Kugo struggled to rise again, fury still simmering in his veins as he prepared to launch another attack.

Meanwhile, Sebastian remained perfectly composed—his gaze unwavering, his breathing steady, and his stance fixed in anticipation of whatever reckless movement Kugo might make next.

But this time—

"Enough!" the Principal barked sharply, stepping forward and grabbing Kugo by the arm. He obviously couldn't restrain the man by force, but the sudden pull was enough to make Kugo turn his head toward him.

"Mr. Karagara, please stop! Acting on impulse like this… does not reflect the standard of conduct we uphold."

He then leaned closer, his voice lowering to a cautious whisper near Kugo's ear.

"That man… he's one of Alasia Group's hired teachers. We might be able to handle the issue if it's just about that orphan boy. But…" His words paused briefly, heavy with meaning.

"…if that man gets hurt, the repercussions could be far worse. Neither I nor Mr. Lefon could protect you if it comes to that."

Kugo's breath hitched. He stepped back slightly and turned toward Lefon, searching for any hint of disagreement—but Lefon only nodded, silently confirming the Principal's warning.

"My family hasn't completely become independent from the Alasia Foundation yet," Lefon murmured. "I won't let your impulsive temper ruin the final step toward our independence from them."

Kugo's jaw clenched as he looked between the two men, then turned toward Sebastian—and, inevitably, toward Al.

The boy stood there casually, phone in hand, tapping the screen lazily as though the chaos and tension in front of him were nothing more than a mildly inconvenient scene.

They're right. I can't risk my family's entire standing over this. Facing Alasia directly isn't something Lefon or Darius could handle right now anyway. Honestly, I still can't fathom why their families are considered two of the three most influential households in Eastern Indorosia.

That realization caused the blazing fury in Kugo's core to subside—gradually but surely. His body relaxed ever so slightly, though his breathing remained uneven, his expression tight with suppressed anger and bitter disappointment.

Especially at the sight of that indifferent boy, whose calm demeanor felt like a silent mockery.

"So what's the plan now?" he muttered, his tone heavy with irritation.

The Principal paused, then answered firmly, "I'll try negotiating with them. With the evidence we have, Mr. Sebastian should understand."

The three men exchanged nods, hoping this time their plan wouldn't fall apart.

The Principal turned and approached Sebastian, picking up a few scattered files from the small table beside him.

"Mr. Sebastian, I believe there's been some misunderstanding here. Allow me to—"

Before he could finish, Al's voice cut in, calm but unhurried.

"Sir, if you're planning to negotiate or explain things to Seb— I mean, to Mr. Sebastian… you might as well save your breath," Al said, his tone light and disinterested. His eyes were half-lidded, almost sleepy, while his thumb idly scrolled across his glowing phone screen.

"What do you mean?" the Principal asked, his brow furrowing.

Al looked up, scanning each of their faces one by one before replying in that same flat, unshaken tone.

"I mean there's no point wasting time… because the police will be here soon."

"What?!" The Principal's voice cracked in disbelief.

The other three men reacted almost simultaneously, their expressions twisting in shock.

"Huh?" Darius muttered.

"Did I hear that right? Did you just say… the police?" Lefon asked, his voice tight.

Sebastian turned slightly toward Al, his expression remaining calm—as though he had anticipated this exact development.

Al simply nodded. He raised his phone and showed the glowing screen, where an active call record to the central police office had just ended.

"You said I had to choose—either transfer schools, or deal with the police. This is my choice," he said flatly.

"W–WHAT DID YOU—" The Principal's voice trembled, disbelief freezing his words before he could finish.

"Hm?" Al murmured softly, tilting his head in that casual, detached way that made the tension in the room even more unbearable.

The Principal clenched the papers in his hands, the sound of crumpling echoing faintly in the silence.

"Al, don't joke around! Do you even understand what it means to deal with the police?!" he hissed.

Rudi's father and Jogo's father exchanged uneasy looks. The fury that had burned in their faces moments ago had vanished—replaced by visible panic. Even Idham's father looked pale.

He really doesn't fear authority at all… Kugo thought, his expression stiffening.

If the police actually come and this hits the media… three major families cornering a single orphan. No matter how you frame it, public perception will destroy us, Lefon realized bitterly.

This kid… he's insane, Darius groaned inwardly.

Sebastian, meanwhile, allowed himself a faint smile—amused, perhaps even a little proud—as he watched his master's plan unfold.

Al responded calmly to the Principal's earlier question.

"You've been calling me an orphan, a street kid all this time. Doesn't that mean you already know someone like me is very familiar with the police?"

He let out a small sigh and shook his head.

"Besides, a street kid like me has nothing to lose. Whether I get expelled or end up in jail—it makes no difference to me. But you? I hope your public image can survive this."

His voice carried a faint trace of mockery, quiet but sharp enough to make every word sting.

"Brat. Don't play games with us!" Lefon snapped, anger flooding back into his voice.

"You really can't be reasoned with," the Principal spat, shaking his head in frustration.

Darius pressed a palm to his forehead.

How did things end up like this? I never imagined our elite status would turn into a curse like this. The kid isn't just strong—he's terrifyingly clever.

He exhaled heavily, a sigh of regret escaping his chest.

If I'd known who he was all along, I would've recruited him as Rudi's bodyguard instead of letting Rudi bully him.

Across the room, Kugo's aura flared once more, violent energy beginning to stir in his body—but the moment Sebastian subtly shifted his stance, Kugo froze.

The atmosphere thickened. Silence descended upon the room like a suffocating blanket.

No one dared move.

Not long after, Sebastian briefly turned his head toward Al before shifting his gaze back to the four men, his eyes eventually settling on the principal.

"I don't fully understand what's going on here," he said in a calm but weighty tone.

"And from what I can tell, this isn't a small matter, especially with the police involved. Things have already gone this far, and the police will be here soon. For that reason, it's better if I take this student into protective custody for now."

Al merely gave a short nod in response.

The four men, on the other hand, looked utterly bewildered—completely unsure of what to do. They exchanged glances, each of them hesitant, before reluctantly nodding at one another.

The principal exhaled deeply, nodding toward Sebastian.

"…Very well," he said flatly. "Just make sure he doesn't go anywhere. All of this mess started because of him, after all."

"Alright," Sebastian said, giving a polite nod in return.

"And… thank you for your cooperation, gentlemen," he added courteously before turning around. Then, a bit awkwardly, he called out to Al.

"Student Al, follow me."

Al let out a small chuckle, nodding as he complied.

When he reached the doorway, he turned back to look at the four men and gave them a bright, almost radiant smile—one that seemed to declare victory without a single word.

That smile alone was enough to make the four men bristle with anger, yet they could do nothing but grit their teeth in silence.

And with that, Al left the room, walking beside Sebastian.

Inside the principal's office, the elite fathers remained frozen in place. Some of them looked visibly panicked.

"Argh… that brat's like a damn fly—so annoying and impossible to catch!" Kugo growled, slamming his fist against the wall.

"Forget that," Lefon hissed. "We should be thinking about what to do next—especially if the police actually show up."

"Do we still proceed with transferring him to Bahari Academy?" the principal asked hesitantly.

"I don't know," Lefon muttered, turning toward Darius.

The principal and Kugo followed his gaze.

"Darius, you've been silent this whole time! What are we supposed to do now?" Kugo snapped irritably.

Lefon nodded in agreement. "This is going to be troublesome. Getting the police involved complicates everything."

Darius slowly sat down on the couch, his eyes dark and contemplative.

"I've been silent because my temper's just as bad as Kugo's. I didn't want to ruin our entire plan by acting impulsively."

He let out a deep breath.

"Daraka has already prepared everything over there. The executor we hired can only carry out his task in that location to avoid any suspicion. So yes, transferring the boy there is a must. It's the only way to ensure he gets eliminated cleanly."

Kugo scowled at that.

"I don't get why you're so damn afraid of that kid. Strong, you say? Is that really what that shaman told you? Tchh. I doubt that so-called shaman, Daraka, is even trustworthy."

Darius nodded slightly.

"I feel the same way. But I've seen firsthand how terrifying Daraka truly is. If someone like him feels wary of that boy's power, how could I possibly ignore his warning?"

"And now it seems that brat's gotten protection from a teacher who can actually match Kugo's strength," Lefon added grimly. "Whether they're connected or not, this just got a lot more troublesome."

Kugo scoffed loudly.

"Tch! Match me? Don't make me laugh. That guy just got lucky, that's all."

Darius shook his head.

"That's not the point. What matters now is how we manage this situation. The teacher's interference and the police involvement have turned this entire mess into a headache."

Lefon and the principal fell silent, deep in thought, trying to come up with a solution.

Then Kugo suddenly smirked.

"Heh. Why do you all look so damn helpless right now?" he taunted.

"What do you mean by that?" Darius asked sharply.

"We're trying to figure this out while you're acting like it's nothing," Lefon muttered irritably.

The principal just nodded, clearly agreeing.

Kugo shook his head, clicking his tongue.

"You idiots. I swear, you've lived too comfortably. That's why you can't think straight when something like this happens."

The three men looked at him in mild annoyance.

"Hm?" Darius grunted.

Kugo grinned confidently.

"Since I'm the one here with the most experience dealing with the police, I'm probably the only one who realizes it."

"Realizes what?" Lefon asked suspiciously.

Kugo leaned back and smirked wider.

"If this is about the police, all we need to do is make one phone call—to him. Then everything will be handled."

He chuckled lightly. "Besides, he's my junior. That means we've already got this in the bag."

The three men stared at Kugo for a moment before the meaning of his words sank in.

"Ah… you're right," Lefon murmured.

Darius and the principal both nodded.

"You're right. I didn't even think that far," Darius admitted.

Kugo smiled, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

"Of course. Without me, you three are hopeless."

None of them even bothered to argue. Kugo was already pulling his phone from his pocket, dialing the number.

Their expressions gradually brightened again. The tension in the room loosened as faint smiles returned to their faces—like men convinced that victory was only one step away.

Yet somewhere deep inside, each of them still felt a faint, uneasy twist in their gut… a lingering doubt that refused to disappear.

---

Meanwhile, in a dark room elsewhere,

Al's expression was twisted with rage.

A dark aura of fury erupted wildly around him, his entire body trembling with restrained violence. His eyes glared fiercely, his teeth grinding audibly, and fresh blood spattered across his cheek.

"Arghhh… damn you… demons!" he roared.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.