"Oh, come on." Professor Lesso's eyes flashed with a cold light. "If we're going to fight, let's do it properly."
The other students in the School for Evil felt the same way. They were all dissatisfied, thinking this wasn't a real battle.
So, Professor Lesso called out, "Cyclops."
Before she could even give a further command, Cyclops—the literal son of a giant cyclops—stood up and lumbered onto the field.
"Get him!"
"Beat his ass!"
The Evil students chanted, pumping their fists. Some were so hyped they jumped out of their seats.
"Wait, doesn't our champion prefer fighting bare-handed? Cyclops, go back and grab a weapon," Lesso added.
"Seriously?" Professor Dovey was speechless, questioning why Lesso was taking her frustration out on a student.
Professor Lesso smiled, taking the criticism as a compliment. Her lips curled upward as she bragged, "I know, I'm wicked."
Cyclops turned his head. A werewolf guard was already handing him a massive, double-bitted axe. The towering giant grinned, showing his teeth.
To the sound of the Evil students chanting "Kill him!", he grabbed the weapon, spun around, and swung it straight at Tedros.
"That's not fair!" Agatha, who clearly had a soft spot for Tedros, stood up and yelled. "He doesn't have a weapon!"
Tedros flashed a bright, confident grin at Agatha. "Don't worry, Average Girl. I got this."
He dodged the slash with ease, weaving through the deadly arcs of the giant's axe.
The heavy weapon gave Cyclops serious destructive power, but compared to the unarmed Tedros, he had zero agility.
On the sidelines, Basil's bored expression shifted to one of focus.
His [Dragon Knight] bloodline gave him a physique with superhuman reflexes. Not to mention, he had access to the [Swordsmanship Mastery] talent he'd copied from Neville.
Because of this, Tedros's previous fights with the other princes had been boring—Basil could see through them instantly and replicate the moves without trying.
But now? Every breath Tedros took while dodging, every shift in his footwork, every use of leverage... Basil actually had to focus to track it. He had to think it through before he was confident he could copy it.
That said, Tedros's fundamentals were clearly lacking. His form was sloppy, almost comical at times.
As for his opponent, Cyclops was just spamming brute force.
"That's weird. Isn't King Arthur supposed to be the incarnation of the Red Dragon? Why does his son just look like a brave, athletic mortal?" Basil whispered into Beatrice's ear.
Because his lips were practically brushing her earlobe, the warm breath sent a jolt of electricity through Beatrice, turning her legs to jelly. She practically melted into Basil's arms.
She stammered, "Arthur is the King of the Virtuous. He commands the magic of Good and is the nemesis of all Evil. As for the Red Dragon? That was just the embodiment of evil he defeated. He put it on the Camelot banner as a trophy."
"Ah, I see," Basil said aloud, but internally, he was deep in thought. In this world, that's how the Arthurian legend goes. But... a Red Dragon?
He remembered Rafal admitting he was defeated by King Arthur using Excalibur. Given Tedros's age, Arthur couldn't be that old.
So, was that Red Dragon an avatar of Rafal?
It made sense. If a villain spends hundreds of years wanting to destroy the balance of Good and Evil to let True Evil reign, but his only plan is to manipulate a teenage girl's feelings... that would be pathetic.
Maybe the dragon was one of Rafal's grand schemes, eventually thwarted by Arthur.
If that's true, Basil thought, then since I have Red Dragon blood and I'm recognized by Excalibur, wouldn't that mean I possess the apex power of both Good and Evil?
A second later, he dismissed the idea. It was probably just a coincidence in naming.
The power of Good? Sure, Excalibur counts.
The power of Evil? Probably not. His Red Dragon blood came from the System's version of the legendary King Arthur, which had nothing to do with Rafal.
He shook his head and refocused on the match. His eyes, previously glazed over in thought, snapped back to attention.
"Holy sht!" Basil was shocked. He looked away for two seconds, and now his newly adopted 'son' was about to get flattened? Where was Professor Dovey?
Tedros was on the ground, clutching a broken sword that another prince had thrown to him. Cyclops's axe was coming down for the kill.
Professor Dovey didn't look worried at all. She seemed to assume Basil would step in.
Basil instantly read the room.
Dammit! Even though his eyes were pointing at the match, he had been spacing out! If he didn't react right now, he and his new 'son' would be permanently separated by the veil of death.
He frantically threw Excalibur. The plain-looking sword instantly began to glow with golden light the moment it touched Basil's hand, and the light didn't fade even after it left his grip.
The tip of the sword struck the ground. A wave of golden-red energy erupted from the impact point, shielding the stranger its master wanted to protect.
The giant's axe shattered on impact. Cyclops was blasted backward, hitting the ground hard and knocked out cold.
Tedros looked up in shock at where the sword had come from. Standing there was a strangely familiar, incredibly handsome blond boy.
The emotional impact was too much. Tedros blurted out instinctively:
"Father!"
Tedros's shout stunned the entire hall. The Evil students, who were about to scream "Foul!", shut their mouths in surprise.
Professor Lesso, who was about to rage on stage, just stood there gaping, unsure what to say.
By the main entrance, Rafal—currently disguised as his good brother, Rhian—slammed on the brakes.
He recognized that voice instantly. Tedros Pendragon. The future King of Good he had been watching, the boy he intended to murder using the school's rules.
Hearing Tedros yell "Father" triggered Rafal's King Arthur PTSD.
He was so spooked he accidentally reverted to his true form for a split second, clutching his neck in panic.
Decades ago, when he lost the balance provided by his brother, he accumulated centuries of evil magic. He entered the story himself, creating an avatar. He became the Nameless Red Dragon—a form of Absolute Evil even stronger than his original self.
But Arthur stopped him. Arthur cut off his head.
Rafal took a deep breath. "Impossible. Unless you're a student or hired as staff, no one can enter the school. Not even Arthur."
He composed himself, morphed back into the appearance of his aged brother, and walked into the Great Hall.
The Hall was in chaos.
The Evil side was mocking Tedros for being a coward who'd call anyone "Daddy" when scared.
The Good side felt that while it's okay to call for your dad, doing it in public was cringe.
The two Deans had different thoughts.
Professor Dovey squinted. She felt it wasn't impossible. Maybe Arthur sensed something wrong with the school, entered reality, and then re-entered as a "Reader" (a student from the outside world). Being young could be Merlin's doing; he was a wizard of high caliber, after all.
Since everyone here was either royalty or the child of a villain, and failing three times meant being turned into an object forever, the Leaders of Good wouldn't just ignore the danger. It was plausible they asked the uncrowned King of the Fairytale World, Arthur Pendragon, to step in.
After all, he saved the world from the Red Dragon once before.
It all added up. Only Arthur could truly wield the power of Excalibur to cut through the invisible, rotting rules plaguing the School for Good.
Professor Lesso wasn't thinking that deeply. She was just wondering if this was another trick to let Good win.
Sophie sat expressionless, eyes vacant, frantically ranting to Madison in the group chat about how disgusting Tedros was acting.
Madison, however, was furious. Basil's "first time"—being called Daddy—should have belonged to her.
As for the two people involved:
Basil sat back down awkwardly as the sword flew back to his side automatically.
He quickly typed in the group chat: "Just assume I have the powers of King Arthur from the Harry Potter universe. That's why there's a misunderstanding."
Tedros, seeing the sword return on its own, started to doubt if Basil was actually his dad.
But all the noise and chaotic thoughts died down when the School Master, Rhian, walked in.
Rhian. One of the twin School Masters. The keeper of the Storian (the book that writes the stories). The man who defeated the evil Rafal to tip the balance toward Good.
Some believed Arthur defeated the Red Dragon only because Rhian had already weakened the concept of Evil by banishing Rafal.
That's why, even if the children of Good failed classes and were transformed into plants or animals forever, the Leaders of Good didn't see it as a punishment. They trusted Rhian.
But Rafal... Rafal didn't know they trusted him. Villains always assume everyone else is plotting too.
The moment he walked in and saw Basil, his thoughts aligned perfectly with Professor Dovey's. The only difference was that Rafal recognized the Red Dragon blood in Basil.
He thinks Arthur, with Merlin's help, used the purified blood of the Red Dragon to create this avatar.
Dammit! Using my own power against me?!
Just like how Rafal used an avatar to invade Arthur's story, Arthur had used an avatar to invade his school.
Suppressing his rage, he walked up to Basil.
"Greetings, Arthur Pendragon. Welcome to the academy as a student."
Disguised as Rhian, Rafal brazenly confronted what he believed to be King Arthur instead of running away.
Instantly, everyone's eyes locked onto the undefeated king, the savior of the fairytale world—Basil.
"You really are Father!" Tedros's eyes welled up with tears.
"Does this mean I'm going to be the new Queen of Camelot?" Beatrice gasped excitedly.
Basil was speechless. He stood up, looked around, and finally locked eyes with Rafal and Tedros. He spoke clearly, enunciating every word:
"No. I am not."
"Very well, if you wish to deny it... Tedros, find a seat. And you, Basil of Gavaldon, please sit down as well," Rafal said with a gentle smile. He slowly turned in a circle, surveying the entire hall.
Tedros sat down next to Agatha, constantly glancing back at his "father," completely forgetting about the flowers he was holding.
Rafal, wearing Rhian's face, smiled kindly. Having once truly loved his brother and abandoned his ambition for him, Rafal had perfected Rhian's mannerisms, logic, and bearing.
In this moment, he was Rhian. He smiled. "Now, Dovey, Lesso. Allow me to overstep and give the address."
"You are here because the story world needs great Heroes and Villains to teach those outside how to make their choices."
"Clear your minds of confusion. You need Pure Good, or Pure Evil."
"Study hard in your houses. Follow the rules."
"Only then might you become like your parents—part of the story, a future Legend or Monster."
"Do not slack off."
"Remember, the Storian only chooses the most exceptional students to write legends about."
However, internally, Rafal was nowhere near as calm as he looked.
I have to get Arthur out of this school, he thought.
Various evil schemes floated through his mind but were rejected one by one, until his eyes landed on Beatrice, who was clinging tightly to Basil.
Good job, girl! You're the key.
Purity! If I can get Arthur's avatar to break his vow of purity, the rules will expel him!
A barely perceptible glint of red light flashed in his kindly eyes.
Evil magic, designed to amplify desire, flooded into Beatrice's heart.
Beatrice's hands started getting very bold.
Basil had to physically grab her hands to stop her.
Seeing this, Rafal laughed wickedly in his mind.
Dragons are creatures of lust, even purified ones. Arthur, if I'm not mistaken, you're actually tempted.
Of course, on the outside, he showed no cracks. He simply gave a closing statement: "Alright, I wish you all a happy semester."
He turned to leave.
But suddenly, Sophie and Agatha stood up.
Sophie: "Wait, I was put in the wrong school!"
Agatha looked at Tedros reluctantly, then asked, "Can we go home? Back to Gavaldon?"
Rafal stopped and turned around. " The School for Good and Evil makes no mistakes."
To Professor Lesso's shock, Dovey spoke up. "Sophie might actually have been sorted incorrectly. Rafal appeared today."
Rafal's body went stiff. He glanced at Basil.
Sht! Are you trying to get me killed?!
Hiss... It was the scent of fear. And it was sweet.
Basil narrowed his eyes.
He didn't know much about fairytale wizards, but looking at Sophie, he knew their emotions usually fueled their power. But right now, Rafal—one of the grandfathers of fairytale magic—was leaking a sliver of fear.
It was cloyingly sweet.
Wait, is Rafal that scared of King Arthur?
Rafal's fear spiked even higher when he saw Basil squinting at him suspiciously.
Crap! He suspects me!
But on the surface, Rafal feigned mild surprise. "The School has its own rules. If it was Rafal, then yes, Sophie might belong in Good. But rules are rules. There is no precedent for switching houses."
"The Evil of the Evil House is simply Fairytale Evil—a necessary role to highlight the greatness of Heroes and the value of the story."
"As a Reader, whether she stays here or returns to reality after graduation, it doesn't matter which house she is in."
"I will allow this: She may attend classes in the School for Good, and the Evers' Ball."
Sophie threw her hand up impatiently, looking straight at Basil. "Does that mean I can date guys from the Good school?"