Chapter 542: That Is What Makes It So Fun Professor Rowan glanced at the young man sipping tea in front of him. Princess Xenia and Prince Edward were also quietly seated, waiting for the discussion to start. The Headmaster had already talked to them, but they stayed out of curiosity for how the meeting with the President of the Endless Horizon Club would unfold. "Alex, is it true that you met Charles in Briarwood Village and accompanied him in the Dungeon of Beginnings for the trial of the academy?" Professor Rowan asked. "Yes, Headmaster," Alex replied. His honesty seemed to take the Headmaster by surprise for a split second. "I remember you experienced something like a Dungeon Outbreak occurring when you were in the Dungeon of Beginnings," Professor Rowan continued. "I’m inclined to think that it might not have been a one-off incident..." The Headmaster’s voice trailed off as his gaze locked on the young man who was looking back at him calmly. "I have reason to believe that the Orion Dungeon Outbreak during our inter-academy expedition was also no accident," Professor Rowan stated. Alex nodded. "I agree, Professor. After all, the Demon Worshipers had planned to use that Dungeon Outbreak to cause chaos and strain the relationship between the three academies." "Are you saying that the Dungeon Outbreak was caused by them?" Professor Rowan arched an eyebrow. "Definitely," Alex replied without hesitation. "If not them, then who?" The Headmaster chuckled before handing the young man a scroll that contained the confession of Gaston, the Leader of the Demon Worshipers who had been captured during the expedition. He admitted that the Demon Worshipers had planned to kidnap the VIP students of Solara Academy and Faelarun Academy, then kill the rest. However, he refused to acknowledge that the Dungeon Outbreak had been their doing. Alex calmly read the written confession from beginning to end before placing it back on the table. "Headmaster, I’m sure you didn’t call me here just for this," Alex said evenly. Professor Rowan nodded. "You’re right. I believe there’s some connection to the previous Dungeon Outbreaks and Mr. Charles Lambert. Do you know, Mr. Stratos, that Charles is a Void-Touched?" "Void-Touched?" Alex blinked. "What’s that? Someone who has touched the Void?" Professor Rowan smirked. While he couldn’t be sure whether Alex knew about the Void-Touched or not, he was certain that the young man knew of Charles Lambert’s peculiar abilities. "So, you don’t know that he is Void-Touched?" "No." Of course, Alex lied. As someone who had played ELO for many years, he knew what a Void-Touched was. Even so, he had no intention of admitting anything. His knowledge about the game assured him that Charles would not be harmed by the Professor despite being a Void-Touched. In fact, Professor Rowan would do his best to keep Charles safe and educate him properly about his powers. There were only thirteen of them in the world. If something happened to Charles, the companions whom he had yet to meet wouldn’t sit around idly. They would avenge him. There was no doubt about that. Never once during this conversation did the Headmaster or young man break eye contact. Eventually, the old man sighed deeply. "Very well, since you say you don’t know anything about it, then I believe you," Professor Rowan said, though his expression declared otherwise. Alex pretended he couldn’t tell that the Professor’s raised eyebrows and subtle smile were saying, "I know you’re lying to me, but I’ll turn a blind eye this one time because I can’t prove it." After that first issue had been dealt with, the Headmaster tackled the next problem. "Duke Percival has shown interest in Renard," Professor Rowan revealed. "Whether that interest is good or bad for him, only time will tell. For now, my friend, Harry, has extended an invitation to him to transfer to Solara Academy. "I would like you to convince him to reject that invitation. Renard is a hot topic among the nobility of this kingdom, so letting him transfer to Solara Academy might put him in the crosshairs of these people." Alex didn’t reply right away. There were some routes in the story of ELO where Renard transferred to Solara Academy on his own accord. He grew stronger more rapidly on these routes than the typical routes, so Alex was very reluctant to interfere with his club member’s personal choice. Besides, Lady Celestria was one of Renard’s main Female Leads in the story. Being a third wheel would not do him good at this point. Even if Duke Percival’s interest veiled selfish agendas, it wouldn’t change the fact that Renard would surpass his expectations. In fact, the Duke himself would set his daughter up with Renard once he confirmed that the young man was a prodigy that surpassed all the young geniuses of the Kingdom of Solara. However, whether that future would happen or not depended on Renard’s choices. After all, Lady Celestria was not the only main heroine supporting the young man. Melissa was also a very strong contender. Even though Alex found the Saintess more likeable than the axewoman, he also remembered that pairing Melissa with Renard was one of the most recommended routes in the game. "Professor, I think it will be best if we let Renard decide for himself," Alex said after careful consideration. "It is his life after all. Whether he chooses to stay at Frieden Academy or transfer to Solara Academy, I will support his decision no matter what." The Headmaster eyed Alex solemnly. "Are you saying that as a friend or as someone that can’t stand him? I have heard that the two of you don’t get along." "Those are just baseless rumors, Professor," Alex said with an air of indignance. "Although we are not super close, that doesn’t mean that we don’t consider each other friends. For me, Renard is a very dependable member of my club. As to how he sees me, only he can tell." Princess Xenia smirked, fully aware that Alex and Renard were like oil and water. They didn’t mix well, but they surprisingly got along when it mattered the most. When the members of their club were in danger, both of them would move mountains to help their friends no matter what. The Princess even had a theory that Alex was doing his best to prevent Renard from being a lone wolf. She strongly suspected that Alex was trying to surround Renard with people to help him open up. From her observation, she could say that the young man was no longer as standoffish. Sometimes, he even took the initiative to talk to others. "Your club is filled with troublemakers, Alex," Professor Rowan commented. "I agree, Professor," Alex replied. "But that’s what makes it so fun." Professor Rowan chuckled. Indeed, for the most part, Alex’s club was harmless. He also had to concede that it was filled with geniuses and prodigies that shone in their respective fields. Despite looking the least reliable among them all, Chuck excelled whenever it mattered. As a headmaster, he had no complaints about the continued existence of the Endless Horizon Club. After giving Alex some advice on how to handle his club members, the Headmaster allowed him to leave the room. When he was certain that the young man was out of earshot, Professor Rowan glanced at Princess Xenia. "Did you manage to find out Alex’s true origins?" Professor Rowan asked. Princess Xenia shook her head. "No, Professor. I have only gotten the information that is already known to all. He appeared on the Floating Islands of Thaloria and registered as an Adventurer. After that, he interacted with the Clawford Tribe, who helped to deal with the Monster Stampede." "I see..." Professor Rowan leaned back on his chair. Alex was shrouded in mysteries, but what really made him pay more attention to the young man was the fact that Lex seemed to be treating him well. The Guardian of the North was not an individual who would associate himself with random people, especially someone of Alex’s age. He had tried to ask Lex why he was paying close attention to Alex, but the old knight’s reply had been equally simple and frustrating. "Why not?" Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to get more information from Lex, Rowan decided to just observe the young man for now. Alex seemed to be a magnet for trouble, always attracting storms that threatened to cause widespread destruction if not handled properly. But at the same time, Professor Rowan could not deny that wherever Alex went, those storms eventually calmed down. In fact, the young man seemed to have everything under his control, just like how he had turned the Orion Dungeon Outbreak into a moneymaking opportunity. Even the feared mass panic among the people of Orion City hadn’t come to pass thanks to him. ——— As Alex walked back to the hotel lobby, he mulled over Professor Rowan’s words. ’So Charles has already attracted their attention,’ Alex thought. ’Earlier than expected.’ The Void-Touched weren’t meant to live ordinary lives. Even if Charles tried to hide, the Void itself would inevitably ripple around him, drawing the gazes of scholars, monsters, and fanatics alike. The fact that Professor Rowan had brought it up now meant that he knew how delicate this matter was. Alex stopped by the staircase, looking at his friends who were lounging on the couches around the lobby. On the surface, everything seemed peaceful. If possible, he wanted it to stay that way so he and his club members could enjoy more of their school life without worrying about the dangers slowly creeping up on them.