The top floor of Ardenfield's main building was not a place visited by just anyone. Here, the air felt heavier, as if the atmosphere itself was being compressed by an extraordinarily dense presence of mana.
I walked down the silent corridor, the only sound being the echo of my footsteps against the black marble floor, which shimmered like a dark mirror.
In my right, Edith analyzing the area.
[ ANALYZING SURROUNDING AREA... ]
[ SYSTEM DETECTS 47 HIGH-LEVEL MAGIC SEALS ON THE CORRIDOR WALLS. ]
[ WARNING: UNIT 'VESPERA' POSSESSES UNSTABLE YET MASSIVE MANA RADIATION. ADVISED TO MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 3 METERS. ]
'Thanks, Edith. But I don't exactly have a choice but to go in,' I thought bitterly.
I stopped in front of a giant wooden door that had no handle. Without needing to knock, the door slid open with a subtle hiss. Inside, the sight that greeted me left me frozen. The room didn't look like an office; it was more like a cross between a museum of curiosities and a long-forgotten ancient library.
There were skeletons of creatures I had never seen hanging from the ceiling, crystal balls spinning without support, and thousands of leather-bound books emitting a faint glow. The problem was... I was the author of Terra Sol Luna. I knew every detail of this world. Yet, at least half of the artifacts in this room were things I had never once written in my manuscript.
"Come in, boy. Don't just stand there as if you've seen a ghost."
Vespera sat in a large chair that looked far too big for her petite frame. She was still in the form of a young noble child, but her aura now was far more oppressive than it had been in the corridor yesterday. In front of her, a long teak table was already set with two empty teacups.
I stepped inside, struggling to keep my legs from trembling.
"You summoned me, Headmaster?"
"Sit," she commanded briefly.
I sat in the chair across from her. It was incredibly comfortable, yet I felt as if I were sitting on glowing coals.
"Do you believe in fate?" Vespera asked suddenly as she began to pour tea into my cup. Her movements were graceful, a sharp contrast to the piercing intensity of her gaze.
I fell silent for a moment. This question was a trap.
"I'm... not sure, Headmaster. I feel fate is something often forced upon us by circumstances."
"Hmm~ A wise answer," she smiled, but the warmth didn't reach her eyes. "Because fate is like a river; you can flow with it, or try to swim against it. But the interesting part is..."
She stopped pouring. Her eyes, the color of liquid gold, shone brightly under the room's lights.
"...when something, or someone, suddenly falls from the sky right into the middle of the river. It disrupts the current, changes its direction, and creates ripples that weren't supposed to be there."
My heart hammered against my ribs.
[ WARNING: TARGET IS ANALYZING HOST'S SOUL. ]
[ THREAT LEVEL: CRITICAL. ]
[ ADVICE: REMAIN CALM. DO NOT SHOW OVERT PHYSICAL REACTIONS. ]
[ ACTIVATING 'VOID EMOTION' PROTOCOL TO LOWER YOUR HEART RATE. ]
Instantly, a cold sensation spread through my body. My fear was forcibly suppressed, replaced by an unnatural, mechanical calm. I stared back into Vespera's golden eyes without blinking.
"Do I look like someone who fell from the sky, Headmaster?" I asked in a flat tone that even surprised me.
Vespera watched me for a long time, as if trying to peer through the mask Edith had just installed. Then, she let out a small chuckle, a sound of laughter that seemed far too old for her young body.
"Perhaps. But to me, you are simply a fascinating child to observe, and Ardenfield has a special place for people like you."
She took a small box from her desk drawer and pushed it toward me. Inside was a silver badge engraved with an eye surrounded by chains.
"This is the Academy Special Program Badge. Very few students possess it. They are those with potential that cannot be measured by standard magic tests. Or those who harbor secrets too dangerous to be left roaming unsupervised."
I took the badge. It felt cold in my palm.
"Why give this to me?" I asked tonelessly.
"I am just a Class-D cadet who happened to win against an instructor."
"Happened?" Vespera smirked.
"Don't insult my intelligence, Edward. I know your body moves in ways impossible for a human without years of training. But I don't care how you do it. I only care about the results."
Vespera leaned back in her chair.
"With this badge, you have access to the forbidden library, private training rooms, and additional research funds. But this privilege comes with a price."
I had expected as much. Nothing was free in this world, especially when dealt by an ancient dragon.
"What is the price?"
"This badge signifies that you are under my protection. In exchange... you must follow my every command while you are within this school."
While saying this, Vespera placed a piece of paper and slid it toward me.
"Your first task," Vespera tapped the table.
"Next month, there will be an expedition to the Grey Shadow Forest. It is a place where monsters run rampant. Normally, a Class-D cadet would only serve as a porter. But you..."
She took a sip of her tea before finishing her sentence.
"You will be placed on the front-line team."
"The front line? That's practically suicide for a Class-D cadet like me."
"If you die, it means I misjudged you. But if you survive... you will prove that the 'new owner' in Edward's body is truly worthy."
I winced at the words "new owner." She had almost called me a transmigrator outright.
However, before I could respond, the office door opened again.
Three students walked into the room.
A young man with white hair whose eyes were covered in gauze, a small girl carrying a blood-stained doll, and a large man with scars covering his entire arms. They all wore the same badge I had just received.
"Meet your peers in the Special Program, Edward. These are the 'strange' students who will be sent on that expedition," Vespera smiled widely, baring her small fangs.
"Welcome to Ardenfield's suicide squad."
I stared at the three of them. From the aura they radiated, they were clearly not ordinary side characters. They were "strange" just like me.
[ SYSTEM HAS UPDATED DATABASE. ]
[ NEW MISSION RECEIVED: 'SURVIVAL OF THE STRANGER'. ]
[ REWARD: UNLOCKING SKILL FEATURES. ]
I took a long breath and tucked the badge into my pocket. Fate was indeed playing with me, but with Edith by my side, I wouldn't let myself be just another ripple in the river. I would be the rock that split it.
"I understand, Headmaster."
"Good," Vespera waved her hand.
"Now go. And Edward... make sure you take your medicine. Your heart is beating very strangely today."
I froze for a second, then bowed and left the room without a word.
In the corridor, I leaned against the wall, letting Edith's 'Void Emotion' protocol end. Instantly, cold sweat drenched my body, and my hands shook violently.
'Edith... we just made a deal with a devil, didn't we?'
[ TECHNICALLY, SHE IS AN ANCIENT DRAGON, HOST. ]
'huff....'
[ REVIEWING YOUR SURVIVAL PROBABILITY IN THE EXPEDITION... ] ---> [ 24.7%. ]
'Only that much?' I laughed bitterly.
'Well, at least it's better than zero.'