Chapter 257: Arguing With Nobles Social missions... whether in Fall of Ares or in real life were something Azel hated with all his heart. Talking to nobles, especially old ones, was draining. There was no battle more exhausting than a room full of rich men pretending to care... This was even mild, they somehow made it worse in the game. "Sorry, I didn’t hear that." Azel said, adjusting his tie... He wondered why this man was even doing this? What would Everbright gain from putting down the academy? Cassian Everbright smiled across the golden table, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "I said, I would like to hear your side of the matter. You are, after all, a representative of Astralis Academy and not only that but you’re a student too. You were present on that day too so you must have seen the tragedy caused by the Academy’s negligence." Azel’s expression didn’t change, but inwardly he sighed. ’Useless wordplay.’ The man was trying to trap him into admitting something that could shift the blame toward the Academy. But Azel had expected this. He didn’t spend four hours doing nothing at least. "I don’t really think the Academy holds much fault here," he began calmly. Immediately, he could feel the temperature in the room drop as several nobles glared at him like he’d insulted their bloodlines. He ignored them. "Using your logic, should we also hold accountable every person who gave away their blood?" "Blood?" Cassian asked, brows furrowed. "What do you mean by that?" Azel’s gaze was sharp as steel. "You didn’t know the clones were made from blood? The subjects used in the experiment... those clones were made from the blood of professors and mages who willingly gave it. Should we blame them for this incident too? Should we blame the professors like Professor Luke who provided their blood samples? After all, it’s because of them the disaster happened." Finally, a middle-aged noble with streaks of white in his brown hair cleared his throat. "If you put it that way, then the Academy should still be held accountable for allowing such—" Azel didn’t let him finish. He slid a folded document across the table. The noble picked it up, unfolding it in confusion. "That’s a statement from the internal audit team," Azel said evenly. "It proves that the Academy wasn’t aware that the blood was being distributed. The professor responsible, Drake covered his tracks well. The administration had no knowledge of his secret project." He leaned forward and coughed. "And even if the Academy had been aware, what would you have done differently? Increase security? Strengthen the defense force? What guarantee would there have been that those soldiers wouldn’t have been cloned as well? Professor Drake was not only a top researcher but also one of the Empire’s leading magical theorists. Everyone here recognizes his genius. You can downplay it all you want, but every single one of you here benefited from his theories on magic." Inside, Azel allowed himself a small, invisible sigh of relief. ’So far so good.’ ’These nobles... they’re the same in every world. Loud when it benefits them, quiet when the truth hits close... Can someone create a fantasy world without these nobles?’ The King sat at the far end of the table, watching silently, one hand resting against his cheek. Cassian’s jaw tightened, but he forced a smile. "You speak boldly for someone so young." "I learned from the best," Azel replied dryly. "You nobles are the greatest teachers when it comes to politics." A few nobles shifted uncomfortably. Cassian’s smile vanished. "Still, I find it strange that you defend an institution that failed to protect its students. Do you not care for your peers?" "I do," Azel said without hesitation. "But I also know when to separate emotion from logic. The Academy took losses... many of them but compared to what it could have been, this is merely a blessing. f we start pointing fingers instead of solving problems, the next tragedy will come faster than you think." He looked around the table slowly, meeting each of their gazes in turn. "You all want someone to blame. It’s easier that way. But deep down, you already know the truth. Drake’s ambition was the cause. It was not the school and neither the students or the Principal’s fault." Cassian leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "You make good points, Lord Thorne. Still, I think some form of compensation is necessary. My daughter nearly died because of this." Azel’s expression didn’t change. "I’m sure it’s not the same daughter we saw then, After all, I saw Flare before coming this morning and she’s feeling well. Nevertheless, the Academy already provided compensation to the victims’ families. Unless you mean something else by ’compensation.’" Cassian’s lips twitched and his facade cracked entirely. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞 He stood abruptly, a noble cape flaring behind him. "I see there’s no reasoning with you people." His eyes shifted to the Emperor. "If the throne refuses to act, then perhaps the noble council will." Aldric smiled. "You’re welcome to try, Cassian. But I doubt you’ll get far with an argument this weak." Cassian’s face darkened, but he knew better than to argue with the Emperor in public. With a flick of his cloak, he turned and stormed out of the hall. As if on cue, several other nobles followed... men and women who had come only to grandstand and shout, if there was one thing alike about these nobles, they didn’t even care about their children that died... They were just trying to make some profit from this. Only a few remained: the King, Stella Duvraine, Mira, Mynes, and Grand Mage Trisha. Azel exhaled softly. The air finally felt breathable again. "That was a very good defense for your Academy," Stella said, breaking the silence. The uninterested look she had given him had vanished. "I’d give you a nine." He turned toward her, blinking slowly. "Thank you?" She smiled. "I will allow you to marry my daughter." Azel froze and then sighed. ’It seems like everyone in that family is nuts.’