Chapter 215. Discovered.
"Thank you, sir," Aiden replied politely.
Everyone in the room had regathered their composure. Currently, they were all seated.
However, they looked at Professor Turner with renewed fear and respect.
"As of now, you are officially a permanent combat professor of Sauna City University. You are free to resign whenever you want. Don’t worry about the paperwork. As we speak now, your name has been officially registered in the university and academic Federation Database. You are assigned to teach combat to the fourth-year students. All the best," Dean Wembley said.
"Nice to meet you, Professors," Aiden said politely.
After he spoke, their wary expressions shifted into polite ones. Was this really the monster who just released extremely dense bloodlust into the room?
This man was indeed terrifying.
How could he be so polite?
Well, he looked nothing like the impulsive young people they had encountered. He was extremely mature for a twenty-year-old.
He knew when to sheath his predatory nature and when to unsheath it. People like that were terrifying. A smile could even be a calculated move. A thank you from them could be a death sentence.
Even the intermediate rank 3 warriors and the vice dean didn’t have any intention of offending him. This man had terrifying potential, and if they got on his bad side, there was a possibility that when he became stronger than them in the future, he would make them pay.
None of them wanted to make unnecessary enemies.
Inasmuch as the backing of the university would protect them from overt attacks, ambushes and assassinations outside campus were still possible.
Instead, they decided to befriend him.
The vice dean stood up and walked to Professor Turner.
"Welcome on board, Professor," she said politely.
"Thank you, ma’am," Aiden replied politely.
The other professors stood up and went to greet Alex Turner.
He nodded and thanked them politely, exchanging a few pleasantries with them.
The professors, however, looked at Genevieve and Anly with envy.
These two were most likely about to get a promotion for bringing someone like Alex Turner on board.
"Anly and Genevieve, an extra 100,000 credits will be awarded to you by the University AI for bringing a seasoned veteran into our ranks," the Vice Dean said.
"Thank you," Anly and Genevieve replied with expressions of happiness on their faces.
Everyone looked at them with envy.
Why had they not been the ones to discover Alex Turner?
"You all should stop sulking and return to your duties," the dean said.
"Yes, sir..."
"Sure..."
The professors trailed out of the room.
"Kindly stay behind, Professor Turner," Dean Wembley said.
Anly and Genevieve nodded politely towards Professor Turner and left with the others.
Aiden stayed behind.
The only two people in the room were the dean and the vice dean.
"Bring it in," Dean Wembley said.
A young man with glasses entered the room.
He had a watch with him.
"Professor Turner, please..." he said politely and handed it over to Aiden politely.
"Thank you," Aiden replied politely.
The young man in glasses nodded and left.
"An experienced veteran such as yourself must know what this watch is, right?" Arica, the vice dean, said.
"I’m quite familiar with this technology," Aiden replied.
"It’s just like the university watches handed over to university staff and students across Endra. Even the militaries use something similar." Wembley nodded. "Since you are already familiar with it, there’s no need to orient you on its functions. Anly and Genevieve also gave you a brief overview on how the university runs, right?"
"They did," Aiden replied.
"Alright. Mr. Vhorn," Wembley smiled.
Surprise flickered through Aiden’s eyes for a moment. But his eyes turned calm the next moment.
"My bloodlust?" Aiden knew what gave him away.
This man was extremely sharp.
"It just occurred to me right now that the only young man on Endra terrifying enough to have killed enough to a point where their bloodlust would match mine would be Aiden Vhorn. But Aiden Vhorn was recorded as MIA by the Southern Continent’s Eldorath Empire," Wembley said. "Suddenly, a young man called The Lodgekeeper passes through the Kahra Desert of the Southern Continent and causes an uproar there. Naturally, no one would connect the dots because you have been extremely flawless with your disguise, but... I am not like other people. I am too sharp."
Aiden shrugged. He had entertained this possibility. No matter how covert he was, or how much he prevented anything that connected Alex Turner to Aiden Vhorn from leaking out, not everyone could be deceived.
"You have a point. Since you have found out about my actual identity, then other powerful people will know, right?" Aiden said.
"Indeed. Just a few," Wembley said.
Arica was shocked. It all made sense to her now. Alex Turner was Aiden Vhorn, the crimson reaper... the young man who had caused an uproar in the southern continent a while back...
A tactical, manipulative genius and a madman known for several large-scale massacres in the Eldorath Empire of the Southern Continent. To think he was the Lodgekeeper, the most terrifying person to have also appeared on the Kahra Desert.
It all made sense now...
"No wonder your bloodlust was so dense," she said.
Aiden didn’t reply. He was calm.
"Vandaport and Ashbourne Cane have the same master... Armstrong Lee. Armstrong Lee is my master," Wembley said. "I just got a text from Master right now. Said I should tell you that your friends won’t come to harm because they are under the protection of Ashbourne, who is his disciple.
Not even the Order can openly or covertly target them. He has made a public announcement, revealing Ashbourne, me, and Vandaport as his disciples. Your friends have agreed to be the disciples of Ashbourne for political immunity. However, he won’t impose his will on them. They are free to do whatever they want. Ashbourne is acting on Armstrong’s orders.
Also, there’s no need to keep hiding your identity. He suspects that The Paranormal Liberation Order has figured out who you are. With their intelligence channels, you can’t cover your tracks completely."
Aiden was in thought.
"So Ashbourne Cane gave me that hint about the Order wanting to harm me in the military because his master, Armstrong Lee, told him to do so."
"All this while, Armstrong Lee has been keeping tabs on me. I suppose he sees my potential and wants to invest in me. What a smart man. Because of me, he publicly announced who his disciples are, which includes Ashbourne Cane. Right after that, he made Ashbourne Cane take my friends as his disciples publicly. This must have happened after Desmonda spoke to Pamela Ashira, Ashbourne’s daughter."
"Things have turned out better than I expected. With a member of the International Union as their master, and a legendary rank 4 warrior, Armstrong Lee, as their grandmaster, they will be safe. As for me, I suppose I can’t keep playing Alex Turner anymore. Since I’ve been discovered, there’s no need to hide my identity. The Alex Turner persona secured my safety for a while, though. But there’s no need for it anymore.
Might as well use my actual identity to my advantage. Since Armstrong Lee wants to invest in me, I might as well use that to my advantage. But to think the Order would be this troublesome. It seems I underestimated them."
These thoughts flashed through Aiden’s mind in a moment.
"Rumors are that Ashbourne Cane was a teacher to Armstrong," Wembley said. "That’s true. But now, because of the difference in power, Ashbourne decided to become a student of Armstrong, so that he would guide him in his cultivation."
Aiden nodded.
It made perfect sense. Guidance in cultivation had nothing to do with age, but power.
"My goal is to have eternal autonomy through power. But it seems my mindset has been a bit narrow till now. I’ve been looking at discipleship and master relationships as slavery. Yes, most of them are, and that goes against my principles.
Plus, I am not a traditional cultivator, so there’s nothing anyone can actually teach me. There’s no need for a master-discipleship relationship with anyone.
But not all master-discipleship relationships are like slavery.
And not all master-discipleship relationships have to be based on tutoring, too.
Some are political.
Armstrong Lee simply wants to invest in me and ride on my coattails in the future.
Considering everything Wembley has said, Armstrong has no intention of forcing someone to serve him or force his ideals on someone. If I accept him as a master, it will grant me political leverage, even if I stop playing Alex Turner.
Assassinations will still come from the Order and my other enemies, but they will be more covert and reserved about it. This is the best course of action. Since the situation has changed and playing Alex Turner isn’t necessary anymore, I need to adjust," Aiden thought.
All this while, Wembley and Arica were looking at him.
"Excellency Armstrong Lee would like to have a video call with you," Wembley said.
"Alright," Aiden nodded.