Mistand 16

Noel left Mistand to discuss things with Maria while the others continued to train. Lia doubts only grew while Xavi reassured her.

Despite Maria working close for Min, she couldn't do much, especially not something big like planting a new teacher in the academy, it'd only put her in danger of being found out.

"If you're worried, Susa said this is going to be fine," Xavi was sure the plan would work. He had no idea why but his guts told him that.

"Susa's power is clairvoyance and not looking into the future."

"It's connected," Xavi retorted, "And about your appearance, we'll do something."

Lia had an even worse feeling. What were they going to do? Try to find someone who could alter faces?

A few days later, Noel came back and told everyone, "Green light. Maria will have everything ready in a week. So before then, let's work hard."

Lia wasn't sure if Nana should join her but it was true that out of the six Nana was the slowest to progress. She had a hard time grasping the fundamentals of converting her power, so being in the academy would help her.

However, there was one more concern and Lia voiced it immediately, "I have to be a teacher, no? But I'm not skilled in teaching nor knowledgeable."

"Don't worry! We took that into account, you'll be responsible for examining the written tests. There'll be answer sheets so you don't need to know anything. Just give and help the students for their one-on-one sessions and make him trust you."

"This is equal to giving me no information at all," Lia couldn't believe Noel thought his half- baked explanation amounted to anything.

"The students weekly take some simple written tests in regards to exorcism, immortal world etc. basic knowledge. You keep watch, grade them and then have one-on-one session with them afterwards to discuss the test results but actually you're there for their well-being. You're their first point of contact if they feel mentally or all sort of distressed."

"Doesn't sound like a job Lia could do," Mika bluntly gave his two cents.

Lia didn't retort because she herself didn't believe she could do something like guiding and helping students. It was a responsibility too heavy to bear.

"Lia should be fine," Noel encouraged Lia. He believed that Lia, as she was now, would be able to do it.

"The other thing, Maria didn't have much time to go through the students, so Lia you gotta find out yourself who the person is. Susa gave you his description right?"

Lia sighed. After her soul was repaired and she could hopefully use the ring to control her power with her lifeforce, it was finally time to kick Min down from his high throne.

After Min disappeared from this world, Lia and her friends could finally live a normal life again.

However, was it this easy? Lia was a bit anxious.

Yet only the future could tell.

A week later, the group of seven set out to the capital.

***

At the same time, Lia arrived in Mistand before meeting the T family-

The palace. Min's studies.

"Your highness, the new results are in," the lanky assistant handed Min some documents.

Each paper detailed a student from the academy with their name, their background and their power, their beliefs and their behaviour in the academy.

These would soon become his new soldiers. Min looked through them but none caught his eye and none had extraordinary power. The special something he was looking for.

"Not good," Min threw the documents back on the table.

"Noted," the assistant handed in another staple of documents, "These are the new regimes for the academy. Please see if you approve of them."

Since the blunder with the A family, Min sought new ways to make his soldiers more powerful and stronger. He gave the suggested training plan a second readthrough, "It's ok. We can try it. What about the new facility?"

"It's currently being built. After the last building collapsed, we cannot reuse it and thus the Z family's illusion power is lost."

Min wore no expression but the assistant felt his anger and so hastily continued, "But rest assured your highness, we've found a perfect location and modified a lot of things. The previous research results also greatly enhanced the possibility of creating artificial ghosts to your liking, you'll soon be able to attach any kind of powers you want to them."

"Don't disappoint me."

"Of course not, your highness. Also, the commander requests to see you."

"I'll head over," Min signed the documents and gave them to his assistant and then proceeded to make his way to the headquarter.

A short while later, he arrived at the meeting hall where Timo was already waiting for him. Once again, Timo sat lax on his seat with his legs folded over each other while his outer robe loosely hung from his shoulders giving him an air of importance and elegance.

"Your highness," Timo with his lazy voice greeted Min but made no attempt to stand up and bow. However, Min wasn't offended. He didn't care. Timo was capable enough.

"Say what you want to talk about," Min didn't waste any second and got straight to the point.

Timo sat up on his chair and braced himself, "We checked the hideout of the A family and the whole second layer but there's not a single sign of them."

"So, you're saying they've disappeared?" anger rose in Min but he calmed himself.

"About that- I don't think they've gotten to Veil or even Mistand and Neverland, so they're either good at hiding or completely disappeared."

"Veil has said no one got in?"

Timo shook his head, "No, only some tried to leave."

The air seemed to freeze into heavy icicles to penetrate Timo's skull. He was long aware of Min's anger but each time he experienced it, it brought some life back to Timo's eyes. It was an experience Timo wasn't found to go through but he also didn't care.

Min's face was straight but his insides were boiling. All of his plans have been almost destroyed until now. He couldn't find any of the hidden families but instead, they showed him his weakness, his facility has been destroyed and it'd take a while to bring it back to its feet.

As long as the hidden families were alive, Min couldn't do anything to the Immortal World. The only upside was that Min has attained three golden cores. However, he would need to absorb all of them along with Lia's life force before he could gain the golden power.

Min thought for a while and then decided. He couldn't make any progress in the Immortal World, so he would first turn to the Mortal World.

Destroy the Mortal World and turn it into a ghost world. There was no one to protect the Mortal World.

But before that, he needed more soldiers, stronger ones, capable enough to annihilate and run rampage in the Mortal World.

"I will allow more students to enter the academy. Timo you'll personally handpick the best and train them. From now on, you'll also be a teacher at the academy."