Immediately, Ethan sat upright, stopping whatever he had been about to do.
That voice...
It belonged to Rin.
Without wasting another second, Ethan hurriedly shoved the ancient book back into the box before quickly pushing it underneath his bed.
...So much for wanting to make quick progress.
Taking another calming breath to compose himself, Ethan walked over to the door and unlocked it.
The moment it swung open, Rin came into view.
His brows were tightly knitted together, his lips pressed into a thin line that made it obvious he had been worried sick. However, the instant his eyes landed on Ethan standing there in one piece, the tension in his shoulders visibly melted away as he released a quiet breath through his nose.
Without waiting for an invitation, Rin lightly nudged Ethan aside before walking straight into the room. "Hah... so you are actually alive."
Ethan blinked in confusion before closing the door behind them. "What do you mean by that?"
Rin pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long, exaggerated sigh as though he couldn’t believe he even had to explain himself.
"What do I mean?" he repeated. "I’ve been calling you since forever, but your phone kept saying it wasn’t reachable. Tell me, why?"
Ethan’s mind went completely blank.
Right...
He had switched off his phone before meditating because he didn’t want any distractions interrupting his cultivation again.
Ethan swallowed hard. There was absolutely no way he could reaveal the book to Rin. At least now.
Trying his best to appear natural, Ethan awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before answering, "Ah... my phone was switched off."
Rin simply stared at him for several long seconds before shaking his head. "And why exactly was your phone switched off in the first place?"
His question paused midway as his eyes slowly traveled over Ethan’s appearance.
Only now did he truly take in Ethan’s current state. His hair was slightly messy, his face looked unusually pale, and there were faint traces of dried sweat clinging to the side of his neck.
The irritation on Rin’s face immediately softened into concern.
"...Besides, what were you doing?" he asked, taking another careful look at Ethan. "Why do you look so pale? You look completely exhausted."
"I look that exhausted?" Ethan asked instinctively.
"Damn right, you do."
Ethan resisted the urge to laugh bitterly.
Well...
Considering the torture he had willingly put himself through, it would have been stranger if he looked perfectly fine. Still, there was no chance he could explain the truth.
Feigning ignorance, he shrugged casually.
"Maybe it’s because I slept for too long. I slept all through yesterday night until this afternoon."
Rin studied him quietly for another moment before giving a thoughtful nod.
Just as Ethan noticed the familiar expression that appeared whenever Rin was about to ask yet another troublesome question, he hurriedly changed the topic.
"So... why were you looking for me anyway? Did something happen?"
Thankfully, the distraction worked.
Seeing that Ethan appeared perfectly alive despite looking like he’d been dragged through hell, Rin finally let the matter go.
"Well, dummy head," he said with an exaggerated shrug, "since your phone was switched off, I’m guessing you haven’t seen the academy notice yet. The moment I saw it, I wanted us to go together. That’s why I kept calling you, but after you refused to answer, I thought something had happened and had to come check myself."
"The academy notice?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow as he walked over to his bed, picked up his phone, and plugged it in to charge, in a bid to make his story more believable.
"What notice?"
"The academy has ordered every student to gather in the main assembly hall," Rin explained. "They’re announcing the list of students selected for the Sentinel Response Unit."
"Oh..."
Ethan’s movements paused for a brief second.
Right.
The Rift crisis.
He had completely forgotten about the pending disaster threatening the empire.
"...Oh."
He quickly nodded.
"Okay. Let’s go."
Rin opened his mouth, closed it again, then sighed. "You’re seriously planning to go looking like that?"
Ethan frowned.
"Looking like what?"
"You smell. Terribly too"
"..."
"And you look like someone who lost a wrestling match against a waterfall."
Ethan blinked before cautiously lowering his head and sniffing himself.
"..."
...Holy shit.
Rin hadn’t been exaggerating.
Between the endless sweating from yesterday’s cultivation and the fact that he hadn’t taken a bath since waking up...
Yeah...
He definitely smelled questionable.
"...Give me five minutes."
It didn’t take Ethan long to freshen himself up before both of them hurried toward the academy’s main hall. By the time they arrived, the place was already packed with students.
The atmosphere inside the massive hall was noticeably more serious than usual. Conversations were quieter, and countless pairs of eyes remained fixed on the stage where the principal stood.
"...As I said earlier," the principal continued calmly, "everyone should remain composed. The academy, the Guilds, and the government are already working together regarding the incident. You are students of the Imperial Academy, so unnecessary panic will accomplish nothing."
After finishing his brief address, he stepped aside before handing a document to one of the academy’s senior representatives.
The senior accepted it with a respectful nod before stepping forward.
"My name is Melvin," he introduced himself before opening the document. "I will now announce the names of those selected for the Sentinel Response Unit."
The hall immediately fell into complete silence.
One after another, names began echoing throughout the room.
Most of those chosen were either S-Rank or A-Rank Sentinels and Guides, with few B and C clas students. In total, around twenty students had been chosen.
Naturally...
Drey’s name was among them.
The instant Ethan heard it, the corners of his lips rose uncontrollably into a bright smile.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
He had no idea how long the deployment would last...
But with Drey included...
Ethan sincerely hoped they would all be gone for a loooong while.
The longer...
The better.
He didn’t want to see—
Or hear—
About that cocky bastard again.
Completely oblivious to the misunderstanding his radiant smile had just created, Ethan continued smiling to himself.
Standing beside him, Rin slowly turned to look at Ethan before shifting his gaze toward Melvin on stage.
Then back to Ethan.
Then back to Melvin.
A strange realization suddenly struck him.
...No way.
His eyes widened slightly.
...Wait.
Was...
Was his little friend attracted to the senior?
Rin couldn’t help looking at Melvin once more.
Well...
The guy was undeniably handsome.
That was one point in his favor.
But he was also a senior.
The outcome of that kind of crush never ended well.
...No.
He would definitely have to talk some sense into Ethan later. If he could set his sights on someone less high ranking then it’d be better.
Unfortunately for Rin...
He wasn’t the only one misunderstanding Ethan’s smile.
Several nearby students had already begun whispering among themselves.
"Look at him," a white-haired girl whispered with an amused shake of her head. "He’s clearly head over heels. Why else would anyone smile that brightly at a senior?"
Another student immediately covered his mouth to suppress a laugh.
"Oh no... Senior Melvin is really done for."
"What do you mean?"
"Have you forgotten what Ethan was like with Lord Drey? When he decides he likes someone, he’s unbelievably persistent. If he’s set his sights on Senior Melvin this time..."
The student shivered dramatically.
"...Poor senior."
Meanwhile...
The completely clueless Ethan remained blissfully unaware that yet another ridiculous rumor had just been born because of his expression alone.
Once the list had been completely read, Principal Rowan stepped forward once more and looked across the silent crowd.
"With that settled," he announced, "all selected students will depart immediately after the assessment examinations, which will begin five days from now."
His gaze swept across everyone present before he gave a single nod.
"Good luck."
No fucking way.