If They Get Obsessed, I’m Doomed - Chapter 92

Chapter 47.1

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ariel stifled a sigh as she responded dutifully to Devoncia’s call. She moved from the doorway and approached the sofa, where he patted the spot beside him invitingly.

Tap, tap.

The velvet sofa made a soft sound under his touch.

“Would you like to sit?”

“Thank you.”

Ariel bowed her head slightly and sat down cautiously. Since the sofa wasn’t very wide, leaving only about two hand spans between her and Devoncia, she felt restless and tense. Lexius, on the other hand, barely acknowledged her presence. His gaze had briefly lingered on her, but he quickly shifted his attention back to Devoncia and continued speaking directly to him.

“That commotion below… was that your doing?”

“The class was dull, so I placed one of my enchanted artifacts there.”

“And you used that as an excuse to stir things up?”

“I can’t just hand one out to everyone, can I?”

“So that’s why you set up that absurd spectacle.”

“I didn’t do anything like that. I merely mentioned how nice the practice field looked since the weather was clear.”

“Oh, I’m sure you did.”

They spoke as if it were a casual chat, though Ariel couldn’t shake a slight shiver.

The scuffle below was intense, with injuries appearing here and there. Devoncia had made a simple remark for his own amusement, inciting a full brawl and skillfully guiding the participants to act on their own. It showed just how adept he was at stirring conflict and manipulating people.

“When will this be over?”

“It’ll end once only one person’s left standing.”

“I need to use this space too, so hurry up and finish it.”

“That’s not my concern.”

With a faintly amused smile, Devoncia feigned innocence, acting as if he had nothing to do with the chaos he’d created. He watched from a distance like an unaffected bystander, though he was the mastermind. Even Lexius, who had tolerated him so far, looked visibly annoyed.

“Are you really just going to let this drag on? When will it finally—”

BOOM!

Lexius’s grumbling was interrupted by a deafening explosion.

Ash scattered through the air, and the acrid smell of smoke wafted around them.

A wave of vibration coursed through Ariel, prickling her skin. She tasted bitterness in her mouth as her senses instantly honed in on the source of the commotion below.

The barrier had shattered completely. Its broken edges glowed white and sharp, like fragments of a cracked eggshell. Through the wreckage, ash, dust, traces of blood, and students spilled out. Near the devastation stood Skylar, likely responsible for the massive blast.

Lexius looked down at the scene and gave a low whistle.

“It’s certainly his style.”

“Oh, I’m the one who set up that barrier.”

Even as Devoncia responded with a playful groan, Lexius ignored his joke and called over the practice field supervisor, who had been waiting nearby.

“Get this mess cleaned up quickly.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The supervisor bowed deeply at his command, then hurried down the stairs. As the dust settled, the scene of destruction came into full view, with unconscious students scattered across the floor. Medical staff and attendants, already on standby, rushed in to assist, quickly carrying the injured students away.

Under the supervising professor’s watchful eye, the next group of students, here for the Advanced Magic Warfare class, took their positions on the bloodstained floor.

“The barrier’s already broken, so I’ll be taking over.”

With a swift motion, Lexius flexed his fingers as if he’d been waiting for this moment. Strange markings flickered briefly on the back of his hand before fading away.

After a week of studying the basics of magic, Ariel recognized the spell he cast as a barrier spell. She also identified the markings on his hand as symbols of branding magic.

The barrier was created by layering several advanced spell formulas in stages, each releasing magical energy sequentially. This type of barrier was particularly difficult, as the intricate formations alone required a tremendous amount of magical power. The variety of barrier types also made it difficult to identify and distinguish between them.

Branding magic had been devised to simplify the process of barrier casting. By engraving multiple barrier spells onto the back of one’s hand, the caster could release magical power instantly, setting up a barrier without the usual complicated casting sequence.

However, branding magic was only accessible to high-level magic users since engraving spells onto the body demanded an extraordinary amount of magical power. Without such power, maintaining these marks, let alone activating them, was impossible.

“Incredibly powerful magic…”

Ariel felt a sense of awe as she observed the newly cast white barrier at the center of the practice field.

The barrier that Lexius had created was slightly smaller in radius than the previous transparent one, and its inner walls appeared misty, as though shrouded in fog.

It was clearly a different type of barrier.

“Amazing.”

Ariel whispered to herself in quiet admiration.

The more she studied magic, the more she recognized just how extraordinary these people were. As someone with magical abilities herself, she felt a mix of admiration and a tinge of fear.

‘If I ever cross them, I might actually end up dead.’

Although she doubted they would easily harm a noble of the empire, seeing the students sprawled across the ground made it feel like anything was possible. Power alone was a significant threat, but when combined with status and authority, it became like a runaway train.

And these were precisely the kinds of people she was dealing with.

Ariel was grateful that, reckless as her targets might be, none had actually threatened her life.

Meanwhile, the supervisor, having completed the cleanup below, returned up the stairs. Devoncia gave him a quick glance, signaling for an explanation.

Bowing under the crown prince’s gaze, the supervisor reported.

“His Highness the Prince broke through the barrier. Thankfully, the aftermath wasn’t too severe, so the cleanup was quick. We’re almost done.”.

“Yeah, but…”

Devoncia didn’t seem particularly concerned as he narrowed his gaze at the supervisor and asked again.

“Not a single one held up?”

“No, it was a complete wipeout.”

“Is that so? What a shame.”

He replied, though his tone lacked any genuine disappointment.

“Well, it’s still a result.”

He waved his hand, dismissing the supervisor.

“Take care of the rest, and when the unconscious students wake up, post the results of the sparring session.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The supervisor gave another deep bow before leaving.

Once he was gone, Devoncia made a subtle finger motion to his aide, who quickly stepped forward and bowed. With an indifferent tone, he issued his next command.

“Return the enchanted artifact to storage.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The aide, too, withdrew after receiving the order.

With his subordinates dismissed, Devoncia leaned back more leisurely into the sofa than before. He rested his head on the backrest as if watching a show before he looked at Lexius and asked.

“So, are you heading down now?”

“If it’s necessary.”

“So, you’ll step in if things get interesting.”

“For now, I’ll just watch. I’ve already informed the professor of what to do.”