The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1306 - 198 - The Fall Of Milham Kingdom - Part 4 (6)
We made our way to the academy, and the moment we arrived, something immediately felt off.
It wasn’t anything you could point out right away with your eyes. It was more of a feeling that settled in your chest the second you stepped through the gates. The silence was the first thing that hit. This place was never like this. Most days, it would be filled to the brim with noise. Cadets talking over each other, instructors calling out instructions, footsteps echoing through the halls, and the occasional argument here and there. It had always been lively.
Right now, though, it felt like someone had taken all of that and just... muted it.
There were still people around, sure, but only a handful. You could probably count them without much effort if you really tried. The difference was so obvious that it didn’t even need to be pointed out.
Anyone could tell something wasn’t right.
As we walked further in, with Myrcella leading and Lilia and Veronica close by, the few people we passed turned their heads almost immediately.
Their eyes followed us as we moved.
There was curiosity there, mixed with something else. Uncertainty, maybe. A bit of tension too. The kind of look people give when they want answers but aren’t sure if they should ask.
None of them approached. None of them spoke.
They just watched.
It made the whole place feel even quieter somehow.
After a short walk through the nearly empty halls, we reached the staff office.
The door creaked slightly when it opened, and inside, there were only two people present.
One of them was Freta.
She looked exactly the same as ever. A robe draped over her small frame, giving off that classic mage appearance without even trying. Her green hair stood out easily, and her overall build made it hard for anyone not to immediately categorize her as a loli at first glance.
Despite that, the way she carried herself didn’t match that image at all.
"Oh, Your Highness," she said, her lips curling into a relaxed smile. "Didn’t expect to see you here of all places."
"Where is everyone?" Myrcella asked right away, getting straight to the point.
Freta didn’t even hesitate.
"Well, as you can clearly see, there’s no one around," she said casually. "And honestly, it’s not that surprising. The professors aren’t getting paid, after all."
"So they’ve already started pulling back their expenses," Myrcella said, her tone steady. "That much was expected."
Freta gave a small shrug.
"I mean, it’s only natural they wouldn’t show up," she replied. "How exactly are they supposed to work without getting paid? Passion only goes so far, you know."
As she spoke, she leaned back slightly and lifted her legs, placing her feet right on top of the desk like she owned the place.
"I’d say I’m already doing you a favor just by staying here," she added with a light chuckle. "So tell me, Princess. What’s your plan now? You executed the entire administration without giving them a proper trial. You must’ve had something lined up, right? Because from where I’m sitting, I can’t really tell if what you did counts as something a ruler should be proud of."
"I don’t recall asking for your opinion, Miss Freta," Myrcella replied without missing a beat. "As far as I’m aware, you were also involved in rituals that required sacrifices. If I wanted to, I could have you executed on the spot."
Freta’s eyes flicked toward me for a moment before she smiled again.
"Well, with that man standing right there, I suppose you could," she said. "If you’re planning to capture me, I won’t resist."
She brought her hands together in front of her, almost like she was genuinely offering herself up.
It didn’t look serious.
If anything, it looked like she was just playing along.
"I’m not here for that," Myrcella said. "You have committed your share of sins, yes. But you’re also someone the kingdom currently needs. You’re talented, and you’ve proven your worth. And what you did... wasn’t entirely without reason. You experimented on bandits."
Freta’s smile widened just a little.
"Well, bandits do make excellent test subjects," she said with a quiet laugh. "They react in the most amusing ways sometimes. So then, what exactly do you want from me? What made you come all the way here just to see me?"
Myrcella paused for a moment, taking a slow breath before she spoke again.
"I want you to become an administrator."
For a second, Freta didn’t react.
Then she tilted her head slightly, her expression shifting into something closer to confusion.
"Huh?"
"I want you to become an administrator," Myrcella repeated. "I want you to take part in managing the academy moving forward."
Freta blinked once.
"Are you serious, Princess?"
"I am," Myrcella answered. "I believe I’ve made that clear."
The weight of those words settled into the room.
Myrcella wasn’t joking.
She was offering Freta a position as one of the new administrators, someone who would help run the academy from this point on. The previous administration had already been dealt with under her orders, so new leadership was necessary.
From the way she spoke, this wasn’t something she had just come up with on the spot.
She had already decided this beforehand.
She mentioned before that she had people in mind for the next generation of administrators. The only name I knew for sure was Galdea.
Since she was the only one who hadn’t caused problems, it made sense she would stay.
As for the rest, though...
Freta wasn’t someone I expected to be on that list.
Still, thinking about it now, I could see the logic behind it. She had influence, knowledge, and a certain way of handling things that, while questionable, was undeniably effective.
Personally, I didn’t know her well enough beyond her teaching to say much.
"Why do you think I’d be good at that?" Freta asked, her tone a bit more serious now.
"I don’t see a reason why you wouldn’t be," Myrcella replied. "You are the Green Witch. The one who fought for the right of witches to learn freely. Because of you, an entire era of witches came into existence. Someone with that kind of understanding and conviction could be beneficial to the kingdom."
That much was true.
Even though I wasn’t around during that time, I had heard about it.
There was an era when the study of dark magic was strictly forbidden. Anyone who dared to learn it was labeled a witch and treated as an enemy of the church.
Freta was one of the people who changed that.
She played a role in abolishing the rule that banned the study of dark magic, shifting the course of things in a way that still had an impact today.
