Michael remained silent for a moment after Arven finished speaking. Then he nodded.
"…I understand."
After a brief pause, Michael spoke again. "…Then, is it okay for me to leave the academy grounds now?"
That drew all five of their attention back to him.
Michael scratched his cheek lightly. "I want to go home for a bit. To see my family."
One of the elders spoke first. "…Family, huh."
Another gave a small nod. "That's fine."
The quiet elder added calmly, "In fact, it's probably better if you leave sooner rather than later."
Michael looked at him.
The elder continued. "The longer you stay after awakening, the harder it becomes to move without attention. There are students and teachers here, us included, that the moment we step outside this place, multiple groups are already aware of our movements. You probably had attention on you before, but it is different now. A Rank 3 nineteen-year-old awakener with your prospects is a very different matter from a Rank 2 one."
