*Tlucktuntuntuntun...*
As soon as Gakrid and Rovitel made it to the island, the gate in the distance began to open. From behind, several cultivators, seemingly part of the top brass of the academy, began to make their way to the new students.
Once again, they could have just gone around the gate, but this was the rule agreed long ago between the countries sustaining the academy.
Looking at them, Roan noticed there weren’t many, just around twenty or so. Compared to the enormous crowd behind, it was weird that so few of them would co to talk to the new students. It was especially so since there were so many Golden Radiance participants this ti.
A mont later, those few cultivators arrived, and they separated, each going for a specific group. One of them, a middle-aged woman, was the one to co see the twins.
"Quick, co close," she warned, pulling them all together.
Following that, she took out an item from her Pocket Dinsional Realm, which created a barrier around the twins’ group and herself. It separated them from the outside world.
Only then did she start talking. "We only have five minutes, and Divine Sense ssages are not allowed during this ti. I’m Donafela, one of the teachers in the academy. I’m also a cultivator from Galantes, and above all, the one with the highest authority between those who ca from the sa country as ."
She continued. "Every ti a pickup happens, the teachers or other cultivators who work in the academy are given five minutes to go talk to their own countryn. Before those five minutes are over, no one is allowed to talk to them. This system was created so the countries themselves wouldn’t risk having their own youngsters being robbed under their noses before they could say anything."
"I will explain more about why Divine Sense ssages are not allowed during these five minutes later. For now, let’s focus on what matters. I received the ssage from Hlock, who told that all eight of you activated the Golden Radiance. Not only that, four of you got the highest possible asurent result, the Celestial Ascendance. Tell , did you do anything to the Judgental Eye to get this result? This is important, and might even cost your lives, so be sincere with ."
Rean, as always, was the one to speak. "We did not. The eye suddenly cracked when it focused on the four of us. I heard soone saying that it was possibly because that thing couldn’t deal with four Celestial Ascendances at once. As to whether it is true or not, that we don’t know."
"Good. Don’t worry about that. It can be fixed with enough resources." Donafela got the answer she wanted. "You must understand that the entire Divine Military Academy is in chaos at the mont. A single Celestial Ascendance would be fought over like at in the middle of a pack of starving dragons. Yet, there are four of you at once, not to ntion the rest, who also acquired incredible results. Hlock said you all ca from that Green Cluster Region."
"This piece of information will sooner or later be found out, but it doesn’t matter. Since you were registered as part of our Galantes Country, your origins will not be questioned. Plenty of countries in our Runia Continent accept new cultivators from outside, and this is basically the sa thing."
"The problem is what happens after. Rather than having the old geezers fighting to recruit you away from our Galantes Country, they most likely will try to find out how you beca like this. I’m not kidding when I say that your own lives will be on the line."
Roan expected as much. "We don’t have an answer for that. But we were all born in the sa country, if that helps. We are all from Verjansy. However, it will be very hard to investigate us with the war that is happening there right now."
"We know that much already," Donafela agreed with Roan. "So, let ask one thing. Are you sure this is not sothing you did on purpose, but the result of the Judgental Eye alone?"
Everyone nodded. "We truly did nothing to the eye. In fact, until the Judgental Eye appeared, we didn’t even know it existed. Hlock kept quiet about it until the last mont."
"Hlock, that idiot!" Donafela cursed. "If he had told you ahead of ti, we might have thought of sothing. Whatever. What is done is done. Listen, when the five minutes are over, I want you all to pledge your loyalty to the Galantes Country for everyone to see. As long as you are inside the academy, you won’t be targeted in the open. The Divinity Realm Experts who look over the academy aren’t here just to protect it, but also to keep an eye on one another."
Kentucky had a question. "Even if we do that, won’t the other countries try to recruit us?"
"Hlock truly told you absolutely nothing, didn’t he? I’m going to cut his head later!" Donafela was furious at the mont. "Answering your question, no. These five minutes given to the representatives of the new students’ countries exist so they can convince their youngsters to stay on their own country’s side."
"Otherwise, everything would turn into chaos every ti a Golden Radiance Student appears. That is also to stop internal struggle, even if just for the mont. The pledge you do will be added to your information on your Exchange Program ID in the academy’s system. For one year, you will not be able to switch sides, and that will put a break on any attempts to recruit you for the mont."
"Of course," Donafela didn’t stop. "There will still be a lot of countries that will try to woo you in during this year. When the one-year mark is over, you can switch to their side, after all. Believe , you will receive so many offers that you won’t even know where to look anymore."
"We won’t switch sides," Rean assured the woman. "Galantes Country helped us plenty in a mont where the future of our Verjansy Country is yet to be decided. How could we betray them like this?"
Yet, to Rean’s surprise, Donafela refused. "The contrary. I want at least seven of you to join soone else."
"Eh?" Rean was taken aback. "Do you want us to be spies or sothing like that?"
"That would be very good indeed," Donafela entertained the idea. "But, above all, it is so that the other countries don’t suddenly gang up on our Galantes."
Finally, they understood. If Galantes held all these future powerhouses, wouldn’t Galantes eventually beco the dominating power of the Runia Continent? The only reason the Divine Military Exchange Program exists is that one country can keep an eye on the other while they work together to prevent outsiders from taking over. It’s kind of a shit peace treaty.
Let’s not forget that before the Continental Accord Alliance was established here, this continent had been engaged in an internal struggle for power among its countries. It was only after they had almost exhausted their resources and the threat from outsiders intensified that the various countries finally decided to form an alliance.
This alliance was always operating on a fine balance, a balance that would most likely be broken if the twins’ group stayed with Galantes. The other countries would definitely not wait to see that happening, and Galantes might pay the ultimate price if they insisted on keeping everyone in the twins’ group for themselves.
"So, rember," Donafela repeated, "when the five minutes are over, pledge your loyalty to our Galantes country. Then, we can take this year to asure the possibilities so you can join soone else. After th-"
*Crack, crack, crack...*
*Plang!*
Donafela’s expression turned dark as her barrier was suddenly broken apart. She looked behind, seeing the culprits. "What are you doing?! It hasn’t been five minutes yet!"
A man snorted in response, and he wasn’t alone. There were quite a lot of experts from different countries behind him. "Normally, you would be given that. However, the Judgental Eye was damaged, so we need to investigate. Isn’t that right, everyone?"
"Yes!" Everyone agreed, with mocking expressions on their faces.
How could Donafela not know what was happening? The Judgental Eye issue was just an excuse. This group was trying to intervene to see if they could grab soone from the twins’ group straight away. This group had no intention of waiting an entire year.
"Stand down!"
Yet, at that mont, another expert appeared, making everyone who ca to bother Donafela’s group shut their mouths. They looked behind, seeing an old man walking in their direction.
The twins’ group did the sa, and they imdiately noticed. ’One of the Divinity Realm experts of the academy...’
Donafela cald down, bowing to the man. "Principal..."
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