CHAPTER 101: THE GRAND INSTRUCTORS, EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT

"He’s currently being held at the Disciplinary Committee station. I’ve sent details of what transpired, alongside the video and the pills, to the higher authority. I also sent a message to the Instructor Committee members to inform them of what has happened," Sarafina responded, her expression and tone serious.

"The Grand Instructors?" Ezekiel’s voice was filled with surprise, his eyes widening in response to the unexpected information.

Each Instructor was at most a Rank 4 Awakener, responsible for tutoring each class within their Path and year.

Above them, coordinating the Instructor Committee as a whole, were the Grand Instructors.

There was only one Grand Instructor for each of the nine departments.

From what he knew, all of them possessed varying strengths from Rank 5 Awakeners and above.

And beyond them was the President of the Grand Avalon Academy. His strength was unknown, but rumour had it that it rivalled that of the Zahara Clan Leader and the other powerhouses in Thunder Sky Fortress.

The higher an awakener ascends, the harder it becomes to break through to the next rank. Despite the number of Spirit Veins an awakener possessed, their talent determined how high they could ascend.

However, the higher the number of Spirit Veins, the higher the ceiling they could reach.

"Yes," Sarafina nodded.

"At that time, there might also be a public announcement to clear your name."

Ezekiel let out a sigh, a wave of relief washing over him.

If it were the Grand Instructors, then he had no reason to worry about what would transpire. All he had to do was play his part, and everything would fall into place.

"Good. I’ll be waiting for the message when everything is ready," Ezekiel replied.

Ezekiel nodded.

"Thank you for your help." Ezekiel’s voice was filled with genuine gratitude.

"Don’t mention it. From the moment they dragged my student and me into this, they had already lost the battle of wits. Perhaps he thought I was too stupid to discover anything until it was too late," Sarafina responded.

"Even then, it was the right thing to do. I was already planning to find a way to help out when I first discovered that you were framed," she grinned broadly as though she could read his thoughts.

"As Awakeners aspiring to be Heroes, it would be terrible if I turned a blind eye to what was happening. I can’t set a bad example, now can I?"

Ezekiel’s eyes widened with a mix of surprise and understanding as he stared at Sarafina. Of all the Instructors he had yet to encounter, she was one of the few he hadn’t expected to hear such words from.

This was also one of the few times he had received help from someone who knew his true identity without expecting something in return.

Even Chioma, who had given him a fifty per cent discount on the storage ring he had purchased, had done so to build a reputation with him in hopes of gaining something in return.

Ezekiel knew that was the reason Sarafina had recommended he join the Okafor Clan. Still, she had done it while knowing his true identity.

That alone was enough to make him see her in a good light.

He finally understood why she was Sarafina’s student.

Ezekiel had forgotten whether it was due to the rumours he had heard about Sarafina or her Path as a Berserker that made him avoid her.

"Thank you." Those were the only words Ezekiel could utter at the moment.

’Such a heartbreaking sight,’ Sarafina sighed inwardly, feeling pity as she looked at Ezekiel.

"Come on! It’ll be bad if someone comes here, sees us, and spots the traces of battle. I’ll take you to my office where you can rest until you’ve fully recovered," Sarafina said.

She stood up to her feet and moved closer to Ezekiel.

Then she placed her arms under him and picked him up in a princess carry.

Initially, Ezekiel squirmed under her grasp, making it clear he didn’t want to be carried.

Sarafina chuckled. She held him in place with her strength, leaving no room for him to resist.

"You’ll only keep embarrassing yourself if you keep squirming. Don’t tell me you’ve never dreamt of being carried away in a princess carry. Even a powerful woman might just be your knight in shining armour, you know," Sarafina teased, her smile growing more mischievous by the second.

She had wanted to place him over her shoulder and carry him to the office, but his reaction made her want to tease him even more.

However, Ezekiel quickly saw through her tricks.

He stopped moving and closed his eyes, pretending to fall asleep.

Sarafina observed the scene and shook her head, a smile on her lips.

She leapt up and soared into the sky.

Ezekiel peeked outwards, gazing as they soared high in the sky.

After reaching a certain Rank, Awakeners could learn a technique that enabled them to fly, unlike the Magus Class Awakeners, who could utilise this ability from the get-go as long as they knew the right spell.

Ezekiel internally admitted that it was comfortable being carried in this manner.

Suddenly, his eyes began to feel heavy as a wave of sudden tiredness hit him.

"You are still under the effects of the elixir, so you should feel a refreshing wave of strength or tiredness within you as it does its work. To be honest, I hadn’t expected you to have awoken too soon, even if I had held back. Others would have taken an hour or more, but you did it in less than thirty minutes. You must possess an amazing physique," Sarafina said, her tone filled with care and concern for Ezekiel’s well-being.

Ezekiel nodded in understanding and swiftly drifted into slumber.

***

The next day

As dawn broke, I recovered and returned to my dorm room.

I switched on my smartphone and opened the emails that I had received that morning.

[ – To First-Year Magical Swordsman Department, Class Three

Dear students,

Your classes are canceled until further notice. Instructor Fredric has been dismissed from his position. A new instructor will be assigned to your class once all procedures are completed. Please remain patient and use the time wisely, and focus on your training independently.

—Grand Avalon Academy Instructor Committee. ]