Chapter 136: Trip begins

"And you’re a Qud, like me."

The girl’s words brought total silence to the room.

They all looked at Elias again, like they were seeing him for the first time. He’s definitely a Black-eyed, but it was the first time they noticed his unusually pale skin, almost like hers.

"A Qud?" Rolarza asked. "Elias, are you a hybrid?"

He didn’t reply. Instead, he stepped closer to the girl and leaned down to her height.

"A marked one leaving her world for sightseeing. Yeah right. Why are you here?"

She smiled and leaned closer to him, that their faces were only an inch apart.

"I came here for disciple Myai."

"Disciple Myai?" The rest chorused.

"Like the monastery teachings?" One of the professors muttered.

"Did you sense her death?" Elias asked.

"You must be close to her to realise that she’s dead." The girl replied. "I came to retrieve her soul. Why is it in you?"

"Wait! Hold on," Tyler called their attention. "What is a marked one?! And what is this about a soul?"

She leaned back and introduced herself with a smile. "I am Carlel. Number four marked one for lady Myai in Qud." She pointed to the sword mark on her forehead. The same sword Elias had seen in his dreams.

"Marked ones are like disciples to the actual disciples." He explained.

"Just to be clear," Kael raised his hand. "Those drawings in the monastery? Like those drawings are a thing?!"

"Of course!" Carlel beamed. "Each disciple has six marked ones. Once the six come together, they can summon the disciple they serve."

The rest gasped.

"Summon those drawings?"

"I thought they were just ancient stories."

"Where are the rest of the marked ones?" Rolarza asked.

Carlel shrugged. "I dunno. We don’t even live in the same nation. I have zero information about them."

Elias shoved his hands into his pocket and heaved a sigh. "She’s safe. No worries."

"Just from that little information?" Tiana asked. "She doesn’t look safe to me?!"

He had already turned around and was leaving.

"Wait! Elias." Owen called.

"Elias? That’s his name?" Carlel raised a brow. She ran after him. "Hold on. Elias!"

After they had walked a considerable amount of distance, he stopped and waited for her to catch up.

"You haven’t told me why disciple Myai’s soul is in your body!"

"She’s my mother."

"Oh. Okay, she’s your...WHAT?!"

Her expression turned guided. "Direct descendant? I mean..."

She bowed her head in a haste. "I’m sorry for not recognising you!"

He scoffed. "That’s not the problem."

He leaned down to her height. "Do not blurt things out like that again."

"Pa... pardon?"

"It seems the heat hasn’t gotten to Qud, but you were smart to say you have zero information about the other marked ones. Listen, we’re all being hunted."

"Huh? Hunted?"

"If you’re connected to the disciples, possibly someone in that room will provide your information to the disposal."

"...what?"

"You’re a target now."

___

Just fews feets away, stood a professor, staring at them from the side of a classroom. Due to the distance, she couldn’t pick up what they were saying, but Carlel reaction gave her a distance clue.

She quietly slipped back into the classroom and shut the door. There were no students in the class, but two other professors.

"She’s a marked one right?" One of the male professors said.

The female professor nodded. "And the boy seems to have a lot of information about the marked ones. Even more than he’s letting on."

The third male professor laughed. "The marked ones were the next target, but who knew one of them would come knocking."

"What do we do now?" The female professor asked. "She’s a big target for us. If we catch her, we’ll gain merit."

"No," the first male professor replied. "We’ll risk the rest, going into hiding."

"But catching one marked one can render the rest useless." She protested. "If they are not complete, they can’t summon the disciples."

"Did you forget the lessons?" The second snorted. "Catch one marked one, they’ll slit their throat themselves; the mark gets transferred and trail gone cold."

"Oh..." She nodded.

"Just stick to the plan. We take out the syndicate first."

"What’s the point?" She said, "Ain’t they just normal people flaunting themselves as the strongest in Qud?"

"Who knows what the higher ups are thinking? The first one shrugged.

"The syndicate is not the strongest in Qud." The second one said, "The strongest in Qud are the Ringoff."

"Ringoff?" They chorused.

"Basically, Ringoff is the only syndicate family in the Qud. The rest don’t even reside in it."

"Wait," the lady gasped. "Isn’t that...?"

"Yes. The syndicate are related to the disciples. And from the Intel we got, there are two members of the syndicate in Qud."

NEXT DAY—

All the students of the advancement class had returned to school after their two day break. Their bags were bigger, and chatter had increased.

They kept talking about the matter that had spread to all of Salvador empire.

The trip to black empire. It was today.

"I can’t believe I’m going to black empire. I’m so nervous!"

"I put on a lot of sunscreen."

"Sunscreen? Black empire is inside a pit. I’m not sure you’ll see the sky."

"Will there be light? I parked the torch light just in case."

"Either way, I’m excited."

While all this chatter was ongoing, the student council were in the principal’s office.

An awkward silence enveloped the room. This was because all the leading families were present, seated around the table, hands folded and face serious.

"Why...are you here, father?" Claude was the first to speak.

Tell didn’t answer.

"I’d also like to know." Kael spoke.

No reply from Joe.

All eyes naturally moved to Rowen. The man shrugged.

"I don’t even know why I’m here."

"That’s because we’re going to black empire today." Claude replied.

Rowen nodded. "Black empire, alrig....what?"

He glanced at Elias.

"Seriously?"

"You’re coming with us." Elias replied.

"What? Wait. Why?"

"I want to confirm something."

"I don’t care what you want to confirm. Why is there suddenly a trip to black empire?!"

"I’m not sure myself."

Rowen heaved a sigh. "I guess we’re doing this."

"..."

*Tense atmosphere.*

"Wait," he raised a brow and vaguely gestured to the leading family. "Are you all planning to make this trip?"

"It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, Rowen, of course." Lady Hinger scoffed.

"Wow, so shameless." All the students chorused.

All this while, a look of quiet disdain was calculating for a reason.

Joran and Ume were present.

At this point, everyone was just feigning ignorance to Joran, but they didn’t understand why he even dared to show up.

After an hour of yelling and arguing, all the children of the advancement class were called into the hall.

The professor counted them completely, mistakenly leaving out Haliad who they had forgotten about, and counting Mona among. Carlel was appointed as an additional student also.

The students strapped their bags.

Ten professors adjusted their barges.

The leading family was behind.

"Black empire! Here we go."