Chapter 57: Academy change

Karl tried to force his way through the academy representatives surrounding him, but every time he moved one person aside, another immediately took their place.

His already weakened body was being pushed from every direction, and whatever patience he still had after the examination was rapidly disappearing.

"Karl Reed, just listen to our offer first—"

"Our academy can provide far better resources than—"

"Stop pushing!"

Karl’s expression darkened.

I’m going to start hitting people.

Just as he was about to curse everyone around him, the space surrounding his body shifted and Karl vanished.

The representatives closest to him stumbled forward into the empty space where he had been standing.

For several seconds, nobody said anything.

"Where did he go?"

"He was right here!"

Several people looked around in confusion, but there was no trace of Karl anywhere inside the examination facility.

Eventually, with nothing else they could do, the crowd began dispersing.

Other candidates were already emerging from their artificial dungeons, and the representatives reluctantly returned to the work they had actually come here to do.

The officials monitoring Karl reacted much worse.

His signal had disappeared from the examination facility at the exact moment his physical presence vanished, and several people immediately started checking the surrounding formations.

"Candidate Karl Reed is gone."

"What do you mean gone?"

"His location disappeared from the monitoring system!"

Before the situation could become chaotic, Edwin stepped forward.

"There’s no need to panic."

Several officials immediately turned toward him.

Edwin remained completely calm.

"Someone from higher military command transferred him. Return to your work."

The room became quiet for a moment.

A few officials clearly wanted to ask questions, but Edwin had no intention of explaining further.

Eventually, they exchanged uncertain looks and returned to their positions.

---

Karl had considerably more questions.

One moment he had been trapped inside a crowd of academy representatives, and the next he found himself standing inside the Reed villa.

He looked around once before his gaze settled on Arthur, then he noticed an old man standing beside him.

Karl’s expression changed slightly.

William Malfoy.

First Marshal of the Human Alliance.

Karl had naturally known that name in his previous life.

There were very few professionals in the Alliance who wouldn’t recognize one of the highest-ranking figures within humanity’s military leadership.

What Karl had never known was why William Malfoy was currently standing beside his grandfather as casually as though he visited the Reed estate every other afternoon.

Why is the First Marshal here?

Arthur looked toward him.

"You brat, aren’t you going to greet your granduncle?"

Karl’s confusion deepened.

What the fuck? Since when is William Malfoy my granduncle?

He quickly composed himself and gave William a respectful bow.

"Greetings, First Marshal."

William stared at him for a second before laughing.

"Now, now why are you being so formal with your own granduncle?"

Karl looked toward Arthur in confusion.

"Don’t look at me he’s just exaggerating."

William’s smile immediately disappeared.

"What do you mean exaggerating?"

"You came around a few times when Karl was so young he could barely remember anything. You’re acting like you raised him."

William glared at him.

"Someone had to fight beasts and traitors instead of sitting at home like some retired old prick."

Arthur gave him a strange look.

"You say that as if I’m sitting here by choice."

"And I had to listen to those old bastards argue every day. Your sister-in-law never stopped making things worse either."

"Sounds difficult."

"You bastard."

Karl remained silent while the two continued arguing and his confusion only increased.

He had always known Arthur possessed connections from his years as City Commander and from everything that came before Karl was born, but this was not simply knowing the First Marshal.

The two sounded like friends who had been insulting one another for decades.

How did I never know about this?

William eventually stopped arguing and looked toward Karl again.

"Anyway, after that fight, you should probably be lying down instead of standing here."

Karl was about to agree when William smiled.

"So, how did you like your grandpa’s meeting gift?"

Karl paused.

"What meeting gift?"

William merely looked at him and gave a smile don’t you like your new undead.

It took Karl a second and ten the Golden King Tiger entered his mind and his expression changed immediately.

No fucking way.

He stared at William.

"You put that tiger inside my dungeon?"

William laughed.

"Of course."

Karl had spent half the fight wondering whether the Vale family or some other hostile force had somehow interfered with the examination to kill him.

The appearance of a Level 99 King-rank beast had been far too abnormal to dismiss as an accident.

Apparently, there had been no assassination attempt.

The First Marshal of the Human Alliance had simply decided that releasing a King-rank beast into Karl’s examination was an acceptable way to introduce himself.

Karl stared at him.

William waved dismissively.

"Don’t look at me like that, I was watching the whole time. If you were actually about to die, I would’ve interfered."

Karl’s expression remained unchanged.

William glanced at him before adding,

"And you kept the thing anyway."

Karl had no response to this one. Technically, Big Rod was currently sitting inside the Death Legion’s summoning space.

That did not make William’s idea of a gift any less insane.

Arthur snorted from beside them.

"I already told you he’s lost his mind."

William ignored him and raised one hand.

"Forget the tiger and look at this."

A ranking appeared before them.

Karl’s eyes immediately moved toward the top.

[Human Alliance National College Entrance Examination — Final Ranking]

[Rank 1 — Karl Reed]

Karl blinked.

"Oh."

William looked at him.

"’Oh’?"

Karl glanced toward him.

"I mean... good."

Arthur almost laughed and at the same moment, a familiar notification appeared before Karl.

[National College Entrance Examination: Rank One achieved.]

[Mission completed successfully.]

[Congratulations, Host.]

[Mission rewards have been stored in the Reward Space.]

Karl’s attention immediately sharpened, his first System mission was finally complete.

For a moment, he wanted to open the Reward Space immediately, but there was no real need to rush while Arthur and William were standing in front of him.

Finally.

Karl returned his attention to the ranking, his score was ridiculous.

More than three times the score of the second-place candidate and over twice the highest result ever recorded in the history of the examination.

William noticed Karl’s smug look and said "Don’t get too pleased with yourself."

Karl looked toward him as William continued more seriously.

"The largest clans, old families and conglomerates don’t always throw their best heirs into a public examination for everyone to study."

"Some take private routes, some receive special arrangements, and some simply don’t participate."

He tapped Karl’s result.

"Your record is still ridiculous and I’m not taking that away from you."

William’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Just don’t mistake Rank One here for proof that you’ve already surpassed every monster in your generation."

Karl nodded he already understood this from his experiences in last life.

There would always be people whose families valued secrecy more than public rankings.

Especially when exposing an heir’s profession, talent and combat abilities could give hostile forces years to prepare against them.

Still, Karl looked at his name once more.

Rank One is Rank One.

He was satisfied and more importantly, the mission was complete.

William dismissed the ranking and changed the subject.

"Now we need to decide where you’re going."

Arthur answered before Karl could.

"Asterion Central Academy."

William looked toward him and Arthur continued calmly.

"It’s the most sensible choice, central has everything Karl could need and it’s in the Capital."

He looked toward Karl.

"William and I still have plenty of old friends there. With those connections, you’ll have far more protection than you would almost anywhere else."

Arthur’s expression became slightly more serious.

"Powerful families, hostile organizations, religious forces... none of them can move openly against you in the Capital without considering who they’ll offend."

Karl understood the reasoning and he agreed with it afterall Central Academy had already been the tentative choice for him, Leon and Mira.

William, however did not immediately agree.

"Things aren’t that simple anymore."

Arthur frowned.

"What do you mean?"

William leaned back slightly.

"The Capital isn’t the same place you remember."

Arthur’s expression changed.

William continued before he could interrupt.

"You’ve been away from the highest levels of Alliance affairs for too many decades. Old relationships are still useful, but the balance there has changed."

Arthur stared at him.

"Changed how?"

"I’ll explain everything later."

Arthur clearly disliked that answer but William ignored the look and turned toward Karl.

"If it were up to me, I’d tell you to seriously consider Sovereign Academy."

This time even Arthur looked surprised.

"Sovereign Academy?"

Karl remained quiet, that recommendation was not what he had expected either.

Among the five top academies, Sovereign Academy possessed one of the longest histories in the Human Alliance and a reputation built across generations.

It was also a completely different path from the one Karl had taken before.

In his previous life, after awakening the Sword Saint talent, Karl had entered First Military Academy.

Its combat-heavy environment had suited him almost perfectly.

Military training, battlefield experience and constant fighting had shaped much of the professional he eventually became.

Karl knew that road and also as it was in the capital city he had many goals and stuff he would have done.

Asterion Central Academy had never been his path in the previous life, but he, Leon and Mira had already discussed going there together this time.

Sovereign Academy was another change entirely.

In his previous life, the three of them had eventually gone in completely different directions.

By the time Karl understood how much he had lost, both of them had already disappeared from his life.

This time, everything had changed before they had even entered an academy.

Leon was an S-rank Martial Saint and Mira possessed an S-rank Shadow Assassin talent.

Neither of their futures would necessarily resemble what Karl remembered after the interruptions he had done.

But that did not mean he should simply decide their road for them either.

Would they even want Sovereign Academy if I chose it?

Karl looked toward William, then toward Arthur.

Even though he had already planned the central academy he couldn’t simply ignore advice of someone influential and intelligent as William.

He remained thoughtful for several seconds before finally speaking.

"I’ll think about Sovereign Academy."

"But I want to speak with Leon and Mira before deciding."

William looked at him for a moment before giving a small nod.