CHAPTER 140: A WORK OF ART

Noah woke up in a good mood that morning.

He was in such a good mood, he found himself whistling as he hopped into the shower.

By the time he was dressed, there was an actual, genuine smile on his lips. It was as if the incident of last night had slightly healed a hole in his very soul.

In a word, he felt... refreshed.

He gathered his ink bottle, quill, and parchment, placing them in his satchel, before heading out.

As he passed through the hall to the lift, the other first year Gold-tier students present on his floor stared strangely at him. That was when he realized he’d started whistling again. He chuckled at the realization.

Taking the lift down, he tilted his head, wondering where to go next.

From what he’d noticed, Leo and Galahad were on different floors in the second year Gold-tier dorm, so they usually just met each other in the cafeteria, instead of waiting for the other to get ready.

"Cafeteria it is." He grinned to himself.

Continuing his whistling, he made his way through the school courtyard. The rain had stopped some time before dawn, and the sun was out in the sky, sending the beads of water dripping from the gutters of the various buildings glinting.

It was amazing.

The air smelled fresher, the sun felt warmer on his skin, and for some reason, the day felt brighter.

"What a good day to be alive."

He entered the cafeteria, and the noise immediately hit him.

The Hall was already half full with people streaming in and out. Today was the first day of the week. That meant classes were resuming today. Neat.

His day started with Enchantments class, but it was a class he’d had Professor Cecilia help him strike off his list. He didn’t need to go.

Perfect. This meant he had the whole morning to observe the fallout.

He headed to the Gold-tier section, quickly filling up his tray with his breakfast. Buttery toast, bacon, honeyed tea, and eggs. They smelled amazing.

He made his way to a seat that afforded him a full view of the entrance and plopped down on it. With a smile, he began eating.

As he took his first bite of the toast, the flavors exploded in his mouth. "Hmmm." He groaned in pleasure.

This was the same toast he’d been eating since he’d been released from the Investigation Authority, but this was the first time he was actually tasting it as he ate. It was delicious.

He took a sip of his tea, savoring the taste, before continuing.

And so, breakfast passed, until the door to the Gold-tier section opened. He looked up to see Leo Hargreaves walk in. The young man had his glasses on, and from the way his dark hair was a bit rough, he’d been in a hurry to get to the cafeteria.

He watched as Leo entered, his head moving this way and that as he searched for Galahad.

Noah drained his cup of tea, washing down his beautiful breakfast and hiding his grin with the cup at the same time.

Leo frowned. No Galahad. And so, he headed to the counter, grabbing his own breakfast for himself.

With nothing to do but watch, Noah retrieved his notes from his satchel, reviewing them. After all, even though they were mages, they still had exams at the end of the semester.

He exhaled at the thought. Here he was, a mage capable of casting S-rank spells, but he still needed to take exams.

Well, he could understand it. After all, even with his S-rank mana capacity and magic control, he was still an FFF-rank mage with FFF-rank physical stats. He needed the powerful stats in order to even use his SS and SSS-rank skills.

Fortunately, the dedicated team of researchers promised by the king had already arrived, and they were working on the best ritual he could use as a Dark Dragon to ascend. Before long, he’d be FF-rank too.

He nodded to himself at the thought. There was only approximately one month and a few weeks left in this semester. "How time flies when you’re being tortured."

He looked up as he noticed movement.

Leo stood, turning to walk out of the cafeteria. With a grin, Noah returned his notes to his satchel and stood, also making his way out of the cafeteria.

Leo had grown impatient. Galahad still hadn’t come to the cafeteria at this time. That meant something was wrong.

Noah followed at a distance, whistling happily to himself again.

They passed a large courtyard with a fountain and he stood there for a few seconds, watching the way the light of the sun hit the water.

Finally, they arrived at the second year dorm building. Leo entered, but Noah didn’t follow. Instead, he took the route that led through the back of the dorm, where the window to Galahad’s room was.

There was less foot traffic here, so he wasn’t worried about being watched. He sat down on one of the benches along the path, a smile on his face as he watched the window that was Galahad’s.

A minute later, Leo’s yelp drifted from the window. Noah’s grin widened.

"No! Galahad!" He heard Leo’s voice. A second later, the window swung open, and Leo leaned out, spewing the contents of his stomach out to the floor below.

Within a few seconds, there was an uproar as the other students streamed into the room, drawn by Leo’s yell.

Noah already knew what they’d find.

A charred body engulfed by an ever burning flame that didn’t seem eager to consume more than the flesh beneath it.

A work of art.

Noah sat there for a few more minutes, enjoying the show. Before long, the school administrators arrived, along with some teachers.

Noah watched it all. He knew what would soon happen. The crime would be reported to the Investigation Authority, and Osiris will walk into the academy himself.

Noah grinned as he stood, and began making his way towards the library.

His prey would soon enter his territory.

"Osiris Lawless." He muttered under his breath. "I’m looking forward to our reunion."