Chapter 382: Chapter 381- A secret
"Stop, no." Adrian quickly halted the process of World Transfer; he had the authority to do that.
And because he actively denied the process, Raven immediately realized that he was online.
Raven: [Oh my goodness, finally you’re back!]
Adrian let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair.
There was no one else online at the moment, or he would have replied to their messages as well.
After a brief pause, he asked, "Why were you in such a rush? Didn’t the system notify you about the upgrade?"
Raven: [Upgrade? I didn’t get any notice.]
Adrian frowned, but before he could say anything, the system responded instead.
[A notification was sent to every host regarding the update. However, host Raven has not opened her system notifications in the last four years.]
"..."
Raven: [Oh... ah... ahah... yes, there is one. Oops.]
Adrian groaned. "Don’t just say oops and act like it’s fine. What’s with that number of mentions? And why didn’t anyone else tell you about it?"
Raven: [Ah... actually, Forgelet mentioned something like that, but I didn’t believe her. I thought she was trying to keep my Darling away from me.]
Adrian rolled his eyes. She really did assume whatever she wanted.
Raven: [Anyway, I hope my dear is doing better now. Are you finally allowed to hop worlds?]
Adrian hummed. "Yes, I can. And I was thinking of coming over for some training."
He wanted to learn more from the Acolytes who served under Raven.
There were Acolytes working for Umbral too, but when Adrian tried talking to one, the experience had been disappointing.
He hadn’t learned much from them—but Raven’s subordinates, on the other hand, were entirely different. They were sharp, precise, and knew exactly what to teach.
They were like skilled doctors who could diagnose a disease just by hearing the symptoms and provide the perfect cure.
So yes, Adrian was thinking seriously about visiting Raven’s world.
But—
[No, not now! I’m not ready to welcome you yet.]
Adrian frowned. "You were just about to jump into my world, and now this?"
[That was different. I was panicking at that time, so every other thought vanished. But now that I know you’re safe, I’ll make some arrangements before your arrival.]
Adrian sighed. "How long?"
[I’ll let you know, Darling. Don’t worry—I’m just as eager to see you.]
Adrian raised an eyebrow. Was she misunderstanding something here?
Regardless, he didn’t continue the conversation and began checking the other messages he had received from the members.
There were a few from Forgelet, telling him about her new creations and asking if her Golem had performed well.
Then there was one from Dark Knight, thanking him for the last time and asking if Adrian could tune a few of his armaments. This time, though, he was specifically requesting a sword made by him.
Adrian simply replied, *Not yet there. It’ll take some time.*
Forging a sword from scratch was not something he could do right now. Especially not one meant for a guardian responsible for protecting thousands of people.
He couldn’t just half-ass it and send it away.
After checking the messages, he didn’t check all of them, he decided to leave the Time Chamber and come back tomorrow in the morning.
After invigilating during the day and training in the evening, he has exhausted himself. Studying with this mind was nearly impossible.
....
Stepping out of the Time Chamber, Adrian found himself once again standing before the entrance of the academy.
He let out a quiet sigh, gave a polite nod to the security guard, and walked inside.
As he made his way toward the dormitory, his eyes caught sight of someone sitting near the fountain in the central courtyard.
Adrian’s brows lifted slightly when he saw the familiar platinum-silver hair glimmering under the moonlight.
A girl sat there, her gaze fixed on the ground, seemingly lost in thought.
Adrian rarely saw her with such an expression. Concern flickered across his face as he approached and asked softly, "Elana? Are you okay?"
The silver-haired girl flinched slightly, clearly startled from her thoughts. "Professor? Ah, yes, I’m fine. Just... thinking about the test."
Adrian tilted his head, his brows still raised. "It didn’t go well?" he asked as he sat beside her.
Today marked the second and final day of the Aegis Trials.
In a week, the second phase of examinations would begin, but for now, most of the third-year students had chosen to rest in their rooms. The weight of the trials had been immense, and with them finally over, many were eager to breathe and relax.
That explained why the common grounds felt unusually quiet tonight.
Yet, seeing Elana sitting here alone meant something must have been bothering her.
"Yeah..." she murmured after a pause. "It didn’t go as well as I expected. I couldn’t answer all the questions, and the ones I did... I’m not sure if they’re all correct."
Adrian hummed thoughtfully. "Did you do what I told you? To throw in everything you know into the answer?"
Elana nodded, her tone heavy with doubt. "Yes... I did. But even so, I don’t think I’ll score above eighty percent this time."
Her voice softened at the end, disappointment clear in her expression.
Elana was the top student of the third year—bright, quick-witted, and naturally talented. She rarely needed anything explained twice. Whenever she heard a new concept or theory, she would immediately dive into her own research. And by the next day, she’d already be discussing something new she had discovered.
That was Elana—brilliant, curious, and relentless. Which was exactly why seeing her this dejected felt so out of place.
Adrian let out a soft sigh and said, "It’s not like you failed... the truth is, you just wanted to score high because of the reward, didn’t you?"
Elana flinched slightly and turned her gaze toward him. She didn’t need to say anything—her eyes gave him the answer.
Adrian chuckled quietly. "Well, if I get an invitation from the Duke, then of course, I’ll come."
Naturally, he couldn’t attend without being invited—it was, after all, a celebration hosted by a national hero.
However, Elana knew her father well enough to be sure. Even if she didn’t mention anything, the Duke would certainly send an invitation to Adrian.
The two sat in silence for a short while, the sound of the fountain filling the quiet space between them. Then Adrian asked, "So... your goal hasn’t changed, has it? You still want to become a teacher?"
Elana nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I’ll be teaching here in the same academy. I wanted to take up Runes as my main subject, but unfortunately, I’m not skilled in Runesmithing."
Adrian nodded thoughtfully. "I see. So, any other subject you’re thinking about?"
Elana looked up at him curiously. "What do you suggest?"
Adrian chuckled lightly. "Well, that decision should really be yours to make."
"But still... just as a suggestion?" she pressed, her tone soft but insistent.
Adrian thought for a moment before replying, "Hmm... you’re strong, you’ve got solid technique, and you’re disciplined. How about becoming an instructor? I think it’d suit you."
A faint blush crept onto Elana’s cheeks. Being praised by the man whose opinion mattered most to her made her heart flutter in quiet delight.
Just then, Elana seemed to recall something. "Professor, I needed to show you something."
Adrian hummed, motioning for her to continue.
Elana stood up abruptly, her expression turning serious. "This is something only Aries knows about..."
She lifted her hand, and in the next moment, the water in the fountain began to freeze. A thin layer of frost spread outward, glimmering faintly under the moonlight.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly as he sensed the flow of mana gathering around her body—something that shouldn’t have been possible. Elana was a non-believer, after all.
Yet, he didn’t look surprised. Instead, a faint frown crossed his face, as though this was something he had anticipated.
He had already seen a glimpse of it once before—back when they caught that blond bastard who tried to assault Sylvie.
Back then, Elana had unconsciously released a surge of mana, freezing everything around her without even realizing it.
She had always been prone to accidental magic. But now... she was beginning to control it.
During the tournament, her restraint and precision had already improved. And what Adrian was witnessing now was proof that she was no longer losing control—she was learning to channel it on her own.
Adrian rose from his seat and told her, "Wait a minute."
Adrian went online and texted a single person,
’Bella, if you are awake come near the fountain.’
[Okay!]
And in the next instance, Elana tensed up as she saw a woman appearing out of nowhere beside the Professor.
"You..." Annabelle looked at the silver head, "...shouldn’t you be in your room? Why are you bothering my darling?"
Elana’s mood shifted immediately, "What an audacity to call Professor that even though he is already engaged to someone. Shameless."
A scowl replaced Annabelle’s smirk, as she growled at the younger one.
Elana was not backing off as well, staring straight at the shameless woman.
"...." Meanwhile, Adrian could only stare at them with a helpless look.
Was it really okay to invite her here?
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Early morning, I had a huge chunk of dark chocolate. Maybe my blood level went up or down but sitting straight is causing a severe headache. So, only one Chapter today, sorry.