Chapter 71: Mark’s Decision

Derek raised an eyebrow while Samantha quietly slipped out of the room, giving the two of them a little breathing room.

In Derek’s mind, the guy had clearly lost it, flatly turning down an offer from someone with genuine privilege behind her, all in the name of some supposed principle. Frankly, it struck him as both absurd and thoroughly foolish.

Hermione frowned slightly before letting out a slow breath. "Cut the act already and just take it. I can manage fine without it for now. Maybe next time it’ll be different, but this round, I’m passing. Take it. This is genuinely what you need right now. I can see it written all over your face, bro."

Mark hesitated a moment longer before finally agreeing to accept the dungeon core. This certainly wasn’t the first time this particular girl had stepped in to help him, and honestly, his appreciation for it kept growing.

Still, he was tired of always sitting on the receiving end of their relationship, the same way he’d always been on the receiving end within his own family. He was supposed to be the man of that family, and he wanted to reclaim that responsibility properly, starting here, in this moment too.

Still, he wasn’t about to lie to himself over how badly he actually needed this particular dungeon core, not with how much it stood to accelerate his own strength and potential.

A flicker of guilt settled in his chest over taking something so valuable from Hermione, though he pushed it down, quietly promising himself he’d find some way to repay the favor properly down the line.

Mark studied the gleaming dungeon core resting in his palm before lifting his gaze to meet Hermione’s eyes directly. "Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to make this up to you, for everything you’ve done."

She simply shook her head in response, leaving both Derek and Mark blinking in mild surprise. "No need for that, honestly. Though if you really insist on it, just promise me a walk to the gym sometime, or something fun. Whatever comes to mind when the moment hits, just be ready for it."

"Deal, I’m genuinely into that." Mark let out a light chuckle. "Actually, though, what about consequences for what those jerks pulled on an innocent bystander like me? Has any of this actually reached the headmaster’s office, or the student council?"

At the mention of the student council, something tightened uncomfortably in Derek’s chest, and he let out a heavy breath. He understood all too well that organizations like that, as orderly and justified as they liked to appear on the surface, ran just as corrupt underneath as anyone might imagine.

In practice, they functioned as little more than tools for chasing influence, dominance, and fame within the school’s own miniature world, not so different from the shadowy corporations or political bodies operating outside these walls, all quietly hiding their true motives behind a polished front.

"Honestly, not sure about that side of things yet, but we’ll hear something eventually. I already reported it directly to Olivia, so she should already be handling it from her end. Still, if you’re feeling impatient or uncertain, we could always just go handle it ourselves," Hermione offered.

Derek stepped forward, arms folded, drawing a brief glance from her in response.

"For what it’s worth, count me in too. Happy to handle it the hard way, if that’s what you’re after," he offered.

Mark considered it for a moment before shaking his head lightly. Derek blinked in mild surprise, while Hermione simply studied him with an expression he understood well enough without needing further explanation.

"I think I’d rather handle this one myself. It’s my situation to deal with," he said.

Hermione’s gaze lingered on his face a moment longer. "We could still help, though. This could just as easily count as our fight too, considering it involves your roommate and your own seatmate directly. Doesn’t feel all that different, honestly."

"I know, and I genuinely appreciate the offer. It means a lot. But I really need to learn how to handle things on my own terms, my own way, this time around. I’ll be fine, I promise," Mark pressed gently.

Hermione’s expression settled into a worried frown, while Derek shook his head slowly. "Alright then. Not exactly the most convincing reasoning I’ve heard, but it’s clearly what you want," he said with a light shrug.

"Thanks for offering to help, though. Really," Mark replied.

Derek turned to leave alongside Hermione, then paused briefly at the door. "Oh, and don’t forget to actually try those Gammy fruit smoothies. They’re genuinely good, and they’ll help with your recovery too," he added before stepping out of the ward entirely.

Hermione lingered a moment longer at the doorway. "Make sure you get properly discharged the right way, okay? No skipping steps," she said before finally heading out herself.

Mark let out a soft chuckle once she’d gone. Who is she, my mother? he thought to himself, faintly amused, before catching himself and letting the thought drop, exhaling slowly at the unexpected way his mother had drifted into his mind just then.

***

Sometime after his official discharge, Mark made his way down the hallway, turning into another corridor along the route. He eventually reached a particular door and knocked twice with his right knuckles.

It cracked open slightly, revealing the long, oval face and neat bun hairstyle of Mary, the headmaster’s personal assistant and secretary.

She studied him carefully for a moment before speaking. "Is there something we can help you with, mister?"

Mark’s expression remained steady as ever, though his lips twitched faintly before he answered. "Yeah, actually, I’m here to see the headmaster directly. I’ve got a report to make, something that concerns my own case."

Mary hesitated a beat too long before finally pulling the door open wider, waving him inside.

Mark stepped in to find the headmaster standing before the glass wall behind his desk.

"Excuse me, sir. There’s something I’d like to discuss, if you have a moment." Mark took a seat in the chair positioned across from the headmaster’s desk.

Williams lingered a moment longer than necessary before finally turning away from the window, settling behind his desk. He gave a small nod for Mark to continue, which he did without further hesitation.

"I just wanted to make sure you were properly informed, whether this has already crossed your desk or not. Either way, I wanted to report it myself, directly," he said, exhaling slowly. "My absence from the competition came down to Mia and Kai. Their people handled the actual dirty work for them. I was ambushed inside my own dorm room and left unconscious until earlier today. That’s the real reason I haven’t been around."

"I was already aware of that, yes. Anything else?" Williams asked evenly.

Mark could hardly believe what he’d just heard, blinking hard at the response. "Wait, hold on, you already knew about this, and you still let them stay in the competition? How exactly does that line up with the school’s own policies?"

Williams settled into his chair, fingers laced together in front of him. "We have it under control. But honestly, those particular students represent some of the school’s strongest talent, and we can’t afford to lose them from our overall standing. We’ll figure out an appropriate response. It won’t take long."

"That’s it? That’s genuinely all you’ve got to say to me right now? I can’t accept that. Fine then, I’ll handle this myself. I’m not the weak mundane, or the fresh, inexperienced summoner, that everyone here still seems to picture when they look at me. I’ve survived through more than most students here ever will, and I mean every word of that."

Mark’s fists clenched briefly before he even registered the motion. He didn’t particularly care anymore, and honestly, he doubted he ever would again. The headmaster had said it plainly enough himself.

This was exactly how the world treated people who tried to stay friendly, easygoing, and kind, treated like an inconvenience, like a joke not worth taking seriously.

For reasons he couldn’t fully articulate, he found himself starting to embrace the harder path circumstances had pushed him onto, and he had no intention of looking back now, not even slightly.

Williams sighed, rubbing gently at his temple. "Look, there’s genuinely nothing to worry about here. We’ve got it handled, with the student council’s cooperation. Besides, you’ve still got your own pending penalty that hasn’t been fully addressed yet either."

"So that’s really all you have to say, about what they did to me, and to my one real shot at breaking into the sophomore ranks?!" Mark’s fury nearly broke free entirely before he forced himself to draw a slow, steadying breath. "Thanks for your time."

He rose from the chair, turned, and walked straight out through the door.

Williams’s expression sagged almost immediately into visible exhaustion the moment the door clicked shut, prompting Mary to hurry over, concern etched clearly across her face.

"I know this one’s been genuinely difficult, but you made the right call," she assured him gently.

Williams only sighed, leaning back heavily into his swivel chair’s armrest.

"Stop trying to make me feel worse about it than I already do. I know exactly why I handled it this way. He might well turn out to be an estimated Monarch Tier, sure, but this decision was really for Arnold and the wider student council’s benefit. They need both Kai and Mia in play. As for their little lackeys, I’ve heard whispers that certain positions might already be quietly secured for them too, somehow, though I’ll still be dealing with that particular mess myself, regardless," Williams admitted.

"I also caught wind of the student council reaching out to Hermione directly, apparently pushing to revise school policy around how many queens the School King’s allowed to have, some kind of formalized, polygamous arrangement," Mary added.

Williams waved a tired hand weakly through the air. "Whatever those students are scheming up next, I’ll keep both eyes fixed firmly on them. Every step of the way."

---

A/V: Well, this is the end of the New Summoner volume. The next volume will be even more dangerous and exciting, with new and bigger adventures and experiences. There will be numerous surprises and unexpected scenes from the very beginning of the next volume.

This is only the beginning of the most critical and different path Mark will go through, where many new aspects of his journey will be revealed.