CHAPTER 282: CHAPTER 281- MIRACLE

It took two full days to send every survivor back home.

Those from different nations were granted free access to the teleportation centers—an arrangement made by the Tower, perhaps their attempt at redemption after abandoning everyone at the venue.

The Tower Master himself arrived at the academy to oversee the process. He brought soldiers and medical staff with him, who strengthened the school’s defenses and tended to the wounded survivors.

The central administration sent reinforcements as well, along with a messenger carrying words of grief and condolence. But in truth, since the nobles and Tower members had walked away unharmed, it was hard to believe the King cared for anything beyond that.

Duke Stronghart had already returned to his duchy, as did Sarah and Ruby.

Ruby’s father had demanded her presence—either she went to him, or he would march straight to the academy. Not wanting to drag Ariana into the awkward duty of hosting the patriarch of the Vermillion family, Ruby left for Grimvale, though she promised to return within a day.

As for the students who lost their lives during the ambush, their families were handed compensation by the Towers. But most of those families reacted with outrage, refusing to accept the money.

Their cries rang the same: "Will this gold bring my child back?!"

Their anger was justified—but the Tower had no answer to give. And it was the same story across every nation.

Over five hundred people had died that day.

The scars were not only on the dead, but also on the living. Even those who hadn’t been there carried the weight of fear and despair. It was a day forever etched in black across history.

Newspapers were flooded with every scrap of information reporters could find.

The public’s grief soon twisted into fury—especially once the truth emerged that the Tower members had been the first to escape the disaster.

"They swore to shield us from the darkness, but when it came, they trampled over us to save themselves!"

"Our children died while they fled like cowards!"

"What use are the Towers if they cannot even protect a single academy?"

"We trusted them with our lives, and they abandoned us. That is treason!"

"Burn their Towers to the ground if they cannot stand for us!"

"We pay taxes, bleed in their wars, kneel to their rules—and for what?! So they can live in luxury while we bury our dead?"

The outrage spread like wildfire, no longer grief but hatred. Streets were filled with angry voices, mothers weeping with fury, fathers demanding blood, and common men and women calling for justice.

The trust that once held the Towers above the world was crumbling. And for the first time in generations, the people no longer saw them as guardians of peace—but as parasites fattened by their sacrifices.

"Things appear quite chaotic throughout the nations," Ariana muttered as she and Albec walked through the plaza.

It had been two days since the incident. Her wounds had healed well enough, but out of precaution—and to avoid drawing the ire of the head nurse—she refrained from training.

Adrian was still recovering. His condition was far better than it had been two days ago, but until he opened his eyes, Ariana’s concern gnawed at her. Annabelle rarely left his side, which offered some comfort, but not enough to silence the unease in her heart.

Her thoughts broke when Albec spoke, his voice carrying the weight of inevitability.

"...We were expecting this. This is not the first time such a tragedy has occurred."

Ariana frowned, her voice quiet. "But surely not on such a wide scale."

She was right. Acolytes had ambushed innocents before, and each time lives had been lost. And each time, the nobility and the Tower were cursed for their failure.

But this time...this time was different. Not only because of the sheer number of dead, but because the victims had come from every corner of the world. No nation had been spared grief. No bloodline had been untouched.

That was why the hatred spread so viciously now—borderless, unrelenting.

Albec’s expression tightened, the faint lines on his face deepened by exhaustion. "To say I feel hopeless would be unbecoming of me as a Tower Master. So the only thing I can cling to now..." He paused, his gaze heavy with dread and resignation. "...is the hope for a miracle."

Ariana sighed, "Well, at least those who survived aren’t blaming you... or us."

That made him pause. "I heard about the sudden proposal from the Acolyte... can you tell me what exactly happened?" Glancing at her, he added, "Someone said the survivors were teleported away. But only one person there had a Light affinity, and from what I know, Allen still isn’t anywhere near capable of pulling off a miracle like teleporting hundreds of people."

To say Ariana wasn’t nervous would be a lie.

Word had already spread—a mysterious figure had whisked the survivors away.

Some believed it was a high-ranking rogue Acolyte. Others were convinced the miracle came from one of the survivors themselves.

Ariana had a dreadful feeling... sooner or later, Adrian’s secret would be uncovered.

For now, she kept her voice steady. "I have no idea, sir. All I remember is a massive magic circle appearing beneath us, and then—next thing we knew—we were at the academy."

Albec hummed, hands clasped behind his back as he tilted his head. "Strange... why was Professor Adrian the only one left behind?"

From what a few survivors had said, the only person who hadn’t been transported was a certain Runesmith. Later, he was rescued by the strongest Warden.

’That woman...’ Just thinking of Annabelle made the vein on Albec’s forehead throb.

When the venue had come under attack, she hadn’t rushed into danger. No—she had gone straight to the Tower. There, she told Albec that if he wanted her to save anyone, he would have to invoke the Vow.

That Vow—granting him a single request he could demand of Annabelle.

If he had refused, if he had let his pride stand in the way, he would have abandoned his people entirely. The guilt alone would have destroyed him.

It still pained him that he couldn’t use Annabelle for the true purpose he had in mind. But at the very least... Adrian had survived.

While Ariana was rummaging through her head, trying to find an appropriate answer for that, suddenly someone called out,

"Sir Adrian has woken up!"

Ariana flinched before she turned towards Albec, "Let’s continue this conversation later, Sir Albec."

Leaving those words behind, she dashed toward the infirmary.

Albec heaved a sigh as he looked at her distancing back as he muttered under his breath,

"Just...how am I going to take care of this whole mess?"

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.