My Muscle System in the Mage World

"Oh," Aur nodded expressionlessly.

Just at that moment, two guards in silver armour appeared before them.

"Inner guards?" John frowned.

"Why are you guys here?"

The two guards' expressions turned fierce as they emitted a terrifying killing intent.

"We are here under suspicion of Adriana's murderer," one of the guards spoke with a cold tone, their killing intent intensifying.

The group was stunned by this revelation, shocked to the core.

"What do you mean!?" the only girl in the team exclaimed with a shrill scream.

The two guards didn't even look at her, their gaze fixed directly on Aur.

"Come with us."

Aur wore a stunned expression. "Huh? What did I do?"

""That will be known when you come with us," the guard said with a sneer on his face.

Seeing the sneer, Aur's expression turned nervous, as if he were guilty of something.

"Who dares bully my junior?" Suddenly, George appeared on the scene with a cold expression, though it softened slightly upon seeing the guards in silver armor.

"This is an investigation conducted by the academy. If you dare interfere, then you are dead!"

Hearing this, George apologetically looked at Aur with a bitter smile.

"I am sorry, junior brother Aur."

"It's fine, senior brother. At least you tried," Aur replied, shaking his head with some pity but sneering inside.

"Come with us."

"Yes," Aur obediently nodded and followed them without any resistance, though his expression remained nervous, with sweat glistening in the sunlight.

"Hey, isn't that Aur?" one of the onlookers exclaimed with an astonished expression, observing the two men in silver armour dragging Aur away, restrained.

"This... this..."

"Why was he captured by the inner guards?"

"The recent news was about the death of the academy instructor. Don't tell me Aur is also involved in this tragic scene?" he said, his eyes widening in realisation, which soon turned to pity.

His friends also looked upon Aur with a mixture of pity and mockery flickering in their eyes.

"It's a pity that the hardworking monster might fall today."

Killing an instructor was a crime without any solid, valid reason that could lead to direct execution at best, but at worst, being labelled as a traitor, with their entire family being slaughtered and tortured to death...

If there was even the slightest evidence that Aur had helped someone to kill the instructor, the punishment would be the same as well.

…

As Aur entered the hall, he felt the weight of authority bearing down on him once more, thickening the very air he breathed. Despite his internal calmness, his outward demeanor betrayed a nervousness that clung to him like a second skin.

"Did you commit the heinous act of killing Instructor Adriana, Aur?" Noah's voice cut through the tension, his smile masking a probing gaze.

"Instructor Adriana!?" Aur's shock was palpable as he vehemently shook his head. "No, no."

Noah's eyes flickered with a peculiar intensity as he surveyed the elders gathered around him.

"Let's set aside the investigation for now. Tell me, do you know Adriana?" Noah's inquiry hung in the air, weighted with significance.

"In a manner of speaking, she was my homeroom teacher, wasn't she?" Aur replied, choosing his words carefully.

Noah's chuckle held a hint of disappointment as he shook his head. "I had hoped for more from you, Aur... Don't attempt to deceive me. Do you have any connection to Adriana beyond her role as your homeroom teacher?"

Aur's sigh carried the weight of resignation as he spoke.

"See, Leader? I knew he was suspicious all along," the First Elder remarked, a smirk playing on his lips.

All eyes turned to the First Elder, while the Second Elder's face darkened, his gaze sharp as daggers directed at his counterpart and the Third Elder.

"Hmph, these bunch of old cunning folks," the Second Elder cursed inwardly, momentarily forgetting he was one of them.

Noah regarded the First Elder with curiosity. "Let me investigate, First Elder. Although Aur knows Instructor Adriana, that doesn't mean he killed her."

"I am sorry, Leader, for my overreaction," the First Elder respectfully apologised, and Noah nodded in acknowledgement before turning his attention back to Aur.

"How did you come to know her?" Noah inquired, his gaze steady.

Aur hesitated, a nervous expression crossing his face.

"Leader, how about we first ask about his relation with Instructor Adriana?" the Second Elder suggested.

Noah nodded thoughtfully. "Very well. Then tell me, what is the nature of your relationship with Instructor Adriana?"

"We are lovers, Leader," Aur respectfully admitted, though his expression betrayed a hint of fear.

The elders' demeanour immediately shifted upon hearing these words.

While there were no village laws forbidding relationships between instructors and students, it was certainly an uncommon scenario. After all, instructors held significant authority and were considered the pinnacle of respect within the village.

The idea that one of them would engage in a romantic relationship with a student, who was perceived as little more than insignificant compared to their status, was quite surprising.

For a female instructor, especially, to enter into such a relationship was even more unusual. Female instructors were the primary educators, responsible for the majority of teaching, while male instructors were often engaged in missions or focused on training exclusive disciples.

As a result, it was rare for a female instructor to develop romantic feelings for a student.

"You two had a relationship?" Noah asked again, his tone curious yet probing. Aur simply responded with a respectful nod, confirming the truth of his words.

"Yes," Aur affirmed.

"Then, when Adriana was last spotted, she was together with you, and you two were in an argument with each other. Is that correct?" Noah inquired, his tone carrying a hint of contemplation.

"Yes, Leader. When I first saw Adriana, my heart instantly melted, and I wanted to adore her even more. Unfortunately, due to the disparity of our statuses, I eventually gave up. However…"

"Get to the point," Noah interrupted, his expression growing impatient.

Aur scratched his head helplessly. "Well, we fell in love. However, I found out after some time that Adriana had other lovers as well. I confronted her in a bar, where we argued fiercely for a long time, and…"

"What happened after?" The First Elder interjected, his tone tinged with anticipation.

"I left, heartbroken, taking the ring with me. But I swore to take revenge for this humiliation one day," Aur declared, his crimson eyes gleaming with determination.

Noah looked at Aur, filled with fighting spirit, and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Good, you are filled with fighting spirit, young man. Keep it up! As long as you have this power, our village will never lack true men." He raised his thumb in approval. "You can leave now."

Aur's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he bowed repeatedly before exiting the room.

After Aur had left, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense as Noah's heavy presence filled the space.

"The other villages have already begun to use the fact that our instructor was killed, and we can't even trace the killer, as their moral boost. Our North Village has suffered a great deal of reputational loss because of this!" Noah's tone was cold and stern.

"And you all dare to engage in internal struggles?"

At Noah's words, the elders' expressions turned grim.

"The Second Elder, although you have chosen him to be your representative, you cannot defend him against these major crimes. If you do so and he is left unpunished due to hidden truths, then you will face the consequences."

Noah then turned his gaze to the first elder. "And if you dare to intervene and manipulate the selection of another representative by offering biased opinions, then you shall face the same consequences."

His tone simmered with anger, causing the elders present to gulp nervously.

"Yes, Leader Noah!" they all chorused in unison.

"Good," Noah continued, his expression serious.

"From my observation, Aur is a hot-blooded man with a streak of cunning intelligence running through his veins. Though he initially appeared scared during the investigation, the story he told aligns with the information we gathered from the bar. However, Aur didn't conceal the bitterness and desire for revenge in his heart."

"He cannot be the killer since he openly admitted to his feelings. But that doesn't mean we can leave him unmonitored. Let spies gather around him twenty-four hours a day, constantly observing his every movement down to everything."

"Understood, leader," Noah said.

"Leave now," Noah instructed as all of the elders departed, leaving him alone in his room rubbing his temples.

"I am running out of time already; I need William," Noah muttered with ruthless determination. In an instant, his youthful appearance faded as his lush hair and beard turned grey, and wrinkles etched across his face.

With gritted teeth, he walked to a certain wall of his office and opened it.

*Rumble!*

The wall parted, revealing a deep darkness ahead of him. However, Noah was undeterred, entering the dark passageway with measured strides.

He wasn't like the foolish Eighth Elder. How could he dare to entertain thoughts of possessions of an external body?

Each and every soul was unique, and its vessel was unique with it; without the appropriate vessel, the body and the soul wouldn't match, causing the body to dry out and the soul to perish with it!

Countless spells had been devised to take over the bodies of people; unfortunately, all of them had failed miserably taking the caster's death with the possessed person. Taking over someone's body was simply impossible with a spell, from Noah's understanding.