SYSTEM ASCENSION

”Numbered six. Elias Morail.”

Elias’ words brought relief to Owen, but confused the rest of the leading family heads. They had remembered that numbered six was listed among the number of people that Sound league had lost that day.

Lady Hinger was the first to speak.

”Numbered six?”

It wasn’t because she was confused. She had vividly remembered, and now staring at Elias, he really was the boy crying and clutching unto Rowen that day.

”You were alive?”

Elias glanced at her, and for a moment, she was taken aback by the sheer audacity in the young man’s gaze. Not everyone gives her that uncomposed casual look.

”The boy that fought a year ago.” Tell muttered. ”Morail? Your surname is Morail?”

”Yes.”

”Why are you...”

They all glanced at Tell. He seemed to have something to say, but he just chose to walk away at the end.

”... what’s up with him?” Lady Anny glanced between them.

When their attention returned to Elias, he was staring at Joran with a grin that did many hidden explanations.

The man was clearly fuming, but held it in. He didn’t know why Elias wasn’t spilling the beans, but at the same time, he knew the young man was causing him mental issues.

Elias glanced back at Owen right after, returning to his blank bored stare.

”And why are there people here? Did something happen?”

”An increasing rate of portals. We’re investigating it.” Owen replied.

”Where is Rowen?”

”The league master should be here soon.”

”Hmmm...” Elias turned his head towards the far end of the school. He turned on his heel and began walking in that direction.

Lady Anny snorted. ”He’s got quite the attitude.”

”Something is weird.” Joe muttered.

Tyler swirled around and walked out Owen. ”It wasn’t that hard to arrive at a conclusion after seeing a sealing stone. The question is, how did a Black-eyed person arrive in Salvador empire?”

The air held its breath. All eyes moved to Owen, mouth hung open in shock.

Owen felt like shrinking into the ground.

”Mr Rowen must have arrived, since Elias went that way. He should explain everything. I’m just a substitute headmaster.”

They naturally agreed to Rowen explaining the drama and headed towards the office.

The place was another wing entirely, reserved for Rowen and unused whenever he was absent. The door was open, and when they stepped in, they met Elias sitting down, eating homemade buns that he had somehow snatched out of Rowen’s arm.

Tell was leaning against the wall, staring at Elias, which was weird. The man had gone in the opposite direction earlier.

Rowen himself didn’t look like himself. Unlike the usual hair up, odd dress and goofy Rowen, he looked composed in a long robe. His hair was down, brushing past his shoulder. If they didn’t know him, they might have been cautious about how elegant he felt. But no one could guess that he was coming from the Ringoff clan. Afterall, no one knew a clan existed in the first place.

”Ladies and men,” Rowen smiled. ”Invading my school during my absence isn’t really proper.”

”Cut the slacks,” Lady Anny rolled her eyes. ”Your school is falling apart.”

Rowen laughed softly and gestured for them to sit down.

”Is the boy going to be here?” Joe pointed to Elias.

Unlike Tyler who had come in, Claude and Kael were allowed to return to their dorm.

Before anyone could reply, Joe spoke again. ”Then again, we need his testimony.”

They all sat down, while Tyler sucked up to Elias, puppy eyes pleading for buns. It actually worked, because Elias ended up giving him two pieces out of fifty.

Owen provided the written results of their search for the past two days to Rowen, and the league master stared at it with a blank expression.

”Except for the increasing number of portals, what about the difficulty?” He asked.

”No high ranking portal had appeared. Mostly D rank and below.” Owen replied.

Rowen rested his cheek on his hand and stared at the report. ”Low ranking portals open when the world’s energy aligns once in a while, but now it’s opening too much. Someone is forcing them to align? But for what purpose...”

He raised his head.

”Elias?”

”What?!”

They almost flinched at the way Elias almost retorted, but Rowen didn’t mind.

”What am I hearing about a kidnap?”

”I woke up in my dorm.” He shrugged, slapping off Tyler’s hand from the buns.

”In the dorm?” Rowen raised his head. ”You weren’t kidnapped?”

”No.”

He narrowed his eyes for a moment, before it became clear to him. He instantly remembered the time Elias had gone blind. The distress signal and what came after.

”That’s that for that.” He concluded.

”That’s what for what?” Lady Anna raised a brow. ”He wasn’t kidnapped?”

”It was a distress signal,” Rowen yawned. ”I’m sure Lady Hinger would recall.”

”What?” She frowned. ”I...”

Her memories travelled back to when she was called a hag. It wasn’t Rowen that day, and now she had a vague understanding of what had happened.

”Oh... Yeah.”

”You know what happened?” Lady Anny asked her.

”I think it’s a guardian spirit.”

”...”

They were blown out of their minds. The possibility of having a guardian spirit was 0.1 out of a hundred. As rare as a myth.

All eyes turned to Elias, but the youth didn’t care. He was just trying to keep Tyler’s hands off his buns.

”But someone still attacked the school. That’s one part.” Tell said.

”One thing is for sure. Entry had something to do with the person’s ability,” Rowen spoke. ”The barrier wasn’t weakened or bridged.”

He paused and continued.

”As for the portals, we have to...”

A cry made him stop talking. All eyes turned to the door. It was the sound of a baby, but loud enough to make everyone flinch.

All faces frowned at Rowen.

”You brought one of your children?” Joe asked.

”He’s not my child!” Rowen washed off his hands.

The door opened, and the maiden carrying the child came in.

”Sir, you told me to bring him if he cries.” She muttered, rocking the child.

All eyes settled on the boy.

He had white hair and white eyes that looked like he was blind. A strange mark, like a double edged sword with chains, sat on his forehead.

As the maiden moved to Rowen, the man pointed, and directed her to Elias.

At this point, the baby had stopped crying. He was now giggling and stretching his little hands. Elias himself had stood up, reaching for the child.

He raised the baby like a piece of artwork he didn’t know how to handle, watching the child reach for him with short hands.

”Mona?”