I Will Kill The Author

375 Enemy Or Not?

"As you all know, tomorrow will mark the beginning of your final exam. The written exams will span two weeks, followed by a five-week period for the practical exam."

Liz appeared to be in good shape.

It was almost as if she was never mortally wounded. Her bright violet eyes still held that fierce spark and she still exuded that air of superiority and grace.

The Potion of Vitality had indeed worked its magic and brought her back from the brink of death.

According to Amelia and Anastasia, it had been around five months since she woke up from her coma-like state.

It was around the time I gave the Potion of Vitality, made from the Petal of Ambrosia, to Quinn and Grace.

They passed it on to Nero, who in turn gave it to his master.

I had specifically asked Nero to take all the credit and not mention my name to Liz.

It's not like I didn't want the credit.

I just didn't want to reveal how I brewed the Potion of Vitality and how I knew the location of the Petal of Ambrosia.

"The written exams will be fairly easy and straightforward. It's actually the practical exam you all should be worrying about. It will have you locked in a battle royale with your fellow first-year cadets. Even though you will be participating alongside your Unit, the better you perform individually, the better…"

Well, it's good that she's well and alive. Not only is she an important character in the final war, but she also still needs to give me a relic for losing a bet with Master.

Heh.

†

Since it was the last day before the final exams, classes were short, allowing cadets to head back home early.

Well, it was not like there were many cadets in the classroom today anyway. The attendance was very weak.

Most people were holed up in their rooms, their noses buried in between books and notes, cramming for their exams.

Meanwhile, others were hitting the gyms and training hall, preparing themselves for the practical as if they had already passed the written exams.

And then there were those like Kent, who seemed utterly carefree, hitting bars and clubs to enjoy the last day of the academic year.

Surviving one year of cadet training was a cause for celebration – or at least that's what they all said.

Kent practically begged me to accompany him but I was too sleepy to oblige.

So I respectfully declined and ran away until he stopped chasing me with a scythe in hand and gave up.

Finally returning home, I slumped on my bed and fell into a sweet slumber without even bothering to change my clothes or appreciate my beauty while checking myself out in a mirror.

No, no, today I was too tired for even my narcissism.

It wasn't around midnight when my sleep was disturbed by the continuous ringing of the doorbell.

"Arghh!"

With a low grunt, I got up and opened the main door to confront the person who was incessantly ringing my doorbell.

"Who is–"

But to my surprise, it was Amelia.

Before I could even greet her or demand compensation for disrupting my royal nap, my attention shifted to the small girl she was holding by the finger.

My eyes widened as the girl lunged at me, enveloping my legs in a tight hug.

"Pa! Pa is back!"

A broad smile spread across my face as I crouched down, lifting the girl into my arms and embracing her.

"Sera! Agh, it's been so long since I saw you!"

Ruffling her neck-length silver hair, I planted a tender kiss on her chubby, baby-fat cheek.

Sera beamed and kissed me back.

"Aww~ You guys really are like father and daughter," Amelia said, blushing. "Kyaa~! So cute~!"

"Huh?!" I frowned. "Shut up, I'm way too young to be a father!"

"Aww~! You're in denial~!" Amelia covered her mouth and giggled.

"..."

"..."

…This girl.

"Ahem!" Coughing dryly, Amelia regained her composure. "Anyway, I asked her to wait until tomorrow to meet you but she said she wanted to see you immediately. She said she could sense you nearby, whatever that meant."

I nodded. "Thank you for bringing her here and also for taking care of her for the past six months, Amelia. You did me a big favor."

Smiling, Amelia shook her head. "Oh, no. It's no big deal. I actually enjoyed spending time with her."

After pausing for a brief moment, she frowned. "By the way, Lucas, I want to ask you something."

"Yes?" I cocked my head slightly.

Amelia hesitated for a moment or two before asking, "The attack that happened on Nero, Chase, and Anastasia… Did you know it would happen that day?"

A frown cracked on my face. "What made you say so? Surely you're not implying that I'm working for a clandestine terrorist organization now, are you?"

Amelia stammered while quickly waving her hands in denial. "No, of course not! I… I don't know… It's just that you seem to know everything, so I asked… Forget it. It was a stupid question."

"It's fine." I dismissively waved my hand. "Would you like to come in for a beverage?"

"No, I'm good." Amelia shook her head. "Actually, I have to study for exams, so I'll get going."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

Watching her receding back, I shut the door and turned to Sera. "Do you think she is being controlled by a vampire?"

Sera, who was in my arms playing with my long hair, suddenly turned to me with a frown on her cute face.

"Why do you think so, pa?"

Her vocabulary is getting better, I see.

"You know why. That vampire you killed warned me to be careful around her."

Sera shrugged her little shoulders. "Pa is worrying needlessly."

"Why do you say so?"

"She cares about pa."

"You think so?"

Sera cutely bobbed her head up and down in a nod.

"Besides, she is puwetty."

"....."

"Sera is joking."

"Oh, you can joke now too?"

Well, I really want Sera to be right about Amelia.

Among the list of people that I don't want to kill, Amelia is in third place, right after Leo and Selena.