Athena, Lin and Walter were in the Dean's office.

The Dean sat in front of them behind his desk and drank his tea calmly.

He often glanced at them with an inscrutable expression which made them squirm in their seats nervously.

Athena fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, feeling a trickle of sweat bead on her brow and thought, 'Is he going to scold me again? I don't want a repeat of that. He's my uncle. I can't have him scold me while Alvina laughs in the background. No! Absolutely not!'

Lin chewed his bottom lip anxiously, his eyes darting up to meet the Dean's gaze before quickly flicking back down to his lap and he thought, 'This old man knows what's he doing. He's testing us. He's looking for any lies.'

Walter sat stoically, his hands clasped together tightly in his lap as he tried to steady his racing heart and thought, 'Come on, old man! Speak! Don't sit there and drink tea. You do that all day anyway. Stop making me fucking nervous!'

None of them dared to break the silence as they waited for the Dean to speak.

He leaned forward and stared at them and thought, 'I know I am intimidating them but if somebody is at fault here, they wouldn't be able to handle the nervousness and would confess.'

A few seconds of staring later, he asked, taking a sip of his tea, "Can any one of you provide details about the incident, please?"

Athena hesitated and glanced at Lin and Walter but she saw them glancing back at her.

She gritted her teeth and glared at them and thought, 'These fuckers! They are making me the scapegoat!'

Nonetheless, she took a deep breath to calm herself and began recounting the incident regarding Darell and his friends in minute detail.

The Dean listened attentively and nodded occasionally to show that he was following her story.

When Athena finished, there was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch on for an eternity.

The Dean took another sip of his tea and glanced at Athena, Lin, and Walter over the rim of his cup.

They looked like they were about to bolt from the room at any moment.

In the Academy, the Instructors were some of the most skilled individuals in the Kingdom of Gavaria.

The majority of them had mastered rank 08 spells and had increased their mana to perform these advanced spells.

However, there were a few special instructors like Athena, Lin, and Walter who had surpassed this level of mastery and had become experts in rank 09 spells.

They had managed to increase their mana to the point where they could perform these higher-level spells with ease.

But even Athena, Lin, and Walter paled in comparison to the Dean of the Academy.

He was the only person in the entire institution who had mastered rank 10 spells.

Those who had achieved mastery in rank 10 spells were considered to be behemoths, with an incredible amount of power at their fingertips.

For instance, someone who had mastered rank 10 Earth ability spells could level an entire city with a single punch.

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Meanwhile, an individual who had mastered rank 10 Illusion spells could bend reality to their will to some extent.

The Dean was undoubtedly one of the strongest individuals in the Kingdom of Gavaria.

His mastery of rank 10 spells had granted him immense power and influence.

Additionally, he had earned the trust and respect of the king himself, making him a truly formidable presence.

He placed the empty teacup on the desk and gazed in the distance with a contemplative expression on his face.

The room was quiet except for the sound of their breaths.

After a few minutes, he broke the silence and spoke in a grave tone, "This has created some problems."

Athena, Lin, and Walter, who had been sitting stiffly, felt their hearts sink at his words.

"I have no idea what His Majesty might do now," the Dean continued, his expression troubled.

Athena spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper, "H-His Majesty won't hear about the incident for a few days. W-We can only hope Darell wakes up within these few days."

The Dean shook his head and replied, "I am pretty sure he already knows what happened in the Academy. Surely, you all know his spies are present throughout the whole kingdom."

Athena, Lin, and Walter's faces paled at the realization.

They had forgotten that some Instructors in the Academy were nothing more than spies placed by the King.

The Dean leaned back in his chair and murmured calmly, "I wonder whose heads will roll."

In this world, the King of the Kingdom of Gavaria was a force to be reckoned with.

His mastery of rank 10 spells was unparalleled and few could match his immense power.

While there were others within the kingdom who had also achieved this level of mastery, none could hold a candle to the King's strength.

It was this unrivaled power that allowed him to keep the ambitious and power-hungry in check, ensuring the stability and safety of his kingdom.

The people of Gavaria held their King in high esteem, for he was not only a powerful ruler, but a just one as well.

The Dean studied their pitiful faces for a few moments before deciding to share a secret with them.

"I am going to tell you a little secret," he said, catching their attention.

Athena, Lin, and Walter sat up straight and looked at the Dean with serious expressions, eager to hear what he had to say.

With a smirk, the Dean dropped the bombshell, "The King is secretly protecting Darell and his friends."

Their jaws dropped to the ground, and they were speechless for a few moments.

They couldn't believe what they were hearing.

The Dean had deliberately shared this top-secret information with them, as he had been ordered to do so by the King himself.

After a few moments of shock, Athena, Lin, and Walter nodded their heads, determined to train Darell and his friends with extra attention and care now that they knew the truth.

"So, the King has been secretly protecting Darell and his friends all this time," Athena said, still trying to wrap her head around the revelation.

The Dean nodded and replied, "Indeed. His Majesty has been keeping a watchful eye on them ever since they gained their innate abilities. Darell, in particular, has garnered a lot of attention due to his rare Space ability. The King wanted to keep him safe from those who might seek to harm him or lure him away from the kingdom."

Lin asked with a concerned expression on his face "What kind of groups are we talking about here?"

The Dean answered, "Other kingdoms have caught wind of Darell's abilities and have sent spies to bring him to their kingdoms. Some of them were even instructed to kill him if he refused. However, the King has dealt with them swiftly and effectively, and the other kingdoms have stopped sending spies altogether."

The trio listened intently as the Dean continued, "Once the King deemed Darell to be favorable, he even went so far as to offer him the hand of one of the princesses in marriage. However, Darell's father rejected the proposal, stating that it was up to Darell to decide if he wanted to marry or not."

Athena, Lin, and Walter exchanged a surprised look.

They had never thought of Darell as a potential royal suitor, but they could see how his rare ability would make him a valuable asset to the kingdom.

The Dean had left them with a newfound respect for Darell and a deeper understanding of the power dynamics at play in the kingdom.

They knew that they would have to be even more vigilant in their training and keep a close eye on Darell and his friends to ensure their safety.

The Dean gestured towards the teacups in front of Athena, Lin, and Walter.

They hesitated for a moment, glancing warily at each other, before reaching out to take their cups.

Reluctantly, they took a sip of the fragrant tea.

The Dean's eyes twinkled with mischief as he watched drink the tea and he spoke, "When the King asked the princesses for their hands in marriage, none of them voiced any opposition."

His gaze shifted towards Athena, Lin, and Walter as he continued, "Even the first princess."

At that moment, Athena, Lin, and Walter were taken aback and choked on their tea, coughing loudly as they tried to clear their throats.

The Dean, clearly pleased with himself, let out a hearty laugh.

Athena, doing her best to remain composed, struggled to contain her anger at her uncle's childish tactics and thought angrily, 'This old fool! He can't let go of his childish pranks! Even after in this tense situation, he's thinking about pranking me. But... I will make him pay! Yes! I will go and confess to Aunt about how he mentally tortured me and then played a prank on me. Yes! I will make her scold him!'

"But," she managed to say through gritted teeth, "the first princess is already engaged."

The Dean smirked and said as he shrugged, "I don't know why she accepted the proposal."

Despite their earlier discomfort, the group spent the next few hours in the Dean's office, discussing the steps they would take to ensure Darell's well-being and safety once he awoke.

When the trio exited the room, the Dean leaned back in his chair and mused aloud, "I wonder what the old man wants from him."

----------------------------------------

Meanwhile,

In the opulent throne room of the Gavarian King's palace, a man with stark white hair and a beard sat upon his throne, his old eyes filled with wisdom glared at the letter in his hand.

Despite his aged appearance, his face retained its youthful vigor, and his grandeur was visible in his regal attire - a black and red robe with a white vest, radiating luxury that would make onlookers envious.

The man's regal appearance was further elevated by the majestic crown resting atop his head.

He was reading a letter with a stoic expression on his face.

However, he crumpled it in a fit of rage and tossed it aside.

The current circumstances weighed heavily on his mind, and he clenched his fists in frustration.

Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke to himself, "Darell, you must become stronger. The world needs you."