After around 20 minutes, Duke Whirlwind appeared in front of the academy. During the day, there were no guards in front of the gates since there were plenty of powerful teachers walking around. They would notice if someone entered that shouldn't have entered.
Shang looked out of a window of George's office and looked at the packed training grounds. Shang couldn't help remembering the time when he had been one of those students.
Duke Whirlwind walked alongside the road towards the main building, being greeted by several students and teachers.
He greeted them back with a smile and entered the building. Duke Whirlwind didn't need to ask where George and Shang were currently. After all, he had a Spirit Sense.
After getting to the fifth floor, Duke Whirlwind entered the office without knocking. Why would he? The two occupants already knew that he was there.
When he entered, he looked at Shang, and a bright smile appeared on his face. "Shang, so good to see you after so many years."
"He knows," Shang said.
This took Duke Whirlwind by surprise, and he looked at George.
George only nodded. "I know that he's been back for a while."
At that point, Duke Whirlwind's smile became a bit awkward, but Shang and George could feel the hidden frustration and anger inside it.
Duke Whirlwind had trusted Shang and had treated him as one of his closest people, but he had told someone else about their collaboration without asking him first.
This might not be a betrayal, but it was a sign of untrustworthiness.
"Don't immediately assume bad things, Jerald," George said. "He told me that he couldn't tell me anything because I took on a politically neutral stance."
Duke Whirlwind raised an eyebrow as he sat down in one of the chairs.
"And that means?" he asked.
George only sighed. "It means that I have stayed neutral for long enough."
Duke Whirlwind's eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Yes, Jerald," George continued. "I'm willing to be part of your camp. However, I can only speak for myself, not the academy."
Duke Whirlwind was quite surprised when he heard that, and he looked at Shang for confirmation.
Shang nodded. "Yes, George is willing to help us against the Council and the other Dukes."
Duke Whirlwind almost couldn't believe it.
He had tried to get George to be a true ally for several decades, but after only a single conversation with Shang, he had actually joined him.
"Are you sure?" Duke Whirlwind asked. "You were always so against it."
George nodded. "That was because I have become complacent without realizing it. I valued my safety and ego above my power."
George looked at Shang. "Seeing him reach my power in only 15 years opened my eyes to my stagnating life."
"The time to stay on the sidelines has passed. If I want to progress further on the path to power, I need to be willing to risk my life again."
Duke Whirlwind could only sigh when he heard that. He had been with George the longest, and he felt pity when he saw that George had essentially stopped growing.
However, he never commented on it.
He didn't want to hurt George's feelings.
"That's good to hear," Duke Whirlwind said. "This also makes it easier for me. To be frank, I really don't enjoy lying to you, George, but you know why I'm doing it."
George nodded. "I know. If you tell me everything, I will inevitably be drawn into the conflict. You were only respecting my choice."
"It's good that you know," Duke Whirlwind said.
Then, he looked at Shang. "So, what have you already told him?"
"Everything you know," Shang said.
Then, he looked at Duke Whirlwind. "And more."
This made Duke Whirlwind raise an eyebrow. Sure, he was pretty certain that Shang hadn't told him everything about what had happened to him, but that was normal. Everyone had some secrets they wanted to keep hidden.
However, acknowledging it openly was weird and a bit hurtful. It was like talking to a friend and telling them that they were not their best friend and that they had a much better friend.
"That's understandable," Duke Whirlwind said without the atmosphere becoming awkward. "He is your Teacher, after all."
Shang only sighed, and Duke Whirlwind noticed that the atmosphere shifted subtly.
"And now, I, or more precisely we, will be telling you these things as well," Shang said.
Duke Whirlwind raised an eyebrow and looked at the two of them. "Okay, and what's the occasion?"
"We need your help," George said.
"I'm taking it that this help will not be of the easy and simple kind, yes?" Duke Whirlwind asked.
"You might lose your life," George said.
Duke Whirlwind's eyes narrowed a bit.
He was constantly under the threat of losing his life, but he knew George. If George phrased it like that, it meant that this would be far more dangerous than Duke Whirlwind's current situation.
"Is that why you decided to join me? To repay me for the favor?" Jerald asked.
"No," George said. "I genuinely realized what's wrong with me, and I realize now that I need a true ally, not just a friend."
Duke Whirlwind looked at George closely to make sure that he wasn't lying or obfuscating the truth.
"Alright, what is this favor?"
As soon as Duke Whirlwind asked, George pushed over the book of the Star Map.
"Read it," he said.
Duke Whirlwind looked at the book with furrowed brows.
Then, he opened it and read it.
Due to his powerful mind, Duke Whirlwind read it far faster than George.
The more Duke Whirlwind read the wider his eyes got.
This was ridiculous!
The concepts in here were so ethereal, massive, and advanced that Duke Whirlwind would refuse to believe that such a technique existed if he wasn't reading and understanding it at this very moment.
After Duke Whirlwind had read it, he put the book down.
It was like his world had undergone an upheaval.
How could something this advanced exist?!
And, even more, how could something that advanced be specifically for physical fighters?!
Weren't Mages supposed to be the strongest and most advanced kinds of people?!
But then, Duke Whirlwind remembered that powerful Mage that had thrown the Storm Eagle away like it had been a child.
'Right, even though I've never seen anything like it, there could be far stronger and more advanced techniques outside this place,' Duke Whirlwind thought.
"Is this a technique from the… outside?" Duke Whirlwind asked, trying to find the right word.
"Kind of," Shang answered. "It comes from the very distant past when physical fighters were just as powerful as the Mages."
If anyone else had said this to Duke Whirlwind, he wouldn't believe them.
However, he knew Shang and George. Additionally, he had seen the Star Map with his own eyes.
"And how did you come by this technique from the past?" Duke Whirlwind asked.
Shang and George shared a look.
Then, Shang looked back at Duke Whirlwind.
"What we are going to tell you now is the truth, and it will sound ridiculous. However, I can assure you that we are not lying. It will also answer many open questions you have about us but don't want to ask."
Duke Whirlwind wasn't sure how he should feel about Shang's warning.
Additionally, Duke Whirlwind noticed that Shang had said "we" instead of "I".
This meant that the two of them were potentially connected on an even deeper level than just teacher and student.
"Let me finish everything before you ask any questions, okay?" Shang said.
Duke Whirlwind furrowed his brows. "Alright."
Then, Shang began.
"I received the Star Map from the God of this world."
