Chapter 82: Goodbye

Ciaran didn't have a lot of time left before his mission, so he chose to go around and say his goodbyes.

He started with the easier ones. First, he went to his classmates and informed them he wouldn't be at the Academy for the foreseeable future.

As expected most of them cheered and rejoiced. While they didn't outright hate the boy, he did creep them out. Of all of his class, only two people acted differently.

Eddy was quite shaken by the news and begged him to stay. Without Ciaran, the boy thought all he had would crumble, and his authority would be gone in a week at most.

"Stop whining Ed. Mille will do the thinking for you, and if you ever need muscle, all you have to do is ask Clara and Sunny. For, ah, less violent tasks you can ask Ray as well." It didn't take much to calm him down. Eddy never cared for Ciaran, just for his own benefit.

Mille on the other hand was harder. She genuinely cared for the fate of the boy, because, unlike her classmates, she was tied to him for life. She just asked if he could handle it, but she wanted honesty, and he didn't want to repay her trust with deceit.

"No idea Mills, but if anyone can it's yours truly. I will be back before you know it, and if I die, you will be free of all obligations." He tried to cheer her up, but his jokes weren't effective on her. They spent a few hours discussing how the management of the class was going to look like in the next few years.

When he was done with that, he knew the truly hard part was coming. It was time to face the girls. They were there when his mom beat him, and knew most of it, but saying goodbye was hard for everyone.

"Take care, and don't die. Who will entertain me if you're gone." Right, everyone but Sunny, who sent him off with a smile.

The girl wasn't happy she wouldn't see her friend for a long time, but she liked to focus on the things she could control, rather than those she couldn't.

"You always get yourself into messes don't you Rony? And it's always the kind I can't seem to help you clean up." Clara said, her eyes on the brink of being moist.

She was taught not to cry, and to always meet adversity head-on, but the little girl was only eight years old. She was about to lose one of her best friends, a boy that was like a brother to her, and she was powerless to stop it. Unlike Sunny, she knew a few things about where Ciaran was going, and she didn't like any of it.

He was going to a lawless zone, one that could potentially end up claiming his life. It was removed from civilization, and worst of all, it served as a border to their most hated enemy, Auroria. Ciaran wasn't allowed to come back even if war broke out. His service ended in two ways, completion, or death.

"I will be back Clara I promise. You know I don't break promises." He said as he gave them both a hug, and sent them off to do their Trials.

Now that the dryads were back, the Maze was once again fully operational. Ciaran was left standing as the only student that wouldn't go in. He walked back into the Academy and knocked on his classroom's door.

Elizabeth was still there. She stopped escorting the kids to the Maze every day, but she still liked to watch them go in, so she was sure everything was alright.

She looked at Ciaran a bit confused. She could tell he was saying goodbye in order of difficulty, and she didn't understand why she was after his friends.

"My punishment was extended to three years Liza. It was extended by someone who my Master calls 'old man Silver'." He said and enjoyed watching the color on her face drain.

Even though he never discriminated against anyone, messing with his teacher was always the best. She made the best facial reactions.

"I want something from you, as you may have noticed. As per the deal before the extension, I will not be bringing Ariadne with me. Not by my choice of course, but I was told the old bastard insisted everything but the time frame be kept the same. I don't know how he knows about my familiar, but that includes her." He said, and frustration and sadness were apparent on his face.

Elizabeth was furious,

and for once it wasn't at him. She cursed out the old man and his shenanigans before calming herself down. She took a few deep breaths and took her disguise down.

"I will teach Ari to the best of my abilities, but please be careful Ciaran. You will be alone out there. No one will look out for you, and I don't need to tell you how dangerous it will be."

"You will face a lot more than just wild animals out there. There will be plenty of… other things there as well. And you will also be forced to fight humans, and Gods forgive me, but I ask you to never hold back. If someone has to die, let it be them, no matter who they are, or even how old they are, promise me that you will leave your concerns here." She said surprising the boy.

He expected a lecture, but not one on ruthlessness. Elizabeth had always been pushing him to be kinder, to be less violent, and now she was basically telling him to forget all she ever taught him.

"Is it really that bad?"

She just nodded and didn't say more. The boy mused, that it was probably due to an oath and that he wouldn't be able to get more information out of anyone.

He was done with school, at least for the foreseeable future. Now that he was technically no longer held in the Academy, he was once again Ciaran Clades, and as such, he was making his way home.

He dreaded those conversations and secretly hoped they would involve his mom beating him again. At least then he wouldn't have to see her cry her eyes out.

He got to the front door of the house he grew up in and didn't know how to proceed. He wanted to just go in but was he even welcomed here still, he did not know.

"Young Master, none of us have seen you in almost three full years, and you still insist on making us wait. I see your stay at the Academy hasn't taught you any manners whatsoever. Tsk tsk tsk." The family butler said as he crept behind the boy.

Ciaran was pleased to see the stuck-up old man and was even tempted to give him a hug, but he knew he couldn't even if he tried. The man was a real germaphobe and he was always just out of reach when you wanted to grab him.

With newfound confidence, he walked in. All the staff greeted him enthusiastically, and he even got a nice long hug from the maid. She really missed her lab partner in the last three years.

As he walked to the living room he was greeted by three members of his family. His grandmother and his parents.

"Don't think too much of my presence here Ciaran, I just came to see you off. I am long since used to Clades men just leaving to do their own thing, and not consider their family at all. And just so you know, your grandfather went on a mission two years ago. He said he felt helpless, as he couldn't even help his grandchild."

"As I said, all of you are heartless. And don't let Liam talk any shit either. He did the same thing as you when he was young. He just straight up left the house and I only heard from him twelve years later, at least you will be gone for just three." Edith said as she gave a tight hug to her grandson.

Liam said nothing and Camille couldn't say anything as the tears were already flowing down her cheeks. They just came and joined the duo in the hug. There was a momentary silence.

"Well isn't that nice? He is leaving us again, and this time he is going to a fucking war zone AND YOU ALL ARE ENCURIGING HIM!?" and then Rayon broke it.

The boy soldier hadn't gone to school today, and he hadn't gone to training either. Last night their parents had told him about Ciaran's punishment, and he had locked himself in his room ever since.

"Ray I never wanted to leave you I –"

"Shut up, and go outside! You want to go and kill yourself, at least prove to me you won't embarrass us there." Rayon cut off his brother and marched to the backyard.