10x Rewards: Becoming Invincible With My Sign-in System

Aegon silently took a seat before Amon, trying to mask his thoughts from showing on his face. Still, he was quite speechless as he observed the man before him.

'What are the chances that a man named Amon has a monocle on his right eye? That guy didn't reincarnate from that novel here, right?'

He shook off those ridiculous thoughts and focused his gaze on the Dean, calm and collected.

"For starters, why don't you call one of them out?" Amon asked as he set aside the papers on his desk. "I don't feel comfortable having a bunch of them wandering around like this."

Aegon nodded slightly and called out, "Hecte!"

In the next moment, the shadows stirred, rising around his feet before partially taking shape.

Hecte didn't fully manifest, preferring to remain in her shadow form, but the cold aura that surrounded her was palpable. Her piercing gaze remained locked onto Amon.

"Quite the fierce one. I should have expected that from the top of the Red Viel," Amon said with a smile before turning back toward Aegon. "Now then, can you tell me what you want from this Academy?"

"Answers," Aegon replied instantly.

Amon leaned back in his chair, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Continue."

"There's really nothing to continue," Aegon said, shrugging his shoulders. "The world of magic holds too many questions, and I want to find the answers to every single one of them. The Academy seems like the best place to start."

"I see. That's an interesting answer," Amon said, smiling faintly at his words.

"Though," Aegon added casually, "it's also because I wanted to attend an Academy anyway and this just happens to be the best one."

Amon studied him for a long moment before chuckling softly. "You're really unlike other Augustus."

"Is that all, sir?" Aegon asked, a bit confused as to why Amon had called him here, considering he hadn't even mentioned the Red Viel problem.

"Yes, that's all," Amon said as he removed his monocle and began cleaning it with a cloth. "I've heard of your intelligence, so I'm sure you're aware that many things will be expected of you here."

"I only care about expectations if they come from my loved ones," Aegon replied firmly.

Amon smiled at his response and continued, "Your friends must have already told you how this Academy functions. We allow students to compete freely by creating an environment similar to the real world."

"Politics," Aegon muttered.

"Indeed," Amon confirmed, putting his monocle back in place. "Even if we did nothing, the Academy would still be swept into politics eventually, with powerful people using it for their own gain. So, we decided, why not make it official?"

"But why are you telling me this?" Aegon asked, though he already had a faint idea.

"I asked that question to understand where you stand in this competition," Amon explained. "Neither the Augustus nor the Valerians are interested in such dirty politics, but you...you seem different from them, so I was curious."

"And because of my background, I can upset the current balance if I choose to actively participate in this competition," Aegon said, catching on quickly.

"I love talking to intelligent people," Amon said, picking up a scroll and unrolling it. "The House of Augustus holds political standing equivalent to that of a High Duke, yet they've never involved themselves in the aristocratic circles. So it was never an issue before. But you… you could change that."

'So it's all about this,' Aegon thought for a while before asking something else instead of answering anything, "I have a few questions, but I'll save them for later. The only thing I want to ask right now is, how do other students handle this Academy?"

"You catch on fast," Amon said, smiling approvingly.

If the Academy really allowed political dynamics to flourish within its grounds, then it would make things extremely difficult for common-born students to achieve success.

After all, resources would undoubtedly be controlled by the Houses that sat at the top. If one wanted access to them, they'd have to join those Houses.

And if Aegon's guess was correct, those same Houses were linked to the aristocratic factions in the outside world, meaning that joining them was essentially pledging allegiance to those powerful families.

"Each finger of the God's Hand represents something within the Academy," Amon said, raising his hand as if to demonstrate. "The last and smallest finger represents the Academy itself."

Seeing Aegon's confusion, he elaborated, "It exists for those who don't want to join the aristocratic factions but still want to earn resources."

"What's the catch?" Aegon raised an eyebrow. "Do they have to serve the Academy afterward?"

"As I said, you catch on fast," Amon nodded. "Yes. Otherwise, how do you think the Academy has survived for so long? We train our own successors, students who don't belong to the noble circles and who swear an oath never to join them."

'That's actually a good system,' Aegon thought. 'Nothing in this world is free. Everyone has to choose their own fate. I'm just too lucky to have been born the way I was.'

"Of course," Amon continued, "you can still choose to remain fully independent by completing missions and earning merits on your own. It's just… a lot harder that way. Anyone can walk alone if they have the strength to support themselves."

"But surviving alone in the real world is close to impossible," Aegon muttered thoughtfully.

"And now you understand how this Academy works," Amon said with a smile. "So, tell me, what will you choose? Will you continue searching for answers without getting involved in aristocratic politics?"

"I already lived the aristocratic life," Aegon said with a faint grin, pretending not to catch the deeper meaning. "As for your other question, my answer remains the same. I'll satisfy my curiosity one way or another, but I won't join any faction, they'd only get in my way."

He genuinely didn't care much for politics. He already had everything he needed, and the things he desired weren't something those nobles could ever provide.

In fact, they'd only hinder his progress, so he had already decided to avoid troublesome matters.

"I came here to learn more about magic and to have some fun while doing it," Aegon said, leaning slightly forward. "But I can't say anything for certain. Everything depends on the circumstances."

"That's enough for me," Amon replied as he placed a seal on the scroll in front of him. "It's not like I control the will of others. You're free to do whatever you wish, as long as you don't break the Academy's rules."

He pushed the scroll toward Aegon and said, "Here, your admission letter. Bring it tomorrow, and you'll be registered in the First-Year batch."

"But I haven't taken the entrance exam yet…" Aegon frowned, looking at the scroll.

"Rank 1 Knight, 3-Star Mana Core with a strange Affinity, First Circle Soul, and a good personality," Amon shrugged. "Only an idiot would reject you."

Aegon looked down at the scroll, hesitating slightly. He didn't like being accepted this way, he wanted to experience the entrance exams properly, even though he knew he would pass easily.

He looked like a kid denied the plea for toys, which amused Amon greatly since it was quite a contrast to how he behaved till now.

'He's still a kid,' Amon thought, noticing his expression, and smiled. "You can still take the entrance exam if you want to."

"Really?" Aegon's eyes lit up instantly, glowing like twin suns. "Thanks! I was really looking forward to it!"

"You're quite a peculiar one," Amon said, meeting his gaze. "Also, are you seriously planning to pursue all three Pathways?"

"I am," Aegon replied with a confident smile. "Xiu gave me ten years to try all three Pathways and then choose one but I fell in love with all three, so I'm choosing them all."

"That girl, huh…"

A strange expression flickered across Amon's face at the mention of Xiu. "If it were anyone else, I would have advised against it. But if it's you… then perhaps it's possible."

He smiled faintly. "It's said in the legends that every Valerian can create miracles. Let's see if you can live up to that."

"I'll try my best," Aegon said before asking curiously, "By the way, do you have a cooking class or something? I want to take that too."

"Huh?" Amon blinked, clearly caught off guard.

"I mean, there should be mages who specialize in such things, right? Like creating food that boosts stamina or endurance or maybe even heals."

"O-Oh, yes, we certainly have such courses," Amon replied after composing himself. "But are you sure?"

"Hmm? Yes," Aegon nodded with a bright smile. "It's actually one of the reasons I came here. I want to make delicious food for myself."

Amon stared at him with a dumbfounded expression for several seconds before snapping out of it. "That's all for today. You may leave but remember, only one of your subordinates is allowed to enter the Academy next time. I can't compromise the students' safety."

As the shadows beneath Aegon stirred, Hecte's cold, emotionless voice echoed through the office. "I alone am enough."

Aegon shrugged in response and turned to leave.

"By the way," Amon added, "the rules apply to everyone equally. I won't favor you just because you're talented or have a powerful background. In this Academy, everyone is equal in my eyes."

"That's good for me as well," Aegon said with a grin and walked out of the office.

'Fuck politics. Just let me cook and eat in peace.'