First Move, Checkmate: How Will You Respond?

Lady Cassana found it hard to accept the outcome.

“I need to see His Majesty… I need to see His Majesty…”

“Duke Rivierre, I warn you, even without the Saul surname, I am still the sister of the Emperor.”

Lady Cassana was clearly irritated as she continued:

“You have no reason to stop me from entering the Royal Capital.”

“I will find a way to see His Majesty,”

“If you don’t let me go now, I will certainly file a complaint against you in front of His Majesty!”

“What are your intentions by blocking my way?”

Upon hearing Lady Cassana’s accusations, Duke Rivierre showed a smile, like a cunning old fox, and said in a tone that seemed to be for her own good:

“Even if you complain later, His Majesty will understand the circumstances and won’t blindly blame me…”

In front of a smooth politician, every word of Lady Cassana seemed pale and weak.

“Dangerous!? My son is in danger right now, he could lose his life!”

Her tone escalated a few notches, she was both angry and anxious.

Even so, she had no choice but to sit here, waiting for Duke Rivierre to let her pass.

But the words of Duke Rivierre in the next second left her stunned in place.

She opened her eyes wide and quieted down.

“Lady Cassana, I am not joking with you…”

“There has been ‘demonic’ activity within the academy.”

“Your son, Devon Raser, is likely to have encountered the ‘demon’.”

……

“You mean, a demon?”

Last night, Victor was chatting casually with Lia in his study.

“The ‘filth’ that Caifla talked about, that’s it.”

Upon hearing Victor’s words, Lia found it hard to believe and fell silent.

She had seen the image of a demon in books…

The foul smell, the sticky skin, the bulbous eyes, and a tongue filled with numerous sharp teeth…

It was a shadowy figure with a heart full of greed.

Like a walking foul swamp, ordinary people would avoid it when they saw it.

There were records in the books that the creature had once lived in the latrine of a small town in a remote country.

The power it granted made the whole town thrive for a while.

But after that, one by one, the people in the town disappeared.

No one could trace their whereabouts, and the once thriving town became desolate and run-down due to neglect.

Eventually, it disappeared from history.

Lia stopped her recollections, just the description in the book was enough to make her feel nauseous.

Of course, whether it’s the appearance or the deeds, they are all historical records.

It’s commonplace for those in power to distort facts to consolidate their position.

But this also showed that no one liked the demon.

“Did you find it?”

Lia asked tentatively.

She was surprised. The news she had just received from Gwen yesterday, yet Victor had already traced it today.

Was Victor’s efficiency that high?

Victor nodded expressionlessly.

“The thing is in the academy.”

Lia asked curiously again, “Are you sure you can capture or kill that thing?”

Victor was very straightforward and honestly said:

“Not necessarily.”

If the demon was as Victor thought, as a boss in the early stage of the game, a fourth order mage may not be a match for it when it becomes complete.

As the saying goes.

If you lack strength, make up for it with skill.

Victor Clayvin’s strength indeed could not measure up to it.

“But Victor Clayvin can surely defeat it.”

“And if he can’t, he still has his ace in the hole.”

“However, I need to lure that filthy thing out and ensure that I kill it myself.”

Victor said to Lia.

But Lia found it somewhat strange.

“You said it wasn’t certain, so why still…”

“Even if the success rate is ninety-nine percent, I won’t be absolutely sure.”

Victor’s voice sounded quite ordinary, but it was enough to make Lia feel his astounding confidence in his words.

But now, she had another doubt.

If it was usual, Victor wouldn’t need to say so much to her.

Because she couldn’t help, there was no need for Victor to explain so much to her.

He would solve everything himself.

Including the volcano incident, if it weren’t for the news from outside, she would have no idea that Victor had done such an astonishing thing.

Lia seemed to realize something and blinked.

“…Could it be that you need me to do something?”

“Victor, I have to say something in advance, I’m not a mage, nor a knight like Gwen, I can’t even hold a few bricks steadily…”

“This is something only you can do.”

Victor’s decisive attitude almost made Lia doubt whether she had some special abilities.

What exactly is it?

“Do you know Devon Raser?”

“The fat guy you beat up today?”

Lia thought for a while and couldn’t help laughing.

“It’s so funny, you know? This has almost become the talk of the town tonight!”

The thought of this made Lia want to laugh. Even knowing that the fat guy was the emperor’s nephew, she had no fear at all.

She even thought that what Victor did was very good.

She didn’t know what grudge was between the two, but…

What Victor represented was their Clayvin family. If there was a grudge, they shouldn’t swallow it silently.

If Victor really did that, Lia would be the first to prepare to remove Victor.

Losing the face of the Clayvin family, he was no longer qualified to lead the family as the head.

“So what do you want me to do?”

“Is it to go south to intercept their business? I can’t do that, they have factories everywhere.”

“And that’s the Royal Family’s money making machine. You dare to offend the Emperor, but I don’t.”

Victor stopped Lia’s wild guess.

“Before the Emperor steps in, try your best to tarnish Devon Raser.”

He said, not even raising his eyebrows.

But Lia got the point and was more than surprised.

“You want to splash the dirty water of the demon on the Leiseth family? How is that possible?”

Thisis indeed a ridiculous proposition.

“Let alone whether we have enough people in the Royal Capital, no sane person would believe it.”

“Or are you saying that you’ve become so powerful that you can control demons?”

Victor looked up at Lia and said lightly,

“The demon will cooperate with you.”

Lia looked at him incredulously, a chill running through her body.

“No one would want to be your enemy, Victor.”

“You’re a bastard who even wants to trick demons. You’re the real demon.”

Victor stood up, and Veega flapped its wings and flew from the desk to his shoulder.

“We are short of hands; we can borrow from Duke Rivierre.”

“After all, he owes me a big favor.”

With that, he walked out of the study with Veega.

…..

“Miss Lia Clayvin, I can only help you stop Lady Cassana at the city gate.”

Duke Rivierre was somewhat troubled, forcing a bitter smile as he spoke.

“It’s not that I refuse to assist Victor, but this is the best I can do.”

Lia sat before the Duke, smiling softly, “This is already more than enough, Your Grace.”

“What we need is time, time for my brother to prove his innocence.”

Duke Rivierre fell silent for a moment, then ventured to ask, “So, did Devon Raser really have dealings with a demon?”

Hearing the Duke’s question, Lia seemed rather helpless.

“Your Grace, I have no intentions of deceiving you, but think for a moment, why would my brother kill a mere second-level mage without reason?”

Lia weaved an elegant tapestry of information, drawing the Duke in like a prey caught in a spider’s web.

“Don’t forget, Duke Rivierre, our family, the Clayvins, have a special relationship with the Delins.”

“Miss Caifla, could naturally be considered my sister.”

Duke Rivierre nodded.

After all, the news of the demon invasion of the Royal Capital was brought by Caifla, so it didn’t seem outrageous that Victor might know something.

But Lia knew that Duke Rivierre didn’t truly believe her.

Victor, or the useless Devon Raser, it was a political choice clear to all.

Yet the Duke had to consider the cost of this choice, whether his family, the Duquois, could bear it.

So, Lia added another chip to the table.

“If you’re still unwilling to believe…”

As she tapped her fingers on the table, Lia continued:

“Victor is planning to put Devon Raser on display in the college square today. Afterwards, there may be some unpredictable commotions at the college, I can’t be certain what exactly.”

“But what I can assure you is that the ‘demon’ will surely save Devon Raser at that time.”

Duke Rivierre sat up straight, asking with a serious expression, “But how would this prove that it isn’t a performance orchestrated by Victor himself?”

Lia laughed again.

“Your Grace, you are quite suspicious, but I don’t mind your doubts, otherwise, all my preparations would be wasted.”

“I will have Sir Gwen lead the Royal Knight Corps to the college. By then, hundreds of knights will be keeping an eye on Victor.”

“The Royal Knight Corps serve His Majesty, they will witness everything in the most impartial manner.”

…

Victor stood in the college square, surrounded by knights in silver armor.

From the very first instant, Veega had deciphered the magic’s effects.

This astonishing magical barrier would weaken all ‘mana’ within its range, causing everyone to fall into a state of ‘weakness’.

‘Mana’ naturally included some special abilities.

For example, Gwen’s Righteous Heart.

At this moment, Victor was one of the few mages still standing steadily in the square.

As for the other mages, most of the students had collapsed, even some second-level lecturers were staggering, and a few third-level mages frowned, their mana depleted, unable to cast any magic.

On the other hand, apart from some weakness and fatigue, the knights still stood firm.

“What on earth is going on?”

Everyone was puzzled, except for Victor, no one knew what kind of formation they had fallen into.

Suddenly, countless black tentacles emerged from the edge of the barrier, like frenzied serpents, rapidly closing in on Professor Devon.

Veega played along perfectly, flapping his wings in a ‘frightened’ reaction.

All the knights and awakened mages were drawn in by Veega’s excessive stress, each person intently staring at the scene unfolding.

Sudden exclamations erupted everywhere.

“What is that disgusting thing?!”

Victor extended his Lava Giant Hand, the one that could still move, clashing with the countless Chaotic Tentacles.

Both sides were vying for Professor Devon.

The tentacles gradually enveloped Victor’s Lava Giant Hand, the darkness was like a multitude of tongues madly licking, trying to engulf Victor.

Even under ‘weakness’,Victor was still struggling, as if expelling countless incoming venomous snakes.

Unfortunately, Victor eventually lost. His grip loosened, and Professor Devon was lifted into the air by the tentacles.

The dark barrier transformed into a giant mouth and swallowed Professor Devon, and then, he disappeared.

For a moment, countless people fell into terror.

Victor’s face was terrifyingly gloomy, his voice evidently weak.

“Filthy demon…”

“Still couldn’t stop you from saving him, huh…”

?????

Everyone who heard this sentence was stunned on the spot, like helpless lambs.

What?

Demon?

Saved Devon Raser?

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