Chapter 426 – Before The Hearing.

“Hey, have you heard?”

“No, did something happen?”

“Indeed, the Lady from the Castellane household didn’t return to her dorm room, everyone has been talking about it!”

“She hasn’t returned? Did she elope with one of the seniors and run away?”

The news of Viola Castellane’s disappearance spread like wildfire among the students of the Institute. Rumors and speculations flourished, filling the air with hushed conversations in corridors and dormitories. While the official stance from the Institute was that Viola was on a temporary leave due to personal matters, the truth was far more complicated and the hearing was imminent.

Roland, the man responsible for overseeing the unruly noble, didn’t get much sleep the previous night. Alongside Thorne, he had prepared himself for the mage council meeting that would determine Viola’s fate. This decision was closely tied to Lucienne’s future, whom he considered a victim. He wasn’t sure how the other mages would perceive it, considering she had still entered the training room with the other mages. It was possible that she would be deemed unworthy of attending the Institute as well, which would probably be a devastating blow to his younger sister.

‘It would be better if someone like Robert was here…’

As he walked through the halls of the Enforcement department, he let out a sigh. Despite being her older brother, this fact remained unknown to Lucienne. Roland could only speculate on how alone she must be feeling in a school that had already failed her. No one had come to her aid before, and without Roland’s intervention, the bullying would likely have persisted. He wished he could send for his older brother to keep his sister company, but there was neither time nor any way to reach him, even through magical means.

‘I haven’t been able to reach out to him for a while now, could he also be in trouble? My only clue would be Lucille De Vere but she didn’t answer the call either… ‘

It appeared that he was on his own here, and ensuring his sister’s safety became his priority. Some of the other teachers were giving him strange looks, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they were on the Castellane payroll. Fortunately, after defeating the Magic Swordmaster, his strength had been confirmed, and to many, it wasn’t worth the risk to confront someone seemingly as powerful as him.

‘Well, not like they would let Robert into the Institute anyway, but that goes the same for any other nobles.’

For the time being, he wouldn’t need to worry about any pesky nobles sending their armies into the magical institute. It functioned as a sort of neutral zone sanctioned by the Royal family. Even powerful noble families couldn’t simply enter. Instead, they depended on teachers like his main opponent, Professor Delauder. All they needed to do was sponsor him, and he turned into a loyal supporter.

“When will you get it through that empty skull of yours? You can’t enter, Pops said so!”

“There must have been some kind of mistake, how can you…”

“Just go away already, no one can see this student.”

Roland heard people engaged in a loud conversation and quickened his pace, recognizing this as the location where his sister was being kept. Thorne had assured him that some trustworthy individuals would be guarding her, and they appeared to be doing their job diligently. Upon turning the corner, he observed a group of three enforcers in a heated argument with two others who were positioned at the door.

Delauder wasn’t the only person on the noble payroll, and there were others who saw this as a chance to gain some favors as well. The easiest way was by threatening one of the main witnesses, which was Lucienne. The loud voice belonged to quite a small person, a gnome lady who was half the size of everyone else. She had a wild look in her eyes while shouting at the three men before her. Her partner on the side was someone of similar height but somewhat different, a halfling male. The two made a strange duo, but their mana was strong and close to the pinnacle of tier 2.

“We will not leave until we question the suspect.”

“Question? You mean interrogate? It ain’t going to work, just buzz off.”

The short woman replied while shaking her head, and her partner just crossed his arms while grinning mischievously. The tension in the air escalated as Roland approached, his taller frame casting a shadow over the arguing group. The halfling and gnome turned their attention to him, instantly recognizing his enforcer robe.

“Well, well, what do we have here? Aren’t you the famous newbie that is responsible for this mess?”

Roland calmly looked at the gnome woman that was grinning his way and soon glanced in the direction of the three other enforcers. They were clearly not thrilled by his appearance and were clearly on high alert after they saw him. The information that he was a ferocious combatant probably already reached everyone’s ears which to some degree made things now easier.

“I’m here to guide Lucienne Arden to the hearing.”

“Sure thing, go right through.”

He was given a wink before the gnomish woman wiggled her finger. Some mana left it and collided with the magical door, which quickly swung open. Roland nodded in response and headed inside, while the other enforcers continued to protest.

“Why can he go in while we can’t?”

“Didn’t you hear? He is here to take her away just like pops said, do you want to go against his orders? Want me to report all of you?”

“If the Department head ordered it…”

The group of three finally relented after hearing that they would be reported to Thorne. Roland didn’t really care as he vanished into the magical room, a space designed for interrogating or holding people. It wasn’t as small as a prison cell, but it reminded him of his old dorm room that he had to share with another person.

“Lucienne Arden?”

“Ah yes!”

His sister had been lying on the bed before he entered and quickly jumped off it to greet him. The sparkle that usually accompanied her expressions had dulled and it was apparent that she hadn’t slept at all. She seemed restless and it wasn’t surprising considering the recent events. Even though she was exhausted, she performed a curtsy to greet him.

“I wasn’t able to, but please accept my gratitude! I don’t have anything to offer as thanks, but I’m sure that later…”

“There is no need to thank me, I was just doing my job. Are you feeling well? Have you eaten something yet?”

“Eaten something? No not really…”

Almost as if on cue Lucienne’s tummy started rumbling. Due to the circumstances, Thorne was afraid to have anyone talk to the main witness. However, it also was clear that they didn’t think that giving her food for the short stay was necessary. It was seven in the morning and only a few hours had passed since the incident.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Take a seat, the hearing will start in half an hour.”

Lucienne had a perplexed expression on her face but for some reason, she did seem a lot less tense now that he was here. He wasn’t sure if the clairvoyance skill had something to do with it or if she had some kind of intuition that he was not her enemy.

After she sat down, he reached into his chest, which at first scared her. Not much time had passed since his trip here, so he still had some leftover cooking from his wife. Thanks to the pocket dimension and some specialized magic that wouldn’t allow it to rot, there was no need for a microwave to heat it either.

“I don’t have much, but it should be enough to keep you going until the hearing is over.”

“This is?”

”It’s just a sandwich. Ah, nobles don’t really eat them but don’t be alarmed, it’s fresh and quite tasty.”

Lucienne looked at the sandwich with some interest. While this food existed within this world, it wasn’t widely spread in noble circles, which preferred eating full-course meals. It was something adventurers liked to take along, as they could pack it full of everything and not just be forced to eat dried meat for the whole trip. Roland handed her a small box containing some warm sandwiches and a flask of tea. Lucienne’s eyes widened in surprise as she accepted the food.

“You didn’t have to do this for me. Thank you so much!”