Chapter 136: Reconciliation

Words : 1186 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 136: Reconciliation"Hahaha, damn. I actually did reach the finals, huh? One more win and my future’s secured..." Hal mumbled, taking a sip as he relaxed on the chair inside his resting tent. Outside, Akari and Jhow were doing a wonderful job as always, keeping the crowd entertained and giving Hal ample time to rest and prepare for his battle against Felix. He had twenty minutes. Hal closed his eyes for ten minutes, saving the other ten to think about Felix’s spells and combat style. When he opened them, however, he nearly jumped in fright upon noticing two silhouettes to his right. Only after turning to look did he realize who they were, allowing him to finally take a deep breath. He recognized Korvus, at least, though the slightly younger, middle-aged woman didn’t seem familiar to him. Displeased as Hal was with the old man, he still gave him the mandatory bow of respect. "To what do I owe the pleasure of being noticed and visited by the Deputy Headmaster?" he asked, wearing a serious expression, though his words were laced with a hint of sarcasm. The sharp headmistress naturally caught it, and the dissatisfaction in her heart toward her deputy flared up again, even if only slightly. How was this only slightly sour?! Hal clearly didn’t like them one bit! Sighing deeply and dropping all pretenses, Isolde introduced herself: "Hal Fennec, I’m the Grand Magic Academy’s Headmistress, Isolde Ironheart. I know the academy has done you an injustice, so allow me to apologize on behalf of my deputy. Korvus tends to act on hard numbers more than emotion. He deeply regrets his previous actions, especially now that you’ve proven him wrong with your performance in this tournament." The headmistress’s words naturally stung for the old deputy and sounded like music to Hal’s ears, lessening his dislike by a great deal. It seemed that Isolde was far more likable than Korvus. Not only was she intelligent and able to act on proven facts like her deputy, but she was also attuned to matters of the heart and knew how to make someone feel good about themselves. Korvus knew he had been wrong in this matter, and although it was difficult to lower his head to a youngster, he was willing to do anything for the empire, even swallow his words and set aside his pride. That was just how much he loved the Imperium. He had lost far too many brothers on the battlefield to allow the empire to fall due to such a shallow reason. Hal was about to call the old man out for not apologizing himself, but before he could do so. "Hal Fennec, allow me to apologize for my blunder. I must admit that I’ve always been rather annoyed by you for disturbing Ennya Kasai’s training, failing to recognize that you’re also a great talent yourself. No, in all honesty, you might be an even greater talent, having achieved everything on your own. I wouldn’t dare take that away from you. So please, will you give the empire another chance?" Of course, Hal had no choice but to obey the empire’s orders since he was its citizen, but the real concern lay in his affiliation. If he were poached by private factions, especially the aristocracy with their sweet words and staggering finances, his contributions would fall far short of what the Imperium could expect from someone of his caliber. He might even be brainwashed by them. Even if he were appointed as an official Magna Prospect in the near or distant future, it would only make things worse. A Magna who prioritized the interests of a private faction over those of the empire would be nothing but a waste of a Magna Crest. Korvus’ words were almost moan-worthy, stroking Hal’s ego to the high heavens. He had never expected the old man to actually admit defeat. Hal couldn’t help but see Korvus in a new light, finally respecting his dedication to the empire’s cause. He might have been crazily patriotic, but he lived up to that image completely, never hesitating to swallow his pride for the bigger picture. Apologizing to Hal was only one of the academy leader duo’s objectives, however. The other was to give him advice. Initially, both Isolde and Korvus would have been satisfied if Vyse pulled off an upset against one of the four seeds, expecting his run to end in the semifinals. Who could have predicted that he would be eliminated by another of their students—one who was a year younger—and that this student would go on an unexpected rampage all the way to the grand finals, defeating even the mad dog, Donner Rakurai, and advancing to face the most highly regarded talent of this batch, Felix Dargon, an extremely rare void magic specialist. The headmistress could not have been more ashamed to offer him insight regarding his opponent under such circumstances. Perhaps they wouldn’t be so unsure about whether he could truly win if they had just given him all the resources he needed from the start. What was done was done, however, and while they no longer dared to expect him to do more for the academy’s reputation than he already had, they genuinely wanted him to win, if only to make up for their massive mistake of not grooming him the way he deserved. "Well, I can’t really say no, can I? I’ve received your sincerity, Deputy Headmaster. Don’t worry. While I don’t fancy being tied down by a fixed schedule, I’d rather die than serve those filthy aristocrats," Hal declared with a snort, causing Headmistress Isolde’s brows to rise. She was a part of the aristocracy, after all... The two academy leaders decided to let the remark slide, however. They were simply relieved that the young man didn’t seem like someone who would sell himself for money. His dislike for fixed schedules was also not a major issue. After all, would he still worry about such things once he learned the grim truth the empire desperately kept from the public? Although that would be for later. For now, they would let Hal do as he wished and quietly support his growth so that when the day came he was needed on the battlefield, he would be ready. "Thank you, young man," Korvus said with a shallow bow. Lowering his head any further felt nearly impossible. Isolde nodded, clearly satisfied with how things turned out. "So... if that’s all, maybe we can talk again at the academy? I still need to prepare for my battle, so..." Hal trailed off, doing his best to politely ask them to leave if they had nothing more to say. The headmistress chuckled. "Hahaha, that’s just one part of it. If we’re welcome, may we offer you some advice on void magic?" Hal raised a brow at the unexpected offer. He certainly needed some knowledge in standard wizardry, especially in the rare field of the void. Since they were finally offering to guide him like they should, why would he say no? "Of course! Please do, Headmistress!"

Chapter 136: Reconciliation

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