Following my departure, they spoke with their leader.
A calm and deliberate voice emerged from a hologram depicting a man in the darkness, his face hidden from view. "What have you learnt from your discussions with the child?"
Two men in white cloaks stood behind her, mute witnesses to the severity of the event. Astoria paused for a moment before continuing. "Moreover, during his awakening test, he fought nine monsters, one more than usual for the chosen one, and gathered nine souls instead of the expected ten, and I am really sorry, but I forgot to ask him how many times he died during the test after hearing those things."
"His star remains locked, despite our expectations. I didn't question him about the monsters since I don't believe he can discriminate between them at this time, and I was too stunned to ask anything further. However, as soon as he learns more about the various sorts of monsters based on their rank and species and can discriminate between them, I will let you know."
The speaker on the other side of the screen pondered this carefully. "Interesting. This is an unusual circumstance in my studies. I'll need to look into the historical archives; if this oddity isn't already known, it may be noted there.
"Proceed with caution and refrain from pressing him. We must maintain the trust we've built since he is the first Gemini to ever exist, and this might be only the beginning of the anomolies he will bring with him."
"I understand, Great Lord, I forgot to tell you earlier, but the kid has decided to specialise in hand-to-hand fighting and the katana of a samurai."
"Comon, I have said to you this many times to not call me great lord as you are older than me; just call me by my name."
"And as long as his development goes well, this should be OK. It is critical that he unlocks his star quickly. Only then will we be able to identify the nature of the second key he absorbed and compare it to our databases."
"Yes, Great Lord." She turned to depart, followed by two men in white cloaks, their silent vigilance a reminder of the seriousness of the situation.
Meanwhile, on my side...
Following the discussion in the principal's office, we were led to our classroom by the instructor, where we were allocated our seats first one by one. My position was next to my so-called shadow, who had green hair and dark eyes, or, more precisely, a watcher assigned to keep an eye on me.
As I arrived with my belongings, he extended his hand to welcome me.
"Hi, young lord."
The title was nostalgic, a moniker that no one used anymore since I had lost everyone who cared about me. Anger welled up inside me at his boldness in addressing me so familiarly. I threw my luggage on my desk and ignored him. His eyes were filled with melancholy, so when he attempted to welcome me again with a handshake a few seconds later, even though I had ignored him earlier,
"Hello, young Lord. Nice to meet you."
This time I accepted out of pity, as he is still a 7-year-old kid. "If you want to greet me again, call me by my name: Dajit. Otherwise, you won't get a second reply."
Erebus, speaking timidly, responded, "Yes, young lo—I mean, sir Dajit."
I assumed he was simply another spy hired to observe me, but he appeared to be a normal kid—a bit of a crybaby, if I may say so. Why was this kid assigned to me in the first place if he's acting so clumsily? Could it be a play? I should still be wary of him.
As I continued to listen to Erebus discuss what he liked to eat, as well as some other things that I didn't pay much attention to, the teacher grabbed my attention. "Everyone, we will be starting our basic lessons today."
He halted and picked up a wooden stick, which turned out to be a wand. I questioned why he picked this shape; it seemed less effective than utilising a magic orb with an upgraded mana circulator wand. "Let us begin with a conversation among the great stars. What do you think they are?"
One of the twin naga girls with dark blue hair lifted her hand to respond, "They are the gods who created the world, including us."
This was a question I already knew. It was asked by my private teacher during my classes, and I didn't want to react so that others may have an opportunity. The teacher said, "Yes, Maris, you are somewhat correct. To put it simply, stars are gods. However, in a more understandable and rational sense, stars are life itself. The stars are the source of life; we are born from them and will eventually return to them. The star may see your path, but not determine your destiny."
Maris raised her head in contemplation. "But if a god can see what's going to happen next, why wouldn't that extend to your destiny being predetermined by them as well?"
The teacher leaned back in shock after hearing her inquiry.
"Some barbaric people believe that a god, in their omnipotence and omniscience, has a grand plan for everything. This plan encompasses not just the events that happen to us—our fate—but also our ultimate outcomes, our destiny."
Maris wrinkled her brow. "You mean everything is predetermined according to them?"
"Exactly," said the teacher, nodding. "In this barbaric view, our lives are like pre-written stories. A deity, being all-knowing, can see the beginning, middle, and end. Every decision we believe we make, every turn we take, is part of the divine plan."
"What about free will, according to them? Don't we have the ability to determine our own destinies?"
"They would say that even our sense of free will is an illusion," the teacher reflected seriously. "What appears to be a personal choice might simply be another thread in the god's elaborate weave. We are steered, sometimes softly, sometimes explicitly, towards the destiny that has been predetermined for us."
He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. "They talk of a god who knows our courses before we take them, who has plans for us that we can't avoid. In this view, a higher force determines both our fate—the events that occur to us—and our destiny—the end of our life's journey."