Chapter 196: Conflicting Feelings
"Nice to see you again after such a long time, Instructor Elva."
Hearing his words, Elva came out of her zoned state, her eyes blinking once as if waking up from a long train of thoughts that had pulled her inward.
But before she could say anything, and before Melissia, who was looking at him with a burning gaze filled with emotions that words couldn’t quite capture, could open her mouth, Nichole, the Principal of Starlight Academy, spoke from behind with a calm but firm voice that made everyone pause.
"Everyone, as you might already know, Student Elysia was injured due to the unfortunate incident that took place a few months back. Though the injury was fatal and her chances of survival were close to none, in the end... she prevailed against all odds and is now standing in front of you."
The moment his words landed, everyone straightened up. The relaxed, curious atmosphere that had hung around them just moments ago had vanished, replaced by the palpable pressure his presence now exerted.
Until now, the principal had kept his aura in check, allowing the reunion to unfold without interference. But now... he was no longer holding back.
... On second thought, he actually was... if he were to exert his full presence, then everyone present here would be forced to kneel without resistance, their bodies would tremble under the sheer pressure of his existence, completely helpless and overwhelmed. Everyone, that is, with the exception of Ash and Elva.
Ash, due to his Primordial Core, would not feel anything, his body completely immune to such external pressure, and Elva could protect herself, being a mythical human with her own means of resistance.
"As for Ash," Nichole continued, his tone steady and unwavering, "you may have heard that he went to stay with his relative during that time, but that was false. The truth is, he went to search for a cure for Elysia. Of course, no one believed he would succeed, no one expected him to return with anything useful... but then again, he did."
"You might be wondering why I am telling you all of this. You might be thinking, why am I standing here and revealing what Ash did?"
Wait, why is he telling that to them? He never said anything about that...
While they were coming here, the Principal had insisted that he must come with him. He had said that it was one of those rare chances to motivate the students, something they could remember and be inspired by.