The doors of Aldric’s office closed behind them with a heavy sound.
Not the path to the dormitory, not the path to the infirmary. But straight to a room that usually no student was allowed to enter.
The space smelled of old wood and compressed mana. Cold light poured in through the tall windows, casting shadows on the stone walls.
Aldric stood behind the desk. His hands were locked behind his back. And his gaze held no hint of a joke.
On their way there, several other professors had stopped in the hallway.
Their eyes were locked on these three. As if they had seen something that shouldn’t be possible.
In fact, yesterday, rumors of the fallen city mission’s failure had spread throughout the Academy. Even though it was a rumor, it had been accepted as certain news because of the other news behind it.
The news of Andreas and Sarah’s deaths had spread through the Academy like a shock. This was news the government had not hidden, because it couldn’t.
Besides, the government had not hidden any other news except the actual content of the city itself.
The fact that students had died in what was supposed to be a test mission showed that the situation was more chaotic than they thought.
And then yesterday, the news of Marcus, Claire, and Liana being kidnapped and disappearing also spread through the Academy. Everyone was sure they were also dead, and the government was just hiding it.
And this caused the rumor of the mission’s failure to spread. Many thought that even Lian, Cassian, and Selina were definitely dead.
And because of this, no one had expected their return. In fact, many had assumed they were dead.
But now... they were standing before their eyes, alive. Even the ordinary professors who didn’t know the real news were shocked.
Aldric said nothing for a few seconds. He just looked. His gaze went from Cassian to Selina, and finally fixed on Lian.
Gareth’s report had not yet been sent to him, so he didn’t know exactly what had happened.
The silence in the room became heavier than usual.
"How many came back alive?" He finally asked. A direct question with no extra words.
"Apart from Sarah and Andreas, the rest are alive." Cassian answered as the leader of their group.
Aldric listened without changing his expression. He paused for a few seconds, and a trace of calm seemed to appear on his face. Then he asked the second question.
"Was the city cleared? How many monsters did you kill?"
This time, the atmosphere changed.
The numbers that were exchanged were different from what he had expected. The numbers were not simple. For a student mission, they were unbelievable.
And more importantly, the numbers were far from what students could achieve.
Aldric blinked several times. Not out of obvious surprise, but out of an attempt to accept reality.
Then he took out his communication device and saw that the official report had been sent to him by Gareth.
He was one of the highest-ranking professors at the Academy and directly responsible for this mission. So it was natural for a comprehensive report with some censorship to be sent to him.
A few minutes later, the change in his expression began.
Slowly, but visibly. First, his eyebrows only slightly came together. Then his gaze became heavier.
And finally, for the first time, he lost complete control of his expression. Not because of one part, but because of the entire report.
Because of the insane achievements of these students... and more precisely, Lian’s achievements.
Every line he read, the weight of the space increased.
Aldric closed the report. He said nothing for a few seconds, then said quietly.
"Now everyone wants to know what happened. And honestly, no part of what I read is believable."
"This is not an achievement that a few 18-year-olds could reach. But you did. Or more precisely... you, Lian." He paused briefly.
The government planned to hide everything about the white-eyed man, that Immortal monster, and the Broodmother. And create a new narrative.
A narrative in which Lian, Cassian, Selina, Liana, Marcus, and Claire saved and cleared the entire city from hundreds of monsters.
A narrative in which the greatest achievement belonged to Lian, because he practically killed all the monsters. And they want to divert attention by releasing a few satellite images.
A few moments later, Aldric’s gaze fixed on Lian. And for the first time, his tone changed slightly.
"Congratulations."
"For what?" Lian raised an eyebrow.
"Probably from tomorrow, half the country will know your name." Aldric answered without pause.
Lian was silent for a moment, as if weighing the weight of that sentence. And at that moment, his mental image began to take shape.
Guilds, organizations, hidden powers, and eyes looking for talent. And hands looking for control.
He knew very well what such a thing meant. Several powerful guilds would start moving from tomorrow. Some of them even had direct influence in the government and would definitely find out part of the truth. And they would definitely try to find him.
Either recruit him or control him.
And more importantly, his own family. The Vorhelm clan.
When they realize his abilities, their reaction could be anything. Whether they want to control him by force or even try to win his heart with kindness.
Lian quietly let out his breath.
It seemed like just another trouble added to his list.
"I knew you were hiding your power. But not to this extent." Aldric said with an indifferent tone.
"You can go for now. There is more, but I know you’re tired."
All three said goodbye and left the office. Aldric watched them leave and fell into deep thought.
After leaving the office, the air in the hallway felt slightly lighter.
But the weight of the looks still remained. And that was where they saw her.
Seraphina. Standing by the wall. Not with her usual pride. As if she had been waiting for them... as if she had heard the news of their return.
She looked for a few seconds. Then without a word, she stepped forward. And before Lian could react...
She hugged him. This move was unexpected for everyone.
Even Cassian froze for a moment. His eyes widened slightly, and he turned his gaze away.
Selina’s expression also changed slightly, but she said nothing and just quietly stepped back.
After a few seconds, Seraphina let go and said very simply.
"I’m glad you’re safe."
Lian just looked. He showed no particular reaction. But for a brief moment... his silence was different.
He also hadn’t expected such a sudden hug.
Cassian looked at the scene with slight embarrassment, then gave a short cough and said.
"I... have to go." But before he could take a step, Seraphina called him, and her gaze became serious.
"Tomorrow there will be a Student Council meeting, and you need to attend."
"Can’t I rest a little?"
Seraphina shook her head.
"Two genius students have been killed. The security of the missions and the Council’s reputation are being questioned because we didn’t warn them. And we need to know what happened."
Cassian took a deep breath, then nodded.
"Okay. I’ll come." He glanced briefly at the others.
"Goodnight." And quietly walked away.
"I think I should go too. Goodnight." Selina also said goodbye and headed to her dormitory.
When silence returned, Seraphina’s gaze fixed on Lian.
"Was the situation there bad?"
"You knew something, didn’t you?" Lian thought for a few moments, then asked.
Seraphina paused. For the first time, her gaze showed some hesitation. As if she didn’t know how much to say, or whether to say anything at all.
In the end, she sighed.
"Yes... I knew some things." Her gaze briefly turned away from Lian, as if she couldn’t look directly into his eyes.