Amon and Philip were focused on bending the iron bars. Philip was almost incredulous at the sight—they said nothing was impossible in this world, and sure enough, the bars were visibly bending.

‘Lord Amon has definitely changed since he started training so diligently,’ Philip thought, his eyes sparkling.

Amon’s rate of growth was truly remarkable. At some point, he had begun training earnestly and achieved impressive progress.

‘He wasn’t this strong before…’

Erin had changed many people, and that was one reason Philip liked her.

BOOM!

Philip grimaced at the sudden enormous sound from above. He looked at Amon with an anxious expression.

“What could that noise be?”

“I don’t know… sounds like someone fighting…”

“A fight loud enough for us to hear down here? Is that even possible?”

“I wonder what’s happening up there…”

“I sense someone approaching.”

Urgency spread across Amon’s face. Philip was right—someone was coming toward them. Amon applied more force to the bars, which had fortunately bent just enough for one person to squeeze through.

They held their breath as they slipped through the bars.

“Quick, find the key, Philip!”

Amon grabbed his sword and tried to move, but his wound held him back. He clutched the injury on his shoulder, which had widened from the effort of bending the bars. His face turned deathly pale.

Though they couldn’t be certain of Corelia’s intentions, staying here would surely result in death or being used as hostages. They could see the knight trainees trapped in cells—familiar faces, some even fellow classmates. One of them spoke to Amon.

“Leave us behind, sir.”

“What? What are you saying?”

“We don’t want to be a burden.”

The student who spoke had such a youthful face that he was clearly not yet an adult—probably a new academy enrollee. Amon felt rage toward Corelia for kidnapping such young students.

“D*mn it, don’t talk nonsense. I’m not leaving anyone behind.”

But time was running out. The heavy footsteps of knights began to echo through the hall—they would burst in at any moment. Philip watched Amon desperately searching for keys despite barely being able to stand, and made a difficult decision.

His internal conflict was brief.

“I’m sorry, Lord Amon.”

“Philip? What are you—”

Philip struck Amon on the back of the neck. In his weakened state, Amon collapsed without resistance.

Philip hid Amon under a desk he had been eyeing, where a long cloth completely concealed him.

‘Well, even if they find him, they probably won’t kill someone from House Hedor,’ he reasoned. 

Amon would make an excellent hostage—if Corelia captured him, it would certainly trouble Prince Ferdin, Erin’s fiancé.

‘Besides, in his current condition, fighting would likely kill him,’ Philip thought. That would make Erin sad.

What he had told Amon wasn’t a lie—his dream was to someday defeat Erin in a duel. But first, he needed to keep his promise to repay his debt to her.

Philip adjusted his sword just as the knights appeared.

“You! How did you get out?”

He didn’t need to fight to know the outcome. He was no match for them—these knights serving Corelia were too strong for an academy student from the beginner class.

Though the knights’ faces showed traces of fear, Philip didn’t notice.

‘I won’t be able to keep my promise to Lord Amon after all.’

He couldn’t die for honor, but he could die protecting someone else—a knight’s worthy end. With a solemn expression, he shouted:

“Come at me!”

Philip swung his sword, but as he expected, it was blocked with humiliating ease.

“How dare a mere academy student…!”

The knight who received Philip’s attack thrust his sword with k*lling intent.

Philip stared at the blade with wide eyes, realizing he couldn’t block the knight’s sword.

At that moment, someone else’s sword knocked away the knight’s blade. Philip’s eyes widened in surprise.

Erin had suddenly appeared and was dispatching the knights with single strokes. Each time she swung her sword, knights collapsed with dying screams.

Philip stared blankly at the knights falling before his eyes in an instant. Her movements showed no hesitation.

He remembered what he had said to Amon earlier:

“Do you know what my goal is, Lord Amon?”

“To someday defeat Erin in a duel.”

Yes, that might be too ambitious a goal after all.

‘What an unworthy thought for a knight!’ Philip shook his head, regretting his moment of weakness.

After defeating the knights, Erin approached him.

“Philip, are you alright? So you were kidnapped too.”

Philip sighed with relief upon seeing Erin, but then frowned when he noticed her wounds.

“Erin, you’re hurt? How did you know to come here?”

“It’s nothing. More importantly, what happened here?”

“Like me, everyone was taken by Corelia. When I regained consciousness, I was here.”

Erin saw the academy students trapped in cells. Corelia hadn’t stopped at kidnapping Amon—she had taken innocent students as well.

Erin’s expression hardened. She couldn’t dismiss Corelia’s words lightly. The warning that the Emperor would destroy everything even if Corelia died troubled her.

“Lord Amon is under the desk…”

Philip, who had hurried to retrieve Amon, suddenly froze. An ominously dark and sinister mana was palpable—so blatant that anyone sensitive to mana would notice it.

“What is this disgusting energy?”

At that moment, Erin understood what Corelia had meant. The energy was coming from the academy she had just left.

* * *

Alexis looked at Ferdin.

The mana flow he sensed was directed precisely toward Atenz Academy, meaning the Emperor had moved there.

‘He’s not even trying to conceal this repulsive mana,’ Alexis thought with a twisted smile.

It seemed the Emperor was challenging him to an all-out battle—suggesting he was confident in his power.

A heavy silence filled the room.

“The Emperor has used black magic.”

“…”

“The academy is in danger. The Emperor has used large-scale spatial teleportation magic to the western forest.”

“Father has finally made the worst possible choice.”

“You must mobilize the army, Your Highness. The Magic Tower will follow your lead.”

Hearing this, Ferdin squeezed his eyes shut. Though the Emperor was the worst person to him personally, to the imperial citizens, he was a proud leader.

Invading the academy meant disregarding the imperial citizens in the surrounding area. 

‘He won’t be able to distinguish between academy students and civilians when attacking.’

The Emperor had abandoned his last shred of humanity.

“The academy students are in danger.”

At Alexis’s words, Ferdin nodded. Rage boiled deep within his chest, but maintaining his composure was more important now.

“Father will pay the price for deceiving people and using black magic.”

It was time for a decision.

As soon as Ferdin finished speaking, Alexis issued an order to the mage beside him:

“Use spatial teleportation magic immediately. Bring Duke Asili from the marquis estate.”

* * *

Erin bound her wounded thigh. Beside her, Philip stood in a daze, his face deathly pale.

The ominous energy they had just felt left him unable to collect himself.

“What’s happening? Do you know, Erin? I’ve never felt such repulsive mana before.”

“I don’t know much either. But I think we need to move quickly toward the academy.”

Erin walked past Philip and stood before the cells holding the academy students.

“I couldn’t find the key anywhere.”

“That’s fine. We don’t need a key.”

Erin raised her sword.

Philip realized his worry had been unnecessary.

When Erin swung her sword, the iron bars were cleanly cut.

‘She’s the one who could bend mana control stones with her bare hands,’ he thought, once again amazed by her extraordinary swordsmanship.

After freeing all the students with a few sword strokes, Erin addressed them:

“Take everyone and evacuate as far from the academy as possible.”

“From the academy?”

“There’s no time to explain.”

The academy students nodded, though they didn’t understand what was happening.

She turned to Philip.

“Lord Amon is injured, right?”

“Yes, but Erin, you’re not planning to go alone, are you?”

“I have no choice. Take him to the temple. There’s not much time.”

“…”

“Please.”

Looking at Erin, Philip bit his lower lip. He realized he couldn’t help her in what she needed to do.

Erin was right. If they didn’t go to the temple immediately, Amon’s life would be in danger.

“Erin, let’s meet again. Don’t get hurt.”

With those words, Philip left with the academy students.

After briefly watching the direction they departed, Erin quickly headed toward the academy.