Melinda had checked through the rules of the Royal Academy and this was the first she was hearing about consequences for absence.

The Empress raised a brow,

“What, you didn’t think there would be consequences? Never since the creation of the Royal Academy has a student deemed it fit to not even show up for more than a few weeks… And Hal has been gone for three months.

Even if I did not wish to punish him, and I actually do want to, the Elders are quite adamant about him being punished.”

Melinda furrowed her brows,

“But to them, Hal is just one student.”

It seemed a bit surreal for them to care so much about what was happening with one student even if he did make an impact during the Royal Academy entrance exams.

Especially since it seemed to Melinda like they were now making up rules to make sure he did not go scot-free.

“No, he is not. He would have been anonymous but he put himself on their radar during the Entrance exam. Need I remind you that he said he did not need the Royal Academy in front of a large audience that was present to watch the exams?

Not to mention that his words have even reached the ears of those not present at the event.

To the Academy Elders, his absence seems to be his way of further reiterating his lack of need of the Academy and it is a level of disrespect they will not let stand.

For now, nothing with regards to his punishment is set in stone but the longer he is away, the more reduction of his points tally.

And the smaller his points become, the more at risk he is of being kicked out of the Academy which considering the reputation he has with the Elders is unlikely to bode well for him. 

Simple expulsion would not do it for this bunch.” the Empress said and Melinda smiled widely as she said,

“But Guild members can share points. As a member of my guild, I can share my points with him. It’s one of the advantages that fall with being part of a guild.” her joy came from the fact that she saw this as a loophole with which she could take advantage of the system.

Especially since Hal’s absence did not mean he could not be registered with a guild.

The Empress sighed, 

“There is a limit to what you can share” she said.

“But he doesn’t have to be at the top of the table, he just needs to have enough points to remain in the Academy” Melinda said.

Melinda did not need the Empress saying it explicitly to know that her hands were tied and that while she was dissatisfied with Hal’s absence, the extreme direction his punishment looked to be taking was not really her doing.

The Empress eyed Melinda for a while before she sighed once again,

“Do as you will for him. Let us table that matter for now and get into the topic of the day” she said.

Melinda took a few seconds to think of Hal, to reach out and tug on what she felt sure was a connection between them both, a connection that had no need for a contract, but stopped when she came up with nothing.

‘Where are you?’ she thought.

This was probably the longest Hal had ever been missing without her having any idea of his location.

She was forced to push this thought to the side though when the Empress began her lectures which started with explaining thoroughly the theory behind Daos before then displaying what the comprehension of Dao came with.

“While you can’t be thought your Dao, you can be coached… But you no longer need my coaching, do you? 

Because You are no longer in the Dark, Melinda. I can tell. You know what it is that you should be focusing on about yourself.” The Empress said.

Melinda paused,

“It’s a guess… I- I’m not sure” she said.

The Empress smiled encouragingly,

“No, you are unsure about being unsure which means you are in fact… Sure. So tell me, Melinda… Sitting in this room, with your senses blocking out every other sound that might be around you except for my voice, what is it that you feel… Deep inside?”

Silence…

For more than a few seconds, the only sound in the room was the calm breathing of the Empress and the meditating Melinda.

For Melinda, not even the sound of breathing was present.

It was like she was in a void.

At first, she was alone in the pitch black, and then she wasn’t.

A few feet away were two individuals, one male, and one female and there was no way she would not know who they were.

The black-haired female who was dressed as scantily as any Doxon female had her worried Emerald green eyes completely on the young man who was cross-legged.

“Hal” Melinda called out to the young man whose features were as perfect as ever.

Hal perked to the sound of her voice and opened his eyes, however, before he could look to the side and lay his Sapphire blue eyes on her face, Melinda blinked and was alone once again.

She knew instantly that what she had seen had been real.

That it had not been an imagination.

But she never lost sight of why she was in this state and this void in the first place.

“Dominance.” she said out loud to the Empress out of her trance-like state,

“I feel Dominant”

***

It had been a year since Hal’s disappearance at the Tomb and those at the bottom of the points table were getting sent out of the Royal Academy.

The Year of Probation was over.

There were those who knew they would get kicked out and had accepted their fate while there were those rejoicing for being able to remain despite feeling the tension of possible expulsion towards the end of the probation year due to different factors.

Then there was the third group who were still expectant of the last-minute miracle that would save them from expulsion. They had not yet accepted their fate.

This was especially true for those who felt they were more than talented enough to be in the Academy but had simply been unable to recover from getting Zero points during the Entrance exams just because they had been too dumb to join in the group effort and been unlucky to be matched up with stronger participants they had no chance of defeating. 

*Cough* Hal Doxon *Cough*

The established headquarters of the Sapphirine guild, which was basically a Dorm that was more than large enough for all members of the Sapphirine guild to live, got a visitor.

A visitor in the form of Adeline Silva.

It was nowhere near being the first time that Adeline would visit and the target of her visit was Melinda with whom she had a friend/enemy relationship and the opening topic of discussion, was always Hal.

Melinda was not at the guild headquarters at the moment but since Nicole was around, Adeline felt she would do just fine.

“He’s still not back yet?” she asked the Antonov woman while ignoring the sparring guild members in the headquarters ‘ courtyard.

Nicole smiled lightly,

“No he’s not” she answered.

“It’s been a year” Adeline pointed out.

“I am aware. I am especially aware because you’ve been giving us updates on how time has passed since he has been gone.” Nicole said before turning her back on Adeline to return to the Dorm.

Adeline followed after her,

“You make it sound like I am overly interested” she said.

“Are you not?” Nicole turned around to ask her with one of her eyebrows raised.

Adeline made to speak but paused as though you choose her words carefully,

“I am not interested. He could be dead for all I care. That said, he stood up the Silva Duchy branch of The Alchemist Organization. 

He was supposed to be the second candidate to compete on behalf of the branch during the Alchemist Convention and he never showed.”

(The Alchemist convention was mentioned in Chapter 282)

Adeline continued,

“Not to mention, his Master was not even around for the competition and gave some excuse of being busy with a personal project. She also claimed not to know where he is and said she had tried to contact him and could not.

He let down so many important personalities. He needs to apologize”

Nicole took a deep breath,

“Why are you telling me all this? I hope you are not about to ask me again where he is because I have no idea. And even if I did, and I told you, which I don’t see happening by the way, what are you going to do?

Go over there and drag him to the ‘important personalities’ and then demand he apologizes?” she ended her words with a chuckle at what she thought was a ludicrous idea.

Adeline shrugged,

“If I knew where he was, I WOULD drag him over there. But you missed the point, I’m here to rant and I will always come here to rant until he comes back and apologizes.”

“For what?! You won the competition in his absence. You were awarded the Title of Alchemy Master. 

You are officially the best in Alchemy among the young generation of the Haron Continent.

You have nothing to bitch about” Nicole said.

Adeline furrowed her brows and frowned,

“I was looking forward to proving to him that I am better than him. I was looking forward to getting him to admit that I beat him.

With him not being present, it didn’t feel like a win.”