As Gabriel talked about the outside world while eating, the outside world was changing very fast.
The entire academy was going through a significant change. The whole academy was sealed. Moreover, all the students were told to go back to their dorms. Even the fourth-year students weren't allowed to stay outside now, including Garrick.
Garrick didn't understand why they were taking such drastic steps for Gabriel. Even though it was surprising that Gabriel managed to reach that floor, the Head Council members were behaving like he was an enemy of the Academy who was going to destroy everything after coming out.
According to Garrick, that should've been impossible. He didn't know what Challenges were on the Higher Floors that he didn't manage to reach, but he knew that all those challenges were many for Mages younger than thirty years of age. Only people younger than thirty could even attempt to climb the tower.
So even if Gabriel actually managed to clear the 99th floor and even the 100th floor somehow, it still didn't warrant a lockdown. Even the most talented young mage was nothing before the Head Council mages who had decades of experience and vast knowledge.
If there was no restriction on age, he believed the Head Council member could've cleared the floors as well. So what was making them so concerned? Why were they taking steps as if they could be facing a terrifying enemy?
Unfortunately, his questions only stayed in his mind as he couldn't get any answers. The teachers didn't even allow him to get close to the Head Council members as it was Eliana's command that no one was to be allowed... No one!
He could only ask the teachers that taught him throughout the years. Unfortunately, those teachers didn't know it either. They were just as confused. It seemed that only the Head Council members knew about their reasoning.
He could only give up and leave it to the Head Council Members, even though his curiosity was killing him.
Even as he walked back to the Dorms, he only thought about Gabriel. Was Gabriel really a threat for the academy...? A threat that was big enough for the entire academy to be on the lockdown? Or was it related to the hundredth floor?
He also considered the possibility that it could be about the final floor instead of being about Gabriel. He had seen Gabriel many times. That guy could be skillful, but he wasn't strong enough to be a threat to the teachers.
For him, it made more sense that the Academy was being sealed because the hundredth floor was being opened. Still, until he had the final answers from the teachers, these were all guesses. Whatever being the case, he hoped that the academy wasn't in danger.
"He has been on the ninety-ninth floor for quite some time. He could be coming out soon. Unless he does the unthinkable and reaches the final floor..." Rem stared at the name on the ranking.
"If anyone can reach there, it's him. If we are right and he's the Prince of Darkness, he'll be the youngest Holy Priest. The others who reached the ninety-ninth floor didn't have the help of the Holy Books after all," Yoan said, shaking his head.
He and the others were informed of everyone that was kept hidden from them, including Gabriel's talent measurements. The others were quite upset at Eliana for keeping such a big thing a secret from them, but they didn't argue over it now as they had more important things to do. They had a threat to face.
"Not just the Holy Book of Darkness," Xinci chimed in. "He also has the Ancestral Staff of Darkness that he stole from the museum. If the others had such advantages, the hundredth floor wouldn't have been unexplored till now."
Lishen clenched his fist, glaring at the name that was in big letters on the huge tower.
"Don't worry. Even with the Ancestral Staff, he won't be able to escape. We have sealed the academy. No Teleportation inside the academy will work. No matter what treasures he gets on the hundredth floor, he won't be allowed to take them out. He chose the wrong enemies this time!"
He treated Gabriel with such respect and love, and that guy turned out to be the enemy! It was already embarrassing enough that they were robbed, but being robbed by one of their own students from right under their noses? That was the true epitome of embarrassment! They couldn't let him escape a second time.
Yoan agreed with Lishen, which wasn't often the case.
"Heh, he should've stopped when he had the lead. He had finished robbing the Museum without raising much suspicions to him. He could've left easily, but instead, he became more greedy and went for the hundredth floor Treasures. He might be strong, but he's certainly not very smart..."
"That guy managed to fool you all, especially you Rem!" Xinci commented. "I thought you were supposed to be the most perceptive out of all of us. We didn't know about his talent levels and other things that you kept secret from us, but you knew it. You still couldn't find out that something was wrong with him?"
"His aura was faked so well. I did feel that something was wrong about him, but I didn't take the risk. I didn't think he would be a Mage of Darkness, using a Numen to disguise. I accept that I failed."
Rem took the responsibility for his failure, even though he didn't need to.
"You better apologize to Aura too, next time you see her. And remove all the punishments you gave her for this boy," Xinci stated. "Instead of siding with her, you chose this liar?"
"What is it about? What punishments?" It was the first time Eliana was hearing about someone being punished over Gabriel. As it was related to the supposed Prince of Darkness, she was instantly intrigued.
Xinci told Eliana everything that Aira told her. Initially, Aira didn't consider it a big problem since it wasn't a major punishment. Still, now that she found out that it was a punishment given over Gabriel, she felt pretty upset since Rem sided with a fake student over the real student.
"He stole a mission letter?" Eliana's face was filled with confusion. "Why would he steal a mission letter?"
"What was in the mission?" she asked the other. "If he intentionally took it, then there must be something in the mission. Tell me the specifics about it."
"It was a mission related to Hawrin's village," Rem answered.
