The entire crowd did not even understand what had happened. Everything shifted in a split second. One moment, Wild and the Dean were still standing before the giant egg. The next, crimson light swallowed them both and they were gone.
The Vice Dean wore an ugly expression. Her right hand was still trembling. The moment her summon clashed with a simple swipe from Wild, her golden vermilion bird had exploded, making blood rise into her throat before she forced it back down. She could not afford to show weakness before the others, but the power a mere student had displayed filled her with fear.
Nobody spoke. There was no one left to mock, no one left standing at the center of attention. Only low whispers began to spread as people wondered what would happen to Wild, though most had already decided they would never lay eyes on him again.
"Let us continue..." Golden Touch patted herself down and fixed her disheveled hair before raising her voice and cutting through the tension. It would be better if someone influential stepped onto the stage now and wiped Wild from their thoughts. Her gaze dropped to the list of students, and a smile slowly curled on her lips. "Perfect," she whispered.
"Celestria of the Arden family..."
--------
Meanwhile, Wild felt as if the world had slipped from beneath his feet. Everything had happened faster than he could comprehend, and the difference in power weighed heavily on his heart.
Suddenly, he felt himself drop onto something solid, his back pressing against what felt like a chair. When Wild opened his eyes, there was nobody else in the room. How did I get here in a split second? His face turned pale.
The room was not very wide, only large enough to be called an office, but it was decorated in gold and white marble, making even the small space feel heavy and important. The fire in the fireplace was the only thing breaking the silence, its flames licking at the wood with a steady crackling sound.
"You really surprised me there, Wild."
Wild's whole body jumped as the voice came from nowhere behind him. He turned his head at once, only to meet empty space.
"I'm here." The old voice laughed softly.
Wild turned fully and saw the Dean sitting behind a large desk covered in ancient-looking books. A serious smile rested on the old man's face, his fingers crossed before him as if he were quietly judging the young man before him.
Wild quickly rose from the chair and bowed. "Sir, I—"
"Calm down. If you stay this flustered, we won't get anywhere today with your trial." The Dean cut him off, his expression impossible to read. "Sit. This may take a while."
Wild obeyed, though reluctantly. He wanted to explain himself, to buy himself a chance to stay, to understand what this power truly was. Then the air above the Dean twisted, and a black screen appeared with golden letters spreading across it.
[Do not reveal the system to the world.]
It said nothing more, yet Wild still gulped, his eyes lifting toward it.
"Is there something above me?" The Dean turned and looked up, seeing nothing.
"No, sir, just... my nerves..." Wild apologized quickly. By now, he already understood that what had happened to him was not simple at all, but he was not allowed to speak of it at all? Not even a little?
He had to come up with a lie, and fast, and this beast of a man did not look easy to deceive. It would be better to act clueless and pretend he had no idea where his powers had come from.
"Let's cut to the chase, since I believe both of us are slightly shaken." The old man spoke calmly. "You have breached several academy rules before you could even officially join it. That is not something that happens often, at least... not on your scale."
"Sir, I can explain."
"Don't interrupt me. That is one more rule broken. Speak only when you are asked to." He gave Wild a hard, serious look. "Now, I am glad that you ended up gaining a beast, but your actions and your breach of academy rules place me in a difficult position."
Wild gulped. He tried to hold himself together, but it was difficult. This was everything to him, his only chance to stand on the same level as the nobles. No, more than that. To him, it was a chance to stand above them, and now, with the system and the power that made no sense, he had finally gained what he needed.
All that was left was this academy. He had to join, no matter what.
As if noticing the fire in Wild's eyes, the Dean sighed to himself. I have never had such a difficult decision to make. On one hand, he shows tremendous potential. This fusion of beast and master has never been seen before, so it is hard to say whether he will remain at the bottom or rise above everyone else, but one thing is certain. He will change the world. And yet... they will eat me alive if I allow him to stay here and grow... What am I supposed to do with him?
"Why do you want to be a summoner?" he asked calmly after a moment of silence.
"To prove to the world and to myself that I'm not just a nobody, and that I can be better than them. I want to hold fate in my own hands, sir."
I knew it... The old man's face soured. He is a disaster waiting to grow. And yet, some selfish part of me still wants to see the world change...
"I see... Good answer. I like that about you. You have what the other students lack, Wild. Passion. The desire to grow. That kind of mindset is almost ancient now."
The Dean's words made Wild smile for the first time.
"But I am sorry to say that I cannot allow you to join the academy." Those words hit like thousands of knives stabbing into the young man's soul. His body nearly gave out, but his eyes still burned with fire, as if he were already asking himself whether someone like him was always meant to walk alone.
"Unless you can agree to some conditions..."