Chapter 155 155: The Next One.
Along the hallway leading out of the training rooms, Killian spotted Theodore leaning on the entrance door, swirling a black key holder in his index finger.
"You saw your brother in there, right?"
"What about it?" Killian said as he walked past him, out the door. Theodore detached himself from the door, and strolled out behind him.
"I thought you guys don't talk much because you are low-key rivals. But it seems you don't like him. He sounded careful when he asked me where you were."
They stopped walking abruptly. Theodore lowered his raised leg, waiting because Killian halted in front of him.
"Is that what you heard?" Killian stretched his hand and his headphones dropped from his inventory. "Okay." He put them on his head and continued walking.
Theodore clicked his tongue. "So cold." He followed. "Our Regional Leader wants to speak to you?"
"Who is it?"
Theodore tilted his neck, staring at the headphones. He realized that they weren't switched on and that's why Killian could easily hear him.
He fastened his footsteps to keep up with him. "The Warden who had officiated our training match?"
"Aren't Regional Leaders and Leaders different?" Killian asked, since he was Amega's Regional Leader while the red uniformed Lady was the leader of Amega's academy expedition. "Shouldn't one of you have become a Regional Leader?"
"I don't know, but he is the leader of our expedition here." Theodore said simply. "He wanted to talk to you since you arrived but you've been quite busy."
Killian looked up at the ceilings. 'At least it's better if a person who is connected to my region interrogates me on the outcast incident, than being holed up in a dark room with people I can't trust.'
He glanced at Theodore whose pace had slowed down again. "I heard you are a Dual Element User."
With no change in facial expression on Theodore, that confirmed Killian's suspicion. "Everyone knew that?"
Theodore shrugged. "I awakened that element before the Water Element, so yeah. That's also why I caught the Director's attention. It's not really a secret."
'Caught the Director's attention?' Killian tried to remember who the last Director was, before his mother, but brushed it off. "What element is it?"
"Plant Element. Good for long range but drains a lot of mana, and has a few teachers." Theodore paused to sigh. "Water is better for my fighting style."
Killian didn't reply.
He would have argued that the Plant Element accentuated Theodore's trap setting fighting style but that's only what he deduced from his Realmcraft.
He also knew the boy was sneaky and the Plant Element would be a good fit, but again, he had never seen Theodore fight so couldn't be so sure.
They reached a nearby building detached from the other Dorms yet built like one. Killian saw older boys and girls dressed like Coordinators walking out.
It answered his question on where the Coordinators used to sleep as they didn't seem to be students who stayed in Dorms or workers who returned home.
Theodore showed his phone to the male receptionist, before gesturing to Killian to follow him. "Do you know that the Rulers are coming in today?"
"Yeah, I heard," Killian replied, looking around the tall building. The interior designs had more culturally inspired architecture than their Dorms.
There were different versions of bird silhouettes on the walls, and the chandeliers were seed-shaped. "Why are they coming exactly? Just for the matches?"
"Rulers do come just to watch the match but this one wasn't announced early enough. No one expected them to suddenly attend." Theodore said.
He smiled while adding. "But I'm quite excited about it. It's good that they came while I am here."
"You already had your first match." Killian reminded. "What for?"
Cornering through another hallway, the male receptionist raised his hands, signaling for them to come. Theodore explained as he rushed to the man.
"Well, if they're coming then they'll eventually get to know how well everyone has done, right?" He quickly scanned his badge and continued speaking. "Perhaps they'll rewatch each match before the next ones."
Killian took a while to take out his badge from his pocket. "They have that much time to spare?"
He scanned his badge and the male receptionist began tapping his keyboard aggressively.
"It's important." Theodore said with one finger raised. "They need to find the next one."
With the excitement Theodore spoke with, Killian felt less eager to ask what the 'next one' should be.
It could be something he should already know if he had taken reading seriously.
He crossed 'the next Ruler' out of being an option since his Coordinator told him that the Rulers are chosen from specific families.
The male receptionist nodded at them, and scanned his card on the door, leaving it open for then to pass.
"Good for you." Killian sighed, giving up on guessing and not bothering to ask either. "I plan to return to our region with all these outcasts after me."
"Really?" Theodore's excitement plummeted.
"Yeah…" Killian looked at him suspiciously, because the news shouldn't be that exciting.
Theodore's smile froze, and he quickly looked away, adjusting his shirt. "Our Regional Leader will feel defeated if you insist on leaving, though. That means he couldn't protect you."
'Well, could he?' Killian exhaled through his mouth. 'I was trapped in a Realmcraft for more than an hour. I still haven't regained the mana lost. I have nothing to gain here.'
"It's no problem. I just want to return home because the situation affects others." His steps slowed down as he reached a familiar large door.
The place had been looking familiar since the male receptionist opened the door. Theodore knocked and the door clicked open.
Killian remembered the place when he looked into the dark room. The same place he had been interrogated with the Coordinators, except he walked in there himself without using their portal.
Theodore walked in first, looking around carefully. "Sir Ten. Is this your room? It's pretty dark." He turned to Killian. "Come on in. Use your fire or something."
A tired sigh left Killian, as he pulled his hands from his pockets. 'Here we go again.'
He walked in and the door clicked close behind him.