Chapter 49: She Returns

"A... tracker?" she asked with an awkward laugh. "What do you mean?"

Declan walked toward her, causing Evie to instinctively back away until her back touched the railing, where she watched him stop directly in front of her with his green eyes fixed on hers.

"Who are you, Evie?"

Her expression gradually became more nervous.

"And what exactly do you want from me?"

"I don’t..." she began, but the denial died on her lips when she met Declan’s expression, his eyes practically screaming that he already knew she was lying.

Evie lowered her gaze.

"I don’t know."

Before Declan could respond, a voice suddenly echoed through the corridor.

DIIIIIING!

"Seems like he figured it out."

Declan quietly hummed and turned toward the elevator as its doors opened, revealing a woman who was impossible to miss as she stepped out.

Brilliant golden hair flowed around her shoulders, matching the striking golden irises of her eyes, while she wore a formal golden blouse with matching trousers and a long golden robe that flowed around her figure.

"Principal Matilda?"

Evie stared at her in disbelief as Declan stepped away from her, his gaze narrowing slightly while he studied the woman.

"Principal?"

"Hello, Evie."

Principal Matilda glanced toward her before adding,

"Seems like you’re having quite the hard time with your mission."

Evie gave a small, displeased huff and turned away, leaving Declan and the principal facing one another.

"Hello, Declan. Apologies for the unannounced visit."

Declan stared at her.

"I am lost."

"I was the one who instructed Evie to watch over you."

The answer immediately caught his attention.

"That was her mission. She believed that becoming your friend would make the assignment easier because she could accompany you without arousing suspicion while keeping an eye on your actions."

Matilda paused briefly.

"It seems that approach didn’t work very well."

Declan finally understood why Evie had been acting so strangely around him, as her suspicious clinginess suddenly made far more sense, although there was still one question that remained.

"Why would you instruct a student to watch over another student?"

The question seemed to pique Evie’s own curiosity, causing her to turn slightly toward them, and even she apparently didn’t know the answer.

Matilda looked at Evie before suddenly moving.

VROOOOOOOM!

The air caught up a moment later as Declan’s hair fluttered from the sudden burst of speed, and by the time the movement registered, Matilda was already standing directly beside Evie.

"Can you give us a moment, Evie?"

Evie’s face scrunched up in obvious disappointment.

"Fine."

She stepped into the elevator, and moments later, the doors closed behind her.

Once Evie was gone, Principal Matilda reached toward the side of her neck and pulled her clothing slightly aside.

Declan’s eyes narrowed when he saw a golden X-mark glowing against her skin.

"You’re an X Guardian..."

"Too," she finished calmly.

Declan’s expression changed slightly as he realized she wasn’t merely an X Guardian, but already knew that he was one as well, and the only person who could have given her that information was The Boss.

"The Boss wasn’t confident in your ability to survive here on your own, Declan," Princess Matilda explained as she rested against the railing. "So, he asked me to watch over you, and I passed that responsibility to Evie."

She glanced at him.

"But from what I’ve seen, it seems she wasn’t necessary after all."

Declan’s brows furrowed as Principal Matilda brought out her device.

"This video was uploaded only a few minutes ago."

She turned the screen toward him, revealing footage of the earlier confrontation with Leo.

Declan’s eyes widened.

’What the!? They recorded that?’

_________

"Leo, the one you defeated so easily, is a fused Seedian Nexian with about 20% successful integration with his Mech Module."

"His strength should be around twice that of an ordinary human, which is roughly where most students are for now, and yet you overpowered him without much effort."

She paused, studying him.

"This is clear proof that you’re more than capable of protecting yourself."

Declan remained deadpan, simply turning toward her and meeting those golden eyes as a faint glint passed through them.

"You’ve noticed your own abnormality too, haven’t you, Declan?"

Matilda leaned closer, her golden eyes seeming to brighten as their radiance cast faint rays into his own, stinging his eyes slightly while something deep inside him warned him not to dare blink.

Then came the question he had feared.

"What is the source of your abnormal power?"

The pressure descended instantly, immense enough to press against his body with sufficient force to nearly drive him to his knees, and Declan gritted his teeth because he hadn’t even found an excuse yet.

DIIIIING!

All of sudden, the elevator rang.

"I thought I told you to give us some space, Evi—"

Matilda stopped, her expression changing as she sensed the presence coming from the elevator, and her golden eyes flashed brilliantly as she straightened and stepped away from Declan.

He noticed her reaction and turned toward the elevator, only to find himself speechless at the sight waiting for him as a woman stepped out, casually removing a cigarette from between her lips before exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.

Declan’s eyes widened.

"Boss Morg!?" It was indeed Morgaret.

"Principal Matilda..."

Her voice was almost a whisper as smoke escaped between her lips and she slowly approached the golden-haired woman, easily towering over her as her crimson eyes stared down at the principal.

She took another drag from her cigarette before exhaling directly into Matilda’s face.

"Declan belongs to me."

Her voice was quiet.

"His life, his anomaly, and his secrets."

She took another step forward.

"Try poking your nose into my business, and you might just end up..."

Morgaret slowly exhaled the remaining smoke.

"...dead."

The threat was unmistakable, and for a brief moment, the air became so heavy that even the rushing wind seemed to disappear beneath the pressure.

Yet the moment passed as Matilda merely shrugged and stepped away from Morgaret while casually waving the smoke away from her face.

"Seems like I have nothing to worry about, then."

She turned toward the elevator without argument or retaliation, simply stepping inside and leaving as the elevator doors closed behind her.

DING.

Silence returned to the corridor.

Huuuuuu.

A slow exhale finally broke it, and when Declan turned his head, he found Morgaret staring down at him with her crimson eyes.

"Miss me?"

The words should have come with a smile, but they didn’t, as her expression remained as cold as ever.

The moment Declan suddenly stepped forward and threw himself into her embrace, however, that coldness cracked, causing Morgaret’s hand to instinctively move toward her katana while crimson energy flickered within her eyes before she looked down and realized Declan’s head was resting against her.

Her fingers paused over the hilt.

’It’s just a... hug.’

The dangerous glint in her eyes faded, and her hand left the katana before moving through his hair and gently scattering it.

"I guess that’s a yes."

Declan eventually pulled away with a faint flush covering his cheeks, though the relief in his eyes was unmistakable.

"You took so long. Hmph."

He deliberately sounded annoyed.

"It was a long mission. Can’t help it."

Morgaret finished her cigarette, dropped the remains over the railing, and watched them disappear below before looking back at him.

"You seem to be doing quite well here, though. Even causing trouble here and there."

Declan rolled his eyes.

"I wasn’t causing trouble. Just a little skirmish here and there. I couldn’t help it."

He had used her own words against her, causing Morgaret’s lips to twitch slightly.

"Wanna come in?"

Declan brought out his green card and swiped it across the reader, unlocking the door, while Morgaret glanced at the cigarette between her fingers.

"Is smoking allowed?"

Declan’s eyebrow twitched.

"Just this once."

He pointed at her.

"This once."

Morgaret grinned and stepped inside, and having been a student herself, she already knew the basic layout of the dorms and wasn’t particularly impressed by the room, although the setup immediately caught her attention.

"You bought some electronics with your Newcomer points?"

She walked over to the chair, sat down, and switched on the monitor.

"Yeah."

"Why would you buy that, dummy?"

Morgaret flicked his forehead.

"Most students spend their points on Bionic Fluids and Defense Gadgets."

Declan rubbed his forehead.

"I’m more of a Mech Scientist than a Nexian. I need the monitor."

He paused before adding,

"And speaking of gadgets, I made something."

Morgaret looked over, and Declan reached into his pocket and brought out the small cube.

Her expression immediately changed.

"Nanotech?"

There was genuine surprise in her voice.

"Try squeezing it."

Morgaret took the cube and closed her fingers around it, causing a layer of metallic-blue nanotech to instantly spread across her palm, wrapping around her fingers and climbing toward her wrist while photons began gathering inside the forming nozzle at the center of her palm.

"If you widen your palm, it’ll release a beam."

Declan pointed at it.

"It destroyed the entire wall of my training room this morning."

He scratched his head.

"Thankfully, they already fixed it."

A glint flashed through Morgaret’s crimson eyes as she studied the nanotech for a moment before her other hand suddenly moved into the path of the nozzle.

Declan’s eyes widened.

"Wait, don’t—"

Morgaret widened her palm.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The photon beam exploded into the living room, causing Declan to instinctively shut his eyes, but something was wrong because he should have been thrown backward, yet his feet remained planted.

He opened his eyes and saw Morgaret’s left palm directly in the path of the photon beam.

She had deliberately fired it at herself.