"This is your gold badge, your card, and your certificate." The blonde staff handed over everything that proved his status as the new gold-grade evolution master.
"Thank you." Auric nodded before walking out of the headquarters building.
To his surprise, Katarina was actually waiting outside.
"Katarina?" Auric looked around, wondering if the rest of the group was coming.
It turned out Katarina was alone.
"You haven’t gone back to the academy?"
"The permission allowed me to leave from Friday to Sunday. It’s still Sunday." Katarina shrugged. "Hop on. We will go back to the academy now."
"You’re waiting for me all this time?"
Katarina played along by overdramatizing the situation. "Of course. I’ve been here since this morning. I am a good subordinate, aren’t I?"
Auric was startled by her reaction, but Katarina immediately smiled and winked playfully. "I got a source telling me you are about to be done."
Auric chuckled. "Well, let’s go back, shall we?"
"Yep. You want to drive?"
"I’m not 18 yet." Auric entered the car while rolling his eyes.
"As your mother said, you really do follow the rules to a T."
"Well, if it’s legal, I will find a way around it." Auric shrugged.
Katarina chuckled. While driving the car, she asked, "So, you got the badge? They don’t make it hard for you?"
"Nope." Auric showed the gold badge. "By the way, those Keffling Brothers you talked about, have they become desperate?"
"You need to marinate their desperation if you really want to take advantage of it, even though that sounds cruel or insane."
"Your family is not doing anything?"
"I’ve made an agreement that I will prove myself to them in three months as long as they don’t bother me during that time. They don’t know my plan, and I haven’t done anything that will make them suspicious."
"Fair enough. The only time you’re going to make your move is then. I feel like someone is going to plant a bug in your car."
"Oh, this? It’s a rental." Katarina stuck out her tongue. "Besides, if it’s my car, do you think I wouldn’t have checked it yet?"
"Sounds like a tiring family." Auric sighed.
"Most big families are quite tiring. I mean, just look at our history with kingdoms and empires. What was the most tiring event? Was it an economic crisis? Was it famine? Nope. It was the succession war.
"People were slitting each other’s throats to get a single throne. And they did it every few decades. They kept thinking about how the country shouldn’t be destroyed and there might be some crazy bastards who would do exactly that.
"Most big families are like that, especially those who are greedy for power. Mine is less greedy, but it’s not that different. I just happen to be lucky enough to have no competition."
Auric thought, ’I guess the Relesha family is the weird one.’
Auric sighed. "Life is not so easy, eh?"
"Your life is the same. You need to deal with a family like mine." Katarina laughed.
"You really do know what to say."
...
Meanwhile, in the Evolution Association, the chief examiner met the chief of the Evolution Association, Chief Lucas.
"How is it?" Chief Lucas asked.
"I’m sure you have monitored it through the CCTV." The chief examiner sighed. "As you can see, Chief. I know why you are fond of this kid. He’s definitely someone with great potential. Are you going to take him as your disciple?"
Chief Lucas smiled. "Nope. People would definitely be fighting to get their hands on this kid, but I’m not going to do that."
"But he..."
"I know, but he will grow just fine without any teachers. I can guarantee that. What he can do will definitely surpass what I can ever achieve." Chief Lucas smiled.
"Well, I can see his potential, but what if someone claims him?"
"No. I’ve talked to him. All I can say is that he’s not the type of person who will get another teacher. He’ll even use his own teacher to protect himself so that he doesn’t have to be bothered by people who want to become his teacher."
"..."
Chief Lucas raised three fingers. "For now, don’t say anything else about this kid. I want to let him remain hidden."
"For the Europe Training Program?"
"Yeah. If it’s being released right now, other countries make plans to recruit or even execute the kid. If he reveals it during the training program, our instructors have no choice but to protect him, while other countries have no time to come up with a concrete plan."
"That’s only during the training program, you know? Once he returns here, more people might come after him."
"I will just trust him on that. I’m more worried about something else."
"And that is..."
Chief Lucas looked at him for a moment before shaking his head.
"I understand. I’ll stop asking."
"And that’s what I like about you." Chief Lucas smirked. "Well, no problem with the test, right? How about that examiner?"
"I don’t think anything will happen next, but do you want me to keep a close eye on this guy?"
"I will do that until the training program ends. I really want to deal with it personally."
"Well, Jason might be like that, but he’s quite responsible and talented. He just... holed up in his lab too much. Please don’t be too harsh on him."
"You know me." Chief Lucas shrugged. "Fortunately, this kid started growing when the presidential election had just finished. Can you imagine what would happen if this were like... a year before the presidential election?"
"Using the kid as propaganda?"
"Yeah."
The chief examiner thought for a moment. "I’m more concerned about the movements of the beasts, though."
"Well..." Chief Lucas crossed his arms.
"It looks like you know more than I do, Chief. Can you tell me about it?"
"Nothing I can say other than that the situation is worse than you know."
"Sounds like we really got a problem. At least Joker is here."
"For now, yeah. But if Joker is occupied, that means other countries will have a gap to exploit." Chief Lucas sighed. "Well, would you look at that? Even when we are facing common enemies, we’re still fighting among ourselves. Oh, boy. I love humans and their shit... I mean, their personalities."
The chief examiner just looked away. "So, do you want me to do anything else after this?"
"No, not really. You can go back to your usual things."
"Understood."
Once the chief examiner left, Chief Lucas took out his phone.
"Mr. President, good news. Auric has passed the test with flying colors. In fact, I might have underestimated him. His skill might be equivalent to a diamond-grade evolution master or higher. The way he utilizes his talent amazes me every time."
"Have you prepared an arrangement?"
"Yes, sir. I would like Supervisor Jacob to monitor him closely, making sure that he is fighting for him all the time. Besides, we have his teacher near him."
"Do you think this kid can amaze us again?"
"In the Europe Training Program? Maybe. However, I would say that he’s going to surprise us again when he becomes a diamond-grade evolution master. It might take less than a year."
"I see."
"Also, sir. About the terrorist organization linked to the Apocalypse from a century ago..."
"I’ve heard the report. Chief Adjudicator Arnie has asked me for authorization to use Auric Elfe as bait."
"And you agree to it?"
"Chief Adjudicator Arnie will handle the organization. Supervisor Jacob won’t be the only one to fight, since he has his reputation as the supervisor. Instead, you should know Greenfell, right?"
"You mean the one who always asks you to call him Mr. Green?"
"Yeah. I’ll ask him to do the dirty work. If Supervisor Jacob can’t make a move, I’ll ask him to kill anyone else. I’ll have Maya Relesha focused on Auric Elfe’s protection. Depending on the report I will receive from Chief Adjudicator Arnie, I might send the Star Team."
"Ah! In that case, I don’t have to worry about it anymore."
"For now, I’ll need your report about the kid’s ability."
"Of course." Chief Lucas smiled. "I will just send you about the six categories that are usually measured in evolution masters."
"Sure."
"I’ve sent you the image."
The president took a look at the image. It was the chart that showed his abilities. As expected, Auric’s chart was overwhelming. His sensitivity had even gone off the charts.
Knowledge: A+
Control: S+
Technique: S
Accuracy: SS+
Speed: SS+
Sensitivity: SSS+
"Are you not exaggerating this report?" The president simply couldn’t believe what he had just seen.
"No. Instead, I feel like I was unable to measure him properly."
"..." The president paused for a minute as he reviewed the chart again. "Sensitivity... What is your sensitivity? Isn’t that the most important for evolution masters?"
"Yeah. Mine? Well, it should be about S+. I am an old man already, so it’s normal if all my stats are around S to SS, but he’s just a kid, yet his stats are already like that. I’m sure you understand what I mean."
"I know. So, how do you feel about my current treatment? I haven’t done anything to him, but..."
"Rather than me, you should reach out to the instructors in the camp right now. However, please don’t drag him into politics."
"Well, I will keep that in mind."
...
"We’ve returned, sir," Auric reported together with Katarina.
Supervisor Jacob nodded with a serious expression. "I see. Have you gotten what you wanted?"
"I think that’s more than what I want."
"Does it matter?"
"Indeed, what matters is the fact that we can smile right now."
Supervisor Jacob couldn’t help but smile. This had just confirmed it. The boy in front of him had become the youngest gold-grade evolution master.
"Well, you’ve worked hard. Get some rest."
Auric and Katarina nodded before returning to the group.
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