CHAPTER 840: HEAVY SILENCE AND HOLLOW THREATS

Unfazed by Louis’ threats, Adam walked through the treasury corridor. Silence lingered, heavy enough to make the soft echo of their steps sound deafening. At least, that’s what Louis likely wanted. But it did not affect him or Desmond, especially not after he told his friend about the relocation of the mysterious room’s entry point.

Even Elliot, whose features had been a mixed bag of worried furrows and twisted lips when they first entered, relaxed upon watching his friends strolling the place as if they had nothing to hide.

Still, they remained silent even though the teacher stood by the entrance, a finger tapping on his crossed arms.

When he reached the crudely studded door—far enough for Louis and Elliot to fade in the corridor’s darkness—Adam stepped aside, gesturing dramatically for Desmond to open it.

With a low, mocking sneer, the teenager flung the door open, the metallic rims groaning against the stone floor. Dust-gnawed barrels of rolled parchment filled the air with a scent of rotting ink. They stepped inside, between rows of shelves on which flasks of murky grey or flamboyant red liquids lay forgotten until their owner found a use for them.

Adam sat on one of the crates they should have transported earlier, and Desmond did the same across from him. They exchanged mischievous grins for a silent minute before two sets of footsteps echoed from the corridor.

The walls emitted a faint light through their grooves, illuminating Louis’ furrowed brow. He scrutinised his familiar storage without entering it.

"Nonsense." He clenched his fists, the words coming out in a low growl. Although he had been too far away to see, the feedback from his mana was formal: they had used no tricks to hide whatever had opened to them two weeks ago.

But now, they were trying to force him to believe it was all an act? Desmond’s fear, his call for Adam’s help, Adam’s lighthearted indifference to punishment, even Elliot’s conveniently timed misunderstanding on the very last day?

"Nonsense," he repeated, the sheer anger in his voice causing flasks to clink on the shelves. Vines that left sizzling holes on stones erupted with his every step as he commanded. "Did you take my warning as a joke? Whether you like it or not, you will confess."

"Ay." Adam waved his hand, but behind the casual gesture, his eyes narrowed into slits. "I confess that I’ve urged Elliot to distract you. I confess to wasting your time, like you’ve wasted mine with your punishment. I confess to knowing since the first day that Desmond’s fears were as unreasonable as his annoying screams."

He crossed his arms over his chest, pursing his lips. "What’s next? Will you torture us to get a truth that doesn’t exist because you don’t believe me, or will you increase our punishment to find out something you’ve imagined?"

Desmond rose from the crate, snorting as he realised Adam’s goal: to receive punishment and be done with this. "This storage has been yours for how long again? Yet, something a magus like you has never noticed suddenly appeared for us, weak students? That sounds more like nonsense than your baseless suspicions. Get over it, Teacher Louis. It’s not like an unfairly punished student never pranked his teachers in return."

Louis halted, and for a moment, they glared at each other in a heavy silence broken only by the angry hiss of mana. Then, Louis clenched his jaw and pointed an accusing finger at Adam. "The story Elliot told me—did you ever consider building armies of ghosts in transmuted bodies?"

"Never." Adam’s voice turned solemn, his eyes locked with the teacher’s.

After a heartbeat, Louis exhaled deeply. His mana subsided. At least, he would trust Adam on this.

"Very well. We all know you’re not telling me the truth, but I also can’t prove your guilt. Torture..."

He shook his head. Adam’s potential was too valuable to lose his trust. At least, Haldris wouldn’t forgive him. Bluffing flashed through his mind before he dismissed it upon remembering that Adam didn’t back down from a fight with Teacher Grimhilde on his very first day. Intimidation wouldn’t work.

"Punishment it is. For disrespecting me with your pranks, all three of you lose two thousand points." He waved his palm, emphasising the word prank like someone who didn’t believe it one second.

Elliot gasped, holding back his tears with a sniffle, while Adam and Desmond shrugged—one because he knew he would get them back, the other because he was used to being deep in debt.

"I’ll investigate your claims about being in the dorms with Teacher Magna," Louis said in a dry voice as Adam wrapped a comforting arm around Elliot’s shoulders on his way out. Then, he added with a tone of finality. "No matter the result, you’re expelled from my class, Adam."

"Sure." With this simple answer, Adam left with his friends. Expelled? He heard, ’more free time.’ Not that Louis’ class was bad. It was just that philosophy took up too much space in it. Anyway, the punishment was petty in the first place.

He clicked his tongue as they left the Reward Hall, holding his friends from talking until the Common Hall. Once seated at their House’s long table, their mouths watering from the scent of meat pies fresh from the oven, he sighed as he filled his plate.

Desmond did the same with a satisfied grin, while Elliot clutched his kneecaps.

"I don’t know how you can eat. We’ve lost six thousand points in total!" The boy whispered. "What are we going to do now?"

"Between that, the two thousand Grimhilde took from you, and the points you made the others lose, what’s the count now?" Desmond chuckled. "I must admit defeat. You’re the true expert when it comes to losing points."

"It’s not funny!" Elliot clutched his head and shook it.

"Around twenty-two thousand." Adam rolled his eyes, then patted the boy’s head. His lips curled into a smirk as he pointed his fork at them. "What do we do? It’s obvious. Time for plan: let’s rake points until we take up the top three."