Chapter 377: Interview

Knock. Knock.

Soren knocked on the door out of formality, and a gentle voice echoed from inside. "Come in."

He gestured to Ryan with his eyes, opened the door, and entered first. Ryan followed after him, and his eyes landed on the figure sitting behind the mahogany desk.

’Hmm...’

At first glance, she seemed harmless, almost unassuming as she leaned over her paperwork. Yet Ryan’s instincts immediately screamed otherwise. Every fiber of his gut told him she was like a sleeping predator, concealing her true depth beneath a calm facade.

"..."

Just then, she raised her head, and their gazes met. And in that single instant, he felt exposed, as if she were peeling back his layers and looking right through him. Before he could process the sensation, a crushing force bore down on his shoulders without a warning. The pressure hit him like an anvil, threatening to collapse his legs and force him to his knees.

Gritting his teeth, Ryan instinctively grounded his stance, channeling his mana to endure the force while forcing his facial features to remain completely calm.

He knew this was some kind of test, and she probably matched the output to his own strength, intending to measure his limits. Trusting in his foundation and the grueling weeks he’d spent training, he tightened his grip and held his ground.

Soren watched from the side, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes at Ryan’s quick reaction, but he chose not to interfere. He was more interested in how easily she controlled the pressure and targeted Ryan.

A few moments later, the suffocating pressure vanished into thin air.

"Huff..." Ryan took a deep breath, letting the tension drain from his shoulders. With a subtle flick of fire mana, the thin beads of sweat forming on his brow evaporated into steam before they could even fall.

He leaned forward and bowed respectfully, his voice steady. "Greetings, Vice-Principal. I am Ryan."

"Welcome, Ryan." Ramona inclined her head, studied him for a moment, then gestured toward the chairs in front of her desk. "Please, both of you, take a seat."

They sat down, and Soren leaned forward slightly. "How have you been, Vice-Principal? I heard you participated in the purge. You didn’t get any injuries, right?"

Ramona nodded, a faint smile touching her lips. "I did. Thank you for asking." She paused, her green eyes meeting his. "I hope you did well too, Mr. Everly."

’Oh, she already knows.’ Soren raised a brow before replying with a smile of his own. "I was fortunate, and compared to what you and the other Sovereigns accomplished, my part was small."

Ramona’s smile widened slightly. "Modesty suits you, but false modesty doesn’t. From what I heard, you handled yourself better than most would in your position."

’...Heard, huh.’ Soren paused, then gave a small nod. "Thank you for your praise. And..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring, placing it on the desk in front of her. "This is the promised item."

Ramona picked up the ring and stared at it for a few seconds before turning back to them. "I’ve checked it and verified its contents." Her fingers lightly tapped the band before she looked up. "Rest assured, we will put it to good use."

Soren gave a brief nod. "I am sure you will." He paused, steering the conversation back to their main reason for visiting. "Then, should we talk about Ryan’s transfer now? I heard there are a few documents he needs to complete."

"There are indeed documents like enrollment forms, a medical evaluation, and a registration of his abilities. But before all that..." She turned her gaze to Ryan. "There’s also a personal interview."

"Interview? ...I guess you’re the one who will be conducting it?"

"You guessed it right." Ramona blinked before turning her attention to Ryan. "However, there’s something I have to tell you before that... If you fail to pass the interview, you won’t be accepted into Etenia Academy."

Ryan swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling over him, but he held her gaze and nodded firmly. "I understand and am prepared for the interview."

"Good."

Ramona flicked her fingers. In a fraction of a second, the office blurred and warped, space folding in on itself. The bookshelves, the wooden floor, Ramona, and Soren all vanished from sight, leaving Ryan standing alone in a vast, seamless expanse.

His body instantly went on high alert, but he forced his hands to stay at his sides, keeping his cool despite the sudden shift.

’This must be another test too...’

Ryan muttered inwardly, letting his senses expand outward. The space around him was utterly featureless, an infinite stretch of grey that gave no sense of direction or distance.

"Let’s start the interview." Vice Principal Ramona’s voice resonated directly inside his mind, coming from every direction at once. "First, tell me your name."

"R-Ryan."

"Your age?"

"Sixteen, and I’ll turn seventeen soon."

"Do you have any hobbies?"

"Yes. I like swordsmanship and reading books. I also enjoy playing games, especially role-playing ones."

"Do you love someone?"

"Eh?" Ryan blinked dumbfoundedly before quickly replying. "Y-Yes. I love my family."

"Have you ever killed someone?"

"..." Ryan fell silent, caught off guard once more by the abrupt shift in her questions. He took a moment to compose himself before answering. "No, I haven’t killed anyone. However, I have killed many monsters and... former humans who turned into monsters."

"Then... will you kill someone?"

"What do you mean, kill someone?" Ryan frowned.

"..." Silence followed, and Ryan understood she wouldn’t speak unless he answered. ’...Alright, let’s do this.’

"...I will kill, but only if there is no other choice. If someone threatens my life or the people I care about, I won’t hesitate to strike them down. However, I will never take a life without a proper reason, nor will I ever do so mindlessly."

"...Why did you apply for Etenia Academy?"

"...I want to get stronger and protect what matters to me. I need access to resources, proper guidance, and an environment that pushes me to work hard and break past my limits. Etenia is the only place capable of providing that standard of growth."

"...Do you... like black tea?"

"Eh?"