Chapter 264: Opening the Academy Account, Leaving the Academy

A while later, Madam Alfoy broke the silence. "I have heard quite a few interesting things about your recent achievements in the Eastern Realms, Solomon. I have also heard a lot about how you are dealing with my family."

She leaned forward slightly. "Let us start with how you beat my son, Marco."

"It was just a normal, sanctioned duel in the academy arena," Solomon responded casually.

"I was not talking about the arena duel," Madam Alfoy corrected smoothly. "I was talking about the incident where you marched directly into the second-year residential wing and punched my son in the face, which is exactly what prompted him to challenge you to that duel in the first place."

Solomon gulped nervously. He opened his mouth, desperately trying to formulate a valid excuse for assaulting a senior student in their own dorm.

Before he could finish his first syllable, she waved a hand dismissively. "It is fine. Whatever the reason was, I am not interested in knowing the details. Everything worked out fine in the end, and the two of you are good friends now."

Just then, the attendee returned with the drinks, handing steaming cups of spiced nectar to Solomon and Madam Alfoy before quietly exiting the office.

Taking a slow sip from her cup, she looked at him over the rim. "Is it true that you defeated my husband, Jin, in a duel?"

Solomon nodded slowly. "I did. But it clearly seemed to me that the Pavilion Leader was intentionally hiding his true power. I only won because he severely underestimated me, and I had the advantage of the element of surprise."

Madam Alfoy scoffed, setting her cup down on the desk. "That is his oldest, most infuriating habit. He constantly underestimates everyone around him. It is incredibly annoying. I have tried to fix that specific habit of his for years, but I have clearly failed."

They spent the next few minutes discussing Jin’s stubborn martial philosophy and his strict teaching methods.

Then, Madam Alfoy shifted her gaze and asked a completely unexpected question. "Is it true that you and my daughter, Yue, have become lovers?"

Solomon choked violently on his spiced nectar, coughing and pounding his chest. "That is an lie! This is literally my first time ever hearing that rumor!"

She smiled softly. "I expected as much. She is not exactly the type of girl to be easily interested in romance."

A brief silence settled over the office. Her smile slowly faded, replaced by a deeply somber, melancholic expression. "Yue was not always like this. None of them were, actually. We were all such a cheerful, happy family once."

She looked down at her desk, her voice softening into a whisper. "But then a terrible incident happened. My youngest daughter lost her life. Jin blamed himself for failing to protect her. Marco and Yue became distant and buried themselves in their training. The grief simply broke our family apart."

Solomon wanted to ask what had happened. He wanted to know the details of the incident and what exactly caused the tragedy. But he held his tongue. ’If she wanted to share the details, she would have already done so,’ Solomon reasoned inwardly. ’Asking about such personal trauma does not feel right. If a stranger started probing me about my own family issues, I would be furious.’

They finished their drinks in comfortable silence. Madam Alfoy finally put her glasses back on. "The account process must be finished by now. You are free to leave."

Solomon stood up and thanked her genuinely for her help. He walked toward the heavy oak doors.

Just as he grabbed the brass handle, she called out to him. "Solomon. You can always visit the local LSA embassy in your home city, or call their direct helpline number, if you ever need immediate assistance or protection outside the academy walls."

Solomon nodded in gratitude, left the office, and walked back to the help desk.

His account was fully prepared. The goblin agent angrily shoved a stack of financial documents and a black metallic bank card across the counter.

The elven helper confirmed that his entire balance of stream points had been converted and transferred directly into the new account, explaining that the card functioned exactly like a modern debit card for all external payments.

With his finances finally secured, Solomon navigated the academy grounds and headed straight for the Astral Terminus.

The Astral Terminus served as the central, highly restricted interdimensional hub where the academy faculty managed all portal transit and emergency extractions.

The massive terminal floor was lined with towering stone archways, each acting as a physical gateway connecting the academy to various external realms.

Solomon approached the primary departure desk. The warden manning the station was a burly Dwarf with green-tinted skin and thick, leathery armor.

"Hmm? Who dis? Why are ye here?" the dwarf asked as he leaned closer to Solomon and stared at him. "Oh! Yer the guy everyone’s been takin about. What was yer name again? Salmon?"

"It’s Solomon."

"Ye ye, Solomon." He nodded repeatedly. "So why are ye here? Are ye lost?"

"No, I am to leave the academy."

"Leave, ye say? Where to? Going on a mission?"

"No, I am going home,"Solomon responded. "Here."

He handed over the signed permission document the Grandmaster had drafted.

The dwarven warden verified the magical seal and nodded gruffly.

"Ye ye, home you go."

He led Solomon away from the main terminal floor and into a specialized teleportation wing.

"Ye know," he glanced back at Solomon as he walked slowly. "I have been here for so long I forgot how long. But I have never seen anyone like ye."

"What does that mean?" Solomon asked curiously as he caught up.

"Hmmmmmm! Ye don’t know?" He raised a brow.

"Know what?"

"Well, if ye don’t know then ye don’t know. It is nothing."

The warden activated a glowing control pedestal.

A swirling, vibrant blue portal opened within the designated archway. "Step through the gate," the warden instructed. "Have a safe trip home."

"Are you just going to leave me hanging about piquing my curiosity?"

"Don’t ye worry. Ye will find out sooner or later. Now, harry. These stuff be expensive, ye know."

Solomon let out a sigh in defeat and stepped through the portal.