After Evelyn left the Holy Ice Hall with Ryan, the three Grand Elders sat down, and a discussion concerning Ryan's life and death quietly unfolded.

  "Do we keep him, or kill him?" Elara spoke first.

  "In my opinion, since he possesses the potential of a Grand Magus, if he can bring enough benefit to our Glacial Arcana Academy, it is not impossible to cultivate him with care," Elder Maelira said. She had already begun weighing the pros and cons in her heart.

  "I agree with Maelira," Mora continued.

  "After all, ten thousand years ago, that Grand Magus who appeared out of nowhere and shared the same constitution nearly killed the Headmistress."

  "More terrifying is that it is said he had only recently advanced at that time. If he had remained hidden for another few centuries, he might have had the power to flatten our Glacial Arcana Academy by himself."

  As Mora spoke, she unintentionally brought up Ryan's eighth lifetime. Back then, he had been the greatest troublemaker the entire magical continent had ever seen.

  When Ryan was still at the Elder Mage tier, he was like a rod stirring chaos, plunging the continent into disorder.

  During an age when Grand Magi were nowhere to be seen, his chaotic magic made him an uncrowned king of the continent, unrivaled by anyone.

  Fortunately, Ryan was not bloodthirsty. His greatest hobby was borrowing magical resources from every major faction, the kind that never needed to be returned.

  At that time, anyone on the continent who heard of his arrival would flee in panic, terrified of being caught and having all their valuables"borrowed," only to end up with empty pockets.

  "But from what I saw, the Headmistress seems to have fallen for the boy," Maelira shifted the direction of the conversation.

  Thinking back to how Evelyn shielded Ryan earlier, and comparing it to her usual icy demeanor toward them…

  "That is true," Mora nodded repeatedly, disbelief in her voice.

  "When I first met the Headmistress earlier, her cheeks were slightly red and her ears were hot when she looked at the boy. She looked exactly like a young girl experiencing her first stirrings of affection. I have never seen her behave that way."

  "This must not be allowed. We can cultivate him, but we must sever her feelings for him," Maelira and Mora said in unison.

  Both paused after speaking, surprised that their thoughts aligned so perfectly.

  Elara spoke slowly."Very well. Since both of you agree to keep him, we will observe him for a time to judge his nature."

  "But the budding affection between the Headmistress and the boy must be cut off completely. I will not allow another tragedy to occur."

  A heavy sigh slipped from Elara as she finished, her expression filled with worry.

  The other two elders nodded in agreement, accepting the decision.

  ...

  Evelyn led Ryan away from the Holy Ice Hall. He stayed close at her side, his body trembling slightly.

  "Evelyn, they're so scary." His voice trembled with unmistakable fear, still haunted by the murderous intent in the eyes of the three elder women.

  "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, they won't hurt you," Evelyn said, her tone carrying a faint, almost imperceptible note of reassurance.

  "Really?" Ryan looked up, his clear eyes fixed on Evelyn's face, sculpted like ice and snow, full of trust.

  "Really. Unless I die," Evelyn said, as if worried he might still not feel safe. The words carried weight beyond their surface meaning. As long as she lived, the three elders would not dare defy her orders and would naturally not lay a hand on Ryan.

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  "Don't say such unlucky things!" Ryan quickly reached out, gently covering her red lips with his hand.

  The sudden gesture made Evelyn pause mid-step, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes.

  She lightly pushed his hand away, shot him a glance, and regained her usual cold demeanor."From now on, at Glacial Arcana Academy, call me Mentor."

  "Then I can't call you Evelyn?" Ryan's tone carried a hint of disappointment, as if he deeply regretted losing the right to use her name.

  "I only meant in front of others," Evelyn replied, quickening her pace, walking slightly ahead of him. The tips of her ears tinged with faint pink, as if afraid he might notice.

  "But there's no one here now!" Ryan immediately realized, letting out a cheerful cheer and bouncing happily as he hurried to catch up to her.

  Delicate snowflakes drifted down from the sky, landing on the white stone paths of Glacial Arcana Academy, reflecting a soft glow.

  A tall, bright-eyed man followed quickly behind a woman who seemed like an ice goddess, their laughter and chatter dispelling the chill of winter.

  Deep within Glacial Arcana Academy, few ventured here. This was the private domain of the Headmistress and the three elders, protected by multiple magical barriers. Others were forbidden to enter this restricted area.

  After about ten minutes, Evelyn led Ryan to an elegant courtyard.

  Low fences surrounded the courtyard. The architecture was simple yet grand, not extravagant, but radiating a unique charm.

  "This will be your residence from now on," Evelyn said, stopping to point at the courtyard.

  "And you?" Ryan asked.

  "I have my own place. No need for you to worry about me."

  The cold wind and snow made Evelyn's serene face appear even more holy, her beauty even more distant.

  Ryan visibly sank into a slump. Judging by his earlier question, it was clear he was disappointed that he could not live in the same place as Evelyn.

  Evelyn noticed his mood. After a brief silence, she said,"Go inside."

  "All right." Ryan slowly lifted his foot, preparing to step into the courtyard, secretly comforting himself: It's fine if we can't live together.

  But just as he moved forward, Evelyn walked past him, entering the courtyard first.

  "Ah?" Ryan was completely stunned, his eyes wide with confusion.

  "Evelyn, you live here too?" He froze in place, his voice filled with disbelief. She really did not act according to any normal pattern, leaving him completely baffled.

  "I've always lived here," Evelyn replied lightly to Ryan, then walked straight toward the deeper part of the courtyard.

  The daylight gradually gave way to night, and the Glacial Arcana Academy was shrouded in quiet and cold. Only the street lamps cast a soft glow, illuminating the paths of the courtyard.

  Ryan lay on the bed covered with a plush rug, feeling completely surprised. He had never expected that Evelyn would still have this trick up her sleeve.

  The courtyard appeared to be an independent residence, yet inside it had separate rooms. No matter how subtly he tried to hint, Evelyn firmly refused to share a room with him.

  Perhaps he could find an opportunity to pretend to lose control and punch through the magical barrier separating the rooms? A mischievous thought flashed through Ryan's mind, and a sly glint appeared in his eyes.

  Just as Ryan was scheming, there was a soft knock on the door.

  After a moment, seeing no response from inside, the person outside gently pushed the door open. A slender figure stepped in under the moonlight, it was Evelyn.

  Seeing this, Ryan quickly closed his eyes and held his breath, pretending to sleep, wanting to see what Evelyn intended.

  "Are you asleep?" Evelyn asked as she walked to the bedside, her tone carrying a faint hint of testing.

  Ryan remained perfectly still, deliberately slowing his breathing, making it seem as if he had truly fallen into a deep sleep.

  Seeing that he did not respond, Evelyn did not disturb him. She turned and walked to the desk, sitting down and placing a space ring embedded with a magical crystal gently on the table.

  Then she moved lightly toward the door. The soft sound of the door closing echoed.

  Ryan immediately leapt up from the bed, a cheeky smile on his face, ready to rush over to the desk and check the ring. But he froze mid-motion.

  Evelyn was quietly standing behind the door, her gaze calm and unshaken, a faint trace of amusement hidden in her eyes.

  Their eyes met, and the air around them seemed to solidify, even the snowflakes drifting outside appearing to hang midair.

  The door had closed, but she hadn't actually left, she was hiding behind it to tease him! This woman was far too cunning.

  "Evelyn, do you still have something to say?" Ryan awkwardly scratched the back of his head and sat back down on the bed, his smile a little forced.

  Evelyn walked back to the desk slowly and sat down again. Her gaze fell on him as she asked calmly,"You're not asleep. Why didn't you respond?"

  "Because I'm scared," Ryan said, rolling his eyes and making up an excuse on the spot.

  "Scared?" Evelyn raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

  "I'm scared that the moment I open my eyes and see you, I won't be able to control myself and will completely fall for your charm," Ryan said with a serious expression, spouting nonsense.

  Evelyn's cheeks flushed slightly at his words, then she returned to her usual cold composure. Her brows furrowed, and her expression was far from pleasant.

  Even a fool could tell he was talking nonsense, yet for some reason, the moment she heard it, a subtle and inexplicable sense of pleasure stirred in her heart.

  "This contains some potions, magic crystals, several weapons suitable for your current level, and a few basic magic tomes," Evelyn said, pointing at the silver storage ring on the table. She gestured toward Ryan."You should work on improving your magic level as soon as possible."

  "Nothing else. I'll be leaving now." With that, Evelyn stood and walked toward the door again, as if her visit had really only been to deliver these few words.