I Level Up Dragons with My Evolution System

"Elder Owen, sorry to bother you," Edward said.

"Don’t worry about it. I’ve heard good things about you... too many, in fact. I’d really like to understand how you did it, but it seems you’re not here for that."

Edward frowned. ’Did they tell him about the evolution of my beasts and my current strength?’ He sighed. ’It’ll be hard to hide from now on. I’m afraid I’m in greater danger every day.’

"I just came to inform you that our group has agreed not to accept any more missions from Instructor Mervan. We’d like to be assigned a new instructor in charge."

Elder Owen frowned. "Why? Has there been a problem?"

Edward had already thought of the excuse he would give when he came here. "Not really, Elder. It’s because of our strength... it’s grown a bit recently, and Instructor Mervan’s missions don’t allow us to use that advantage to secure resources. You should already know that. He focuses on missions that are less about adventure and more about research. We no longer have a member who’s good at research, so he’s no use to us. We want more missions in the Cursed Lands or similar places."

"Oh? That’s interesting. Usually, new students don’t ask for that kind of mission until their third year."

"We’re not the majority," Edward asserted.

"Hahaha." Owen burst out laughing and nodded. "Indeed. You’re right. None of you three are normal. Very well, since that’s the case, I’ll inform Mervan personally. But you should know that with the change in instructor, you’ll have to complete a new mandatory mission. It will be chosen by the instructor."

"I know."

"Very well. An instructor who meets your requirements..." Owen stood up and looked through the Instructor files.

From among them, he picked out one sheet in particular.

High-Ranking Instructor.

"Alric Dorne. He will be your new instructor. If you have time, go say hello and take this sheet with you," Owen said, signing and sealing the sheet in his hand.

"Very well, Elder Owen." Edward bowed slightly. "Thank you very much. Also, thank you for what you did that time. I hadn’t had the chance to thank you properly."

"Don’t worry, student Edward. You’re doing a great job. Keep it up and don’t rush into accepting any offers that might come your way. Be patient, and you’ll surely have a bright future at the academy," said Owen, and he dismissed him.

When the door closed, the room fell silent.

Owen waited a few minutes, staring at the door, and then turned away.

The window of his office overlooked the courtyard and the instructors’ building. He gazed out of it for several minutes, looking pensive.

"If little rats want to invade your house, you have to set a poison trap to kill them, right?" He smiled softly, before closing the curtains and returning to his work.

He seemed to be in a better mood than before.

---

That very night, the news broke that Edward’s group had been assigned a high-ranking instructor as their new mission leader. And among all the candidates, Instructor Alric Dorne was chosen.

One of the academy’s most renowned instructors, whom few groups are eligible to request for their missions. It’s not just about strength—it’s also about guts.

Alric Dorne’s missions are dangerous because they often involve treason or are related to the Cursed Lands. You’re more likely to enter a Cursed Land with him than a dungeon. That’s why Alric Dorne assigns missions to the key members of powerful regiments, not just to independent groups.

-

The following day.

First thing in the morning, Edward, Aurora, and Arnold received shocking news.

In the local newspapers, all the front pages reported the murder of an instructor on the academy grounds.

Instructor Mervan had been murdered... And the manner of his death was so horrific that they chose not to show it to the public.

The death of an instructor within the academy had never happened before. It caused a great shock among the students and other instructors.

If the academy fails to protect an instructor who is also responsible for the students’ safety, what hope is left for the young students? And even more so, what hope is left for the people of Lor, who depended on the academy’s protection and viewed the instructors as beings of supreme power?

Chaos erupted at the academy and throughout the city that morning, and even the instructors, professors, and elders found it difficult to speak up.

The most serious problem was that no one had any idea who had murdered him.

The only thing they knew was that he had been found in his room, dismembered, which could indicate that he had been tortured and then killed.

After reading this in one of the academy’s restaurants, Aurora frowned and glanced sideways at Edward. Arnold looked pensive, as did Edward.

There were too many questions swirling in his mind. Who killed him, and why? Was it his own allies? A settling of scores? Or perhaps someone from the academy did it?

’If someone found out what I saw, maybe that’s why he was killed. But it wouldn’t make sense for them not to mention that it was treason, then. Although I don’t know where that mysterious energy he had came from, I’m pretty sure it’s not something humans are supposed to have,’ he thought.

"He was killed the very day after they announced we’d gotten a new instructor..." Arnold sighed. "Trouble’s coming."

"What do you mean?" Edward and Aurora looked at him.

"The only change that happened before he was murdered was the change in our group’s instructor. Although there’s something else, from what you’ve told me. Both Instructor Mervan and the two of you were in the same city a few days earlier... The malicious ones are going to link this together to pin the blame on the two of you—and even on me," Arnold replied. "Or rather, Mervan’s family."

"That sounds logical." Edward frowned. Though there were gaps in the logic.

No matter how much the three of them joined forces, it’s impossible that they could have killed Mervan in such a way. Even with Aurora’s recent strengthening, Mervan was also a 5-star student in his day. Perhaps weaker than the current Aurora, but more than 10 years have passed since then, and his strength has far surpassed what he once had.

"Don’t worry about logic—angry people don’t care about that. Besides, it’s not like the two of us have the best reputation," Arnold said with a hint of self-deprecating humor directed at himself and Edward. "Maybe Miss Ashford won’t have any problems, but..." He didn’t want to finish his sentence; he believed time would prove him right.

Edward and Aurora had nothing to say. They sensed they would soon find out the answer to this situation.

---

The elders had several problems following what had happened in the early hours of the morning.

Inside the Elders’ Office, the principal paced back and forth, deep in thought and stressed.

The elders were calmer, sitting and drinking coffee.

Even though they all had the same power, not everyone had the same responsibilities. This is because the principal likes to take charge of things and doesn’t want to delegate much to his subordinates, while the elders are more laid-back.

There were six elders today, as usual.

"Where the hell is Owen?" the principal complained.

Enzo smiled. "That’s the fourth time you’ve asked, Principal."

"No one can figure out where that guy is. It’s not the first time he’s been late to a meeting," Shawn recalled.

"This is urgent!"

"Nothing is urgent to him, Principal."

With a grunt, the principal had to agree.

Just then, the door opened.

"What’s all the fuss about?" Owen walked in with a groan.

Everyone stared at Owen in shock.

"Elder Owen, you’re late," the principal said.

Owen simply shrugged. "I’m not required to arrive early. The regulations state that any elder can arrive at any meeting at whatever time they choose, and that everyone else is required to tell them everything—without lying." He reminded him of the new regulations that had been implemented about 15 years ago...

"You wrote those regulations; they weren’t like that before!" the principal complained.

"Heh, but the king approved it." Owen laughed.

Once again, the principal had to agree with a grumbling sigh.

"Forget it. I want to know, what the hell happened in the early morning? Which of the Generals was in charge of the guard, and who was the assassin?"

Owen looked at the principal as if he were an idiot. "Principal, we are elderly scholars. We are not fortune-tellers."

"Elder Owen, I just want answers that make sense."

"Mine builds. It builds the logic that we can’t know everything, especially within our own territory."

"Don’t play dumb, Elder Owen, I know how powerful you are! I’m the one who has to take the heat for the province, and now chaos is breaking out in every provincial region because of this!" The principal slammed his fist on the table, clearly angry.

But Owen shrugged. "There’s been chaos for over a month in the Ashford region, and I haven’t seen you come out to make a statement. So that would be hypocrisy on your part."

"You..."

The principal decided to take a deep breath to calm down. He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. After breathing in and out dozens of times, he opened them again.

"Elder Owen..." His voice was lower than before. "The king has demanded an explanation."