Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 817

"If they were so successful, why did Eleanor leave?"

The room fell into a brief, heavy silence following Irina’s question. The unspoken tension hung in the air, as if the cadets were collectively turning the question over in their minds but reluctant to voice their speculations. Even Julia, usually quick to fill the silence with a quip, remained quiet, her brow furrowed slightly.

Ethan shifted in his seat, his gaze dropping to his tablet as though the answer might magically appear there. "That’s… a good question," he said finally, his voice quieter than usual. "I’ve heard a few things, but nothing concrete."

"Same," Lilia admitted, her tone unusually restrained. "There are rumors, of course, but…" She trailed off, her green eyes flicking toward the front of the room as if half-expecting Eleanor to materialize and hear her thoughts.

Julia tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "Rumors? Like what?"

Lilia’s lips pressed into a thin line, and she shook her head. "Nothing worth repeating here."

Irina’s fiery yellow eyes darted between her classmates, her sharp instincts catching the subtle shifts in their expressions. She didn’t press further, but her silence spoke volumes—she understood there was more to the story, even if no one was willing to say it aloud.

Julia, never one to let go of a thread, leaned forward conspiratorially, lowering her voice. "Oh, come on. You can’t just drop that and leave us hanging. What kind of rumors are we talking about? Betrayal? Drama? A secret lover?"

"Julia," Lilia said sharply, cutting her off with a glare. "Enough. You don’t want Eleanor to overhear you speculating like that."

At the mention of Eleanor, the tension in the room sharpened. Even Julia, who rarely took anything seriously, leaned back in her chair with a sheepish grin. "Okay, okay, point taken. I don’t need her wrath raining down on me."

Ethan chuckled softly, though his expression remained thoughtful. "Yeah, let’s not poke that hornet’s nest. Whatever the truth is, it’s not something she’d appreciate being dissected in a classroom."

The cadets exchanged uneasy glances, the air thick with unspoken questions they dared not ask. Irina returned her focus to her tablet, her sharp gaze scanning the list of hunters with renewed interest, as though the names might offer a distraction from the unanswered mystery.

Julia broke the silence with a dramatic sigh, her grin returning as she attempted to lighten the mood. "Fine, we’ll shelve the Eleanor drama for now. But seriously, how did Silver Vanguard even have time to be so legendary? Between running a guild and building reputations like that, it’s no wonder they’re still famous."

Irina, sensing the shift in tone, smirked faintly. "Some people are just built different, Julia. You’d know that if you spent more time working and less time talking."

"Ha, ha," Julia shot back, though her grin was genuine. "You wound me, Irina. But fine, I’ll take the hint. Back to the list."

The room slowly returned to its previous buzz of activity, with cadets reviewing the mentorship applications and murmuring about their preferences. Yet, the question Irina had raised lingered at the back of their minds, a quiet reminder of the enigmatic figure who had just left them with more than one mystery to ponder.

As the cadets continued scrolling through the list together, Julia’s finger froze mid-swipe, her blue eyes widening in surprise. She leaned closer to her tablet, as if to confirm what she’d just seen, before exclaiming, "Kaya Hartley?"

All heads turned toward her at once, and then, almost as one, toward Ethan. Julia, never one to miss an opportunity, was the first to speak. "Your aunt is on the list?" she asked, spinning toward him with an incredulous grin.

Ethan raised his hands defensively, his hazel eyes wide with genuine surprise. "I didn’t know about this either! I just found out."

Julia narrowed her eyes, studying him for a moment as though trying to gauge his honesty. Then, her grin turned sly. "Well, if she’s here, that must mean she’s interested in someone. Maybe she’s got her eye on one of us."

Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Or maybe," he said dryly, "she’s just here to teach, like every other mentor."

Julia waved a dismissive hand, her grin widening. "Sure, maybe. But thinking about the possibilities doesn’t hurt, does it?"

Ethan gave her a pointed look. "That’s rich coming from you."

Ignoring his jab, Julia’s grin remained firmly in place as she leaned back, clearly enjoying herself. Ethan shook his head and reached for his smartwatch, deciding to check the list himself.

Opening the academy’s portal app, he navigated to the mentorship program section. As the page loaded, his brow furrowed in confusion. The section where the submission forms were supposed to be was blank. Instead, a bold message greeted him at the top of the page:

"Your mentor has been confirmed."

Ethan blinked, sitting up straighter as he read the message again to be sure. Beneath it, a line of text appeared, simple yet striking:

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