"Done."

Erblim reported as he landed on Azel's shoulder, with his wings folding neatly as he shook off a few specks of blood. He had done some thorough tossing and turning mid-air.

"Thank you," Azel said calmly.

Irene, standing nearby, wrinkled her nose at the sight or rather, the smell.

"Maybe you should take a bath, Mr. Erblim." she said, giving the crow a pointed look. "You smell like blood and brains."

Erblim puffed his chest or tried to, considering he was a crow and let out an offended squawk before flapping toward the mansion.

"Please make sure he completely cleans himself," Azel said, rubbing his temple.

"Yes, my lord." Irene bowed politely before heading after the bird.

Ravik, still in his towering werewolf form, was hauling the two massive bird corpses toward the kitchen or rather Marty's place which had become a busy place.

His claws dug into their thick hides with ease, dragging them like sacks of flour.

"Good work," Azel muttered, then turned toward the backyard.

He wanted to check on the Dars.

When he arrived, the familiar dark figures were already waiting. The leader Dar leaped onto his shoulder the moment he appeared, its round head pressing against his cheek.

"You seem energetic…" Azel said with an amused smile.

His gaze fell on the carcass of the BlackDust Squirrel he'd brought in yesterday.

The once-mighty monster was now a bare skeleton. The other Dars were still gnawing away, crunching bones like brittle candy. "I see. So that's why Selene went to get more."

He tilted his head slightly, and a translucent system tab appeared above the Dar's small frame.

[Dar, Rank 4]

'Ranking up takes a lot of time for monsters…' he thought.

But at least the Dars were progressing. Their dream-feeding ability was unusual, but effective. It was only a matter of time until they became powerful, well that was what he guessed.

Moments later, the sound of boots sounded through the backyard.

The Hunters entered, carrying unconscious beasts on their backs. The ground shook slightly with each step.

"Lay them there," Selene instructed.

The men obeyed, dropping three large monsters onto the grass.

All of them were still alive and unconscious… like in the same state Azel had delivered the Squirrel yesterday.

The Dars twitched in anticipation.

Selene turned, she was a bit startled to see Azel watching but she quickly composed herself.

"My lord," she greeted softly, then addressed the Dar leader on Azel's shoulder. "These are for you and your kin. Feed well, but make them sleep first."

The Dar nodded once before leaping off Azel's shoulder.

With a wave of its tiny arm, The other Dars joined it and surrounded the monsters.

Azel watched in silence as their chant began… Blue mist flowed from their mouths, drifting into the beasts' bodies.

The creatures twitched once… then went still.

Within seconds, they were asleep and the Dars began to feed.

"Weird as always," Azel said, half to himself.

Selene smiled.

"We made sure to bring stronger ones this time. Vargan carried that one." She pointed to a massive lizard beast, easily twice her size. "The hunters helped with the rest."

"Nice work," Azel said, stepping closer. "Did you also hunt for the town?"

"Yes, my lord," she replied proudly. "We recruited extra hands today, so Marty already received the first batch. He's preserving the meat using a machine that came with that magic you used… I think he called it a cold room."

"Oh, good work." Azel rubbed his forehead, stretching his neck slightly.

His gaze drifted to Vargan, who was still standing near the edge of the yard. "There's really nothing left for me to teach you, is there?"

Selene's cheeks flushed. "M-my lord, that doesn't mean you should stop visiting…"

He chuckled softly. "I didn't say I would. But we'll be going to the mountains next."

Her expression fell slightly. "Okay, I'll be ready but now… will you… at least stay for dinner?"

The other hunters exchanged knowing looks and began to quietly leave even Vargan slipped away.

"Why not?" Azel said after a pause.

He reached for her hand with a gentle smile. "I hope you're serving something nice."

…

Three days later.

Azel sighed as he walked down the Academy hallway with his hands buried in his pockets.

The sound of chatter echoed all around him. Students, both new and returning, filled the corridors.

'I didn't really want the Academy to open this soon,' he thought. He adjusted his collar, glancing at the display on his watch.

[Runic Magic]

'Of course… I have her class first.'

His shoulders slumped a little as he continued his walk toward the classroom. The universe clearly had a sense of humor.

He pushed the door open quietly and stepped inside.

"Welcome to class."

Professor Mynes stood at the board and she was writing complex symbols in glowing chalk…

Her outfit, for once, looked appropriate… she was wearing a white blouse, dark skirt, and beautiful spectacles but Azel didn't relax.

She was being composed which was weird especially since she was the kind to be sleeping when he got to class.

"Good to see you, Mr. Thorne," She said respectfully.

"Good to see you too." Azel said weirdly and looked for his usual seat but froze.

Someone was already sitting there.

A tall elf girl with blond hair and glowing eyes sat primly at his desk.

A neat stack of books rested beside her, and a small note lay in front of her seat.

When she saw him, she stood up gracefully and bowed.

"Hello, Mr. Azel Thorne," she said, her tone was perfectly formal. "I welcome you to class today. My name is Sylvia Du Sorenia… daughter of the High King of the Elven Dominion. You may call me Sylvie, as my parents do. I am most pleased to make your acquaintance and honored to be your classmate."

Every word rolled out with elegance.

Even her bow looked rehearsed.

Azel blinked.

He gave an awkward wave. "Oh… thank you. It's such an honor."

He slipped into the seat beside hers instead, adjusting his tie.

Sylvie smiled faintly and sat down again, folding her hands neatly on the desk.

'Great,' Azel thought. 'Now how do I deal with a stalker?'

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