Chapter 719: Sudden Change

Ezra didn’t even look at Tristin.

His plain black eyes moved across the students, meeting the gazes of those who looked back at him.

"The elections right now are the most important thing happening, and I happen to be the main topic. I’m not even one of the candidates."

He said plainly.

But for some reason...

One student among the crowd laughed lightly.

He had thought about what Ezra said about not being one of the candidates, yet his name had been the most mentioned in the battle of faction politics.

The boy looked towards his companions, seemingly amused by the situation.

"Even Lady Vera Ashenlocke hasn’t been spoken of since this program even started, hahaha..."

He laughed again.

"Well, Prince Tristin Aethelmont did mention our Lady in his speech."

"Yeah... Thinking about him saying Lady Vera Ashenlocke of all people got caught under someone’s influence."

"Wait, didn’t Prince Daniel use the same words when he was trying to get Lady Vera Ashenlocke to let go of Ezra Ashenlocke during the last Core Dance?"

"Lady Vera Ashenlocke is acting naive? Lady Vera Ashenlocke? The same Jewel of Ash?"

The comments spread among the students.

A few of them laughed, while others looked at one another as they recalled the earlier incident.

The mention of Vera had brought back memories of Daniel’s previous attempt to convince her to distance herself from Ezra.

It was an odd thing to hear.

After all, Vera Ashenlocke wasn’t someone people would easily associate with being under another person’s influence.

Nina, who had been quiet all this while as she watched the events play out, finally spoke.

"I hate it when anyone just says anything to refuse reality."

She said, secretly narrowing her eyes on Prince Daniel.

Her narrow gaze lingered on him for a moment before she looked towards the podium again.

"She makes a fair point."

Zack replied, nodding his head once before adjusting his glasses.

"He even said Lady Willow Derlis is under an illusion. Hahaha..."

A member of the Derlis family laughed loudly.

His laughter drew the attention of a few students nearby.

Some smiled, while others turned towards the Derlis members standing among the crowd.

"How did we even move from the election to Ezra Ashenlocke in the first place?"

"But it was scary, though. Thinking that we had a person who could do something like that."

"Yeah, but then again... it’s really not our business. Maybe if Ezra Ashenlocke was actually a power-hungry person, then I would have really been worried."

"Like, it doesn’t even affect our Academy life."

The conversation that erupted among the students had taken a full turn from the complicated atmosphere of before.

Of course, there were still a few students who felt that people were taking the word killer too lightly.

They hadn’t forgotten the article, nor had they suddenly decided that the accusations were meaningless.

But for the other students...

They had truly realised just how far their minds had wandered from the actual purpose of the elections.

The person they had felt uncomfortable around wasn’t even the type who looked suspicious.

He was also not the type to involve himself in things that would make his situation affect their lives.

Yes...

The thought of having a murderer around was frightening.

But technically...

A good portion of the upperclassmen, along with the staff and professors, were Alchemists who had been involved in cases of killing.

Even within their own households, there were people who knew about such matters.

Especially those whose families dealt mainly with combat and the security of the Kingdom.

They knew enough about the dark side of the Kingdom.

They weren’t stupid enough to be scared of a fellow student simply because he had killed people they didn’t even know anything about.

For many of them, the matter was different from what they had first imagined.

The Academy was filled with Alchemists, and the Kingdom itself relied on people who were willing to fight and kill when necessary.

They had grown up hearing about conflicts, dangerous missions, and the work carried out by those who protected Britannia.

Some had family members who served in such roles, while others had already witnessed the harsh side of the Alchemist world through their own experiences.

The accusation against Ezra was still serious.

But the students had begun to question whether they had allowed the word murderer to carry them too far away from the matter they were supposed to be considering.

Ezra wasn’t even running for the position.

Felix blinked in confusion.

No, no, no!

This can’t be happening.

I set the board.

All the pieces were gathered, but how did the whole atmosphere change so suddenly?

Why are they suddenly laughing like everything is okay?

This...

This doesn’t make any sense.

His teeth pressed together.

The expression on his face had changed.

A moment ago, he had been watching the situation with confidence, pleased with how the discussion had developed.

Now, he couldn’t understand how the students had begun laughing and discussing something else.

The board had been set.

The pieces were in position.

Yet the atmosphere had shifted without him expecting it.

Felix’s eyes moved across the crowd, trying to make sense of the change.

The students who had been uncertain were now talking among themselves, and some of those who had supported the accusations were no longer speaking.

His fingers moved towards his mouth.

He gritted his teeth in frustration.

Gareth looked around at the students, who were beginning to appear calmer than they had earlier.

"Well, this blew up faster than expected."

He said calmly.

His gaze moved from the crowd towards the stage, where Ezra was still standing at the podium.

"I don’t think it’s over, though."

Desmond Derlis said with a pleased smile.

He seemed to be enjoying the turn of events.

"I warned you, Prince Two."

He muttered to himself.

Back on the stage...

Ezra decided to speak about the accusation against the Golden Circle Faction.

"As for the Golden Circle Faction accusation..."

He paused briefly, allowing the students to turn their attention towards him.

"We all know that the person in question in the assault case is known for actually committing things like that."

His voice remained plain.

"There are even hidden cases within the Evermont Household, if you do your research properly. Even our Prince-Five knows he can’t trust his own friend."

He said plainly.

The reaction was immediate.

"I never said that!!"

Tristin shouted, defending his claim.

Below the stage...

"Ahhh... he bit the bait."

Gareth said, laughing lightly.

He really couldn’t help but laugh at how the whole situation was taking a turn.

The Prince had just reacted to Ezra’s words, and his response had drawn attention to the very thing Ezra had mentioned.

Gareth’s shoulders moved slightly as he tried to contain his laughter.

"That idiot."

Felix bit his thumbnail, completely annoyed with Tristin.

His eyes remained on the stage.

The situation had already begun moving away from the position he wanted.

Now Tristin had made another move without considering what it would do to the board.

Felix’s jaw tightened.

Why would you answer him?

Back on the stage...

"You did say it, Prince-Five."

Eleanor corrected him.

Tristin’s eyes widened in faint shock.

He looked at his elder brother.

Prince Daniel looked at him with a stiff expression.

For a brief moment, Tristin seemed unable to respond.

His gaze shifted between Eleanor and Daniel, as though trying to find a way to correct what had just happened.

"He can’t even get his words straight."

Clive Morgan said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"I..."

Tristin tried to speak, but he couldn’t.

His mouth opened, yet the words didn’t come out.

The students below the stage were already watching him, and the attention only made the situation worse.

"Please have your seat, Prince-Five. You are causing a scene when your turn is already over. Don’t make me penalise you."

Eleanor said calmly.

Her expression remained composed as she addressed him.

She didn’t raise her voice, nor did she appear interested in entertaining another argument.

"Stop calling me Prince-Five!!!"

Tristin shouted, losing his composure.

"I’m a Prince, and you dare show disrespect to me!!"

He pointed at Eleanor angrily.

Some students looked at one another.

The Prince had already been told that his speaking time was over, yet he was now shouting at a member of the Student Council.

His sudden outburst made the people standing closest to the stage fall quiet.

"Quiet now, or I will kick you off the stage."

Prince Aldric said coldly.

Tristin froze.

His eyes moved towards Aldric, who had raised a hand towards Eleanor’s side.

The gesture was clearly meant to stop her from acting.

Aldric’s expression remained cold as he looked at his younger brother.

He didn’t need to repeat himself.

Tristin knew very well how short-tempered Eleanor could be, considering he had seen her with his elder sister, Brenda Aethelmont, many times.

He also knew Eleanor was far stronger than him.

And if she acted...

Tristin swallowed his saliva before sitting back down.

His expression remained unpleasant, but he no longer tried to argue.

He lowered his hand and returned to his seat, avoiding another confrontation.

"Please continue, Ezra Ashenlocke."

Eleanor said calmly.

Prince Aldric dropped his hand.

Ezra returned his attention to the students.

"It’s funny how the people who are basically a gathering of the Academy’s rogues are shouting justice."

He continued in his usual plain tone.

His gaze moved across the crowd, briefly passing over the people who had been supporting the accusations.

"Have you ever heard about the wolf in sheep’s clothing?"

He asked another question in a direct tone, as if it were a simple question.

Which it was.

Some of the students nodded.

Others had already begun to understand what Ezra was getting at.

The words had a clear target, and the people who understood his meaning didn’t need him to explain further.

Prince Daniel’s hands had already tightened.

His fingers pressed against each other as he listened.

His expression was stiff, and his attention remained on Ezra.

"That’s my own opinion though. I’m not trying to influence anyone’s mind. I’m a Gun Alchemist, not an Illusionary Alchemist."

Ezra said flatly, looking at his fellow students.

He didn’t appear to be making an effort to hide the meaning behind his words.

"So, I don’t know how I will affect the minds of the Flowers. Just because none of them wants you doesn’t mean it’s an illusion Alchemy at work."

He raised both arms slightly before letting them drop.

"Maybe it’s because you’re not their type, or maybe it’s something else. Who knows, honestly?"

He said plainly.

A few students exchanged glances.

Some understood the insult immediately, while others looked towards Daniel to see how he would react.

The earlier discussion about Vera and the other flowers of the Kingdom had been brought back into the open, but Ezra had given it a different direction.

He wasn’t claiming to understand why the girls associated with him.

He was simply pointing out that their decisions didn’t need to be explained through Alchemy.

"This bastard."

Prince Daniel said in a low voice.

He was doing his best, using everything he had to keep himself quiet.

His hands remained tightly clenched, and his expression had grown darker.

The exchange had clearly irritated him, but he was still seated among the Student Council members and candidates.

Barry Dewinter noticed this.

He quickly leaned closer to the Prince and whispered something into his ear.

Daniel’s expression shifted slightly.

He looked at Barry for a brief moment before rising from his chair.

Without saying anything further, he immediately left the premises.

His followers moved with him, leaving the area around his chair as they followed the Prince away.

The students who noticed his departure turned their heads towards him.

Some whispered to one another, while others returned their attention to Ezra.

Ezra didn’t follow Daniel with his eyes.

He remained at the podium.

"I have concluded my address of this matter."

He said calmly.

He then turned towards Eleanor, waiting to see if she had any questions to ask him.