Eleanor’s lecture carried on for several hours before the students finally filed back into the main classroom for their end-of-day reminders.
“Tomorrow, I expect every single one of you to bring a weapon—preferably a sword,” Eleanor announced, drawing a gleaming blade from its scabbard. “I will be teaching you how to properly imbue metal with your magic.”
The moment her fingers gripped the hilt, the steel erupted into brilliant blue flames. Despite the blistering heat radiating through the room, the metal didn't warp or melt. A collective gasp rippled through the desks, followed by excited whispers about the morning to come.
Eleanor chuckled, letting the fire die out before smoothly shearing the blade back into its scabbard. “Alright! That is all for today. Class dismissed. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon~”
As the students exited one by one, Eleanor's gaze locked onto James and Elaine. James had his hand wrapped tightly around her waist, practically dragging her out of the room to mark his territory.
Arthur turned to follow the crowd, but a sharp voice halted him at the doorway.
“Arthur.”
He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. “Hm?”
Eleanor leaned against her desk, her eyes dead serious. “Come to my room tonight. I think it’s time I told you the truth about the Blackwoods.”
Outside the school gates, the tension between the two only grew tighter.
“James, you’re hurting me,” Elaine muttered, her voice straining.
James merely smirked, his grip tightening as he pulled her flush against his side. “You’re overreacting.” He leaned in, his eyes dropping to her lips. Elaine immediately averted her gaze, her stomach turning.
“You know, the more you resist… the more irresistible you become,” James murmured near her ear.
Elaine looked away in total silence, completely trapped in her own skin.
When they reached the edge of the campus, James’s carriage stood out like an arrogant scar against the scenery. It was a monstrous, luxurious thing—a deep crimson body accented with intricate gold patterns running along the panels, pulled by two massive black stallions. The footman stood at attention, bowing deeply as he held the door wide open.
James caressed the curve of her waist, gesturing toward the interior with a mock-gallant grin. “After you, my love.”
Swallowing her disgust, Elaine remained silent, stepping past him to climb into the cabin.
Once they settled into the velvet seats, the coachman snapped the reins. The stallions neighed, and the heavy carriage jolted forward.
Inside, the silence was suffocating. James stared across at Elaine, a smug smile plastered on his face. “We’ll be having dinner tonight with my family and yours at the castle… if that’s okay with you?”
He asked it like a question, but his tone carried the heavy weight of an absolute mandate. There was no choice here.
Elaine forced her lips into a tight, hollow smile and nodded. “Of course. I’d love to.”
Back at the academy, Arthur stopped in front of Eleanor’s door, letting out a breath.
Huh. It’s a miracle I didn’t get lost this time, he thought, a faint smile touching his lips. I wonder if Eleanor left a subtle trail of her mana just to guide me here.
He knocked three times against the heavy wood.
A moment later, the door swung open. Eleanor stood on the other side, giving him a silent, knowing nod before gesturing for him to step inside.
As she closed the door behind them, Arthur took in the room. It wasn’t the pristine, orderly quarters of a typical professor. Instead, the walls were practically plastered with loose parchment—pages torn from ancient spellbooks, complex arrays, and intricate offensive magic circles scratched out in frantic ink.
Eleanor caught him looking and smirked. “What? A good instructor never stops studying.”
She walked over to her bed and flopped face-first onto the mattress, burying her face into the pillow for a second while her legs dangled lazily off the edge. With a heavy sigh, she rolled onto her back and patted the empty space beside her.
“You can lie down beside me, Arthur. I don't bite.”
Arthur chuckled, shaking his head at her casual disregard for propriety. “I think I’ll just sit right here,” he replied, pulling up a spot at the edge of the mattress.
Once he settled in, the playful air evaporated from the room. Eleanor’s expression turned dead serious as she stared up at the ceiling.
“About the Blackwoods…” she began, her voice dropping an octave.
Arthur nodded, his posture tightening. “Tell me everything you know about them.”
“The Blackwoods are the current rulers of Sideropyr, our neighboring kingdom,” Eleanor began, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. “Their military might is unmatched. They are the true vanguard against the demons.”
She paused, a bitter edge creeping into her voice. “They are the only nation that consistently manages to repel the Demon Lords. That is solely because their royal family houses two high-ranking mages, and they hold an exclusive defense contract with the Grand Master of the Holy Church’s Paladins.”
“So, they’re basically a military dictatorship masquerading as a kingdom?” Arthur asked, his voice flat.
“Exactly. Which is why weaker nations desperately crawl to them for alliances. But the price of their protection…” Eleanor’s face turned visibly grim, her jaw tightening. “Any kingdom seeking an alliance must pay a mandatory tribute every single month.”
“A tribute?” Arthur’s brow furrowed. “Like gold? Raw resources?”
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Eleanor shook her head, a cold, heavy silence falling over the room. “Sideropyr has more wealth than they know what to do with, Arthur. They don't want money. They demand... women.”
Arthur’s posture went completely rigid. “Women?”
Is this what Elaine meant? The memory of her words flashed through his mind, suddenly taking on a horrific clarity. Women being treated as nothing more than commodities...
“Every month, these allied kingdoms send a quota of women to Sideropyr under the official guise of 'foreign aid',” Eleanor said, her voice trembling slightly. “But once they arrive at the capital, they are—”
Arthur caught the sharp spike of pain in her mana and raised a hand, cutting her off softly. “You don’t have to finish that sentence, Eleanor. I already got the gist.”
Meanwhile, inside the grand dining hall of Sideropyr Castle, a massive banquet table groaned under the weight of absolute decadence. There was steaming roasted chicken, a whole roasted pig with an apple wedged tightly into its jaws, and dozens of thick steaks oozing savory juices onto beds of crisp cabbage. A massive silver bowl overflowed with vibrant, glistening grapes.
At the right side of the long table sat Elaine’s family, the Sinclairs. King and Queen Sinclair shared Elaine's distinct hair color, though a few shades darker, paired with the same striking blue eyes.
The left side of the table was occupied by James and Elaine, forced to sit side-by-side.
Presiding over the entire feast from the head of the table was King Blackwood himself, his sharp, piercing green eyes framed by a mane of stone-grey hair.
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“So, James,” King Blackwood boomed, his voice echoing off the stone walls before dissolving into a harsh cackle. “How is your experience at the Phoenix Academy? I’ve heard you and Elaine have gotten even closer.”
James laughed along with his father, the sound dripping with unearned arrogance. “We have, Father. We’re much closer than before.”
He turned his head, staring down at Elaine. A shallow, performative smile plastered his face. “Isn’t that right, my love?”
Elaine’s eyes remained glued to her plate. “Yeah…” she whispered, the syllable sounding entirely hollow.
James’s eyes lingered longer than necessary on Elaine, tracing down her legs beneath her skirt before he straightened his gaze.
King Blackwood turned toward Elaine’s parents. “I trust that the supply chain has been taken care of? The rations you bring every month are getting thin.”
“Our lands have been deprived of nutrients lately—” King Sinclair started, but he was instantly cut off.
“So that’s my fault?” King Blackwood snapped.
“N-No… I’m just saying that our agriculture is suffering from a drought lately. The rivers near our farms—” King Sinclair tried to explain, but he was cut off yet again.
“Why don’t you reduce your people’s food supply? You clearly don’t need it. My army is expanding every week, and your dwindling rations are not enough to sustain my soldiers’ stomachs,” King Blackwood demanded.
King Sinclair’s expression turned grim. “But I can’t do that. My people are only eating once a day, and the food they get is barely a quarter of a loaf of bread. They’re already starving and malnourished. If I reduce it even further—”
He was cut off once more.
“Perhaps I should reconsider my alliance with your kingdom,” King Blackwood said coldly.
King Sinclair swallowed hard, looking absolutely terrified.
He suddenly burst into laughter. “I’m just messing with you! How could I do that to my son’s future in-laws?”
Both King and Queen Sinclair laughed nervously. Elaine forced a fake smile, trying to look amused while King Blackwood and his son cackled.
“That was a nice joke, Father,” James laughed. “You really had them. Just look at their faces.”
King Blackwood turned his gaze back to Elaine. “You know what? How about Elaine stays here for the night with James?”
King Sinclair gripped the tablecloth tightly, his knuckles turning white, until Queen Sinclair placed a calming hand over his.
“I mean, they can check how compatible they are tonight. And they are of the right age,” King Blackwood added.
James smirked, while Elaine looked deeply uncomfortable with the suggestion.
James spoke up next. “We’ll make lots of babies for sure,” he said, before bursting into laughter.
Elaine sneered, unable to hide her disgust any longer.
James noticed and leaned closer, forcing Elaine to look away, which accidentally exposed her neck to him. He leaned in even further, breathing heavily against her skin before taking a slow sniff, his eyes filling with lust.
King Blackwood saw this and laughed. “Look! My son is completely smitten by your daughter.”
An old woman dressed in a regal outfit walked in. “That’s quite enough, Blackwood. You will follow our marriage traditions. We may be depending on your military power for safety, but we’re the ones supplying your army with rations. You don’t have the right to walk all over us.”
Elaine’s eyes instantly lit up. Grandma! she thought.
“Oh? Let’s not forget that this puny little kingdom of yours would have been wiped off the map by those demons if it weren’t for my army protecting you all,” King Blackwood retorted. “I was simply asking for a gesture of appreciation from your family.”
“By making my granddaughter share a bed with your son without being properly wedded? I don’t think so,” the former queen responded firmly.
King Blackwood burst into laughter. “What? It’s just a little fun for one night. Surely a single night of love wouldn’t hurt.”
James smirked. “Let them go, Father.” He looked back at Elaine, licking his lips before adding, “Waiting is much better. It makes things exciting.”
King Blackwood laughed. “What a gentleman! Fine, your family can go.” He then turned to James. “Escort your fiancée and future in-laws.”
James nodded and stood up, following the Sinclairs. A few guards, armed to the teeth in silver armor, trailed closely behind the prince.
As James escorted them out, he once again wrapped his arm possessively around Elaine’s waist.
Arthur… Please… Please... I need you… she wished in her mind, chanting his name like a prayer.
Back at the academy, Arthur suddenly looked over his shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” Eleanor asked.
“Nothing… It’s just… I felt a chill,” he responded.
Eleanor closed her eyes. “Please stay with me, Arthur… I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
“Okay, but I’m sleeping on the floor,” Arthur replied.
Eleanor opened her eyes, shaking her head as she chuckled softly at his stubbornness. She closed them once more, a faint smile lingering on her lips.
As Eleanor’s world plunged into darkness…
“Get out of here while you still can, honey. Your father and I will hold them back,” a desperate voice pleaded.
What’s this…? Eleanor thought to herself.
“No! Mom! Dad!” the squeaking voice of a little girl cried out.
“Please, honey. You have to get out of here!” the same voice urged, while the sound of someone trying to break through a wooden door echoed in the background.
This is… Eleanor muttered in her thoughts.
The world was blurry, as if she were opening her eyes underwater, but Eleanor could make out the silhouettes. Two figures—a man and a woman—stood before her, and she seemed to be trapped inside the body of a child.
The banging grew even louder, followed by the sound of the wooden door finally collapsing. Heavy footsteps echoed alongside the clanging of armor.
No… Please… Not my parents… Please… she thought to herself.
A loud squelch and a sharp crack rang out. Immediately after, the desperate, pleading voices fell dead silent. Two heavy thuds followed, sounding like bodies collapsing to the ground.
No… No… No… NO! she screamed internally.
She tried to scream out loud, but her lungs felt completely empty, as if she were deeply submerged underwater. She couldn’t make a sound, nor could she flail her limbs. She was just a spectator, forced to watch her own horrifying reality unfold.
Eleanor’s eyes suddenly snapped open, a single tear spilling from her left eye.
But what caught her completely off guard was Arthur, leaning over her with deep worry in his eyes. “Eleanor? Are you okay?”
Eleanor let out a soft laugh, trying to shrug it off. “It’s nothing… I just had a little nightmare,” she said, wiping the stray tear away.
“Eleanor…” he whispered, his eyes locked onto hers. “You’re safe with me.”
Those four words broke down whatever walls she had left. Eleanor burst into tears and buried her face into Arthur’s chest. He didn't hesitate, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly against him.
So, her teasing personality was simply a mask to hide her pain… Arthur thought, tightening his embrace. I’ll protect her… No, all of them. Elaine… Aunt Alice… Eleanor… Flora… Everyone. No one deserves to suffer like this.
To Be Continued...