Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill-Chapter 348: A New Plan

Unlike her previous harsh attitude, the red-haired woman softened her voice, glancing around to ensure they were alone. "There's no one here," William said. "I only mentioned the council because I know there's no one here."

Her eyes locked onto William's for a few seconds before she spoke. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

She tried to act oblivious, but the split-second shift in her expression when he'd mentioned the council told him otherwise.

"You don't need to act like this. We are here to accomplish the same thing."

"Accomplish the same thing? Look, I really don't know what you are talking about."

William checked their surroundings again to be absolutely sure no one was listening. "What about that bag of bones in the dungeon?"

The mention of the Lich stripped away any chance she had of continuing the charade.

"Shh, don't say those things aloud," she whispered. "Come with me."

She led the way through the courtyard. A few students saw them walking together, but no one paid them any mind. Everyone was busy with their own affairs; the majority were taking advantage of the free period to slack off around the academy, while the diligent ones were tucked away in the library. As they spoke, they moved further from the main building, until something clicked in William's mind.

"Isn't this Brian's house?" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

He couldn't wrap his head around why she was leading them to their enemy's doorstep.

"Relax," she said. "Things have changed."

She knocked a few times. The door opened seconds later, as if Brian had been standing right behind it waiting for them.

"You're here," Brian said. "Come in, please."

His tone was completely different from what William expected. There was no aggression, no hostility.

"Let me get straight to the point," the red-haired mage said. "William, the current headmaster, is also from the cult."

William's heart raced. She had just exposed their secret. He glared at her.

"Calm down," she insisted. "He is here to help us. Apparently, someone messed with Brian's mind and made him forget things. He doesn't even want to torture the Lich anymore; he doesn't care about any of that."

"You're joking, right?" William asked. "He goes down to the dungeon weekly to torture the Lich, looking for some sort of treasure."

"I know what I did, but I wasn't doing it because I wanted to," Brian cut in. "Someone hexed my mind and took control. I don't care about this Lich or your cult. Hell, I'm not even from this kingdom."

Just because Brian could use divine magic didn't mean he was an enemy to all undead or demons.

"Shyvana said she can help me," Brian continued. "She'll find out who hexed me. She already broke the mind control, so I believe in her. In exchange, I'll help you with your task, and then we can all leave this place together."

William stood there, his gaze shifting between Shyvana and Brian. The situation wasn't what he'd anticipated, but that didn't mean it was bad. In fact, it was better than he could have hoped. He wasn't alone anymore; he had two people to help with the task.

"Alright, so what do we do?" William asked.

"We need to get some special ingredients so that I can perform my magic," Shyvana said. "And for that, we must leave the academy."

"When?" Under the current restrictions, no student or staff member was allowed to leave the grounds—not even William, the temporary headmaster.

"Tonight," Shyvana said. "All three of us. I know you won't trust me going out alone with Brian, so you'll come with us."

"I know a tunnel leading outside," Brian added. "There's a place not far from here where we can buy the ingredients she needs. But we must be fast."

The plan was already set. William hadn't been part of it before, but now he was.

"And then what?" William asked.

"With the right ingredients, I can poke into his mind and see who created the barrier. In fact, we can certainly find out how to free the Lich. Then, we can all leave this place together," Shyvana said.

The plan sounded good, but William didn't fully trust Brian. Would he really help them free a Lich? Brian was someone who fought against evil forces, so why was he trying to unleash one?

"I know what you're thinking," Brian said, his eyes on William. "I'll tell you the truth."

The room went silent. Even Shyvana didn't know what Brian was about to share.

"The Lich is planning on taking over this kingdom, or at least a part of it. We can assume the kingdom will get weaker, right? That's exactly what I want. Like I said, I'm not from this kingdom."

Everything started to make sense. If Brian hailed from a rival nation, this was the perfect strategy. Brian would strike at the kingdom's core by releasing the Lich. It was better than any battlefield victory. A powerful Lich, backed by a necromancer cult, could shake the kingdom to its foundations.

"I see…" William sighed. "Now, that is a good motive to help us. But I'll be watching you closely. Shyvana too, right?"

William stared at Shyvana. Ultimately, they were the ones from the same cult, not Brian.

"We will be watching," she said.

They decided to meet again that night at Brian's cabin. It was a secluded spot with no guards around—the perfect location.

William left after the conversation ended to attend to his duties as headmaster.

"Hey, clean this!"

"You can't go there."

"I've heard you got a prohibited book?"

His duties basically consisted of keeping the students in line. A headmaster usually had administrative work—signing papers, attending meetings—but William was just a temp. He wasn't doing any of that.

When night fell, he headed back to Brian's cabin.

"Being a babysitter to these students is a pain in the ass…" William thought.

Brian was already there, unsurprisingly, since it was his house. Shyvana, however, was five minutes late. Her hair was slightly damp when she arrived.

"I was showering. Sorry," she said.

William couldn't deny it; she was a beautiful woman. The only downside was her attitude and personality.

Now that everyone was present, it was time to leave the academy and get what Shyvana needed.

"Follow me," Brian said.