Ethan scratched his head and looked at the principal of No. 3 Middle School.
"I, uh… I haven't really used the money in your account," he said awkwardly. "Except for the first day—I spent around 60,000 gold. But after that, nothing."
"What!?"
His words stunned both the principal and Headmistress Winters.
Haven't used it?
Then where had Ethan's summoned beasts come from?
If not by spending money, how had he achieved a combat power of over 800?
Surely, he couldn't have reached that level purely by his own strength. It just wasn't realistic.
The principal's first instinct was suspicion—did Ethan borrow money from Fairwind?
The two of them had become close recently. With Fairwind's personality, it wouldn't be surprising if he handed over his entire bank account just for fun.
"Before I left," the principal said slowly, "didn't I tell you that you could spend the money in my account however you liked?"
"Go on—transfer every coin back to Fairwind. Right now."
Ethan blinked. "Wait, wait. You think I borrowed from him?"
"If I had done that," he snorted, "he'd be making me polish his shoes for a month as payback."
So… not borrowed?
The principal looked even more confused.
Then where did Ethan get the resources?
"Alright," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Tell me honestly—how many summoned beasts do you have?"
Ethan thought for a moment. "Three. All gold-level."
The principal nodded.
Phew. That makes sense… wait. No, it doesn't.
If Ethan hadn't used any money—and hadn't borrowed any either—then how did he get three fully matured gold-level beasts in just one week?
That was almost impossible.
Even with luck, even with effort—it shouldn't be feasible.
He was about to question Ethan further when Headmistress Winters spoke up. "Why don't we just check the account now?"
The principal opened his account... and immediately, all three fell into silence.
Even Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Wait—how many zeros is that?"
He counted.
One, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand…
100.2 million.
His jaw dropped.
He had been stressing about whether to spend 200,000 gold, thinking it was a fortune. He hadn't dared to touch it out of respect.
But now?
If he had known it was over 100 million…
"Honestly," he muttered, "I would've blown a million just to celebrate breakfast."
The two adults were just as stunned.
All this time, they had assumed Ethan had used this money to buy and train his beasts.
His combat power was shocking—but understandable, they thought, given his financial support.
But now?
The truth was even crazier:
> Ethan had achieved everything on his own.
Three powerful gold-tier beasts, matured in under a week.
And he hadn't spent a coin.
The only way to reach 800+ combat power was if all three beasts were top-tier specimens, matured and battle-ready. A normal gold beast had around 100 combat power—maybe 200 for elites.
So… Ethan had three of the strongest types in existence?
How?
That's when a wild theory crossed the principal's mind:
"Could he have stumbled upon three identical beast eggs?"
"Triplets from the same mother?"
It was the only explanation that made sense.
Even then, training them to maturity in one week was borderline insane.
Even with high-level trainer items or third-tier gear, it would take longer than that. Unless… Ethan had already discovered something deeper about the beast master profession.
Was he self-taught in advanced techniques most professionals didn't learn until after their third advancement?
It was the only way to explain it.
And then there was his spell: Sandstone Vortex.
A skill most professionals didn't learn until late in their career—and he had already mastered it.
The principal, stunned by his own thoughts, looked at Ethan with new eyes.
"I get it now," he muttered to himself. "That control-type spell isn't just for show. It's to support his beasts."
That was a connection the principal himself had only figured out after three class advancements. Ethan had figured it out instinctively.
All those times he had casually said, "My grandson's not bad," suddenly hit differently.
Now it wasn't just grandpa pride.
It was fact.
Ethan wasn't just 'not bad.' He was terrifyingly talented.
The principal finally smiled and slapped his knee. "Alright! Spend it. Go wild. Think of it as a reward from me."
Ethan grinned. "Thanks, Grandpa Principal!"
As he left to rejoin the others, the principal leaned toward Headmistress Winters.
His expression shifted into something more serious.
"Tell me honestly… do you think Ethan could actually help us get revenge someday?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Didn't you just say he's not a substitute for Tian'er?"
The principal's face darkened for a brief moment—and for the first time, a flash of fierce emotion showed in his eyes.
"Yes," he admitted. "But with the kind of talent Ethan's showing… even if I wanted to keep him in the dark, he's going to find out one day."
"And once he knows," he added, voice heavy, "he'll never let it go. He'll come for them. He'll fight, even if it breaks him."
A silence passed between them.
The headmistress understood immediately.
"You want me to help hide the truth," she said. "You're afraid that he'll live his life under the shadow of our past."
He nodded.
"I don't want revenge anymore," he said.
"I don't want Ethan to carry that burden. I don't want him to believe I adopted him for a purpose."
"If he ever thinks that, it'll crush him."
His words were soft—but filled with decades of regret.
"Honestly," he whispered, "sometimes I wish Ethan had just been a normal kid."
Headmistress Winters looked at her son quietly.
His words weren't just about protection—they were about love. About legacy. About a future he might not live to see.
After a moment, she nodded.
"Alright," she said softly. "I'll help you. Until Ethan is strong enough, I'll keep the past sealed."
"But the day a real chance comes—to destroy them once and for all—I won't hesitate."
The principal nodded. "That's fair…"
They both looked out toward Ethan again.
Still young.
Still laughing.
Still unaware of the shadows waiting behind the curtain.
But the day would come.
And when it did, the world would tremble.
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