After a few minutes, the academy reinforcements finally arrived in a hurry. Among them were Rank A teachers, professors, and even a few Awakened warriors from the royal palace .
Teacher Intis quickly ran forward to greet them. His face showed both exhaustion and relief. He immediately began explaining the situation — about Freya, the battle, and how the students had somehow managed to stop her.
By that time, Kailith and Maruti came out from the forest. They both looked tired but composed. Maruti's usual confident smirk had returned, while Kailith's calm red eyes watched everything silently.
The leader of the reinforcement team, Robert, stepped forward. He was a tall, broad man with a serious face and a voice that carried authority.
"What happened?" Robert asked in a deep tone. "Did she escape?"
Kailith shook her head slowly. "No," she replied, her voice steady. "We killed her. The body isn't far from here."
Robert froze for a second, his eyes widening slightly. "You… killed her?"
He wasn't the only one shocked. The teachers and Awakeneds standing behind him exchanged surprised looks. None of them had expected two first-year students to defeat a fallen dragon — especially one that was suspected to have pseudo S-rank strength.
Even Intis didn't know how to react. He could barely believe what he'd just heard. "How… how am I supposed to grade something like this?" he thought to himself. These two had done something that even most third-year elite students couldn't think of.
Robert didn't waste time. "Show me," he said firmly and walked in the direction Kailith pointed to.
He and A few of his men, went to retrieve Freya's body. Meanwhile, the rest of the reinforcement team headed toward Freya's cave.
When they entered the cave, they found it partially destroyed — the entrance blown apart, the inside filled with broken stones,It was because Freya had turned into her dragon form inside the cave to catch maruti. But deep inside, they discovered a chair, a table, and some old chains and handcuffs.
Five men were found tied up in heavy chains. They were unconscious — four were barely breathing, pale-faced, and their skin looked dry and wrinkled as if their energy had been drained away. One, sadly, was already dead.
The reinforcement members quickly cut the chains and began treating the survivors. They used healing spells and potions to stabilize them before preparing to send them back to the Tyrian Landings village for proper care.
Once everything was handled, the area grew quiet again. Freya's body was secured, the prisoners were safe, and the mission was officially over.
Later that day, Maruti and Kailith boarded a carriage heading back to the academy. They could have easily flown back using magic , Or maruti riding behind kailith's back (In her dragon form)— but after such a long battle, neither of them had the energy for that. Besides, flying would attract too much attention, and they both preferred some peace.
The journey back took almost the same amount of time as before. When they finally reached the academy by evening, the sky had turned orange and purple. Students were walking around the gates, chatting and laughing, completely unaware of what Maruti and Kailith had just gone through.
Maruti didn't head straight inside the academy grounds, though. She stepped off the carriage and turned toward another street — the one leading to her personal apartment. The battle had drained her completely, and all she wanted now was a warm bath and a soft bed.
As she walked on the second floor of the building. She met her neighbour Brenna.
The moment Brenna saw her, her face lit up with joy. "Maruti! You're back!" she exclaimed and ran up to hug her tightly. "It's been days! I was really missing you!"
Maruti blinked, slightly caught off guard by the sudden hug. She sighed inwardly. "It's barely been three days…" she thought, but she didn't say it out loud.
Instead, she gave a tired smile and gently patted Brenna's back. "Yeah, I'm back. You can prepare dinner for tonight like usual, alright? I'm exhausted. I'm going to take a short nap."
Brenna nodded eagerly. "Okay! I'll make something special tonight!" she said happily before rushing inside.
Maruti smiled faintly as she watched her go. Then she entered her room, closed the door, and leaned her back against it for a moment. The quietness of her apartment felt comforting.
Before Maruti could rest for even ten seconds, there was a sharp knock on her door — three times in quick succession.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
She groaned loudly and buried her face in her knees. "Ugh… seriously? Can't I rest for even a minute?" she muttered, her patience already gone. For a brief moment, she even imagined opening the door and punching whoever dared to disturb her peace.
With a frustrated sigh, she got up and swung the door open. But instead of seeing one of her neighbors or a messenger, she was greeted by three soldiers wearing the royal palace insignia. Their faces were serious, their armor gleaming faintly in the hallway's light.
And standing quietly behind them was someone she hadn't expected to see — Ethan.
Before she could ask anything, one of the soldiers took out a sealed letter bearing the royal crest and read it aloud in a calm but firm voice.
"First of all, there's no point in escaping. The entire area has already been sealed," he said before continuing, his tone completely formal. "Lortell and her partner, Esdeath Mariette, are suspected of treason. As someone closely associated with them, you are also under suspicion of spreading hate and attempting to cause civil unrest through false faith and impersonation as a prophet."
He took a short pause before adding, "Since the investigation is ongoing, you will not be imprisoned but placed under house arrest until the judgement is given. Please cooperate. Any attempt to resist or escape will be taken as confirmation of guilt."
Ethan stood silently behind them, his expression unreadable. In his mind, though, he was thinking, "Why is this guy explaining so much? If she tried to run, it would make things easier. Don't tell me he actually believes in her nonsense too…" He glanced at Maruti quietly, confident that if she tried anything, he could stop her himself.
Maruti's eyes stayed on the soldiers. Her face was calm, almost too calm. "So it's finally time, huh… though it's a little earlier than I expected," she thought to herself.
With the Freedom Essence Stone she had, she could have easily escaped — even through sealed barriers. But she didn't see any point in running.
Without saying a word, she slowly raised both hands and let the soldiers place the cuffs around her wrists.
The metal clicked shut.
---
Hours later, Maruti was placed inside a large, unfamiliar house at an unknown location. It wasn't a prison — but it wasn't freedom either. The place had everything she could need: a bed, a bathroom, and enough groceries to last days. Yet outside, several Rank B and Rank C guards surrounded the area, and a faint magical shimmer in the air revealed the invisible barrier sealing the house completely.
She wasn't charged with any crimes yet. The official reason was "temporary house arrest under investigation." The real targets were Esdeath and Lortell — the ones the kingdom truly wanted to capture as soon as possible.
---
Few hours ago before maruti was under house arrest, at the academy, Lortell was still calmly sitting in her office. Papers were neatly stacked on her desk, and her pen moved swiftly as she finished signing a few documents.
But then — the office door suddenly opened with a loud creak.
Caesar, the commander of the First Squadron, stepped in with several armed knights behind him. His expression was cold and serious.
"My Lady," he said in a commanding voice, "you are under suspicion of treason and plotting against the king, as well as forming alliances with revolutionary forces."
Lortell raised an eyebrow, her expression unchanged. A small, amused chuckle escaped her lips. "Pfft… what?"
Caesar didn't react to her tone. He lowered his head slightly out of respect, then continued, "My Lady, this is not a joke. Please cooperate."
Lortell slowly stood up from her chair. Even though Caesar was tall and muscular, she still towered over him — her presence alone heavy enough to make the air feel tense.
Caesar stepped forward and extended a pair of silver cuffs toward her.
But Lortell just smiled faintly. "You think these can hold me?" she said, her voice calm and confident. Then, brushing past him, she added casually, "Let's go. I'll speak to the king myself. There must be some kind of misunderstanding."
---
Meanwhile, at the same time in the capital city, Verdes, the Dark Nun, and the other members of the Third Squadron were stationed at their mansion.
Lortell had already stepped down from her position as the Third Squadron Commander. Verdes was now serving as the temporary vice commander, handling missions and keeping the squad together.
The position of commander was still vacant. The problem was, the Third Squadron wasn't made up of ordinary soldiers—it was a group of dangerous criminals, people that only Lortell could truly control. No one else had the power or fear to keep them in line.
There were talks about making Verdes or the Dark Nun the next commander, but the higher-ups didn't trust them enough. The kingdom needed someone loyal and obedient, not someone unpredictable like them.
Just then, a group of royal guards arrived at the mansion. All the members went silent, their eyes cold and sharp as the guards entered. The head guard, his hands slightly trembling, stepped forward and spoke directly to Verdes.
"Vice Commander Verdes, I have orders from the capital."
Verdes tilted his head lazily, chewing a piece of grass he had between his lips. "Orders, huh? From the capital?"
The guard nodded nervously and handed over a scroll. Verdes read it, and his expression turned strange. He didn't know whether to laugh or be surprised.
"So… the kingdom decided to go against its only S-rank awakened?" He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "How foolish."
He looked up at the guard with a mocking smile. "Can I speak with the comma—" he paused, then corrected himself, "I mean, the ex-commander?"
The guard swallowed hard. "Lady Lortell will also be there. You may speak to her… if the king allows it."
"If the king allows it?, I'm not paid enough for this much loyalty" Verdes chuckled and then sighed. "Fine. Where are we supposed to go?"
"We're in the capital, so it's not far," the guard replied quickly, relief washing over his face when he saw that the Third Squadron wasn't reacting violently.
---
At the same time, far away in Swann—a peaceful countryside region under Nyx Crimson and his wife, Charlotte Crimson—life was calm and quiet as always.
With Esdeath now happily married, the heavy burden on their hearts had finally been lifted. The guilt from the past had started to fade.
Last time, Esdeath had refused her marriage and even tried to take her own life by drinking poison. They never wanted to see her in that kind of pain again. But now, she was living happily as a married woman. It had already been months, and their hearts were finally at peace.
Their days were simple. Sometimes, Nyx and Charlotte went on walks together, watching the sunset over the hills. Other days, they tried their hand at small farming work, laughing at their own mistakes. It was a humble but warm life.
Today was another peaceful day. Nyx sat at the wooden table, eating sandwiches Charlotte had made with care. She stood nearby, holding a tray with extra sandwiches in case he wanted more.
But their calm moment didn't last long. Suddenly, the doors burst open with a loud crash. Several soldiers stormed inside, their boots thudding against the floor.
Unlike the troops sent to handle the Third Squadron or arrest Maruti—who were all awakened and skilled—these were just ordinary soldiers.
"Who are you people?" Nyx stood up, startled.
The captain stepped forward coldly. "Nyx Crimson and Charlotte Crimson, you are under royal order to come with us immediately."
The captain's tone was harsh. "Your daughter, Esdeath Crimson, and Archduchess Lortell Mariette are both suspected of treason against the kingdom. You will be questioned as well. You have no right to question anything."
Charlotte's hands trembled, and the tray she was holding slipped from her grasp. It hit the floor with a loud clang, sandwiches scattering across the ground.
Her eyes filled with shock and fear. "That can't be true! My daughter would never—"
But before she could finish, the soldiers grabbed her and Nyx by the arms, roughly handcuffed them.
To them, Nyx and Charlotte were just minor nobles—relatives of a fallen Archduchess and parents of a supposed traitor. There was no reason to show them any respect.