……
At the Lunar Academy, outside Oliver’s office.
Blake was currently looking at the door with a slightly annoyed expression. Shaking his head, he sighed trying to calm his head before knocking on the door.
Knock! Knock!
After knocking, he waited for some seconds. Still not hearing any invitation to come inside, he couldn’t resist the urge of knocking again. Just as he was about to knock, he heard a voice from inside.
“Enter” Oliver’s exhausted filled voice came from inside the office.
Pushing the door lightly, Blake stepped in.
“Teacher” He bowed to the haggard-looking Oliver.
Oliver was currently going through a pile of files. From the looks of how many the files were, it was easy to discern that Oliver had been spending most of his time on them.
“Hmm” Oliver nodded before adding, “Take a seat.”
Blake sat down on the chair facing Oliver’s seat.
Flip! Flip!
The only thing resounding in the office was the sound of paper being turned. Oliver was currently going through one of the files on his desk.
Blake looked at the mountain-like files and couldn’t help but feel worried about his own future. According to his Teacher, he was the one who would become the next principal of the Academy. He didn’t think he was patient enough to do this work. Given his personality, there was a chance he might just burn all the files and be done with it.
A minute went by without anyone saying a word.
Flip!
After going through the final words on the last page of the file he was looking through, Oliver tossed it at another mountain-like pile of files again.
When Blake’s eyes followed the direction of where the file was thrown to, he saw another huge heap of files that almost gave him a breakdown. He instantly decided to discuss the matter of declining the offer of being the next principal. His future depended on this decision. How could he live such a life?
“Is Chris back yet?” Asked Oliver.
“Not yet Teacher. I just came back from the valley and there’s still no sign of him visiting” Blake reported.
Oliver told him two weeks back to notify him if Chris returned. Since then, he had been going to the valley every single day after waking up to check if Chris had returned. But, even after going for so long, there were still no signs of him.
Hearing Blake’s reply, Oliver fell into silence. Since the group returned from the capital, Chris had seemingly disappeared into thin air.
Sighing, he threw it to the back of his head. Besides, this wasn’t the first time Chris had disappeared without informing anyone. There was this one time he disappeared for almost two years. But no matter what, he would always come back.
“Hmm, okay. What have you found out about the recent move by the Starlight Academy?” Oliver asked once more.
He recalled the slight look of annoyance on Blake’s faces when he came into the office.
“According to the intel I gathered, it’s all because of the Crown Prince” A look of rage appeared on Blake’s face
One month ago, news of the Starlight Academy’s students attacking their students started to spread. And after doing some investigating, they found out it was true.
When Oliver heard the Crown Prince being brought into the picture, he suddenly frowned and a sense of foreboding welled up in his mind.
“Why would the Crown Prince suddenly become part of the conflict between both Academies?” Asked Oliver whose brows were knitted.
Given the loss they suffered at Chris’s hand in the capital, it was unexpected that the Starlight Academy would still dare to attack their students. Oliver expected them to shrink back in fear, and truthfully, they did during the first month.
But who knew they would come back much more aggressively, and even started encouraging their students to attack the students from the Lunar Academy.
“I have no idea, but he is the one riling the principal up. I also found out about something else” Blake said with his tone turning more serious.
“Oh! What’s that?” Oliver asked curiously.
“The emperor is fully behind the Starlight Academy.” Blake straight at Oliver before dropping the bombshell.
“What?! Why would the emperor actively seek unrest in the empire? It doesn’t make sense.” Oliver exclaimed in shock.
This was a piece of shocking news for him. This information meant that they were not fighting against the Starlight Academy as they thought, but instead, the emperor. He was aware of some of the higher-ups in the empire being close to the Starlight Academy, but never did he expect the emperor was part of them.
“Apparently, we’re not the first ones going through this. In the other Academies, there have been massive changes in their ranks. Most of the higher-ups in the Academies have been replaced with those brought in by the emperor. As it stands, we’re the only ones left for him to take total control of.” Blake reported the most vital part of the intel he gathered.
After finding out the Crown Prince was currently the one who was instigating things, he investigated deeper and was able to unearth some things hidden from the eyes and ears of everyone in the empire.
Hearing what Blake said, Oliver’s face turned red from anger.
“What could he possibly gain from all this?” Oliver couldn’t resist asking.
“Total control.” Replied Blake.
“Isn’t he afraid we might revolt?” Oliver was somewhat enraged and dumbfounded by the emperor’s reasoning.
What did he want total control for? No one disobeys his orders. Well, except for Chris. But even then, Chris rarely does things that go against him.
“Since he had already united the other powers in the empire, we can’t revolt,” Blake said.
“If we submit to him, isn’t that the same as being puppets?” Oliver rubbed his head.
He had already started feeling a headache from what he was hearing.
“Yes, that’s what they want. But if we were to refuse them, he would launch an attack against us. The only reason they haven’t attacked should be because of Senior Chris.” Blake said.
“Hmm, the emperor is wary of Chris’s strength. No one else should know of his disappearance. We don’t know if the emperor planted any moles here.” Said Oliver.
“I’m aware of that. Actually, I caught one three days ago. The moron was following behind me when I was heading to the valley.” Blake recalled the incident that happened three days ago.
He actually didn’t see the person when the person was following behind him, but who knew the person would be foolish enough to try to enter into the valley. Because of the fact that he usually uses weird hand seals before entering the place, the person tried repeating the hand seals he saw him do.
When he was coming out of the valley, the person was still trying to open it. He didn’t spend up to a minute there, so he was able to catch the person. After questioning, in this case, torturing, he found out the teacher was actually sent by the emperor here.
“Hmm, you should be more covert in your actions,” Oliver advised.
“I understand Teacher.” Replied Blake.
“Try and see if you can find out any clues about the whereabouts of Chris. But ensure to be careful when you’re out.” Oliver ordered.
“Okay Teacher.” Blake bowed and prepared to leave.
Just as he was about to open the door, he suddenly recalled something.
“Uhmm, Teacher,” Blake called out.
“Yes?” Oliver who was about to bury himself in his work raised his head to look at Blake.
“Can I decline the position of being the next principal?” Blake asked nervously.
“No,” Oliver replied resolutely.
“But…”
“No buts. I’ve already made my decision. You’re my only student and like a son to me, you will be the next principal. Maybe after that little brat is old enough you can pass the position to him.” Oliver interrupted Blake.
“Klaus?” Blake asked in shock.
Other than Chris, Klaus was the next most unreliable person he knew. The only thing in Klaus’s head was having fun. How could someone like that become the principal?
“If you have a better candidate it’s up to you. Now, leave. I still have a lot to do.” Oliver waved him away.
With no other option, Blake could only swallow his words and left. He wanted to beg Oliver to hand the position to someone else, but it looks like he’s stuck with it.
Looking at Blake’s departing back.
“If we get through this, I’ll immediately step down and hand the position over to him.” He muttered before engrossing himself once more on his work.
From the conversation of both parties, it was easy to see just how close they were. Just like how Chris was Grey’s Teacher, Oliver was Blake’s Teacher.
……..
At the depth of the trial land. On a mountain top.
“You’ve broken through.” An old voice said.
“Of course old man. Don’t think it was because of your teachings, I was already close to a breakthrough before you came and dragged me away.” Another voice snorted.
“Had I not taken you, you wouldn’t have broken through even in the next twenty years.” The old voice proclaimed calmly not angry by the other party’s remark.
“Hmph! Where is this anyway?” The other person asked.
“Focus on your training.” The old voice said coldly.
The two people talking was Chris and his new Teacher. Apparently, he didn’t know he was in the trial land.
He couldn’t be blamed for it though, compared to when he entered, the essence here was thicker than the part he entered previously. Although he was suspicious about it, he didn’t think there was a chance for him to enter that place again given the fact that it only accepted those who were below twenty.
He had tried leaving the mountain on numerous occasions, but the old man always stops him.
The strength of the old man was unfathomable.