Professor Flores sighed lightly and nodded helplessly, “Of course!”
To others, Professor Flores might seem like a difficult and eccentric man, but at this moment, he held immense respect for Kayden. The problems that had troubled him for a long time had been solved effortlessly by Kayden, making Flores naturally hold Kayden in high esteem. The two of them left the office together.
The other teachers, who had been watching, began to discuss amongst themselves. “It seems Professor Flores was just casually mentioning it. I thought he really intended to make that young man a professor at our school.”
“In my opinion, Professor Flores wasn’t joking. Didn’t that young man just say he wasn’t interested in becoming a professor?”
“Not interested? You must be kidding. Not just anyone can become a professor. That young man knows he doesn’t have the necessary qualifications for the position, so he can’t possibly take on such a role. As long as Professor Flores is around, no one will say anything. But once he’s gone, that person will eventually be dismissed.”
“No, I believe that person does have some capability. Otherwise, Professor Flores wouldn’t show him so much respect.”
The teachers held differing views, engaging in a heated debate within the office.
In reality, Kayden had no interest in the position. He was already a person standing at the pinnacle of the world. To him, there was no need to chase after fame and fortune by doing things that seemed meaningless.
While the teachers were discussing Kayden, he and Professor Flores had already reached the latter’s office. Professor Flores held a white handkerchief in his hand. Upon seeing the design on it, he couldn’t help but smile.
Seeing Professor Flores’ smile, Kayden had a hunch. This handkerchief was closely related to the people of Flood Disaster and might even be connected to Wood Faulkner’s memory loss. The Zodiac Generals, as well as Liam John and Gordon Waterson, had been missing for some time, and no one knew what had happened to them.
Professor Flores set the white handkerchief aside and took out another piece of cloth. This cloth looked old and was wrapped in a thin film, as if Professor Flores feared it might get corroded.
The design on it was identical to the one on the handkerchief Kayden had-featuring a Grievance and two blazing flames.
“What’s this?” Kayden frowned in confusion.
Professor Flores spoke in a solemn tone, “This is something that Daniel from the archaeological team dug up and asked me to study. He said that, based on his observations over the years, these two items contain many secrets, which might become a major discovery for our country. You know, in some aspects, our country’s development has stagnated or even regressed compared to the past, so-”
“Enough!” Kayden interrupted, getting straight to the point. “What’s the significance of this handkerchief?”
Nodding, Professor Flores continued, “Before talking about this handkerchief, I’ll tell you a story. During the Archaic Greek period, Ancient Seclela conquered six neighboring countries, achieving unification. When the King of Ancient Seclela attacked Aldoria, he encountered an extremely tenacious army. This army was incredibly powerful, a force that was almost impossible to defeat at the time, causing the Ancient Seclela Army to struggle for a long time to conquer Aldoria. That war dragged on for years.”
“Then, one day, the King of Ancient Seclela had a dream. In it, a tall man wearing a mask approached him, claiming to be the leader of that army. They were willing to surrender and stop fighting, but only if the King promised not to annihilate them. They vowed to go into seclusion and forever protect Seclela’s land, without causing any trouble. The King of Ancient Seclela agreed to his request without hesitation in the dream.”
“The next day, the King shared this dream with his first general. The general then ordered a new attack on Aldoria Fortress. But before the battle even began, that resilient army surrendered. The King of Ancient Seclela kept his promise from the dream and pardoned them. Not only that, but he also rewarded the members of that army, giving them an official name-Hellblazer! Their totem was the Grievance.”
“Grievance is the second son of the dragon, naturally belligerent. The Hellblazer Units were known for their formidable combat skills, so they adopted the Grievance as their symbol. That’s the origin of this totem. They accomplished many tasks for Ancient Seclela, leaving behind a handkerchief like this as a mark after completing each mission.”
Hearing Professor Flores’ story, Kayden’s heart skipped a beat. He furrowed his brow and asked, “Professor Flores, are you suggesting this organization still exists today?”
If this organization truly continued to exist, it would pose a massive threat to Kayden.
Professor Flores shook his head gently and replied, “I don’t know. My knowledge is limited to what I just told you. They did appear in history, but after the Age of Sail, they vanished without a trace. There are rumors that they have resurfaced in recent years, but no one has been able to confirm this. After all, none of us have seen them firsthand, so we can’t be certain if they really exist. And even if they do, they’re supposed to be protecting Seclela’s territory.”
“By the way, Professor Flores, where did you get this handkerchief?” Professor Flores finally remembered to ask this question.
Kayden glanced at the handkerchief and answered, “It was a gift from a friend.”
Professor Flores was about to inquire further when Kayden interrupted, “If you make any new discoveries in the future, such as evidence of this organization’s existence or their whereabouts, please contact me immediately.”
“I will.” Professor Flores nodded.
Kayden stood up. “That’s all for now. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”
Professor Flores escorted Kayden to the end of the hallway before asking, “Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider my previous offer?”
“No need.” Kayden shook his head gently.
After leaving the school, Kayden’s mood became increasingly heavy. If this organization was indeed behind the recent events, why would they act this way? Could his power really threaten them? Impossible. An organization that had existed for thousands of years, with no desire for worldly conflicts, couldn’t possibly be threatened by him. Besides, he was also defending Seclela, so they should be on the same side.
Then why did they kill my subordinates?
Could it be… Flood had betrayed me? Betrayed the country?
No, Kayden dismissed the thought immediately. That was impossible. He had absolute trust in his subordinates. Flood would never betray him; of that, he was certain.
In any case, since they had struck first and left no room for negotiation, he would not hold back.
The defense of Seclela’s territory could not tolerate the unjust killing of his loyal subordinates. Anyone who dared to harm his Zodiac Generals would have to pay the price!
Resolute in this belief, a Lincoln car pulled up in front of him. It was a symbol of his status and power, and the driver was Greedy Wolf.
After getting in the car, Kayden commanded, “Investigate this organization called Hellblazer. See if you can find any clues.”
Greedy Wolf repeated the name, “Hellblazer.”
He wasn’t familiar with it, but since Kayden had given the order, Greedy Wolf dared not delay and immediately responded, “Understood!”