" Great sect alliance?" Levi tilted his head." Mhmm. This sect was once called the "benevolence sect", but at some point, we joined two other sects to form this great alliance." Mr. Tempest explained.
" Why had I not heard about this before?" Levi thought.
" Then...Am I right in a.s.suming that these events happened so long ago that people forgot about them?" Levi probed.
" Well, you aren"t wrong, but-" Mr. Tempest was interrupted by a shrill voice.
" Great Elder?" The voice sounded.
" Hmm?" Mr. Tempest looked back.
Just a few steps down from him stood a man with short, swept-back gray hair.
" Ugh..." Mr. Tempest groaned internally.
" What are you doing, Sir?" The man asked politely.
" Uh...I was just about to guide these new discip-" Mr. Tempest was once again interrupted.
" What?! No! Nonononononono! Your esteemed self need not worry about such insignificant things!" The man"s voice was high and he spoke swiftly.
With every no, he walked up a few steps, arriving before Mr. tempest in little time.
"..." A stiff smile hung on Mr. Tempest"s face.
" But i-" He was cut off quickly.
" No need, sir! This little one here will take care of this small matter!" The man said hastily.
"..." Mr. Tempest kept helplessly silent.
" You have already exerted yourself by gathering and guiding the many prospective students!"
" Elder should go get some much-deserved rest!" The man explained in an aggrieved tone.
"..." The corner of Mr. Tempest"s lips twitched.
"...Yes." Under the expectant gaze of the man, he could only respond in a soft, reluctant tone.
He nodded to the man, then looked back at Levi and Adam, before wordlessly descending the large staircase alone.
" Oh! Great elder?" The man suddenly called out.
Mr. Tempest"s body suddenly stiffened, as he stiffly turned around.
" Y-Yes, Mr. Swon?" He meekly answered.
" Do you still have the array tokens?" The man, Mr. Swon asked.
"...Yes." Mr. Tempest reluctantly answered.
" You can leave them with me to return, so as to not trouble yourself!" Mr. Swon said.
"...I understand." A drawer of the compacted table opened, as a few circular tokens flew out.
"..." Mr. Tempest wordlessly handed over the tokens.
" Thank you! Have a good rest, Elder!" Mr. Swon said, satisfied.
"...Yes." Tears streamed down Mr. tempest"s face as he silently descended.
" I just want to get out and move around a little, ok? Can"t I even do that much?" He thought.
" Even if I am the great elder, I don"t need such pampering! Furthermore, you look more feeble than me, maybe you should go rest!" Mr. Tempest thought, a little resentful.
...
" Great Elder?" Levi thought silently.
"...Is getting into this sect a blessing or a curse in disguise?" He suddenly thought.
It was only natural for him to come to such conclusions.
For someone in such a position to test him, maybe something he would have rather keep hidden was picked up by him?
" Hmm?" Mr. Swon scrutinized Levi and Adam, a stern expression replacing the earlier tender one.
" You two, follow me." He said before turning around.
"...What do you say?!" His head snapped back as he shouted with widened, bloodshot eyes.
" Y-Yes, sir?!" Both Levi and Adam hurriedly spoke.
" Humph! Kids these days!" Mr. Swon grumbled.
...
A few minutes later.
At the bottom of the stairs was a large wooden door.
"..." Levi looked to the side, noticing a few more staircases leading to similar doors.
s.h.i.+fting his gaze, his head tilted back as he looked at the towering building.
Creaaak!
" Come along." Mr. Swon said as he easily pushed the heavy door.
" Um...sir?" Levi called out.
" Hm? Speak up!" Mr. Swon said forcefully.
" Yes! Mr. T-...No, the great elder was just telling me about how people forgot the name of the sect..." Levi spoke cautiously.
"..." Mr. Swon stopped, his searing gaze stuck on Levi for a long time.
" Sigh...Since the great elder already told you, I might as well clear things up." He turned around and began walking.
" It was not that people forgot, but they were made to stop speaking the name." Mr. Swon said as they arrived at a wide hallway.
Orbs of light sat in the high ceiling, half-concealed as they filled the indoor area with light.
" What do...What does sir mean?" Levi asked carefully.
"...The Benevolence sect was created by a few kindhearted cultivators hundreds of years ago." Mr. Swon said.
" But as time pa.s.sed, it"s original reason for being was shrouded by the mult.i.tude of things that are known as being human." He continued.
" Greed, selfishness, arrogance, hatred. All of these things changed the once well-meaning sect." He paused.
" After a few hundred years of this, three large sects within proximity of each other, in order to stop the feuds and strife, formed an alliance." He said.
" After, the sect was slowly reformed. But this time, it raised its disciples not based on the flimsy notion of being kindhearted or charitable, but on respect." He glanced at Levi and Adam.
" Because we were ashamed of our past actions, we felt that we no longer deserved the name "benevolence sect", and forbade the use of that name, knowing that it would be forgotten one day." Mr. Swon explained.
"...Raised disciples based on respect, hmm? No wonder this guy is so uptight. I hope that not everyone here is like this..." Levi thought silently.
" I explained all of this for one reason alone; With in-depth knowledge of our history, you have no excuse to spread that name, accidentally or otherwise." Mr. Swon said.
" If it somehow gets spread..." A light flickered in his eyes as he glanced at Levi behind him.
"..." Levi received the threatening glance silently.
"...What do you say?!" Mr. Swon"s voice boomed.
" Yessir?!" Levi and Adam shouted simultaneously.
" This is getting old real fast..." Levi thought with exhaustion.
" Hmm?" He suddenly realized something.
"..." He glanced in Adam"s direction.
" I thought something was weird! So that was it..." He thought with a snicker.
" So this guy can"t well deal with uptight people like this! No wonder he was so quiet." A playful smile bloomed on Levi"s face.
" Hahah, that pained expression is quite cute." He chuckled.
"..." The demon saint"s mouth was agape as he wondered if Levi awakened s.a.d.i.s.tic tendencies in dread.
" Hmm, come in." They arrived before a well carved wooden door, as Mr. Swon said.
...
A few minutes later.
" So then, you are going to the Mechanism department?" Mr. Swon sat behind a broad wooden table, in a sizable room.
" Yes, sir..." Adam said softly.
He looked around curiously at the bookshelves on either side of the room, filled with metal plates.
" Pardon? Speak up!" Mr. Swon said unhappily.
" Yes!" Adam shouted.
" Yes who?!" Mr. Swon glared.
" Yes, sir!" Adam was on the verge of tears.
" Humph!" Mr. Swon snorted as he pulled a rectangular metal plate from a drawer.
"...This is Teacher Swon from the Inscription Department. I"m calling to find out if the Mechanism Department could send someone over?" Mr. Swon spoke after igniting his mental energy flame.
A molten, circular pattern appeared on the metal.
" Teacher Swon? For what reason?" A voice sounded from the plate.
" A new disciple of the Mechanism department is currently here." Mr. Swon explained briefly.
" A new disciple? The entrance examination hasn"t even been concluded yet, how could there be a new disciple? Mr. Swon, are you so bored that you want to cause trouble?" The voice asked.
"...I am merely informing you of the disciple the great elder just handed over to me. If you do not plan to accept him, I will have someone bring him around the sect until he finds a suitable department to join!" Mr. Swon"s face darkened as he said.
" Great elder? Hold on, the person should be arriving now!" The voice shouted.
" Humph!" Mr. Swon snorted.
Knock, Knock!
Not even a few seconds later and a few knocks sounded.
"...Come in." Mr. Swon was flabbergasted by the incredible speed.
"..." A humanoid figure walked through the opened doorway.
" Are you joking with me? When is the Mechanism department going to stop being so lazy?! To actually send a puppet to guide a new disciple?!" Mr. Swon slapped the desk.
" Stop overreacting. Isn"t the Inscription Department"s teacher Swon just jealous of our...lucrative means?" The voice sneered.
" Jealous?! preposte-" Mr. Swon was interrupted.
" In any case, we from the Mechanism Department will be taking our disciple now. Thanks and goodbye!" The voice said.
" You!!!" Mr. Swon shouted angrily.
"..." The plate was silent, as the pattern slowly faded.
" Don"t you dare leave with that thing, do you-" Before he could finish, he looked up, seeing only Levi standing before him.
" Wh-Where is the other one?" He pointed to the empty s.p.a.ce beside Levi, wide-eyed.
" Erm...that, sir, is like this..." Levi paused as he forcefully suppressed his laughter.
" Ahem...From the time that thing came in, his eyes became glittery. He left with it for quite a while now." Levi explained with his most serious face, his back straight as he looked over Mr. Swon.
"..." Mr. Swon stood silently for a few seconds before smoothly sitting back down.
" Ahem, so..." He cleared his throat.
" GAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAAHA! He! He is! He is now acting dignified?! Ahahaah!" The demon saint slapped the ground as he laughed his soul off.
" De-Demon saint...Stop..." Levi stiffly said.
" Ahahaha, but it"s just too funny! How are you not laughing!" The demon saint lay weakly on the ground.
" Just shut up!" Levi swiftly blocked out the demon saint"s voice.
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" Cough!...Cough cough! Cough!" He suddenly began coughing.
He could barely hold back his laughter, as he disguised those that escaped as coughs.
" Humph! Stop with the coughing!" Mr. Swon said coldly.
" Cough cough cough! Yessir." Levi was on the verge of tears, from both holding back laughter and the fact that the more he tried to hold it back, the stronger the desire became.
"...In regards to joining this sect, it is mandatory that I explain some rules to you." Seeing that his stern impression was shattered, with a tinge of red on his cheeks, Mr. Swon moved on.
" #1, Do not kill. Although you will be in the inscription department, seeing as you are all cultivators, you should all still have some life-threatening capabilities." He said.
" This rule also applies to any contracted beast you may have brought. And in regards to contracted beasts, any over a certain size will have to be shrunk down." He continued.
" Shrinking down living things?" Levi found his attention gripped.
" Seeing as you don"t have any such beast with you, I will leave it at that." Mr. Swon paused.
" Tsk..." Levi thought.
" Rule #2, Do not join, or continue to be a part of any other organization." His eyes narrowed.
" !" Levi"s expression was still the same, but he was secretly startled.
"...Hmm? But I am not part of any organization, right?" He thought playfully after a few seconds.
" Yeah, you are not PART of any organization, you are the b.l.o.o.d.y boss!" The demon saint sneered playfully.
" Huh? What are you going on about? I am a slightly shy orphan who used up his savings to come to this large continent!" Levi thought with a confused expression.
" Hehehe, you sly dog." The demon saint laughed darkly.
" Huhuhu." Levi laughed lightly.
" This is to prevent the intimidation or a.s.sa.s.sination of any other disciples in case of sullen feelings or events of embarra.s.sment." Mr. Swon said.
" This will allow all disciples to start on equal footing, excluding the aspect of talent and also enable them to find themselves while they are without the aid of any outside force." He explained.
"..." Levi silently nodded his head.
"...Rule #3. I will first say, although this rule is placed at number 3, it should be perceived as, if not number one, at least number two on the list." Mr. Swon"s brows knitted together in seriousness.
" Respect your teachers, your elders, and yourselves. Show everyone a certain level of respect." He said seriously.
"..." Levi furrowed his brows, nodding slowing to show sincerity.
" Hmm." Mr. Swon nodded his head in satisfaction.
"...Student Olivia." Mr. Swon called out as he looked at the metal plate.
The glowing, molten pattern appeared once again.
" Yes? Is it teacher Swon?" A respectful, high pitched voice sounded.
" Yes. Come to my office, I would like you to guide a new disciple to where he will be staying." Mr. Swon said.
" What about a sect tour?" The voice questioned.
" No need. He will naturally learn where things are as time pa.s.ses." Mr. Swon said dismissively.
" Understood. I will come right away." The voice said with a light laugh, as the pattern once again dimmed before disappearing.
"..." Levi listened to the conversation silently.
He didn"t know if Mr. Swon had refused the thought of a sect tour out of spite or what, but this turn of events was to his liking.
" And here. Copy down your information onto this disk before bringing it back to me, or entrusting it to a senior or teacher." Mr. Swon held out a thin metal plate.
" It works by infusing mental energy." He explained.
"..." Levi nodded absentmindedly as he received the plate.
" Why waste time walking around when I can cultivate? It has been a few days since I could fully immerse myself in cultivation." Levi thought.
" You...You really need to get a life." The demon saint said disdainfully.
" Says the body-less soul lazing around in another person"s head." Levi sneered.
" Says the fool who trapped said bodyless soul here!" The demon saint snorted.
" Ah? Are you tired of living? If you hadn"t tried to steal my body, would I have trapped something like you in my head?!" Levi shouted angrily.
" Who are you calling "something like you"?! And who told you to have a body that was so perfect for this demon to steal?! And I mean a body that was fitting for this demon"s soul, don"t let your mind wander!" The demon saint spoke contemptuously.
" What?! So it"s my fault?!" Levi shouted in a rage.
Who knew such a light conversation would erupt into an argument.
" Oh, and one more thing." Mr. Swon called out.
" Hmm?" Levi absent-mindedly looked up, the flames of rage still in his eyes.
" Er...Ah, yes, sir?" He asked with a smile.
" Although this is a kind of unwritten rule that you would come to learn of later, I will tell you now. Don"t go close to the ice house." Mr. Swon said seriously.
"...Pardon?" Levi asked in confusion.
" Exactly what you heard." Mr. Swon said in all seriousness.
" Um...I understand?" Levi felt quite funny, saying he understood something that he absolutely did not understand.
Knock! Knock!
Two crisp knocks sounded.
" Come." Mr. Swon said, his tone softening slightly.
The door was pushed open and a figure walked in.
" This is your senior, Olivia." Mr. Swon gestured for Levi to look behind himself.
"..." Standing by the doorway with a slight smile, was a girl with reddish-brown hair.
She was the same hight as Levi.
Her slightly curly hair reached her shoulder blades, while at the front, her forehead was covered as it reached her collarbone.
Her features were normal, while her skin was a silky, slightly pink color.
Her welcoming smile instantly made one feel attracted as if she was an older sister that you could talk to about anything.
"..." Levi looked at her silently.
" Aren"t you going to greet your senior sister?!" Mr. Swon slapped the table in fury.
" Er...h.e.l.lo, senior sister." Levi nodded to her.
" h.e.l.lo?! And With just a nod?" Mr. Swon stared wide-eyed as if the most unimaginable thing had happened before his eyes.
"..." Levi was at a loss.
" Do you want me to go down on my hands and knees and lick her feet or something?! If you are into that kind of thing, then be my guest, but leave me out of it, ok?" He thought as he looked through the corner of his eye.
" Come then, junior brother, I will show you around." The girl, senior sister Olivia said with a blooming smile.
" Teacher Swon can rest easy." She nodded at Mr. Swon, who nodded like a pecking chicken in approval.
" Uh...Thank you, senior sister." Levi bowed in thanks.
"...Seems like I did it right this time." Levi thought.
" That guy needs to go see a doctor and get that rod removed." Levi thought as he followed behind the girl.