Chapter 241: Truth About Sword Empress, Danger
Isaac turned his head slightly and looked at Alice.
He patted her leg with his clean hand to comfort her.
Alice raised her eyes, met his, and gave a small nod.
She calmed down, though her lips were still pressed together.
Isaac then shifted his attention back to Professor Catherine.
"So the younger appearance of the Vice Principal is..."
"That’s her actual appearance," Professor Catherine said without hesitation. "The old one is how the Overlord rank Sword Empress used to look."
Isaac’s gaze sharpened at those words.
His system had clearly told him the Vice Principal’s age was one hundred sixty-seven.
Yet what Professor Catherine had just revealed clashed with that record.
’Is Professor lying?’ The thought came to him naturally.
But almost as quickly, he dismissed it.
For all her teasing and her habit of keeping things from him until the right moment, Professor Catherine never lied in matters like this.
’Then the Vice Principal is definitely young.’
If that was the case, then why did the system list her as over one hundred sixty-seven years old?
Two options formed in his head.
’She might have gone through some kind of body rejuvenation, which gave her a younger appearance.’
’Or... she’s a reincarnator.’
The second option explained far more.
It explained why she was so strong despite only being Champion rank.
Why she had such vast knowledge.
Why she carried herself with the tone and authority of an old woman while standing in a body that looked no older than her twenties.
Even the hitmen Isaac and Alice fought had talked about a reincarnator living in their city.
’Her being a reincarnator explains how she knows so much about Emily’s past.’
’If she really lived in another lifetime, she might have been around when Alice’s parents were still alive.’
Of course, it was just speculation.
The truth could be something else entirely.
He wouldn’t know unless Professor Catherine or the Vice Principal herself decided to tell him.
Professor Catherine continued eating her food, as if she hadn’t just shaken both Alice and Isaac with a revelation.
After a moment, she looked toward Alice.
"It’s time you received your Class Advancement Quest. Staying any longer at Initiate rank is a waste for you."
"Understood, professor. Should we go to the university today to get my Class Advancement Quest?"
"Yes. We’ll go after breakfast."
Professor Catherine’s gaze then slid to Isaac.
Her eyes, playful a moment ago, suddenly turned serious.
"You should attempt your Evolutionary Trial today."
Isaac frowned. "The governor—"
"Leave the governor to us," Professor Catherine cut him off.
She noticed his frown.
She knew what was weighing on him.
Starting the trial meant being teleported to another location.
He didn’t know how long it would last. He wanted to be in the city while they faced the governor.
"Isaac, listen carefully," she said, her voice sharper now.
He looked at her, realizing from her tone that she was about to reveal something important.
"One of Emily’s Class Advancement Quests will make her face everything she’s killed until now. And yet we let her kill countless monsters. Why do you think we did that?"
Isaac frowned, thinking. "Because she could grow stronger by doing that? With her items, she could gather more spirits as her Spirit?"
"That’s part of it," Professor Catherine agreed. "But there’s another reason."
The atmosphere around the table grew heavy.
Alice stopped eating.
Even Celia turned toward Professor Catherine with a hint of unease.
"When Emily was alive, she killed someone... someone incomparably strong," Professor Catherine continued. "That person’s strength was like an ocean.
"Compared to them, the monsters she fights now are just drops of water.
"It doesn’t matter how many monsters she kills. Her Class Advancement Quest is already set at the highest level of difficulty imaginable."
Silence filled the room.
The weight of her words sank into all of them.
Professor Catherine kept speaking, as if she hadn’t just dropped something so heavy into the air.
"Our original plan was to use a special item so Emily could summon either Master or me into her quest.
"Our strength would’ve been restrained to the level it was when we advanced from Initiate rank to Adept rank. Honestly, we wouldn’t have been much help."
She paused and looked at Isaac and Alice.
"But now... we have you two. Both of you are nearly at the peak of Initiate rank. With you there, Emily has a chance. Not only to survive, but to complete her Class Advancement Quest."
Isaac exhaled slowly.
"That’s why you told me to complete the Evolutionary Trial. And why you want Alice to get her Class Advancement Quest."
"Yes. If you can endure another body evolution and create a proper physique before reaching Adept rank, you’ll become far stronger.
"And Alice’s situation is simpler. The Saintess Talent’s first advancement quests are easy. She should be able to complete hers within a day or two," Professor Catherine explained.
It was because of that reason Catherine had allowed Alice to delay her advancement for so long.
Alice could get a class quickly whenever she wanted.
The table went quiet again.
The clinking of cutlery was gone.
No one seemed in the mood to eat.
Isaac clenched his fist under the table.
His thoughts were running too fast.
If he reached Adept rank, his strength inside Emily’s quest would be suppressed to what it had been when he was still Initiate rank.
That meant he had no choice but to get stronger now.
Strong enough that even at that level, he could make a difference.
’I need to get stronger, and protect Emily.’
Alice’s hand came from below the table.
She placed it on his and squeezed lightly, giving him a sense of reassurance.
Professor Catherine studied his expression and then leaned back in her chair.
Her voice softened, but it didn’t lose its edge.
"I know you have questions. How did Emily kill someone that strong before she even awakened? Who was it?
"I’m sorry, but I can’t answer those yet. You’ll have to wait. Either until Master returns and tells you himself, or until Emily reaches Apex rank and regains all her memories."
Isaac nodded.
He understood well enough that Professor Catherine was doing this because she respected Emily’s privacy.
Vice Principal Eleanor was clearly someone important to Emily in the past, so she could tell Isaac about the details.
Professor Catherine’s eyes remained at Isaac.
She had seen the bloodline upgrade potion Isaac had.
She knew Emily must’ve consumed one of them.
If that was true, then Emily’s bloodline would soon reach Apex rank, and Emily would regain her memories.
Perhaps... that would break Emily altogether.
Catherine hoped Isaac could be there for her.
Alice placed her cutlery down.
"I’m done with the breakfast. Let’s go to the university," she said.
Professor Catherine nodded. "Yes. And Isaac, I trust you to retreat if the Evolutionary trail is difficult. Emily’s situation is urgent but we can find a solution as long as everyone is safe and well."
Isaac met her eyes.
He could see she wasn’t giving him a choice in this.
He nodded once, a firm acknowledgment.
The rest of breakfast passed with normal conversations.
Celia could see their dampened mood.
’They helped me when I need them, now I should help them.’