Chapter 1388: Shadows Behind the Smile

The show had finally ended, and Raze was glad he’d missed most of it. From the bits he’d overheard, it sounded like they were painting the Emperor in a noble light, along with his so-called servant, Garlan.

If only people knew the truth… he thought. I wonder if the real events that happened on Pagna will ever be told. Maybe not in Alteria, but there’s a chance someone in Pagna might one day share what really went down.

After leaving the venue, the group decided to take a walk around the city. Raze subtly expanded the range of the silence spell, making sure it encompassed everyone in their party.

In a place like this, it wasn’t uncommon for people to have private conversations using silence spells. It was almost expected. Still, anyone observant enough would notice the wide radius of this particular spell and the fact that it was all being controlled by a single person.

Just witnessing that fact made Kelly smile with a warm sense of familiarity.

It was real, the Dark Magus was walking among them.

“So,” Safa finally said, breaking the quiet tension. “Are you going to introduce who Kelly is?”

She had been holding it in for a while. Watching the two of them talk so closely, she couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Yeah,” Raze replied with a slight chuckle. “I guess I should explain everything.”

He went on to share his connection with Kelly. How, during his time in Pagna, he’d learned of a spell that allowed him to travel to the other world, Alteria. He explained that he’d visited it several times, and during one of those trips, he had met Kelly.

Now that Londo was hearing this for the first time, he was starting to understand. This was how Raze could appear and vanish as the mysterious Dark Magus.

Raze, of course, left out some important details. He mentioned that he’d previously attended the Central Academy with Kelly, and that’s how he came to know Alen, but he didn’t mention who Kelly really was, nor anything about the Dark Guild.

Still, the explanation was enough to trigger some thoughts in Londo.

“Wait… is she also part of the group?” he asked suddenly, inching closer, a bit too close for comfort, as if trying to wedge himself between Raze and Kelly.

“Yeah…” Raze replied. “She’s one of the Night Callers.”

Londo blinked hard, doing a double-take. His mouth fell slightly open as he processed the words.

The Night Callers…?

They were the founders of the Dark Guild. He couldn’t believe it. One of the founders was not only a student, but a student who had once walked the halls of the Central Academy.

“I, I’m sorry!” Londo blurted out, bowing his head in apology.

“Please, don’t worry about it,” Kelly said gently, waving it off. “And maybe let’s not cause a scene in public, yeah? You’re one of the Void Binders, right? Honestly, your skills might even be better than mine. My title is more honorary than anything else.”

“Don’t say that,” Raze interjected. “You did a lot to get us to where we are now. Without you… there’s a real chance I wouldn’t even be standing here.”

He glanced around at the others. “I think it’s good that they respect you. You deserve that. Though I do agree on one thing, it’s best not to make too much of a fuss in public.”

Some of the group exchanged glances. They were already suspicious that Londo might be a bit unhinged, but his behavior now, suddenly bowing and acting weird, confirmed it. More than that, Raze’s explanation had opened a window into just how much he’d been hiding from them.

Running around Pagna as the Dark Magus… while simultaneously managing everything he had in Alteria? It was hard to imagine.

They all started to wonder, if they were in Raze’s shoes, could they have done the same? The answer was unanimous in their hearts.

No. Not even close.

Raze constantly insisted that he wasn’t special. That he lacked talent. But just looking at how far he had come, it was clear that wasn’t true.

To become a great professor… to reach the level of a Nine-Star Mage despite not having “talent”? Wasn’t that a talent in itself?

And maybe that’s exactly why he’d succeeded in both Pagna and Alteria. It was a little heartbreaking to realize that Raze was so focused on revenge, so obsessed with his goal, that he couldn’t see how incredible he truly was.

“I guess,” Kelly said with a soft smile, “we’re all here together because of one person in the end. We’re all here to help Raze.”

She looked around at the others. “I still can’t believe you guys got so close to him that you were willing to jump between worlds. That’s crazy! I’d love to hear more about your world too… but I think I should probably go for now.”

“Oh?” Raze raised an eyebrow.

“If I stick around too long, people are going to notice. They’ll start wondering why one of the top Central Academy students is talking with a bunch of Wilton students.”

She gave a small shrug. “I could pass it off as helping you find your way around… but any longer, and I think it’ll raise suspicion.”

Safa gave a small nod. She liked Kelly, she was sharp, kind, and genuinely respectful toward her brother. Safa didn’t say much, but she whispered under her breath:

“I approve.”

“There is one more thing, though, Raze,” Kelly said, stepping closer.

Her voice dropped slightly.

“Are you taking part in the Singles Tournament?”

“I will not,” Raze answered firmly.

“That’s good,” she replied. “But still… I think I should let you know, just in case. Before the tournament started, he gave us these, ”

***

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