Chapter 95: Drop Out

Zach slowly opened his eyes, but he was regretting it as soon as he did. His head hurt like someone had tried cracking it open with a sledgehammer, and they had gotten close. The brightness of the room, the walls, the ceiling, and everything around him didn't help.

But Zach gradually recalled the last thing he saw before passing out and realized he couldn't go back to sleep just because he wanted to. He had to wake up and find out what happened.

He had survived. Or he was dead and in the afterlife, but Zach doubted it. There was no way the afterlife would look like the Academy's infirmary.

He tried looking around, but every muscle and joint in his body was stiff.

"H—huek!" Zach let out something like a cough when he tried to talk with a throat as dry as sandpaper.

"Here." Nora handed him a glass of water. Zach took a sip.

"Thanks. Help me sit up." Zach gestured for Nora to help him, which she did.

Zach sipped away at the water for a while before looking at Nora.

"So, uh…What happened?"

Nora met Zach's curious eyes with a composed but complex expression.

"What's the last thing you remember, Young Master?"

"The tiger exploding." Zach looked around.

"Is everyone okay?" The infirmary was alarmingly empty, and Yanael wasn't by his side. Zach was starting to get worried.

Nora nodded.

"If you are talking about your precious friends, they are alright. They had minor concussions, internal injuries, and some slight underworld poisoning. They were back on their feet a few days after returning to the Academy."

Zach took another look around to make sure no one was listening.

"And Yanael?"

"She's training. She recovered after a day and shook off the underworld energy poisoning like it was nothing. She didn't want to leave your side at first, but it's not like anything worse is going to happen to you now. Her time is better spent training."

"I see. How long was I out for?"

"...Two weeks."

"Two weeks…Two weeks?!" Zach turned his head too quickly and flinched in pain. He pressed a hand against his neck.

"I was out cold for two weeks? Even with the Academy's help in healing me?"

Nora nodded with a grave expression.

"You…Your wounds were the most serious, not to mention the state of your internals. I didn't see it for myself, but the doctor who treated you was surprised your heart was beating when the others brought you here."

"I see…I was pretty close to dying."

Nora shook her head.

"No, you weren't just close. Your heart was still beating when you arrived, but it stopped soon after. You died, Zach. If Yanael hadn't drawn her sword and forced the doctor to continue working, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Zach's eyebrows rose. Sёarᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

It was a strange thing to hear when he had no awareness of it. One moment, he had been a little bruised and banged up. Then, everything went dark. And when he woke up, he was a little sore, but that was it.

"That's…certainly something." Zach wasn't sure what to think. For some reason, he didn't think Nora was lying or pulling a prank on him about it. She certainly would have if she had the opportunity some other time. But there was just something about the way she looked at him.

"Wait, two weeks…Did I…?"

Nora looked at Zach for a moment, wondering what he was going on about before realizing.

"I don't know. The principal said he would talk to you separately since you missed the end-of-year ceremony. Since you made it back, I'm pretty sure you won't be held back, and even if you are, the family will pay for it, so don't worry."

Zach shook his head.

"No, if they're going to hold me back a year, I'll just drop out. I should be able to do that, right?"

"Technically, you can, but I would hope you stick around since you aren't being held back, Zacharia." Someone else entered the infirmary and answered Zach's question before Nora could.

Zach and Nroa turned to the principal. After he entered Yanael also came into the room. She zoomed past the principal and went up to Zach. She gave him a quick hug, not caring about the others in the room, before standing next to him with a blank expression and her hands clasped in front of her like a proper maid.

Zach blinked. The hug had been quick. But he had felt every bit of Yanael's softness.

'Nice.'

Zach blinked again and turned to the principal.

"So, I passed the first year?"

The principal nodded.

"With flying colors. The only requirement I tacked on was that you and your fellow troublemakers not be late on returning to the Academy, which you weren't. You even returned ahead of time. I'm also not so cruel as to punish you for being injured when you protected your friends. Even if I were that cruel, your results this year would more than make up for missing the ceremony."

"...When you say flying colors?" Zach tilted his head forward slightly and quickly and repeatedly raised his eyebrows while stroking his chin. He was asking about the important stuff.

The principal sighed and hung his head limply like he didn't know what to do with Zach.

"...You broke all records."

"Really?"

"Yes. No first-year has done as much as you have."

"Oh?" For some reason, Zach got a bad feeling. The principal's tone didn't seem like it was only congratulatory. There was something more accusatory in there as well.

"Mhm. In the entire history of this Academy, not a single first-year has managed to destroy half the forest." The principal smiled as he looked at Zach, but the light in his eyes was cold.

"Forget first-years, not even second or third-years have done that. Yami was close once during his time as a student, but that was easily fixed. Your trouble, on the other hand… Only on m v|le|mp|yr

"Oh, boy, what a mess." The principal shook his head hopelessly.

"W-what?"