A soft sigh escaped Elena's lips as she thought, 'I truly underestimated him.'
She had been the one who proposed revealing Alex's ability to use magic.
It wasn't a decision she had made lightly. Elena believed there was no reason for him to continue hiding his talent. If anything, living with the constant fear of being discovered would only become a burden.
At the same time, she had also wanted him to represent Star Shine Academy in the Magic Division.
He possessed talent that far exceeded ordinary students, and limiting him to the Knight Division alone felt like a tremendous waste. With both the Knight and Magic Divisions contributing heavily to the academy's overall ranking, allowing Alex to compete in both had seemed like the obvious choice.
At the time, it had appeared to be the right decision.
With her position and influence, along with Alicia's support, Elena believed she could shield him from any political backlash.
Even if anyone questioned his sudden awakening, she was confident she could suppress any investigations before they ever reached him.
That confidence no longer existed. Another sigh escaped her. 'How was I supposed to expect something like this?'
Her expression grew increasingly complicated. She had anticipated Alex displaying remarkable talent. She had even expected him to astonish everyone.
But she had never imagined he would completely shatter common sense by casting a Tier-7 spell.
In this world, the ability to use magic was already a gift bestowed upon only a fortunate minority. Even among mages, true geniuses capable of wielding Tier-7 magic were extraordinarily rare.
Elena slowly closed her eyes.
'I believed my authority would be enough to protect him. How naïve...'
Before the tournament, she had thought the attention surrounding Alex would remain within manageable limits. But now, everything had changed.
Elena's gaze met his, steady and unwavering.
"For the time being, staying within the academy is simply the safest option."
The academy was her domain. As long as he remained there, she could protect him. Her words weren't an order, but advice born from genuine concern.
Alex met her eyes and gave a faint nod. "I understand."
Unlike the Alex who had first arrived in this world, he was no longer ignorant of how society truly functioned. He now understood that overwhelming talent could be just as dangerous as overwhelming weakness.
Aurora had warned him about this after his victory over Evelyne. She had already pointed out the consequences of attracting too much attention.
Recovering from mana stenosis was one thing. Although miraculous, history held rare precedents of people recovering from conditions once thought incurable.
Combined with his exceptional talent, most influential figures could still reluctantly accept such an explanation. But that acceptance only extended so far.
The moment he revealed Tier-6 magic during the tournament, everything changed.
Then came the Tier-7 spell, completely shattering everyone's understanding of what should have been possible.
Alex could understand why Elena and the others were so worried. From their perspective, restricting his movements for a while was the most logical course of action.
Unfortunately, he already had plans of his own.
'I can't keep postponing it forever.'
A certain pink-haired, pink-eyed girl appeared in his thoughts—Sherry. He still remembered the promise he had made to help her search for her parents.
Originally, he had intended to fulfill that promise much sooner, but one event after another had pushed it further and further down his list of priorities.
'I've already made her wait long enough.' A hint of guilt surfaced within him.
At the same time, another thought crossed his mind—one that had occupied him ever since learning more about the ancient ruin.
Ironically, disappearing into such a place might be the safest option available to him.
At the moment, everyone's attention was focused on him. If he simply vanished from public view for a while, much of that attention would gradually fade, and an ancient ruin was the perfect place to do exactly that.
By its very nature, it was completely isolated from the outside world. Of course, that was precisely why neither Elena nor Alicia would ever approve. Especially Alicia.
He could already imagine his master rejecting the idea before he had even finished explaining.
'She's definitely locking me inside the manor if I tell her.'
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that it was exactly what she would do.
Still, his resolve never wavered. Helping Sherry was certainly one reason. But it wasn't the main one.
The moment he had learned about the ancient ruin, the system had immediately issued a Special Quest.
More importantly, an inexplicable feeling lingered in the back of his mind—a quiet but persistent instinct telling him that he needed to go there.
Alex remained silent for several moments, carefully weighing his options.
Sneaking out of the academy wasn't an option. Elena would immediately notice his disappearance, and doing so would betray the trust she had placed in him.
Aurora floated beside him, arms folded as she watched him think. "You're actually going to ask for permission?" she asked, sounding mildly surprised.
Alex answered inwardly without changing his expression. "It's better than disappearing without a word."
"Hmm... probably." Aurora nodded thoughtfully. "At least this way she won't worry as much."
Taking a quiet breath, he finally met her gaze.
"Principal, I'd like to request a leave of absence."
Elena blinked, a hint of surprise crossing her elegant features.
"A leave?" she repeated, studying him carefully.
They had only just finished discussing why remaining inside the academy was the safest course of action, making his request completely unexpected.
Alex gave a small nod.
"I've recently found a lead that may help me understand the circumstances behind my awakening. It may not amount to anything, but I don't want to ignore it."
Naturally, he wasn't telling her the whole truth. The ancient ruin and the System were secrets he couldn't reveal, leaving him with no choice but to keep the real reason to himself.
A faint frown appeared on Elena's face as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Alex, do you realize what you're asking?" she said calmly. "Only moments ago, I explained why staying inside the academy is currently your safest option. Yet now you're asking for permission to leave?"
"I know," Alex replied with a helpless smile. "The timing couldn't be worse. But this may be my only chance to investigate this lead. If I ignore it now, I don't know when—or if—another opportunity will present itself."
Elena fell silent. She wanted to refuse immediately.
"If you leave Lunar City now and someone discovers your whereabouts, there's no guarantee I'll be able to protect you."
Elena had seen enough political struggles to know that only a handful of people would approach Alex with genuine goodwill. Most would either seek to control him—or eliminate him before he became untouchable.
Alex listened quietly before answering.
"I understand your concerns, but this is important to me. If I let this chance slip away, I may lose the only clue I'll ever have."
Silence filled the office. Elena studied him for several long moments, searching his face for even the slightest hint of hesitation.
Instead, all she found was quiet determination. She knew that expression well. A weary sigh escaped her lips.
"You're just as stubborn as your master."
Alex couldn't help letting out an awkward chuckle.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It wasn't entirely one," Elena replied, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips before quickly fading.
After another brief moment of thought, she finally relented. Knowing Alex, refusing him would probably only delay the inevitable.
If he was truly determined to investigate this lead, she would rather he left with her knowledge than force him to sneak away without anyone knowing where he was.
"Very well. I'll approve your request, but only under a few conditions." Elena said. "Not because I think this is a good idea, but because I trust you."
Alex straightened instinctively.
"I'm listening."
"First, you have exactly one week. Once seven days have passed, I expect you to return to the academy immediately, regardless of whether you've found the answers you're looking for."
He nodded.
"Second, your communication device will remain active at all times. I expect you to share your live location at all times, and if I contact you, I expect a reply as soon as reasonably possible."
Alex nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"I can do that."
Elena's expression grew noticeably more serious as she raised one final finger.
"Lastly—and this is non-negotiable—you are not to enter the wilderness. Stay within cities, towns, or established roads. I don't care how important this inheritance may seem. If following these clues requires you to venture beyond the city gates, you are to abandon the investigation immediately."
Her stern gaze remained fixed on him, making it abundantly clear she wasn't making a suggestion.
"I mean it, Alex. Your safety comes first."
A small pang of guilt surfaced within him.
Unfortunately, the destination he intended to visit violated nearly every condition she had just listed.
Even so, none of those thoughts showed on his face.
"I promise," he answered without missing a beat.
Seeing his immediate agreement, Elena's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Good," she said, the concern in her eyes softening into relief.
She offered him a gentle smile, though it failed to completely hide the lingering worry in her expression.
"Please... don't make me regret trusting you."
Alex felt an uncomfortable weight settle in his chest.
"I won't."
Whether he could actually keep that promise, however, was something even he wasn't entirely certain of.
Aurora let out a quiet sigh. "You know," she murmured, "I have a feeling she's going to be very, very angry when she finds out."
Alex smiled bitterly.
"Let's just hope she doesn't find out until I get back."