After Darius and Sylvina spent long hours researching in the library, they finally agreed to take a break and step outside for some fresh air. New ideas were persistently nagging at Darius's mind; that puzzle related to the symbols still haunted him, but he felt he needed to let Sylvina rest.

  The next morning, as the meeting time approached, Darius stood in front of his mirror, adjusting the collar of his white shirt. He had barely finished straightening it when he cast a quick glance at himself, scrutinizing his appearance carefully. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice behind him:

  "That's interesting."

  He turned quickly to find Nanaki, his older brother, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, his eyes filled with mischief.

  "What?" he said coldly, as if his presence didn't affect him.

  Nanaki approached slowly, his gaze examining the clothes with care.

  "A white embroidered shirt, an elegant coat... and you're spending time adjusting your shirt collar?" He placed his finger on his chin as if thinking. "I've never seen you care this much about your appearance before. I wonder... what's the occasion?"

  Darius sighed and looked back at his reflection in the mirror. "I'm in a hurry. Tell me why you're here."

  Nanaki smiled mysteriously, then pulled an old book from his small bag. Its pages were yellowed, and its leather cover was etched with faded symbols. He held the book up in front of Darius's face and said:

  "Didn't you ask me a while ago to bring you a book on ancient curses from our castle library? I found this one. I went through a lot of trouble to get it; you should be grateful."

  Darius stared at the book for a moment, then asked cautiously: "No one saw you, right?"

  Nanaki replied: "Of course. If Mother knew, you wouldn't be seeing me here now."

  Darius said with a smile: "Thank you. I truly appreciate it."

  Nanaki was surprised by Darius's reaction; he rarely smiled or showed gratitude to anyone. He said: "Now I'm curious about why you wanted the book. Is it that important?"

  Darius replied: "It would be hard to explain; the story is long."

  Nanaki said seriously: "The girl you're going out with... how exactly did you meet her? And why do you spend so much time with her?"

  Darius began walking toward the door and answered indifferently: "I don't have time for these questions."

  Nanaki said: "Then I'll be direct. I did some investigating about that girl. I didn't feel comfortable with her, being so weak and without any magical power. I sneaked into the director's room to read her files."

  Darius stopped in his tracks and turned to Nanaki in shock: "Please tell me you're joking. If Mother found out what you did, she wouldn't hesitate to punish you severely. This is worse than taking the book from the sealed library in our castle."

  Nanaki said with a smile: "That's if she finds out. And I don't think you'll rat me out; I did this for you."

  Then he added: "Anyway... I searched through all the first-year students' files, but I found nothing about that girl. No record, no known family, no trace of her before she appeared at the academy. I even disguised myself and asked all her classmates, and no one knows anything about her. It's literally as if the girl appeared out of nowhere."

  Darius said indifferently: "I'm not interested in these details."

  Nanaki sighed and said: "Understand this: there's a possibility that this girl was placed in the academy for a specific purpose. And your spending all this time with her doesn't sit well with me at all. So I'll be clear with you... if I see that the girl has suspicious intentions, I won't hesitate to eliminate her."

  A faint smile appeared on Darius's face, and his eyes changed color to green. Then he said to him in a calm tone that hid great confidence: "I already know everything about her. My spell revealed all her secrets."

  Nanaki felt clear confusion; he hadn't expected this sudden change in Darius's eye color. He stepped back and asked in a low voice: "What's wrong with your eyes? And what spell are you talking about?"

  Darius resumed walking toward the door and said: "A spell I learned shortly before entering the academy. I preferred to keep it a secret to avoid prying eyes."

  Then he left the room calmly, leaving Nanaki behind, with a mix of astonishment and worry etched on his features.

  **At the Academy Gate**

  Sylvina stood somewhat hesitant, watching the students coming and going through the large gate. This was the first time she would leave the academy walls to wander the city; since arriving from her distant village, she hadn't had the chance to explore the place.

  She soon spotted Darius approaching with calm steps. He waved his hand in greeting: "Good morning. Have you been waiting long?"

  Sylvina shook her head in denial and smiled shyly: "No... I just arrived a few minutes ago."

  Darius smiled and said: "Then let's go."

  After that, they headed together toward the city. They spent a peaceful day away from the academy's tense atmosphere; everything was simple and relaxing, giving them a real opportunity to unwind. They visited some new places, wandered aimlessly through the small market, and enjoyed some local sweets that Darius suggested. Time passed between them without them noticing; the conversations were spontaneous, and the moments of silence that occasionally fell were not heavy but rather gave both a pleasant sense of tranquility. When they finally returned to the academy, a light feeling of comfort had crept into their hearts, as if this simple day had restored something they had missed for a long time.

  After that day, they returned to their daily routine: classes, the library, sleep. But this time, when Darius returned to his room, he stayed up late reading the book on curses. The book discussed the most dangerous curses and ways to break them. It was highly secretive, and no one knew about it.

  After a few weeks of staying up late and diligent work, the two finally succeeded in deciphering all the symbols correctly. In that moment, Darius and Sylvina felt a mix of relief and excitement overwhelming them. They hadn't faced just a complex spell, but an intertwined puzzle of layers and references.

  Early the next morning, Darius decided to try the spell once more according to the new arrangement they had reached. He met Sylvina in the training courtyard. Sylvina held the notebook in which she had written the symbol interpretations, while Darius appeared more confident than before.

  He said as he placed his book on the stone table and flipped the page with evident enthusiasm: "Finally... it's time to see if this arrangement will make a difference."

  Sylvina looked up at him and nodded lightly, then pointed with her finger to two symbols on the page:

  "Don't forget to consider the energy flow order between these two symbols. If you don't connect them properly, there might be interference."

  Darius smiled, determined to follow the instructions precisely this time. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, focusing on summoning his spiritual energy. He began drawing the vortex in the air with precise movements, following every step written in the symbol explanations.

  At first, the vortex appeared small as usual, rotating slowly in the air. But this time, it seemed more cohesive. When Darius added the second symbol in the new sequence, the vortex accelerated slightly, as if it had gained an extra dose of energy. Its edges stabilized in the void, no longer shaking randomly. After adding the third and fourth symbols, the glowing color Darius was accustomed to seeing began to shift from faint to a clearer brilliance.

  A smile of joy appeared on his face, and Sylvina commented with some astonishment: "It's... actually stable!"

  But the joy didn't last long, for upon adding the final fifth symbol according to the new interpretation, the vortex suddenly became unstable and expanded more than expected. It began drawing a lot of Darius's energy with greater force than he had planned. He gritted his teeth, trying to control it.

  In the end, the vortex's size gradually shrank until it finally became a small glowing point, then vanished.

  Darius approached the stone bench and sat down, running his hand over his forehead. He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling exhausted but unable to hide the partial triumph in his eyes.

  Sylvina approached him and said in a soft voice tinged with worry: "Are you okay? It looked like you drained a lot of your energy."

  He smiled at her warmly, trying to hide his real fatigue: "I'm fine. I just wanted to see how much progress we've made."

  Then he added, trying to steady his breathing: "Even though it didn't complete its cycle, it was much stronger than all previous attempts."

  Sylvina sighed in relief as she clutched her notebook to her chest, then said: "Good... but I think we need to make some adjustments to the symbols before the next attempt."

  Darius said confidently, despite the exhaustion evident on him: "No need to change anything... I was just drained from the start, that's why it didn't complete as it should. But next time, I'm sure it'll succeed."

  After Darius and Sylvina finished their conversation in the training courtyard, they headed together toward the classroom building. As soon as they arrived, they smiled quickly at each other and parted ways to their respective classes. The hallways were filled with students hurrying to catch their lessons, while teachers' voices echoed from all sides, urging them not to be late.

  Darius entered his classroom to find Castro sitting in the adjacent seat, raising his hand in a welcoming smile. Darius sat down, still feeling some excitement from the last spell attempt, even though it hadn't fully completed.

  It wasn't long before the teacher entered and began the lesson with a theoretical explanation of the basics of energy control in complex spells. Although the topic was familiar to Darius, his mind occasionally wandered to the adjustments he planned for the next attempt.

  As the minutes passed, the professor progressed in his explanation until he reached the conclusion. Some students showed signs of fatigue or boredom, while others tried to display genuine interest. Finally, the professor stopped writing on the board, turned to the class, and said in a calm tone, hinting at the approaching end of time:

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "This is what we'll conclude our lesson with today..."

  At that moment, the school bell rang, announcing the end of the class, and a wave of movement swept the classroom as students began gathering their things, preparing to leave. Here begins the second part:

  The lesson ended, and the students started collecting their belongings, while the teacher remained standing in front of the board, looking at them silently. Some students exchanged words, and others prepared to exit.

  "Wait a moment," the professor said in a calm but audible voice, so the students stopped and turned to him.

  He continued, looking at the class: "I have an announcement before you leave. Don't forget that the annual celebration at the academy will be held next week."

  He added: "Since you're first-year students, I'll tell you about the tournament that will take place. It's an annual tournament, and any student from any year can participate."

  Whispers spread among the students; some appeared excited, while others raised their eyebrows in surprise. Castro, sitting next to Darius, muttered with a smile: "Finally, something different."

  The teacher continued: "Anyone who wants to participate should register their name."

  Light murmurs rose, and some students exchanged curious glances.

  Castro turned to Darius with a smile: "This year's competition will be exciting. But I feel like you'll win easily."

  Darius replied calmly: "I won't participate. I'm not interested in the competition."

  Castro laughed lightly as he stood: "I expected an answer like that. You'd prefer reading a spell over a regular tournament."

  "That's all," the professor said, gesturing toward the door. "You may leave now."

  The students began exiting, chatting about the celebration; some were enthusiastic, while others seemed more cautious or indifferent. Castro waved to Darius with a smile:

  "See you tomorrow; don't be late."

  Darius nodded without commenting, then began gathering his books slowly. As he was about to leave, he heard the teacher's voice calling him:

  "Darius, wait."

  He turned in surprise to find the teacher looking at him seriously and saying: "The academy director, Malforos, wants to see you. Go to his office immediately."

  Darius felt a wave of curiosity and surprise, but he merely nodded without asking any questions, then left the classroom heading to the director's office, his thoughts intertwining in his head about the reason for this sudden summons.

  **At the Same Time, Inside Malforos's Office**

  Sylvina was sitting in the director's office, a bit tense. She clasped her hands in her lap and took a deep breath before saying in a soft voice:

  "Malforos-sama... I don't think I can attend the celebration. I... I'm afraid I'll lose control."

  The director looked at her calmly before replying in a reassuring voice:

  "There's no need to worry, Sylvina-san."

  Then he took out a gold bracelet studded with three diamonds and said: "Wear this bracelet; it will suppress all your energy if you lose control. I obtained this bracelet with great difficulty."

  Sylvina took the bracelet and put it on, but she couldn't shake off her anxiety; the tension was still evident on her features. She didn't argue further, but after a short moment, she stood and said quietly: "Thank you, Malforos-sama."

  The director nodded to her, so she turned and left the office. As soon as she found herself in the quiet corridor, she stopped for a moment, closed her eyes, trying to calm her breathing. She took a deep inhale, then a slow exhale, but the feeling of anxiety didn't completely disappear.

  "Sylvina-san?"

  She startled slightly at the sound of a voice calling her, opened her eyes, and turned quickly to see Darius standing in front of her. He seemed as if he had just emerged from his own thoughts, but he quickly focused his gaze on her.

  "H... hello," she muttered hesitantly.

  Darius noticed the disturbance in her features, so he stepped back a little and looked around cautiously, then returned his gaze to her and whispered in a low voice:

  "Did the director summon you about something concerning me?"

  She shook her head quickly and said: "No... I went to him myself..."

  A hint of surprise appeared on Darius's face, but he didn't ask her more. She seemed unwilling to talk further, as she began walking away and said in a soft voice: "I'm sorry... I won't be able to meet you in the library today. See you tomorrow."

  Darius watched her silently as she walked away, sensing that something was occupying her mind more than she had said. But like her, he had enough questions in his head.

  After Sylvina had gone, and while Darius was lost in his thoughts trying to understand what had just happened, someone suddenly extended a hand from behind him and placed it on his shoulder.

  He jumped in fright and turned quickly, assuming a defensive stance instinctively, as if ready for a fight. But when his eyes met the person who had touched him, he froze in place.

  "Mother? Father?" he said in astonishment as he looked at the two people standing before him.

  It was Aizen, standing there with his usual calm features, while Elene stared at him with a stern look that carried a clear sense of anger. He hadn't expected to see them here, and their sudden presence did not bode well.

  Darius asked them: "What are you doing here? And how did you come?"

  Elene raised a letter in Darius's face and said in a cold voice: "Nanaki gave us this letter a little while ago. And I ordered him to teleport me and your father immediately."

  Aizen added: "The letter's content is that you'll be expelled from the academy soon."

  Darius felt a knot in his stomach. He wasn't the type to fear easily, but when his family got involved, things became complicated. He looked at his mother, who moved toward the office door, opened it forcefully, and said sharply: "Come on, let's go in."

  Darius took a deep breath before following his parents inside.

  Director Malforos was sitting behind his desk, busy flipping through some papers, but as soon as he looked up and saw the two people entering, he stiffened for a moment, and his eyes widened slightly.

  "Your Majesty King Aizen... Your Majesty Queen Elene..." he said in shock. Then he stood quickly, feeling fear inside him. But when he saw Darius enter, Malforos calmed down, bowed slightly in respect, and said in a formal voice: "I wasn't expecting your arrival. It's an honor for us to receive you here."

  Elene smiled faintly, but she didn't sit immediately; instead, she looked at the director and said in a calm but clear tone:

  "We received a letter regarding Darius's performance at the academy. We'd like to hear the details directly from you about what's happening."

  Malforos relaxed a bit and nodded, then returned to his seat and said respectfully, choosing his words carefully:

  "Of course... Prince Darius is a talented student, no doubt, but his performance at the academy... is cause for concern."

  Aizen sat calmly, followed by Elene and Darius.

  "How so?" Elene asked in a calm voice.

  Malforos took a short breath, then said:

  "Prince Darius ignores the theoretical classes and shows no interest in practical exams. In tests, he submits completely blank papers, as if he doesn't take the matter seriously. He's received several warnings, but he hasn't shown any change in his behavior."

  Elene remained silent for a moment, then looked at Darius, her eyes holding a mix of patience and sternness: "Darius, is this true?"

  Darius averted his gaze slightly and said in a low voice:

  "I... thought I didn't need these lessons. I already know them, so why waste my time on something I already know?"

  Aizen gave him a long look before saying in a calm but firm voice: "Intelligence doesn't justify lack of commitment."

  Darius stayed silent, knowing that arguing wouldn't help. Malforos interjected, saying in a respectful but firm voice:

  "We don't doubt his abilities, but his seriousness. The academy has a specific system, and we expect every student, regardless of title, to respect the rules."

  Elene looked at the director with interest, then said calmly:

  "We appreciate the academy and its approach, and we're here to understand the problem and help Darius realize the responsibility on his shoulders. We don't want him to be seen as a careless student; that's not what we want for him."

  Malforos's features relaxed a little upon hearing the understanding tone, then he nodded and said:

  "Of course, and we in turn want to see improvement in his behavior. If he continues this way, we'll have to take measures that could lead to his expulsion from the academy."

  Then he paused, as if remembering something, and added in a calm tone: "Oh, and by the way... there's another matter concerning Prince Nanaki. He was caught cheating on exams. He used his teleportation ability to bring small papers filled with answers to his desk. The monitors didn't notice at first, but his magical energy gave him away."

  At that moment, Elene's eyes darkened to a deep shade, and she clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, but she remained silent.

  Aizen looked at her, then said calmly: "Nanaki? Small papers? Well... it seems he'll need a long talk when we see him."

  Darius, who had been standing silently, hid a faint look of worry, but he didn't comment.

  Aizen rose from his seat and looked at the director, saying in a polite tone: "Thank you for your time, Mr. Malforos. We hope things go well."

  "It's my pleasure, Your Majesty," the director said with a respectful bow, appearing somewhat relieved.

  Aizen turned and walked toward the door, followed by Elene and Darius in silence. As soon as the three exited the office, the door closed behind them, finding themselves in the quiet corridor leading to the academy halls.

  Elene stood for a moment, then let out a long sigh as she shook her head before saying in a calm voice filled with disappointment: "I didn't expect you to be negligent, Darius. Even Mirai wasn't this negligent. And Nanaki... I don't know what to say about him now."

  Darius said: "I'm not negligent; you could say I got carried away. I found something that will benefit me more than everything I'll learn at the academy."

  He said with confidence and enthusiasm as he smiled: "You'll be shocked when you see my new spell; I've almost finished it. So I promise you this won't happen again."

  Aizen sighed and said: "I truly hope you don't do this again." Then he added, looking around: "We're leaving now. Nanaki was supposed to wait for us here to teleport us to the castle, but he... isn't here anymore."

  Elene, who had remained silent, raised her head and said in a serious tone: "Disappeared? Of course, he knew we discovered his deed. Come on, dear, let's go."

  Aizen and Elene moved toward the main academy gate. Meanwhile, Darius remained standing in place for a few moments, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Then he headed to the library.

  Upon arriving, he pushed the door quietly and entered the serene hall. He glanced around quickly, expecting to find her in her usual spot, but... there was no trace of her.

  He frowned a little, then suddenly remembered her earlier words:

  "I'm sorry... I won't be able to meet you in the library today. See you tomorrow."

  He felt a bit of frustration for a moment, but he quickly shook his head with a faint smile. She had told me in advance, so why did I expect something different?

  He advanced a little into the library, trying to find something to occupy him for a while, but he soon realized he wasn't in the mood for reading. After just a few minutes, he decided to leave and return to his room.

  **Inside Malforos's Office**

  Malforos sat at his desk, sweating, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Oh God... for a moment, I thought they came to confront me. I'm glad things ended well."

  After calming down a bit, he turned to a small drawer in his desk and pulled it out slowly. Inside was a distinctive wooden box that showed clear signs of age. The director stared at it for a few moments, then whispered to himself in a low tone: "The time hasn't come yet... but I must ensure nothing disrupts my plans."

  He returned the box to its place carefully, then straightened in his seat, pressing his palm against his sweat-dampened forehead. His mind didn't stop racing, thinking of many possibilities about what might happen if his secret was revealed.

  Despite his relief at not confronting Darius's parents now, he realized it was only a matter of time before the threads of his plan unraveled. He looked at the stacked papers on his desk and said: "I need to hasten the next steps..." A glint of worry mixed with hidden determination reflected in his eyes, as if a decision had already been made.

  (Continued)

  (Bonus Scene)

  Aizen and Elene finally reached the castle after a journey home steeped in heavy silence. Elene was exhausted, leaning on her husband's arm, her face betraying a simmering anger that bubbled just beneath the surface. As soon as they entered the main hall, she let loose, venting as if unloading her heart's burden: "Good grief, Aizen, what's going on with our kids? Darius ignores his studies and turns in blank exam papers! Nanaki… Nanaki cheats with his magic like some sneaky little crook! Tiny notes teleported to his desk? What kind of nonsense is that? And don't get me started on Mirai, always stirring up trouble and never taking anything seriously. It's like those three dimwits are plotting to turn my life into a total fiasco!"

  Aizen listened calmly, nodding now and then, saying nothing, knowing his wife needed to blow off steam. Suddenly, Lars appeared from a side corridor, a serene and warm smile lighting up his face. He bowed respectfully before his parents and said gently, "Welcome back."

  Then, with his usual composure, he added, "I've finished reviewing the castle's financial reports with the advisors and fixed a mistake in last week's budget that could've cost us dearly. I've also coordinated with the guard captains to tweak patrol routes around the borders based on recent monster movements, so our defenses are sharper now. Oh, and I've handled the urgent diplomatic letters waiting for you both. Everything's under control."

  He paused, scratching his cheek with a finger, and smiled calmly. "You two can take the whole day to rest. I'll take care of everything else."

  Elene stared at Lars for a moment, then tears suddenly streamed from her eyes. She hurried toward him, sobbing quietly, and placed her hands on his shoulders, squeezing them gently as if reassuring herself he was real.

  "You're my only son. You're nothing like those three retards. It's no coincidence that your hair and eyes are different from theirs. You've never caused trouble, and you help me and your father more than anyone else. You're my true and only son."

  Then, with a smile, she added, "Lars, it's true that you're one of the weakest demons—your physical and magical abilities aren't strong—but you're the smartest and wisest. Your father and I are so proud of you. Thank you for being here."

  Lars was completely flustered by the sudden flood of words, unsure what sparked this emotional outburst. He tried to respond with a hesitant smile, "Uh… thanks? I guess?"

  (End of Bonus Scene.)