Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 423

Chapter 423 97.1 - Breaking Down

<Arcadia Hunter Academy, Headmaster Jonathan's Office, Evening>

Eleanor stood outside Headmaster Jonathan's office, taking a deep breath before knocking on the heavy wooden door. The weight of the day's events pressed heavily on her shoulders, but she knew she had to face the consequences and explain her actions.

"Come in," Jonathan's voice called from inside.

Eleanor pushed the door open and stepped into the office. The room was filled with bookshelves, various artifacts, and a large desk where Headmaster Jonathan sat, his expression stern and unreadable.

"Headmaster," Eleanor greeted, closing the door behind her. She walked to the desk and stood before him, her demeanor calm and professional despite the tension in the room.

"Sit down, Eleanor," Jonathan said, gesturing to the chair opposite him.

She took a seat, meeting his gaze directly. "Thank you, Headmaster."

Jonathan leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving her face. "You know why you're here. Explain yourself."

Eleanor nodded. "Yes, Headmaster. I understand your concerns. Allow me to explain the reasoning behind my actions and present the evidence I have gathered."

Jonathan's expression remained stern, but he nodded for her to continue.

Eleanor took a deep breath and began. "We received credible intelligence indicating that high-ranking members of the Valkara organization were planning an attack during the final exam duels. The intel suggested that they would use the chaos to insert themselves into the academy's defenses. This information came from a source we had verified on multiple occasions."

She paused, gauging his reaction before continuing. "Given the nature of the threat, we decided to have Hunters embedded within the crowd to monitor the situation and respond if necessary. The goal was to apprehend the Valkara executives and prevent their plan from succeeding."

Jonathan's eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained silent, letting her continue.

"However, during the operation, it became clear that something was wrong. The attacks began earlier than anticipated, and the Valkara executives never showed up. This deviation from the expected plan indicated that our operation had been compromised. We suspect that a traitor within our ranks leaked the information, allowing Valkara to adjust their strategy."

Eleanor reached into her bag and pulled out a folder, placing it on the desk. "Here is the evidence we have gathered so far. It includes intercepted communications, anomalies in the timeline of events, and reports from our operatives."

Jonathan opened the folder and began to review the documents. His expression remained stern, but his eyes showed signs of interest as he scanned the evidence.

"Professor Whitaker. So, he was one of the rats."

His fists were clenched as he looked into the picture. There was nothing that he could doubt about, since the other person was undoubtedly her.

"Alisha."

A face that he didn't want to see.

"I see why you did it." He turned to look at Eleanor. "I can see the logic behind your actions, even if I do not fully agree with the approach. You should have never risked the life of innocent civilians."

"That was a necessary risk."

"No. Eleanor." Jonathan's stern voice echoed in the room. "Your judgment was clouded. As your master, I know you enough."

"…."

"Therefore, next time. Don't act like a different person. Stay as yourself. Temper your mind. Else, how can you be a guide that you always speak of?"

"...I understand, Master."

"Good."

*********

There are many times when we overthink things. That is the basic human inclination. Finding the answers to the questions in our head.

And the more questions that we have in our head, the harder it gets for us to answer all of them at the same time.

An answer to one question can change our perception of another, making the situation somehow entangled with many things.

Then, how about Astron from Irina's perspective?

How many questions does she have regarding him?

What happened to him in the past? What is the reason he pushes himself this far? What is his motivation? Why is he always so detached?

What are these somehow fragmented memories? Why is my head filled with thoughts related to him?

Who is Estelle?

Different questions that she didn't have any answer. When she has such questions, for a mage like Irina, life suddenly becomes weird.

That was always like that. She can't think about anything other than those questions, and she somehow becomes prone to effects from the outside world on her mind. This somehow made her suspect. More suspecting than she had ever been.

Somehow, when the person in question was him, she was prone to make assumptions for some reason. It was undoubtedly not a healthy thing, and she was aware of it as well.

But she couldn't help it.

'Noooooooooo! What did I just do!' Her face turned bright red at the realization of her misunderstanding. She froze, her heart pounding in her chest, and felt like the ground might swallow her up at any moment.

She took a step back, lowering her head in embarrassment, unable to meet Astron's steady gaze.

Her mind spiraled into a whirlwind of self-doubt and anxiety. 'He must think I'm a liability now,' she thought, her heart sinking further. 'Like a baby that needs caretaking. He must see me as a chore, something he has to manage. This whole thing must be so annoying for him.'

Each thought stung more than the last, her inner turmoil intensifying with every passing second. The confidence she usually carried felt like it was crumbling away, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable.

'I've made such a fool of myself,' she berated herself silently. 'Why do I always mess things up when it comes to him? Why can't I just understand what he's thinking? Why does he have to be so distant, so hard to read?'

She glanced up at him briefly, only to see his calm and composed expression. It felt like a stark contrast to the storm raging inside her. She wanted to run, to hide from the humiliation she felt.

But instead, she stood her ground, her fists clenched at her sides, fighting the urge to flee. Despite the embarrassment, despite the anxiety, she knew she couldn't run away from this. She had to face it, no matter how difficult it was.

"I am sorry. I misunderstood." She said, her tone slightly louder than normal.

'Ah…..Another mistake.'

And there was no way that this could escape from his eyes. And as she expected, he instantly picked it up.

His calm expression remained unchanged, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. "It's alright. Misunderstandings happen."