Chapter 69 - The Beginning of a New Journey

In a hidden realm shrouded in shadows, a woman with hair as white as ethereal moonbeams was ensnared by thousands of chains, as if her very essence had been bound.

Her eyes, a mesmerizing hue of regal amethyst, concealed a tempest of emotions and untapped power, poised to break free.

Each chain, a cruel reminder of her entrapment, was slowly yielding to decay—a symbol of her inevitable liberation.

Her appearance was a delicate yet resolute beauty, like the moon's gentle glow reflected on still waters.

Her skin had a porcelain luminescence, untouched by the passage of time, hinting at an eternity of grace and allure.

Her features were a poetic blend of ethereal fragility and silent strength, captivating all who beheld her imprisoned radiance.

As the chains began to crumble and fall away, the intensity of her eyes' glow increased, unveiling the burgeoning power within.

This was a moment foretelling the emergence of an indomitable spirit, a force long confined.

The air crackled with anticipation, echoing the drama of her impending freedom—a herald of the revelation of her truest, most formidable self.

In that moment, her lips parted, and a sentence escaped: "I will be there soon, my son."

Silence enveloped the place once more, as if it had been empty from the very beginning.

....

As the sun's first rays gently caressed the window of the room, a young man with striking black hair lay covered in a blanket, a slight bump visible under the covers.

"It's suffocating," Zeph mumbled, feeling a peculiar heaviness as he drifted back into slumber, only to be jolted awake by an intense, unpleasant smell - something akin to rotten fish.

"BRRRRPPPP!"

His golden eyes snapped open, and he found a black dragon perched on his chest, dangerously close to his face.

'This shit 💢.'

Zeph clenched his fists, irritation building, and with swift movement, he grabbed the dragon's tail and stood up. "You rotten pig!" he exclaimed, using his enhanced strength, empowered by his mana over the months, to thrust the dragon away.

"KYU~"

Little Pumpkin, the dragon, woke up, thinking it was perhaps feeding time with its new master.

*SWISHHH!*

A burst of air brushed against the dragon's face as it realized it was being thrown out of the window at what seemed like escape velocity.

"YYooouuuu basttttaaaaarr....!!"

ミ☆

*TWINKLE*

"Now, I have to take a bath. I stink like poop,"

Zeph muttered, the dragon trouble now dealt with, as he decided it was time to cleanse himself from the unusual morning.

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.

.

A carriage ambled along the path outside the academy, carrying Zeph within.

He sat contemplatively, resting his chin on his hands, peering through the carriage window.

"Take me to the Duchess Maria's Duchy," Zeph instructed.

As he gazed out the window, a whirlwind of thoughts swirled in Zeph's mind. He pondered the potential repercussions of this impending visit.

Maria would undoubtedly be displeased, given the numerous infiltrations by the Demon Elites in her duchy. Anticipating Maria's state of mind, he felt it wouldn't be overly challenging to persuade her.

Lost in thought, Zeph was absorbed in strategizing on how to handle Maria's predicament, the carriage's rhythmic movement lulling him deeper into contemplation.

*THUD*

"S-sir, some bandits are blocking our way," a voice interrupted Zeph's reverie.

He narrowed his eyes, puzzled by the unexpected turn of events.

The region was firmly under the Duchy's jurisdiction, making encounters with even low-level monsters or human bandits highly unlikely on this commonly used route for academy travel.

Perching his head out of the carriage, Zeph observed a group of individuals that appeared to be bandits, armed with weapons.

"Halt the carriage and give us all the money you have," their leader demanded, resorting to the same old clichéd threat.

Perplexed by the sudden assault, Zeph couldn't fathom why these apparent bandits had halted his carriage.

He remained still, taking in his surroundings and noticed ten individuals hiding in the forest nearby.

'What's going on?' he wondered before Noticing Bandit's fearful expressions.

'So, Alisia is testing the waters'

Zeph noted ,a knowing smirk playing on his lips, comprehending the reasons for these intriguing deviations from the original plot.

'Guess she is curious,' he mused, leaving his face expressionless as his body blurred from its original position.

*SWISH*

"W-where did he go?!"

"Run! Inform the Master!"

The leader of the group commanded before feeling the impact of an incredibly powerful punch that seemed to concentrate the weight of a mountain on his chest.

*BANGG*

"Kkuuugghhh!!"

Thrown and crashing through a series of trees, the muscular leader lay lifeless, his eyes devoid of color.

"Y-you monster!"

The remaining bandits rushed toward Zeph, witnessing their leader's lifeless body, and the scene erupted into a fearsome battle.

"Aaaggghhhhh!!"

"Just this much."

Zeph pinned a man to the ground with his legs, and another man dangled in the air with his hands, leaving the rest of the group sprawled on the ground, signifying that the battle had already ended.

'Guess I have to leave a romantic message for her,'

Zeph thought, glancing at the man who had crossed a kilometer's distance. Due to his enhanced physique, it felt effortless as he blurred once again.

It wasn't teleportation, but the astounding speed he moved at, thanks to the passive enhancements bestowed by 'Zendal.'

His tendons, supplied with an immense amount of mana, had toughened to the point of resembling steel wires, and his muscle strength had reached an unparalleled level.

This allowed him to contain an entire reservoir of mana within his body without harming his insides or rupturing his organs. However, this prowess was limited to 10 minutes due to the immense mana his body carried.

"Haa.....haaa... I have to inform the Master," panted the man in the bandit outfit, sprinting with all his might, the fear of something far more dangerous than his pursuer gnawing at him.

Years of serving his Master and being constantly at her side had honed his instincts and observational skills.

He was far from a simpleton; he could gauge a person's mentality through their reactions to sudden situations.

It was he who had orchestrated the bandit plan, keen to observe the reactions of a young man who had achieved the first rank in the Academy.

His task was straightforward yet crucial: by carefully noting how one analyzed a situation and responded, he could accurately assess their danger level.

For many years, his Master had reigned at the top in the second year, a position well-earned through her intelligence and strategic prowess.

The dynamics of the second year in the Academy were distinct from the first.

The year was divided into batches, with certain classes being vital for third-year students as well.

This structure allowed for joint classes, bringing together both second and third-year students to participate in shared learning experiences.

The blending of these batches added an extra layer of complexity to the academic environment, fostering a competitive and enriching atmosphere and even in that atmosphere, There was no one who have not heard about his Master.

"haaa...Guess, I survived"

After running for half a day he sighed in relief noticing noon chasing him.

Unaware of two Golden eyes shining above him, while the owner of those eyes folding his hands supporting with the tree stem looked towards the back of retreating Bandit, 'It should be enough to get her interest', before he disappeared again.

*Swish*

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In a luxurious mansion, within an opulent room adorned with elegance, a young woman with striking pink hair diligently perused a stack of documents.

The faint sound of a knock on her door interrupted her concentration.

"Open it, Nanny. It must be related to Zephyr Liander," she instructed confidently, her mind already speculating about the task she had assigned.

"M-miss, only I survived," stammered the man who stood before her, bearing tattered clothes and a gaze fixed on the ground.

Alisia calmly sipped her tea, her keen eyes assessing the shaken man, causing her to reevaluate her initial judgment of him.

"How many minutes?" she inquired, her expression unchanged, and the shivering man managed to compose himself enough to respond, "It didn't even start."

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

His entire body trembled with fear as he heard the rhythmic tapping of the woman's fingers against the table.

He then heard a command that left him slightly perplexed, "Check your pocket."

Uncertain of his Master's intent, he began to search his pockets, feeling an object nestled within. "This..."

"Give it to me," she ordered, her fingers gracefully caressing the handles of her tea cup.

She gazed at the man, her eyes a cold shade of sapphire pink, demanding only compliance and nothing else.

The man swiftly handed over the letter, his nerves palpable in the tense atmosphere of the room.

"Now, it is interesting," a voice declared, startling the nanny, who looked at their Master with astonishment as a genuine smile graced her lips.

Having been by her side for a long time, the nanny recognized the significance of that smile.

She couldn't help but think, 'Guess, I am getting my retirement soon.'