“So?” Principal Meinhard asked as the two walked down the school’s corridor. “Still dizzying?”
Jack massaged his temples as if it could somehow help with his aching head due to over channeling his mana. The chaos during the regulating process had exhausted his body with sweat, much more than he would have imagined. Two weeks of training, and still not enough.
“Your father will surely hear about the incident, but…” Meinhard stopped, seeing the bright pair of eyes staring at him as if the boy had seen through his thoughts.
“That action was just a warning!” Jack said. “I own nothing to them. They will not pay any attention to a sickly child like me. The value of the answer to the condition of soul deficiency isn't worth their respect. The Corvus family had enough resources to do research on it, and they will not find it worthy to punish an outcast like me, am I right?
Meinhard nodded, his hand pulling Jack to take a left turn.
“I really want to know how your Spirit aspect has become so adept, and I’m not even sure if I could question you.”
Jack contemplated and said.
“I could tell you. But, I have conditions.”
Jack understood that Meinhard was a friend of father Abraham. He had always tried to support the family and figure out his condition. Considering everything, Jack found himself willing to share his experience with Meinhard. However, he knew better to obtain any benefits that weren't an exploitation of someone.
Meinhard scratched his chin, having some thoughts for himself.
“I need to hear about your conditions first.”
“I want to consult some material in the library, the limited access documents would be great.”
“Wow, little one, you have just asked for something that goes even beyond my authority!”
In order to gain access to the limited documents, one had to be the school’s teacher. The more forbidden the information, the higher the teacher’s rank. Moreover, a teacher could only be qualified by the town’s council, including the principal, the mayor, and the four headmasters of the four grand institution’s branches. Strict it was because not only the teachers were all capable warriors who could cause significant damage, but also because of the political landscape. No faction would be allowed to have an overwhelming number of representative teachers here.
“You can’t provide, neither can’t I,” Jack shrugged.
“You…”
“Besides, when you finally figure out what has happened to me, you will undoubtedly want to dig deeper.”
The principal scratched his chin again, his finger trying to find any strand of beard even though he had had them shaved this morning.
The two stopped before a closed class door. Through the glass window, Jack could see the empty tables.
“I forgot,” Meinhard exclaimed, though his eyes bore no guilt, “today was the senior class field trip day. The instructors must have brought the student outside for some monster fighting.”
“You are an Arcanist, aren’t you?” Jack asked a seemingly unrelated question.
“Good observation, Jack,” Meinhard smiled.
“So can you levitate me up and bring me back to your office or anywhere else with a place to rest? The crow must be gone by now. I don’t think I can stay on my feet any longer.”
The ability to effortlessly and skillfully control objects of the principal was no ordinary mana manipulation. Jack had also noticed his utilization of the air elements in his surroundings, something the Arcanists were known for. More evidently it became, as the principal was boiling the water kettle with fire from his hands.
“It seems you don’t have to join the senior class to understand the factions, right?”
Jack didn’t answer. He was closing his eyes, trying to adjust the mana flow in his body. At the moment, he could only utilize his mana drop by drop in the hope that he wouldn’t exhaust himself because that could potentially slow his healing process.
Meinhard put a hot cup of tea on the small table before Jack. As he was attempting to grab it, the principal stopped him. Meinhard took out a small hexagonal crystal the size of a knuckle from his robe pocket. He held it between his fingers, above the steaming heat rising from the tea. Tiny particles fell from the crystal, dropped down, and dissolved into the hot drink.
“You won’t have enough strength to absorb the whole crystal,” Meinhard said, “A bit of shaving will do. Now, drink!”
Jack raised the cup and took a sip. After running down his stomach, the warm flow of tea emitted a wave of energy all over his body. Jack felt so relaxed from head to toe, like a full-body massage. The dizziness faded away as the cup of tea waned. It had been so long since Jack last felt so exhausted. His face wrinkled as he realized this situation would happen to him more frequently.
“The tea doesn’t work?” Meinhard frowned, looking at the crystal.
“No, I’m fine now, professor!”
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“Shall we begin then!”
Meinhard couldn’t hide his excitement.
Jack put the empty cup down. Not wanting to waste the professor’s time, he quickly prepared himself.
Of course, Jack would not tell the principal everything that had happened to him and his condition, but the main details were no secret. He talked about another lifetime, mostly his second world, ignoring Earth because that had been too far gone for him. Then, he explained his Spirit condition; the knowledge he gained from his “dream” was not entirely pointless. The mana system he had experienced was constructed from this world, and the training exercises had proven its effectiveness. Lastly, he mentioned the sphere, how it had been the mastermind behind everything, as well as its improvement of his brain, allowing him to memorize much more information compared to a normal human being, something that indirectly affected his spirit aspect.
The principal was absorbed into the story, letting Jack finish without disrupting. He had many questions but knew it was time for his student to go home.
“And that is why I must gain access to the library,” Jack finished, “I don’t believe my case is exceptional in this world.”
Meinhard nodded.
“And the clue was the individuals who suddenly changed, or became powerful, more knowledgeable without clear explanations, right?”
“Exactly,” Jack said, “the sphere changed something in each individual. Perhaps even till now, my changing process hasn’t yet been completed.”
“And why is that?” Meinhard leaned toward Jack.
“I appreciate your immediate trust, but I think you have figured out that there has been something behind all of this. I assumed you must have faced some similar cases prior to me?”
Meinhard bursted out laughing. He leaned back on his couch as his eyes trailed off.
“During my research on your condition, a friend of mine has told me her daughter has had some similar experience.”
Jack couldn’t hold his heartbeat, nor could he pay any attention to the professor's sorrowful eyes. He had been right. The sphere had revealed to him that the souls in world No.146 had all been returned to the true world. The opportunity he had been seeking did exist. He found himself with butterflies in his stomach as the desire to find his companions and friends overfilled his heart.
“This is the information you have been waiting for, isn’t it?” Meinhard said, “But I must warn you, meeting with those people is quite difficult. They live outside of this continent.”
Jack nodded, understanding the warning from Meinhard that he wasn’t yet old enough to ask for forbidden information.
“I won’t ask too much from you, but do you at least have a solution to my request?”
Meinhard stood up, walking to the shelves in the room.
“I could let you come in and read all the materials that I left in my office, from both the shelves and the library,” Meinhard said. “But you must understand it is best that no one should happen to see you holding any forbidden titles. As for the information regarding any individuals of your situation, you and I will have some private exchanges, not bad?”
Jack stood up, bowing his head to the principal.
“Thank you for the deal!”
“You shouldn’t be such a young old man, Jack.”
“I’m older than you!”
Meinhard waved his hand, dismissing Jack, not wanting to answer that.
After letting Jack go, Meinhard returned to his desk, his eyes falling on the place where the raven had been.
A spark lingered above the lamb.
“Watch him closely, Meinhard!”
The sound was a cracking thunder by Meinhard’s ears, making him almost as dizzy as Jack.
“Yes, sir!!” Meinhard whimpered.
Only now, did the fire truly vanish.