The atmosphere in the classroom was tense and still—no one dared to utter a word, though their minds raced with questions about what had just happened. Shion Lan had casually mentioned the Shadow Forces and even revealed that there were guardian spirits tied to the inheritances of Kin Light and Glass Sano. Everyone knew that these spirits guided their heirs, but according to what Shion had said, the teacher had insulted everyone's intelligence by speaking that way.
Blaze Razor recalled how, in the past, Shion had been broken within his own family—anyone could insult him to his face, and he had been unable to defend himself. He was the perfect definition of a "failure." Just yesterday, when he had tried to refuse participation in the ceremony matches, she had assumed he was simply a timid talent lacking confidence and had wanted to pressure him further. Yet, the person standing before her now was completely different—a man who had managed to put her in an incredibly difficult position.
'Mentioning the Shadow Forces isn't something done lightly,' she thought. 'But from his tone, he doesn't seem to be lying. I also went too far earlier when I deliberately belittled Glass Sano—the heir of one of the six great families. That was reckless. I only wanted to make things harder for the boy, but I've reached a dead end. And this brat twisted my words so cleverly that I now sound like someone who insults everyone—especially after what I said about Kin Light and Glass Sano. I really fell for it this time. And what's with those eyes of his…?'
She stared into his starry eyes. 'They don't see me as someone worth his time. He's reminding me of the king Jord Joul evaluating me as a tool seeing if there's a use of me or not'
Shion's aura finally calmed, and the color of his eyes returned to normal. With a light chuckle, he said jokingly, "Come on, teacher, these are all just assumptions. I mean, look at me—I'm here, not on a guillotine or anything. We're just talking hypotheticals, that's all. Anyway, that day when I was away from home, I happened to meet the Bright Star Master…"
He then recounted the story he'd told before, keeping a pleasant smile the entire time. Suddenly, he said, "Teacher, that actually reminds me of a story I once read—it's somewhat related to what we're discussing. May I tell it?"
His respectful tone surprised everyone—even the teacher, Blaze Razor, who replied, "Go ahead."
Shion closed his eyes as if recalling the details. "In the tale War Without End, there were two mighty factions locked in battle for generations over rich lands and the hunger for power. I won't bore you with the hero who ended the war—that's all literary fluff. Let's skip to an interesting part: one family from one faction fled to the other, seeking refuge after suffering from the conflict. Naturally, they were placed under strict surveillance and lived like any other family, obeying the laws, sending their children to fight in battles… But do you know why?"
He glanced around, ensuring that no one had the answer—or, more accurately, that they wanted him to continue.
"It was because they wanted to get close to the ruling families of that faction—to bring them all down from within."
A murmur spread, and someone asked, "But Shion, how could they get close to a powerful family like that? They were at war! Surely no refugee family would be allowed to join them?"
"As I said before, the war had gone on for generations—they had time. The closeness came later, not as their initial goal."
Another voice asked, "But did they really send their children to die in battle just like that?"
"I don't like spoiling stories," Shion said with a sly smile. "If you want to know what happened next, go to the library—literature section, under Epics. You'll find your answer halfway through the book."
Some students groaned in frustration, but Shion continued, "Anyway, the real point isn't just infiltration—it's also how they lived among others in the rival faction. But do you know how they were finally exposed?"
No one replied. Shion smiled.
"Their mistake was trying to appear too perfect—as if untouched by human emotion. They sent their children to die in war without shedding a single tear. They never made a mistake, never argued, never lost their composure. At first, that helped them avoid suspicion—no one would investigate someone who causes no trouble. But once they gained protection and status, continuing to act flawlessly made them suspicious. When everyone is fighting over something, and you're the only one who withdraws so easily under the pretext of 'lacking strength,' while secretly getting close to powerful families—that's a contradiction. Pretending to be both weak and strong at the same time doesn't work forever.
"The writing style of the story isn't great, but it's full of clever ideas. I'd recommend it."
He sat back down politely, and Blaze Razor smiled faintly but shocked inwardly.
When class ended, Shion walked past Kin and Glass. Just as Kin tried to speak to him, the voice of Director Tim Ayr echoed through the hall:
"Student of Class Two from the General Division Shion Lan! come to my office immediately!"
Shion headed off to meet him.
Meanwhile, Glass returned to the royal division's section of the hall. Among them was a royal family member who smiled as Glass approached, intending to greet him—but Glass grabbed him by the collar without a word. Everyone froze.
"What's the meaning of this?" Glass asked coldly.
"I don't understand what you're talking about," the young noble stammered.
"If you don't give me an explanation right now," Glass said icily, "the alliance between House Sano and the First Prince ends here."
Gasps filled the room. The nobleman tried to laugh it off.
"Hahaha! You're just an heir—you don't have the authority to do that! That's something your uncle, the current head of your house, agreed upon. I doubt your words will change anything, so know your place."
"Then tell Jayden Joul what happened here," Glass replied coldly. "If he doesn't come to apologize personally—along with you—don't blame me for what happens next."
With that, Glass turned and left the hall.
Elsewhere, Kin Light was speaking with Lily, the Moon Sorceress.
"You wanted me to get close to him—but why? I was humiliated today!"
"Boy," Lily said calmly, "the moon and the stars share many traits. I saw him as a perfect training partner for you—especially after witnessing his strength. Even the director had to stop him before he could harm that woman."
"You mean the Second Princess?"
"No," Lily replied. "I mean Celesia Joul."
Kin froze, trying to process that. "Are you saying Shion Lan defeated Celesia Joul, the first queen in the kingdom's history—the one with golden eyes and unmatched talent?"
"Yes," Lily said. "That's why I want you to train with him."
Kin thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You're probably right. Considering how embarrassed she was around Shion, there's no way that fight looked normal—it was almost like… dancing. She would've backed out before even entering."
"You fool," Lily said sharply. "That wasn't dancing—it was precision and fluid coordination during combat. That's what I want you to learn. From what I've seen, both of those boys have excellent training methods. Learn from him."
"…Alright."
—
Meanwhile, Shion was strolling calmly toward the director's office, completely at ease—as if he weren't about to meet the greatest time sorcerer alive.
When he entered, he noticed the room filled with clocks—ancient, magical, and mechanical. Some were enchanted circles with glowing hands; others were hourglasses or sundials. It felt like a museum of timepieces from every era. Yet, strangely, none of the clocks showed the same time—some displayed morning, others noon, while two identical hourglasses ran at different speeds, and a third one had sand flowing upward.
Even the sundials contradicted each other—despite facing the same window, some showed morning, others dusk.
Director Tim Air smiled. "In my spare time, I enjoy repairing clocks. It's a hobby I've had since childhood."
Shion picked up a magical clock and walked over. "I think the one in my hand represents you right now," he said.
The clock's face showed evening—and suddenly, the room darkened as the moon appeared through the window.
"I assume you intended to meet me at night," Shion said. "But due to last night's events and your morning duties, you left a nighttime projection to meet me instead. Truly fascinating magic."
Tim Aur raised an eyebrow. "I doubt anyone else could deduce that upon entering."
Shion smiled. "If these clocks were anywhere else, I'd believe someone just liked fixing them. But in the office of the Time Sorcerer himself? Hardly. Even with sunlight outside, your face isn't illuminated—it's as though you're still in the dark of night. When I approached this clock in particular, I noticed a reaction between it and the room—the upward-flowing hourglass stopped. I assume you didn't activate it last night. But I doubt I'm here to discuss clocks, am I? You called me here to tell me your decision, Director."
The director gestured for him to sit. "All you need to do is relax, as if I'm questioning you about the exam. The falsified papers I have claim you barely passed under the supervision of a bribed instructor—but the problem is, that instructor never showed up. You'll tell me you didn't attend because of what you were told. I shouldn't have trusted those fake records, but your abilities reached a high level in front of many witnesses. On that basis, I'm giving you a real test—not a punishment.
You'll bring me three elemental essences within one month to prove your competence. That should give you enough time to achieve something… shouldn't it?"
Shion looked at him calmly, thinking for a moment. "I believe, with hard work and no rest, I can reach the Second flame star. That should be sufficient for now."
He thought to himself: My Star Body is at the first level now, but with elixirs, I'll reach the second soon. I'll get them from the Jewel Guild. As for my fire element—it'll be easier, since I've trained it before in Shi Yun Lan's world. I'll return there tonight.
An hour later, Shion left the office, wandering the academy halls, waiting for the announcement—which came that afternoon.