“…”
Everyone stared at Lucien, speechless at his response.
“Why?”
“I’m not close with my grandfather. Besides, there’s no profit in it for me.”
“…That’s true, but still.”
Lucien was effectively safe.
Who would dare touch the biological grandson of an Elder?
That was something even upper-level disciples wouldn’t dream of.
In this school, an Elder was like the heavens.
To turn against or betray an Elder was the same as betraying the world itself.
Therefore, no one in this annex could touch Lucien.
“It could negatively affect our entire class. Evan might try to keep you in check, you know?”
“Keep me in check? Why would he do that?”
Lucien asked with wide eyes, and Hilde kindly explained.
“Because if you want to become a formal disciple, it’s faster to reduce the number of competitors.”
Lucien listened blankly for a moment, then let out a small, scoffing laugh.
“He must be using such cowardly methods because he has no confidence in his own skills. You guys aren’t actually intimidated by a guy like that, are you?”
“…”
Everyone lost their words at that remark. He was right, but still…
“He isn’t alone. There’s definitely a force supporting him from behind. Who in Pasadian would pull such crazy stunts alone?”
“Hmm… that is a bit annoying, I guess.”
Lucien rolled his eyes back and forth, thinking for a while.
Then, as if he’d hit upon a great idea, he grinned.
“Fine. I’ll do it. But I have one condition.”
“What is it?”
Everyone leaned in at Lucien’s words.
‘What… is he going to ask for money or a reward?’
That would actually be easy for them, since there were two noble children in the group.
However, despite his history of abuse, Lucien had grown up wealthy; it didn’t seem like he’d want something material.
The moment he stated his condition, everyone’s expression distorted simultaneously.
“In this upcoming practical training, make sure Anakin and I are partners.”
“…What?”
Anakin asked back as if she had misheard, while Hilde snapped at him with a frigid face.
“Just get lost. We don’t need you.”
Lucien glanced at Anakin, ignoring Hilde’s pathetic gaze.
“Anakin doesn’t seem to think so?”
“…”
Anakin was busy calculating. She was actually quite tempted by his proposal.
The practical training in three days involved 2-person teams hunting monsters outdoors.
Lucien was simply asking for Anakin to be his partner.
If he could resolve this situation, it was a small price to pay.
Not to mention Lucien’s skills were top-tier…
“Fine. Let’s do that.”
“Anakin!”
When Anakin readily accepted, Hilde’s face crumpled.
Anakin smiled at her, signaling that it was okay.
Unable to say anything more to Anakin, Hilde sighed and looked away in silence.
Anakin watched her, feeling a bit puzzled.
“I’m against it too. Who knows what might happen if we leave Anakin, an Omega, with a guy like you?”
Lute also looked at Lucien with distrustful eyes.
Just how little credit did he have for both of them to react like that?
“It’s okay. If anything happens, I’ll ask Teacher Chris for help. And Lucien isn’t that reckless.”
“…Sigh. Fine. If that’s what you want, Anakin, we can’t help it.”
As Hilde and Lute reluctantly agreed, Lucien’s expression brightened instantly.
He looked like an innocent child who had just been paired with his favorite friend, which made everyone feel strangely uneasy.
“So, who am I supposed to talk to?”
At Lucien’s cheerful question, the children all let out a collective sigh.
The plan was put into action the following day.
After the theory class ended as scheduled, the children followed behind Lucien.
They thought it would look suspicious and intimidating if they all approached at once, so they sent Lucien alone… but the truth was, it felt even more nerve-wracking this way.
Lucien followed the plan and approached Renya as she was walking down the stairs clutching her books.
“Hello? Lin…ya-nim?”
The children were all holding their breath, watching from behind a wall.
“That idiot. We told him so many times it’s Renya.”
Hilde clicked her tongue at the scene.
“…Pardon? Linya? I’m Renya.”
Renya’s face flushed at the sight of the tall, handsome boy whose stature practically blocked her view.
Lucien’s clear, innocent face and his white hair, which looked like soft fur, were enough to capture the attention of a young girl.
Perhaps it was because he looked gentler than Hilde.
‘By the way, Renya-nim… you’re a sucker for a handsome face.’
“It’s nothing else, but I have something to say to you privately. Could you spare a moment?”
“…Oh. Yes.”
She showed a hint of wariness at the suspicious opening line, but her guard seemed to crumble in the face of that visage.
She followed Lucien into an empty classroom as if possessed.
Fortunately, the room wasn’t very large, so if they focused and spread their senses, they were at a distance where they could overhear the conversation.
“My name is Lucien. I’m the biological grandson of Elder Lapitel Philo.”
“Ah… You’re the one!”
Only then did Renya realize Lucien’s identity, looking up at him with a shocked face.
Even though they shared a classroom and rumors about Lucien had spread throughout the annex, Renya must have been indifferent to her surroundings, considering this was her first time seeing him.
Lucien smirked and spoke to Renya in a sweet voice.
“I guess I didn’t have much of a presence.”
“N-no, that’s not it. I’m just usually uninterested in things… But what did you call me for?”
As expected, she became a bit more cautious after hearing that Lucien was the Elder’s grandson.
That was only natural.
“Do you know a person named Evan?”
“…”
The moment Evan’s name came up, Renya’s expression froze.
It was as if she had heard something she shouldn’t have.
“…If I said I didn’t know him, you wouldn’t believe me, right? You must have called me here because you know something.”
Renya began to step back, likely sensing Lucien’s intention.
Anakin prayed fervently for Lucien in his heart.
“I want to ask about the relationship between Evan and the 46th-term students.”
“…And if I don’t tell you?”
“Then I’ll just have to ask my grandfather.”
“…”
At that, Renya’s face turned deathly pale.
If the Elder became involved, they wouldn’t know what would happen to them for dealing with Evan.
“…So, out of the 47th-term students, you were the one to step forward.”
Renya gave a hollow, defeated laugh and looked at the floor.
She knew all too well that she had no choice.
The children outside remained focused on the conversation.
Lute whispered in a tiny voice:
“But is it really okay to sell out the Elder like that?”
He sounded like he felt a bit of guilt.
“They’re the ones acting dirty first, so we’re just using the same tactics,” Hilde said, viewing it as part of the strategy.
“Regardless, Lucien is amazing… even if we told him to do it.”
It wasn’t an easy thing to sell out one’s own grandfather so boldly and without a shred of guilt.
He was shameless and skillful, without a hint of embarrassment.
It was hard to believe he had been abused as a child.
Meanwhile, in front of Lucien, Renya’s pupils were shaking uncontrollably.
She kept shrinking back, worried that her words might harm her classmates.
But her opponent was the Elder’s grandson.
If things went wrong, the trainee annex could be turned upside down by the Elder.
“Just be honest. We’re going to find out everything anyway.”
Renya bit her lip at Lucien’s shameless remark.
“Sigh… fine. But promise me that you won’t harm me or my classmates.”
“Deal.”
Lucien’s lips curled into a wicked smirk.
“You can think of Evan as the leader of the trainees. And behind him, there is a massive organization. It’s a secret organization that even upper-level disciples are involved in. You can’t even look at that cartel, let alone touch it.”
“…Yes.”
“And you have to give them whatever they want. That’s the only way to ensure your safety. At first, they asked for small things, but as time went on, they started wanting more…”
‘In short, they’re like school bullies.’
In exchange for not harassing the kids, they extort money and use violence if they aren’t obeyed.
The level of maturity was exactly the same.
Anakin frowned deeply.
“Ugh… so many kids have been victimized. I’m in the 46th term, so I only know a fraction of it, but even that is enough to know that the number of sacrificed disciples isn’t small.”
Renya burst into tears, her emotions overflowing as she spoke.
“I see. That must have been hard.”
“It might actually be better for the Elder to find out. We who cooperated with them won’t come out unscathed, but at least we can stop more victims…”
“Exactly what are they demanding that makes it this bad?”
As Lucien asked with narrowed eyes, Renya continued in a tearful voice.
“…Actually, I was planning to tell the 47th-term kids someday. I hesitated because I didn’t have the courage… but they are actually…”
Renya tried to speak but closed her mouth again.
Everyone held their breath as she hesitated, looking as if she couldn’t easily bring herself to say it.
Then, a shocking statement flowed from her lips.
“They are performing ‘Human Sacrifices.’ Using the bodies of the trainees.”
