CHAPTER 539: ACADEMY REOPENING PLANS

"Well, there is good news regarding the reopening of the academies," Mystica began, her voice smooth and even. "The newly constructed arrays over both the Dark Knight Academy and the Beau Magic Academy are functioning perfectly."

"That is good news," Lucy replied without breaking her composed tone. "Anything else?"

"Your proposal to the Solara and Crescent Kingdoms about reopening their academies," Mystica continued. "The Solara Kingdom accepted without issue. They only require a bit more time to complete the final adjustments to their facilities before opening their doors again."

"And Crescent?" Lucy asked, though her expression made it clear she already anticipated a complication.

Mystica held her gaze for a heartbeat before speaking. "King Valemir initially refused, but... it appears he had a change of heart. He has agreed to reopen Crescent’s academies as well."

One of Lucy’s brows lifted in mild surprise. "I wonder what pushed him to reconsider."

"Just a hunch," Mystica said calmly, "but I believe Sheila’s persistence in returning to the Dark Knight Academy left him with very little choice."

Lucy hummed softly. "Did Valemir attach any conditions to his agreement?"

"As a matter of fact, he did." Mystica folded one leg over the other. "His condition was that Liam would no longer be allowed to remain a student at the academy. He refuses to let his daughter be anywhere near a dark mage."

"Well then, that settles that. Sheila may as well attend the Noble Knight Academy back in Crescent, because I have no intention of denying Liam proper access to education." Lucy’s tone remained calm, but carried a sturdy firmness beneath it.

Mystica allowed a small smile to form. "I told him as much. After some negotiation, I managed to make him accept a different compromise—Liam will be restricted from using dark magic on academy grounds, no exceptions."

Lucy paused, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "He agreed to that?"

"Funny enough, he did. Though Sheila deserves most of the credit," Mystica replied with a quiet hint of amusement.

Lucy let out a soft scoff. "No matter how troublesome Valemir can be, his daughter will always be his greatest weakness."

"Precisely," Mystica said, nodding in agreement.

"I suppose I’ll need to revise my initial plans for Liam," Lucy murmured, tapping lightly on her desk. "If he can’t openly use both of his affinities, I’ll need to adjust his trajectory."

"You don’t need to worry too much," Mystica reassured her. "Before the world learned he possessed dark magic, he was extremely cautious with it. He only revealed it when absolutely necessary. With this restriction contract, nothing much changes—he’ll simply rely entirely on his fire affinity while on school grounds, using no darkness at all."

Lucy stilled at that, a quiet understanding settling across her features as she caught the implication.

"Meaning," she said slowly, "Liam remains free to use his dark magic outside academy grounds."

"Exactly." Mystica leaned forward slightly. "And knowing Liam... even with a restriction hovering over him, he’ll seek a way to practice freely. He’ll push himself, experiment, and try to strengthen his dark magic regardless. That could lead to trouble—both for him and for the kingdom. To prevent that, I suggest giving him access to a discreet training ground within Grandeur City. One undetectable, sealed, and safe. That way, he has full freedom to train without drawing unwanted attention."

"I see... that isn’t a bad idea," Lucy murmured, her tone carrying a thoughtful weight. "But the notion of Liam having to leave academy grounds every time he needs to train doesn’t sit well with me. Constructing a training ground isn’t the issue. It’s the movement—how he gets there, how often, and who might notice. I can’t have him slipping off campus whenever he pleases. There’s a strong possibility Valemir has already planted spies among the incoming students. Even if we uncover some of them, the chance of Liam getting targeted remains."

"Your Majesty, you seem to be forgetting something rather crucial," Mystica said softly, a subtle smirk curving her lips. "You already have Mabel assigned to watch over him. With her by his side, Liam will be fine. And considering her space affinity, she can teleport him directly to the training ground without a trace of detection."

Lucy stared at her for a moment before a quiet laugh escaped her. "It seems my workload is wearing me down more than I thought. I didn’t even consider that." She rubbed her temple lightly before lowering her hand. "In any case, you’ve clearly thought several steps ahead. Thanks to you, I won’t have to worry about any of that."

"Of course. You can entrust the details to me," Mystica replied gently.

Lucy nodded, the appreciation evident in her expression. "Anyway, while we’re still on the topic, how are the rumors about Liam spreading?"

Mystica’s expression dimmed just slightly, a shadow of displeasure crossing her features. "Unlike before, when his existence was practically unknown, people now seem to recognize his name. I’m not certain how the information surfaced, but I suspect it might be due to knights who were present during the battle in Ilis. Some of them may have recognized him from the academy. There’s also the possibility that a leak came from within the academy itself, though I personally doubt that."

"I see," Lucy said quietly. "Then it’s highly probable the students will already know who he is before the academies even reopen."

"Well, yes. Very much so," Mystica replied.

"That will spare us the trouble of shocking them with the announcement," Lucy said with a hint of dry amusement. "Although they’ll still need to be formally informed for the sake of procedure, it should make things smoother."

Mystica hummed softly, agreeing.

"Well, that should be everything then," Lucy concluded. "All that’s left is informing Liam about how his life is going to function from this point on."

"I’m sure he already has a fair idea," Mystica said with calm certainty. "He isn’t oblivious, and he never has been. Your only real concern now is how quickly he adapts to the advantages this situation provides him. Once he does, he’ll become even more troublesome to handle than Galen."

"That’s true," Lucy said with a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "But that’s why it’s best to invest in him early, shape him properly, and ensure he grows into someone who can be of use in the future. Which, without a doubt, he will be."

Mystica inclined her head in agreement, her expression softening for a moment before silence settled comfortably between them. It lasted only a few heartbeats before she straightened slightly, as if remembering something that had slipped past her attention.

"Oh—before I forget," she said, drawing Lucy’s focus back to her. "Regarding the replacements for Gordon and Ember, matters are proving far more troublesome than anticipated. Gordon’s position especially. Finding someone willing to take on the assistant headmaster role is easy. Finding someone capable of handling the weight of the job and everything it demands... that is the true challenge."

Lucy’s face tightened in a faint grimace. "For all the treachery that bastard committed, he performed his duties exceptionally well—almost flawlessly, in fact. Replacing him with someone competent enough to actually relieve Thion’s burden is going to be difficult."

"Exactly. Many have stepped forward to claim the role, but none were truly suited for it. Most are chasing the prestige and comforts that come with the title, nothing more," Mystica replied.

Lucy released a slow, weary sigh as she absorbed that truth. "Then we’ll simply have to hope someone genuinely capable surfaces before the academies reopen."

"Well, hope is the one luxury we can always rely on," Mystica murmured.

Lucy nodded slightly before shifting the topic. "What about Ember’s position as the ice affinity instructor? Has someone been found?"

"Yes. Though the process was difficult, the academy did manage to secure a replacement for her," Mystica answered. "And from all indications, they’re highly competent, so there should be no issues there."

"That’s a relief," Lucy breathed, visibly easing. "And Ember herself—any signs of recovery at all?"

Mystica’s eyes lowered, her tone dimming. "No change. She remains completely unresponsive, the same as she has been for the last seven months. Dove says her brain isn’t producing any signs of activity."

"She suggested using her experiments again, didn’t she?" Lucy asked, her voice level but edged with concern.

"She did. But I reminded her very clearly why that must never happen again, so there’s nothing to worry about," Mystica assured with a small, confident smirk.

Lucy regarded her with appreciative warmth before leaning back in her chair. "Well, I suppose that’s everything. I should let you return to your work."

"Indeed. My responsibilities aren’t exactly few," Mystica said as she rose gracefully from her seat. "And honestly, Your Majesty, once the academies reopen, you might need to grant me a long vacation. I believe I’ve earned one." Her grin turned sly.

Lucy let out a soft laugh. "I agree. After everything you’ve done for this long, it would be unfair not to give you time off. So don’t worry—you’ll get it."

"That is exactly what I wanted to hear," Mystica said in a cheerful tone. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Your Majesty." With that, she headed toward the exit.

Lucy watched her go with a faint, amused smile. "By ’enjoy’ you mean ’bury yourself in more paperwork’," she muttered dryly to herself.

She leaned forward, ready to resume her duties, but froze halfway as something important flashed through her mind.

"Oh—I nearly forgot to arrange things for Liam’s request," she murmured, reaching swiftly for the communication orb resting on her desk.