Mystical Fantasy : The Lazy Real Young Master [EN]

Chapter 58: Chapter 8.10 : Afternoon Unrest

The sun leaned westward by the time Al finally arrived at school. Just as he crossed the main gate, he greeted the yawning security guard at the post.

”Good afternoon, sir.”

”Huh? Oh, afternoon, Al... Be careful. A lot of spoiled rich kids with too much free time today,” the guard muttered, yawning again.

Al was about to continue walking when two male students bumped into him. One of them fell, and his belongings scattered across the ground from his backpack.

Al bent down to help, but—

”Don’t touch my stuff, you orphan trash!” the boy snapped.

Al shot him a cold glare, ready to respond—but before he could, someone grabbed him from behind.

”Eh?!”

In a blink, Al was yanked into one of the school’s quieter garden hallways behind the building.

As soon as they arrived, Al spun around twice and took a combat stance, like a trained fighter anticipating an ambush.

”HEY! What is this?! A mugging? A kidnapping? I might look rich, but I don’t carry cash!”

Standing in front of him was Idham, clearly flustered, raising his hands quickly.

”No, no! I just... wanted to talk!”

Al lowered his stance slightly, recognizing the face.

”Oh, it’s you. Why the dramatic tug-of-war? You scared me half to death.”

Idham exhaled deeply.

”I just wanted to say... thank you. And I’m sorry. About what happened at the café. But also... I need your help.”

Al raised an eyebrow.

”Help? You want me to describe how it feels to sit next to Miss Aiza again?”

”Not that!” Idham snapped, visibly annoyed.

”Alright, then I’m leaving,” Al said, turning around.

”Wait!” Idham called out. ”You... you know Miss Aiza, don’t you?”

Al sighed and turned back, clearly irritated.

”You just said this wasn’t about her. And now you bring her up again?”

Idham looked exasperated.

”No, I mean—last night, you were at the meeting with Miss Aiza and my father, weren’t you? He said you came with Miss Aurielle again. And you’re one of the Alasia scholarship kids, right? You must know that Alasia and my family’s company are joint stakeholders in managing this school...”

Al tapped his shoulder with a smirk.

”Yeah, I know. Are you about to ask me how your dad just stood there last night getting roasted by Miss Aiza?”

Idham nodded, about to speak—but Al kept going.

”If you want me to do something, like talk to Ai—uh, I mean Miss Aiza—I don’t think I can. I’m just a scholarship student. A temporary assistant. There’s no way I have a direct line to her.”

Idham lowered his gaze.

”Huff... You’re right. Guess I picked the wrong person to ask for help.”

Al gave a slight smile.

”Yup. Wrong guy. But...”

He started to walk away, then glanced back over his shoulder.

”From what I see, Miss Aiza doesn’t mix personal feelings with business. I think your family’s partnership with Alasia Group on this school... is still safe.”

Idham looked up, uncertain.

”Seriously?”

Al shrugged.

”Who knows? But... always carry an umbrella before it rains.”

Then he walked off, leaving Idham standing there, muttering in confusion—like all his so-called intelligence had just vanished.

”Umbrella? But... it’s sunny...”

---

Just a few steps later—

”AL!!”

Two figures suddenly leapt at him from opposite directions like tigers pouncing on prey.

Al reacted instinctively. With a light movement, he spun backward and sidestepped.

The hands lunging at him from left and right swiped only at air.

”HUP!”

He dodged cleanly.

To his left, Rina skidded to a halt, nearly losing balance.

”Ugh!” she grunted, but, being a martial arts expert, she spun on her heel and landed gracefully.

On the right...

”KYAAA!!”

Dila wasn’t so lucky. Her momentum carried her forward, and—plop!—she fell flat on the ground.

Sitting there, teary-eyed.

”Al... why’d you dodge? Uwwuuu... that hurt.”

She pouted, brushing the dirt off her skirt.

Al sighed.

”What are you two doing? Trying to kidnap me too?”

Rina marched over with hands on hips.

”So cruel, treating your dear friend like this.”

”Since when are we dear friends?” Al replied, shaking his head.

Dila stood and clung to Al’s arm.

”I wanna go to the library. Two weeks of self-study is driving me nuts. My tutor gave up on me—said I was too... ’gifted.’”

”You mean too dramatic,” Rina said dryly from the side.

Dila nudged her.

”Hmph! Anyway, Al, study with me! Let’s have another library date, okay?”

”I’m coming too. Let’s go,” Rina added.

Al narrowed his eyes.

”No.”

”AL... AAAAL... AAAAAALLL!!!”

They both clung to his arms, one on each side, swaying like pendulums.

”NOOO!!” Al nearly lost balance.

”Please, pleease,” Dila begged sweetly.

”Just for a couple hours.”

Al looked to the sky, mentally drained.

Is this the kind of ’womanly temptation’ God warned about? Why doesn’t it feel exciting at all...? he thought.

Finally...

”Huff... Fine.”

The girls quietly cheered and dragged him toward the library.

Al could only sigh... and accept his fate.

---

School Library – Early Afternoon

Between the tall, silent bookshelves, Rina and Dila sat with papers, highlighters, and pencils scattered across the table.

Meanwhile, Al...

”Zzz...”

Was sound asleep, head resting on a pile of books, pencil still barely in hand.

Dila whispered with a frown.

”Wow... I thought it was just a rumor. But he really is a napper.”

Rina chuckled.

”Ahh, you only met him recently.”

”Huh? So you’ve known him long?” Dila asked, curious.

”Hehe... a couple of months, give or take,” Rina replied, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Dila rested her chin on her palm, gazing at Al.

”I didn’t even know he was a student here. And we’re in the same grade. Three years... and we only met at the end. If only I’d known earlier...”

”Well, we know everyone from HIHS because of our family names. Even without going to the same school, we’d have heard of each other,” Rina explained. ”But Al... he’s from an orphanage. On scholarship. Of course he stayed off the radar.”

”True...” Dila mumbled.

Suddenly—

”AAAHHHHH!!!”

A woman’s scream shattered the stillness.

Al’s eyes opened in an instant—fully alert.

He sensed it. Something unnatural surging from a corner of the library.

Rina shot up like a spring, bolting toward the source.

Dila froze in place, trembling slightly, eyes fixed on the direction Rina ran off to.

Al pretended to stay asleep, covering his face with one hand, but secretly activated the magic glyph on his palm to send a telepathic message.

”Sebastian. Library. Now.”

Meanwhile, in the teachers’ lounge...

Sebastian had just scooped his lunch when the message arrived.

His eyes narrowed.

”Understood, Master.”

He left the bowl behind. His body vanished in a flash of light.

---

Back in the Library

Rina swiftly evacuated the other students.

”Out! Everyone out now!” she ordered, expertly directing the evacuation.

Moments later, Sebastian arrived. Calm steps, but his magical pressure echoed across the room.

He knelt beside an unconscious girl on the floor. A strange blast mark scorched the bookshelf nearby. But instead of ordinary smoke and burn marks, there was an eerie black energy residue floating around the area.

”A magic explosion,” he muttered, examining the girl.

Elsewhere, Dila was shaking Al, trying to wake him.

Al groggily ”woke up,” scratching his head in fake confusion.

”Huh...? What’s going on? Why’s everyone panicking?”

”There was an explosion... or something. Rina ran off to check. Come on, Al, we need to get out of here—it’s dangerous.”

”Really? Then you go first—I’ll help Rina.”

But Dila hesitated and tugged at his sleeve.

”No! It’s dangerous over there. You’re not as strong as Rina, so save yourself. Come on!” she insisted.

Just then, Sebastian sent a telepathic warning.

”Master... It’s a magical energy detonation. And I don’t think it’s the only one...”

Suddenly—

BOOM!!

Three more explosions erupted across the library—one dangerously close to Al and Dila.

The blasts radiated dark energy—damaging not only the body, but the soul.

Al grabbed Dila and shielded her with his body.

Sebastian quickly cast a wide-range magical barrier—

Skill: Medium Barrier

Chaos erupted. Screams. Hysteria. Students still stuck at the exit began to panic even more.

Several minutes later, everyone was finally evacuated. The thick smoke began to fade.

Outside, Rina was guiding the evacuees—but she looked around nervously.

”Where are they? I hope they’re safe...”

---

Inside the ruined library...

Silence.

Al held Dila, who was now unconscious, face pale.

Sebastian stood by the first collapsed girl.

Al gently laid Dila down, his face calm. He began casting a spell, absorbing the lingering dark energy in the air.

Skill: Energy Absorb

”These explosions... weren’t accidents,” Al said, stepping over charred bookshelves.

He stopped at a half-burnt pile.

There, he picked up a thick, blackened book—its cover inscribed with strange arcane symbols.

Al stared at it.

”What were they trying to accomplish by detonating magical bombs in a public space?”

Sebastian stepped forward.

”I’ll investigate, Master.”

”No need,” Al replied calmly.

”I already know who did it. I’ll handle it myself. Just clean this mess up.”

”Yes, Master.”

---

A few minutes later—school security arrived.

Panic on their faces, they rushed in.

Inside, they saw:

Mr. Sebastian—clothes tattered.

Two unconscious girls.

A ruined room.

A faint, burnt smell in the air.

”What happened here?!”

Sebastian stood tall, replying flatly:

”Looks like... a small explosion.”

”Call the police and ambulance—this is serious,” one of them ordered.

---

Meanwhile, on top of the school’s tallest building...

Al stood still.

A dark book in hand.

Eyes cold. Focused.