"Please, follow me. We have to go this way.", John Elton guided me.
We entered the academic building. The first thing inside was the reception area. It was empty but this is where people can sit and wait.
I took out my phone and texted Taeyang.
'What do you plan to do?', Lianne asked me.
'I warned him, saying I received a premonition. Also I asked him to dig up information about this guy and the girl named Ichika.'
"Our academy boasts a legacy of 50 years. This year is our Golden Jubilee." Elton gave me a business smile as he guided me through the area.
I looked at the pictures on the wall, uninterested in what he was saying.
There were portraits depicting famous alumni.
Among the many pictures, I saw a name that made me halt.
'Belle Qu'
"Ah yes. She was one of the most famous elementalist in Reji City. No, in probably the whole country Kroach." Elton spoke highly of her.
"Was?" I asked him.
"Yes. Unfortunately, she died 8 years ago."
I looked back at the woman. She had dark green hair and her eyes were grey.
"You may also like to take a look at Sir Belford Hopkins. Today, his two children have also come for the interview."
I looked at him with my side eye. He gestured towards a picture on the wall.
"He is currently the strongest elementalist in Ark city. He specializes in water and earth."
'Ray, he's trying to make you warm up to him.'
"What element do you teach, professor?", I turned towards him.
"Hahah, I'm not an elementalist. I only teach analytical chemistry to the undergraduates."
A chemist. A man-made disaster. What else but a terrorist attack?
"So you specialize in making bombs." I smiled at him.
'Target feels hostile towards you.'
"Haha, that's a funny joke, Saint. I do not endorse any kind of violence and am quite a pacifist."
He didn't drop his business smile.
"Ofcourse, I was just joking." I smiled back at him and continued walking.
'He isn't lying, Ray. I didn't detect any spikes in his heart beat or twitching in his face.'
'I know. Since, the Task is set by someone who is running a show for amusement, it'll only rise in difficulty. There is no way it'll be as simple as killing Astracus. Right now, I need to figure out how saving his life is considered more difficult than saving the lives of two other people.'
I walked with him through the hall of fame,
picking up every name along the way.
Towards the end, I saw another name.
'Takashi Kimura'
'That is Enna's father.'
I had looked at his picture in Enna's house.
'Didn't Enna's mother divorce him? Yuka Kimura also shares the same surname', Lianne raised a good point.
'Maybe it's more complicated than we think.'
Love always is.
"We're here, Saint." Elton opened the door for me.
"Thank you", I bowed to him.
He was surprised, almost dropping his business smile.
"Please raise your head, Saint", he bowed back and told me.
"May God be with you. Good luck."
He turned back and walked away.
'You acted so coldly to him, Ray.'
'Lianne.'
'Yes?'
'Did I receive today's RP?'
'Sponsor RP? Yes, you have.'
'Stopwatch, amplify it.'
I quickly took out my phone and texted Taeyang again.
[Track my device. I'm dropping it on a person. I'll come to you soon]
Time slowed down.
John Elton was walking away. Carefully looking at him, I found that his wallet was in his pants.
I locked my phone and with lithe movements, using my index and middle fingers, I picked up his wallet from behind. My light magnetic bar shaped phone easily slid inside his wallet.
Having completed my task, I put it back in his pants and turned back.
'Stop the skill.'
Time flowed normally again.
Pain flooded me but I didn't change my expression.
With my steps growing larger every time I dropped my foot on the ground, I opened the door to the interview room.
"Welcome, Saint."
"Welcome, please take a seat."
Two people greeted me as soon as I entered.
There were three people sitting on the table in the centre and five people on each of the two sofas. So there were fifteen people in the room excluding me.
The room was spacious and the air-conditioner was on even though the temperature outside wasn't warm.
Time to start my acting.
I bowed with one hand behind me and the other infront of me like an aristocrat.
Small noises filled the room
"He's very well educated."
"Look how handsome he is."
"Is he really a Saint?"
I could feel everyone's stares on me, analyzing me and looking for the smallest imperfections.
Raising my head, I looked at everyone. One old bald man was looking at me with a rabid expression. He didn't say anything but I could feel his hostility towards me.
Sitting down on the chair, I prepared myself for the rapid fire questions that were about to come my way.
"So could you please introduce yourself?", the lady in the middle asked me.
She was an old woman. Most likely the principal of this academy.
I spoke exactly how Taeyang had taught me.
"My name is Ray Astraeus. Due to my special circumstances, I am unable to reveal my background, however I am more than willing to talk about everything else."
"Ofcourse, Sir Ray. Thank you for choosing Ishiyama."
Sir?
'Are they getting into my aristocratic roleplay?'
'Drop it, Ray. Elton didn't call you Sir.'
"Could you please show us some of your divine mana?"
At this question, everyone leaned forward.
'Lianne, you're up.'
'Leave it to me', Lianne was waiting for her chance to shine.
Unlike before, I didn't feel the need to pull out my mana anymore. There was an abundancy of it inside my body, wherever I directed my senses.
I opened my right palm and a golden fire came out.
"Wow!"
"He is a saint!"
"It is beautiful!"
Background noises filled the room again.
The old lady's expression changed into one of relief.
I looked at the old man beside her, he grinded his teeth and looked away from me.
"Thank you, Sir Ray. That will be enough."
I stopped the fire and closed my palm.
"Regarding your choice of major. Would you like to enrol in the pre-medical department?", the lady gestured with her hand towards the sofa.
A man stood up and bowed.
"Albeit it's a pre-med department, Doctor Hoshi is one of the best medical professors in the country."
"I specialize in trauma care and critical medicine", the man called Hoshi said.
I smiled at them and then replied.
"I'd like to join the Department of Elementalism."