Chapter 254: Mission Deployment "So I guess we all received the same letter," Azel said as the three representatives sat inside the Runic Magic classroom. He was surprised when the letter asked them to come to this place but it wasn’t anything bad. That just meant Mynes probably had something to do with this. It was Lorraine and Silas’s first time being there, and both looked surprised at how tidy the place was compared to the rest of the academy, which was still being repaired after the recent attack. "Yep, totally," Silas said with a shrug, spinning a pen in his fingers. Lorraine only nodded, her attention drawn to the lines of runes on the classroom walls... Runes were similar to enchantment according to what she knew but she really wanted to know what these runes meant. Azel leaned back in his chair, noticing something new about her. Her hair which was usually let down was tied neatly in a ponytail, a few strands brushing her cheeks. It made her look more beautiful and as a good man... "Lori, that looks good on you," Azel complimented it. Her cheeks turned pink instantly, and she gave a small, polite nod, brushing the end of her ponytail between her fingers. ’Did he just shorten my name?’ Lorraine thought, biting the inside of her lip. She didn’t mind it as long as it was him. In fact, "Lori" sounded unexpectedly nice coming from him. "Hey, what about me?" Silas asked from the other side of the table. "You didn’t say the same thing to me. Don’t I look good too?" Azel stared at him blankly. "You’re a man, Silas." "Still! A compliment never hurts." Azel ignored him. There was no reason to waste words on that kind of nonsense. He couldn’t believe this kind of person was the class representative for the third years... Before either of them could continue, the podium at the front glowed with light. Runes that were engraved into it were glowing even more and in a flash of light, Professor Mynes appeared. Her eyes had dark circles beneath them which was clear proof that she hadn’t been sleeping much. It wasn’t surprising. The academy was still trying to calm the chaos that had followed the Clone Wars. "Alright," Mynes said, clearing her throat and fixing her messy hair into place. "I know you’re wondering why you’re here instead of resting like the other students." She crossed her arms. "But you’re representatives. And that means no breaks. Toughen up. The academy board has decided to assign you all to different missions. You’ll be compensated for your work, but participation is... not optional." ’They could just say they’re shorthanded,’ Azel thought, resisting the urge to sigh. It wasn’t hard to imagine the situation — many professors were busy rebuilding, some were holding therapy, and others were out searching for missing students. The academy didn’t have enough staff, so of course, they’d use the student representatives as temporary replacements. Mynes raised her hand. "Second-year Representative Lorraine Dmitri," she began, her voice taking on a serious tone, "you’ve been assigned to assist Professor Luke on an investigation." Lorraine straightened in her seat. "You will have protection," Mynes continued, "but he needs someone well-versed in Magical Biology to accompany him." Lorraine’s eyes widened. Professor Luke was one of the strongest mages in the academy... a sixth circle mage that could destroy the Academy in an instant. Being requested personally by him was a big deal, but Mynes didn’t mention that. She didn’t want Lorraine getting overconfident. "You can head down to Rochel City," Mynes said. "He’ll be waiting for you there." Lorraine stood, bowed politely, and gave Azel a small nod before leaving the room. The moment she was gone, Mynes turned to Silas. "Third-year Representative Silas Vega," she said, "you’ve been assigned to lead a raid squad to Black Town. You’ll select a team of six from second and third years. The mission is a full extermination operation." Silas’s face lit up. "I understand! I won’t disappoint the academy!" Before anyone could respond, he saluted dramatically and dashed out of the room. Azel just stared after him. He really doubted Silas’s ability to lead... but then again, who was he to judge when he walked the world an imperfect man? "Don’t worry about him," Mynes said, waving her hand as she slumped into the nearest chair. "He has done many missions like that already and this one won’t be different." She leaned back and sighed heavily. "Finally... a moment to breathe." She began taking off her outer coat. Underneath, she had on a simple white singlet. Her skin was pretty pale and although Azel wanted to ask why, he really wouldn’t. "Whoa," she muttered, stretching her arms and shoulders. "I haven’t been able to take this thing off in a while now." Azel just sat there. "Wanna take a peek underneath?" she teased with a sly grin. He gave her a deadpan look. "Professor." "What? I was joking." Mynes laughed softly, slipping on another casual coat on from her storage ring. "You’re no fun." ’This better be more fun than sitting at home,’ Azel thought dryly. Mynes adjusted the new coat and turned serious again. "Anyway, about your mission." Azel straightened. "We’ll be going on a mission together." Azel blinked. "Together? As in... you and me?" "Exactly," Mynes said, crossing her legs as she leaned against the desk. "And it’s not a combat mission this time. It’s more of a diplomatic visit." He frowned. "Diplomatic? That doesn’t sound like something a first year is supposed to be." "That’s because it’s not supposed to." She grinned mischievously. "We’re going to meet my mother." Azel tilted his head. "Wait, your mother?" "Yes," Mynes said with a stoic face. "You’ll be asking for your beautiful professor’s hand in marriage." He froze, staring at her blankly. "What?" "I’m kidding, you should look at your face." She said with a laugh, "But yes, we’re going to meet the Nobles that lost their children... and assist the Principal." ’I knew I would be forced into something like this.’ He thought. "Of course the King as well as my mother will be there as well, so I guess you’ll be meeting the top dogs." And it somehow kept getting worse...