Now that the interference was permanently deleted, Vlad pressed the Yes button.

---

The Principal

Ringing...

[End Call]

---

As the phone produced a low ringing sound, both Vlad and Chloe intently looked at the screen. The noise of footsteps, the chatter of students, and the haggling of shopkeepers faded into the background, swallowed by an unnatural stillness. A heavy pressure descended upon them, a weight that seemed to increase with each passing second, pressing against their chests like the deep ocean.

His phone suddenly released a single vibration, and the display changed from Ringing to Connected.

---

The Principal

Duration: 00:00:01

[Mute] [Speaker]

[Hold] [Keypad]

[End Call]

---

Vlad’s hand snapped upward, the phone pressing against his ear.

"This is the Principal’s Office. State your name and reason for the call," a male voice came from the other side, deep and professional, carrying the weight of authority.

"I am Vlad Lumberjack, a first year from the Order of Blades. I would like to request a meeting with the principal because my classmate could not receive the required mana stone equivalent to her talent from the Mystic Vault."

"That should not be happening," the man replied, a hint of confusion weaving into his voice. "What affinity and level of mana st—?"

"Who are you talking to? I heard a familiar name?" Another voice came through the phone, cutting the speaker mid-sentence. It was a soft, feminine voice, distant, perhaps because she was standing far from the receiver.

"Miss Principal, stop eavesdropping and focus on the documents before you. We need them signed by tomorrow," the male voice added, annoyed and nagging, like a caretaker scolding a wayward child.

Vlad’s eyebrow rose slightly. He realized he was not actually speaking to the principal but perhaps an assistant, someone with authority high enough to even scold the principal whose age might be close to a millennium.

"First tell me who you are talking to!"

"It is the Crownbearer of the first years, Vlad Lumberjack," the masculine voice replied with an annoyed sigh before addressing Vlad again.

"I apologize for the disturbance. I repeat my earlier question: what affinity and level of mana stone does your classmate need?"

"Primordial level of Anemo affinity," Vlad answered, his tone serious and firm.

Silence answered him. No words came from the other side for several seconds, only the faint crackle of the connection.

"Vlad Lumberjack, do you understand the consequences of making a prank call to the Principal’s Office?" the masculine voice echoed, sharp and threatening. Vlad felt that if the speaker were standing in front of him, they might have already taken action.

"I do, and I am completely serious," Vlad said, keeping his voice steady. His hand remained relaxed around the phone.

"What is the talent level of your classmate?"

"Her name is Chloe. She is an S+ Rank."

The speaker fell silent for another few seconds. Now he understood what Vlad meant when he said his classmate could not receive the mana stone equivalent to her level.

"I understand your concern, Mr. Vlad," the voice said, calmer now, smoother. "But the Primordial mana stone is only a concept. Celestial is the actual level humans can truly form. Miss Chloe will be able to buy a Celestial mana stone from the Mystic Vault."

"That is why I called the Principal’s Office," Vlad said, trying to keep his voice respectful despite the growing tension. "May I have a meeting with the Principal regarding this matter?"

"I am sorry, Mr. Vlad. Your issue does not qualify as exceptionally important. As such, I must decline your req— What? But he is asking for a Primordial mana stone... Sigh... Alright."

Vlad could hear the man facepalming himself, the soft slap of skin against skin carrying through the receiver. His voice when he spoke again was completely defeated, drained of all resistance.

"The Principal has approved your meeting request. Arrive at the roof of the main building within ten— why do you need time to prepare? ... Reach the roof in fifteen minutes. Bring Miss Chloe with you," the voice said, trailing off with exhaustion. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"I understand. Thank you," Vlad said, ending the call with a final tap. The screen returned to the home menu.

Chloe could not hear anything of his conversation on the call, but from the smile Vlad carried on his face, she realized that everything had gone smoothly. The corners of his lips were turned upward, his eyes bright with quiet triumph.

"What did they say?" she asked as soon as Vlad put the phone down.

"They approved the meeting," Vlad said, excitement clear in his voice. "We need to reach the main building roof."

The duo rose from the wooden bench and hastened towards the main building, sprinting at full speed.

’From the way the Principal talked, they seemed to be aware of my existence,’ Vlad thought inwardly, his hair ruffling back from the wind as he ran on the cobblestone path with Chloe beside him, matching his pace. His crimson eyes narrowed in concentration. ’Is it because I am the Crownbearer of the first years? I cannot think of any other reason. Whatever it is, that comes later. I should focus more on acquiring the mana stone for Chloe.’

Once they reached the main building, Vlad opened the map for its inner structure. The same stairs that had led to the classroom where Camille had taken the lesson on Elements, or the stairs that led to the hall where Vlad had fought Victor Vael, were now leading to completely different places. Corridors shifted, doorways appeared where none had been before.

’Whoever came up with the idea of using magic to constantly change the architecture of the building should be damned,’ Vlad muttered inwardly as they climbed multiple stairs, took different turns through the hallways, and search for the roof that seemed to grow farther away with each stair they climbed.

"This must be it," Vlad said, sweat trickling down his temple as he opened the large wooden double doors at the end of the stairs. The wood groaned on its hinges. Unlike him, Chloe was completely drenched in sweat. Her lavender hair clung to her forehead and neck. The fifteen-minute marathon she had just completed was even more exhausting than the twenty kilometres of running on the treadmill. The muscle cramps were still there, and now she had climbed multiple flights of stairs on top of everything else.

Still, she did not complain even once. Although Vlad clearly had higher physical stats than her, he had done the same amount of intense workout equivalent to his power in the morning, fought a tiring battle with Victor at noon, formed a core in the afternoon, and then run all the way from the market to the main building just for her, without showing even the slightest annoyance or flicker of exhaustion, even though she could clearly see that his breathing was heavy. His chest rose and fell with each deep breath, but his posture remained firm. How could she complain when Vlad was doing so much for her without expecting anything in return?

As he stepped on the roof, a voice came from the front, the same masculine voice he had heard on the phone.

"You barely made it on time, Mr. Vlad and Miss Chloe."