Let's Train Heroine

Lucan and Maris walked toward the principal's office, their curiosity piqued about the reason for the summons.

After knocking on the door, they heard a calm, "Come in."

Lucan pushed open the heavy oak door, its creaking resonating through the quiet hallway. Inside the office, Principal Eleanor Blackwood sat behind a grand mahogany desk, her blue hair neatly tied back into a professional bun.

"Please, have a seat," Eleanor said with a tone of gentle authority. Lucan and Maris settled into the plush chairs opposite her. Eleanor folded her hands on the desk, her gaze warm but serious. "First, I want to express my deepest gratitude to both of you. The academy owes you a great debt for saving us from Mordecai's black gas.

The situation could have been disastrous, but thanks to you, many lives were spared from trauma."

Lucan gave a modest nod. "We were just doing what needed to be done," he said humbly.

"Still, your actions were nothing short of heroic," Eleanor insisted. "However, I didn't call you here just to offer my thanks."

With a wave of her hand, three figures materialized in the room, appearing with a faint shimmer. Two of them were badly injured. One was a burly man with a scarred face, his clothes torn and stained with dark, coagulated blood. His left arm hung at an unnatural angle, and his right leg had a deep, ragged gash, the skin torn and exposed.

His breathing was shallow, and he lay slumped against a chair, barely conscious.

The second injured figure was a younger man, his face gaunt and pale, with a large, bleeding wound on his forehead. His clothes were shredded, and he had multiple cuts and bruises across his body. He was seated on the floor, his back propped against the desk leg, his eyes glazed over with pain.

The third figure was even more disturbing: a headless body, slumped over in a heap, its head lying several feet away. The body was dressed in dark, ragged garments, stained with blood. The head was twisted at an unnatural angle, eyes wide open in a lifeless stare, the mouth slightly agape in a silent scream.

The gruesome sight made Maris gasp, her face paling, for Maris, it's first time she watched someone with this injured and headless. Lucan, however, remained composed, he understood who these guys and why there were here.

Eleanor sighed deeply, her face etched with sadness. "These men are outlaws—dangerous individuals who were hunting for you both. They were among the many who have taken up the bounty placed on your heads."

"A bounty?" Maris asked. She remembered Lucan mentioning that, as a saint, such a situation could arise eventually.

Eleanor leaned back in her chair, her gaze shifting to the headless body. "As a saint and guardian of a saint, and also as a holy priest, it's normal to have a bounty. However, the sum placed on your heads is unusually high, only powerful grouo have such sum of money, and these group have their own force but must be someone trying hide their group to catch you through outlaws."

"Since there's a bounty. More will came," Lucan said.

Eleanor nodded. "Yes. While I can handle most of these outlaws, some possess cunning and unique abilities that make them particularly troublesome. They might be weaker in raw power, but their tactics and unpredictability make them difficult to deal with."

"What should we do?" Maris asked.

Eleanor met their eyes, her voice firm but filled with concern. "Stay vigilant. Trust no one outside of this academy, and even within these walls, be cautious. The outlaws are relentless, and as long as that bounty exists, they will continue to come for you. I will do everything in my power to protect you, but you must be prepared for anything."

Lucan nodded resolutely. "We'll be ready, Principal Blackwood."

Eleanor smiled reassuringly. "I have no doubt you will be. But remember, you're not alone in this. The academy stands with you."

With that, the meeting concluded.

As Lucan walked away from the principal's office, he pondered the situation. He knew the bounty was the work of Lyria; someone must have been assigned to handle this. The issue was complicated further by the nature's rule prohibiting the use of Kingdom-Level Strength. Lucan and other Kingdom-Class individuals could not fully utilize their power within the kingdom.

Although Lucan and Maris were still powerful, some outlaws possessed unique abilities that were challenging to handle with just physical strength. Lucan didn't fully trust Maris and was concerned about her being easily deceived or trapped.

In the game he played, there were nine outlaws, each with unique powers. If Maris had taken the prince route, one outlaw with invincibility would have appeared. If she had taken the Alec route, an outlaw with illusion powers would have shown up.

Since Maris didn't follow either route, it was hard to predict which outlaw might target them.

Lucan's Pride Ring, which had once been a powerful asset, seemed to have lost its effectiveness, operating only at SSS-Class level instead of Kingdom-Class. He realized his own pride was the issue. A prideful person would never bow or accept someone being above them, viewing themselves as the best. If someone is better then do whatever it take to get even better.

A prideful person would rather die than abandoning pride, would endure any torture than abandoning pride.

Lucan had pride but could set it aside when necessary, which interfered with the ring's power.

"This ring is useless. I need to find something else," Lucan muttered, examining the ring.

"Water Source is one option. Another possibility is exploring Evil Magic," he decided.

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the moon. Dark magic was allowed at the Academy, with knowledge and classes available. However, Evil Magic was a different story.

"Anyone with Evil Magic is destined to die. Evil Magicians are enemy of the world."

The final boss of the game was also an Evil Magician. Whenever an Evil Magician was born, a Saint would emerge.

"Although two Evil Magicians can't exist at the same time, it's possible for me."

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