Chapter 695: Unanswered Question

"I wonder who is going to win."

Professor Keith tilted his head slightly to the right, wearing an innocent, curious expression as he looked across the classroom.

He seemed genuinely interested in hearing the students’ opinions, as though they were discussing the winner of an ordinary competition rather than an election that would soon pit the academy’s factions against one another.

"Professor, it’s obviously going to be Prince Tristin."

Basil Evermont stood up and adjusted his black-and-cream academy blazer.

After straightening its front, he extended his right hand towards Tristin, who sat among his companions with a pleased smirk.

Basil’s confidence was clear.

He spoke as though the result had already been decided and everyone else was simply waiting for the announcement.

"Yeah, the Royal Blue Faction is going to get the title."

A noble lady called out from another part of the classroom.

Her voice carried across the rows of joint desks and chairs, drawing the attention of several students.

She sounded just as confident as Basil, and a few others nodded in agreement.

Apparently, some people had already chosen their winner.

"You sound like the election has even begun."

Prince Charles looked towards Tristin’s group.

His expression remained calm, but his words carried a hint of mockery.

He did not need to raise his voice to make his point.

His remark alone was enough to draw a few glances from the students sitting nearby.

Tristin turned his head towards him.

"And are you going to be the one to beat me?"

He laughed under his breath, clearly amused by Charles’s remark.

The smirk on his face widened, and a few students from his faction responded with quiet smiles.

It seemed Tristin had no intention of taking Charles seriously.

"Now, now, Prince Fifth and Prince Fourth, we shouldn’t fight over a title that you haven’t started campaigning for."

Professor Keith spoke in his usual calm manner.

He sounded like a teacher trying to settle an argument between two children, though the words coming out of his mouth only made the situation worse.

Several students lowered their heads.

One boy pressed his lips together, while another suddenly became very interested in the notes on his desk.

They were trying not to laugh.

"Professor!! Excuse me?!"

Tristin shot to his feet.

His chair scraped against the floor, and the sudden noise drew the attention of those who had not been following the exchange.

His earlier smirk disappeared.

He stared at Professor Keith with open displeasure, seemingly expecting the man to explain himself.

Charles also frowned slightly.

Although he did not stand up, his reaction showed that he was hardly pleased to be called Prince Fourth.

His gaze remained on the professor for a moment before he let out a quiet breath.

"Oh, sorry. I was influenced."

Professor Keith offered an apology, but there was little sincerity in his expression.

If anything, the slight movement at the corner of his mouth suggested that he was enjoying the situation.

"It’s a good influence, Professor."

Vera spoke calmly.

She did not raise her voice or make any attempt to hide her opinion.

Her eyes remained on the exchange, and her expression showed no sign of concern for either prince’s wounded pride.

"You heard our number one, Princes."

Keith shrugged and raised his eyebrows at Tristin and Charles, using Vera’s remark as though it had settled the matter.

For a professor, he seemed remarkably pleased with himself.

Tristin gritted his teeth.

His fingers curled slightly at his sides, and for a moment, it looked as though he wanted to say something more. However, he eventually held his tongue.

Charles sighed helplessly.

His expression suggested that arguing with Keith would accomplish nothing, especially when the professor had already made it clear that he was not going to take the matter seriously.

A few students continued to hold their breath.

Some lowered their heads towards their desks, while others turned away to hide their expressions.

Nobody wanted to be caught laughing at the princes, even if the exchange had been difficult to resist.

"On a serious note."

Professor Keith’s expression changed.

The teasing smile faded as he straightened and folded his arms across his chest.

His gaze travelled across the classroom, and the students gradually settled down.

Even Tristin returned his attention to the front.

"Even though this is the period when competition will be violent, the Royal Academy board will always keep a close eye on every action the factions take during these elections."

Keith spoke in a more serious tone.

His eyes moved from one section of the classroom to another, making sure the students understood that his warning applied to all of them.

The earlier laughter began to fade.

"The board won’t tolerate any form of misconduct that only Rogue Alchemists would ever commit."

As he spoke, his gaze settled on a particular group of students.

He did not mention any names, but the direction of his attention was enough to make the warning clear.

A few students in that section stiffened, while the others maintained their composure.

Professor Keith continued without changing his tone.

"If you’re caught doing anything that could harm the academy or its students, you will either be expelled or receive another form of punishment."

He finished with a simple smile.

The smile did little to soften his words.

Expulsion was not a light punishment, especially for students who had worked hard to earn their places at the Royal Academy.

Even those who had been treating the upcoming elections as a game had reason to take the warning seriously.

"I hope you all understand. Now, write down your assignment."

Keith delivered the final sentence without hesitation.

For a brief moment, the classroom remained quiet.

Then the students realized what he had said.

"I knew he was still going to give us an assignment."

A non-noble boy turned towards his friend, making a frustrated face as he complained under his breath.

"Urghhh!"

Someone nearby groaned and slumped over their desk.

"Why can’t he just act normal for one day?"

"We just came back, only to find out that the Faction Wars are beginning. Then we go straight to class, and now we have assignments."

"Can’t we really get a day of rest?"

"You know, I never missed you in the slightest."

The complaints came one after another.

Some students muttered while reaching for their quill pens, while others let their displeasure show on their faces.

A few stared at the professor as though he had personally ruined their day.

Professor Keith, however, remained completely unbothered.

Karla laughed awkwardly as she watched him move around the classroom.

The students continued to complain, but the professor paid them little attention.

He seemed perfectly comfortable with their glares and grumbling.

Perhaps he had grown used to it.

After all, he had already given them their assignment.

Complaining would not make it disappear.

Once the class ended, the students had only a few minutes for their short break before the next lesson began.

The classroom became livelier as soon as the professor left.

Chairs shifted against the floor, quill pens were put away, and conversations broke out between students who had been waiting for an opportunity to talk.

Some headed out to buy snacks or get some fresh air.

Others remained in their seats, relaxing while they waited for the next class.

A few continued writing, determined to finish their notes before the next professor arrived.

Time passed as it usually did at the academy.

The short break ended, another class began, and eventually, the long break came and went.

Before long, the students found themselves in their different optional course classrooms.

Professor Giggs Ryan resumed the lesson on Alchemy Circle Conversion from where he had stopped earlier.

As always, the classroom was filled with the sound of his explanations and the quiet movements of students taking notes.

Ezra sat beside Vera, though the seating arrangement had changed this time.

Willow was seated on his left, while Diane sat to Vera’s right.

The professor continued explaining the topic at the front.

Quill pens moved across paper, and several students occasionally lifted their heads to follow the explanation on the holographic screen.

Ezra, however, was typing his notes on his Zphone tablet.

His fingers moved across the screen as he recorded the important points Professor Giggs was teaching.

Compared to writing everything by hand, the device made it easier for him to keep his notes organized.

Vera glanced at him.

"You seem to be enjoying this style of jotting."

She spoke in a low voice, keeping her eyes on the lesson while her fingers continued typing on her own device.

"You should be thanking me for giving you the idea of buying it. Where is my thank-you? Thank your big sister."

Her tone was casual, as though Ezra’s failure to express his gratitude were a serious mistake that needed to be corrected immediately.

She did not even stop typing to make her demand.

"Two voices shouldn’t exist while the professor is talking, Vera."

Willow’s voice interrupted her.

She remained focused on Professor Giggs, her attention divided between listening to the lesson and correcting the girl beside Ezra.

Although she kept her voice low, her serious tone made it clear that she expected Vera to stop talking.

"You too, Ezra."

Ezra’s fingers paused above his tablet.

He turned his eyes towards Willow without saying anything.

His expression remained as plain as ever, but the brief pause was enough for her to notice.

"You were about to reply to her."

Willow stated it directly.

Vera immediately turned the accusation against her.

"Says the girl who’s already being the noise-maker. Must be amazing being Homewrecker Two. You can’t even let me speak quietly with My Dancer. You’re always trying to get involved."

She delivered the words in her usual casual tone.

There was no anger in her voice, nor did she seem particularly bothered by Willow’s interference.

Instead, she continued watching the professor while speaking as though she were pointing out an obvious flaw in Willow’s behaviour.

The nickname was clearly meant to annoy her.

"Again, with the Homewrecker Two nickname. It’s not funny, Vera."

Willow finally glanced at her.

Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly, and her displeasure was plain to see.

Nevertheless, she kept her voice down.

She was not about to turn their little argument into a spectacle for the entire classroom.

"I don’t remember being a comedian."

Vera replied almost immediately.

She did not hesitate or even bother to look at Willow.

Her attention remained on Professor Giggs, as though she had already decided that the conversation was no longer worth her time.

"Can you two keep quiet?"

Ezra cut into their conversation.

His voice was as plain as ever.

He did not sound particularly angry, but the fact that he had finally spoken suggested that their exchange had become troublesome enough to interrupt his concentration.

He returned his attention to his tablet, apparently expecting the matter to end there.

"Ara, see what you caused, Willow."

Vera casually placed the blame on her.

Willow’s eyebrows drew together.

"Correcting people who are making noise isn’t something to be blamed for. It’s your fault for being disruptive."

She did not back down.

Her quill-pen remained between her fingers as she turned her attention towards her notes again.

However, the firm expression on her face made it clear that she was not going to accept Vera’s accusation without answering it.

"All right, all right. It’s time to quiet down, my serious blood bender."

Vera said this as she stood up.

The movement came just before Professor Giggs could point at her and ask her to answer the question he had just raised.

She had apparently decided that the argument was over, whether Willow agreed or not.

Willow narrowed her crimson eyes at Vera.

For a brief moment, she seemed ready to say something else.

Instead, she returned her gaze to her notes and continued writing.

The lesson was still in progress, after all.

Ezra watched the exchange for a moment before looking back at his tablet.

He had barely managed to concentrate on the lesson before the two girls started arguing.

Neither seemed willing to let the other have the final word, and somehow, he had ended up sitting between them.

Maybe I should start planning to sit somewhere else.

The thought crossed his mind as he looked at his surroundings.

There were other seats available. Choosing one of them next time should have been a simple solution.

Unfortunately, he could already imagine what would happen if he tried.

Vera would effortlessly find her way to wherever he sat.

The thought alone made the idea seem pointless.

It was a hopeless situation.

Still, that was not what occupied his mind the most.

Ezra turned his attention towards the Alchemy Symbols under the Process category, which Professor Giggs was currently teaching.

The holographic screen displayed the symbols in clear rows.

Their shapes and arrangements were visible to the students, allowing them to study each one as the professor explained its purpose.

Ezra looked at them without changing his expression.

I’ve been researching which category of Alchemy Symbols contains the symbols that form the Alchemy Circle on Lucy’s back.

He thought.

The symbols don’t match those in the Fundamental, Process, Material, or even the Advanced Formula categories.

He had checked them repeatedly, but the result remained the same.

That was why he had turned his attention to the Master Symbols.

Perhaps the answer could be found there.

Yet even after examining what he knew about them, the question remained unresolved.

Ezra shifted his gaze towards the holographic screen again.

Professor Giggs continued explaining the lesson, moving through the symbols while the students followed along.

Ezra listened, but part of his attention remained on the problem.

The symbols that formed the Alchemy Circle on Lucy’s back did not seem to fit into any of the categories he had studied so far.

He had no clear explanation for the difference.

For now, he could only continue his research and hope to find a clue that would lead him closer to the answer.

But until then, it remained an unanswered question.