Emperor's Reckoning

The smirk on Elise's face brought about a bad feeling for Lyon. Her eyebrows were raised and her arms were crossed. She evidently meant business.

"I suppose that you want to ask me something?" asked Lyon with a smile. "I've heard that the Fourth Hall is for the students and instructors alike."

"Elders too," said Elise before she nodded twice. "Renduval, you can stop bowing you know."

"Y-Yes!" Renduval immediately sprung his spine up with his eyes not daring to meet hers.

Lyon smiled wryly. He noticed how incredibly nervous Renduval was because of her presence. The woman with bunny ears might be small and short but her influence in Alchemy Union was unquestionable.

"Boy, I want you to go to the Fourth Hall tomorrow," asked Elise with a smile that made him slightly unease.

"At night?" Lyon asked.

"No, in the afternoon," said Elise as she shook her head. The meaning behind his words casually flew over her head.

"What for?" Lyon asked. The Fourth Hall was the place where the alchemists resided as far as he knew.

"Where do you think the classes are held?" Elise furrowed her brows.

"Oh right," Lyon was genuinely surprised. "Never thought about that before, haha!"

"So the Fourth Hall is the biggest of them all?" Lumina asked.

Elise nodded, "It is the biggest of them all and cultivators can in fact go in there."

"It's open for the public?" Lyon raised his brows. "Are you sure that it's safe for cultivators to come and go into such a sensitive place?"

"There are rules to abide of course," answered Elise. "You will know when you get there."

"Hmm, but I don't think I can though, maybe the day after?" asked Lyon.

"Huh? Why not?" she frowned and put her hands on her waist.

"Because!" Lyon grinned before he put his hands over Renduval's shoulder, "I want to watch his performance in tomorrow's test."

Renduval immediately turned stiff, "P-Please I don't mind!"

"Test?" she looked at Renduval, "Are you going to take the gold cloak exam?"

"He is," Lyon answered as he smacked Renduval's chest with his palm while laughing.

"I see," she nodded. "That would not be a problem, since the test also takes place there."

"Oh?" Lyon raised his brows. "Well, why don't you say so, Renduval? Hahaha!"

"M-My time is not worth it, please Elder Elise, don't mind me," Renduval repeatedly bowed.

"I have time, I might as well join you and watch," said Elise with a smile.

"Ah!" Renduval opened his eyes wide.

"Alright! Aren't you happy?" said Lyon as he smacked Renduval's back.

"En, see you tomorrow," said Elise as she left and waved her hand.

"Well, isn't that nice, now you got something to do for tomorrow other than going to the auction," said Cecile.

Lyon opened his eyes wide as he looked at Cecile, "Cecile, en-en?!". He shook his head as he cued her with his eyes that Renduval was right beside him. Stealing the mithril badge from the headmaster was a serious crime, at least that's what Lyon thought was, presumably.

"Hehehe," Cecile chuckled. "What are you worrying about? His mind is elsewhere, can't you see? He didn't even blink."

"Heh?" Lyon looked over and saw Renduval was muttering something.

"Elder Elise will watch, Elder Elise will watch," muttered Renduval.

Lyon smiled wryly. He noticed how Renduval's forehead was slowly drenched by the cold sweat. The nervousness— hands shaking, finger tremors, and eyes went unblinking —was something that he had never expected out of him— especially after what just happened in the Third Hall.

"Oi, Renduval, you still need to escort us," said Lyon before he snapped his fingers right between Renduval's eyes. "Oi!"

"He is out of it, young master," said Graham. "We need to slap him back to reality."

"Right— so who wants to do it?" Lyon puts his hands on his waist with a grin on his face. "Nah, never mind, I will do it myself."

Lumina frowned as she saw Lyon was stretching his neck, then his arms. The grin on his face was nothing good either like he was waiting for this moment or something.

"Don't get me wrong Renduval, but I've heard that losing blood can make you tired— which also means that you won't be nervous— I guess," Lyon shrugged. "Never tried it—about to find out!"

His fingers slowly buried into his fist.

"Wait a minute, I thought you wanted to slap him?!" asked Lumina.

"Heh, this is the slap of friendship between men," said Lyon before the veins in his forearm bulged. The intense aura surrounding him was delightful to feel when you're his ally but not when you're his foe. He pulled his right arm before going against Renduval's nose.

"HAH!—"

"Eh? Lyon?"

"—Too late!"

Renduval didn't even feel the pain as the shock numbed his brain. He didn't even realize that he was in midair, looking at the ceiling before the world around him went dark.

*Thud!

Lumina sighed as she facepalmed. Renduval clearly regained his consciousness in the middle of Lyon's punch but he went on with it anyway.

"Crap," muttered Lyon before squatting down and taking a good look at Renduval's face.

His nose was bleeding— it also didn't seem to align properly —and his mouth was opened as if he was gasping for air. His hands didn't twitch— it was the only good sign that Lyon found —but his eyes were wide open. Lyon squinted his eyes and aligned his vision, parallel to Renduval's chest to see that it was heaving up and down.

"Oh?" Lyon stood up— done-and-dusted his hands —and he smiled. "Another job well done. He is not dead."

"You could just slap him for real," commented Lumina.

"Where is the fun in that," Lyon shrugged.

"Now who is going to escort us to our room?" asked Lumina after she crossed her arms.

Lyon opened his mouth and raised his finger only to say nothing. His eyebrows raised, "Shit."

Lumina sighed. "Let's go back for now."

"Go back? Go back where?" Lyon wondered.

"To Cherie, she ought to know where our room is," said Lumina as she led the group.

"Wait, what about this guy?" asked Lyon as he pointed at the passed-out Renduval on the floor.

"Guess who needs to be responsible for his own action," said Lumina as she smiled.

"Eh?" Lyon was dumbfounded before he turned his head toward the auburn beauty that was leaving him, "Cecile?"

"Hm?" Cecile gives her a glance but only to smile and not stop to aid him.

"Eh? Kesya? Graham? Even you Assid?!" Lyon was in disbelief. He was left alone with the rising star for tomorrow. "Damn it Renduval, why can't you take a hit."

Lyon let out a big sigh against the ceiling to express his unjust fate before crouching down. He looked at Renduval's face before sighing once more. Picking him up on his back was not as hard as it looks, but the heaviness came not from Renduval's body weight, but the fact that he was left alone to handle him.

"I cannot believe it, me— the one they regarded as the emperor— is left alone to do this menial task!" said Lyon with flustered dissatisfaction. "Damn, not even my grandfathers are here!"

"Don't worry, I'll help however I can!"

"Thanks—Huh?" Lyon had his eyes widened before he turned around to see no one. The hall was empty as far as his eye could see. He turned back before looking at the floor. He recognized the voice. He knew it all too well. It was the same voice that he heard back in the library. It was not belonging to a ghost, it was belonging to someone that he believed to be...

"Maria... huh," Lyon looked at the carpet before sighing. He had met Selena before and he had embraced Cecile. However, the name Maria was still shrouded in mystery. Those around him only told him that she was the kindest person they ever met, perhaps in the empire that he ruled. From the voices that he heard back in the library, he didn't know if it was the truth or the hallucination was playing games in his mind, but he believed that the kind voice belonged to his wife.

Lyon closed his eyes as he took a deep breath to gain his composure. He looked at the ceiling with determination in his eyes. The fire burning in his glance was unequaled.

"C'mon Lyon," said Lumina.

"Huh?" He saw that Lumina and the others had returned already with Cherie noticeably giggling at him. (Wait a minute, why should I follow them?! I could just standby here and waited!) thought Lyon as he turned grim. He realized too late that the way to their room was on the opposite way.

Lyon sighed as his energy was wasted for no reason.

The first night thus spent in Alchemy Union. After the hustle-bustle of his arrival, the night calmed them away with a nice breeze of wind.