Even the Demon King is worrying about another world today.

“Hedis.” William looked up. “How much do you know about Michael’s identity?”

“Your Majesty… I tried to inquire, but he seemed to be deliberately concealing the truth… I only know that his hometown must be very far away,” Hedis replied.

Hedis did not lie to the emperor about this. His knowledge of Michael's identity was practically zero.

“Hmm…” William fell into thought.

This wind mage may indeed have come from a distant and mysterious land, or perhaps he stumbled upon a powerful magical artifact in some dwarven ruin.

Regardless of who the other party is, the empire is determined to obtain this powerful mage.

William, an emperor, had never heard of a mage who could create a sky dragon using wind magic.

“When Mikael first appeared in the Ais Federation, he helped a man who had been paralyzed in battle heal all his wounds. At that time, the Empress of the Ais Federation had already tried to lure this foreigner into becoming a nobleman in their country with fame and fortune, but Mikael resolutely refused,” Taylor continued.

"Therefore, our initial guess is that this wind mage wouldn't accept a bribe so easily..."

"If the soft approach doesn't work, we'll try the hard one! Our Lyon Empire has certainly given him plenty of tough stuff!" someone shouted.

Hedis clenched his fists. He had only just heard the news that Mikayi had helped heal a man who had been paralyzed from the waist down. Remembering Mikayi's promise yesterday to visit his mother, Hedis felt a mix of emotions.

"If, as Hedis says, the Norman family's affairs were indeed accomplished by the forces under Mikael's control, then there must be a powerful and well-organized legion behind him."

For humans, it's impossible for someone to single-handedly wipe out an entire family overnight. Therefore, everyone now concludes that Mikayi has a powerful force behind him. Hedis is no exception.

Faced with the unknown strength of Mikayi and the unknown forces behind him, everyone present felt a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

"In any case, since he is a human being, he cannot escape the limitations of being human. No matter how powerful the forces behind him are, they cannot exceed the power of an empire."

“Our goal now is to capture him alive, alone, to prevent his forces from making contact with us. The people behind him won’t even know he’s been captured,” Taylor added.

William tapped his finger lightly on the table and nodded slightly in approval.

“Herdis, can you guarantee that he’ll act alone tomorrow?” William asked Herdis.

“No problem, Your Majesty. I have been planning this for some time now, and I will definitely send Mikayi alone to the place you designate tomorrow,” Hedis replied confidently.

"Well, if we can really get Mikayi to work for our country, then the Christian family will be considered meritorious. When that happens, we'll bring your father back and reward your family with a piece of land."

As an emperor, he was clear about rewards and punishments.

It was necessary. When William said this in front of everyone, he was actually encouraging the people present.

The nobles exchanged glances, a flicker of excitement in their eyes. This was a golden opportunity for them to rise in rank and gain power.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Hedis replied, staring blankly at the back of his hand.

A piece of land? No, he didn't want a piece of land, he wanted the entire empire.

The royal bloodline had flowed humbly through his body for twenty years; it was time for it to come alive.

The empire is gambling, betting on how much benefit it can gain from capturing Mikael alive at such a high cost.

Hedis was also gambling; he was betting that Mikael was powerful enough to annihilate everyone participating in the capture operation the next day, including the Emperor.

Furthermore, after the Empire angers Mikael, the forces behind Mikael will deal with the Lyon family in the same way they dealt with the Norman family.

The idea of ​​eliminating a powerful royal family in an empire sounds like a pipe dream. But it was Hedis's only hope.

After Mikael deals with the Lyon family, Hedis, as Mikael's brother and the only bloodline to inherit the Lyon Empire, will ascend the throne.

But what if Mikayi isn't as powerful as he imagines...?

Whether Mikayi struggled to his death in the Empire's hands or was captured alive and made a plaything, it was a cruel outcome for him.

Hedis faced only two possible outcomes:

After the emperor's death, he naturally ascended to the throne.

Or perhaps, if Mikayi is captured, he will receive a reward from the emperor.

For Hedis, there were no bad outcomes.

The plan was flawless; any battles or conflicts were orchestrated by the Empire. No one else would know of his betrayal. His hands wouldn't even be stained with a drop of blood.

Hedis simply needed to wait there quietly for the outcome, just as he had always done, observing with detached indifference...

137 Netting

"Taylor, did today's test yield any clues?"

In order to obtain more information, the emperor and Hedis discussed forcing Mikael to take action again. However, they planned to do so without Mikael's knowledge.

So they planned this test and had Hedis play the victim.

Mikaela might not help Hedis cheat on the exam, but if Kuro is around, Mikaela will definitely step in.

This was all something Hedis had anticipated.

Although he usually works hard, Kuro never pays attention in theory classes. Plus, with this absence, they've completely missed all their lessons, so Kuro will definitely beg his master to cheat for him. If that happens, he can also bring Hedis and Yuuri along.

Based on the current results, Hedis's predictions were quite accurate.

“Your Majesty, the exam papers are all written with normal handwriting, and there is no sign of any magic being used…” Taylor replied. “However, it is worth mentioning that the handwriting on all four exam papers is from the same person. After checking, we found that they are all written by the same person, Michael.”

Hedis's Adam's apple bobbed as he listened in astonishment.

“Herdis, do you know anything about this?” William noticed Herdis’s surprise and turned to ask him.

“Your Majesty… I didn’t write a single word on my exam paper in the last few minutes… In my perception, the exam paper was completed in an instant…” Hedis’s heart pounded, “It was as if…”

“It’s as if time has been frozen.” William interrupted him. “That’s very likely <Wind Magic: Time Stop>, the ultimate spell in wind magic.”

"How is this possible?! It's already a miracle for someone to master one ultimate spell, and he has two?! Moreover, releasing ultimate spells causes irreversible damage to the body!" a nobleman exclaimed. He no longer cared about concealing his identity in front of the emperor; shock filled his entire expression.

After hearing this, Hedis's hands trembled uncontrollably.

He didn't tell William about his speculation that the Wolf King had been killed. If the Empire knew that Mikayi had single-handedly killed a 'Calamity-level' magical beast and its wolf pack, it would surely instill fear in the emperor, making him reconsider even the idea of ​​capturing Mikayi alive.

Healing a human who is partially paralyzed, driving away demons, wielding two or more ultimate spells, single-handedly killing a 'calamity-level' monster, and wiping out an entire family in one night—all these factors combined make Mikayi's strength enough to allow Hedis to sit on the throne.

“The Lyon Empire may have really struck gold this time… Controlling a wind mage who can cast time-stopping magic can help the Lyon Empire reach new heights…” After his initial shock, William gradually smiled. “Tomorrow, we will add a thousand more mages to the array and send the Empire’s chief black mage, ‘Elise Nek,’ as well.”

"The mission location will be the Vita Forest, west of Lyon City."

-

At the academy cafeteria, Hedis and Xi Lili had not yet arrived by dinner time.

Mikayi invited both of them to dinner together.

Kuro and Mikayi sat facing each other, staring blankly at the four dinners on the table.

“Master, I don’t think they’ll come back… Lovers in the throes of passion… should be in the little garden right now…” Kuro’s cheeks suddenly flushed as he said this.

Mikayi understood: "That's because after doing that in the small garden, it's easier to get hungry."

"What?!" Kuro's tail bristled like a little flower upon hearing this. "I meant a kiss! Master, what are you thinking?!"

“Oh…” Realizing he had misunderstood, Mikayi said with a displeased expression, “That’s right, it’s impossible for things to develop that quickly.”

"Ahem..." As soon as Hedis walked in, he heard the two of them discussing these topics.

Hedis coughed awkwardly twice and said, "Xi Lili had a fever, and I stayed with her in the infirmary all afternoon. Her temperature has just come down, so don't think about anything strange!"

"Is Miss Yuri alright?" Kuro asked worriedly. "I know a senior who has very powerful recovery potions. If you need them, I'll have her bring two bottles over!"

Hey, hey, hey, that's a potion for monsters! Human bodies can't handle that kind of potion!

Mikayi was on tenterhooks.

“No need, the medic said I’ll recover quickly.” Hedis forced a smile as he sat down next to Mikayi.

This was a seat the three of them often sat in. Heddis looked at the dinner in front of him and was somewhat moved.

"This is... prepared for me?" Hedis asked softly.

A fine steak sits on the plate, garnished with a few pieces of vegetables. Beside it is a bowl of mashed potatoes mixed with carrots and milk, emitting a subtle aroma.

“Yes.” Mikayi smiled slightly. “You must be tired of eating chicken all the time. This meal is on me.”

Hedis felt a lump in her throat, squeezed her eyes a couple of times, and tried to make her reddened eyes look normal.

Hedis cleared his throat and replied with a laugh, "You don't have much money either, do you? Otherwise, why would you be here with me on this expedition to the snowy mountains?"

“Well… that’s a long story.” Mikayi glanced at Kuro without saying a word.

I took those weird adventure quests back then, wasn't it all just to feed this beast-eared girl!

Kuro, with a piece of beef in his mouth, tilted his head in confusion.

Hedis cut open a piece of meat, put a piece in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.

His throat felt dry, and he couldn't taste the steak at all.

With his mouth full of beef, Hedis mumbled, "I'll owe you for now. I'll pay you back."

138 caught cheating

"Um... Lord Demon King..."

Huh? Mikayi, who was still eating dinner, looked puzzled.

The person who activated the communication magic was Akman, and it was rare to hear Akman's voice, which lacked confidence.

While chewing on the beef, Mikayi also activated his communication magic.

"What's wrong, Akman?"

"that……"

What happened?!

Akman's hesitant tone made Mikayi inexplicably panic.

"You...cheated on the exam...and the college found out..."

"cough……"

Mikayi patted his chest and finally managed to swallow the piece of beef.

"Master? What's wrong?"

Mikayi calmly picked up the tea and took a sip.

"It's alright, Kuro."

"Do I need to brainwash them? But it seems this matter has already been reported to the Empire, and the Empire is taking it very seriously... I wonder exactly how many people know about this."