Chapter 84: Chapter 84: The Crow’s orders Chapter 84 – The Crow’s Orders Elijah and Leona walked side by side, chatting casually. "So, how close are you to S-rank?" Elijah asked, excitement clear in his voice. He couldn’t wait anymore. He wanted to claim her— Body and soul. Well, especially her body. Leona smiled wryly. "You think reaching S-rank is easy, love?" Elijah tilted his head, arrogant as ever. "I’m almost there," he said, like it was no big deal. Leona chuckled softly. "Well, not everyone’s a genius like you, my love. I’m sure even Noah’s far behind you." "You’re truly the best," she added sweetly. Foxy, perched on his shoulder, snuggled into him more, as if agreeing. Elijah lifted his chin, a proud smirk on his lips. Leona smiled too— but inside, she was laughing. ’Yes... Get even more arrogant. Throw everyone aside, thinking they’re useless.’ ’When the time comes, you’ll be all alone against Noah and his team.’ ’And you’ll fall.’ She could already imagine his face the day he realized the truth— That she had belonged to Noah from the very start. But for now, she stayed perfect. She will perfectly play her role until the end. No one will suspect her. When they reached Elijah’s room, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and left quickly. Not wanting to be dragged inside. And she needed to hurry. To report everything to Noah. "I wonder if I’ll get another reward," she whispered, smiling in anticipation. But then— She stopped dead. A young man stood a few meters ahead. Black hair. Black eyes. And no mana at all around him. As if the world itself rejected his existence. Lucius. The Anti-Mana freak. Leona narrowed her eyes slightly. "Do you need something?" she asked, guarded. She knew him— They were in the same class, after all. Even if most people avoided him because of his weird, unsettling aura. Lucius smiled. A slow, eerie smile. And said one word: "Tenebris." —Goosebumps. Leona’s whole body froze, her eyes wide. Before she could even react, Lucius disappeared. Without thinking, Leona chased after him. ’How?!’ ’How does he know?!’ Only Noah was supposed to know. Only him. So how could this guy know? After a minute of running, she found herself in a secluded, dead-silent part of the Academy. Lucius was there, waiting, still smiling that creepy smile. "Don’t be so nervous," he said, laughing lightly. He raised his palm. On it—a tattoo of a black crow. Leona’s heart dropped. "You’re one of us," she muttered. Finally understanding. But something didn’t add up. "How do you know who I am?" she asked sharply. "We’re not supposed to know each other. For security." Lucius nodded lazily. "Yeah. I didn’t know." "Until yesterday." He chuckled. "The crow herself told me." He stared directly into her eyes. "But she also said you haven’t been sending reports for over a month." "You ignored her messages." "And now—she’s suspicious." Leona clenched her teeth. Lucius took a few steps closer. "But I managed to calm her down." "Good thing you’re still doing your job—getting close to Elijah and all." "But that wasn’t your only mission, remember?" "You were supposed to approach Noah too." Leona scowled. "And how exactly was I supposed to do that?" "You know damn well how those two hate each other." "I’m already risking my life getting close to Elijah. You want me to risk it with Noah too?" "If he thinks I’m Elijah’s spy, he’ll kill me. Or worse." Lucius laughed sheepishly. He knew Leona was right. But he had no choice; he had been given the order to interrogate her. Leona added sharply: "You were the most logical choice, Lucius." "You didn’t officially join any faction." "You could’ve slid into Noah’s side easily and even be part of his faction to earn some points." Lucius scratched the back of his head, looking away. "That guy scares the shit out of me. How can you expect me to approach him?" Leona snorted. "Figures." "You’re scared, but you want me to handle it." Lucius smiled sheepishly. "Hey, I’m just the messenger." "But seriously—" His face darkened. "The crow’s pissed," he said bluntly. "You’d better answer her soon." "Or she might decide you’re a liability." His eyes darkened even more. "And when that happens—" He didn’t finish. He didn’t need to. Leona cursed under her breath. Lucius stepped closer, voice dropping even lower. "And there’s more." "The crow sent urgent orders." "We need to bring Noah to the Demon Continent." "As soon as possible." Leona stared at him, stunned. "Why the rush?" "I don’t know," Lucius said grimly. "But something’s changed." "They can’t wait anymore." He paused. "And if we fail—" He smiled without humor. "Both of us are dead." Leona’s heart pounded. ’How the hell am I supposed to convince my master, Noah, to take that risk?’ Still, she forced herself to stay calm. She had no choice. She will tell everything to Noah and let him decide. But Hopefully...he will choose to go to the demon continent. She was not ready yet to be targeted by Crow. That woman is too scary. "I understand," she said at last, turning away. "I’ll find a way." Lucius called after her: "Are you sure? I mean—if you’re not confident—" Leona snapped her head around, eyes flashing. "I said—just fucking wait." Lucius threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright." As Leona vanished into the night, Lucius stood alone, muttering under his breath: "Such a vulgar woman." He shook his head and turned toward the Academy’s entertainment district. "Well—time for some fun." He grinned. If he beat up a few first-years and stole their points tonight, he could gamble again. And earn back all the points he had lost yesterday. "This time those fuckers will pay for tricking me." He said while walking, going straight to bully some weak first year students. Yes indeed— Lucius was a bully, a gambler, and a hopeless degenerate. Maybe that’s why he was such a damn good spy. Because no one ever took him seriously. —End of Chapter 84—