Chapter 234: Suspicion

Ares Nico hadn’t expected to witness Aisha being bullied by a Sentinel the moment he arrived at the Imperial Star Academy.

Several minutes earlier, he had arrived at the academy with a few soldiers from the Association. He had come here for two reasons. First, he needed to collect the latest data from the Resources Department regarding the abnormal energy fluctuations they had previously detected. Second, he wanted to meet Aisha after her classes ended and settle the matter regarding the miasma-suppressing pod.

His visit hadn’t been arranged with the academy beforehand. He had only informed the Principal of his arrival, and the latter had instructed the Vice Principal to welcome him.

After ordering two of his soldiers to collect the necessary data, Ares made small talk with the Vice Principal while waiting for them to finish.

However, their conversation was interrupted when a commotion reached their ears.

The Vice Principal frowned.

He had no idea why the academy was suddenly so noisy. Classes should have already ended for the day, and the students should have been on their way home.

"What is happening?" he muttered, turning toward the source of the noise.

Ares also glanced in that direction before looking back at him.

"Is something happening at the academy?"

The Vice Principal shook his head. "I’m not sure, Lieutenant. Let’s take a look."

The two immediately headed toward the arena, only to encounter Dean Marcus on the way.

The latter seemed to have been hurrying somewhere, but upon seeing the Vice Principal and Ares, he abruptly stopped.

"Vice Principal! Lieutenant Nico!"

He greeted them, forcing a smile onto his face.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Ares learned that some students were battling at the arena. He raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the arrangement.

"Is there really a need to use an arena for that? A training room or a battlefield should suffice."

The Vice Principal felt slightly ashamed.

He had not known that something like this was happening, yet he was the one responsible for overseeing the academy in the Principal’s absence.

He glanced at Dean Marcus, his expression growing displeased.

Dean Marcus immediately broke into a cold sweat.

"This... It’s an event we arranged for the students to display their abilities. Nothing serious is happening, Lieutenant."

He tried to make his explanation sound convincing, but even he could hear how awkward it sounded.

Why had Lieutenant Nico come at such a time?!

Inwardly, Dean Marcus cursed his terrible luck.

He had deliberately taken advantage of the Principal and Vice Principal’s absence to arrange this match. He had even made sure the other professors and students were present so that no one could deny what happened afterward.

Now, however, both of them had returned.

If they found out what he had done, he would have a difficult time explaining himself. More importantly, he couldn’t let Lieutenant Nico see what was happening inside the arena!

Dean Marcus quickly tried to change the subject, hoping to lead the two men somewhere else.

The Vice Principal, however, narrowed his eyes.

Although Dean Marcus’s explanation sounded reasonable on the surface, his strange behavior had already aroused suspicion.

It seemed that the man had done something he didn’t want the Lieutenant to see.

"Lieutenant, you must have had a long trip here. Why don’t we head to my office and have some tea? We can discuss the matters you’ve come for there."

Ares glanced at the two men.

He could tell that something was wrong.

However, he had no intention of involving himself in the academy’s internal affairs for no reason. As long as their actions didn’t endanger anyone, especially the Sentinels and Guides who would eventually serve Gaia, he wouldn’t interfere.

Thus, he simply nodded.

"Alright. Lead the way."

But just as he was about to follow them, his footsteps abruptly stopped.

His eyes sharpened instantly. A faint but strange wave of energy had brushed against his senses.

It was gone almost immediately, yet Ares had already recognized something familiar in its frequency.

His expression changed.

Even the soldier standing behind him paused for a moment.

The Vice Principal and Dean Marcus, who were still thinking about how they had managed to avoid trouble, didn’t notice anything unusual. They were simply relieved that the Lieutenant had agreed to leave.

However, when they finally turned around, Ares was already gone.

Only the soldier remained.

The Vice Principal was stunned. "Where did Lieutenant Nico go?"

The soldier looked toward the arena.

"He went that way, sir."

Dean Marcus’s face instantly drained of color.

The Vice Principal’s expression also changed.

Neither of them waited another second before hurrying after him.

The moment Ares entered the arena, his expression darkened.

The place was filled with students who should have already gone home. They were gathered around the arena, watching the battle with great interest. Even several professors were standing nearby, observing the spectacle as though it were nothing more than an ordinary school event.

Not one of them seemed to think there was anything wrong with the situation.

Ares’s gaze swept across the crowd, and his anger only grew. He looked at Aisha. Her face was pale, and her breathing seemed uneven. Even from where he stood, he could tell that she wasn’t in good condition.

What the hell was this?!

A Guide was supposed to support Sentinels, not become their punching bag!

Ares’s aura erupted, spreading throughout the arena.

The next moment, an overwhelming pressure descended upon Corwin.

BANG!

The Sentinel was slammed against the ground, his body pressed flat against the arena floor as though an invisible mountain had crashed down on top of him.

Corwin’s eyes widened in horror.

He tried to move, but his limbs wouldn’t respond. Even lifting his head had become an impossible task.

The entire arena fell silent.

Ares looked toward the two men who had finally caught up with him.

"Explain yourselves."

His voice was cold.

"Why is a Guide facing a Sentinel in a public match? And why is everyone here watching instead of stopping them?"

The Vice Principal was stunned.

Only after hearing Ares’s questions did he realize how serious the situation was. He had expected to find some students engaging in a friendly competition, but the scene before him was clearly not that simple.

He turned toward Dean Marcus.

"What is the meaning of this?"