Ashan had already expected this moment the instant Maren told Zevi and Nevil to leave the room.
So when the instruction came, he did not show even the slightest hint of surprise.
Instead, he remained standing where he was and simply lifted his hand, giving the two of them a subtle signal to head outside.
Zevi looked like he wanted to stay and listen to whatever conversation was about to happen, his curiosity almost visibly burning in his eyes, but after noticing Ashan's calm expression he merely clicked his tongue and walked out together with Nevil.
The heavy wooden door closed behind them with a dull thud.
And the moment it did, the atmosphere inside the office shifted completely.
The room had already been tense before, but now that Ashan stood alone in front of them, the pressure deepened further, settling over the room like an invisible fog.
Maren slowly removed the spectacles resting on her nose and placed them carefully on the desk.
Her gaze then returned to Ashan.
Sharp.
Unwavering.
"Student Ashan," she began calmly, her fingers interlocking as she leaned forward slightly, "I believe you already understand why I asked you to stay behind."
Her voice remained composed, but the authority behind it was unmistakable.
"So I will not waste time beating around the bush."
A brief silence followed before the question came.
"Are you hiding your real mana level… and deliberately faking your rank?"
The weight of the words seemed to press down on the entire room.
But Ashan did not panic.
He simply shook his head calmly.
"No, Madam. I'm a B-rank awakener."
His tone carried neither hesitation nor defensiveness.
"How could I possibly fake something like that?"
Then his gaze shifted slightly toward Aren who was seated nearby.
"Professor Aren also had similar suspicions recently," Ashan added, his voice still steady. "He personally examined my mana level not long ago. Didn't he report the results to you?"
Aren nodded slowly from his seat.
"That part is correct."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk.
"The test results clearly showed that you are indeed a B-rank awakener."
His brows furrowed.
"However, after witnessing the scale of your abilities and the outcome of today's duel, it is only natural that suspicions arise again."
His gaze sharpened.
"A B-ranker producing a fire attack powerful enough to engulf the entire duel ground is not something we can simply overlook."
Maren nodded faintly in agreement before continuing the interrogation.
"So we require an explanation."
Her eyes remained locked onto Ashan's face, carefully studying every small reaction.
"What exactly are you hiding?"
Ashan inhaled slowly.
Inside his mind, a quiet thought surfaced.
'Well… here it comes.'
'If they are pushing this far, then a properly constructed lie is the only option.'
Fortunately, he had already prepared one long before entering this room.
He half-closed his eyes for a moment before answering.
"The reason I'm capable of producing feats like that," Ashan began slowly, "is because I learned a technique that allows me to reach extremely high energy efficiency while also modifying my abilities."
Several professors exchanged puzzled looks.
Ashan continued calmly.
"It works somewhat similarly to how we convert mana into pulse patterns when casting spells," he explained, gesturing lightly with his hand as if illustrating the concept. "However, this technique allows those patterns to be refined even further."
His gaze swept across the room.
"The fire attack you witnessed during the duel was not a traditional spell. It originated from a unique skill I possess, something that allows me to breathe fire directly from my mouth."
The reaction was immediate.
A faint ripple of shocked murmurs spread through the room.
Maren's eyes widened slightly.
"You possess such a technique?"
Her voice carried genuine disbelief now.
"Are you certain about what you are saying? Explain it more clearly."
Ashan nodded.
"It will be easier if I demonstrate."
Slowly raising his right hand, he began forming a sequence of precise hand movements.
The professors watched closely.
The motions were unfamiliar.
Intricate.
Purposeful.
Then suddenly.
CRACKLE.
Lightning erupted around his palm.
Violent strands of electricity gathered together, condensing into a concentrated sphere of energy while a sharp buzzing sound filled the air.
The technique was unmistakable.
Chidori.
Ashan lifted his glowing hand slightly.
"Headmaster," he said calmly, "I believe you have already seen this technique before."
Maren nodded slowly.
"But the important part is not the attack itself."
Ashan repeated the hand movements once again.
"These gestures are known as seals," he explained. "They allow a skill to be refined and reshaped into something new."
The lightning crackled louder.
"In this case, I redirected my lightning attribute into my hand and compressed it into a concentrated offensive form."
He gave a small shrug.
"However, the process itself is extremely difficult."
Soft murmurs filled the room.
"Oho…"
Several professors leaned forward with visible interest, their eyes fixed on the crackling energy in Ashan's palm.
Aren, however, had completely fallen silent.
His mind trembled.
'A technique capable of restructuring skills…'
'This is absurd.'
'And yet… the evidence is right in front of me.'
Even Maren looked genuinely astonished.
"That is truly remarkable," she admitted after a moment.
Her gaze sharpened again.
"How did you learn something like this?"
Ashan dismissed the lightning and lowered his hand.
"It happened before my second awakening," he replied.
"I participated in a low-rank dungeon raid with a small group of awakeners."
He folded his arms thoughtfully.
"That is where I first discovered the concept behind these seals."
Ashan tilted his head slightly.
"It's similar to learning an alphabet."
"Even if you memorize the letters, you still need to learn how to combine them in order to form meaningful words."
He paused briefly.
"And even after that… you still wouldn't be able to use them the same way I do."
Maren frowned.
"Why not?"
Ashan smiled faintly.
"Because certain conditions must exist within the user."
"If those conditions are not fulfilled, the seals simply won't function."
"What kind of conditions?" Maren asked immediately.
Ashan's smile widened slightly.
"I cannot reveal that."
He shrugged lightly.
"That part is my secret."
Maren studied him silently for several seconds before nodding.
"Very well."
Then she asked another question.
"Is there anyone else in the world who knows this technique?"
Ashan shook his head.
"I cannot say for certain," he admitted.
"But I highly doubt it."
"This is the first time I have revealed this knowledge to anyone."
He glanced around the room.
"And if someone truly mastered it…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"The potential would be limitless."
The professors began whispering among themselves.
"If that's true… that technique is priceless."
"A treasure beyond measure."
"If news about this spreads…"
"Aren't awakeners from around the world going to chase this boy?"
Ashan observed their reactions quietly.
'Exactly what I expected.'
'Good. Now for the final step.'
He raised his hand slightly.
"Madam, may I request something?"
Maren blinked, snapping out of her thoughts.
"Yes, child. What is it?"
Ashan smiled politely.
"If possible, could you ensure that this secret never becomes public?"
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I have no intention of teaching this technique to anyone. If word spreads, people will constantly chase me asking to learn it."
He sighed lightly.
"And I would rather avoid that."
Maren nodded immediately.
"You have my word."
Her voice carried firm authority.
"No one outside this room will hear about it."
"Only the professors present will know."
Ashan bowed slightly.
"Thank you very much."
But just as he turned to leave, Maren suddenly spoke again.
"Ah… one more thing."
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"During the duel, your pupils turned completely white."
She studied him carefully.
"Would you care to explain that as well?"
Inside his mind, Ashan sighed.
'Of course she noticed that too.'
"About that… I'm not entirely sure myself," he replied.
"Since my second awakening, it happens occasionally."
"When it does, I feel a slight headache."
Maren watched him silently before nodding.
"Then I will assign someone to help investigate it."
"That person might be able to discover the cause."
Ashan bowed again.
"That would be greatly appreciated."
Maren waved her hand.
"You may leave now."
Ashan turned and exited the room.
The moment the door closed behind him, the atmosphere inside the office grew heavy again.
Maren leaned back in her chair.
"This situation is… unexpected."
One of the female professors nodded.
"Indeed."
"This is the real deal."
Aren looked at Maren thoughtfully.
"Headmaster… what should we do now?"
Maren's gaze sharpened.
"We observe him."
"Even if the boy appears honest, we cannot fully trust him yet."
Her eyes moved toward Aren.
"And are you absolutely certain that your test showed him as B-rank?"
"There is no chance you made a mistake?"
Aren shook his head firmly.
"That is impossible."
"I checked him thoroughly."
Then his expression turned thoughtful.
"However… there may be something about him we simply cannot understand yet."
"Something beyond our current knowledge."
Another professor joined the conversation.
"Maren, you mentioned appointing someone to assist him."
"Who exactly are you planning to call?"
That professor was Sisilya.
Maren smiled slowly.
"I'm thinking of inviting Lia."
Both Aren and Sisilya gasped.
"Her?"
"Well… she would certainly be the best person for something like this," Sisilya admitted.
"But will she actually come?"
Maren nodded confidently.
"She loves mysterious things."
"Once she hears about this… she'll definitely be interested."
Then she stood up from her chair and looked around the room.
"I hope everyone here understands the seriousness of this matter."
Her voice turned firm.
"No one speaks a single word about this outside this room."
"This is not only because of the boy's request."
Her expression hardened.
"If this information spreads… it could create a very serious situation."
Every professor nodded.
Outside the office, Ashan had barely stepped into the corridor when he saw two familiar figures waiting nearby.
Zevi and Nevil.
The moment they noticed him, their eyes lit up.
Zevi immediately stepped forward.
"So?"
He looked Ashan up and down suspiciously.
"Did those guys threaten you or something?"
Ashan laughed lightly.
"No. Nothing like that."
He walked past them calmly.
"Come on. Let's go."
"Everything is fine."