"Shit, I think I ended up sleeping too much."
Evan was about fifteen minutes late. One day earlier, the academy's director himself, Stephan Pyke, had sent a letter to all the students involved in the dungeon accidents, ordering them to meet him at 10:00 in the academy's main hall.
Since that fateful day, Evan still hadn't met Darius, much less Edgar.
Running toward the place, Evan couldn't stop thinking about Stephan.
'Let's see what that man is planning.'
Even though Stephan had died prematurely in the story, Evan knew how precious the academy's students were to him.
The book didn't mention exactly what Stephan would do during this meeting, so even for Evan, an avid reader, today's event would be something completely new.
When he arrived at the hall, Evan immediately noticed the number of students present.
'Looks like the losses were bigger than I imagined.'
As he examined the students, Evan was suddenly surprised by someone he had started to hate.
"DEAR EVAN! It's so good to see you alive and well!"
It was none other than Victor.
'Of course this guy would still be alive, especially since he was in Alexia's group.'
Staring at Victor with an unfriendly look, Evan played along.
"So do I. I was afraid the famous Victor Maelstrom wouldn't have survived."
By that point, the entire academy was already aware of the first-year students' dungeon incident.
"Well... to be honest, if it weren't for that crazy red-haired girl, I probably wouldn't be here, dear Evan."
Victor said, blatantly pointing at Alexia.
"PUT THAT FINGER DOWN!"
Evan tried to interrupt quickly, trying not to irritate Alexia.
But apparently Victor had already gotten the girl's attention.
"WHY ARE YOU STARING AT ME, YOU MOMMY'S BOY?!"
She screamed, and in a single moment, the trio had already drawn everyone's attention.
But what calmed the tension was the imminent arrival of the academy's director.
"It seems many of you are quite agitated," the man said calmly.
'Even with his mana suppressed, the atmosphere is still suffocating.'
Watching Stephan, Evan couldn't help but admire the man's posture.
'Even after the incident, he still manages to keep that firm and serene look on his face.'
"I don't want to take too much of your precious time...
"I decided to come here personally to apologize for what happened during your practical class...
"I imagine many of you feel insecure and anxious about your safety within our academy..."
But before the man could continue, a white-haired figure interrupted Stephan's speech.
"How can you, the director of this academy, known as one of the most powerful men in the world, say anything when you couldn't even prevent half a dozen students from dying in those dungeons?"
It was none other than Erick.
Even Evan was surprised.
'That bastard is questioning even someone like Stephan...'
The moment he interrupted the director, Erick became the center of attention the famous heir of the Silver family.
While the other students expected Stephan to scold Erick, the director surprised everyone.
"I understand you very well, young man. I take full responsibility for this unfortunate incident, and I swear on my own life that I will protect every student of this academy."
The stance of a man like Stephan someone at the pinnacle of human strength coming to apologize personally to mere rookie students certainly created a sense of trust among them.
But among them stood Evan, who knew exactly how that man's story would end.
'Unfortunately, just empty promises.'
Evan could understand why Erick spoke up at that moment. Not that Erick didn't enjoy being the center of attention, but something had truly shaken him.
Christian's death...
Even though Christian was only one of Erick's subordinates, they had known each other since childhood. Christian's parents had served the powerful Silver family, creating a bond between the two boys.
Deep down, Erick felt some affection for his loyal guard dog.
Evan knew very well that, whether he liked it or not, Christian's death was also partly his responsibility.
Returning to his speech, Stephan continued.
"I know that no matter what I do, it won't erase what all of you went through, nor the companions you lost during this incident...
"But as the director of this academy, I want to grant each of you one wish—something within my power to fulfill...
"Soon, I will call each of you to my office, so you may ask for whatever you want."
The man finished.
At that moment, only silence could be heard.
Even Evan was left speechless by what Stephan had promised.
'A wish?'
In that instant, the gears in his mind began turning fiercely, searching for something that could be useful though he already had a vague idea.
Until a huge smile formed on his face.
"Looks like you got pretty excited, dear Evan."
Victor nudged him, noticing the sudden change in Evan's expression.
"Ah, it's nothing. I was just imagining things."
After Stephan finally finished his statements to the students, Evan returned to his usual training routine.
Even though he had improved considerably over the last few days, he still felt like he could've truly died in that dungeon.
'Looks like simply knowing the future doesn't guarantee my survival in this place.'
...
After hours of dueling against training humanoid robots, Evan decided to increase the power of his gravitational bracelets. Now that the first major event had passed, he could go back to dedicating himself to training.
Setting the bracelets to about 10x, the boy felt the weight affecting his combat performance.
'One day, I swear I'm going to destroy you, you damn humanoid.'
Returning to his room, completely drenched in sweat, Evan spotted a small note in front of his door.
"Please report to my office... Stephan Pyke."
'This guy really values his students.'
...
After finally finding the director's office among the academy's massive corridors, Evan saw a huge wooden door.
But before he could knock, he heard a voice coming from inside.
"You may enter, young man."
'How the hell did he know I was standing outside? The director is truly terrifying.'
When he entered the room, Evan expected Stephan's office to be fully decorated, or to have shelves filled with countless books.
But to his surprise, the place was almost completely empty, with only a small wooden desk and a chair furnishing the room.
Stephan was admiring the view through a massive stained-glass window behind his chair. From there, he could observe the entire outside area of the academy.
"Excuse me, Director!"
Evan said, bowing before the man.
"No need for such greetings, young man. Come, sit down."
Stephan said calmly, pulling two cups of tea from his desk.
"Would you like some?"
Stephan offered Evan a cup of tea.
'It smells really good.'
While sipping the drink, Stephan asked Evan bluntly.
"Alright, young man. What do you want me to do?"
The man asked, keeping a serene expression on his face.
But it was at that moment that perhaps he regretted giving such freedom to those young students.
"Director Stephan, my request is very simple... I want you to accept me as your disciple."
The boy said shamelessly.
The moment he heard Evan's request, Stephan choked on his tea.
"What?!"
The old man asked in shock.
All these years, Stephan Pyke one of the strongest men in Etherea had never imagined he would be surprised by a mere first-year student.
Especially someone who wasn't even considered one of the empire's jewels.
Even though he had made it clear to the students that he would grant any wish within his power, he never expected something like Evan's request.
"Don't take it the wrong way, Director Stephan, but I don't think there's anything better to ask for than being guided by one of the ten world powers."
Evan added.
For about five minutes, Stephan remained in complete shock.
'Did I ask for something too absurd?' Evan wondered.
Until Stephan finally broke the silence that filled the room.
"It's fine, boy. I can accept you as my disciple, but I have one condition!...
"I need to know if you're truly willing to endure such suffering."
'I'm completely screwed...' Evan sighed internally.
"I want you to meet me tomorrow after your classes are over. Come to my office again."
Stephan finished, his tone completely different from when the conversation began much colder than usual.
Evan simply nodded in understanding, then finally left the director's office with a devilish grin on his face.
'Checkmate... I think I hit the mark perfectly.'
Evan walked down the corridors, humming happily.