"William," Edward called out as the blond one stepped inside.

Other than the vice-headmaster and the man who had just spoken, three more people were present.

William studied their faces. One of them was the same brunette with whom he had negotiated to obtain Nana's custody. Next was a woman with short black hair. And then… there was him.

A man with the build of a martial artist. A presence that kept others on edge without any effort. The only student the Sword Saint had ever taken. And the man who had earned six stars on his very first attempt.

Lancelot.

The infamous wielder of the Particle Divider.

A technique capable of splitting anything— even the air itself.

He was someone who sought perfection, which was why he devoted himself to sorcery just as much as he did to martial arts.

And that was precisely what made him an admirable figure in William's eyes.

"I have heard and seen a lot about you," Lancelot said as he rose from his seat to greet him.

William offered his hand. "It's an honor to be known by the strongest swordsman of Gahalia."

Lancelot shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet the strongest student of Gahalia."

The two men met each other's gaze, a quiet sense of mutual respect passing between them.

Just then, Domella stood from her seat. "I saw your assessment, and I must say, despite the absurd challenges you were forced to face, you performed remarkably well and conquered the fourth floor."

William turned toward her, accepting the praise with a silent nod.

David then gestured for everyone to sit so they could proceed with the discussion.

The three members of the Great Hall took seats on one side, while William sat across from them. To his left was the owner of the office, while David remained standing slightly to the side of the Headmaster.

Edward spoke first. "First of all, congratulations, William, on earning your first star. It is no small feat to reach this stage, especially considering how far behind your peers you were until recently."

William barely restrained a wry smile at those words. He nodded instead and replied, "Thank you for allowing me to participate alone."

Lancelot grinned. "Some people avoid teams out of fear their glory will be stolen. But you simply can't operate when others depend on you, can you?"

William sighed. "It's like the difference between walking and riding a carriage. When you walk, you only need to mind your own body. With a carriage, you're constantly checking left and right, making sure you don't crash into something."

Lancelot chuckled. "That's quite a way to put it."

The next to speak was the same woman who had visited Ardentia a few days earlier to observe William's trials.

"William… there is something we need to share with you," she said. "It concerns not only the security of Ardentia, but the world itself."

William blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone.

He glanced at Edward and saw the man remain composed. That meant he already knew. And had approved of this.

"Is the world about to end?" William asked, half-joking.

"Close to it," Domella replied calmly. "We have already seen the beginning."

The words wiped any hint of humor from William's expression. He fell silent, realizing this was not something to be taken lightly.

Domella continued, "Not long ago, several Death Sinks began appearing along the desert borders of the continent. Nearly five times the usual number. And it isn't limited to Gahalia. Other regions are experiencing the same surge."

William frowned. "Did this start after the Devil appeared during the contest?"

Domella exchanged a glance with Kiera before the latter asked, "How… do you know?"

William shrugged. "A wild guess. I heard the Archon appeared that day, so I assumed the timing couldn't be a coincidence."

Lancelot exhaled softly. "While they aren't directly connected, you're right about the timing."

William blinked in surprise. "Oh." He said nothing more.

"The Archon warned us," Domella continued. "Thanks to that, we managed to keep the situation from reaching the public."

William nodded. Despite the drastic rise in Death Sinks, there had been no widespread panic. That alone spoke volumes.

Kiera added, "But we won't be able to maintain this much longer. Soon, people will realize something has changed. And that they are no longer as safe as they once were."

William's brows rose. For the Great Hall to admit they couldn't protect everyone… the situation was far more serious than he had expected.

"That's why," Domella said, "we are forming an alliance with the Southern Continent. We intend to reinforce our defenses and prepare for what lies ahead."

William leaned back in his chair. "Are you sure I should be hearing all this? An alliance between nations would cause panic if it became public, yet you're sharing it with someone completely unrelated."

Lancelot spoke this time. "You're not unrelated anymore, William."

The words made William go still.

Lancelot continued without delay. "Together with the Great Hall of the South, we have devised a training program. One that will allow students from both continents to learn more about Death Sinks. More importantly, each of you will be trained under mentors capable of shaping you into true pillars."

Pillars.

"Pillars who will protect your home," Lancelot finished, "your school, and your people—if the coming disaster ever turns its gaze toward you."

William leaned back in his seat, completely taken off guard by all the information suddenly poured over him.

He took a minute to register what was told before he finally summarised, "So…along with me a few more students, some from the South are going to train to become what you call pillars, right?"

Lancelot nodded before he added, "And by a massive margin it was voted for you to be the commander of the First Squadron. "

"...."

Now…that was unexpected.

And didn't they just hear that William doesn't work with a team?

'Just when I thought I could enjoy some free time with Emma and Nana…haah.'

This year was turning wilder by every single day.

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.

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