Zeverius Academy did not hide its intentions since they had found a real talent this time. When it found something valuable, it extended its hand without hesitation. That was the first impression Baston had.
The invitation had come too quickly, too cleanly, and too precisely.
Principal Zener had not waited for the rumors to settle nor for formal communication between the academies. The moment his magic score flashed one thousand beneath the crystal pillar, the decision had already been made.
Zeverius Academy had to recruit him.
The office itself reflected the academy's nature. The magic lamps hummed quietly through the enchanted glass and the atmosphere inside. The room was quiet and the silence was reverberating so much here after the statement.
Everyone only waited for one person to speak here. Principal Zener sat calmly behind his desk and several teachers stood to the side like the silent witnesses to a transaction.
"You may consider transferring," the old man said in an almost conversational tone, "Zeverius Academy welcomes talent."
Baston felt the weight of the sentence. The old man did not only show his admiration and praise but also the intent behind it.
"Thank you for the offer but…" Baston replied after a measured pause, "I am already satisfied in Prius Academy."
Toward the word of satisfied, it tasted strange even in his own mouth. Telling such lies had been very smooth currently.
Principal Zener did not react emotionally. Instead, he reached for a document and began reading as if he was conducting a review.
"According to the records…" he continued, "Your treatment in Prius Academy was less than ideal.
From your dormitory conditions, the poor quality of food, and the social harassment. The academy intervened only after your display before the Great Wizard Angus."
The teachers remained still but their eyes sharpened. Anyway, the old man continued.
"It is true that your current situation has improved but this improvement does not equal the sufficient."
Baston lowered his gaze, pretending to contemplate. Inside the old book, the real him listened carefully through the puppet's senses.
Eventually, they had investigated him much and their reaction was fast. Not only that, Zeverius Academy did not make the offers blindly.
A faint chill ran along his spine. The word of investigation sounded harmless on the surface, yet beneath it lay something colder.
Zeverius Academy had not merely glanced at the public records. They had pried and they had even traced the movements, the incidents, and perhaps even the conversations.
How deep had they gone?
Had they uncovered the cafeteria explosion?
Had they questioned the timing of his failed magic test?
Had they examined the pattern behind Angus's sudden involvement?
Inside the old book, he shifted his focus. The puppet's senses were clear but he subtly directed a thread of perception outward, brushing against the ambient mana in the room.
There were several defensive arrays but there was also something else. A faint oscillation and almost imperceptible kept scanning the room alone. It was surely monitoring him.
The walls themselves seemed attentive. Zeverius Academy did not simply invite students since it profiled them.
The teachers' stillness now felt less like the patience and more like the containment. It was as if the room had been prepared in advance, calibrated to measure his expressions and mana fluctuations.
If they were measuring him, then he would give them something ordinary to record. He would let them believe they were the hunters for now.
"It's alright…" Baston said softly, "I do not mind..."
Principal Zener leaned back, "Really? You do not mind or you have grown accustomed to being underestimated?"
That sentence was sharper and the teachers exchanged subtle glances. One of them whispered quietly to another.
They were not just listening his words. They were studying his reaction, eye movement, and the tension. Baston noticed their movement. Truly, they insisted on their own way.
"I try to live quietly," he said, "That is all."
The principal's gaze deepened, "If you remain in Prius Academy, your progress will be limited. The resources at there cannot compare to ours. Here, I can assign you the best instructors and the best facilities. Your development would accelerate dramatically."
Such words were fascinating because an ordinary student would tremble at such promise. The teachers expected at least a flicker of temptation.
Instead, Baston remained still. He was too calm despite hearing so many benefits. The teachers frowned upon his reaction.
"Did he want more…?"
"Perhaps, he is calculating..."
"Do you think he is afraid?"
"Afraid? He confronted Clark publicly…"
"Then, what restrains him?"
Baston knew the trap. If he rejected too quickly, the suspicion would bloom. If he accepted too easily, the freedom would be lost. Zeverius Academy was prestigious but the prestige meant complexity.
There would be more nobles, more factions, and more eyes. His secret would be soon revealed upon these many scrutinizing eyes.
"I am used to Prius Academy," Baston finally said after a deliberate silence.
Principal Zener tapped the desk lightly, "Used to it? That is not a reason. That is more like an attachment."
"Indeed, I am comfortable there..."
"Being too comfort is the enemy of ambition…"
The teachers watched carefully and Baston then lifted his head slightly, "The truth is there are too many nobles here."
The atmosphere of the room shifted and Principal Zener soon narrowed his eyes, "Too many nobles?"
The teachers immediately began exchanging mental connections through low-tier whisper spells.
"What does he mean?"
"Did he fear someone here?"
"No... He does not fear the nobility…"
"Then what?"
One teacher's expression changed, "I understand..."
The others looked toward him, urging the answer to be soon revealed.
"His grudge with his father is the clue..."
A faint silence fell before another clue was dropped.
"If his father's family has ties here…" the teacher continued carefully, "Or if certain nobles are connected to his father, staying in here may expose him."
The conclusion spread quickly through silent magical transmission. Just by their own statement, they could already imagine the implication if the boy attended at Zeverius Academy.
Principal Zener received the explanation through a subtle mana-thread from the teacher. His fingers paused briefly on the desk and he slowly understood the reason. It was truly a reasonable explanation.
He studied Baston again. It was not as a student anymore but as a survivor.
"I see…" Zener said gently, "You are concerned that certain nobles here may be connected to your father's lineage."
Baston blinked and a question popped up inside his head. Inside the book, the real him nearly laughed.
They misunderstood him completely. He had simply meant that dealing with the nobles were troublesome. But toward this misunderstanding, it was quite useful. The puppet remained composed while Principal Zener continued.
"You fear that if you remain here, your father may intervene. That influence may be exerted upon you."
The teachers nodded subtly, thinking that the conclusion was correct.
A prodigy was actually hiding in a lesser academy. Not only he could avoid the detection, he could also avoid the pressure.
Baston bowed slightly, "I prefer not to be entangled with such problem."
It was a safe answer and Principal Zener's eyes gleamed faintly. He was not disappointed but he was impressed. Such self-control in his age was commendable.
"You are quite cautious," Zener said, "That is rare…"
He leaned forward slightly, "Very well… I will not force you."
There was a pause before the old man continued, "But remember this… Your ice magic is uncommon. There are noble houses who would covet it. If Prius Academy fails to protect you, Zeverius Academy remains open then."
"I understand. Thank you very much…" Baston replied.
He began to step back, assuming that he could go back. After all, being here for a few seconds more gave tremendous pressure to his heart.
"One final question," Principal Zener added, "The awakening before the Great Wizard Angus… It was not truly triggered by him, was it?"
There was a silence. The words even made the teachers stiffened. That question pierced directly through the constructed story.
Baston did not answer verbally. He simply nodded once since it was just enough as the confirmation without much explanation.
The atmosphere in the room soon changed.
Principal Zener smiled faintly since it was as he expected before. From the failed test, the sudden resonance, and the convenient miracle, it had been staged. It was not for power but for his own freedom.
"Just as I thought…" Principal Zener murmured.
Baston bowed down and exited the room. When the door closed, one teacher exhaled slowly.
"He is quite unique..."
"Should we monitor him?"
"We already are…"
The principal looked toward the window where the distorted glass prevented the clear vision from outside.
"The talent is always valuable," he said quietly, "But for the intelligence… The intelligence could shape the kingdom."
*****
Baston walked along the academy corridor with measured steps.
The hallways of Zeverius Academy felt different from Prius Academy. Here, the atmosphere was more refined. Every wall carried the reinforcement arrays and every archway contained the detection sigils that were hidden beneath the decorative carvings.
Such prestige required more protection and such protection would result more suspicion. Such matter would end up of strict monitoring.
For him who bore a hidden secret, this academy was the worst place to live. As he exited the main building, the light from the lamp post struck the small ice bead that was resting in his palm.
It was the gift that Principal Zener had personally handed to him. It could be treated as a parting token. The bead shimmered faintly with cold mana that was swirling within like the suspended frost.
Meanwhile, Alicia and Anderson were still waiting outside. As soon as they saw Baston, they quickly approached him.
"What did the principal say?" Anderson asked first.
"He invited me to study here," Baston replied calmly.
"And?"
"I refused…"
"You refused?"
"Yes…"
Anderson frowned, "Do you realize what you have rejected?"
"Yes…"
Alicia studied him carefully, "You are not someone who acts without the calculation. Tell me why you pick that choice?"
Baston glanced at the passing students. The noble robes with family crests which contained subtle arrogance in posture.
"There are too many nobles here…" he replied simply.
Alicia froze slightly and Anderson raised an eyebrow. The noble boy only chuckled toward such response.
"That is ironic…" Anderson said dryly, "After all, you have already confronted one of the most arrogant nobles here without hesitation."
"That was necessary," Baston answered.
Alicia's eyes narrowed faintly. She sensed the layers of his statement but she could not see through them completely. She shifted the topic instead.
"That bead…" she said, nodding toward his hand, "Do you understand its value?"
"It enhances the comprehension of ice-element magic resonance," Baston said calmly.
Anderson looked surprised, "You already know?"
"Yes..."
Alicia nodded slowly, "For an ice-affinity wizard, it is extremely precious."
"I plan to sell it anyway," Baston said.
"Sell it?" Anderson repeated.
"Yes..."
Alicia's brows furrowed, "You possess such rare affinity but you would discard such a resource?"
"It is unnecessary for me…"
"That is impossible," Anderson said.
Baston simply smiled faintly. They did not know that his knowledge of ice magic did not come from the experience. It came from the old book and it came from something deeper.
Alicia studied him again, "Then what do you need the money for?"
Baston paused briefly, "To live comfortably…"
Alicia did not believe that answer. Even though so, she didn't persuade him further.
"If you insist, Panto is the best channel. His father controls several merchant shops. This rare artifact can fetch higher prices through him."
"Good… Thank you…" Baston replied.
Alicia hesitated, "But if you sell it, the word will spread. Do you already predict the consequence?"
"I am aware..."
"And you do not care?"
He looked at her, "I am already being noticed anyway."
The statement was true. After the magic score of one thousand, the concealment had shifted from the invisibility to misdirection.
They walked toward the academy gates. As they moved, Baston sensed something faint. It was a subtle prickle at the back of his perception. It was not hostility since it was more about the observation. He slowed slightly and Alicia noticed his gesture.
"What is it?"
"Nothing..."
He extended his mana outward subtly and the feeling soon dissipated. Perhaps, it was just his imagination, or perhaps, it was real in the end.
Zeverius Academy did not simply let the assets walk away unmarked.
On the carriage ride back, he stared again at the ice bead. He rotated it between his fingers. Its mana pattern was structured differently from the old book's reward. It was artificial and refined, far from the mysterious magic.
He could extract some minor knowledge from it but compared to the depth of knowledge that was already inscribed in his mind, it was shallow. Selling it was logical since the money offered more flexibility and such flexibility offered more survival.
Alicia watched him silently and she misunderstood his silence. She thought he was planning something bigger. Perhaps, it was about the cult or perhaps, it was about the investigation. She wanted to ask but the rumors were fragile things.
A noble girl who was seen alone too frequently with a boy of unknown origin invited the speculation. In the end, such speculation invited more enemies. She could only restrain herself.
Meanwhile, Baston's thoughts were far simpler. If he had money, he could eat good food and warm meals. Some restaurants he could not afford and visit before would become the reality soon.
The idea made him almost smile but the sensation from earlier observation lingered. He opened the old book secretly but there was no new quest.
It also meant there was no performance evaluation and it was just silence for now.
However, that silence felt deliberate as if something waited.
It waited until he came to a new environment.