Team villains except me

Chapter 504 White Ceramic Cup

Hugh listened to Fiana's voice, his eyes unfocused as he looked out the window. His voice also became a little hazy.

"...We need to go to the northern continent."

"Yeah. Nolvia said before that she wanted to go to the northern continent to work during the holiday after the college league."

Hugh paused and turned his head to look at Fiana.

"She also said she wanted to go to the South Continent for vacation. Elliott doesn't like the North Continent, but if we go, he'll go too.

Fianna, Ellit and Dooku must not go to the northern continent."

Fianna nodded.

"Of course. Dooku was only able to set foot on the land of the northern continent when his 'grandfather' died, unable even to be reincarnated.

Speaking of which, I'm contacting the leader of the Abyss Clan. The current leader of the Abyss Clan is Kabra, a descendant of Carollaijie, the first of the Abyss Clan.

It was Kabra who protected Dooku, keeping him away from the Northern Continent and forcing him to sign a protective agreement with Abersgar. But at the same time, Kabra demanded that Dooku return to the Northern Continent after graduation to work for the Abyssal Tribe.

"Dooku wants to return to the northern continent, that's fine. But no one can force him to go back."

Hugh spoke in a low voice with a cold look in his eyes, as if he was chanting some forbidden spell.

Fiana lowered her eyes, then stood up and walked to the desk to pour herself a glass of wine.

"Kabra is the dean of Yuto Academy. Teacher Chan is still at Yuto Academy. He said Kabra will come to Abesgar next month for study and exchange. We must be prepared before then. Kabra is very strong-willed, and it will be difficult to buy Dooku's freedom from her."

Hugh's green eyes darkened, and he spoke with a smile.

"The protection agreement between Dooku and Abesgar takes precedence over Kabra's wishes. She has no desire to confront Abesgar. If Abesgar needs Dooku, Kabra cannot intervene. Even if negotiations with Kabra fail, Dooku will not go to the northern continent after graduation."

"Valerio must not hear this."

Fiana shook the wine glass in her hand, looked at the clear liquid, and changed her tone.

"But maybe Valerio is in the Northern Continent right now. Norvia said she couldn't contact Teacher Valerio. I sent someone to check, and Valerio was last seen in the Northern Continent. He might not have left yet.

Hugh, there's something I've been wanting to ask you. You said that your basic theories of fire magic were taught by Nirvana—the captain of the 'New World,' Raphael. But you hadn't awakened fire magic at that time, right?"

Hugh nodded.

"Yes."

Hugh walked over to Fiana and poured himself a glass of wine.

"I think he knew I would awaken fire magic."

"He's not an astrologer, Valerio is. Hugh, if Raphael is the teacher who swindled Norvia out of all her money, then that means Raphael knew what would happen if Norvia went to Lulitia.

He's trying to prevent something from happening. The only factors that could make this happen are Valerio and Norvia. And maybe you too."

"That probably doesn't include me. He met me by accident, and he didn't know who I was at first. After learning my name, he was obviously stunned. He didn't know my future. When he taught me the basic theory of fire magic, his attitude didn't seem like he was teaching me a life-saving skill, but more like teaching me how to use an interesting weapon... a weapon to protect people."

At the end of his speech, Hugh fell silent, realizing how much influence Nivana had on him. Nivana seemed to have tacitly accepted that he was a brave man, and that the foundation of his fire magic was protection, not destruction.

Huett took a sip of his wine.

The spicy taste made him more sober.

"So, Fiana, Raphael, and Valerio are all in the northern continent?"

"I've been helping Valerio find Raphael. I was able to cross the continent to find Hector, but it's as if Raphael never existed. Raphael appeared in the northern continent last month. Valerio was the first to get the news, and then he hid it. This month, he disappeared in the northern continent.

"It doesn't matter why Mr. Valerio went to the Northern Continent. Whether he went to see Raphael or was on a business trip is none of our business. But why Raphael went to the Northern Continent at this time is what matters."

"Raphael is a good man."

"Good people can do bad things. Hugh, you're the only one who's ever met Raphael. He was your first teacher, the first adult to take on the role of a father, and the most perfect person in your memory. People subconsciously embellish memories that haven't been violated. But don't forget, he might have hurt Norvia."

Huett drank the entire glass in silence. His throat burned with the flames. He put the glass down, his voice hoarse.

"If I'm included, then Raphael should be related to the evil god. The first time we encountered the evil god was in Fabidus's manor. The second time was on Feksas Island. The third time was in Carone.

Except the second time was because of… Lilith.

The remaining two encounters with the evil god were caused by me. It wasn't Norvia who always encountered the evil god, it was me. Norvia is smart and alert, so she's always the first to discover any traces of the evil god.

Fiana, Raphael is stopping the evil god. Or, he is creating the evil god.

Fiana poured herself a second glass of wine. She didn't drink, but simply watched the ripples of the water calmly. She had already sensed something was wrong.

"Hugh, do you realize that Dooku is no ordinary puppeteer?

Norvia realized it. Norvia exaggerated the effect of the God's Stone. No matter who asked, Norvia always said that Yalinxiu had her own thoughts because of the God's Stone.

But there is no such thing as a Divine Stone. Lanier produces Divine Stone for its own use. Divine Stone is a precious medicine for the royal family at Lanier.

Outside of Lanier, the God's Life Stone is rare. Those who possess the God's Life Stone use it when they are injured and dying. Those who survived regard the God's Life Stone as a treasure, and those who did not survive cannot refute the rumors.

In the earliest versions, the God's Life Stone could only bring the dead back to life. But now, everyone who knew about Yalinxiu's existence believed that the God's Life Stone could bring life to inanimate objects.

Hugh Dooku was special. He came from the Abyss, where strange beasts once emerged. Humanoid monsters appeared on the southern continent connected to the Abyss. Those monsters had no faces, but bodies, and were capable of attacking humans.

This had better be a coincidence. If not, we must hide Dooku somewhere absolutely safe."

Hugh set down his glass, a sigh escaping his wine-soaked lips.

"There's no place that's absolutely safe. That's why Norvia and I haven't taken any drastic measures against the Abyss. Dooku wouldn't create those monsters. Dooku said his 'grandfather' was doing research, and those things might be the failed products of his 'grandfather's' research.

But the army won't believe it. If they knew how special Dooku was, we would have to fight the entire northern continent. Dooku would have become the strange beast of the northern continent."

Fiana didn't say anything, she could foresee what a tragic situation it would be.

"Hught, if Raphael harms us, I will execute him myself."

Hugh nodded.

She and Hugh remained silent until dawn approached.

It was Huett who broke the silence first.

"Fiana, after the college league, we need to go to the northern continent immediately."

"I know. Wait, Hugh, which continent is this year's Academy League venue located on?"

Huett was stunned by the question.

"I'll go ask Nolvia."

"If it's the northern continent, Hugh, we're a team, and Elliott and Dooku will be there."

"It can't be the northern continent. I'm going to find Nolvia."

Hugh was about to leave, but when he opened the door, Fiana called him.

"Hugh, no one is a weakling who needs to be locked up in a greenhouse and protected. You and Nolvia have shouldered too much. You don't have to work so hard. If this is your duty as captain—"

"It's not my duty as captain, it's my duty as a family member. Fiana, this isn't hard work. You're doing what Norvia and I are doing. Now that you know everything, you'll just be like Norvia and me.

Fiana, do you want to lock us up in Rose Mansion and protect us forever?"

Fiana's eyes moved slightly, and she shook her head restrainedly.

Hugh didn't believe that Fianna couldn't fool herself like this. He knew how sick they were. They learned to be ordinary people by following Nolvia's example, and gradually formed a strange, patchwork, inseparable family.

But no one except Norvia understands how a normal family should function. And Norvia, the only "normal" person, is incredibly protective of her family. All her negative emotions are tied to loss, and she can't afford to lose her family again.

But no one in the team realized it, and they were even worse than before.

"Fiana."

Hugh's green eyes were like a pool of deep water.

"Nolvaya asked me, if a war between gods breaks out, if someone among us must sacrifice—"

“You and Nolvia have your responsibilities as captains, and I have my responsibilities as a family member.

Hugh, if that day ever comes, I'll be the best choice. Being a Berserker is a life-threatening endeavor. In the early years, I was desperate to survive, and now I don't even know how much longer I can live.

If I don't have the chance to reincarnate, I want you to work hard every day of your lives to find a way for me to reincarnate. If I can reincarnate, none of you can die before you find my reincarnation."

Fiana made her choice calmly, without any hesitation.

Huett smiled faintly. He wasn't surprised. Every member of the team would have given the same answer.

"...If that day ever comes, we'll each rely on our own abilities."

……

Hugh closed Fiana's door.

The blue sky looked a bit bitter, and the cool light made people want to sleep. It was already bright, and the crystal chandelier in the living room seemed dim.

Hught walked down the stairs slowly, and soon his eyes met Nolvia's.

The living room was very quiet. Apart from Nolvia, the only person there was Elliott, who had fallen asleep on the dining table.

Nolvia was using water magic to gently support Elliott. Elliott opened his eyes vigilantly, then fell asleep again as usual, even changing to a more comfortable position.

Huett summoned the Great Fire and took Elliott from Norvia's water magic. After sending Elliott back to his room, Huett checked the time.

There were still two hours until Yalin Xiu had to wake up for school. His sleepiness had completely vanished, but he knew that today's classes would be extra long.

Huett brewed a pot of coffee. When it was just the right temperature, he poured it into Norvia's ceramic cup, a white one with a pattern of toasted cheese on the sides.

At first, everyone would go back to their respective residences. He would go back to the palace in Remiaz, Norvia to the school dorms, and Zhu's house wasn't far from Abesgar, but after she returned, she'd go out in the middle of the night to buy snacks. Ruyou lived farther away, and Erin had to sit in a magic circle when she returned. Dooku and Ellit lived even further away. Sometimes, when Dooku had a project, he'd stay in the Abesgar teaching building...

Later, everyone lived in Rose Mansion, and the mess of daily necessities piled up together, and it gradually became difficult to tell who owned what. Finally, Fianna set aside a day and took the team members to buy new daily necessities.

The result is that everyone has at least eight variations of the same item, as each family member stubbornly searches for at least eight items, as if they'd lose if they couldn't let their teammates use the same items as them.

Nolvia has twelve cups in the Rose Mansion.

Huett knew that Norvia particularly liked a blue teacup with a starfish pattern on it. He had bought the set of teacups, and his teacup had a blue jellyfish pattern on it.

Most of the team chose to drink their smoothies from the teacups and their coffee from ceramic mugs with food designs on a white background.

Elliott is just the opposite.

Irene isn't much of a coffee drinker, so she gets her ice cream in a ceramic cup.

Hugh handed the white ceramic cup to Nolvia, then sat opposite her and asked her softly where Irene and Zhue were.

Nolvia took a sip of coffee, her voice gentle.

“They should all be having breakfast at Teacher Garcia’s house right now.

Teacher Garcia grew fruits and vegetables at home. When he saw a tomato that was about to turn red, he excitedly sent many photos to Zhu'e. Zhu'e was dissatisfied with Garcia's crops because they were growing too slowly. She wanted to speed up the growth of the crops.

Mr. Garcia prepared a lot of breakfast and asked Zhu to bring it to us at school.

Qin Ao sent a message to Irene. Qin Ao said that she had something about Isana that she needed to give to Irene. Irene decided to go to Teacher Garcia's house with Zhu Yi to have breakfast first, then go to Reinard to find Qin Ao, and finally go directly back to Abersgard from Reinard to attend class.

"Did Qinao tell me what that thing was?"

"No. But Qinao must have hesitated for a long time."

Nolvia drank her coffee, blinking slowly, and was about to fall asleep.

Hugh looked at her and his voice became gentler.

"Nolvaya, rest at home today."

Nolvia perked up a little after hearing that, and she shook her head firmly.

"I've prepared for today's class. I just made an appointment with Lacey. We're going to sit in the last row—and sleep in class!"

There was a hint of smile in Nolvia's blue eyes. She narrowed her eyes and asked Hught expectantly.

"...Doesn't it sound exciting?"