Chapter 25
Thalor walked out of the infirmary, the sun on the horizon beginning to set. The golden light fell across his face, highlighting every sharp feature. He looked almost otherworldly, as if a being from the heavens had descended.
“How did things go?” Lucian asked, appearing behind him as if he had been waiting. “Has he woken up yet?”
Thalor nodded, staring into the sunset. “He’s awake now. No major injuries. His sister is with him, so don’t worry too much.”
“I see. That’s good to hear.” Lucian exhaled softly, “Headmaster, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
“Feel free to speak your mind,” Thalor replied.
“It’s about the decision to place Caelith in the Elite Class. Are you sure it was the right move?” Lucian asked bluntly, “Especially considering how much the Council opposed it—Dean Malrick in particular.”
“Why do you ask, Lucian? Do you also object to my decision?” Thalor answered, his tone remained calm, though his gaze sharpened.
“That’s not what I meant, Headmaster. I’m concerned for the boy’s safety. You of all people know how some of them wouldn’t hesitate to put down anyone they dislike.”
Thalor simply backed against the wall of the infirmary, saying nothing. His mind began to wander back to the conversation he had with the council a few days ago.
The day after the exam officially ended, Thalor had met with the Council—elders from the empire’s most influential noble families, whose wealth and donations kept Ascalon academy afloat. They were all gathered around a massive table, wearing clearly displeased expressions.
SLAM
Dean Malrick, their representative, slammed his hands onto the table, his voice booming through the chamber. “I refuse to accept this! That commoner has no place in the Elite Class!”
Many elders nodded in agreement, with one of them—Renar, a thin, wiry man with a stern face, gray hair, and a neatly trimmed beard—frowning as he crossed his arms.
“I agree with Dean Malrick. It would be insulting to place him in a class reserved only for the best. His swordsmanship may have been impressive from the recording stone, but he completely and utterly lacks mana.”
Another elder chimed in, his tone sharp. “I share the same concerns. Placing that commoner into the elite class would only undermine the Ascalon’s prestige and noble stature”
At this point, most of the council members were voicing the same concerns. Malrick turned his gaze toward Thalor, a faint, smug grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
‘I won’t let it go your way this time, Thalor. Let’s see what you can do when the majority of the Council stand against you.’
“I believe it is abundantly clear most of the elders, including Lord Renar here, agree with me,” he said, leaning slightly forward. “Please reconsider your decision, Headmaster Thalor.”
Thalor remained utterly unfazed, resting his face on his left hand with quiet indifference. He looked up at Malrick.
“You’ve made your stance clear,” Thalor replied in a flat tone. “Regardless, my decision stands, so don’t waste your efforts trying to change my mind.”
Malrick slammed his hand on the table again. “Headmaster?! What is the meaning of this?! Do you even know what you’re doing right now?” he shouted, pointing a finger at Thalor.
“You heard me correctly,” Thalor replied, casually leaning back in his seat with a faint smile on his face.
“T-this is unacceptable! You’re not allowed to just make whatever decision you want!”
Renar spoke up as well, his brow furrowing in clear displeasure. “With all due respect, Headmaster, just because you hold that title doesn’t mean you can simply ignore the council’s opinions.”
“The council’s opinions, huh?” Thalor scoffed. “All of you sit in those chairs only because of the family names you were born into. So tell me—what makes you think your opinions actually matter?”
Renar’s face turned red almost instantly, composure cracking. “You’d better watch your words carefully, Thalor. Don’t do something you’d regret.”
“Oh? Threatening me now, are we?” Thalor drawled. He slowly pushed himself up, his gaze fixed on the elder across from him. “And what could you even do if I don’t change my mind? Kill me?”
“YOU—” Malrick began, but his words instantly died out.
Before he could finish, the air in the room grew heavy and cold. Every gaze fixed on Thalor, a suffocating pressure radiating from him and pressing down on everyone present. None dared meet his eyes, and sweat began to bead on their foreheads as their confidence melted into silence.
Malrick was indignant, but even with his seventh-level mana core, he knew he stood no chance against Thalor. In the end, he looked away, swallowing his anger.
‘Damn you… just you wait, Thalor…’
Suddenly, one of the elders—a woman who looked barely out of her thirties, her hair pulled back into a high ponytail and fox-like eyes, spoke up.
“Now now everyone, let's all calm down, alright? Headmaster, please dial back your mana—there’s no need to get so worked up.”
She clapped her hands together lightly. “Since Headmaster Thalor is so determined to place that student in the Elite Class, why not let him? There’s no real harm in it, is there?”
Renar looked at her, his eyes silently asking what she was doing? She simply offered an unsettling smile, leaving him stunned.
Thalor sank back into his seat, retracting his mana as if nothing had happened. The council members let out a collective gasp for air, the suffocating pressure lifting from the room.
A small laugh escaped his lips. “See? Not that hard now, is it? Now that everyone has agreed, this meeting is concluded. You are all free to leave.”
One by one, the council members shuffled out of the room. Malrick shot Thalor one last glare before leaving, but Thalor didn’t even glance in his direction. Now alone, he leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as he let out a long sigh.
“Are you alright, Headmaster?” Lucian asked, tapping his shoulder. “You’ve been spacing out for quite a while now.”
“Ah—sorry about that. I was just reminiscing,” Thalor said with a small smile. He paused, then added, “You know, Lucian, there are times I wished I could eliminate the council entirely—alas, if it weren’t for the empire’s backlash.”
“As for your earlier concern, Lucian, you don’t have to worry. As long as I’m Headmaster, no harm will come to any students—that’s my responsibility.”
Lucian let out a short breath. “It’s not only on you. That duty falls to us professors as well.”
Thalor gave a soft chuckle. “I’m grateful to have you at my side.”
“You don’t need to say that,” Lucian replied. “I followed you because I believe in you. So—what are you going to do now?”
“I’m planning to meet an old friend,” Thalor said, stretching his arms.
Lucian tilted his head. “Old friend? May I know who that might be?”
“Shirayuki Tsukigane.”
Lucian’s eyes widened, “You mean the White Phantom? I heard she abandoned all dealings with the Empire,” he said, his voice tinged with disbelief. “She was even a contender for the title of Sword Saint until she voluntarily gave it up.”
“It doesn’t matter if she gave up the title or not, I doubt the Imperial Family would’ve given her that title anyway—someone from the Eastern part of the Continent was never going to be crowned a Sword Saint under their banner.” Thalor remarked dryly.
“It seems you know quite a bit about her,” he added. “But unfortunately, she couldn’t care less about anyone else—she’s one with the bottle.”
“But how are you going to find her? It’s been years since anyone last knew where she was,” Lucian asked.
“I have my ways,” Thalor replied. “No need to worry. I’ll see you later.”
Then, in the blink of an eye, Thalor vanished into thin air, leaving Lucian standing there, confused.
‘Just why is the headmaster seeking out for her?’ Lucian thought.
Right now, I’m shoving down all the food my sister prepared for me, like a man who hasn’t eaten in days—though, technically, that does apply to me. Oh, how I’ve missed the taste of home.
“Hey, slow down, would you? It’s not like the food’s going to run away,” my sister said, watching me continue stuffing my face. “Oh right, I forgot to tell you, that friend of yours had also been visiting during the past few days.”
I looked up, food still in my mouth, and mumbled “Oh you mean Kaelon?”
Honestly, I was expecting him to not even bother showing up. But, color me surprised—he actually decided to check up on me. I guess I should thank him later.
“Really… How was he?” I asked
“He seems like a nice kid, though we just introduced ourselves and made small talk,” she replied.
I didn’t know about Kaelon being a “nice kid” from my own experiences with him, but I guess he’s softened up a bit.
As if right on cue, the door swung open. Kaelon peeked his head inside, and I saw his eyes immediately light up upon seeing my sister. Elysia waved her hand in response, greeting him with a smile, and he greeted her back, his face slightly turning red.
“...”
He then turned to me on the bed, his face scrunching into a teasing grin as he asked
“Ah… you’re awake. How’s my favorite Mr. Sword Genius feeling?” he spoke with mock admiration.
I froze mid-bite, “What.”
“Oh, you don’t know? After your fight with Lyra, everyone’s been talking. You must be feeling real nice.”
He kept running his mouth, “I never expected you to be one of those people who pretend to be weak but are secretly strong. Oh, how I’m disappointed in you, my child.”
Then, with an exaggerated sniff, he pretended to wipe a tear. “To think, you’d hide something like this from me—your one and only friend.”
Fuck. Just looking at his face made my mouth twitch—I wanted to punch that stupid look off him.
“Okay, what the hell do you want?”
“Well then, how about we start with you explaining what the hell I just witnessed when you were fighting Lyra?”
