Chapter 98: The Council of Elders
As Lucien and his companions left the office, the Principal had left his office, having a meeting with the nine elders of the academy.
Aethel Academy had existed since ancient times, fostering countless students who became powerful Originators that could change the fate of Aethelgard. Its title wasn’t ordinary. It was worth the number one academy.
In a large unknown space, the air was thick with concentrated Originat. It pulsed like a living heart, heavy and suffocating, enough to make lesser cultivators struggle to breathe. Massive chairs appeared, carved from ancient stone and glowing with faint runes. Each one radiated immense power. They lined up in a semicircle around a central elevated seat. The ceiling was lost in darkness, and the walls seemed to pulse with ancient energy.
The elders started appearing, their figures materializing from the shadows. Their auras filled the room, each one more oppressive than the last. The chairs that numbered nine began to fill, leaving two empty. The Principal sat down, his chair the tallest and most ornate, carved with runes that hummed with power. Beside his chair, there were nine more, showing that their standing was par with the Principal. Seven were occupied, leaving two empty. The Principal just glanced at them, not surprised by the fact that they didn’t appear. All he did was curl his lips up.
When the Principal saw that the elders had appeared, they were confused because the Principal had called them as if there was a threatening situation.
.
One of the elders, an old woman with sharp eyes and silver hair that cascaded down her back like frozen moonlight, leaned forward. Her voice was cold and sharp, cutting through the heavy silence. "Principal Aldric, why have you called us here? Is there a threat to the academy?"
Another elder, a burly man with a thick beard and scarred arms, nodded. His eyes were like burning coals, glowing faintly in the dim light. "Your message was urgent. We expected a crisis. The Originat in this room is restless, as if the very air knows something we don’t."
Principal Aldric leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. His expression was calm, almost serene. "There is no crisis. But I have found something far more important."
The silver-haired elder’s eyes narrowed. Her aura flared slightly, making the air around her ripple. "What could be more important than a threat to the academy? You’ve gathered the entire council for this."
Principal Aldric smiled. "A talent. A talent unlike anything I have seen in centuries."
The burly elder raised an eyebrow, his voice low and rumbling. "A talent? You called us here for a student? A single student?"
"Not just any student," Principal Aldric said, his voice filled with quiet awe. "A student with an SS-Rank Talent."
Everywhere became silent. Everyone processing the information.
The silver-haired old woman frowned, her brow knitting. "Even though this is shocking, it’s not worth calling the entire council out."
The space was filled with murmurs as everyone agreed with her. It’s not that they hadn’t seen someone awaken an SS-Rank Talent before. Rare, yes. But not unheard of.
Seeing their expressions and their thoughts, the Principal smiled. "I didn’t say he awakened only one SS-Rank Talent."
The murmurs stopped.
The burly elder’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Principal Aldric leaned forward, his sharp eyes gleaming. "He awakened more than one SS-Rank Talent."
The room stirred. The elders exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued.
The silver-haired elder’s voice was sharp. "How many? Two? Three?"
Principal Aldric’s smile widened. "That, my friends, is a secret I will keep. For now."
The burly elder leaned forward, his voice low and intense. "Aldric, this is not a game. We need to know what we’re dealing with."
"What you need to know," Principal Aldric said, his voice firm, "is that this student is a talent unlike anything this academy has ever seen. And he also awakened an SSS-Rank Talent."
The room fell into absolute silence.
The heavy Originat in the air seemed to freeze. The flickering torches on the walls dimmed further, as if the very flames were shocked into stillness. The elders sat frozen, their expressions shifting from confusion to disbelief.
The silver-haired elder’s mouth parted slightly. Her composure cracked. "SSS-Rank? Alongside multiple SS-Rank Talents?"
Her hands trembled slightly. She gripped the armrests of her chair, her knuckles white. "That’s impossible. SSS-Rank Talents haven’t been seen in over a millennium. They are legends. Myths."
The burly elder’s voice was barely a whisper, his eyes wide. "Are you certain, Aldric? Did you test him properly? Could there be a mistake?"
Principal Aldric’s gaze hardened. His voice was calm but absolute. "I tested him myself. Multiple times. I felt it with my own senses. There is no mistake."
The silver-haired elder’s voice shook. "But how? How can one person hold such power?"
Principal Aldric leaned back, his sharp eyes gleaming. "I don’t know how. But I know it is true. And that is why we must protect him."
The burly elder let out a slow breath, his shoulders sagging slightly. "If what you say is true, then this changes everything. A student with SSS-Rank talent... the other academies would wage war for him."
Principal Aldric nodded. "Which is why his talents will be kept secret. Only those in this room will know. He will be protected, nurtured, and guided."
The silver-haired elder’s sharp eyes fixed on the Principal. "How many SSS-Rank Talents does he have, Aldric? We need to know."
Principal Aldric’s smile returned, slow and knowing. "That, my friends, is a secret I will keep. For now."
The elders exchanged glances. Their curiosity burned, but they knew better than to push further.
"Then can we know who the talent is at least?" Another elder asked, his voice tinged with frustration.
Principal Aldric’s smile didn’t waver. "That also, I will keep a secret."
The elders shifted in their seats. Some opened their mouths to protest, but before they could speak, they saw his expression turn serious. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by something cold and heavy.
"I am sure you all know," Principal Aldric said, his voice dropping low, "when a talent like this arises, it is a prelude to a calamity. A monstrous genius appearing at this time means that a terrifying calamity is coming—one that would engulf the entire Aethelgard and even destroy it."
Everywhere became silent.
The heavy Originat in the air seemed to press down on them like a weight. The elders sat frozen, their expressions darkening as the weight of his words settled over them. They knew what he meant.
The silver-haired elder’s voice was barely a whisper. "So it’s true. The calamity is coming."
Principal Aldric nodded slowly. "Yes. And it is coming soon than expected."
The burly elder’s hands clenched into fists. "What do we do?"
Principal Aldric leaned forward, his sharp eyes burning with intensity. "So it’s not only him we will train. We will have to train the entire student body. We, the old, will not have much to do in the calamity. Only the young can defend against it. All we can do is groom them and preserve the flickering flame."
The room fell silent once more. The weight of his words pressed down on them like a mountain.