Eren could already feel that the restrictions around the entire Academy had been strengthened. Even if he wanted to think that it was a coincidence, he knew that this was far from a coincidence.
Now that Mist was back and expected him to be in the Academy, it was only a matter of time before he found his identity. As he was in a hurry to save his disciple, he didn't have time to slowly assimilate in the Academy after all.
"Can you do it faster?" he asked the Ghost Queen.
"Do you think I am making some noodles here? This is a delicate process. A little mistake and the seal might become ineffective," the Ghost Queen said, slightly irritated at constantly being poked to hurry.
She knew that Eren didn't know how hard her work actually was. All he was doing was commanding her and expecting things to process faster.
" I don't know about you but I don't want to heal Aster only for him to attack me later. So I need it to be perfect! There can't be any flaws in the merger of soul, seal and body!" she further exclaimed, sounding slightly impatient as well.
In her eyes, she was like a scientist and Eren was like a child who kept poking the scientist with dumb questions without understanding the complexities.
Eren didn't think much about the harsh tone of the Ghost Queen who had momentarily forgotten that she was imprinted with a Servitude Seal. He didn't remind her either as she was also right.
In this situation, both of them were right. However, the situation didn't allow any of them to be comfortable.
"While I don't want to make you do the impossible, it's also true that we don't have much time. It's only a matter of time before Mist barges inside this lab."
Eren didn't know Mist well enough to know what kind of character she was. However, she was the person who had managed to rule over an entire continent for a long time.
Although it was mainly because of her strength, intelligence was just as important in that. If she only had strength and no intelligence, Eldric would have been the Southern Overlord instead.
"After her failure last time, did you really expect her to make the same mistake again?" he asked Yelen. "It would've been more shocking if she hadn't done something like this."
"You already expected it? In that case, why didn't you leave with Felona? If it was only about keeping an eye on the Ghost Queen, you could've left me behind. Even if I was caught by Mist-"
"I'm not leaving you behind. Also, no one is dying here. Didn't I already tell you? I have a plan," Eren chimed in, interrupting Yelen's sentence. "Moreover, you are not a pawn for me to sacrifice. You belong to me.
For as long as I live, I'm not letting anyone take you from me."
Yelen went absolutely silent as she heard Eren's words. Deep down, she felt somewhat happy that Eren did care for her to the point that he wasn't willing to leave her behind. At the same time, she was also worried about him.
Although he said that he had a plan, there was no guarantee that a plan was going to work, especially since the target of this plan was one of the Overlords.
.....
Meanwhile, outside the lab, Mist's instructions were executed by the Elders. The entire lab had been completely sealed.
With the ability of one of the professors, it was no stretch to say that the Lab had completely been detached from the main academy, sealed within a domain of its own.
Inside the lab, Eren felt a sharp spike of pressure start to take effect. It wasn't just the present of Mist that could be felt outside.
There were also many more presences, making it clear that the lab had been surrounded from all sides. Mist was standing in front of the lab entrance.
"She is here," he muttered, more to himself than to Yelen or the Ghost Queen.