Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess - Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Chapter 45- Suspect
[Congratulations, host!]

[You have fulfilled the requirement for your first quest!]

[Rewards: +3 Combat points, +2 Points(can be distributed independently).]

[Ding!]

[Congratulations host!]

[You have reached the second threshold of Combat!]

[Tap to open the reward.]

Austin had returned to his room, and while taking a shower, he read the system’s notification.

He was able to land a clean hit on his lover, although through an underhanded method.

He knew that to land a hit on Valerie—someone with much more battle experience than him—he had to use himself as bait. Even during a spar, Valerie never ignores Austin’s safety.

Even the strikes she lands, albeit using a fraction of her power, make her feel regretful. If not for Austin requesting her to not only dodge, she would have never considered hitting him back.

“Let’s see…what is this reward?”

[Ding!]

[Whisperwing: A mystical artifact in the shape of a boomerang, imbued with sentient magic that allows it to obey verbal commands. It can alter its speed mid-flight, from swift and lethal to slow and controlled, ensuring precise strikes or safe returns to its wielder.]

[Limitation: Works only for an hour before enquiring a twelve hours of rest.]

[Note: It can be leveled up through stats points gained from QoD.]

Austin’s brows were risen as he walked out of the bathroom, with a towel wrapped around his waist.

He summoned the weapon in his hand and was surprised by the runes inscribed on it.

‘It’s heavy….’ Austin had to hold the boomerang with both of his hands and felt he needed to first gain some strength to use it.

“Whisperwing…too long….Whip? Yeah, that sounds good.” As he named the weapon, a greenish hue surrounded the weapon.

Austin tossed it lightly in the air, and commanded, “Slow down.”

The boomerang obeyed instantly, its movement shifting into an almost surreal pace. The air around it seemed to ripple and distort as it glided lazily, each rotation deliberate and mesmerizing.

Its polished surface caught the light, reflecting flashes of green with every turn, as though time itself had bent to the weapon’s will.

Austin raised his brows; this was quite useful.

“Okay, now speed up!” His command was heard and the boomerang instantly tore through the floor and went to the lower floor.

“Shit!” Austin cursed before he called, “Come back, Whip.”

The boomerang flew into his hand right away, and Austin made no delay in storing it in his inventory.

“The hell?” The resident of the lower room peeked up, “Austin? Why were you so eager to see me so early in the morning?” It was a third-year student who was still in bed, and the hole was created right above his face.

Austin apologized, “Just some experiment went wrong. Sorry, I will have it repaired by afternoon.”

The senior grumbled before covering his face and ignoring him.

Austin heaved a sigh and decided to ask Sebastian for help.

——**——

Walking out of the dorm, he walked a few meters before reaching the fountain, near which his beloved awaited him.

“You look pretty today. Did you braid your hair differently?”

Valerie’s cheeks were hot as she nodded, “I tried something different.”

She didn’t think her Lord would notice it right away. It was just a minor thing yet it made her elated.

Soon the duo walked towards the main building with their hands connected.

They were mostly engaged in conversation related to training and the tournament. They decided to talk about anything related to the demonic entities during lunch, in seclusion.

One thing is for sure: these demons are either too weak to be sensed by the soldiers guarding the Academy or too strong that they are hiding their presence brilliantly.

Austin knew that it was the first option.

The one who has sent these demons just wanted to assess the situation of the Academy and learn the premise so during the event, it could become easy to infiltrate.

“Just four more days…” As they reached the classroom, Valerie muttered under her breath.

Without asking her, he knew what she meant.

The sitting re-arrangement would be happening in four days, and Valerie was determined to sit with him.

“Don’t worry, I will go with you to ask the Professor,” Austin assured her.

Soon Austin walked towards his seat while Valerie sat in the front.

Rhea waved at him, to which the blond Prince just nodded.

Rudolph was sitting silently in his seat, rather than chatting to Rhea, which greatly surprised the Prince.

‘Is he not well?’ Austin wondered when the professor suddenly walked inside the class before homeroom time.

“Good morning class. I have some news to share.”

The teacher looked a bit hurried, and that urged everyone to pay attention to her.

“What happened a few days ago during the assessment trials, was not supposed to happen. We have questioned a few students who suffered because of our failure to maintain security and have come to a conclusion.”

The hot topic of most of the groups was the incident that transpired two days ago. Nothing like that has ever happened in the past.

Valorian Academy boasts capable teachers and reliable security. So, this might be one of the biggest crises they have faced in the past century.

It was said that the investigation was in progress, but now it seems they have finally found the culprit.

“There is someone from the student’s body who was involved in the incident. And I am ashamed to say, that the impostor is from the Apex Circle.”

A round of gasps resonated inside the classroom upon hearing that.

Everyone began whispering and murmuring about the allegation the Professor just made.

Not so long after, Rhea asked, “But ma’am, what led you to such a conclusion?”

The Professor heaved a sigh, “I was about to tell you all about it. Sit down first.”

Rhea heeded her command before the class turned silent, wanting to hear her reason.

The older one voiced, “The only person who spotted the barrier chanter was Rudolph. He was the one who disrupted the chanter’s magic and allowed us, the Professors to enter the forest.”

Every eye turned towards the biggest guy in the class.

Austin frowned upon hearing that; Rudolph wasn’t supposed to find the chanter. Canonically, he should have stayed with Rhea to help her deal with the devi. However, it seems, the presence of Valerie allowed him to think more calmly in the situation and move independently during the incident.

‘Did he disciver who it was?’ His unasked question was answered by the Professor,

“Although he wasn’t able to see the impostor’s face, Rudolph reported that it was a guy with silver hair.”

When the lady said that, the students instantly turned around to the only silver head in the class—the Vice President of the Student Council and the heir of Duke Runebound—Sheldon.

However, all those gazes didn’t bother the guy at all, and thanks to the Professor’s following words, no one dared question Sheldon either.

“However, with the vice headmaster’s help, we discerned that it wasn’t Sheldon, so no point in suspecting him.”

Everyone was aware of the Vice-headmaster’s ability to detect lies, as such, no one anymore entertained the thought of Sheldon being the impostor.

The lady on the podium added, “That’s why until we don’t discern who is the real culprit, the headmaster has decided to keep the students of Apex Circle away from others.”

“…!” The reaction of the students was quite varying. Some were shocked, some were enraged, and some were nonchalant.

“But why should we get treated like this? Not like we did anything here.” One of the students asked, his voice carrying his frustration.

“Why should we be treated like this, Professor? It may be someone from a different year who is an impostor?”

The Professor heaved a sigh and told them, “I know you all are not happy because of the decision. However, it is an irrefutable fact that one from the Apex Circle was involved in the incident. We have verified it, so until we take the testimony of each student, you all are restricted from returning to your dorm.”

With her voice turning a little cold, the Professor added, “And that’s an order.”

——–**——–

Austin inwardly rejoiced that since they weren’t told to return to the dorm, he could spend more time with his fiancée…

They can have lunch together, then walk around the garden lesiurely, then have tea together…then…and then…and…

**SQUELCH**

However, none of his plans, involved him getting murdered by Valerie.

“V-Val…” Austin looked at his fiancée in horror, as her spear stabbed his chest and pinned him against the pillar.

His blood dyed his white shirt crimson red as he couldn’t believe the woman he loved was suddenly attacking him.

Valerie stepped toward him, not a speck of remorse in her eyes as she said,

“It was for a short while, but you annoyed me to no end.”

——–**——–

A/N:- Damn….the fuck. Well, drop a comment and wait for the next chapter.