Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 173: Exelia Virell

The atmosphere within the Scarlet Tower was tense. A murmur spread through its enchanted corridors and winding halls, as if the very structure could sense the approaching storm. The air, once thick with concentrated magic, now seemed to vibrate uncomfortably—bracing itself for an imminent impact.

The first to notice her was a young sorceress apprentice crossing one of the main corridors. Her steps faltered as she felt the faint tremor in the magically forged stones beneath her feet. A chill ran down her spine, and she stopped, glancing forward nervously. Her eyes widened.

A figure emerged at the end of the corridor, draped in a sweeping purple cloak that dragged softly along the floor, its velvet trim brushing the stones in a rhythm that was almost hypnotic. The contrast between the dark fabric and the pale bluish fur around the collar was magnificent—and ominous, like the stillness before a storm.

Exelia Virell.

Her battle suit was an imposing, luxurious ensemble—Victorian in cut, glowing white with deep purple accents, and fine golden threads woven across its silhouette. Every line of the tailoring was sharp and uncompromising, mirroring her relentless nature. The sleeves, wide until the elbows, were fastened by thin golden cuffs that rang faintly with every firm step she took.

Her violet eyes were as piercing as honed blades, and the chill of her gaze made the air around her heavy, nearly tangible. Her short-cut hair, a glimmering shade of blue, stood in stark contrast to the severity of her attire, casting an almost spectral aura around her form. Her cloak moved like a shadow that obeyed only her will—trailing behind with impersonal grace.

Nearby witches stepped aside in silence. It wasn't physical fear—not exactly—but something deeper, a despairing unease that clung to anyone in her proximity. The very air around her seemed to warp slightly, as if reality itself bent under the pressure of her presence. Her footsteps echoed against the stone, yet it was the absolute silence that followed her that unsettled most. No whisper, no incantation, no casual conversation dared exist in her radius.

As she passed a line of witches, every head lowered, every gaze averted, bound by the same primal instinct: survive. None dared to meet her eyes. None dared to do anything more than breathe.

Some tried to feign indifference, but their trembling hands and pounding hearts betrayed them. The dangling earrings Exelia wore swayed gently with her movement, their delicate chime sounding like death bells in the quiet hall. They could feel the weight of her legend, her power, like a storm just on the edge of breaking loose.

When Exelia approached a group of knight-witches training nearby, one of them fumbled her spell, losing control of the incantation. She nearly fell, only to be quickly caught by a comrade. When they looked up, it was too late.

Exelia was already there—standing before them, her expression an abyssal reflection of something vast, something far beyond comprehension.

"Ladies," Exelia spoke, her voice soft, yet imbued with such overwhelming authority that the words felt like blades. She regarded the knights with the same coldness a predator grants prey. "Nothing is more precious than discipline. Remember that."

The knights swallowed hard, forcing their eyes downward.

Exelia spared them no more than a second glance. Her gaze had already shifted forward. She resumed walking, never rushing her pace, yet her presence consumed the corridor. The witches she passed withdrew instinctively, as though the very structure of the tower sought to recoil from her path.

And finally, she reached the training hall where Kael stood.

The door opened with a magical crackle, the air itself trembling from the weight of Exelia's power. She didn't need to speak for everyone to understand—she was here with purpose, and nothing would divert her.

Kael, standing at the center of the hall, felt a sudden pressure tighten in his chest. As though his very mana recoiled. He raised his eyes—and saw her.

The first thing he noticed was the enigmatic gleam of her violet gaze, which seemed entirely uninterested in him—he was merely an obstacle, a name on a list, a task to complete.

Exelia stared at him for a moment, their eyes locking in the thick silence that now coated the chamber. freewёbnoνel.com

She did not move. Her cloak drifted along the floor behind her, like a wave waiting to break.

"So... you must be Prince Kael," Exelia said, her voice a smooth blade—precise, controlled, and heavy with command.

Kael met her eyes and nodded. "And you are...?"

Exelia stared at him for a long moment, their eyes locked in the heavy silence that filled the room. She didn't move. Her violet cloak slid softly across the floor like a wave waiting for the right moment to break.

"So... you must be Prince Kael," Exelia said with calculated softness, each word weighted with her undeniable authority.

Kael looked at her and nodded, his voice steady, though the pressure of the moment was beginning to press down on him. "And you are...?"

For an instant, Exelia Virell just looked at him.

Silence.

Not the empty kind—but the kind that falls when a predator is deciding whether it's worth the effort to strike. The hall seemed frozen in time. Even the flames from the floating torches flickered hesitantly, as though acknowledging the presence that now commanded the space.

Then, Exelia stepped forward. Her dangling earrings swung with the motion, releasing a dry, subtle sound that somehow echoed straight into Kael's soul.

"Exelia Virell," she said slowly, with the tone of someone who never needed to be introduced. "Second-in-command of the Arcane Kingdom. Disciple of the Queen. Commander of the Magic Knights. And, from now on…"

She stopped right in front of Kael, close enough that he could see the almost ethereal glow of her violet eyes—cold as enchanted ice.

"…your temporary master."

Kael's blood ran cold. But he held his ground.

"By direct order of your grandmother, Her Majesty Eleonor Scarlet," she added. "You've been assigned to me for reeducation. Guidance, perhaps. Containment, definitely. She said you're spoiled—and in need of special treatment if you're to become a real man."

The corner of her mouth lifted in a near-imperceptible smile. But there was no warmth in it. Just a cruel echo—sadistic, almost—as if she were already savoring what was to come.

"You caused quite a stir. I was told that with a single mana surge, you overloaded every detection ward in the sector. Some say it was a loss of control. Others... call it the arrogance of a pampered boy."

She shrugged, with the elegant cruelty of someone far more interested in action than excuses. "It doesn't matter."

Exelia stepped back a few paces—never turning her back to him. Her hands rose, fingers spread—and in response, arcane circles began to form around them on the floor. Containment symbols, silence runes, and dueling boundaries etched themselves into the ground in pure magical light, conjuring a training arena out of thin air.

"You will train with me. Here. Every day. Every morning. No escape. No breaks. No mercy."

She spun on her heels and raised one arm—and one of the hall's stone columns cracked in half with a sharp snap. Not from a visible spell, but from the sheer pressure of her aura. Charmed stone blocks fell, glowing runes still pulsing faintly—as if the very structure had collapsed out of shame.

Kael instinctively stepped back.

Exelia noticed.

She stared at him. A long, cutting look.

"Afraid? Good. That means you have instinct."

She stepped forward again, eyes locked onto his.

"I don't train spoiled boys. I don't entertain moral dilemmas or academy sentimentality. Here, you'll either learn how to become a real man—or you'll leave in pieces."

Then she turned fully and walked to the center of the newly formed magical arena.

"Let's start with a hundred basic conjurations. One per second. Get it wrong, and repeat twice. Flinch, and repeat until sunrise."

He turned his head over his shoulder, his eyes shining with cruel intensity.

"Come in, prince. Or prove to me now that you're more useless than they say."

Kael looked at her without emotion. "Is that really what my grandmother said?" Kael questioned seriously. His face turned very dark as he stared at the ground. "Or you're twisting her words, Chief Knight." He spoke as his aura increased around the room.

"Because if it's a lie, I'll make you swallow everything you just said about me." Kael spoke as everything around him shook.

[It was just to motivate her] He heard a voice in his head, Eleonor's.

[Did you really say that?] He questioned back.

[She wouldn't train you seriously. You wanted to get stronger, didn't you?] She retorted.

[I see] Kael replied as he looked at Exelia who didn't show any fear in front of his aura.

He sighed. [No sex for you in the next few weeks] He sent the message to Eleonor...

[...Don't say that...]

[No dick, you dirty old woman]...

Eleonor was very sad after hearing these words.