Chapter 32: The Empire’s Collaborators |
As the Ashen Order met its complete demise, the sky-high fire formation slowly faded away.
Only pale ashes remained, along with charred ruins of buildings scorched by the raging flames—silent evidence of everything that had transpired here.
A flurry of orders was issued, and soon, the military forces and academy instructors on site began organizing the reconstruction of the dormitory district ruins.
As it turned out, Summoned Beasts weren’t just useful for combat—those with strong physiques from battle-oriented species were just as effective at hauling bricks and debris.
Xia Ya brushed the dust off his trench coat and chose not to return to the student crowd on the other side—
Even though the surviving students were gazing at him with admiration, and if he walked over, he would undoubtedly be welcomed like a hero.
For one, he had mild social anxiety.
"Xia Ya, you saved us all! You're our hero!"
"The Savior of Saint Roland Academy!"
"Xia Ya, I want to bear your children!"
…
Just imagining those cringeworthy lines, paired with their worshipful stares, made Xia Ya’s secondhand embarrassment act up.
He knew he wasn’t some saint—the righteous front he had put on earlier was partly out of convenience to help them, but mostly because he had his eyes on that left index finger bone.
Receiving that kind of praise felt completely undeserved.
The second reason was simply—what was the point?
Xia Ya had a clear understanding of his own goals. Sure, being in the spotlight felt good, but he wasn't the type to seek validation from a bunch of commoner students.
Instead, he turned his attention to the massive remains of the Molten Giant beneath his feet—its once flowing magma was now slowly cooling and hardening.
"Little Ai, lend me a hand."
"Xia Ya, you really won’t leave a single feather behind, huh? Even a beast must leave its hide."
The click-clack of high-heeled boots rang out.
At some point, Ailora had appeared beside Xia Ya. Her calm, cool voice carried a hint of subtle exasperation, as if she had already seen through what he was planning.
"Little Ai, your idioms are getting better. Guess all those Mandarin lessons I gave you weren’t in vain."
"Speaking of which, I always thought you were the classical silent type. Didn’t expect you to have a hidden sharp tongue. I like it."
Without looking back, Xia Ya spread his hands, making a measuring gesture over the Molten Giant’s remains.
"Alright, cut here."
A brilliant silver gleam flashed—
Ailora's spear, Rhongomyniad, sliced through the Molten Giant's volcanic rock armor, splitting it into four perfectly even slabs.
Immediately after, Xia Ya’s summoned beast, Shiny, stored the broken slabs into his Spatial Pocket.
"Monarch-tier Molten Giant armor… barely counts as Second-Tier. Should be worth a few hundred gold coins."
Xia Ya estimated, then pointed to the chest area.
"And here."
The silver spear flashed once more—a fractured crystal fell, caught firmly by Xia Ya’s hand.
Although damaged from battle, this crystal—which contained the Molten Giant’s core magic power—was still a top-tier Third-Tier material. On the black market, it wouldn’t sell for anything less than 1,500 Rhine Gold Coins.
Ailora wielded her silver spear like a butcher’s knife, systematically dismantling the Molten Giant’s remains under Xia Ya’s directions—turning the massive corpse into a collection of high-grade Transcendent materials.
Then, suddenly, she stopped.
Her silver spear, Rhongomyniad, subtly lowered, shielding Xia Ya slightly.
Someone had arrived.
A stern-faced, middle-aged officer in military uniform—Lieutenant Colonel Zieg.
He stopped five meters away from Ailora, going no further.
His battle-honed instincts, sharpened by countless encounters of blood and fire, screamed at him—
If he took one more step, this golden-haired girl would attack, regardless of his rank or background.
Even though he was a genuine Fourth-Ring Master, the overwhelming spear intent radiating from her made him feel as if he would be wounded should he provoke her.
As expected of the super rookie he had already heard rumors about before this whole incident even began.
Saint Roland Academy really had two absolute monsters this year…
Zieg sighed inwardly before putting on a friendly expression, raising his hands slightly.
"Relax. I'm from the Military Department. We're on the same side."
"As a member of Saint Roland Academy, I appreciate the military’s support in this operation."
"But if you’re just here to thank me, save it. Professor Karn already did that once. The academy is my home. Protecting my classmates is my duty."
Xia Ya’s attention remained on harvesting the Molten Giant’s body, his loot-collecting process already nearly complete.
He enjoyed this part—there was a satisfying sense of reward, like carefully going through a loot drop list after taking down a boss fight.
Then, suddenly, he paused, sensing something off.
"Lieutenant Colonel Zieg, don’t tell me you’re about to say this Molten Giant technically belongs to the military as a war trophy?"
"Of course not."
Zieg chuckled.
"According to military regulations, all enemy spoils acquired during a mission belong to the one who landed the killing blow."
"Granted, you technically cleaned up the leftovers after me and Professor Karn—"
"But you did personally kill the Ashen Order’s Pontiff. His spoils naturally belong to you."
"Good."
Xia Ya nodded, storing the last pieces of Transcendent materials into his Spatial Pocket.
"Little Ai, let’s go."
"Mhm."
Ailora nodded, storing Rhongomyniad, and quietly followed Xia Ya’s lead.
"Wait… I actually came here to warn you about something."
Zieg sighed, somewhat exasperated.
He had originally expected that, as a Fourth-Ring Master from the military, his approach would at least be welcomed with some degree of respect.
He figured these two prodigies would at least chat with him for a bit—
At which point, he could casually drop some insider information, doing them a favor in the process.
Yet Xia Ya and Ailora clearly didn’t care about his military status at all.
Which meant he had to bring up the topic himself—and instead of doing them a favor, it felt more like he was awkwardly trying to network.
"I don’t know how you dealt with that Corrupted Object at the altar, nor how you can control that black flame… and I don’t need to know."
Zieg’s voice lowered slightly.
"You undeniably thwarted the Ashen Order’s plans. No one can question your stance."
"But just because the Military Department and the Empire don’t care… doesn’t mean others won’t."
"This incident was too big. There were numerous spies from different factions within the Imperial Capital. The details will inevitably spread."
"From now on, in the eyes of various Transcendent organizations and hidden forces, you’ll be labeled and speculated upon."
"Getting on their radar… it’s hard to say whether that’s good or bad."
"I figured as much."
Xia Ya nodded indifferently.
This was something he had already anticipated before carrying out his plan—it was simply the hidden cost of perfecting Amaterasu.
"Not a big deal. If soldiers come, we'll send generals; if water rises, we'll build dams."
"Haha! If soldiers come, we'll send generals; if water rises, we'll build dams. Well said!"
Lieutenant Colonel Zieg repeated Xia Ya’s words, chuckling in agreement.
"You made a very smart choice by using that black flame in public to openly kill the Ashen Pontiff."
"If you had kept that power to control black flames hidden and were later forced to reveal it, rumors might have started—speculating that you had some secret ties with the Ashen Order..."
"But now that you’ve displayed it outright, and in the process of taking down their leader, no one can use this against you in the future."
"Besides, you don’t need to worry too much… No matter what, you’re a citizen of the Empire, and more importantly, you’re now a hero of Saint Roland Academy for your significant contributions in this incident."
"I can personally guarantee on behalf of the Empire—no one will dare to challenge you openly over this."
As he spoke, the middle-aged officer cast a deep glance at Xia Ya.
"Also… Who knows? We might be fighting side by side again before long."
"If you’re talking about recruiting me into the Military Department, then forget it."
Xia Ya waved him off.
"A few weeks ago, your colleagues from the Order Bureau in Resa also extended a similar invitation—I already turned them down."
"I figured talents like you wouldn’t want to be bound by restrictions."
"The Order Bureau and Military Department have strict management and discipline, which makes them better suited for mediocre people—but they would only stifle creativity in someone like you. Even if you joined, it’d just be a waste of your talent."
Zieg smirked, then added—
"But—"
"What if it's not the Order Bureau or the Military Department, which are directly subordinate to the Empire and the Royal Family...?"
"What if it’s the collaborators of the Fresta Empire?"
Xia Ya frowned.
"The Empire’s collaborators? What do you mean?"
"Nothing in particular."
"There’s a lot involved in this—I can only say that the waters run deep. If you understand, you understand. If you don’t, then there’s no point explaining."
"When the time comes, you’ll know naturally."
After saying this, Lieutenant Colonel Zieg finally let out a satisfied chuckle, turning casually to leave.
But just as he was about to walk away, Xia Ya’s calm voice sounded from behind him.
"As far as I know, if a military officer receives critical assistance from an outsider during a mission, that outsider is entitled to claim a reward—deducted from the mission executor’s own prize."
Zieg’s casual stride stiffened slightly.
A brief pause—
Then, without looking back, he strode away.
"I’ll apply for it."
"I’ll be waiting for the good news."
Watching Zieg’s slightly awkward retreating figure, Xia Ya finally felt satisfied, waving for Ailora to leave with him.
Tch. Cliffhanger enthusiast, are you? Cryptic riddler, huh? Fine. Keep up the act.