CHAPTER 25 - A Surprising Offer.

Azyl was stumped when he heard this from the principal. He could not understand why everyone seemed to ask him that lately. Did his lacking aura and attitude really made everyone else think that he had no wish to learn elements?

Unable to understand why such a question seemed to be flung around him whenever he met someone, he was a beat late to answer. Not bothered by his lack of response, the principal laughed and spoke on his behalf instead,

"Of course you want to be one. After all, everyone here wishes that, and it is the reason you all have come here, right?"

The principal felt that the kid was shy and could not answer because of being scared by his presence, hence why he tried to lighten up the mood with a laugh.

Looking at the person in front of him being much easier to communicate than he imagined, Azyl loosened up and also nodded with a smile. He was interacting with a person who could decide upon his future in this academy, so he sought to behave nicely, just in case. Right now, he had a feeling that the principal had not called him to ask him about his past behavior in the classes, but about something else.

Then the principal continued on,

"So I have an offer for you. Would you like to hear me out?"

Azyl once again nodded, understanding that this was the main reason he was asked to come here.

"If you rank in top fifteen in your class in this initiation, I will make an exemption and allow you to be in the elemental class. As you know, getting in the top ten already guarantees you a spot in the elemental class, so this offer is in case if you can't get in top ten but just a little behind them. What do you say?" He asked Azyl, all the while smiling lightly.

But his smile looked strange in Azyl's eyes, as he could not help but think that the principal was trying hard not to squint at him. Azyl might be inexperienced, but he was not gullible. The offer that he put to Azyl was really tempting, and he could not help but doubt his words. So he did not immediately nod his head. Instead, he looked at the old man and slowly asked,

"Sir, you mentioned it was an offer, so there must be a condition that I have to accept, right?"

The principal did not show the slight surprise he got when he heard him say this, even though he felt it inside. He could analyze from this response now that even though this kid had a very light presence and a lacking aura, he was not as lax as he showed. His appearance might be something sloppy, but his mind was sharp.

With the same smile, he replied to the kid.

"Yes, and the condition will be a simple one. In case that you can't get a position in top fifteen, then in the initiation year after the next, your chance to get into the elemental class will be taken away. As the offer that I put forth can be considered an opportunity, I think it's fair to take away another opportunity in exchange. Right?"

When he heard this, Azyl could not help but feel that this must be surreal. How was it possible that after things started going south for him all the time recently, he would get such a good chance out of nowhere? Maybe this was his luck shining after being plagued with bad luck for so long. For him this was a golden chance. After all, he would lose nothing in return for agreeing to this. The thing about taking away a later chance to take part in initiation was nothing to him.

He was going to try his best again the next year anyway. And if even the next year he could not get in, he would not try continuing. There was no precedence of anyone entering the elemental class in the third year as it held no meaning. Because by then the requirement to pass would be too high and someone new would be far too behind others in the elements class by then.

So the students actually only had one real chance to try their best and get into the elemental class, which would be in their second year. As the first initiation was a situation out of their hands, where the rankings were mostly predetermined. Only in their second year did the students hold some hope to get in with their own efforts.

Azyl nodded his head in affirmation towards the principal. "I am really grateful for this opportunity and will try my best to perform well."

When the principal heard this, he smiled in satisfaction. This was a wonderful feeling for him, as he knew he had grabbed one more talented person for the royal family to turn into a slave. Even though he didn't know that Azyl had a chance of being an irregular, he had noticed the peculiarity during his affinity test. His gut feeling told him that this kid was talented and had to be poached.

He then waved his hand for Azyl to go back and rest before the third phase began.

Just as Azyl turned and left both the Vice-principal and Teacher Zeke approached the principal with their own ideas in mind. They had already marked Azyl as a student under their faction, so now they needed to do something about this sudden offer that the principal made to Azyl. Of course Azyl was totally unaware of this and continued to walk to the Dining Hall to have his lunch.

.....

"So what did the principal have to say to you??" Zewoulf asked him when he joined to sit down with him in the food hall.

"I think I might get lucky finally. The principal offered me a very good chance and I might get into the elemental class along with you this year." Azyl excitedly told him about what the principal had spoke to him about.

When Zewoulf heard this, he could not help but frown inside. He had always been doubtful about all the selfless and nice tales that he used to hear about the elementalists that saved our nation. When something appeared to be too good to the eyes, there was definitely something wrong about it in the deep. He always believed that nothing was for free in this world.

Even though everyone was told that after becoming an elementalist and graduating from the academy they would only have to work under the new royal family for only ten years, he felt that it was just a fancy way to coat and sell the idea of slavery. And then he became aware of the truth that was going to be the fate of all those who ended up under the new royal family. But there was no way for him to spread this as it would directly endanger his family and himself.

Right now what the principal had told Azyl was very much like how the Royal family enticed the commoners to work under them. This made him start to doubt whether his choice of trying to enter the elements class was correct.

The Royal family had a method to control people. It made those under the control of the technique to be undyingly loyal to them. But he felt unsure now, if something like that would be directly used upon the students as well. He had considered that such methods were only used on students after graduation. And his confidence arose from his past memories and experience. He had the confidence that in the time he spent at the academy, he would become strong enough to overcome any trouble that came his way later.

But now he had doubts. If the students were put under control right after they entered the elements class, then he would be done for. He could only shake his head continue to deal with the situation as it changed. Right now, with his current performance, he was definitely going to be included in the elements class. He would try to find out more once the initiation ended today. If there really was such a plot to control the students, then his only choice would be drop out of the academy. He would also try to convince Azyl then if there was such latent danger present.

In a short while, Zewoulf had gone through many thoughts in his mind as he walked beside Azyl in silence. But something that Zewoulf had overlooked this time was that he had been overestimating the method available to a principal of an Academy. How could they provide such a method of control to each academies? Also, the Royal family wanted to control qualified graduates, not new students who just had potential. They would not wantonly use such a method on every student that could get into the elements class as the chances of this secret being spread would increase.

But he was not aware that the principal was bending the rules for Azyl just because he had notice the strange reaction during Azyl's affinity test. He had not even tried to think why the principal got interested in Azyl and directly assumed the worst.

That was how he was. It was right to assume that Woulf was someone who was skeptical and over-cautious most of the time, but that was his belief to survive in this world of strong. It was better to doubt twice than be cheated once.