"Huh? What did you say, El?"
They were a little too far apart, and El hadn't spoken loudly, so Bei Bei and Tang Ya, who were walking ahead, hadn't caught what he said.
"No, nothing. I was just marveling at how powerful Shrek Academy is."
On this scale, it could easily be called a nation within a nation.
"Of course! We're the number one academy on the continent, after all!"
Tang Ya nodded and puffed out her chest with shared pride.
"All right, El, little Yu Tong, we'll part ways here for now."
After they entered the city, Bei Bei said goodbye to the two of them at the gates of Shrek Academy.
He pointed at the line up ahead.
"That's where new students register. Just head over and sign up."
"Xiaoya and I will head inside first."
"If you run into anything you can't handle at the academy, come find me!"
Having confirmed El's and Huo Yutong's ranks and recommendation letters along the way, Bei Bei was certain their admission would flow as naturally as water into a channel. He wasn't particularly worried, and after a few reminders, he disappeared through the academy gates with Tang Ya.
He wanted to report what he had seen and heard to his great-great-grandfather, bringing El, a genius and his benefactor, directly to the Sea God Pavilion's attention!
This was his way of repaying the favor, as well as his attempt to grow a little closer to El.
As for El and Huo Yutong, they were admitted without trouble after presenting the recommendation letters Di Tian had obtained from who knew where.
Unlike the other students, who headed straight for the dormitories after completing the paperwork, El took Huo Yutong along, asked for directions, and made straight for the academic affairs office.
On the very first day of school, he was going to take Huo Yutong to request leave.
Three months of it!
"You're saying that school has only just started, and you want to take three months off?"
On the top floor of the teaching building, Du Weilun, the Martial Soul Department's Director of Education, pushed up his glasses and frowned.
He wondered whether these two children were still half asleep.
Taking such a long leave right after enrolling? What did they think Shrek Academy was?
"Our family traditions require us to return home to honor our ancestors," El explained.
Besides, we finally found a member of our bloodline who had been living away from the family. I need to take Yu Tong home so she can acknowledge her ancestors and return to the fold, and help her awaken."
"This is very important."
Honoring their ancestors? An awakening?
Du Weilun's tightly knitted brows relaxed a little.
There was indeed a provision in the school rules allowing students to take leave for major events in their clans, or for special circumstances involving their martial souls that required them to return home.
But that was a privilege reserved for certain powerful sects!
Major sects and clans such as the Clear Sky Sect, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and the Dark Nether Sect.
And your unheard-of family wants the same treatment?
Just behave yourselves and wait for the holidays!
Without a second thought, Du Weilun was about to find some excuse to refuse them.
"Returning home to honor your ancestors is, in principle, permitted by the school rules..."
As everyone knew, when someone said something was permitted in principle, it generally meant it wasn't permitted at all.
"But..."
"Approve it!"
Before the word "but" could leave Du Weilun's mouth, a familiar voice sounded in his ears.
He paused almost imperceptibly, then changed tack.
"But I don't have any leave forms ready in my office right now. Sit here and wait a moment while I go see the dean."
With that, he smiled at El and Huo Yutong, pointing to the teapot on his desk and the sofa by the wall.
"Have a seat and drink some water. I'll be right back."
In a flash, Du Weilun vanished through the office doorway.
A few minutes later, he returned to the office and took out two leave slips, already stamped and signed, which he handed to the pair sitting on the sofa.
He smiled, his tone warm and gentle.
"Here. Just show these to the gatekeeper. I'll notify your homeroom teacher for you."
Even Huo Yutong could tell that after his brief trip outside, the Director of Education's attitude toward them had softened by more than a little.
"Thank you, sir."
Unlike El, who merely gave a casual nod of acknowledgment, little Miss Huo politely bowed her head and offered her thanks in a clear, bright voice.
That was simply the kind of person she was.
El pursed his lips.
Whether in the original story or this timeline, this child of destiny was incredibly easy to win over at first, so long as one treated her a little kindly.
If you treated her well, she would repay you twice over, whether with kindness, resources, or anything else.
She's ridiculously easy to win over.
Of course, that was before she became brainwashed and swept along by love and hatred, debts to her teachers and grudges against nations, and all that so-called "ten-thousand-year glory of Shrek."
Later on, certain things could no longer be decided by personal will alone...
El shook his head inwardly, walked out, and called to Huo Yutong.
"Come on, come on! Let's go!"
"Coming!"
Huo Yutong gave another small bow, then jogged after the boy ahead of her, who had his hands tucked behind his head.
Du Weilun watched until the two disappeared from view.
Then he returned to his office and sat behind his desk.
The school year had only just begun. A new batch of students had flooded into the academy, while returning students had brought plenty of matters to deal with as well. As director of studies, he had a sizable pile of documents and files on his desk waiting to be processed and signed.
Yet Du Weilun didn't spare them so much as a glance.
He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling, his mind filled with the conversation he had just had in the dean's office with Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department.
"Dean Yan."
After entering the dean's office, Du Weilun lowered his head slightly in respect to the middle-aged man in white sitting behind the desk.
"Ah, Weilun, you're here."
Yan Shaozhe nodded to him.
Then two leave slips, already bearing red stamps and the signature of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department dean, were pushed across the desk toward Du Weilun.
"These are the leave slips those two children wanted. Give them to them in a moment."
"Dean Yan, those two children...?"
Seeing Yan Shaozhe being so accommodating, how could Du Weilun, who had worked with him for years and knew his superior's nature inside out, fail to understand?
These two students have someone backing them!
And that someone probably carries quite a lot of weight.
"From now on, as long as their requests aren't too outrageous, help these two children with anything you can, especially that black-haired, red-eyed boy."
"Of course, Shrek is still the number one academy on the continent, after all. Don't make it too obvious."
"?!"
Du Weilun instinctively looked up at Yan Shaozhe, his eyes filled with surprise.
"This is my teacher's wish."
Yan Shaozhe rested his elbows on the desk and propped his chin on his hands, his gaze sharp.
"That child is Shrek's future!"
"As long as he can grow into his potential, he can guarantee the academy at least another thousand years of worry-free development!"
"Perhaps even..."
Yan Shaozhe paused.
"In short, we must make him feel the warmth of home here at the academy and give him a sense of belonging to Shrek Academy."
He stood, walked over to Du Weilun, and patted his shoulder.
"So show him some goodwill."
"For the academy's future."
"I don't mind telling you that I'll be attending a Sea God Pavilion Meeting for this child next.
"No, probably more than one."
"And all of this is to settle the resources and treatment he'll receive in the future!"
And, more importantly, which elder would become his teacher.
However, judging by his own teacher's attitude, Yan Shaozhe suspected he was considering taking the boy as his disciple...
Is he really that extraordinary?
Du Weilun's heart jolted, followed by an irrepressible surge of curiosity.
Their Shrek had occupied the throne of the continent's number one academy for ten thousand years!
What sort of monstrously talented student could possibly warrant such an enormous effort from the academy?
As though he had read his thoughts, Yan Shaozhe chuckled, then transmitted his voice precisely into Du Weilun's ears through soul power...
"Four extreme elements..."
Du Weilun stared at the ceiling and gave a bitter smile.
The academy had welcomed someone they would have to treat like an honored ancestor. He was probably going to have his hands full from now on.
Before you continue