All-around teacher at the magic academy

"Father, what exactly happened to the Hansen family?"

William anxiously stepped forward, his eyes filled with urgency and confusion. He noticed that his father's expression was more solemn than usual, as if carrying endless worries.

Since his father sternly told him two days ago not to step out of the house, William had been filled with doubt. He was worried about his friend Hansen's injury, but because of his father's prohibition, he could not visit him in person, and his anxiety grew day by day.

Today, he overheard the servants in the house talking privately, saying that the Adams family had suffered an unprecedented blow, almost to the point of being destroyed.

The news struck William like a bolt from the blue. He refused to believe it was true; the Adams family held a pivotal position throughout the region—how could they have been destroyed overnight?

William stared intently at his father, hoping to get a negative answer from him.

"It's gone." The man's voice was like a cold verdict, devoid of any warmth.

"What's gone?" William's voice trembled. He couldn't believe his ears and asked again, hoping he had misheard.

“The Adams family,” the man repeated, each word like a heavy stone pressing on William’s heart.

"How could this be?" William muttered to himself, his eyes vacant, as if his soul had been ripped from his body. He couldn't accept this cruel reality. The Adams family, that once glorious family, how could it just be gone like this?

“That’s the truth,” the man’s voice was firm and unwavering. “Don’t go out for the next couple of days, and don’t even think about looking for Hansen. We’re not even sure if he’s still alive.” His words conveyed both concern and a warning to William.

"No, Hansen won't." William's voice held a desperate insistence; he refused to believe that his friend had met with misfortune.

"Perhaps. If he had stayed at the academy, perhaps nothing would have happened," the man muttered to himself.

William stood there alone, lost and dejected, completely oblivious to what his father had said last.

.....

“That’s it, Your Highness.” Lucas’s voice echoed in the quiet room as he explained everything he knew to Raphael in detail, striving for accuracy in every aspect.

"Is it really that large?" Raphael's eyes showed disbelief, his brows furrowed, clearly the news was too shocking for him.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Lucas confirmed with a serious expression, “That location is still sealed off. If you wish to see it in person, I can arrange it.”

“No need, there’s no need.” Raphael shook his head, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Do you still have the confidence to defeat him?" Raphael stared intently at Lucas, his eyes seemingly searching for an answer.

“This…” Lucas hesitated for a moment, a rare look of doubt on his face. “We haven’t fought, so I don’t know. But, in terms of magical power alone, I have to admit that I am inferior to him.”

Raphael took a deep breath, his eyes becoming even more determined: "I understand, I'll give it a try later."

“Yes, Your Highness,” Lucas replied, his voice low but full of determination.

"Has the deaths of Duke Adams and Eric been confirmed?" Raphael's voice was deep, his eyes revealing an undeniable seriousness.

"It's confirmed, but the body is indeed missing."

“How could he possibly leave a body? He wouldn’t leave any evidence.” Raphael chuckled, but the smile seemed somewhat forced, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes as he appeared to be pondering the implications.

"With such massive destruction, what should we do?"

"What are we going to do?" Raphael repeated, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Let Duke Chloe pay for it. He caused this disaster himself; does he think he can just walk away and not clean up this mess?"

"Yes, then how should we handle the matter of the law enforcement officers?"

"It should be his. We'll see if he has the ability to control the whole situation. That Max doesn't seem like a simple character either," Raphael said casually, seemingly unconcerned about who would become the enforcer. A hint of amusement played on his expression, as if he were pondering a deeper strategy.

He wouldn't risk a fight with a duke for such a small amount of power, especially since he had already achieved his objective. Ultimately, he had to thank Duke Chloe for his 'help,' while he himself had only offered to stand by and watch. It seemed this operation had been quite worthwhile.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head down now. The investigation needs to continue."

"Go ahead, and make sure you look the part." Raphael waved his hand.

.....

The man wandered aimlessly down the street, the same question echoing in his mind: Who was that person?

In this city, he thought he knew all the forces at large, but this suddenly appearing figure made him feel unprecedentedly confused and uneasy.

He patted his pockets to make sure his identity hadn't been exposed, and secretly felt relieved. If he had been discovered, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

That Chloe guy, he's really not being fair, hiding something from me. Is he trying to use me as a tool to kill someone, or is he planning to get rid of me too?

"Fine," he shook his head, trying to shake off his doubts. Anyway, he'd already achieved his goal; he might as well consider himself Chloe's pawn this time. Although he was a little annoyed, at least the result was acceptable.

...

Hansen looked at the figure that had just run into the ward and asked curiously, "William? Is something wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"