter the restricted area where students gather. I don't want anything bad to happen to the students in this academy." Raphael said seriously to Jourelio.
"I understand!" Jourelio answered, and then their connection was cut off, and Jourelio's figure disappeared from Raphael's magic projection.
"I feel that one of the two people fighting this morning was the one who wanted to sneak into my office that night. I will find the mouse sooner or later." Raphael said in a low voice and slowly closed his eyes.
***
In another area within the Monarch Palace, Ziel, Clara and Lilith were walking around, seeing the splendor of the palace, guided by Princess Irene. Ziel saw Clara looking cheerful as she chatted with Princess Irene and Lilith. Ziel noticed that Lilith's attitude changed drastically after the two returned from Azalia's floating castle. Lilith was more talkative and smiling than she used to be. Her current face was full of an expression befitting a normal young girl.
"Irene, can we take a look at your classroom? I want to compare it to the classroom at our academy. Didn't you say you were also in class S, right?" Clara suddenly requested Princess Irene because she thought nothing was interesting in the Monarch Palace.
"I'm sorry that we can't go to that place, Clara. It is a restricted area for unauthorized persons. Unless you have special permission from the academy, you are not allowed to go there." Princess Irene said apologetically to Clara. She felt bad for having refused her request.
"You don't need to apologize, Irene. Those are the rules of this academy. Of course, you have to obey them as a student." Clara smiled and showed that she didn't mind it. She felt guilty after seeing Princess Irene's apologetic face. After all, she just carelessly said that out of boredom.
"Could it be that there are a lot of valuables or something that needs to be hidden from outsiders?" Lilith asked curiously after hearing Princess Irene's answer. She had already tried to inspect the entire area of the Monarch palace with her senses. But there was a place that she couldn't see because a strong barrier covered it, and that area was the main area of the Arcuz Grand Academy that Princess Irene had spoken of.
"I don't know the reason, but all guests are prohibited from entering the area without special permission from the academy. But it's possible that we can enter that area after the academy's inauguration event." Princess Irene only knew about the ban and didn't know the reason. Therefore, she couldn't give Lilith a clear answer.
"Hmm...is that so? We have to wait until the academy inauguration is over to get into that place, right? I'm also as curious as Clara in class S at this academy." Lilith pondered why the academy had placed a ban on that area.
"That area is the core of the Arcuz Grand Academy. The most valuable things in that place weren't the magic tools or artifacts inside but the students, the future young generation of the demi-human region. If suddenly a stranger came in and harmed them all, what's the point of this academy?" Ziel said after seeing the three girls guessing the reason behind the restricted area. He gave a reasonable answer and was probably Raphael's real reason.
Lilith, Princess Irene and Clara stopped walking and fell silent in shock after hearing Ziel's answer. The three girls looked at Ziel with skepticism because they didn't expect him to pay attention to their conversation and bother to explain.
"Hmm... why are you looking at me like that?" Ziel didn't understand why the girls stared at him silently without saying anything.
"Oh, nothing! I just thought that what you said made a lot of sense. Isn't that right, Clara? Lilith?" Princess Irene first returned to her senses after hearing Ziel's voice. Then she said to the two girls beside her because they still hadn't reacted after hearing Ziel's question earlier.
"You are right. I think that is the most likely reason." Lilith responded casually.
"That's one thing, but I didn't expect you to answer our curiosity, Ziel." Clara smiled and said what she was thinking at the moment. Princess Irene and Lilith couldn't help but smile bitterly after seeing Clara's innocence.
"I'm telling you this for your sake. Although the purpose of this academy looks similar to ours, in reality, it may be different." Ziel explained further to the three girls.
"So what you mean is that this academy has a hidden purpose? Do you mean to go to war with the human race? Impossible. I have heard explanations from my father and mother about the purpose of this academy, and I believe their answers are honest." Princess Irene quickly refuted Ziel's words. Then without waiting for Ziel to reply, Princess Irene opened her mouth again.
"They wouldn't dare to do that after all, considering they have the slave seal. If this academy had such a goal in the first place, my parents would have withdrawn from this academy after receiving the slave seal from you." Princess Irene stubbornly defends her parents and believes that they and the leaders of other kingdoms have no hidden goals in the academy.
Clara and Lilith nodded in agreement with Princess Irene's words. King Redis couldn't possibly dare to think about that after receiving the slave seal from Ziel, and he wouldn't let Princess Irene enter the academy.
"Hmm? I never said that the hidden purpose came from your parents or the leaders of that kingdom." Ziel calmly replied to Princess Irene's words.
The three girls were confused after hearing Ziel's answer. But not long after, Lilith looked at Ziel seriously because she knew what Ziel's words meant.
"Are you saying that someone else inserted his goal in this academy? This person should be the strongest and most influential in this academy, right?" Lilith asked Ziel and confirmed the meaning of his words.
"Is the person you mean the principal of this academy?" Princess Irene quickly understood the person Lilith was referring to.
"Eh? The principal of this academy did that!?" Clara subconsciously raised her voice, but she quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
"I'm sorry." Clara smiled apologetically to Ziel, Lilith and Princess Irene.
"You don't need to apologize, my lady. Since we talked about that matter, I've put up a barrier in this place, so you don't have to worry." Ziel realized that someone was always watching the people's movements within the Monarch Palace. Therefore when their conversation seemed to be about to lead to something dangerous, he secretly put up a barrier to cover them.
Clara let out a sigh of relief after hearing Ziel's answer. On the other hand, the other two girls were shocked because they didn't realize when Ziel put up the barrier. Of course, Princess Irene was astonished because her specialty was barrier magic. But in front of Ziel, her magic was like nothing. She could only shake her head and smile bitterly. She didn't want to compare herself to an absurd being like Ziel.
"Ooh, I forgot to tell you. The principal of this academy doesn't seem to be a native of the Clorius continent." Ziel suddenly dropped a bomb on the three girls.
"What?" The three girls opened their mouths wide in response to Ziel's words.