Once Joshua and Ans left the cafeteria, Edward sat opposite Elen and said in a serious tone, "You know you will be undergoing your awakening ceremony and class promotion to the second standard in a month's time, right?"
Elen nodded.
"So kid, Gracy contacted me this morning about this matter. She wants to hold your awakening ceremony at your house rather than at the school."
Elen looked at Edward with a puzzled face. "Isn't it usually conducted at the academy's awakening hall?"
Edward sighed. "Yeah, it is usually done like that, but your situation is a little different. If what Gracy said about you is true, there is a high chance that something out of the ordinary will happen during your awakening."
"The reason I am informing you now is to remind you not to take the body-strengthening potion that your class teacher will be distributing tomorrow. I have already informed Miss Jia about this matter."
"So, don't throw a tantrum in class for not receiving the potion."
Elen looked at the old man in front of him and said seriously, "Principal, are you trying to snatch my potion for yourself? Believe me, I will tell Grandma that you bullied me."
Edward looked at Elen, who was now sitting there with a serious look on his face, and said helplessly, "I knew you would bring up your grandma's name in this matter as well. That's why I am informing you beforehand. I will visit your house in one or two days time and give you your body-strengthening potion myself. Until then, stay put and don't cause me any more trouble."
Elen smiled in relief upon hearing this. "Here I thought you had become greedy."
Edward said disdainfully, "Like I need to cheat a brat who hasn't even fully hatched out of his shell to make a living,".
Elen ignored the old man and stood up from his chair. "I will be going then. We have a special class on divine essence cultivation after the lunch break."
He then thought of something and said to Edward gratefully before running away from the cafeteria, "Oh, by the way, thank you for the fried rice, Grandpa Edward."
Edward looked at Elen, who had already gone out of the cafeteria helplessly. "Gracy has spoiled this brat to the point of no return."
"Here is the bill, sir," Steve placed a bill in front of Edward and said respectfully.
Edward looked at the bill in confusion. "I didn't even eat anything. Why are you giving me the bill?"
"Those kids hadn't paid for the rice, and you also heard that brat thanking you for the meal, right? Now don't be stingy over a few silver coins," Neil, the middle-aged man sitting at the counter of the cafeteria, said with a smile.
Edward laughed upon hearing this. "That brat tricked me again. I am not sure about anything else, but he definitely picked up all the bad traits of that madwoman, Gracy."
Back in the classroom...
When Elen returned, the second period about medicinal plants was already over, and the class about magical beasts handled by Miss Jia, the class teacher, had begun.
"Where were you just now instead of attending the class, Draven?" Miss Jia asked when she saw Elen at the door of the class with a smile on his face.
"Oh, the principal asked me to meet him at the cafeteria. I was coming from there, Miss," he pushed all the blame onto Edward without a change in his expression. After all, if he said he had gone to eat fried rice while skipping his class, he would surely be scolded for good.
"He talked to you about the potion?" Miss Jia nodded in understanding and waved her hand. "Get in."
Elen happily entered the class and sat down at his desk. After making sure that Miss Jia was writing something on the board, he slowly pulled Ans's shirt and said in a low voice, "You ran off without paying the bill at the cafeteria. I was the one who paid for it, so make sure to treat me to a plate of fried rice tomorrow if you don't want to be beaten up."
"You can't blame me for this, boss. The principal was there the whole time we were eating. You also know I am afraid of that old man, right?" Ans replied in a hushed voice.
Elen patted his shoulder and said generously, "Fine, fine, I understand. Just remember to treat me again tomorrow."
"Stop talking, everyone," Miss Jia called from the front sternly. "There will be a special class by a senior cultivator today, so after the lunch break come to the assembly hall without making any noise."
Joshua, who was sitting to the side of Elen's bench, looked at him and whispered, "Didn't I say there would be a special class?"
Elen gave him a thumbs up. "You really have a way of knowing everything."
Joshua grinned proudly upon hearing this. "Of course, who do you think this mighty all-knowing Joshua is?"
Elen rolled his eyes at the pretentious idiot in front of him and started listening to Miss Jia, who was now explaining the habitat of water-element magical beasts to the class.