OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 280: Principal's Visit

Chapter 280: Principal's Visit

?

'No... I ain't guessing.'

With that simple thought, Emir calmed his nerves and stepped into the room.

"Oh, Principal Amon, you've been waiting for me?"

"I have; now come take a seat."

Amon gestured for Emir to sit opposite him.

"Sure."

He nodded, appearing unnerved, and approached his desk.

"But, I have to ask, what brought this... visit?"

|| ||

Amon remained silent for a few moments, and just as Emir relaxed his back on the main desk chair, he replied with a smile:

"It's nothing; I just wanted to check on how my new employee is doing."

Heh~

"Yeah... Well, I'm doing good; I don't know about the students though."

Amon chuckled.

"It appears so... But I'd rather not have you terrify the little ones."

Emir raised his brows.

"What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?"

"Shameless."

The principal, not one to mince words, straight-up called him out on what he was.

"I agree."

A rising grin spread across Emir's face...

"Look child, like all the other Chosen, I know you're up to something..."

But it died out after Amon spoke his piece.

"Something illegal. Consider me but a gentle reminder, ensuring that I and others remain in the dark."

And what replaced it was a full-teethed smile.

"Because then... When I know, I'll be obligated to intervene."

'A threat, huh...'

Emir leaned further back in the chair, appearing relaxed as ever.

"Don't worry, you won't... or maybe you will, but by then it'll be too late."

The principal mirrored his professor's smile with equal intensity, a regal fervor befitting kings of both old and new.

In that moment, it was as if crowns made of pure gold materialized above their heads, casting a radiant glow upon all that surrounded them.

Their chairs seemed to transform, evolving into thrones that gleamed with controlled power. This created an aura of majesty so commanding that it could beckon all those beneath them to leap into the nearest monster's mouth and be swallowed whole.

"If our contract isn't breached, I won't interfere, but if it was..."

His last words remained unspoken, but they both knew the prince's ending in such a scenario. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

Emir shooed him off while standing up from his throne, causing the 'scene' to dissipate.

"I appreciate you checking up on me today, so I'll send you a gift, expect him to come and say hi."

Amon eyed him suspiciously but made no further comment and left the room, causing the place to turn quiet.

And just as the principal ended his visit...

'She ratted me out.'

Emir's demeanor took a complete one-eighty.

'No, no, no, she didn't.'

He moved closer to the wall behind him and threw himself on the ground.

'I should ask her.'

Many thoughts filled his mind.

'The fuck is wrong with you?'

And he dove deep into a web of doubt, of suspicion.

'Just stop being paranoid.'

It had been a long while since he last experienced this... state.

'Right, Lyra wouldn't make such an obvious mistake even if she did betray me...'

But it seemed that he wasn't cured yet, or at least the test brought back the fragility that he

hid in the depths of his being.

'Yeah, Amon doesn't know about Arthur's cheat, we'll be fine.'

Emir then began to lightly bang the back of his head against the wall, frustrated, agitated.

'He had another agenda for today's visit.'

Such an action caused his nerves to steady once more.

'I'll find what later, but for now...'

[Hey, Ly, let's talk.]

***

"So... did he give you anything?"

Amon paused his steps and glanced beside him, his once dim black eyes now brightening ever

so slightly.

"No, even my King's Gaze was useless..."

They landed on a man covered in a robe and mask.

A familiar mask...

It was that of an animal. An owl.

More specifically, it looked to be like a Borrowing Owl.

Its colors were a mixture of dark brown, white, and subtle yellow around the man's 'blurred'

eyes.

Blurred eyes... yes, they were blurred-

"Why quiet for so long? And staring so much? My mask look weird to you?"

Amon's lips curled slightly upward as he looked away and continued walking.

"Hm? Oh, just lost in thought; that guy, Emir, he nullified my ability even though he's just a

Seraphim."

The masked man followed his lead through the hall as they headed towards the lobby.

"Ah, worried about that?"

"Yes and no... it wasn't an ability that nullified my gaze but his sheer will. Actually... no, it doesn't make sense to call it that. It's just plain insanity."

"Anyone with a spark of sense would see that if they checked his test records... Anyways,

what's your plan to keep that in check?"

"Don't worry about it."

The masked man shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever you say."

"Indeed, now about what he said... None of his words were lies."

After a moment, they shared quiet laughter.

"Then we CAN use him."

"Right, and this would benefit him as well."

"Of course it would; he needs me more than we need him."

Amon's bracelet was automatically scanned by the elevator as they neared it.

"But will you tell the truth?"

Ting!

"I will, but first we'll need to gain so much more in return."

The door opened with a whoosh, and they promptly got in.

"Hm, you'll never get rid of that stigma while acting like that, you know..."

Isaac sneered at that comment while pressing on the ninth, causing the door to close a

moment later.

"There's no honor among Thieves."

***

[Yuriel, report on Lily's status.] Emir ordered telepathically while leaning on his chair's armrest.

[She's fine, and today Ren's integration into the group was natural; her friends didn't suspect

a thing.]

[Good, now-]

Hic! Sniff...

His words took hold as he heard someone cry in the background.

[...What was that?]

[What do you mean?]

[I heard crying.]

[Oh, it's-]

Suddenly, she was cut off by someone or something, and the only sound that reached Emir

was a thud.

But he didn't panic, knowing they were within the Academy, and calmly asked:

[Yuriel, do you hear me?]

[...]

[I repeat, do you hear me?]

[...]

[Is Lily in danger?]

[...MMMMHHH.]

He finally received a reply.

It was a muffled scream.

'Fuck.'

[Lyra!]

He immediately rushed out of his office and used Flash Step to reach the elevator in under two

seconds.

[Sending location now.]

Thankfully for all, no one was in his way...

No one died.

In a few more moments, he reached the ground floor and began blinking towards the sports

arena.

It only took him five seconds, and he went past the building's doors.

The break room on the first floor held Lily, and that was his destination. Despite numerous complaints from students he brushed past, almost crashing into them, he

remained deaf to their grievances, whether loud or whispered.

Under normal circumstances, Emir cared little for the strangers around him, children or not.

And now, with his sister's life potentially at risk, his indifference was amplified even more,

seeing them only as obstacles consuming precious moments.

This urgency even quashed any fleeting sense of nostalgia that might have arisen, given his

past involvement in similar scenarios, albeit in a vastly different role as the orchestrator of the kidnapping rather than the one racing to prevent it.

Bang!

Not caring for how it would've looked to the others, he crashed through the opening door,

entering the room with his body colliding against its sides, almost bending them.

His eyes immediately landed on Lily, disregarding everything else.

With slowed time, he scanned her from top to bottom, checking for injuries.

He found none.

And yet it appeared that not all was fine and dandy.

Lily's brown eyes were puffy, her nose red, as if she had been crying just seconds ago.

Others surrounded her, but Emir didn't care about them.

Only his sister.

Yuriel, although lost on him, was in fact right next to Lily.

She was crying.

Not before, but now.

She cried while looking directly at Emir. Her boss.

Afraid. Right, she was scared.

Was she scared because someone bullied Lily with her around?

Was she scared because Emir might find her incompetent and kill her?

Maybe, perhaps, perchance.

None knew her fate except for the man himself.

And Lily's reaction to that man's entrance was not to be considered subtle by any means.

She first snapped her away and made sure to wipe any remaining tears.

"Are you -"

Then, in obvious annoyance, she cut her extremely worried brother off with a shout:

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Emir didn't reply but only stared at her plainly, waiting for her mental faculties to return.

And it appeared that they did so a moment later, as she lowered her head in apology.

"I-I'm sorry..."

The bystanders witnessing this scene would never have guessed that Lily was the older one of

the two.

It appeared natural, just the average older brother, who happened to be a professor, a popular hunter group leader, an ever-expanding company co-leader, and a clean criminal responsible for multiple war crimes, atrocities, and massacres, disciplining his younger sister.

Right, completely normal.

"Good."

Emir nodded after waiting for a minute or so in silence, giving her the time to reflect on her

actions, and then, when he thought that it was enough punishment, he gestured for everyone

to leave.

None of them retaliated or even hesitated.

In front of them stood THAT professor, a man with so many rumors trailing behind him that even they, the theoretical kids were well-acquainted with his notoriety.

For them, listening to him was mandatory; they didn't dare test the waters.

They got out quietly, and Yuriel was the first of the lot, almost rushing, stumbling over

herself.

Snap.

As everyone left, a barrier of Aether formed around the two siblings, isolating them from the

outside world.

After ensuring no one could hear them, he asked:

"So tell me... Who am I supposed to kill?"