The vice chancellor, Karasuma Yasuke, was an imposing figure. His short white hair contrasted sharply with his dark eyes, and his chiseled features bore the marks of countless battles.
He wore a suit adorned with military decorations, signifying his once-frontline commander's role. He had single-handedly slaughtered his way through a legion of the Demon King's army while carrying out a rescue mission, successfully slaying the commander.
As Yasuke entered the training room, his face was full of anger, his presence commanding immediate attention. He looked at the instructors and barked, "Dismiss the class today. Everyone except Cruzer, leave."
The students murmured among themselves as they exited, some gloating over Cruzer's apparent misfortune.
"Looks like Cruzer's in trouble," one student whispered, smirking.
"Serves him right," another added. "Probably cheated his way through the assessment."
"I always knew there was something off about him," a third student sneered.
Cruzer stood there, foreboding settling in his stomach, gasping for his breath as he realized he might be in trouble. The room, now empty except for him and the vice chancellor, felt oppressive.
As the students filed out, Yasuke's eyes scanned the room, settling on three other figures. "Yui, Rin, Alisha, stay behind as well," he commanded.
With Yui, Rin, and Alisha staying behind, Yasuke motioned for them all to follow him. He led them through the hallways of the academy to his office.
The room was large and imposing, filled with numerous trophies, medals, and framed certificates that adorned the walls.
A large, ornate desk sat in the center of the room, covered with neatly organized stacks of papers and books. Shelves lined the walls, holding numerous artifacts and accolades from Yasuke's illustrious career.
The atmosphere in the room was intense, with the weight of Yasuke's past achievements and current authority pressing down on everyone present. Yasuke moved behind his desk and gestured for the students to stand before him.
"Do you know why I've asked Yui, Rin, and Alisha to stay, Cruzer?" Yasuke asked, his voice stern.
Cruzer shook his head, trying to maintain his composure.
"The main person here is Yui," Yasuke said, "but I didn't want you to think I was being unfair and only listening to my granddaughter. So, I invited Rin and Alisha, her party members, as guarantees, that can vouch for her special ability. Look, kid, spill the truth."
Cruzer had an inkling that they probably found out about his talent rank, but still, he feigned ignorance. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Vice Chancellor."
Yasuke's anger flared. While he hadn't personally interacted much with the boy, he had heard about him from Rin and his granddaughter and had a decent opinion of him.
But today's events made him feel like this boy was not trustworthy. Yasuke loathed dishonesty; it led to disastrous outcomes for team members when fighting against the demons or when investigating new, uncharted realms.
As a military man who had dealt with such troubles due to dishonest teammates, he absolutely detested such acts.
"I want to know whether your talent digressed from 3 stars to 0 stars and what method you used to cheat the mystic ball," Yasuke demanded.
He then signaled his granddaughter Yui, who stepped forward. "I possess an ocular technique called True Sight, which shows me the truth of all matters. This technique is a secret known only to my family members and party members."
Rin and Alisha nodded at her words, affirming the truth of the matter.
This revelation shocked Cruzer as his secret was laid bare. Yasuke's gaze bore into him. "Explain how you are able to cheat against the mystic ball."
Cruzer's system startled when it heard Yui talking about True Sight.
It muttered to Cruzer, "How is it possible that someone from this low-energy plane not only inherited but successfully awakened the True Sight?" The system then said, "Come clean about your talent regressing and buy some time while I transfer your current temporary talent level to an item. You can show it to him and say you found it in Whispering Woods."
Cruzer took a deep breath and began, "My talent was absorbed by my newly awakened hidden talent along with my levels right before the day of the talent reassessment. I was desperate, so I wandered around Whispering Woods and found an item that could raise my talent to its original level for six hours."
Yasuke stared at him as if looking at an idiot. "Do you think I'm a fool? I've never heard such an absurd tale in my life. You somehow awaken a hidden talent that absorbs your current powers, then you wander around Whispering Woods and suddenly find a miraculous item that conveniently fixes your talent problem? Do you take me for an idiot?"
He felt as if he were being mocked. In his extensive experience, he had never heard of a hidden talent awakening that absorbed existing levels and talents, as that would mean death for the mystics.
While rare, some people awakened weak talents first and later awakened a hidden talent inherited from strong ancestors. In such cases, the person's talent would then be replaced by the stronger talent, increasing talent rating while maintaing the same level, simultaneously makign them storner
Ichinose Rin also chimed in, her voice cold but filled with disappointment. "Cruzer, while I have thought of you as weakling, I have never took you as a liar and dishonest person. Honestly, it makes me sick to think about how I have been oblivious to this side of you."
Alisha was also shaking her head in disappointment and disgust as if she could not imagine him falling this low, trying to lie his way out of this situation.
The weight of their judgment pressed down on Cruzer. He could feel the disappointment and disdain in the room growing more intense.
Rin's words cut deep, and he realized just how much trouble he was in. The atmosphere was charged with tension, and Yasuke's anger was palpable.
Yasuke's eyes bored into Cruzer, his patience wearing thin. "Do you have anything else to say for yourself, Cruzer? Or are you going to continue with this absurd story?"
Cruzer felt a surge of desperation. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of this situation. The system's voice echoed in his mind, urging him to follow through with the plan. He needed to buy time and hope that the system's transfer of his talent level would work.
"Vice Chancellor," Cruzer began, his voice trembling slightly, "I swear I'm telling the truth. I know it sounds unbelievable, but I have no reason to lie. Please, give me a chance to prove it."