《The Academy’s Professor is Overpowered!》


 Chapter 0: If you ever transmigrate, don’t become the second son

    If you transmigrate into a noble, don¡¯t become the second son.


    My words may seem puzzling, but this was advice I wished to give all my fellows from the pits of my heart.


    The stigma against second sons has always been around. Between the responsible eldest and the beloved youngest, the middle children were always neglected¡ªon purpose or not.


    The same couldn¡¯t be said about a fantasy world. The difference was stark. When I suddenly woke up in the body of the son of a well-off Earl in a grand empire, I thought I¡¯d be able to live in peace.


    It was puzzling in the beginning, but after some days passed, I learned this world was of a famous novel! The fan-favorite character¡ªthe Emperor¡ªwas a dead giveaway. All the emperors had to change their names to that of the first emperor when they took the throne. Thank god for these weird customs.


    I enjoyed grand meals, grand beds, and thought, eventually, grand friendships. I thought nothing would be in the way of this relaxed, rich life at the frontier. Money solved all, after all.


    I was wrong.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ we need to accumulate achievements in the war. The eldest is the heir, and the youngest is too young, so you go, son.¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    My cold-hearted father uttered those words of love, handed me a bag of food, a letter of recommendation, and sent me to fucking war.


    War against the demon king.


    I hadn¡¯t even read this damned novel! I just knew about it because its fanboys couldn¡¯t shut up!


    Regardless, humans were beings that had to adapt. I was sent to war, so I had to go to war. Life as a sixteen-year-old foot soldier was grueling, and it only grew worse as the threat of the demons became greater and greater.


    I worked hard to rake in some achievements and be promoted enough to go away from the frontlines¡ªbut these fuckers. The more I achieved, the more to the front I was sent. They didn¡¯t even give me that many promotions.


    Pathetic as I was, I bit my teeth and fought for my life at the front for the next eight years. I don¡¯t even remember how I survived seven of those eight years¡ªthe eighth yet continuing¡ªbut at last, thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of many, the war ended.


    Goodbye, hellish battlefield. I will probably not write.


    Now, the life of a soldier wasn¡¯t all that bad¡ªif you survive. I made a lot of connections with influential people. I also became involved with movements of power here and there. I didn¡¯t mean to brag, but quite a few people hoping to make jewelry of my silver tongue popped up rather often.


    Another great thing about surviving as a soldier was the savings. You never spent and only earned; what could be better?


    The war was over, the population was reduced, and the Demon King had taken a good knock to the head and went back to sleep. All I had to do was sit back, relax, and live the rich life I had dreamed of.


    That was how it was supposed to be¡­


    That was so how it was fucking supposed to be¡­


    ¡°Ethan, you¡¯re only 24, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, grand commander.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you go and teach in the academy.¡±


    Fuck this.

 Chapter 1: Professor Ethan

    ¡°Go teach in the academy.¡±


    These were the words that greeted me when I met my senior again. The commander of this front and one of the most decorated leaders among the human forces¡ªthe Duke of Blood and Iron.


    This would be an important conversation. The Duke went straight to the point whenever crucial topics came up. It was something I knew better than most others.


    I pulled a chair away from his table and sat down, my legs in front and my hands on my knees. This tent was one of the few places on the retreating lines big enough for two people to sit facing each other.


    ¡°So,¡± I said, an annoyed smile on my face. ¡°What is this new thing?¡±


    The Duke did not look into my eyes. His fountain pen scritched as it glided against the rough paper. Once done, he folded the paper, set it inside an envelope, and put it on a pile on his left. It was a mechanical process. The Duke then picked up one of the many sheets from the pile on his right. They were most likely for the families of the fallen.


    ¡°The war is over, Ethan.¡± The Duke did not stop his work even as he spoke.


    ¡°It is. And I made quite the bank in the war. I was hoping I could throw all my money in a lake or something!¡±


    The Duke¡¯s eyes flitted my way for a second before the sound of his pen flowed again.


    ¡°Did you say you wanted to go to the frontier?¡± The Duke asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t return home anyway¡­¡± It had been eight years since I last went home. My elder brother and younger brother had too large an age gap, and my sisters had no interest in the county. The power between the siblings was balanced. If I went back home now, they might see it as my intent to interfere in the succession.


    Not might, they will definitely perceive it as my intent to interfere. If, by some miracle of the sun god, people believed that I didn¡¯t want to be the Count, my ambitious father¡ªwho sent a child to war for achievements¡ªwouldn¡¯t.


    Ah, the life of a soldier was troublesome in another world. How kind would the world be if everyone could ask everyone else what their plans were before pushing something on them?


    On that note, this man in front of me was no better.


    ¡±You know best, Ethan. It is not like the Demon King is dead.¡±


    ¡°The hero party injured him gravely.¡±


    ¡°Injury is only a temporary respite for us. Even if he doesn¡¯t interfere again, the demonic lands continue to exist. The other half of the world is still dangerous.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s words made logical sense. Even if the demon king was dead, the demons weren¡¯t. They could reunite and launch another crusade against this side of the world anytime. The words held logical sense, but the topic was irrelevant. The war had ended, and now anyone who knew anything about anything would worry about another place.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    It was a rather famous saying. The difference between an empire and a kingdom was where its enemies lay. If a kingdom would worry about enemies outside, an Empire would worry about enemies inside.


    Now, if something as tiny as an Empire¡ªand forgive my treasonous thoughts as a loyal citizen of the Empire¡ªwas worried about enemies inside. Where, then, would be the worries of a legion made by uniting all the races? All of man kind, elf kind, beast kind, and whatnot kind?


    Where would its enemies be after the external threat was gone?


    The Duke stopped writing the letters and leaned back in his chair. I saw an odd sight today. The Duke of Blood and Iron, the same man who did not hesitate to lead us back even in the gravest of troubles, now held a letter with a deep frown.


    ¡°Jeremiah Sanders¡­¡± the Duke said. His eyes were stuck on the letter. ¡°I knew this child, patted his shoulders when he joined.¡±


    I listened quietly to his musings.


    ¡°He died in the final battle. When he heard that the Hero Party was successful, he charged in with greater strength at the line of demons and was hacked to death.¡±


    It was a sad tale but one too common. Anyone could have become one of these stories at any moment in these last eight years, and many did.


    ¡°A pity,¡± I said. ¡°May the lord of light grant his family strength.¡±


    The Duke and I closed our eyes in respect. After a few seconds, the Duke broke the silence.


    ¡°Poison or a sword may kill you, Ethan, but no death is as certain as one brought by zeal.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s words may have been about a soldier even more down the line than I was, one at the bottom¡ªbut his intent was for those at the top.


    The world was at peace, and the other kingdoms and races were sure to be full of zeal. The enemy in front of them was gone. It was their chance to turn their backs and point their blades at each other¡¯s necks.


    Who disliked power? For power, everyone was at risk. Everyone was willing to risk.


    It was the Empire at the very line between the demonkind and the rest of the world, so naturally, it was the great and glorious empire that would be most concerned about the threats from the other kingdoms.


    ¡°Is that not why we have orders, sir?¡± I said. ¡°A strict hierarchy.¡±


    It was to keep these zealous deaths in control¡ªthe worst of deaths.


    The Duke of Blood and Iron placed his hand on the table and stared into my eyes. A silent pressure formed in the room. It wasn¡¯t overbearing, but honest. The Duke was not issuing a command but expressing his concern.


    ¡°The Academy in Glorenstein will have new students joining it this year to mark the beginning of peace.¡±


    I crossed my hands at his words.


    ¡°The Empire is at its weakest. We are in danger. If the demons, by any chance, attack again, we will be the first to go down.¡±


    The Duke of Iron and Blood picked up another letter and handed it to me.


    ¡°Children, scions, the future of the rest of the world would be joining the academy. We have prepared a special class for them.¡±


    The letter was addressed to me. I flipped it open and read through the contents. It was an offer to become the class teacher for this special class in the academy city of Glorenstein.


    ¡°We need a trusted force to keep them in control.¡±


    Once again, this stupid silver tongue and my openness to friendship had screwed me over. My name must have naturally popped up in the conversation between the powers that be.


    ¡°I am friends with people from all over the freedom legion... And a weak little soldier like me can never prove a threat to the students.¡±


    I could see why they would do this.


    ¡°Weak what? What did you smoke?¡±


    ¡°Weak little old me¡­¡±


    I folded the letter again and placed it in the pockets of my military coat. The Duke smiled at my actions. Of course, I was going to accept this.


    ¡°It is a sudden responsibility. You should take someone from your corps along.¡±


    Dusting my thighs, I chuckled at the Duke¡¯s words. This was likely the last time I could address him as my commander and not the noble that he was.


    ¡°I am no monster to force them into another mission after eight straight years of war.¡±


    The Duke lowered his gaze at those words. Roundabout jabs were all I could do, and I was not ashamed of them!


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to Glorenstein now. I wanted to spend the money anyway, and many new things roll out of that place.¡±


    I straightened my back and brought my fist to my chest.


    This was the last salute I gave my commander. I would always remain a soldier, just off duty.


    ¡°You¡¯re dismissed, Ethan Kalenice.¡±


    I lowered my hand and walked out of the tent. As I raised the flap, the Duke¡¯s voice stopped me.


    ¡°The war is over, Ethan.¡±


    A grin left me.


    ¡°Our work isn¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 2: Glorenstein the City of Dreams

    The parquet floors of the coach creaked under my feet. I held my hat with one hand and my suitcase with the other as I sat away from the aisle. The leather-bound seats were in pairs facing each other; in between them was a table hinged to the walls below the window.


    The other guests on the seats dived their heads into the newspapers on the table. I glanced at it¡ªthe headlines were still filled with talks of the war¡¯s end. I had heard and read more than enough about the war, so I rested my hand on the windows and looked out.


    It was boring.


    The busy calls of the hawkers and the waves of the people seeing each other off merged into one and formed a strange music that could only be found on a busy railway station. I dared say it was the voice of railway stations.


    Hearing this voice was rather odd. It was surprising to see this many hawkers selling their wares and this many people sending their wishes this close to the borders. It was also natural.


    Where money walked, people followed¡ªand the military was a walking piggy bank.


    Merchants and vendors marched where the soldiers did; blacksmiths and alchemists, mages and mercenaries, thieves and prostitutes, the whole shebang was here. In its way, the war had made a fair share of contributions to the growth of this side of the world.


    The hiss of the steam engine marked the end of my musings. The hawkers all quietened down, and the people at the platform waved at the locomotive. At the ones they were sending off.


    The coach jerked to a start as its wheels made their rolls. It was slow at first, but before long, the shaking of the train turned into a rhythmic sway, and off we were on the way ahead.


    This train headed to the capital¡ªwhile passing through Glorenstein¡ªwas my companion for the next seven hours.


    A companion that couldn¡¯t speak.


    I sighed and kept my eyes peeled outside. The station¡¯s voice had lulled over, and I was left alone with the breezy wind and the distant fields. It wasn¡¯t anything compared to the trains I had seen back in the modern world, yet I could never help but be mesmerized by this sight.


    The stretching fields of green and the towering heights that merged with the ocean of blue and white far above were like a painting one could have only seen in museums in the modern world. It was a sight that filled one¡¯s heart with calmness. One that many people would see every day now.


    A long era of peace was here¡­


    How boring was that? Not as boring as this train ride, I assure you of that.


    Another sigh left me as I looked around. The coach was filled, yet no voice came from the people.


    Boring. A journey like this would be the end of me!


    I had to do something to get rid of this boredom. I reached into my suitcase and grabbed my deck of playing cards¡ªI turned to the man next to me.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Good day, sir,¡± I said.


    The man lowered the newspaper and turned to me with a smile.


    ¡°Good day.¡±


    I held my hand out.


    ¡°Ethan.¡±


    ***


    Clouds of steam burst out from the pipelines down the train¡¯s body as it came to a screeching halt. Late in the afternoon, at 13:46, the train stopped at Glorenstein.


    I passed through the coach with luggage and a hand on my hat. I made my down the train as calls from behind interrupted me.


    ¡°Bye, Ethan! Take care!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet again, young man!¡±


    ¡°All the best with your new job, Ethan! If you are ever in the capital, give me a visit!¡±


    Out of the train but still on the platform, I raised my hat lightly and met all their goodbyes with a smile. People in the coach pinned themselves to one side and waved me off.


    The engine kicked into gear, and the halted train crawled ahead on the tracks. As one coach passed me by, the people in the coach behind turned my way.


    ¡°It was fun meeting you, Ethan!¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Ethan!¡±


    I waved and smiled at them too, and could only leave when the train was out of sight.


    A hand tapped my shoulder. I looked back and found a stout man with a long, thready mustache. The man gestured at me to walk with him out of the station.


    He was the man seated next to me on the train. It was a coincidence that both of us were bound for Glorenstein.


    The two of us tapped our boots out of the station, much emptier than any other we had stopped at, as the man spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the charmer, Ethan. How do you do it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rather easy,¡± I said. ¡±Conversation¡­ is like chess.¡±


    My companion smiled and looked my way. Stone paths stretched ahead, walled on both sides by houses and buildings.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The man smirked and then pointed toward the main street. ¡°Oh, come this way, they line up carriages here.¡±


    A few paces away from the station stood lines of carriages, blocked from the rest of the road by black stanchions and a blue ribbon.


    ¡°It is,¡± We continued our conversation. ¡°You move around until your enemy drops their guard. Makes a mistake.¡±


    I turned to my companion, my finger pointing at my chest.


    ¡°And shows you the path to their king.¡±


    My companion and I stopped in our tracks, just a few steps short of the carriages waiting for us.


    He stared into my eyes.


    ¡°Hah¡­¡± He chuckled. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    I laughed with him. The man laughed without end as he slapped my back.


    ¡°Funny lad! Funny young lad!¡± Laughing, the two of us made our way to the carriages. A bunch of them loosened their reins and gazed at us¡ªmy companion flagged one of the coachmen over.


    ¡°My friend here is a new professor at the Empire¡¯s greatest, Glorenstein Academy.¡± He got right to the praise. The mention of the academy made the coachman smile. He was expecting a fat tip.


    ¡°Give him the best view of town, show him the good spots, and then take him to the academy.¡±


    The coachman nodded at our words and rushed to move his carriage out of the lineup.


    I turned to my companion.


    ¡°You ever need a drink¡­ you know where to go.¡±


    ¡°Sure do.¡±


    This time, he held his hand out, and I grabbed it.


    ¡°Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Mundus.¡±


    I lifted my hat and nodded at Mundus before climbing up the carriage. Mundus stayed behind for a few seconds. He watched as the carriage left the roads, and only then did he go his own way.


    The carriage took the longer route around town to show me the sights. We went through the outskirts to the posh streets before we finally took the turns that led to the academy.


    The sights of the beautiful architecture around me made my head spin again. The long silence was boring. It would be the end of me.


    So I started talking with the coachman too.


    ¡°I am surprised, sir,¡± he said after a while. ¡°You are diligently joining the academy a month before it begins.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, what?¡±


    The coachman turned my way and smiled.


    ¡°The Glorenstein Academy? The semester doesn¡¯t start till next month. Most teachers are on vacation at this time.¡±


    This fucker.


    I scrambled my luggage open to look at the invitation again. It had asked me to join right away, but now, instead of the old letter, there was a different letter¡ªstill sealed¡ªand a small parchment tied to it.


    [Sorry Kid. I thought you¡¯d change your mind if I left you alone for a month. Happy teaching.


    Your favorite,


    Grand Commander]

 Chapter 3: The Glorenstein Academy

    The Glorious Glorenstein Academy.


    I stood in front of a vast entrance. Brick walls ran as far as I could see on either side and in front of me stood a giant metal gate that could stop anyone who even thought about sneaking into the academy. If the gates didn¡¯t, then the magical barrier over the academy certainly would.


    I had tipped and sent the coachman away so I could walk to the academy, and it turned out to be the correct decision.


    My eyes scanned the buildings from top to bottom. I was in awe of all the distant buildings I could see. The glorious Empire¡¯s glorious flag fluttered in the wind that caressed the peaks of the Glorious Glorenstein Academy.


    Despite my words, I was not a nationalist. Please do not misunderstand.


    The academy¡¯s walls stretched wide, but the grounds inside stretched wider. Grand arches and pillars adorned the buildings, while the stretch of the campus¡¯ serpentine stone roads had no end in sight.


    ¡°Hello!¡± I reached the gates and smiled at the guard. There were other guards on all the gates and some more patrolling, but only one stood outside. The guard scrunched his brows as he nodded. He looked like the type that did not want anyone to bother him, so I got straight to the point.


    ¡°I am supposed to join as a professor soon. Here is my introduction letter.¡±


    The guard accepted the letter and scanned through it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to confirm this inside,¡± he said. ¡°Please wait here.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Go ahead.¡±


    The guard dashed away, and I was left alone. I started tapping my feet on the ground to make since it was too quiet. To be honest, the fact that the academy was on its term break did not bother me. As much as I wanted to spit in the Grand Commander¡¯s morning tea, spending a month alone wasn¡¯t so bad.


    The logistics of taking in students from all over the world right after the end of the war was nothing to scoff at. More so when said students were the scions of their countries.


    If there were ten civil servants involved in making the academy picture perfect for them, five were likely suffering from severe sleep deprivation, five from extreme fever and fatigue, and all ten were likely considering suicide.


    Compared to such people, my situation was rather fun! Not only could I sit back and relax, but I could also laugh at their faces.


    After some time, the guard returned alongside another person.


    A man adjusted his round spectacles as he rushed over. I had seen the file of everyone in the Academy. This man with a scholarly build was the Head of the Teaching Faculty and the Vice Principal. Someone high up in the academy hierarchy.


    He was also someone I didn¡¯t know.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    It was time to make a new friend!


    ***


    Six peaceful years at the academy, full of promotions and achievements, did not prepare Richard Benett for the events this year had in store.


    He was assigned the task of making sure the academy could accommodate the people¡ªstudents, civil servants, and teachers¡ªon their way here, and it was nothing short of the biggest ordeal of his life. This person right in front of him was one of those.


    He knew little about the man except his name and what he could see. Black hair, a gentle smile, and an impeccable dressing sense, this was Ethan Kalenice, a member of the Kalenice County in the southern parts of the empire.


    Richard heard he was a soldier. Mr. Ethan joined the infantry at sixteen and was now an off-duty Major at twenty-four. The climb in rank would be absurd on most days, but it wasn¡¯t unheard of after a war. Many climbed far above he did.


    An accomplished militant¡ªthat would be Richard¡¯s impression of the man¡­


    If only the Prime Minister himself had not recommended him.To be the professor for that special classroom.


    The fact that all the diplomats readily agreed when his name was mentioned was just the cherry on top.


    That¡¯s right. Richard Benett may be a scholar, but he was no fool. This guy in front of him was not someone to ignore. Richard Benett bowed and greeted the man with all the courtesy he would show an important person.


    ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Major Kalenice. I am Richard Benett, head of the teaching faculty. I hope there was no problem in your travel here¡ª¡±


    Richard feared offending a man with far-reaching influence. When a reply did not come his way, the fear grew.


    Richard slowly looked up¡ªwhen Ethan planted his hands on Richard¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so stiff, Richard!¡± Ethan said with a bright smile that seemed almost infectious. ¡°Can I call you that?¡±


    Richard nodded, half in surprise.


    Ethan patted his shoulder and urged him to walk along. As if the guest had become the guide and the guide had become the guest, Ethan took Richard through the doors and into the academy.


    ¡°You are the head of the teaching faculty. You are my senior here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no¡­ you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Ethan said with a bright smile. ¡°It might seem tough to treat me as a subordinate and awkward if I act like one. Let¡¯s take it easy like good friends, yes?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    The remark might have seemed arrogant, but Ethan¡¯s tone never let that thought settle in. He seemed genuinely concerned. Richard was confused. The war veteran he expected was a rugged, cold-hearted hero¡ªnot this friendly man with the demeanor of a cheesecake.


    Ethan looked the type to charge into the frontlines and be the first to get killed.


    ¡°It must be tough with the sudden changes, right?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°You guys must have so many things to be on top of. If one thing fits, another falls.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ that is true¡­ it has been a major headache to accommodate everyone. Oh, I don¡¯t mean you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Haha, not at all!¡± Ethan patted Richard¡¯s shoulders again. His gaze went down to Richard¡¯s hand, and with a grin, Ethan whispered.


    ¡°You look young to be married. Engaged?¡±


    Richard blushed.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Childhood sweetheart or something?¡±


    Richard¡¯s blush grew more prominent. He had climbed higher in rank through the years, and it had become normal for people to be formal and respectful. They were all distant.


    This was the first time he had met someone pushy, yet it did not annoy him. If anything, Richard always wanted to talk with someone genuine.


    ¡°We met in school when I was young. I don¡¯t get the chance to go meet her these days¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. If it¡¯s any good news, the start of the term is just a month away. You¡¯ll have a chance soon!¡± Ethan reeled back at his own words. ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t a vacation supposed to be that chance? Funny that you would be more relaxed when class starts.¡±


    A chuckle left Richard.


    In no time, Richard had blundered his queen and exposed the king on his chessboard to Ethan.


    The head of the faculty began complaining about everything around him while the new professor listened and cheered him on. The conversation neither droned nor turned gloomy. Richard felt heard, and it spurred him to speak more.


    The short walk had turned into a tour of the academy filled with laughter.


    ¡°Oh shit! I was supposed to show you to the principal¡¯s office, Ethan.¡±


    Ethan only smiled in response. The silence for the next month was going to be boring. He had done well in getting rid of it from the start.

 Chapter 4: Even an Empty Academy is Busy (1)

    The principal¡¯s office was impressively wide, with high ceilings and large windows. The room was adorned with exquisite antique furniture: a mahogany desk, an ornate bookcase filled with leather-bound tomes, and a comfortable tawny couch set for visitors.


    The walls lined with intricate wallpaper were decorated with paintings of past principals and awards won by the school. The office exuded an air of prestige a fitting representation of the grandeur of Glorenstein.


    ¡°Major Ethan. ¡±The gruff man in front of me was only a tad older than someone at retirement age. His serene eyes and neatly trimmed hair betrayed the wrinkles on his face. ¡°I have heard a lot about you.¡±


    His skin had wrinkled, but his visage was chiseled with sharp cuts. His muscles weren¡¯t lacking either. Despite his age, Principal Kurt looked fitter than many youngsters.


    I was always happy to meet with someone who seemed fun to get along with. It was a welcome thing. I shook the principal¡¯s hand and smiled.


    ¡°Principal Kurt, it is an honor to be working here with you. I have read your papers on the poisonous nature of demonic mana and its effects on the body.¡±


    He had written a praised treatise on the nature of a curse that one of the demon¡¯s generals used. It helped save hundreds of lives on the battlefront. Of course, I didn¡¯t know Jack about that paper, but that wasn¡¯t something to mention here.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The principal smiled in surprise. He was not expecting me to talk about his research. Everyone¡¯s impression of soldiers was of an uptight militant too rigid to be amicable, but that wasn¡¯t close to the truth.


    Impressions were easy to break apart. A genuine smile and a few familiar words¡ªand anyone might make Principal Kurt go ¡¯oh.¡¯


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be the type that knows about this stuff, Major.¡±


    ¡°Please, just call me Ethan,¡± I said. ¡°It was an important discovery that completely changed the battlefield against the Death Invoker.¡±


    ¡°You were there?¡±


    ¡°On the front lines.¡±


    The man blinked his eyes.


    ¡°I had thought you might be someone special since you were sent here for this mission, major¡ªI mean, Ethan. It seems my imagination was too humble.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what this guy was cooking up in his head.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, principal. I am a normal foot soldier who luckily lasted to the end.¡±


    Kurt laughed at my words.


    ¡°Sure, if that is what you say.¡±


    What the hell? I was being truthful¡­! Or not. It didn¡¯t work on this guy or on the Duke. My social skills were still lacking when it came toconvincing older people.


    Kurt and I sat at the desk while my good friend, the vice principal, brewed tea and left the office.


    We were now left alone. For my future life in the academy, I had to make sure my boss had a good impression of me. I picked up the ceramic cup with beautiful golden engravings and took a whiff of the aroma. Rich.


    The principal opened his mouth, but I interrupted before he could say anything.


    ¡°Where are you from, Principal?¡± I asked him.


    Of course, I knew this one. I may not be smart enough to read research papers, but I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to not read into my to-be superior. He was from one of the lesser viscount families from the frontier.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Do you know of the Alamarak Plains at the southern frontiers?¡± The principal said.


    ¡°The one under Viscount Mani?¡±


    ¡°The current viscount is my nephew.¡±


    I muttered an ¡®ah¡¯ and nodded.


    ¡°I have been to Alamarak before,¡± I said. ¡°One of my subordinates was from the Mani City.¡±


    Old folks first found kinship in people from their homes and then in people who knew of their homes. For many people, their homes carried a sense of security¡ªit was a perfect trick to make friends with them.


    The viscount of a frontier family wasn¡¯t near the position of the principal of the Imperial Academy. It was not a designation one could obtain through connections¡ªit came with stringent requirements for politics and personal accolades.


    He must not have expected me to research all of this. People who made a cursory glance at their employers would only know his current position was usually what would come up in personal research like these. It made my words more genuine.


    My information didn¡¯t stop at his hometown and favorite ice cream flavor. I was aware of something much more damning¡ªhe was single and had not found anyone for the last 24 years despite desperately trying.


    I leaned ahead on the table. If I can destroy personal barriers, then I will destroy personal barriers.


    ¡°Sir. Do you know any good clubs that cater to the more¡­ cultured folk?¡±


    The old principal¡¯s eyes sparkled with a youthful glint. It was impolite to say this to people at the first meeting, but that wasn¡¯t the case when it concerned this man with his reputation for being a lech.


    ¡°What did you just say¡­?¡±


    The principal glared at me. His gaze hardened as he clenched his teeth. I knew it! I knew this reaction¡ªthe lech was excited!


    ¡°Of course! I know all of them! Gloria¡¯s down the seventh street, Arielle¡¯s right across Mundus¡¯. I will take you to the best of them right away.¡±


    The principal stood up and stormed away from his desk but stopped as soon as Ipointed at the row after row of documents he had to sign and letters he had to write for the upcoming diplomatic disaster.


    Principal Kurt stumbled on his feet. He seemed his age for the first time since we met. I had never seen a man¡¯s eyes filled with this much grief.


    ¡°It is always us small men with small dreams that suffer, Major¡­¡±


    His words made me bite my lips. I was no stranger to this feeling. It was my dream to back off and stay away from the front lines, but of course, I had to suffer since these people wanted to win a war or something.


    The principal and I shook hands and bit our tears back.


    In a much smaller period, I had formed a stronger bond with the principal than with the vice principal.


    It was a bond understood only by us small people with small dreams. Only us.


    ***


    ¡°The Ministry of Internal Affairs has asked me in no unclear terms to treat you like a normal instructor.¡±


    The principal got to the crux of the matter as we sat down again. Now that we had tea in our cups and had refreshed with some gossip, we had to get to work.


    ¡°Hm,¡± I nodded. ¡°They don¡¯t want me involved with the preparations whatsoever?¡±


    ¡°That is correct. You already know of the ¡®angles¡¯ around keeping the students here, and we have to take measures toward that end.¡±


    A single opening was everything the other countries would need to change the location of this gathering of hostages.


    We had to ensure no blunders happened when the students entered the academy. At the same time, we had to flaunt the fact that this, indeed, is a hostage situation to keep the other countries in check.


    That meant the Empire would make every effort, moral or immoral, toward their preparations. Of course, at the end of the day, that effort would be centered around the academy. We can¡¯t stop things that have not happened yet.


    ¡°I was informed that you are fairly involved with the internal workings of our country, but the orders are clear,¡± said Principal Kurt. ¡°We would appreciate it if you play only the of a teacher, and if something happens, be present.¡±


    A teacher taught, graded, and did their own thing after their duties. Put nicely, they wanted me to be a simple teacher; put rudely, they wanted me to be a doll that would move when they wanted.


    I couldn¡¯t get involved with the rest of the preparations. I was completely excluded from this.


    No one wanted me to be making more friends.


    ¡°It is nice, Major.¡± Principal Kurt placed his cup on the table and leaned back into his chair. ¡°I would like a small vacation after eight years of war.¡±


    I chuckled.


    That was true.


    Right¡­ I was here to spend my money and take a break¡ªbeing a class teacher would be relaxing. They didn¡¯t want me to interfere, which meant they wouldn¡¯t interfere with me. It was a promotion that sent me away from the front lines.


    ¡°I agree. I¡¯ll leave the tough work to you, principal. Looking after the students should be entertaining enough for me¡­¡± I sighed and then stopped. ¡°But the students won¡¯t be coming for another month.¡±


    Not talking to anyone would be boring. Extremely boring.


    ¡°About that¡­¡± the principal muttered. ¡°It would seem one of them is already here¡­ It¡¯s a bit of a messy situation. We¡¯ll likely have to send her back¡­¡±


    A wide smile spread on my lips.


    Maybe I wouldn¡¯t be so bored yet.

 Chapter 5: Even an Empty Academy is Busy (2)

    Nobles from all over the Empire entered the academy every year. Glorenstein was a good place to make connections, a better place to study, and the best place to get your diploma.


    I flipped through the pamphlet of the Glorenstein Press Circle. Look at this! The academy was ranked the favorite holiday destination for three years straight. The tagline stated the children liked it so much they felt the school days were their vacation days instead of the other way around.


    The Glorenstein Press Circle rated the academy a four and a half out of five stars.


    Whoever wrote this academy pamphlet had a questionable sense of humor. Did they cut half a star since the Academy couldn¡¯t accommodate hostages? If that were the case, we would see five stars on the pamphlet next year.


    Well, coming back to the point¡ªwhile nobility from all over the Empire came to Glorenstein, it wasn¡¯t equipped well enough to hold international royalty hostage. To make up for that, hustle and bustle started throughout the academy as a last-minute construction was underway.


    I glanced around at the buildings that were being erected at breakneck speed.The beautiful spires and walls were made in a ratio of Gypsum, brick, stone, and wood that only the masons knew. Whatever their formula, the results matched the grandeur and beauty of the rest of the expansive buildings¡ªno, these were grander.


    The academy was too large to be toured through in a single day, so the vice-principal handed me this guide to aid in my search for entertainment¡­ Ahem, the student.


    I wasn¡¯t supposed to be looking for the student. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told me to butt off all diplomatic issuesbut as a professor, I couldn¡¯t leave a stray student alone.


    The student had been assigned a room, and as expected for royalty, knights and maids were assigned to the temporary lodgings. Yet, the student was never seen by them.


    ¡°She only comes over at night and disappears during the day.¡±


    ¡°It seems she¡¯s homesick. We don¡¯t see her a lot.¡±


    There were clear traces of the student using the room to sleep. The sheets were crumpled, the duvet tossed away, but no one knew when or how. The two knights and two maids said the princess was safe but shy.


    There was a simple conclusion to be drawn from this: the student was in hiding. It seemed that the diplomatic problems weren¡¯t unknown to kids either.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Unfortunately¡ªIn an academy working for that last half of a star from the Glorenstein Press Circle¡ªthere weren¡¯t many places to hide. Her options were limited to quiet and silent places¡­


    ¡°Like this garbage can behind the shrubs!¡± I grinned wide and pulled up the lid of the can¡ªwhich was shaped like a duck.


    ¡°Entertain¡ªStudent! Are you in here?¡±


    ¡°Myeow?¡± A purr greeted me. There wasn¡¯t a student inside the trash can, only a cute little Bombay. I didn¡¯t speak cat, so I shut the lid and turned away.


    That was the beginning of my grand hunt for the lost student. I traveled all through the campus and checked places no one else would¡ªunder the benches, behind the street lights, and above the branches of the long-reaching trees where dozens of leaves were laid out.


    Every time I called for the student, the black cat from before answered.


    I was tired already. She was nowhere.


    Glorenstein had a wide range of amenities that anyone could use, including stores and cafes for students. I went into one at the plaza closest to the construction site and took a short break. After drinking a smoothie and buying cookies fit for the feline from a bakery in a strip of stores, I decided to look around once more.


    The cat¡¯s interruption wouldn¡¯t stop unless it got captured. If it came around again, it was getting kidnapped. Sorry.


    I flailed the cookie as I continued my search, but the Bombay showed no signs of revealing itself. I looked for the student again and checked behind one of the buildings recently slabbed with marble when I found the cat licking its paw.


    ¡°Haah¡­ you¡¯re coming with me.¡±


    Tired, I grabbed it and continued the single-player hide-and-seek game.


    Behind the third turn from the Edmund Halloway Training Center, near the place where the new classrooms were being constructed, was the storeroom for the facility. The freshly built storeroom had nothing for anyone who would have business in a storeroom.


    ¡°Hm? This place seems like an interesting hiding spot.¡±


    I approached the gates of the storeroom when the Bombay in my arms tussled and jumped off. I spared it a glance and slid the storeroom door open¡ªThe door slammed against the walls.


    The storage room was lined up with long racks and shelves. It had all the tools for storage but nothing stored on them. I stepped inside the storeroom and gazed around. Bits of sunlight lit up the room from the narrow windows.


    I almost called for the student again but stopped since I had to make a good impression. I froze when my eyes landed at the back of the room.


    Black hair that rushed down to the ground. A small frame that undoubtedly belonged to a teenager. Donning a black skirt, a white shirt, and a sleeveless sweater etched with the crest of the academy was a girl with long ears sticking out the side of her head.


    A catkin.


    A member of the cat tribe was sitting in the storeroom. There was no doubt that this person was a student, thanks to the uniform, the student I was looking for.


    The girl with senses akin to those of a feline snapped her head my way. A red tint lingered at the edge of her glistening eyes.


    She was sniffling¡ªbut even a young girl was a proud beastkin¡ªshe immediately donned a fierce mask. Her nails grew into claws, and her sharp fangs menacingly flashed my way.


    Unfortunately, I hadn¡¯t learned cat in the duration I had carried the Bombay around. It was a trouble I had to solve with some human communication skills.


    ¡°Hello there¡ª¡°


    ¡°¡ªHISS!¡± The girl immediately hissed at me.


    With no other choice, I reached into my pocket, pulled out the cat-fit catnip cookies, and held it low toward the girl.


    ¡°Pspspssps.¡±

 Chapter 6: The Storeroom Princess (1)

    ¡°Pspspsps¡­¡±


    Silence lingered in the air as I pspsps¡¯d the catkin girl.


    Did this not work? Maybe a normal pspsps was not good enough for her since she was royalty? I must put some emotion into the pspsps. Servitude, Was that it?


    Though I had met quite a few catkins on the battlefield, all of them were soldiers, not feral rouges.


    The catkin girl¡¯s eyes widened as an incredulous expression filled her face. If the demon-king were a cat girl, he would look like this.


    Anyway¡ªregardless of the situation, a student was a student. It was my responsibility to teach her and communicate with her.


    ¡°Pspsps!¡± I said again, this time with more emotion, more servitude.


    ¡°Y-you¡­¡± The catkin spoke! In human tongue! ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±


    ¡°Psps?¡±


    Oh, wait. She can speak human.


    ¡°Not at all!¡± I said. ¡°You are the only student in the academy right now, and as luck would have it, I am going to be your professor.¡±


    The girl¡¯s incredulous expression shifted to one of confusion. She loosened the tight fist she had made, and an amulet with the symbol of the beast nation of Aegean glinted in her hands.


    The conversation was working! It was also highly entertaining¡ªahem, educating. I waved the cat-nip cookie and urged her to take a nibble or two.


    ¡°You!¡± The girl slapped the cookie out of my hand. It performed a clean slide and fell straight to the ground.


    ¡°My, thank god the floors are spotless!¡±


    The girl was only annoyed more. I didn¡¯t know how to communicate with kids.


    ¡°Get lost, you bastard!¡±


    The girl screamed and dived at me. I tried to pull my hand back, but she opened her mouth and crunched it down! Her teeth sank into my skin as a jolt of pain rushed up my head.


    ¡°Ack!¡± I yelped from the pain as her teeth sunk right into my skin.


    I yanked my hand up and down, but the brat just wouldn¡¯t let go. She stuck to me like chewing gum stuck to someone¡¯s precious hair!


    ¡°Fine!¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave! I¡¯ll leave right now!¡±


    ¡°Grrr!¡±


    The girl finally let go of my hand when I surrendered. Her stares and her hisses didn¡¯t stop.


    I had no other choice. I raised my hands high and dashed out of the store room.


    That was my first meeting with my first student.


    ***


    ¡°Pspsps¡­¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The cat-girl echoed the words of the annoying bastard. She thought that the end of her life was her¡ªthat her stealth had fallen apart and her fate had come knocking, but it was something completely different.


    Let alone a murderer, the man seemed more like an idiot.


    The cat-kin girl pulled her knees to her chest as she stared at the spot where the man stood.


    ¡°Professor¡­?¡± Her words were laced with venom. ¡°Who is hiring idiots? I should file a complaint¡­¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes caught a glimpse of the amulet in her hands, and her words trailed off.


    The amulet held the symbol of the Royal Family¡ªthe first royal family of Aegean that had united all the cat tribes and let them stand toe-to-toe with the grand Freedom Alliance.


    A scoff left the girl.


    From the princess of a grand kingdom¡­ to someone who couldn¡¯t even leave the storeroom, let alone file a complaint.


    The girl¡¯s eyes widened as she heard a loud rumble. She snapped her head around in surprise.


    ¡°Enemy!?¡±


    No matter where she looked, her keen senses did not pick any presence beside herself. The girl looked down at her stomach¡­ the culprit behind the sound.


    She sighed. How long had it been since she had been running around inside this academy? She hadn¡¯t seen a bed in days and hadn¡¯t eaten for longer. The girl¡¯s eyes darted to the cookie dropped on the floor.


    Another scoff left her. It seemed there was no choice but to eat something from the ground. That professor bastard held the gall to act like eating from the ground was no big deal. She was sure he would apologize if he had to pick food from the ground.


    So far, she had been hungry. It was dangerous to let go of her stealth just for food.


    ¡°Better than not eating.¡± The girl justified it with those words and pushed herself off the ground. She grabbed the fallen cookie when she noticed a paper bag near the door.


    It was the same bag that ¡®professor¡¯ from before had with him, the same one he pulled the cookie from.


    The girl pounced ahead and snatched the bag from the ground. She pulled it open and dived her nose in to take a whiff¡ªshe could smell any poison out. There was nothing wrong with the cookies except for the cat nip.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    The girl did not know what to say.


    She ate the cookies left for her.


    ***


    Night fell. It was time for the ghosts and spirits to take over the world¡­ not.


    It was time to go to sleep. The dorms for the facility were the first place the academy had prepared, and I had a place to sleep in.


    I was guided to the dorms for the class of hostages, the Black Rose Facility. The building made for the teachers was erected close to the students¡¯ dorm in a square grid around the Black Rose grounds. They made passages that went to the students from the teacher¡¯s dorm and a device that would alert me of intruders.


    Me, because there is no other teacher here.


    Look at this, look at modern work ethic! I am from a different world, and even I am diligent enough to come to work a month earlier! Where are the teachers who have nothing else to do?!


    I let out all my anger with a sigh and entered my room with the renewed patience of a Zen monk. It was ok. So what if other teachers weren¡¯t here yet? I was enough.


    I flipped the switches and turned the lights on. My luggage was already placed inside by the staff. I was grateful.


    I stretched my hands and looked around. An expansive room, a wide bed, a side table, and a desk. It looked like a suite room in a top-end hotel. The bathroom was just as big as the room and had a bathtub fitted inside.


    I would be living in a good place for the next few years. I decided to unpack first and pulled my clothes out of my bag and into the closet. Next, I set all the letters I received from my friends on the desk alongside my stationery.


    Lastly, I pulled out a spatial pouch from my attach¨¦ case. A spatial pouch inside a spatially enhanced case may be overkill, but the item was that important.


    A gramophone.


    Or a turntable or record player, whatever one wanted to call it.


    I had stored the gramophone in a special pouch alongside two disks to go with it. This was a gift from someone high up in the clergy of the Sun God.


    I took the gramophone to the side table, put in a record, and let it play. Loud music hummed through the air and earned a smile left me. This was perfect.


    I closed the windows and drew the curtains before moving to the last bit of the gift¡ªA stone with a magical rune etched on it. The healer gave me this device to block sound outside my room. If I didn¡¯t use it, the students might wake up from the sound.


    With all of it in place, it was time to go to sleep.


    The music continued ringing in my ears. I was sure anyone would fall asleep like this.


    A student, crying in the storeroom, with the symbol of the Aegean Kingdom in her hands¡ªwho was also a diplomatic issue.


    Things were interesting. Extremely so.


    I¡¯ll go there again tomorrow.

 Chapter 7: Something Interesting

    ¡°Are you adjusting well in the academy?¡±


    My good friend Richard asked as we strolled through the streets of the new buildings of the academy.


    ¡°I am! It is rather fun to walk around here, it feels like I am the last person left in the world.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy it while you can. Once the students flood this place not a spot remains quiet.¡±


    A couple of days had blazed past us since I had entered the Academy.


    All through these days, I had been following a rather strict routine. It consisted of talking with Richard, making friends with the other staff, and going to bother the student.


    It was quite fun.


    ¡°By the way, Richard,¡± I said. Now was good enough time to bring this up. ¡°What happened about the diplomatic issue with the student?¡±


    Richard gave me a wry smile.


    Just like the civil servants who were probably toiling away in the academy right now to manage all that was going on, so must be the vice-principal and the principal who were just a few ranks below them.


    For some reason, the civil servants all avoided me like the plague and I couldn¡¯t ask them anything. Even though Major was not as high a rank as those civil servants¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be seeing a solution to that matter anytime soon.¡±


    Richard sighed and waved his hands.


    ¡°The Aegean Kingdom is stubborn. The Empire is stubborn. It is just the usual political scene.¡±


    ¡°Aegean kingdom¡­ I remember the current king is Rath¡­?¡±


    ¡°Rathnar Ragdoll Aegean, correct. The first king¡¯s brother.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ the current king doesn¡¯t have children.¡±


    ¡°No children¡­¡±


    I looked at Richard.


    Richard looked back at me.


    His face paled and mine brightened. Weren¡¯t there clear orders to not involve me in any matters whatsoever?


    ¡°Let¡¯s just forget about this,¡± Richard said.


    ¡°I agree. No point in talking about this.¡±


    Of course, my true thoughts were the exact opposite.


    I was going to use this information well.


    ***


    After separating from Richard, I went to the streets where only the few bakeries and shops still open in the academy were located and purchased the usual set of cat-nip cookies.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    With the stash in hand, I made my way to find the Aegean Princess. The girl who was not a child of the current king, but the kid of the first king.


    The Aegean Kingdom had come into existence just months before the alliance against the Demon Realm came into being. A short history that spanned a decade long, which let the scattered cat tribes become a powerful force on this side of the world.


    But.


    The first king, Asclepius Ragdoll Aegean had died while the war was still raging on. His brother, Rathnar Ragdoll Aegean had taken over command of the kingdom.


    Except the second king had no children.


    So what was the identity of the student? It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure it out.


    The child of the first king.


    Right before I could turn to the storeroom where the student had made her base, I ran into the black Bombay cat again.


    ¡°There there, you are still running around on the campus?¡±


    ¡°Myeeow!¡±


    I scratched its chin and handed it the cookie. Look, this cat took it so well. Cats were a mystery.


    The Bombay had its fill and dashed away, ever so selfish. It could have said a word of thanks at the very least.


    Sighing, I made my way to the more civil cat that was inside the storeroom. It had become a routine now in the last few days.


    As soon as the door opened, a sharp voice boomed from within.


    ¡°You¡¯re here again?¡±


    ¡°Of course! This time I also brought you some bread.¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem like this student was eating. That won¡¯t do, when I was sixteen I had to survive on mugworts during the war. I knew the value of nutrition.


    The girl looked at me but did not hiss me away. She simply continued to keep her head held in her embrace.


    ¡°So, what is your name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really a professor wouldn¡¯t you know?¡±


    We could even have conversations now. It was great progress.


    ¡°The class roster isn¡¯t prepared yet.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go rest in the dorms? That is better than here.¡±


    ¡°Get lost¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want you can also go out of the academy. I¡¯ll write you the permission slip.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you. Go away.¡±


    I tapped my feet on the ground to avoid the silence. It was best if there was some noise.


    This was still troublesome. How was I supposed to get this child to open up? If she continued to be like this when the class began she wouldn¡¯t make any friends and get left behind. That was bad from a teacher¡¯s perspective.


    In the end, with no other choice, I stood next to a wall and talked alone. Mostly about things that happened around the academy, which I had seen thanks to Mundus.


    Now and then, she would look and listen attentively. Even better if I told her the stories that many people on the trains and before told me.


    I tried not to talk about the war, which was sure to be associated with bad memories.


    This much progress was enough.


    To be honest, I was scared of one thing more than I was scared of cats, teenagers.


    Emotions, in my eyes, were rather rational. Even if the person experiencing them lost their rationality, seeing patterns in it was the work of the calm.


    But teenagers being freaks of nature with more hormones than cocaine in a junkie¡¯s system were irrational with their emotions. If you think something would make them angry, they would fall in love. If something is kind, they would get pissed. If something is for their sake, they would get depressed and go ¡®You never understand me, Mom!¡¯


    That was why I always played it carefully around teenagers.


    As the sun started to set, I pushed myself off the wall and looked at the girl.


    ¡°Do you want this food or not?¡±


    ¡°Leave it there.¡±


    Heh. Look at this. Just yesterday I had to leave it on my own.


    ¡°Where? Also, tell me what you want next time.¡±


    She raised her hand and pointed next to the door. ¡°There, and don¡¯t come next time.¡±


    My eyes, though, were on her palm. A deep wound spread on the length of her palm, she had hidden it very well, but I could see it.


    ¡°How did you get hurt?¡±


    The girl looked up at me, and then at her hand.


    ¡°What do you care¡­¡±


    ¡°Just tell me.¡±


    ¡°It was while climbing a tree to sleep. Happy? Now get lost.¡±


    Climbing a tree?


    ¡°Do you sleep on trees?¡±


    The girl glared at me, but I wasn¡¯t able to pay attention to those threats.


    I remembered well, the first day I was looking for her.


    In the dorms, there were clear signs she used the bed to sleep but was never seen.


    The academy was a safe place. No intruder could ever step in thanks to the number of magic circles. It was known by everyone, including the people who had left this princess inside the premises and the princess herself.


    But she was still wounded and hiding.


    A smile spread on my face as I turned away to leave.


    It seemed there was something interesting going on.

 Chapter 8: Two Betrayals

    The veneer of dark hid away the sun¡¯s light, the spotty stars, and their glimmering shine were the only guideposts left.


    The chirpings of insects and the sounds of the rustling leaves made it hard to sleep, but the princess of Aegean couldn¡¯t afford to sleep deeply anyway.


    She closed her eyes atop the tree, trying to get some shut-eye.


    The enormous academy that took over half a city. What would seem like a pain on some days was the biggest saving grace for her. If it was any smaller, would she have been able to hide?


    No, maybe she hadn¡¯t hidden well enough. Someone had managed to find her. Even though she had completely blocked her scent and presence, she was still found out.


    But¡­


    Maybe¡­


    Just maybe¡­


    The one who found her was not that bad a person.


    It was useless to hope. It was even more difficult to believe it. But that thought gave her constantly overworking mind some respite.


    She closed her eyes. Food had found her after a long time, it was natural that she was drowsy.


    Her vision slowly faded¡­


    ***


    ¡°Princess! Princess!¡±


    The voice of her maid, one of her only friends in this god-forsaken world.


    She remembered it well.


    After her father fell in the battle, the troops of Aegean returned briefly from the war, bearing the news with them. At their command was her uncle, Asclepius Ragdoll Aegean¡¯s brother, Rathnar Ragdoll Aegean.


    The Princess was shunned away to her room.


    And a few days after the news spread, another came knocking at her room.


    The Queen has died of grief.


    It felt as if her entire world was collapsing all at once.


    In the span of a single week, the princess of the kingdom had become an orphan.


    The first minister of the kingdom told her to stay put. That it was dangerous, that things could change at any time.


    Citing her feeble mental state after the shock, the kingdom was told that the Princess was unable to leave her room.


    In the moment of emergency, with the war still raging strong, Rathnar Ragdoll Aegean took over the throne and led the kingdom.


    The princess thought it would be ok. That her uncle would take good care of the kingdom and herself. But she didn¡¯t know.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    As long as she was alive, the people of the kingdom would only be loyal to Asclepius¡¯ lineage. Even though the king was someone else, the kingdom rightfully belonged to her.


    A fact that annoyed the king to no end.


    And then, when the war ended, he struck the hammer down. In a single night, the order came.


    ¡®Kill the princess of the kingdom.¡¯


    ¡°Princess! We must leave! Right now!¡±


    Her maid, one of her two true friends in the kingdom came to her in the dead of the night and pulled her off the bed.


    ¡°W-what is¡­ what¡­¡±


    ¡°There is a secret passage. Please take your belongings and leave right now. Zorack is waiting for us at the exit.¡±


    Zorack Bombay Lusha, her knight, and Penny Korat Lilac, her maid.


    It was a night full of confusion. If not for Penny, she would have certainly died that day.


    Incessant bangs rang on the door. In a rush, Penny grabbed the clothes and amulet of the princess and handed them to her.


    ¡°Princess, the academy. Glorenstein Academy of the Empire. If you go there, you will be safe. They will have no choice.¡±


    ¡°Penny¡­ you come with me¡­¡±


    Penny hugged her tight. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you, Zorack too. We¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    It was a lie.


    Now that she could see it all in a dream, the Princess knew it was a lie.


    But what happened couldn¡¯t be changed.


    Penny rushed to the closet in the room and kicked down the backside, revealing a hidden door.


    ¡°Princess! We must leave.¡±


    ¡°T-the flower! Father¡¯s flower.¡±


    The princess hurried to grab a diary. A book of pressed flowers she had made for her father with a letter written in it each day. It was the last remnant she had of her father, and the amulet the last of her mother.


    The princess rushed with Penny down the secret escape. As the door shut behind them, the room was broken into and the knights noticed their absence.


    ¡°Shush¡­ we¡¯ll be safe. We¡¯ll have to go to the academy¡­¡±


    Penny reassured the princess and helped her out. The secret passage finally came to an end at the outskirts of the kingdom, deep into the forest behind the palace.


    Waiting there was her knight. Zorack Bombay Lusha.


    ¡°Zorack!¡± The princess screamed. ¡°We must go! Let¡¯s leave!¡±


    Unfortunately, even after her words, the knight did not move.


    His eyes remained firm on the ground.


    The princess reached her hand out and clutched the hem of Zorack¡¯s sleeves.


    ¡°Zorack? What are you doing? W-we have to leave¡­¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, princess.¡± His gleaming yellow eyes turned up at her. She still remembered that black tail vividly as he held his hand on his blade.


    ¡°It is the king¡¯s orders. You must die.¡±


    Zorack raised his blade up high. The diary fell from the princess¡¯ hands as she flinched in shock.


    But the pain of the blade never reached her.


    At the right moment, Penny swooped in and took the strike for the Princess. With her hands on the princess¡¯ cheeks, she coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Princess¡­ leave¡­¡±


    ¡°Penny¡­ no! No, why¡­ how can you¡ª¡±


    Penny did not wait for the princess¡¯ words. She left the amulet in her care, and turned to face Zorack.


    With all the last vestiges of strength still in her soul, Penny turned back and captured Zorack in her grasp.


    ¡°Leave, Princess! You must go to the academy!¡±


    ¡°Let me go, Penny! She must die! Let go of me¡ªACK!!¡±


    To the bitter end, Penny did not let Zorack go. She sunk her teeth in his neck and chewed on his flesh. She stabbed her claws in his veins, all to stop him.


    With tears streaming down her face, the princess turned away and ran.


    With all her might, she ran.


    Away from the two liars.


    One who lied about his loyalty.


    And one who lied about her companionship.


    .


    .


    .


    The princess¡¯s eyes opened. It was a dream she hadn¡¯t seen in a long while.


    Tears streamed down her face as she looked at the structures of the academy still under construction.


    All alone, the princess with nowhere to go came to the only place she could enter.


    The one looking specifically for royals that held great influence over their kingdoms.


    The Glorenstein Academy. The den made for hostages which ironically became her refuge.


    True to Penny¡¯s words.


    No one could enter Glorenstein to kill her.


    But¡­


    What of the ones already inside?


    ***


    I looked out the windows with a bright smile. Even though it was late into the night, the gramophone was quiet today and my tapping feet were the only noise around.


    Tonight.


    Just tonight, I didn¡¯t need the music.


    After all, I had to go do some cleaning.

 Chapter 9: Clean Up

    ¡°Hoold¡­ me close and hold me¡­ ugh¡­ What was the lyric?¡±


    Slushes merged with the off-key singing as a janitor carried a mop and a bucket in the dead of the night.


    Cleaning had always been done when the kids were asleep. Even when they weren¡¯t around, the traditions persisted. There wasn¡¯t a better time anyway.


    The janitor with a balding head dragged his feet to the students¡¯ dorms.


    ¡°I drank¡­ hic¡­ too much¡­¡±


    The janitor was just about to go up to the dorm when a person suddenly appeared in his path.


    ¡°Hic¡­ who are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why, hello! Mr. Janitor, you seem too tired tonight.¡±


    ¡°Hic¡­ You¡¯re¡­ the new professor? I apologize, but please understand¡­ today is the day my wife left me all those years ago.¡±


    ¡°Terrible. You deserve the drink. Why don¡¯t you give me the mop and the bucket and I¡¯ll handle the cleaning for today?¡±


    The janitor tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°It¡¯s my job¡ª¡±


    Right then, the professor reached into his coat and pulled out a pint of whiskey.


    ¡°Well¡­ if you so insist¡­ Take this spray too¡­¡±


    ***


    ¡°Damn it. This is going on for way too long¡­¡±


    Four voices merged outside the room assigned to the princess.


    Two maids and two knights, assigned to protect the students, huddled together and whispered.


    ¡°I am scared. I didn¡¯t think it would go on for so long,¡± said one maid.


    ¡°Shush. Don¡¯t be a wimp now. We just have to kill that beast and then we¡¯ll have enough money to quit this stupid job.¡± Another snapped back.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have missed the chance. I injured her hand and her stomach, but she left with her life¡­¡±


    ¡°She was strong, but where can she go with those injuries? And it is impossible to escape the academy anyway. It is far more dangerous for her out there¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s thanks to our cover¡­¡± The knight sighed. If they hadn¡¯t been lying about the princess¡¯ whereabouts every day to the civil servants they would have been in trouble.


    Everyone was far too busy to worry about that one student anyway. She would be safe in the academy, that was the consensus.


    And she would have been, if only the recent hires were not brought in a hurry. The previous staff were extremely competent, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the increased manpower brought over way ahead of time.


    No one expected a student to appear a whole month earlier, and a civil servant had no choice but to pick these four up in an emergency.


    ¡°We¡¯ll look for her again today.¡±


    The four weren¡¯t too incompetent, just inexperienced.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    They knew no one could enter or escape the academy easily, but¡­ what if one had the promise of the Aegean Empire? It became an assurance enough to tempt the four.


    It was then, that footsteps reached their ears.


    The two maids and two knights turned toward the stairs at the end of the passageway and narrowed their eyes.


    Tap, tap the footsteps went.


    ¡°W-who¡­¡±


    A silhouette slowly formed in front of them. A man, in his hands a bucket and a mop.


    ¡°Is it that janitor? The drunkard?¡±


    The knight let out an annoyed sigh.


    ¡°Hey! Janitor! Go back where you came from. How many times do we have to tell you that the princess is sleeping? There is no need for cleaning here!¡±


    The drunkard¡¯s steps continued.


    ¡°HEY! Go back¡ª¡±


    ¡°As much as I adore skimping on my duties¡­¡± A playful voice answered them. A voice they had never heard before. ¡°I can¡¯t just leave giant stains of shit sitting around in the academy.¡±


    ¡°What the hell did you just say!?¡±


    One of the knights screamed at the silhouette.


    ¡°I mean¡­ I am here to clean you four up.¡±


    The silhouette turned its gaze up.


    Its eyes gleamed white and a bright smile adorned its face. That was all they could see through the darkness.


    As the figure took a step, a sense of deep fear took over the bodies of the four.


    It was a primal sense, an instinct present in all animals.


    A fight or flight reaction that bordered on sixth sense.


    That reaction had completely surfaced in all four of them. And just like a sixth sense, all of their bodies instinctively figured.


    Escape was impossible.


    ¡°W-who the hell¡­ Die here, you bastard!¡±


    Fighting was all they could do, it was the last of their hopes. The two knights charged ahead with great synergy. Foolish as they were, they were still knights hired to protect royalty.


    There was no doubt about their strength.


    The first knight slid right in front of the figure. He brandished a sword and brought it down.


    At the same time, the back of the mop slammed straight into his jaw.


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    A speed beyond what the knight could see. He bit through the pain and swung the blade with all his might, covering it in aura, but the figure, the ¡®janitor,¡¯ dodged it with a single step.


    The janitor did not stop there. He slammed the mop to the ground and swept it ahead. The shaft of the mop swooped straight to the gap between the knight¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Augh¡­¡± A groan left the knight.


    The janitor hooked the mop to the back of the knight¡¯s leg and kicked it back. The mop and the knight¡¯s leg flew backward, making him fall face-first straight into the bucket of water.


    The janitor raised his leg and stomped the head of the knight.


    A splash rang out as the knight¡¯s head was forced deeper into the bucket. He struggled, flailing his arms. He used every bit of his strength to move, but the janitor¡¯s leg did not move.


    The knight continued to struggle, and to his aid, the second one jumped in.


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    The second knight dashed from the side, bringing his sword up.


    A sigh left the janitor.


    ¡°Why are all of you so inefficient? Have you never fought in a war?¡±


    The knight raised his blade, but with inhuman speed, the janitor¡¯s hand appeared in front of his eyes.


    Hands, holding a spray.


    ¡°Huh¡ª¡±


    ¡ªPsh!


    The janitor sprayed the cleaning liquid all over the knight¡¯s eyes and mouth. The knight, caught off guard, took a back step.


    In that fleeting moment, the Janitor¡¯s hand flashed out and smacked the knight in the jaw, breaking it with a single punch.


    The struggles of the drowning knight stopped, and the punched knight fell limp to the ground.


    The janitor sighed and wiped off the sweat on his forehead.


    ¡°Annoying stains, they took longer than I expected.¡±


    His eyes then shifted to the two maids on the ground.


    Their bodies trembled as they inched backward.


    Merciless. Twisted.


    The man with his smile still wide stepped closer to them.


    One step after another.


    The two maids crawled backward. Tears and snot dripped from their eyes.


    Two knights had just been played with in front of them.


    ¡°P-please¡­. No! Please don¡¯t kill us, please¡­¡±


    They held each other tight as the man inched closer.


    Their backs hit a wall.


    Slowly, the man crouched down and smiled in front of them. His red eyes glared straight into theirs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you¡­¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t¡­ please¡­¡±


    ¡°Go and fetch a rope for all four of you, please?¡±


    He pointed at one of them. The maid stood up and rushed toward the room to fetch the ropes, her legs trembling with each step.


    She returned and pulled the knights out. The other maid rushed to her as well, ready to be tied up.


    Though they had weapons and were strong fighters, a suffocating fear was stopping them from moving.


    A fear that their minds could not understand.


    A fear that their bodies could not ignore.


    Slowly, on their own, all four of them got tied up.


    ¡°I will not kill you,¡± the man repeated. ¡°I will simply hand you over to the civil servants for interrogation.¡±


    A fate much much worse than death awaited them.

 Chapter 10: Clean Up (2)

    A knock woke me up early in the morning. More guests, right after I had cleaned up last night?


    I put on a robe and rushed to the door. As I opened it up, my good friend, the vice principal, appeared in my view.


    ¡°Oh? Richard? What brings you here?¡±


    Richard held his ears and screamed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you?! What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I can hear you perfectly well. What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°WHAT?! Turn off the music!¡±


    Oh.


    I forgot.


    After stopping the loud gramophone, I let Richard step in as I tidied up the room. He was a friend I didn¡¯t need to clean my room for, it was a sign of good friendship.


    I hoped to be friends like that with everyone.


    ¡°How do you sleep with music that loud¡­? Is it some soundproofing magic?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was lucky enough to get a device. As for music, it has become a habit.¡±


    Richard was busy making coffee in the small kitchen at the side of the room. I quickly rushed to the bathroom and changed my clothes before coming back out.


    He handed me a cup and took a seat.


    ¡°You did something impressive last night.¡±


    ¡°Just some cleaning. Dust settles quickly near construction sites.¡±


    Richard sighed and took a sip of the coffee.


    ¡°Well, Ethan. The civil servants assigned here are calling you to the principal¡¯s office. They wanted a meeting.¡±


    ¡°I apologize.¡±


    Richard shook his head.


    ¡°It was necessary. In any case, the ones at fault here are those higher-ups.¡±


    We drank the coffee in silence, just staring out the window.


    This could have been a big mess.


    ¡°Care for another coffee?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we in a rush?¡±


    ¡°We are, those guys are waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Add another cube of sugar in mine, please.¡±


    ***


    After three cups of coffee each, Richard finally guided me to the principal¡¯s office where the ten civil servants sent over by the empire sat. Five men and five women.


    All of them had dark circles under their eyes, bags that might put Gucci out of business. Even the luxurious formal uniforms of the civil servants looked shabby when their faces resembled those of ghouls and wraiths.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    But, even amongst the ten, one was particularly pale. That must be the civil servant who had hired the four losers.


    ¡°Major Ethan, you are here!¡± The principal saw me and stood up from his seat. He was sweating from the presence of all those seniors, familiar faces were a respite.


    ¡°It¡¯s professor now, principal. I have been discharged.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± One of the civil servants stood up at my remark and walked over to me. ¡°Professor Ethan Kalenice¡­ I never thought I would have the opportunity to see you. I am the Manager from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Gladwin Hark.¡±


    All the other civil servants flinched as soon as this one mentioned my name. It made Richard confused, unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t bother with him right now.


    ¡°Please,¡± I said. ¡°I am always happy to be of service to the gears of this empire.¡±


    Gladwin Hark chuckled as if he found my words amusing.


    ¡°I will have a great tale to tell all the ministers soon¡­¡± He sighed and continued. ¡°Your help here is something we greatly appreciate. This oversight amongst us should never have happened.¡±


    All of our gazes turned to the particularly pale civil servant.


    ¡°Ah, this kind of mistake would usually need one to resign right?¡±


    ¡°Resign? We have to punish him, not praise him. He will be doing all the paperwork from now on.¡±


    Richard seemed to have been slightly taken aback.


    ¡°Paperwork¡­?¡± He muttered, not believing how light the punishment was.


    ¡°To clear it all, he would have to keep writing a hundred and forty-five words every minute for three weeks without sleeping or doing anything else.¡±


    What, this was not punishment, this was torture.


    If the civil servants were being treated this way, then what about the criminals I had apprehended for them?


    ¡°Did you learn anything?¡± I asked. To be honest, I would have liked to be friendly, but I was more worried about the student.


    Gladwin¡¯s face stiffened as he nodded.


    ¡°You have got us a great leverage. You might have figured, but the princess of Aegean is someone the current king wants dead.¡±


    ¡°Right, she holds immense sway over the public as the daughter of the first king.¡±


    Another civil servant chimed in from the side.


    ¡°Indeed. Asclepius was a commander rare to find even during the war.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met him, Professor Ethan?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I had the chance to see him on the front lines. His brother too, who I would say is an even better warrior.¡±


    They nodded, it seemed they had similar thoughts about the current king. He was definitely a good leader, better than the first king.


    Unfortunately, a good king did not mean a kind king and a kind king did not mean a good one. While the current king was good, he was not kind.


    And so, he wanted to kill the niece that could be a thorn in his side.


    ¡°The princess ran here to take refuge. Honestly, she would be a bad choice to hold hostage, but her power over the public of Aegean is great.¡±


    Gladwin¡¯s words made a lot of sense. The princess that the king wanted dead was usually no good as a hostage, we were just making that work easy.


    But if the princess could move the people, then the hostage¡¯s value became even greater. How ironic.


    I continued the same line of thought as him and said.


    ¡°If the princess had died here, the Aegean kingdom would have gained a great hand in negotiation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so far they wanted her back and were ready to offer someone else while we refused. If she had died, the blame would have shifted on the empire. ¡®Someone died in your lands, but we¡¯ll let it slide if you meet our demands.¡¯ At that time, we would have completely lost against the Aegean kingdom in the negotiations. The worst-case scenario has been avoided.¡±


    I nodded.


    It was quite a nice outcome.


    ¡°Thanks to you, a bad situation was stopped. We have gone over every single employee still in the academy and even the ones to join. I guarantee that something like this won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Gladwin¡¯s assurance was good. Just words weren¡¯t enough, but he pointed at the two stacks of papers at the desk behind them. One was a stack of personnel removed and another, a stack of personnel added.


    They had quite literally revamped everything overnight. Just how efficient were they?


    After receiving all this information from the civil servants, I decided it was time to leave.


    I just yawned and all of them said it would be fine for me to go while trembling. Even Gladwin. How funny, I hadn¡¯t seen such reactions since the war.


    ¡°Professor.¡±


    Before I could leave, Gladwin called out to me.


    ¡°The academy is safe for the princess now.¡±


    I nodded at his words.


    ***


    After leaving the civil servants behind, I found myself once again in the store room where the princess had made her base.


    When I stepped inside, just as ever, she was scrunched into a ball as she leaned against the wall.


    The ones yesterday said something about her scent. Was she in hiding?


    Was it possible that her stealth was good enough for most others to not notice her? It all seemed shabby to me.


    As soon as I came closer to her, the princess raised her head and looked at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re here again¡­¡±


    I sighed and smiled at her words.


    ¡°You said you got hurt while climbing a tree? On your hand?¡±


    The princess looked down at her palm. It was obviously a lie.


    ¡°I cleared all sharp branches from the academy. You can climb anywhere safely now.¡±


    Even if the words were strange.


    The intent was clear.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Maybe not.

 Chapter 11: Crying is Healing

    ¡°You mean¡­ my uncle is¡­¡±


    Gladwin nodded at the princess¡¯ words.


    After the incident ended, we had to reassure the princess.


    Convincing her with metaphors alone seemed impossible, so I had no choice but to bring her to this place where the civil servants gathered. She wasn¡¯t easy to move, but it seemed she trusted me enough now to come along with some insistence.


    With the princess, the principal, and the head of the civil servants who represented the entire Empire here, we explained everything that happened.


    Originally, despite her presence, she was merely being seen as a tool for negotiation. Not a very high-value entity for the politics of the kingdom.


    We left her alone, and the bought-off knights and maids had no trouble faking her status to the civil servants.


    It became even worse when I found out her state but was strictly excluded from these politics. I had no way of knowing what the busy civil servants were reported of despite seeing the incongruent reality.


    To be honest, the guards were convincing and I had found the princess easily enough to think she wasn¡¯t in much trouble. If not for the wound, she would have been ignored here for longer.


    It was overall a very messy situation that came about because of many communication hoops and hindsight due to the sudden rush.


    The type of situation that made CEOs lose stock price in Corporates and Commanders lose troops in war.


    ¡°That is right,¡± Gladwin said. ¡°We knew of the political turbulence, but we never imagined how intent the current king was on removing the traces of the past.¡±


    The princess lowered her head at his words. She gulped nervously and clenched her fists tight.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I understand goodwill alone will not suffice to earn your trust, princess. So I will say this clearly, you are a very important entity for the Empire and the Kingdom of Aegean. As long as that stands, you will be protected.¡±


    Gladwin¡¯s words had a different nuance, one I wasn¡¯t sure carried over to the princess.


    Traces of the past, of the first king¡­ It was highly likely that the Queen had been killed by Rathnar too. He also clearly mentioned that if the princess lost her value as a negotiation chip, she would not be protected by them anymore.


    It was quite hilarious. The threat to her life made her life all the more valuable.


    ¡°Princess¡­¡± Gladwin spoke up, bringing down the final hammer of this conversation. ¡°The academy is now a safe place for you.¡±


    With those words as a cue, the princess clenched her hands and bit her lips.


    Her body quivered as she lowered her head, the ears and tail drooping down low.


    A sniffle rang out.


    Without another word, Gladwin and the principal both stood up and walked out of the room, tapping my shoulders once.


    ¡°Agh¡­ hah¡­¡±


    The sniffle changed to a muffled sob. With all her might, she tried to hold back her tears.


    She took in long breaths and exhaled even longer.


    But, the little princess¡¯ defenses couldn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Aaah¡­ haaaah¡­¡±


    She broke down into tears.


    Into messy sobs, wailing as she fell to her knees and screamed her heart out.


    It was the first time.


    The first time she could let loose and cry.


    She grieved her father who died in war.


    She wailed for her mother who she couldn¡¯t see even after her passing.


    She thanked and mourned her friend and that friend¡¯s sacrifice which became her lifeline.


    I should have left too, but I couldn¡¯t.


    All those years on the battlefield, the years in hell¡­ we all fought thinking things would be alright after the war ended.


    When selfish reasons couldn¡¯t motivate us anymore, when our loved ones seemed like an illusion of the past, we clung to any hope that we could find.


    Wasn¡¯t this one of those?


    Thinking people wouldn¡¯t need to cry once it¡¯s over. Thinking even if we die, the children would live a bright life, we fought.


    But even when the war is over, tears have not stopped.


    Hah¡­ how foolish. Who would know it better than us?


    The wounds hurt most after the battle ends.


    Now was the time for those wounds to fester.


    Seeing the crying princess, I realized why the commander had sent me here.


    Even if the war was over, our work truly wasn¡¯t.


    The sobs continued. Taking in a deep breath, I opened the door and moved out of the room.


    That was the day I truly accepted my role as a professor. And that was how I met my first student, the one at the top of my class roster.


    Her name, Iaso Ragdoll Aegean.

 Chapter 12: Everything is Alright?

    Thanks to some more sleepless nights by the civil servants, the Princess was now assigned guards with well vetted backgrounds.


    Gladwin did not just stop at the guards. Over the next days, he flipped the entire academy on its feet.


    From the principal and vice principal to the people running stores inside the academy, even the janitors and even the construction personnel, he checked every single person and removed anyone even slightly suspicious.


    Thankfully, there was not a lot of personnel change in the admin and teaching faculty, which was a great relief for Richard. But quite a lot of people were still replaced.


    It wasn¡¯t outright suspicion, even the ones he thought would be susceptible to bribes or threats were removed. That included the janitor I had tossed a pint at.


    Now, there was nothing to worry about as far as safety inside the academy went.


    As long as Iaso Aegean did not step outside the academy, she was truly safe. No. Anyone who would come in from now would be safe.


    ***


    The princess shifted to the rooms after some convincing, she also started treating herself better instead of being on high alert all the time.


    It was nice to have a nose so sharp that you could smell out poison. I wouldn¡¯t have swallowed a morsel in her position.


    A few more days passed in the academy, which was visibly more cheerful now.


    Just like a rotten branch ruined the whole crop, maybe a single gloomy child also brought gloom to the entire academy. I sincerely wished that was not the case, when all the students come around then this might become a place worse than the battlefield.


    Well, the truth was that there was still about a month left before the academy truly began. With just one professor and one student, both of whom were strictly excluded from the talks of the elder folks, it was natural that we decided to hang out.


    I was not bothering her because I was bored. I promise.


    Anyone could ask Iaso as well.


    ¡°Professor, you don¡¯t have any friends, do you?¡±


    Biting down on a cookie, Iaso posed a question that stabbed me straight in my heart.


    ¡°That is not the case! Friends are the only asset this weak little old me has. I only have friends.¡±


    Iaso tilted her head.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The two of us were strolling around the enormous academy. Even though so many days had passed, I had still not seen every inch of this place.


    Iaso crossed her arms and nodded, behind us the many horses in the equestrian grounds were trotting about.


    ¡°I guess you do. Everyone greets you no matter where you go.¡±


    Of course, I was busying myself making as many friends as I could.


    ¡°You see? I am accompanying you because no one wants to leave a child alone.¡±


    ¡°Sure took a while to get to that conclusion.¡± The catgirl was as cat-like as ever. ¡°Thank you though¡­¡±


    It was not the first time we were hanging out like this. She had gotten pretty used to the place in just a few days.


    Maybe crying had helped her? It is better to let out all pent-up emotions instead of keeping them in, I was told this by a senior on the front.


    ¡°By the way, professor. If you¡¯re teaching me, that means you¡¯ll be teaching every other royal as well, right? In the Black Rose Classroom?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then, are you like, super strong? They won¡¯t put just anyone in charge, right? Maybe someone from the Final Assault Legion?¡±


    I chuckled at her words.


    ¡°I am not super strong. I was just a major-ranked official. This role is with me precisely because I am not very strong.¡±


    Iaso clicked her tongue and hooked her arms behind her head.


    ¡°When you found me despite my stealth, I thought you might be like the Hero or the Saintess, or even the Archmage. Maybe my stealth has worn off? Or are you just talented in that one aspect?¡±


    ¡°Comparing someone to the Hero party is not good, those guys are not normal people.¡±


    I observed her from the corner of my eyes. She seemed slightly disappointed at the start, but laughed and shook her head.


    ¡°Won¡¯t there be many villains targeting our class? All the big shots are gathered.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong. Many, many people were dissatisfied with the ruling class after the war.


    I was one of them.


    But I wasn¡¯t planning to do anything. Others, I can¡¯t say the same.


    ¡°When something like that happens, I¡¯ll keep you safe, professor.¡±


    What¡¯s with that?


    Did this child see me as someone she could trust?


    That was flattering. Extremely so.


    I smiled and patted her head.


    ¡°You do that.¡±


    ¡°Mhm! Where do you buy these cookies by the way?¡±


    ¡°You want more?¡±


    We continued talking for a while longer. Laughing at the smallest things.


    As we neared the eastern ends of the academy grounds, my eyes fell on the black cat that I had been seeing since the start.


    ¡°Oh, look at this.¡±


    The black bombay cat rushed closer on its own and started rubbing its cheeks on my legs. It was surprising, this evasive little one was suddenly affectionate.


    Was this Iaso¡¯s princess power in play here?


    I crouched down and tickled the cat¡¯s chin. It purred happily and snuggled closer.


    ¡°Is this cat acting like this because of you?¡±


    I turned back to face Iaso, only to find her wide-eyed.


    She gulped and shook her head.


    ¡°N-no¡­ maybe, haha¡­ Let¡¯s go somewhere else now, professor.¡±


    Hm¡­


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. I took a cookie from the bag and left it for the Bombay before turning away.


    The cat did not stop meowing as we left.


    Iaso followed right behind me, but she seemed oddly uninterested in any conversation. As if she had something on her mind.


    When we neared the plaza near the Edmond Training Center, she suddenly pushed my back.


    ¡°Professor! That cookie, you gave mine to the cat.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Buy me more.¡±


    ¡°Just go and get them yourself.¡±


    ¡°No, you gave it to the cat. You buy it.¡±


    Yeah, this seemed more like how cats were. Kinda salty about the weirdest things.


    It was still a far cry from how this lady was back when I first met her, so I didn¡¯t mind it much.


    ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯ll buy them.¡±


    ¡°Go go!¡±


    Iaso pushed me away toward the store and stayed behind herself. I rushed to get the cookies, and when I came back.


    Iaso wasn¡¯t anywhere around.


    A sigh left me.


    People should at least try to not be suspicious.

 Chapter 13: The First Student and the Professor (1)

    Iaso Ragdoll Aegean.


    After being hyper-aware for days on end, she was told she was the perfect negotiation chip and was kept safe.


    It was extremely demeaning, insulting. She almost wondered if the people of the empire even saw her as a person, but it beat death any day.


    Just being safe made her feel like she was in a different world, but there was someone around who had made it all possible.


    The man who had only introduced himself as her professor.


    After losing her two, only friends in the world. Iaso considered herself all alone and the Empire provided no relief.


    The Aegean family was one of stealth and darkness before her father took the crown of the king.


    And she was a genius of that bloodline. She was certain that not even someone walking right in front of her would discern her presence.


    Her stealth, which was active at all times, was seen through without any effort by that man.


    She was afraid. That he would sell her out, that he might use her for his own gains, that he was just like the knights of the academy who were ready to kill her.


    But before she knew it, the academy¡¯s professor made her troubles his own.


    He helped her even if it meant fighting against his superiors in the civil servants and flipping the staff list of the academy on its toes.


    Iaso had started to rely on this professor.


    Someone who had helped her in the worst of times.


    It was only natural that she helped him back.


    The veneer of trees was left behind as Iaso jumped through the forest in the East of the academy.


    Her lips quivered and her hands trembled. It was only natural.


    She knew, no one could come inside the academy without triggering its magic. She had no choice but to go herself.


    Soon, she stopped at the edge of the academy. A translucent veil floated all the way to the skies, the boundary of the enormous barrier that covered this stronghold.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    As she reached the edge of the barrier, she took in a deep breath.


    From the trees beyond the barrier, multiple figures emerged.


    ¡°You came, princess¡­¡±


    Iaso bit her lips as she saw the familiar face.


    The same damned face of the person who had taken the life of her best friend. The bastard that had betrayed her.


    A deep wound was etched on his neck. With madder eyes, the man grinned as he held a sword in front of himself.


    ¡°Zorack Bombay Lusha¡­¡±


    The black-haired knight laughed. ¡°You do remember me! Well, it doesn¡¯t matter since you¡¯re going to die here. You understand, right? This is for all the cat tribes.¡±


    Iaso scoffed. For the cat tribes? This was nothing but the selfish whims of Rathnar. Now that she was in this place, they would even be able to exert pressure on the empire as long as they killed her.


    Iaso bit her lips.


    ¡°I knew you would come, though¡­¡± Zorack placed a hand on his forehead. The others around him held the same evil grin, itching to see her blood.


    Zorack suddenly reached into his pockets and pulled out the diary that she had left behind on the day she escaped. He tossed on the ground and stepped on it. ¡°You have always been a soft hearted princess like that. A fool. We can¡¯t let you have any power.¡±


    Iaso was overcome with fear, but she couldn¡¯t succumb to it.


    Not now.


    ¡°You are just cowards¡­ Taking hostages.¡±


    ¡°What the hell did you say!?¡±


    A voice from behind stopped him before the black-haired knight could lose his marbles. ¡°Zorack! Hold yourself.¡±


    Iaso¡¯s eyes widened. Behind Zorack¡­ was the same minister who had instructed her to stay in her room.


    The first minister, who her father and mother respected and trusted.


    ¡°Minister Abyssinian¡­ you¡­¡±


    The minister closed his eyes and shook his head.


    ¡°I am sorry, Princess, but the king¡¯s orders are clear. You must die here.¡±


    ¡°My parents trusted you¡­¡±


    ¡°And they are no more of this world. I do what I do for the tribe, King Rathnar will lead us well.¡±


    Iaso¡¯s nails dug into her skin as she clenched her fists. It was betrayal from all ends.


    ¡°I was surprised when we couldn¡¯t find you for days on end,¡± the minister continued. ¡°Please step out here and come with us.¡±


    She did not move, still shaking.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Zorack spat on the ground and raised his sword high. ¡°She won¡¯t hear you out like this, trust me, I have seen her whims since she was a child.¡±


    Zorack suddenly stepped closer to the barrier and smiled brightly, a truly despicable grin that sent shivers down her spine.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t come over here¡­ then I¡¯ll have to kill that professor of yours.¡± Zorack suddenly stopped. ¡°Oh, will that not work? You just act like you care, when you are selfish. That¡¯s right, you didn¡¯t even come to save Penny, did you? You only ran!¡±


    Those words snapped something within her. With tears glistening at the edge of her eyes, Iaso looked beyond the barrier.


    That¡¯s right.


    This time¡­ she planned to save the person who saved her.


    Maybe she saw Penny in him. Maybe all this time, she thought that being helpful now would bring some respite to her friend who had shown the spirit of sacrifice.


    But¡­ words were just that, words.


    This time. For the person who saved her.


    She was ready to risk her life as well.


    And so, the princess took a step¡­ out of the barrier.

 Chapter 14: The First Student and the Professor (2)

    The black cat was never a stray walking inside the academy, but the familiar of a traitor.


    A warning for the princess. That the people she had become close to would all be killed.


    He even said it himself, that the professor was nothing special.


    Iaso did not know why she was doing this. Was it really because she cared about the professor, or was it a way to atone for Penny, or maybe, it was because she had given up on life?


    ¡°Yes! Come here! Come right here!¡±


    The magic of the barrier phased against her skin.


    The princess¡­ maybe it was giving up.


    She had probably resigned herself to her fate.


    Not like she could take revenge against a whole kingdom. That was impossible.


    She completely escaped the barrier, her eyes closed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt anyone else¡­¡± she muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s over! Finally!¡± Zorack screamed out loud.


    He raised his sword up high.


    Fear crawled up her skin. Even now, she was being selfish and thinking of herself.


    She raised her hands, but couldn¡¯t run from the blade.


    ¡°DIE¡ª¡±


    A hand grabbed the scruff of her neck and yanked her backward.


    The cold touch of the sword¡­ never struck her skin. Confused, the princess, Iaso, slowly opened her eyes and looked back.


    Standing outside the barrier, with his hand on her head, was the professor who had helped her all this time.


    ¡°Why are¡­ why are you here? It¡¯s dangerous¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡­ the FUCK!¡± Zorack¡¯s scream rang through the forest. He dragged his nails on the wound on his neck and growled.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± He screamed, staring at the professor. ¡°How dare you!? Who do you think you are? I¡¯ll kill both of you now! Fuck!¡±


    A suffocating pressure seeped out of Zorack. A killing intent so fierce that it prickled every inch of her skin.


    Iaso tried to speak up, but she couldn¡¯t.


    Despite facing the madness that Zorack exuded, the professor donned an aloof, almost uncaring gaze.


    His eyes were not on Zorack but on the man behind him.


    Iaso followed his gaze. In the distance, the minister Abyssinian stood with trembling pupils.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re looking!?¡±


    Zorack screamed and disappeared. A burst of magical energy zoomed out of him.


    In the blink of an eye, he was in front of them again.


    Like lightning falling from the sky, the knight¡¯s sword thundered down toward them.


    And stopped mid-air.


    Faster than Zorack, the minister had come in between them and blocked Zorack¡¯s sword with his own hands.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    His blood seeped out and dripped to the ground, the sword just an inch away from the professor¡¯s face.


    Iaso gulped. She felt her knees trembling. She was about to lose balance, but the professor held her up.


    ¡°Major¡­ you¡­¡±


    That was when she noticed. Far, far more than herself, Minister Abyssinian trembled.


    His knees were quaking and his entire body jittered, as if an earthquake had struck only for him.


    ¡°You are¡­¡± the professor spoke, his voice just as unassuming as ever, but the minister gulped with every word. ¡°That general, right?¡±


    ¡°I.. I-I¡­ I sincerely¡­ apologize¡­¡±


    ¡°Minister¡­?¡± Zorack muttered. ¡°What are you doing¡ª¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡±


    The minister screamed out loud at Zorack.


    Iaso could not understand what was happening.


    But one thing was clear. The minister, who did not even fear Rathnar or her father, was acting like an abandoned baby in front of the professor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak a word or I¡¯ll kill you myself¡­¡±


    Zorack was forced shut by the minister.


    Right after, the minister stepped in front of them and lowered his gaze, not meeting the professor¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Sir, that child is a member of our tribe. If you don¡¯t have anything to do with her, please hand her over¡ª¡±


    Iaso shivered. She looked up at the professor and fervently shook her head, but the professor did not notice her.


    ¡°This child is my student,¡± he said. ¡°I have been enlisted as the professor for the Black Rose classroom. For the next three years, she will be a member of my class.¡±


    Abyssinian let out a sigh. He took a step back and shook his head.


    ¡°If you had focused a little less on killing her, you might have known.¡±


    Those words made the minister tense up again.


    He trembled.


    ¡°T-that¡­ that¡­¡±


    ¡°Go back.¡± The professor¡¯s voice lacked any emotion. As if he was ordering his subjects.


    ¡°Ok. We will go back. I understand.¡±


    The minister stood up and turned to his men.


    ¡°Wait wait!¡± Zorack screamed again. ¡°How can we do this!? What will you tell the king¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ethan Kalenice.¡± Abyssinian cut him off. ¡°We¡¯ll tell the king Ethan Kalenice asked us to go back.¡±


    Abyssinian started to walk back, and confused, the others had no choice but to follow.


    The professor too shrugged and turned around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said, tapping Iaso¡¯s head.


    But before she could turn too, Abyssinian stopped in his tracks and spoke up.


    ¡°Sir. If you¡¯ll permit it, can I converse with the princess?¡±


    The professor thought it over for a second, then smiled.


    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll move back first.¡±


    Iaso wanted to stop Ethan, but all the fears that had been holding her down just moments back disappeared.


    As Ethan stepped away, Iaso could not tear her eyes from his back. Not a word escaped her.


    ¡°Princess¡­¡± the minister spoke up. ¡°No one will dare go against you for the next three years¡­¡±


    Iaso still couldn¡¯t make sense of the minister¡¯s words, but he continued.


    ¡°The Aegean Kingdom¡¯s history is steeped in darkness. I hope this time is enough for the world to forget you.¡±


    Abyssinian sighed. He picked up the diary that Zorack had stolen from Iaso and handed it to her.


    The young princess accepted the diary with shaking hands.


    She had many questions.


    Many curses.


    But she didn¡¯t voice any of them.


    ¡°I pray you live a good life. I truly do.¡±


    That was the last she heard of her tribe.


    Iaso¡¯s value as a negotiation chip, with the help of the Empire¡¯s spies and agents, only increased in the kingdom of Aegean.


    But no one entertained the thought of harming her anymore.


    ***


    Once out of the barrier, even I had no choice but to walk to the front gate.


    I was surprised to see a face I had seen back in the war, but it seemed that cat-kin had a good opinion of me.


    I had some powerful connections, so it wasn¡¯t that odd a reaction. My network was even stronger during the war. I don¡¯t mean to brag, but even the hero is a very close buddy of mine.


    For some people, that tag and the sights from the war must still persist.


    I didn¡¯t think anyone would dare touch Iaso after a stern warning and left. And as expected, in just a few moments, the young girl found her way next to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just run off like that.¡± I handed Iaso the cookies she had me buy. ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°Professor¡­ who in the world are you?¡±


    That was a strange question.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I never told you my name. It¡¯s Ethan Kalenice, a member of the Kalenice County in the East of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°No I mean¡­ haah, never mind.¡±


    Iaso shrugged and looked away.


    ¡°Seriously, just tell your elders if you find someone scary like that.¡±


    Iaso nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that from now on.¡±


    We walked in silence.


    It was good to see a child learn from their mistakes quickly.


    ¡°Professor¡­ you said I am your student, right?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°If I said I want revenge, will you dissuade me?¡±


    Hoh.


    How intriguing.


    I smiled and looked at the girl. She was staring back at me with sincere eyes.


    Revenge, huh? It was natural to seek it in her position. Her entire kingdom was stolen from her, rightfully or not.


    ¡°I won¡¯t recommend it,¡± I said.


    ¡°I thought¡ª¡±


    ¡°But!¡± I cut her off. ¡°A teacher is not someone who decides your path for you. I only help you through it, the path you tread is one you choose yourself.¡±


    Iaso bit her lips and looked down to the ground.


    She clenched a diary tight in her hands. It was something she had taken from the other cats, I believe.


    ¡°Ok¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°Yup. If you want revenge, just study hard.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    A month full of vacations¡­


    I had a feeling that this academy life might just not be that boring.

 Chapter 15: A Day Before The Entrance

    Loud murmurs and conversations echoed from all directions. The din of the crowds that felt foreign and unfamiliar to me fit the academy grounds like a puzzle piece.


    Within the blink of an eye, a month had passed us by. The opening ceremony was now just a day away.


    Students flooded the dorms and the many facilities of the academy with more of them joining in each hour. The ones carrying old school books casually walked around while the ones with empty pages marveled and gawked at every turn and twist of the academy grounds.


    Quite a lot of them were also intrigued by the changed staff, the increased security, and the completely remodeled facilities that the academy now boasted.


    Though the students were numerous enough to leave barely any quiet spots in the academy, the academy too was large enough to keep them all free and airy.


    Wading through the sparkles of youth and the allure of school life that only a student could know, I walked with my hat pulled low.


    ¡°What about your fianc¨¦e?¡± I asked my companion, the vice principal of the academy, Richard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to see her soon.¡±


    Tap, tap, our boots clacked against the stone paths as we strode against the spring breeze.


    Within the blink of an eye¡­ the month had passed by.


    Just like the students with an empty book, I was starting on a fresh new page of my life too.


    Though I planned to just relax and find a way to spend all the money I had accumulated at first, a new thought had settled in my head.


    A strange longing. It was simply to be a good professor for the ones who would need me.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Richard asked, turning his gaze my way.


    ¡°Not really. I do find teenagers rather¡­ uh, enigmatic. But I think I¡¯ll manage.¡±


    Richard nodded.


    ¡°They have pushed a tough role on you, Ethan. But with your skills, it¡¯ll be easy to pull off.¡±


    I wondered if that was the case. As far as meeting with the kids went, I knew I shouldn¡¯t go up and just pspsps someone again, but that was all.


    ¡°What kind of professors did you like, Richard?¡±


    The ages I should have been at the academy were spent on the frontlines, and before that age, everyone in the Kalenice family was homeschooled. The same was the case for my siblings.


    Richard contemplated my question with crossed arms. He leaned back a little and hummed.


    ¡°I would say someone mature or hands-off, I could even say someone involved and ready to listen, but you shouldn¡¯t try to be like any of those.¡±


    He then nodded, satisfied by whatever he thought up.


    ¡°The best educators were the ones who were genuine. Leave all pretense behind and treat the kids as equals, as people, that alone will go a long way.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    ¡°Far too many people think that as teachers, it¡¯s their job to show the kids the right path or solve their problems or make them the best version of themselves, but that is not true. It undermines the student.¡±


    Richard placed a hand on my shoulder and lightly patted it.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°In the end, they are their own people. People who will have to face their own problems and emotions. You can only show them the path, you can¡¯t walk it for them.¡±


    A smile lingered on my lips.


    ¡°You must have been popular during your professor days.¡±


    ¡°It took me too long to realize these things.¡±


    ¡°Hah. I guess the kids aren¡¯t the only ones who would be learning.¡±


    Richard and I broke into a shared laughter at those words.


    Tomorrow¡­


    The entrance ceremony. I didn¡¯t think I would last the whole month all alone, but it seemed that the boredom was going to be replaced soon.


    I only wished the students wouldn¡¯t be tough to deal with.


    I am probably prepared well.


    ¡°On that note, Ethan. Tomorrow, please make a test for the students who join Black Rose.¡±


    That came out of nowhere.


    A test? What subject?


    Hey, what subject was I even supposed to teach? Wait, aren¡¯t I completely unprepared?!


    ¡°It¡¯s just a tradition!¡± Richard quickly waved his hands side-to-side at my confusion. ¡°We test kids in every class. Some teachers subject them to an illusion, others give them an unsolvable problem, and some even have mock duels. Anything you want to push their buttons.¡±


    What kind of tradition was that?


    ¡°Unsolvable problems? Isn¡¯t that just harassment in the name of education?¡±


    ¡°Life is unfair.¡±


    Whoever started this tradition definitely did it out of spite. Kids were tougher to handle than what Richard just made it seem like, right?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone will be busy with their tests so you can do whatever you want. Tomorrow, the head of the magic department plans to throw a bunch of kids in the forest.¡±


    Seriously?! My image of an entrance ceremony was quickly crumbling.


    This sounded like something straight out of a novel¡ª


    Wait¡­


    Fuck¡­


    I forgot, but isn¡¯t this world really inside a novel?! The war had kept me so busy that the thought never entered my mind, but I was truly living in the world of that one novel whose fanboys couldn¡¯t shut up!


    On that note, I have no idea what the novel was about. I had never even read it. Was I living in a time after the story? Before?


    There was no one who seemed like a main character during the war!


    ¡°Ethan? Are you alright?¡±


    My head was spinning. In the end, I sighed and shrugged.


    If things aren¡¯t in my control, they aren¡¯t in my control. To be honest, if not for the name of the Empire and the Emperor, I wouldn''t have ever known I was in the novel. It was nice that the Emperor had to change his name whenever they took the throne!


    Original story? It can flow away in a ditch for all I care, there can¡¯t be much worse than the war with the Demons.


    I heard the novel was more slice of life anyway.


    ¡°A test, huh¡­?¡±


    Since I was in a novel, I did feel like doing something that people would only see in novels.


    Should I?


    They are all important kids, they should be able to handle something just a little tougher than what normal kids can do.


    Right?


    ¡°It seems I should go prepare for this test, Richard.¡±


    ¡°I suddenly feel like I shouldn¡¯t have informed you of it¡­¡±


    ***


    Jackie was a young carriage driver. After his father injured his back, the boy decided to take over the driving job to feed the family.


    ¡®Don¡¯t underestimate the wonders of carriage driving son.¡¯


    Those were the last words his father had left him. Before going to sleep. This morning.


    ¡°Hah, foolish old man. How can carriage driving be weird?¡± That was what young Jackie had thought.


    Until he met a strange customer. Today.


    With a nervous gaze, Jackie brought the carriage to a stop and stepped out, opening the door for his customer.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, mister. This is as far as I¡¯ll take you.¡±


    With a soft smile, the customer picked up his attache case, adjusted his hat, and stepped down from the carriage.


    Jackie pointed in the distance, at the grand forest stretching far away.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only forest outside of Glorenstein. I¡¯ve heard crazy monsters lurk there, reconsider going to that place.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it should be fine. Please wait here for a moment, I will go there and be right back and we can return to the city.¡±


    ¡°Go there? It¡¯s still a kilometer away¡ª¡±


    Before Jackie could finish speaking, the black-haired man disappeared from his sight.


    With an incredulous gaze, Jackie turned toward the forest.


    He had heard that some soldiers in the war were very fast, maybe he was one of those? It wasn¡¯t rare to see retired soldiers these days.


    ¡°Still, a moment¡­?¡±


    Unlike his father, Jackie was not so hot about carriage driving and its mysteries. He only did it to help his family.


    The forest that the customer wanted to go in was the most dangerous place in the vicinity of Glorenstein. It had only become scarier when rumors of a two-headed troll spread.


    Jackie was about to get back on the carriage and turn away when loud caws filled the sky.


    The boy gazed up and saw a giant cloud of dust rising in the distance.


    His face hardened at once.


    The cloud of dust was coming closer.


    Closer and closer, by the damn second.


    ¡°Shit! What is that?!¡±


    He jumped back on the carriage, but the poor boy was too late.


    Right in front of him, the black-haired man with a hat and a bag had appeared again.


    ¡°There you are! Thanks for waiting, let us go back.¡±


    And slung by his shoulders was a giant bag, about five times the size of the person.


    Hands and legs stretched out of the bag as something alive writhed inside.


    ¡°Oops.¡±


    The man kicked the bag, and it stopped.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing weird here, let¡¯s return.¡±


    Jackie had many objections, but he swallowed them all.


    The wonders of carriage driving¡­ He could see some sense in his father¡¯s words.

 Chapter 16: The Staff Room

    The day of the entrance ceremony was here.


    I had made enough preparations for the entrance test and was looking forward to it quite a bit, but just like the students, even we professors had a test waiting for us.


    It was quite simple. I had an office in the Black Rose building, and a common staff room for teachers was in the Auditorium building.


    That meant this was my time to meet with the other teachers, my colleagues, and coworkers.


    That¡¯s right, I had to make a great first impression. Not just with the first-year teachers, but also with the other ones.


    After all, not every hostage¡ªI mean, not every student was going to be in the first year. Some were older, some were even joining the graduate school, but all of them were going to stay in the Black Rose dormitory and were, by extension, my responsibility.


    I looked down at the hamper in my hands, it was filled with confectionaries taken from the best shops in all of Glorenstein City.


    ¡°This should be enough.¡±


    I placed my hand on the door and smiled. New friends, this was going to be exciting.


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    The door creaked open and quite a few heads turned my way. Multiple desks were laid out in the place dividing the office by departments, then by dorms, and finally by the years they were in.


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you the new teacher for Black Rose? Over here.¡±


    A few greetings returned as I placed the sweets on the center table.


    The Black Rose dorm had only one teacher for now, which meant my desk had been joined with the Dahlia department¡¯s desks.


    I lowered my head, greeted everyone I met on the way, and took a seat next to the person who had beckoned me over.


    It was another professor with long blonde hair tied in neat braids. She wore a soft smile and acknowledged me with a light nod.


    That was usually how these interactions went. The first meetings were fairly awkward.


    It was worse because this was likely the first for me and only about a few other professors who had been replaced by Gladwin.


    The desk was one I wouldn¡¯t be using frequently, but it was still mine. I adjusted the items on it, made the layout more symmetrical. Then, pulled out the documents about my class and started reading through them.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    I had to be in charge of a class of twenty-five. Including the students in grad school and other years, we had a total of 34 students in the Black Rose dormitory.


    I had already memorized their names, backgrounds, and scores before they had joined. The documents also highlighted some of their weak points.


    Despite them being hostages, this place was still an academy. Treating them like students was only natural.


    That said¡­ I had read through this dozens of times.


    This place was fairly quiet and awkward.


    No one really talked with anyone else, except for official conversations related to work.


    Those too were at a minimum since the Entrance Ceremony was just about to start.


    The atmosphere was tense, not at all like the chirpy place I had imagined. The scale of the academy was going to kick up massively since the war had just ended. It was quite a big thing.


    Hmm¡­


    This atmosphere wasn¡¯t good.


    If it went on, I would be bored. A staffroom like this would be the end of me!


    I slowly reached my hand into my suitcase and found my deck of playing cards.


    With my hand stretched to the blonde professor next to me, I smiled.


    ¡°Ethan,¡± I said. ¡°Ethan Kalenice. It¡¯s an honor to be working with you.¡±


    Time left till the entrance ceremony was about an hour.


    ***


    Stomps rang out in the hallway as a young man made his way to the staff room right next to the auditorium.


    A giant, enormous room that was made to gather and accommodate all the professors before big events.


    And for some reason, all of them were absent from the ¡®big event.¡¯


    Half ready to tear the door down and break into a fit, Vice Principal Richard Bennett made his way to the staff room and shoved the door open.


    ¡°Why are ALL of you¡ª¡±


    His words got stuck in his tongue when he saw the sight of the staffroom.


    Half the professors had gathered in a circle around the table, chewing down on different confectionaries with a sharp gaze.


    The other half of them were seated on the table, chewing down on the confectionaries with even sharper gazes. In their hands were different playing cards.


    And at the center of them all, playing the role of the dealer, was Richard¡¯s friend and object of slight fear, the new professor Ethan Kalenice.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes fell on Richard and he waved him over.


    ¡°Vice Principal, a very good morning!¡± He called out, using his title.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Morning, VP.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that used for Vice President?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s flexible. Morning, by the way.¡±


    Most of the stuck-up professors who were usually too full of pride were greeting Richard with bright smiles instead of their wannabe noble stone faces.


    It wasn¡¯t all of them. Quite a few of them were still on their desks with looks of dissatisfaction, but this was very different from what Richard expected.


    ¡°What in the world are all of you doing? There are only thirty minutes for the ceremony to begin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we were playing poker to lighten the mood. It¡¯s just the last round.¡±


    Richard was slightly flabbergasted. So many of them? All of them had started playing or observing. Was it one hell of a match or something?


    Young Richard decided to walk closer to the table out of curiosity. Unfortunately, his youth didn¡¯t bring him wisdom. Little did he know, curiosity killed the cat.


    The time left till the entrance ceremony began was thirty minutes.


    ***


    The principal of the academy pushed the doors of the staff room and stormed straight in.


    ¡°What are all of you doing!? The entrance ceremony is about to begin!¡±


    From the Vice Principal to the newest professor, everyone had to hear an earful on the very first day of the new academic year.


    But it wasn¡¯t off to a bad start.

 Chapter 17: Atlas Whisper and the Glorious Glorenstein Academy

    How did it all start?


    Yes. That¡¯s right. It all began on that day two weeks back.


    ¡°I apologize, but your admission is fairly late.¡±


    Those were the words the Vice Principal of the academy said to me as I sat in his office inside the empty Glorenstein Academy. The glorious place of dreams, an unmatched educational institute all over the continent.


    It was the dream of everyone to graduate from Glorenstein. Especially for commoners like me. Glorenstein admitted students based on merit and not on status. For any commoner, a Glorenstein diploma was the same as a warranty that lasted a lifetime.


    After toiling day and night, merging blood and sweat, I had passed the strict entrance tests that made seasoned veterans cry and secured a seat.


    Only to hear those words.


    My world seemed to be crashing down. I quickly wiped my foggy glasses.


    ¡°But, sir, the admission was approved¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, right,¡± the vice principal sighed and nodded at my words. ¡°Hm¡­ should I¡­ But¡­¡±


    He was talking to himself. It was quite unnerving for me. I took the moment and pleaded with the vice principal.


    ¡°Sir, please! My parents are sick, I have spent my entire life trying to get to this place so I can secure my and their future!¡±


    That was the biggest mistake. I should have stuck to cutting logs or something.


    Maybe touched by my pleas, the Vice Principal nodded to himself.


    ¡°I guess that place can use a hint of normalcy.¡±


    The Vice Principal suddenly stood up. He wore a smile, but for some reason, I could feel a sense of sympathy in his eyes. ¡°Alright! Atlas Whisper. You are going to be a member of the Black Rose Classroom!¡±


    And that brings me to right now, at the grand entrance ceremony of the academy.


    The host of the event was a professor that looked like a model. He took the mic and with a natural voice as harmonic as a lyre, began the ceremony.


    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t focus on what he said at all.


    With my head lowered and my feet trembling, I wiped my foggy glasses and pinched myself. Yup, this was reality. I had seen it correctly.


    To my left sat the second prince of the empire, His Highness Ier von Kelvin Bezark.


    Biting my lips, I turned to my right. With her legs crossed and a paper fan covering her face sat the daughter and heiress of one of the biggest merchants on the continent, Lady Rosentea Il Scential.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes, but I kept it inside. Front or back, left or right, heck even top and bottom, no matter where I turned my eyes all I saw were bigshots.


    Normally, commoners would not even be able to breathe the same air as them for most of their lives. I used to believe that was one of the things common about me and all the bigshots, I hadn¡¯t seen them and they hadn¡¯t seen me.


    But it turns out there was another thing in common.


    The thing that was ready to make my peaceful, diligent academy life royally screwed right from the start, pun intended. It was the stupid badge on all of our collars. The small symbol of a Black Rose.


    As if they had read my mind, the stage called up the professor of the Black Rose as well.


    ¡°Professor Ethan Kalenice will be joining us¡ª¡±


    All the eyes around me turned to the professor on the stage. The black-haired professor in a neat suit and gloves looked just as handsome as the first professor, but he had a friendly smile that made him seem extremely approachable. It was a waste of good looks, but maybe the good looks added to his friendliness.


    I was pleased for a moment, at least the professor was someone nice.


    But then I realized that he was supposed to be the professor of all the big shots around me, of course, he must be someone amazing. How dare I think I could make friends with him?


    No, Atlas Whisper, you have worked hard. You woke up early every morning and spoke to the morning saying you can do it. Unless the mirror somehow jumps out and manages to get a diploma, I will be able to get through school easily.


    Being in class with all these big shots might be a good thing! Let¡¯s think of it that way.


    It was too early to lose hope.


    With renewed vigor, I pushed myself out of the gloom.


    The introduction that I completely missed came to an end. With a closing note from someone named Gladwin Hark, we were asked to disperse and head to our classrooms.


    As I looked around, I noticed some of the other students holding their luggage. I was told on the door by the knights that they¡¯ll deliver mine to the rooms. Maybe the Black Rose was getting some special treatment.


    Yes, this was not all bad.


    There was no reason to lose hope.


    It was our turn to move. Everyone on the seats of the First Years from Black Rose stood up. I did too and lowered my head.


    But no one else moved.


    Was it because they didn¡¯t want a commoner behind them? Damn it! I thought a commoner shouldn¡¯t be in the front, but it was natural for them to have shields and bodyguards.


    Understanding my role, I scooted out of the chairs and started walking out. It seemed it was the right answer as the others walked behind me too.


    I heard a few whispers from behind.


    ¡°Do you know the way to the class?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Let¡¯s just follow someone else.¡±


    Nooo. My image of bigshots. I was hearing things, just hearing things.


    Biting my lips, I brought both my hands in front of me and walked ahead. Not fast enough to lose them and not slow enough to overhear anything else.


    To my surprise, most of them seemed awkward with each other as well. They all kept a fair distance from one other.


    After going past the central plaza and heading toward the Eastern Ends of the Academy, we passed through a few parks and reached a fairly deserted place. In front of us, an assortment of five tall buildings had made the complex that would house the Black Rose students from now on.


    I could see the dorms, the classrooms, the staff dorms, a recreational building, and a last building for miscellaneous purposes.


    In this distant corner of the academy, no other sound came around. Only the other students, about twenty or so of them, were making any noise.


    It was strange. Even the professor hadn¡¯t reached it yet.


    We looked around in confusion. Just as I was about to head to the classrooms first, a loud rumble resounded over the grounds.


    The earth slowly trembled as a low-pitched growl spread through the skies.


    I gulped and looked ahead.


    With a bag at its feet, right in front of us, was an enormous two-headed blue ogre.


    A tear streamed down my eyes as I saw it.


    There goes my peaceful, simple academy life.


    Fuck this.

 Chapter 18: Twin Headed Blue Ogre (1)

    ¡°GRAAAAAR!!¡±


    A feral, wild growl sent shivers down all of our spines.


    A twin-headed blue ogre, the type of monster that could lay flat ten knights with every swing of its club. That was the monster that had suddenly appeared in front of us.


    I had heard of the test that the academy prepared on entrance day, but wasn¡¯t this way overboard?


    ¡°Is that¡­¡±


    ¡°An Ogre!? How did that thing get inside the academy?¡±


    Screams rang out from behind me. I quickly turned back to see all of the other students tense. All of them were also empty-handed¡­


    ¡°Our weapons¡­¡± Prince Ier spoke out loud. ¡°They took them at the entrance.¡±


    ¡°Is this part of the test?¡± A cat-eared girl spoke next. ¡°There¡¯s no way that professor could bring an ogre here¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know her! Finally another normal person.


    ¡°Princess Aegean? Do you perhaps know something?¡±


    Princess. There we go. My fault for thinking someone could be normal.


    The ogre was coming closer with each second. Fortunately, it seemed just as confused as we were. It was also hesitating before going to the large targets that the buildings made.


    ¡°W-w-what do we do¡­¡±


    Someone muttered from the back.


    Royals aside, this was not something I wanted to get involved in. But if I rushed behind the others now, wouldn¡¯t they execute me?! It was death in front and death behind.


    The best option was to stay exactly where I was. I finally understood the feeling of all those deers that got caught in carriage accidents.


    Sorry for calling all of you stupid, dead deers. I will come to you soon.


    The ogre completely decided to target us and started rushing closer. It was a tornado that crushed everything in its path as it moved.


    ¡°All of you, move!!¡±


    Right then, a commanding voice snapped us all out of our fears.


    A woman with glistening golden hair and deep, oceanic, sapphire eyes turned all the heads of the class toward her. Almost as if she had cast a spell.


    The ogre picked up a stone with its longer right arm and tossed it straight at us. At the same time, all the students started dispersing around and ran to the sides.


    I, too, took the chance and rushed away. If death is in the front and the back, you don¡¯t stand still but run to the sides. I have learned a lesson. Deers are stupid again.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The spot we were standing at just moments ago had a deep crater engorged into it. A few students had fallen around while most of them had dodged.


    If that lady hadn¡¯t commanded us, we would have all died¡­


    ¡°It is impossible to run away from it!¡± The same voice rang out again.


    Despite all the students having dispersed, her voice made everyone stop and follow. ¡°We have to fight! All the mages go to the back and prepare to stop that thing in its tracks.¡±


    She immediately took command of the students and issued an order. The students who could use magic nodded at each other and started circulating their mana as they gathered.


    Without any hesitation, she continued issuing more orders while waving her hands.


    ¡°You and you,¡± she pointed at two students in the class, one a tall, lanky human and the other an extremely muscular dwarf. ¡°You guys can take hits?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±


    The ogre was still charging at us, it was important to block it.


    ¡°Then tank some! Buy us time!¡±


    The two of them nodded and rushed closer to the ogre at once. There seemed to be others fit to tank, but she still chose them, and like experienced warriors, they dived right in.


    The dwarf¡¯s body hardened while the tall student picked up the rocks around and shot them straight at the ogre¡¯s eyes.


    With the momentum on our side, our golden-haired commander took the front and raised her voice again.


    ¡°The rest of you. Fight! Two go protect the mages and the others come ahead! I am sure you must have a dagger or two on hand. Miss Saintess candidate, please use some blessings to get us through this.¡±


    The platinum blonde girl in a flowy white dress brought her hands together.


    ¡°It pains me to see someone hurt, but this time I will ask the lord to lend us strength.¡±


    She started chanting a prayer right away. It made me wince.


    ¡°Wait!¡± A voice interjected. ¡°There¡¯s also a few of us who can¡¯t fight.¡±


    It was the daughter of the Scential Merchant group, Lady Rosentea. She held the fan in front of her mouth, perfectly hiding her expression beneath its veil.


    ¡°Then you guys run and ask for help!¡±


    Lady Rosentea wasn¡¯t satisfied. A slight wrinkle formed on her forehead.


    ¡°What if it is a test?¡±


    ¡°Even better. Asking for help is a strategic decision. Now don¡¯t dally and go, you might just save our lives.¡±


    Lady Rosentea and two other students, an elf and a human, turned on their heels and started running off.


    I should have gone with them too, but my feet froze up. Before I knew it, the golden-haired commander was right next to me.


    She eyed me up and down and winced.


    ¡°Stop trembling.¡±


    ¡°Y-y-yes?¡±


    ¡°Stop stammering as well. Pace yourself.¡±


    I clenched my trembling feet and bit my lips.


    ¡°Can you fight?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Great, protect the saintess-candidate with your life.¡±


    My gaze went to the saintess candidate. The next-in-line who was trained by the current hero party¡¯s saintess personally. I nodded and went closer to her, still maintaining a small distance.


    The golden-haired commander waved her hand and stepped forward. A whole group of students had gathered. While some kept small weapons on their person, others picked up branches to fight with.


    Even knights would be laid flat by an ogre, and we were supposed to tackle one without any real weapons. This was a suicide squad if anything.


    But thanks to the commander, no one seemed to have lost hope.


    Even me.


    ¡°Alright! We will charge ahead now. Mages, as soon as we get close, block that thing¡¯s feet.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    A mage answered while tipping his hat.


    ¡°Rest of you, go and try to get that thing down. Make an opening for me.¡±


    The golden-haired commander reached into her pockets and pulled out a small pouch. A magic circle was etched on that bag.


    She reached in and pulled out a large spear from that small bag. Spatial magic, they were truly top-class.


    ¡°I always keep a spear handy.¡±


    Even something that small would cost millions, let alone a proper bag.


    ¡°Make an opening, and I¡¯ll stab that thing¡¯s heart out.¡±


    I followed the gaze of the commander and froze up again.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± I screamed out loud.


    Everyone was ready to rush in, but stopped at my voice.


    ¡°T-that ogre. Its right side is longer than its left. It¡¯s a common mutation, the heart should be on the right!¡±


    The commander snapped toward the ogre and then looked back at me.


    ¡°You noticed that?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­?¡±


    She ran a hand through her hair and smirked.


    ¡°Hah. Got it, thank you. I¡¯ll finish it in a single blow.¡±


    [author] Atlas and Ethan are the only characters who will get First POV to avoid any confusion. Also! The Patreon is updated to more than 10 chapters ahead! [/author]

 Chapter 19: Twin Headed Blue Ogre (2)

    The ogre¡¯s club swung in from the side. It swooped right past the tall student and crashed into the sides of the dwarf.


    Even though mana had hardened the dwarf¡¯s body, it couldn¡¯t stay on the ground and flew off into the distance. As soon as the dwarf went away, dozens of other students streamed right in.


    ¡°I am alright!¡± The dwarf screamed as he crashed into the trees¡ª


    ¡°CHARGE IN!¡±


    ¡ªAnd the golden-haired commander led us ahead


    This was the true beginning of the battle. And standing at the back, I had a vantage point to see everything.


    A bright light flashed out of the saintess candidate and shot to the skies. At the same time, the ones at the forefront glowed a white glow as the blessings of the sun god boosted their strengths.


    As if stars had come down and were lighting the way, the students were filled with renewed vigor against the ogre.


    They had the scions of the entire Freedom Alliance on their side, how would anyone expect them to lose?


    ¡°MAGES!¡± The commander raised her spear. ¡°Stop that thing!¡±


    In the blink of an eye. Dozens of magic circles formed above the groups of mages. Another magic circle formed right beneath the feet of the twin-headed ogre as mana in the air crescendoed.


    Another flashing of light followed.


    Sprouts turned to leaves, leaves turned to vines, vines turned to enormous branches as a rope of nature wrapped around one leg of the ogre.


    On the other, a sharp decline in temperature sent the air waving outward. From a single shard to an entire berg, ice captured the ogre in its chill.


    Confused, the ogre barely managed to keep itself upright. Its two heads flapped around before twisting into a tight frown.


    It bent down and started smashing its reins with the club.


    This was the chance for them to attack.


    ¡°Weaken it!¡± The commander screamed at the students.


    I could only watch in awe as all of them, even with their makeshift weapons, targeted the ogre at the right moments.


    ¡°Popcorn?¡± A voice next to me asked and tapped a bucket to my hands.


    ¡°Please. Thank you.¡±


    I took a handful of popcorn and chowed down.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Clangs and screams merged into a symphony. All of them hit the ogre at just the right moments.


    Its blue blood spurted out and the ogre groaned in pain, but the wounds were mere scratches on its enormous body.


    They all alternated their attacks. When the ogre fended one off, another injured it, when it switched to the next, the first one hit it again. They didn¡¯t have to kill it, only bring it down.


    ¡°The heart is on the right!¡± The commander screamed once more, perhaps to motivate the rest.


    I bit into another chunk of popcorn¡ª


    What?


    My head snapped to the side. Sitting right there with a whole bowl of popcorn in hand, the professor who was introduced as our in-charge was watching the fight.


    He had a giddy smile as he offered popcorn to the others as well, the saintess, and the three students that had run to get help.


    ¡°W-w-what in the world!?¡± I jumped in surprise.


    The saintess candidate next to me seemed just as shocked.


    ¡°Oh my! Are you not our professor?¡±


    He was! It was the professor!


    The handsome man who wore a coat looked pretty friendly even in this situation, perhaps that was why no one had run away yet.


    ¡°I am!¡± He smiled at us brightly. ¡°Name¡¯s Ethan!¡±


    ¡°T-t-that! Ogre! There!¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s a test. Just do your thing. More popcorn?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. Wait, that''s not important!¡±


    The professor didn¡¯t seem like someone who marched to the beat of his drum, he was conducting the entire orchestra on his whims.


    ¡°Give up getting him to help. It¡¯s a test.¡± The lady of the Scential Family spoke to us. She covered her face with her fan and stared straight ahead at the battle. ¡°It will end soon.¡±


    The fight was raging on.


    Though the wounds were small, their effects were sizeable.


    The mages held the ogre in place, and the incessant attacks wore it down. The swings of its club became slow and languid.


    And slowly, a chance opened up.


    The frustrated ogre buckled its knees and raised its club high up.


    That was the moment they were waiting for.


    A yelp resounded as the golden-haired commander rushed straight ahead.


    The first step, she hopped on the coiling trees at the ogre¡¯s feet. She shot off and landed on its left leg.


    In the next leap, she jumped up to the right side of its chest. The spear dragged the very wind with it as she pulled it back¡ª


    ¡ªAnd that¡¯s where she went wrong.


    Judging the distance in the heat of battle became difficult, and she forgot a very important part.


    The right side was longer than the left. Which meant that the ogre could move its left closer to its chest faster than its size would make it seem.


    Before she could stab the heart of the ogre, its left arm was already next to her.


    It was over.


    But even then, the professor did not as much as twitch, let alone go save her.


    ¡°THE HEART IS IN THE RIGHT!¡± The commander¡¯s scream resounded again as she twisted her body mid-air.


    She turned around and clung to the fist of the ogre.


    Instead of driving ahead, the spear shot back toward the students.


    My eyes widened. Prince Ier had traced the same path as the commander and was now nearing the spear.


    As the commander got carried off by the ogre¡¯s arm, Prince Ier grabbed the spear and drove it ahead.


    The spear tore through the muscles on the ogre¡¯s chest, driving straight into its heart with a strong spin. The prince left his entire weight on the spear.


    As soon as his feet landed on the ogre¡¯s body, he drove it in again with all his might.


    ¡°GRARR!¡±


    A cough of blood spilled from the ogre¡¯s mouth. Its eyes bled, so did its nose, its trembling feet lost all strength.


    A thwack resounded as the club fell from its hand.


    And finally, the ogre dropped on its back as well.


    A cloud of dust rose. Everyone around was completely silent.


    No one had expected we would beat a twin-headed blue ogre, but we did so without any major injuries.


    ¡ªClap.


    That broke the lingering silence.


    Long, slow claps. The professor who was next to me moments ago was now heading toward the other students while clapping.


    ¡°Well done!¡± he said. ¡°You all pass with flying colors.¡±

 Chapter 20: Black Rose Classroom

    I clapped once again as the kids took seats in the classroom of the Black Rose.


    It was built like a lecture hall, with the seats getting higher at the very back.


    At the front was a wide blackboard covering the entire front wall, below it a wooden podium with a lectern studded at its edge.


    The kids all seemed exhausted, the lot of them heaving, covered with dust.


    As if they were guided by invisible guardrails, funnily enough, they took a seat in the order of hierarchy on their own.


    The Second Prince of the Empire and the Saintess Candidate sat at the front, and as my gaze went to the back, their ¡®ranks¡¯ gradually lowered.


    Only Iaso had not confided to this impromptu power display as she went straight to the back and glared at me.


    My, would any of these royals take offense at getting dirtied like this?


    Before the thought of student activism could rise, I decided to break the silence.


    ¡°It was a splendid display! You guys could all be admitted to the frontlines straight away.¡±


    My every word bounced off the ebony planks as the focus of all the students turned toward me.


    ¡°Despite it being your first meeting, you all managed to keep your cool and even collaborated to take down the ogre. Splendid. I expected you all to flail around and barely get by, but my expectations were turned on their head.¡±


    A brown-haired dwarf clicked his tongue and looked away. A few of them lowered their gaze.


    Hmm¡­ This was fairly interesting.


    My eyes narrowed as I observed all of them.


    ¡°Of course, there is also some praise due. I am sure all of you know for whom.¡±


    I raised a hand and pointed at the very back of the classroom.


    Next to the only commoner student in the class, a girl with golden hair and oceanic eyes sat on her lonesome.


    That¡¯s right, at the very back. It was a hilarity that one wouldn¡¯t see even during battles.


    The one person who had taken command of everyone. Possibly the most competent of the bunch, something that everyone here had noticed¡­


    Was also the scion of the weakest kingdom on the entire continent.


    ¡°Elara Danube, is that right?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gazes switched to the girl at my words. A lot of them were surprised when they heard her last name.


    It was that bad. Most nobles did not even see the Danube kingdom as someone to bother with. Except for some grains, they had nothing to speak of as their own.


    At any moment, any other country could completely swallow that kingdom up, but the freedom alliance had become its saving grace.


    Their influence and command were extremely small over the continent, so much so that we didn¡¯t even have to take her hostage.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Leadership, battle aptitude, strategic planning, an open mind, a watchful gaze, and a listening ear, you have excelled in every aspect. In the end, when you gave up the honor of taking down the ogre yourself and acted as bait to ensure victory was the icing on the cake.¡±


    As someone who had survived battle after battle, I could tell that she had the potential that could match the best commanders in the war.


    Maybe even better.


    It was truly hilarious to me. The single kingdom that everyone looked down on held the brightest star of the next generation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you extra points.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± the girl muttered a word of thanks. The others staring at her also turned away.


    Now then. It didn¡¯t seem like the students would open up this quickly. Before making friends with me, I¡¯d rather they made friends with each other.


    It was a little awkward. But I knew just the way to get them together.


    I turned and picked up a chalk. As I spoke, I wrote my name on the blackboard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce myself again. Professor Ethan Kalenice, I am going to be the one in charge of this class and the head professor of the Black Rose department. You can come to me anytime you want anything. You can also ask me anything you want, anytime.¡±


    ¡°Professor!¡±


    They didn¡¯t waste time.


    I turned around to find a blonde elf with her hand raised. She held a giddy, almost excited smile about being here.


    ¡°Yes, student Seren.¡±


    Seren Eilfir. Unlike humans, young elves were usually forbidden from leaving the forest. For her, all of this was likely new stimulation, and considering their eventual long lives, the years in this classroom were no better than a small vacation.


    ¡°What do you teach?¡±


    I remembered the conversation I had with Gladwin and the principal yesterday.


    Since I was someone who had barely completed basic education in this world, I was not a very good person to be teaching.


    All I could offer was the reality of the frontlines, and there were a dime a dozen people like me.


    But amongst the ones on the frontlines, I did have a fairly unique experience that probably no one else could share. It was something I learned out of necessity, but it was safe to say no one knew it better than I did on this side of the world.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be teaching all of you¡­ demonic language and culture.¡±


    Gasps rang out at my words. All of them were surprised at the sudden mention of demons.


    Not only was I going to tell them about the enemy, but their culture.


    The student at the very back, Atlas Whisper, seemed to be the most shaken of them all.


    ¡°B-but!¡± He spoke up. ¡°Isn¡¯t learning that¡­ traitorous? People who follow the demons are all executed!¡±


    ¡°Not really?¡± I shrugged. ¡°It helps to know what kind of insults those guys are throwing at your mothers.¡±


    I turned back and re-wrote my name, this time, in the demonic language.


    ¡°The ones that we have fought against, given many of our lives against¡­ Isn¡¯t it good to understand them? So all of you can know why your families, your friends, your kingdoms sacrificed as they did?¡±


    It was of utmost importance. Especially now that the war had ended.


    Know thy enemy. It was an adage one couldn¡¯t ignore.


    Before the mood could change anymore, I clapped my hands together and snapped their attention back to me.


    ¡°Is that all, student Atlas?¡±


    ¡°A-ah¡­ yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, take a seat.¡± I reached down to my lectern and pulled out sheets of paper from a drawer. I cut it up in three piles and passed it to the students at the front.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep class simple today, all you have to do is write about the battle you just had.¡±


    The students passed the papers back. Some of them started drawing lines and margins right away while others flailed it in their hands.


    ¡°But. You don¡¯t write about yourself. Choose any one of your classmates and write something they did admirably, and something they could improve on.¡±


    A hand raised again. This time, it was the lady Rosentea of the Scential Merchant family.


    ¡°Yes, student Rosentea.¡±


    ¡°How is this related to the subject matter?¡±


    ¡°Our end goal will be to translate this text, so write it sincerely.¡±


    She nodded and sat down.


    With that, I reached into my lectern again and pulled out a whole basket of cookies.


    ¡°This is for all of you! Take some cookies, they are delicious and fresh! You are free to talk and choose who you want to write about. No two people will write about the same person.¡±


    Oh wait, there were twenty-five of us.


    ¡°Except¡­ Iaso! You will write about the entire class.¡±


    ¡°What? Why!?¡±


    ¡°Because I feel like bothering you.¡±


    ¡°You meet me outside!¡±


    Wow. Was she going to become a punk now?


    I laughed while Iaso grumbled and got to writing. With a shrug, I waved the class off.


    ¡°Well then, I won¡¯t make this awkward for you. Submit this in the next class tomorrow!¡±


    I quickly rushed out of the classroom. Until the door shut, all of their gazes were stuck on me.


    As soon as the gate closed, they all sighed and loosened up.


    This much¡­ should be enough to make them get along. I think.


    If it doesn¡¯t work, I can always try some other tricks.


    Now then, to clean the ogre before someone else sees it.

 Chapter 21: Inquiry (1)

    All the facilities in the Black Rose were made to fit dozens of students, but the ones who would be using it were only thirty-four.


    Twenty-five of them were always under my protection, but the same wasn¡¯t the case for the other nine.


    It was natural for people to be of different ages. Even the ages in our classroom had a range of two whole years.


    A big age gap in the same class would prove counter-intuitive, so we decided to let them go to the normal classes.


    Two of the students were in the second year, three in the third year, and four were grad students.


    They were all put into different classes with the highest number of nobles and citizens from their kingdoms.


    Even though we were taking hostages this year, the academy was the best on the continent. People flocked in without any need for threatening.


    As for the grad students, since they were all planning to pursue research under specific, renowned professors of the academy, there was already an eye on them.


    It was still better to meet with each of them. On the day the classes began, I kept some more of the cookies with me and waited near the entrance of the Black Rose section of the academy.


    As the other classes ended and the students came around, I greeted all of them.


    I expected the second and third-year students to find it slightly awkward, and it played out just like that. Instead of bothering them, I only introduced myself, gave them some cookies, asked if they had any troubles, and told them to contact me for anything.


    With the grad students, I could have a lot more fun. Before I knew it, all of them came around, and by night, we were making plans to go out drinking next week.


    It helped that they were at best two or three years younger.


    Whoever said a new page in one¡¯s life was a monumental moment was a liar. I didn¡¯t even notice when I started fitting into the robes of a professor and when a few days passed.


    No, it didn¡¯t matter whether I fit in the role or not. I had to play it and that alone was enough.


    My students still seemed awkward. That was to be expected, it wasn¡¯t easy to get along at that age. Thankfully, they all seemed to be fairly interested in my classes which made them easy to handle.


    I didn¡¯t hear any complaints from the other teachers who taught the rest of the subjects either.


    The view of a professor and the reality of the classroom were likely not the same.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Which was why under the shade of a beautiful weeping willow, I sat on a bench with freshly baked catnip cookies in hand.


    Was I eating too many cookies these days? Maybe so.


    ¡°You can have them all today.¡±


    Iaso¡¯s eyes widened at my words as she smiled brightly.


    ¡°Really? No takebacks!¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡±


    Iaso dived right into the paper bag and pulled out a cookie. I wonder if she ever dreamed of living in a cookie house.


    Her smile brightened even more when she bit into it. Seeing her ears twitch with every bite she took out of the cookies was rather funny.


    ¡°How¡¯s class?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad. I think you teach well.¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t asking about me. I mean your classmates, are you getting along well?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t talk a lot with them.¡± Iaso shrugged at my words and nibbled on the cookie again.


    I expected there to be a few children left out, but I didn¡¯t think it would be her!


    ¡°Those guys don¡¯t leave me alone though. There¡¯s always someone talking.¡±


    Phew.


    I sighed in relief and patted Iaso¡¯s head. Even though I saw the class as my responsibility, it was impossible to not favor this girl a bit more than the others.


    ¡°What about the others? Are they all getting along?¡±


    Iaso hummed with her arms crossed.


    ¡°I guess so. There are small friend groups thanks to you pairing people up, and the overall atmosphere in the class is not bad. It¡¯s just very formal. Oh, except for these two annoying kids. One only speaks in poems and another is always on and on about some trivia!¡±


    Hmm, as expected.


    I also had a few kids that I thought would have the most problems in class.


    ¡°What about the prince of the empire?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s quiet. He keeps a respectable distance, but never ignores anyone.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to make the crown prince angry. The saintess?¡±


    ¡°She looks a little lonely. But it seems a lot of the stuff here is new for her so she¡¯s always busy moving around.¡±


    The cookie in her hand snapped as she glared at me. ¡°Are you stalking your students?¡±


    ¡°I am only looking out for them.¡±


    She kept staring for a few seconds before laughing and leaning back on the bench. She kicked her legs front and back and continued talking.


    ¡°That commander girl has it tough. Elara, right?¡±


    I expected that too.


    ¡°People avoid her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they also look at her in awe. It doesn¡¯t seem like a problem yet, but she has no one to talk to.¡±


    ¡°So she is the one who isn¡¯t getting along with others.¡±


    Iaso shrugged at my words.


    ¡°She seems like she can handle it. I think someone has it rougher.¡±


    ¡°Rougher? Who?¡±


    ¡°That silver-haired pretty girl, Lumine?¡±


    That was surprising. Lumine Ador was a priestess of the Lunar Sect. It was a diminutive religion formed from the Church of the Sun God.


    Since the Moon reflected the sun¡¯s light, and the members following that religion were very rich and gave fat donations while calling themselves servants of the sun, the Church of the Sun God left it alone.


    In ways, she was the counterpart of the saintess candidate, but practically she was way below her in rank.


    ¡°She is a bit snappy. Quiet and cold, and whenever someone tries to talk to her she either ignores them or shoos them away. A bit more annoying than even that merchant girl.¡±


    It might sound like she brought it on herself.


    But if that was the case, our soft-hearted cat princess wouldn¡¯t have said she had it rough.


    ¡°So?¡± I asked.


    There was something deeper here.


    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s just a feeling. I told you. I don¡¯t care too much about my classmates.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°So it would be better to ask the nerd.¡±


    I gasped.


    ¡°That¡¯s rude! Don¡¯t say that.¡±


    Iaso turned her gaze away. Kids. Even one word of insult toward others was enough to set you up in the long run. The power of communication wasn¡¯t to be underestimated.


    ¡°But still¡­ Atlas Whisper huh? I worry he¡¯ll get overwhelmed if he sees me.¡±


    ¡°That was more rude. You could pretend to not know.¡±


    I guess we have no choice.

 Chapter 22: Inquiry (2)

    A man¡¯s guts could weather a storm. It might seem like a stupid phrase, something that idiots would speak of, not recognizing their luck.


    But now that a man had truly lived through a storm and had gone through it with anything but sheer guts, the truth in the phrase was undeniable.


    On second thoughts, the storm had gone nowhere. But I was able to handle it well.


    It¡¯s all the fault of that dastardly vice-principal. Why did he have to put me in this class? I couldn¡¯t even complain since he let me join class at all.


    I sighed and wiped my glasses as I walked through the night streets of Glorenstein Academy.


    This enormous structure was quite a mystery. A whole town was situated inside the academy gates. It was an educational facility that deserved every letter in the title of the best.


    I was truly thankful for it. Thankfully, even during the night, people like me could take refuge in the wide academy grounds and sit somewhere else to study.


    After all, a few groups had started gathering at the extravagant dorm lobby and would frequently chat or study together. It was just groups of two or three at best, but even that many big shots were two or three too many for me.


    To not run into anyone else, I would spend the day outside of the dorms and only go back when night fell. Just like today.


    It may be tough, but you can do it, Atlas Whisper. You¡¯re a man of focus, commitment, and sheer will. This is nothing.


    A sigh left me again.


    The birds were chirping. The moon was in full glow.


    Streets started to become less and less crowded before emptying out as I came closer to the Black Rose dormitory.


    That was the power of Black Rose. Where all the bigshots and one little me resided.


    ¡°It would be funny if someone just took me away¡­¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    But that was impossible with the immense security that the academy offered. Who could even step inside?


    ¡°Your wish has been heard.¡±


    My eyes widened at the sudden voice.


    The darkness around me was draped like a curtain, even the lights on the street were dim.


    ¡°W-who is it?¡±


    The bushes on the corner of the street rustled all of a sudden. Fear took me over as my legs started shaking.


    But! This Atlas Whisper stood in front of a twin-headed ogre! A ghost is nothing!


    It is nothing, right?


    I held the books close to my chest and stared at the rustling bushes.


    It grew louder and louder, something was coming.


    ¡°Boo!¡± A hand fell on my shoulder.


    Instinctively, I turned around and swung the book with all my might.


    ¡°AAAH!¡±


    I screamed. The book cut through the wind and hit the head of the black ghost that had sneaked up on me.


    ¡°OUCH!¡±


    The ghost screamed and flailed its arms. It landed straight on my jaw.


    Before I could even see it, my eyes started spinning and I dropped straight to the ground.


    The last words I heard¡­


    ¡°Are you ok¡ªWait, did he faint on his own?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­?¡±


    ¡°You liar.¡±


    Sorry mama, papa.


    ***


    ¡°Did you tie him up?¡±


    Faint murmurs¡­


    ¡°I tried to.¡±


    Whispers¡­


    ¡°What? He¡¯s completely open! How did you even use the ropes?¡±


    ¡°I tried, ok? I don¡¯t know how to tie someone up.¡±


    I was alive! It was the voice of the ghosts that snapped me out of my unconsciousness.


    ¡°Mmf! Mff!¡± I struggled in my chair as I tried to free my arms and legs, but¡­ I was not tied up.


    Even the gag around my mouth was as loose as a shoelace. I quickly moved it down and looked around.


    ¡°Um¡­ what is this palace?¡± I asked the two ghosts who were standing with their backs to me. ¡°Why have you brought me here?¡±


    Of course, they weren¡¯t really ghosts were they?¡±


    The two of them suddenly turned their backs and looked at me with a bright grin. They were familiar faces.


    A cat girl with beautiful black hair and eyes, and a handsome, friendly professor that taught taught us scary subjects. It was the strangest duo that I could have expected.


    The two of them looked at me and then at each other.


    The professor faked a cough and spoke up.


    ¡°Atlas Whisper.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes? Is this another test?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Nope. Not at all. I just had some work with you.¡±


    ¡°Work¡­?¡±


    The professor stepped closer. He reached into his pocket¡­and pulled out a cookie.


    He held the cookie right in front of me, like one would when feeding a cat.


    The heck?


    ???


    ¡°If you help me, I¡¯ll give you this.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t need it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the flavor.¡±


    The professor dropped the cookie from his hand dramatically and stepped back. He placed a hand on his chest and dropped to the ground. What was this, some kind of freak show?


    ¡°That was all I prepared. Who would have thought he¡¯d counter my special attack, cookie time!¡±


    What?


    ¡°Uh, if you need help. I¡¯ll do it without any cookies?¡±


    The professor immediately stood back up. He dusted his clothes and grinned at the cat girl.


    ¡°See, that¡¯s how adults handle these things.¡±


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said anything?

 Chapter 23: Inquiry (3)

    We untied Atlas Whisper and all sat in the storeroom. This place did not really have anything to store and had become Iaso¡¯s hideout.


    There were scratch marks on the freshly built walls, and dozens of broken, wooden swords were left on the racks in the store room. Iaso had draped them all with a cloth, but it wasn''t going to escape my eyes.


    Other than that, there were also snacks. Discarded wrappers, some beddings.


    ¡°Hey! I told you not to use this place as your hideout.¡±


    Iaso turned her gaze away and stuck her tongue out.


    ¡°Are you two friends from before class, professor?¡±


    Atlas asked as he watched the two of us.


    ¡°Not really? We met in the academy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s just a nosy old man you¡¯ll find anywhere.¡±


    Iaso pushed my face away with a small grin.


    How rude. I wanted to get angry, but I couldn¡¯t disagree.


    Just a month ago, this girl was hissing at me. It was quite endearing to see her open up.


    ¡°The professor is very unique.¡± Atlas scratched his cheeks. Then, he suddenly turned to me and asked in a low tone. ¡°Professor. How do you know so much about demonic culture and language?¡±


    ¡°I had an accident when I was in the army.¡± I shrugged. That time was quite rough. It hadn¡¯t been a whole month since my enlistment.


    Originally, I was supposed to be helping in the barracks, the count was a little cold, but not cold enough to send his son to death.


    Unfortunately, a mistake had landed me and my entire unit on the frontlines.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to learn, but I had no choice.¡±


    Iaso seemed intrigued by my words too. ¡°Since when have you been in service?¡±


    ¡°Since I was sixteen, so a year younger than you guys?¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Iaso and Atlas both gasped.


    ¡°S-sixteen? That young? What about the academy?¡±


    ¡°Never been. This is as new for me as it is for you guys.¡±


    Iaso suddenly lowered her head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it was eight years back. I don¡¯t really like to talk about that time.¡±


    Atlas started shaking his hands, worried he might have touched a sore spot, but I waved him off.


    War was always terrible. Just like everyone else, I had my fair share of bad memories from then.


    ¡°W-what did you need my help with, professor?¡±


    ¡°Right. What is happening in the classroom?¡±


    Atlas seemed a little confused by my question. His mind was probably running dozens of things right now.


    It was sad how quick this kid was to play along. We had just kidnapped him and he was already helping us. I could imagine a tough road down the line for him.


    ¡°Um¡­ there is a bit of an awkward tension with one person¡­¡± Atlas crossed his arms. ¡°There is also Lady Elara. But it doesn¡¯t seem like something she minds.¡±


    Aha.


    There it was. I was right to trust in Iaso¡¯s naivete. She was kind-hearted.


    This person had the same opinion. While things might be awkward and troublesome for a lot of people, the key here was the last bit.


    Elara Danube was too competent to let such things weigh her down, but it seemed that someone else was feeling quite disgruntled about things.


    ¡°Is it Lumine Ador?¡±


    Atlas nodded. ¡°She doesn¡¯t talk to anyone, even if someone else starts first. When she has no choice but to speak, she is extremely tacit.¡±


    ¡°I guess her personality is just like that, professor.¡±


    ¡°It might be,¡± Atlas said. ¡°But I have noticed her staring at others every time she sees people talk.¡±


    ¡°I think she always enters the first and leaves the last as well.¡±


    Iaso and Atlas started listing off the things they found odd about Lumine.


    Even if she was someone who kept people away by her own choice, it seemed as if that was not her true intention.


    Her ¡®actions¡¯ did not line up with her ¡®words.¡¯


    This was slightly more complicated than I initially thought. I believed there would be some of them unable to get along with each other.


    Maybe childish stubbornness, maybe being unable to accept their position, maybe competitiveness.


    It was important that I changed my perspective now, or I would keep making such mistakes.


    ¡°Very well¡­¡± I clapped my hands and stood up. ¡°You two, help me out a bit by keeping an eye on her.¡±


    Atlas sighed in relief. ¡°I was worried you¡¯d ask us to be friends with her.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in doing that without understanding what is wrong.¡±


    ¡°So, professor,¡± Iaso cut in. ¡°Why exactly are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Because you kids are my responsibility.¡±


    It was a good question. Why exactly was I planning to intervene like this?


    I had planned to take a backseat for now and let things happen. Even the Ministry and the Civil Servants asked the same of me.


    But¡­


    Since the incident with Iaso, I had believed that it was wrong to let things happen.


    Iaso shook her head.


    ¡°I think her problems are something she should solve.¡±


    I was momentarily shaken, but Iaso¡¯s words made my mind clear again.


    ¡°Just like you.¡± Grinning, I rustled her hair. ¡°Anyone can use a hand. Now go back to your rooms, don¡¯t hang out too late.¡±


    Waving my hands, I stepped out of the gates.


    The question that she asked stuck with me.


    Why am I doing this?


    It was truly a puzzling question.

 Chapter 24: A conversation at the Flowerbed

    My vinyl had a damned scratch.


    It was probably because of overuse. Letting it play every night ended up wearing it down.


    It was immensely frustrating, but it was a while coming.


    While I had a replacement for the vinyl, I couldn¡¯t say the same for the z¡¯s I had lost. Once one¡¯s sleep was broken it rarely came back easily.


    ¡°Frustrating¡­¡±


    No matter how I tried to twist and turn, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. With a sigh, I looked out the window. It was way too early in the morning.


    About the time we used to wake up back in the army.


    A defeated sigh left me.


    ¡°Guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a walk.¡±


    ***


    I couldn''t go and talk to the student right away. That would end up proving counter-productive.


    Asking the other two to keep an eye on her was the best I could do for now.


    The morning sun was yet to mark its presence in the sky, leaving the downlights around.


    Even these dimmed rays were enough to make the world visible.


    I rubbed my hands together as I took a stroll around the premises of the Black Rose classroom.


    Soon enough, this place would start feeling rather lived-in. It would become homely. The transition every day was interesting.


    I gazed at the fluttering leaves that danced in the light breeze. The flowers that adorned the wide grounds of the premise swayed gently.


    The problem here was words.


    It was humorous in a sense. The very tools that facilitated communication and understanding could become the prime source of miscommunication and misunderstandings.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    That was the limit of tools.


    Well, there wasn¡¯t much I could do right now. I would have intervened right away, but Iaso wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Just like words could lead to both, miscommunication and communication, a hand could either help or hinder.


    It was when I was lost in thought, that an unexpected person came into my sights.


    Speak of the devil.


    Rushing out from the dorm building was a silver-haired student. She wore a long white gown and a coat to ward off the cold as she carried along a watering can.


    Her face was just as cold as Iaso and Atlas had mentioned. She seemed fierce, almost as if she was trying to intimidate the air in front of her.


    But the actions barely matched the look.


    The girl gently inspected each flower that seemed withering and started sprinkling water on all of them.


    A smile filled my face as I slowly walked closer. Lumine Ador was a fierce girl who seemed to be troubled. Iaso and Atlas couldn¡¯t have put it more aptly.


    I was right next to her, but the girl kept sprinkling down the water.


    Oh, I walked without making any noise. Force of habit.


    As I tapped my feet on the ground again, Lumine turned her gaze toward me. Her shoulders jumped in surprise, for a very small moment, before she switched back to her cold glare again.


    It was a good ¡®surprised¡¯ reaction. She might just be someone fun to tease.


    Lumine kept staring at me, without saying a word.


    Words¡­


    That was the problem here. She was someone who couldn¡¯t communicate well. Maybe there was something else, but it was pretty clear that conversations did not work with her.


    Unfortunately, or fortunately, humans weren¡¯t born with language hard-wired into their brains.


    One¡¯s presence alone could converse with someone else. It was not a tool, but a connection.


    So, I quietly turned my gaze toward the flowers and smiled.


    Asters, daisies, roses, chrysanthemums, they all grew in neatly arranged bands. It was the perfect assortment of flowers, many of which I didn¡¯t know the names of.


    I kept a distance from Lumine and kept observing the flowers. Before long, she started doing the same.


    As she took care of the expansive flowerbeds one after another, I moved along with her.


    The water stopped drizzling out of the can at a point. It had emptied out.


    Lumine was about to rush to get more when I stretched my hand outward.


    There was no need to say a word yet. She followed my gaze on the can, and reluctantly, handed it to me.


    I walked off to fill it up while the girl waited near the flowers.


    The sun had finally started to come up.


    When I returned, I handed her the can. Lumine hesitated for a moment but returned to work. And just like before, I continued watching the flowers.


    Time passed by and Lumine had finished watering all the flowers.


    In the end, she stopped and looked at the flowers before turning to me.


    Her stone-cold face was still the same¡­ for anyone else. For me, I could see the slight twitching of her lips.


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of the flowers,¡± I said. ¡°Please continue looking after them.¡±


    Lumine took in a small breath. It was a rather large reaction for someone stone-cold.


    This much was enough for now.


    ¡°Rest well,¡± I said and turned away from the garden.


    Hah¡­


    It might be good to wake up a little earlier than usual.


    The dawn sky is pretty enough to warrant a walk.


    ***


    Prince Ier von Kelvin Bezark was faced with a problem.


    He was told by his father, the emperor, that his presence in the Glorenstein Academy for the next three years was imperative.


    Ever the filial son, the prince readily accepted his words and found himself surrounded by the scions of all the other kingdoms that had joined the freedom alliance.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure things out. Everyone was here as a guarantee from their countries after the war left them all vulnerable.


    The Empire was better off than the rest, but many countries had no choice except to send the next-in-line of their lands. Even the most promising candidate for the next saintess was here.


    Thankfully, it was easy to adjust to this place. And despite their positions, they were being treated as students. There was also everything they could need, including their aides as well as aides from the academy. Life wasn¡¯t difficult for them.


    But even all of them had something that didn¡¯t sit right with them.


    And today, during a brief recess after the class on Magical Theory and Application, a question finally surfaced.


    ¡°Your Highness Ier.¡±


    Lady Rosentea of the Scential Merchant family posed the question. Attracting the attention of the few around them.


    ¡°Do you know the identity of this professor of ours?¡±

 Chapter 25: Who is the Professor?

    ¡°Do you know the identity of this professor of ours?¡±


    It was a topic with everyone¡¯s vested interests. Almost the entire class changed gears as the ones sitting near the front spoke of the professor who was to enter soon.


    Prince Ier shook his head.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have not heard his name before. It is a mystery why he was chosen as our teacher. Might any of you know more?¡±


    It was no secret that Ier was the second prince.


    No matter how big the empire was, no one would want a succession feud in the middle of a war.


    And the Crown Prince was just as famous as the empire itself.


    Rosentea hummed and flapped open her paper fan. She covered her mouth and shook her head.


    ¡°I have made an inquiry. Ethan Kalenice is a name that comes up as an acquaintance for many people, but anything concrete about him is hard to come by.¡±


    Rosentea¡¯s eyes shone with a curious glint.


    Their target changed, all of them looked to the back of the class, at the one person who seemed to know everything in this classroom.


    When the ones at the front looked back, the others followed. In the end, most of the class found itself staring expectantly at Elara Danube.


    ¡°Lady Elara,¡± Rosentea said. This was the second time she had talked to her. Ever since learning that Elara was from the Danube kingdom, the weakest, most insignificant kingdom on the continent, a strange air had formed in the class.


    There was a bonafide commoner in their classroom who was treated better than Elara. It was not the class system that irked the children, but the expectations of their families which had become a choke holding them from extending their hands to the girl.


    Despite their curiosity, they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to talk to her.


    The current topic of conversation, though, was curious enough to even keep that sense on the back burner.


    ¡°Do you, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°The professor did treat her well¡­¡± Someone commented from the side. Rosentea didn¡¯t pay it much heed.


    Elara shrugged her shoulders.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of him before. The only thing I¡¯ve ever said to the professor is a thank you. I have no idea who he is or where he is from.¡±


    Rosentea looked away. It was a shame, she believed that Elara would be able to tell her something.


    ¡°But¡­¡± All of them looked at the golden-haired girl again. ¡°Whoever he is, he must be a big deal. There is no way someone who is practically a scholar in the demonic language would be allowed to roam free.¡±


    The other seemed to agree with her words.


    Murmurs and whispers filled the classroom.


    That¡¯s when the sound of a lute rang out in the classroom. A lute out of nowhere would have been quite a shocking experience, but it was just a source of annoyance for the students of Black Rose.


    ¡°Between blackboards, shadows fall, Cat-eared girl knows more than all!¡±


    An elf, a boy with platinum hair skillfully strummed the lute and stepped ahead. A strand of hair came spinning down the top of his head.


    Lute-man Luke, they had dubbed him.


    ¡°The Professor''s gaze, of familiarity. Secrets shared, in mystery.¡±


    A sigh left Rosentea and Ier.


    ¡°What is this guy saying?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. Can¡¯t you just speak normally?¡±


    The lute rang again.


    ¡°Verse or words, penned or loose. Normality blooms, where hearts choose.¡±


    Prince Ier regretted saying anything at all.


    He turned his pained gaze to the other kid standing next to the blonde. It was a boy with green hair and a silly smile.


    ¡°He¡¯s saying that normal is what you make of it.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t mind that part,¡± Rosentea interjected. ¡°Before that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he was saying someone here seemed familiar with the professor from before we began class. She might know something. Quiz! Who do you think this someone with cat ears is?¡±


    That child was the only friend of the Lute-man, the only friend since he was the only one who could understand him. Also, because he too, was just as insufferable.


    Quiz-boy Quinton, they had dubbed him.


    Thankfully, Quiz-boy was damn bad at putting up quizzes. All of their gazes turned to the only cat-eared girl in the room.


    Iaso Aegean, the princess of Aegean. A lot of them had heard about the events that went down in Aegean on their way to the academy.


    The change in the princess from a bashful maiden to a false delinquent was rather understandable, endearing even.


    ¡°Princess Aegean,¡± said Rosentea. ¡°Do you know something?¡±


    ¡°I just know he¡¯s pretty influential. He isn¡¯t particularly strong, I guess. He said he¡¯s weak.¡± Iaso couldn¡¯t help them either.


    ¡°I believe we are stuck then,¡± Rosentea said.


    ¡°It is unfortunate. We can maybe ask the professor himself, or that Civil Servant who is in the academy?¡±


    Prince Ier was quick to let go of the problem too.


    It was then that an unexpected voice chimed in.


    ¡°I might know something.¡±


    The saintess candidate, one of the people closest to god, raised her hand gracefully.


    All of their attention shifted once more. This time with more anticipation than before.


    ¡°Lady Yuliana, would you please share it with us?¡±


    The saintess candidate, Lady Yuliana Soleil, sighed in resignation. ¡°I wished to avoid speaking since I hold no proof. Please take my words with a grain of salt.¡±


    She could rest assured that by the next morning, anything she said would be overblown manifold. The naive saintess candidate continued, unaware of the nature of ¡®public secrets.¡¯


    ¡°My master once mentioned a curious friend¡­ five years back, a soldier of the Freedom Alliance returned from a sudden disappearance.¡±


    Excited, the students leaned ahead on their chairs.


    ¡°They believed him to be dead, I unfortunately never caught the name. But my master mentioned, this soldier¡­ was stranded in the demonic lands for three years.¡±


    They all gulped.


    ¡°Is he¡­ him?¡±


    ¡°That person would have to be immensely powerful, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°To survive three years in the Demonic Realms? Powerful won¡¯t do it justice. You would have to be a demon yourself. Even the air is poisonous in those lands.¡±


    Whispers spread like wildfire, looming over the classroom.


    Their teacher, the same one who was here every morning, was someone that powerful? That special?


    The children were lit ablaze with the spark of mystery.


    They all find it impossible to believe. But somewhere in their chests.


    ¡°What if¡­¡±


    That thought existed.


    Right then, the door of the classroom swung open, and in stepped the person they had been talking about.


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    With the same, friendly grin on his face that made him look like a neighbor or a child-spirited but unemployed uncle more than a professor, he raised a basket of cookies in his hands.


    ¡°I brought some more for all of you. Help yourself. There¡¯s no reason to not eat while studying.¡±


    At those words, all the students were united in thought.


    No chance this definition of a cinnamon roll could be a monstrously powerful man.


    That day, Ethan¡¯s impression amongst the students had a huge upward spike.


    He never could figure out why.

 Chapter 26: The Weekend (1)

    The first week of academy life passed by like a breeze.


    Other than kidnapping an ogre, I didn¡¯t feel like I did anything note-worthy.


    If I told the Duke of Blood and Iron that kidnapping a blue ogre was note-worthy, he would probably beat me with a stick.


    In any case, with the new routine of looking at the flowers every morning, I found myself with fresh free time. Early mornings were surprisingly good.


    With the curtains pulled, I took to the desk in my room and pulled out my secret stash.


    One of my most valued items.


    Stationary.


    The genres weren¡¯t going to change to exam battles or cutesy handwriting competitions, there was nothing to worry about.


    Stationary, in this world, was the equivalent of a mobile phone. With sheets of paper, a bottle of ink, and a fountain pen, I could connect with people all over the world.


    It was only natural that I sent some letters around.


    To begin with, I decided to clear off the normal stuff. In my diary, I had written the names and addresses of people that I had met on my travels.


    From the people on the train that I took to Glorenstein to retired companions, the ones that I wasn¡¯t particularly close with. It was mostly just an inquiry letter, greeting them for the spring and asking for their well-being.


    My hands moved at a speed that would leave printing presses embarrassed. Socialites weren¡¯t to be underestimated! We were just as special as the introverts!


    That took about twenty minutes, I had a few over forty letters ready.


    The rest I¡¯d write to in another spring.


    Then, I moved on to the letters that mattered. One for the Duke of Blood and Iron. I filled it with details of all the delicacies I had tasted and the time I had to relax.


    Even though he was sure to be curious about the academy and my tenure as a professor, that be damned. This man had tricked me for a whole month. Spiting him was a lenient punishment.


    After the Duke, I wrote a letter to some other close friends, including Mundus, and lastly.


    A letter to send back at the Kalenice Estate.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Now that I was twenty-four and that war was over, I might get pressured by them for something or another.


    I did not want to get involved in an annoying succession race. Talking about my new job should help keep them at bay.


    Well, going to the Kalenice was also quite troublesome in more ways.


    As I mulled over the final letter, two knocks resounded on the door to my room.


    ¡°Come inside, the door is open!¡±


    The hinges creaked and in stepped the vice-principal and my friend whom I had seen the first time this entire week.


    ¡°Ethan! I see you¡¯re up early.¡±


    I turned my chair and smiled at Richard. ¡°It is good to see you doing well. I was worried you might be too busy.¡±


    Richard casually strode into the room and took a seat on the bed.


    ¡°I was, but now that the weekend is here, the work has gone behind me as well.¡±


    Richard looked around the room. At the Phonograph on the side, and the small book kept next to it.


    It was a novel I had picked up from the Academy¡¯s library itself. He picked it up and I turned back to my desk.


    ¡°Your fianc¨¦e?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be in Glorenstein in a few weeks.¡±


    I nodded.


    Richard flipped a page of the novel.


    ¡°Letters?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I thought I¡¯d send some spring greetings.¡±


    ¡°Some? I count more than half a cent of letters here.¡±


    That was some.


    I spun the quill in my hand.


    ¡°It is difficult to write to one¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, being away for so many years must be awkward.¡±


    I nodded at his words. I had not seen any family members for a good eight years. To be honest, I had no idea what they even looked like anymore.


    But what was worse¡­ was that I wasn¡¯t Ethan Kalenice. Though I had accepted this life, it was still difficult to face the parents of this body.


    Unfortunately, that was a secret I couldn¡¯t share with Richard either.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite brave, so you¡¯ll be fine. One of those letters better not come back to the academy.¡±


    Hm? Did he think I would put in the wrong address?


    ¡°It won¡¯t, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You can do that much.¡±


    I turned the chair again and looked at Richard.


    My friend¡¯s eyes suddenly widened.


    ¡°Right, since it¡¯s the first weekend. We are having a party to commemorate the new school year and to welcome the new professors. I also came here to invite you.¡±


    A party?


    ¡°Is it today?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    That would have been slightly troublesome


    ¡°Something on today?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°I am planning to go drink with the grad students in Black Rose¡­ You wanna tag along?¡±


    ¡°Me? No, you should relax there¡ª¡±


    ¡°Come on. They¡¯re not just royalty, they are royalty in their twenties. You won¡¯t be drinking that well anytime soon.¡±


    Richard crossed his arms.


    Though he was the vice principal, Glorenstein was an educational institute and he held a position of responsibility.


    For princes? Their responsibility was to work hard and play harder.


    ¡°Should I¡­?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Would that be alright? They are grad students after all. That¡¯s depression handed out like street food.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason too. It¡¯s only been a week. We¡¯ll enjoy before they realize the horrors of specialized education.¡±


    Richard had nothing else left to argue with.


    ¡°Alright, I guess I¡¯ll tag along?¡±


    Like that, I had added another member to the party.


    I thought it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. The kids did say they¡¯d handle all the arrangements and would be inviting some of their other friends. I only had to be present.


    Well, honestly, I should have brought ten more.


    Since these vain princes had booked out the biggest hotel in all of Glorenstein and had invited everyone they could to the party tonight.


    The words on the door?


    [Glorenstein¡¯s biggest ^fucking party ever]

 Chapter 27: The Greatest Party in Glorenstein (1)

    ¡°I am going to put a damper on this.¡±


    Richard pointed at the signboard. Though I wanted to say no, that was probably true.


    The principal of your school showing up to something you call the best ¡®fucking¡¯ party ever is probably the stuff of nightmares.


    But more than the students, I was worried about Richard. I didn¡¯t know what kind of parties went down in Glorenstein, but if there were drugs or anything unseemly, it could affect him negatively.


    Going back felt like a waste though.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you a disguise.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Before Richard could object, I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and dragged him away.


    The night streets of Glorenstein city were surprisingly crowded. There wasn¡¯t a bustling adventurer economy here, which made it odd.


    The street lights all around were in full glow, illuminating the hordes of people walking through the streets.


    ¡°There are a lot of people?¡±


    This was one of the more posh streets, which made it even more surprising.


    ¡°The academy doesn¡¯t fill up on its own, Ethan,¡± Richard chuckled at my words. He adjusted the shawl around his neck. ¡°Many students live outside the academy in the city, there are also many tourists amongst the ones who came to drop their children here.¡±


    That was surprising. I was used to seeing an emptier Glorenstein in the last month. Now that class was in session, like with any college town, the nightlife was bustling.


    After a small stroll, the two of us found ourselves in front of a boutique.


    I dragged Richard inside and greeted the shopkeeper.


    ¡°How have you been, Mrs. Frock?¡±


    The stout madame of the boutique, Mrs. Frock smiled when she saw me and came rushing out of the counter.


    She placed her arms on my shoulders and patted me.


    ¡°Young man. You should show your face more often.¡±


    Richard seemed slightly surprised. Well Mrs. Frock¡¯s son had left the town to go work in the capital, so she was a little lonely. This wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°I will. The new job is taking some adjusting to.¡± I turned to Richard, and so did my make-up master. ¡°For today, can you make my friend here a little younger?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s young enough!¡± Mrs. Frock snapped and then waved her hands. ¡°Is it for that party?¡±


    What?


    ¡°What party?¡±


    ¡°The biggest party in Glorenstein?¡±


    What the hell?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, come along.¡±


    Mrs. Frock pulled along the unsuspecting Richard to the back of the store. All her staff at the boutique followed right behind.


    In moments, Richard was expelled from behind the curtains. He was put in a flashy, white dress suit. A long strip of his hair was dyed white, and a monocle adorned his face.


    With more accessories than a nouveau riche noble, he looked like a professional party-goer. Who knew one could put professional and party-goer in the same sentence?


    ¡°What do you think?¡± The madame asked with a grin. I upped both my thumbs at her words.


    She patted Richard¡¯s back while I pulled out my wallet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the payment!¡±


    ¡°No, I insist!¡±


    After a few back and forths, I managed to pay the madame, though a little less than what I owed her.


    It was time to leave.


    With the renewed Richard, I left the boutique and walked back to the spot of the party.


    ¡°Ah, here, let me pay you back¡ª¡± Richard said as he reached into his pockets.


    ¡°Shush! Shut up, don¡¯t talk stupid with me.¡±


    I pushed Richard¡¯s hand back in his pockets and the both of us walked out of the place. I was no shopkeeper, there wasn¡¯t a need to pay me.


    Richard, amused by his clothes, checked it out from every angle.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d stand out in these clothes,¡± he said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡±


    For some reason, people around were all dressed just as wildly.


    People in funky clothes walked around the city. Many of them came down from every second building that initially looked empty.


    I even saw people in robes covering their entire bodies and faces. It might have looked suspicious, but city guards were always on patrol so it was not risky at all.


    Richard fit in perfectly. Mrs. Frock was savvy even with the hourly trends.


    Soon, we reached the posh street again. Now that my attention went to the doors, I saw a whole bunch of funky people stepping in and out of the gates.


    I turned my gaze to the sky. There was a faint vibration in the air. The sky had just a small, tiny hint of the evening sun still in it.


    It was soon to be night. The time for parties to go wild.


    ¡°Were all these buildings made together?¡±


    I asked. There was a path on the roofs of every building that connected each other.


    Quite curious.


    Richard looked up too and hummed.


    ¡°Maybe it''s in case of a fire? I don¡¯t often come to this street, but that still seems new.¡±


    We shrugged and walked ahead. Not long after, we reached the same building we had first seen with the same signboard.


    These kids had booked out the entire hotel that hosted the party today.


    Richard and I weren¡¯t even asked anything at the gate. A gatekeeper simply gazed down at us and let us pass.


    We made our way up the staircase, going right past the empty lobby toward the top of the building.


    ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°It sounds like an entire orchestra¡­¡±


    The bass was booming through the walls all the way down here.


    We took the final turn up the staircase, and past the small gate of the top floor, the wide terrace full of partygoers came into our sights.


    The place was flashing with lights. Music that sounded more like EDM and Rave sounded out of the orchestra. The scent of fresh food wafted through the entire terrace as many, many people danced, drank, sang, and had the time of their lives.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡±

 Chapter 28: The Greatest Party in Glorenstein (2)

    With widened eyes, both of us stepped further in and looked around only to be shocked again.


    The terrace of the building right next over was also completely packed and connected with planks of wood.


    Then the building behind it. And the building next to it. And another! All of them were brought together only by the bridges made of wooden planks.


    A floor had been made for dancing on every terrace, a bar set up on every corner where the buffet didn¡¯t fit, and more people than either of us could count crowded the entire place.


    ¡°Oh!¡± A scream resounded. From the center of the dance floor, the grad students in Black Rose spotted me and waved their hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s the professor!¡±


    ¡°WOAH! PROFESSOR!¡±


    Everyone around looked our way, all of them drunk. The hosts had hyped us right from the start. They rushed over, hopping up the wood bridge.


    ¡°Professor!¡±


    The green-haired oldest of the grad students spread his arms wide as he saw me.


    He wrapped me in an embrace before I could react.


    The mood got to me and I screamed.


    ¡°Jeremy!!¡±


    ¡°Professor!! Let¡¯s go! Biggest fucking party EVER!¡±


    I screamed in his ears over the music.


    ¡°Who are all these people?¡±


    Jeremy turned me around and pointed at the different terraces. It was extremely weird to say different terraces for a single party.


    ¡°Those guys there are some other faculty from the academy. A bunch of them are professors so meet them.¡±


    He then moved to the other side.


    ¡°Those guys are our friends from the academy. All of them are adults so don¡¯t worry. The drinks are all from Mundus¡¯ so don¡¯t worry about that either.¡±


    Jeremy treated me with respect, it was natural to treat him the same. Truly, I once again felt how easy adults were to get along with compared to kids.


    ¡°Lastly some of them are businessmen and figures from the city that we knew. We called about 70 or 80 people.¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    There were definitely more than two hundred.


    ¡°What about the rest of them?¡±


    ¡°I have no fucking clue!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Seriously! No idea. They just came in and we said PARTAY!¡±


    ¡°Holy shit.¡±


    This might as well have been the biggest fucking party I had ever seen.


    We hopped around on the terrace a couple of times before the boy dragged me straight to the dance floor.


    ¡°Wait, that guy too!¡± I pointed at Richard. The other grad students saw him, and with a grin, picked him up. They tossed him in their arms as they carried us over to the dance floor.


    ¡°PARTAY!!¡± They screamed.


    ¡°PARTAY!¡± I screamed back.


    ***


    I couldn¡¯t recommend dance to anyone who was at the age where their back hurt. But if you were planning to dance for hours on end, no back pain would ever stop you.


    The party raged on as the time went from late evening to past midnight.


    The food and drinks slowed down, and so did the music, but the party was still alive.


    Hours of dancing, drinking, and eating had passed me by. I wondered how many people I had gotten acquainted with.


    On one of the terraces of one of the buildings, I sat on a couch, a glass of wine in hand.


    Around me on the couches were some of the other professors, some businessmen and officials from Glorenstein, and some of the older students.


    It was a tight group barely numbering a dozen in the hundreds that had attended. What was even more shocking was that more and more people kept coming in with each hour.


    Right next to me, Richard was gorging on brownies that made him laugh a lot while the rest all relaxed back.


    ¡°And then,¡± I leaned closer and all of them got off their backs. ¡°All of us scared shitless, pushed each other around to check who was behind this fucking sound. The ghost of the barracks. In the end, they all made me bait.¡±


    A few gasps rang out.


    ¡°I look around, my arms trembling. The sounds are louder than ever. Slowly, I held the curtain¡­ and PULLED IT BACK!¡±


    The others flinched.


    ¡°And it was our superior snoring louder and a bull! The ghost that had the entire barracks shitting bricks was sleeping like a log!¡±


    The others laughed and slapped their thighs while some sighed in relief.


    ¡°That was good.¡±


    ¡°You had me scared for a moment!¡±


    I watched as the others gulped their glasses down while I took a small of my wine, laughing to myself.


    One of them reached out to the front of the table and placed a hand on the empty bottle of moonshine.


    ¡°Alright, next one?¡±


    It was a drinking game. Whoever the bottle landed on had to tell a story.


    If the story managed to make others scared, they had to chug. And if it failed, you had to chug.


    The bottle spun around slowly and landed on a girl sitting on the armrest of a couch.


    She seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.


    ¡°Oh, the ghost stories remind me¡­¡± The girl clapped her hands and dropped her drink as if she wouldn¡¯t be losing at all. ¡°You won¡¯t believe this, but one of my roommates didn¡¯t attend this party. She said yesterday night, she was walking out alone to an alleyway.¡±


    We all quieted down and listened. Except Richard.


    ¡°She was about to go back home, when¡­ she saw a hooded person¡­ with ruby red eyes.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Gasps rang out at those words.


    My eyes widened just as much as the rest of them. It was immensely shocking.


    I could feel my mind clearing up, and my vision widened. A single sentence had sobered me up from hours of drinking.


    Though red eyes weren¡¯t uncommon, for some people, they resembled a gem.


    The people who were ostracized, hated, and despised by both sides of the world.


    The traitors of mankind, and the ugliest sinners against the Sun God.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ she saw¡­¡±


    The child of a human and a demon.


    ¡°A demiurge in Glorenstein.¡±

 Chapter 29: Wrap up - the Party

    ¡°A demiurge¡­?¡±


    ¡°Here? That¡­ aren¡¯t there too many people here? Why would one of those demons come here?¡±


    It didn¡¯t even take seconds for unsettled conversations to start. Our companions for the drinking game were all fairly shocked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? You hide a tree in the forest. It¡¯s the same case. A lot of people have been coming into Glorenstein with the start of the academy. It is the best time for them to move unnoticed.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± One of them scoffed. ¡°Those vermins are carnivores. If something like that was true then cases of demiurges eating people would have already been a buzz.¡±


    ¡°There is no way we can have demiurges in this city.¡±


    A lot of them turned to me. I had just proven my credentials as a Major, so it was natural.


    I shook my head with a wry smile.


    ¡°There is no chance your friend saw a demiurge.¡±


    The girl who had told the story shook her head.


    ¡°I think so too, but that girl is too scared! She didn¡¯t even want to leave the house.¡±


    ¡°I assure you. A demiurge here is impossible.¡± I placed a hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder and looked at the rest of them as well. ¡°I can bet on it, on the frontlines, I had seen a lot of those rodents. They wouldn¡¯t survive. You should reassure your friend.¡±


    They were all silent for a second.


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t feel right, you can contact me at the academy. Or you¡¯re Jeremy¡¯s friend, just ask him to bring me around. If there¡¯s anything like a Demiurge I¡¯ll handle it personally.¡±


    It seemed my words had gotten to them. All of them slowly broke into a smile and some awkward laughter.


    ¡°The professor is right.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have been a demiurge.¡±


    We all started downing our drink. All of us except the girl. A sigh left me as I downed the drink faster than the rest.


    That had completely sobered me up.


    ***


    The drinking party continued for a while after that, but I couldn¡¯t find myself half as interested anymore.


    The hours that had turned into minutes in the party were compensated for by the minutes which stretched as long as hours. It was finally late enough for the party to die down.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The orchestra had left, and the dance floor had become a sitting area for the tipsy, exhausted dancers. The food was now too cold to eat and the drinks too hot to drink.


    Many people had also gone on their way. It was now time to close this party.


    But¡­


    The hosts were wasted.


    ¡°Jeremy. Jeremy.¡±


    I slapped the face of the young prince as he groaned.


    ¡°Prof¡­ drink more¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you book the rooms here?¡±


    ¡°Rooms? I don¡¯t know¡­ All these buildings are ours¡­¡±


    That much was enough. A confirmation from the one who booked the place was safest.


    With the help of the staff, I started moving people into the rooms of the half-dozen hotels they had booked out.


    It was easy to sort them. Ladies and elderly, the ones too wasted to make it home. I also made sure one of their more sober friends was with the wasted folks in the same rooms.


    That took a long while, but we moved most of them in. Some people were too wasted to go down and also a bit too rough to be worried about. It was mostly Jeremy and his ¡®boys,¡¯ so we shoved them all into a single room.


    After that, I went down to the streets and informed the guards about the party and the residents in all the hotels.


    ¡°You got it, we¡¯ll stick around.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, sir.¡±


    That ensured safety in case any fights or something more unseemly happened. It would also keep the hotel staff in check.


    While I always liked to trust people, I didn¡¯t trust intoxication.


    Instead of going back up, I went to get a carriage first. Many drivers were hoping to take some people back from the bumper party.


    And among them was Jackie, the kid who I had relied on to go and get the ogre.


    I asked him for help.


    Jackie was not just young, smart, and sensible, for some reason he was also very respectful toward me. It bordered on fear, almost. I wondered why.


    Anyway, with Jackie and his group of drivers, I started sending home the rest of the people. Some were professors, others businessmen, and some students. They all were comparatively sober, but not too much.


    We got them all on a carriage.


    With those two things, we had emptied out the terraces of all the guests. It took two whole hours and it was now a little shy of 3 AM.


    I said goodbye to the hotel staff, telling them to expect a big tip from Jeremy, the host.


    With Richard on my back, I stepped out of the place. Ready to go back home.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to the academy,¡± Jackie said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright¡­ haahm¡­ It¡¯s a short walk.¡± I wasn¡¯t very drunk either.


    I reached into my coat pockets and pulled out a small checkbook.


    Spending my money was a goal, but I didn¡¯t expect it in this manner.


    I quickly wrote a check and handed it to Jackie.


    ¡°Here. It¡¯s for everyone¡¯s rides. Please hand it out.¡±


    People seemed too intoxicated to pay, so I told the carriage drivers that I¡¯d pay them all.


    ¡°This?¡± Jackie looked at the check with widened eyes.


    ¡°And a little tip.¡±


    I suppressed another yawn as I spoke.


    ¡°But¡­ this is still too much, sir.¡±


    I smiled and tapped Jackie¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Keep an eye out for me, okay?¡±


    ¡°You got it, sir.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Then, have a good night Jackie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost morning!¡±


    I laughed and turned away. The sun wasn¡¯t going to rise for a good few hours, I counted that as night.


    Richard on my back was fast asleep. I wondered for how many hours now. He had exhausted himself laughing and just collapsed.


    It seemed I would have to miss the morning walk near the flowers.


    ¡°Fun party, Richard?¡±


    The man was fast asleep on my back. Quiet.


    ¡°I found it fun too. Let¡¯s go back, yeah?¡±


    Talking with him, I inched closer to the academy late in the night.


    Only for the same closing events to repeat the next day in the drinking party with the academy faculty. Oh, with the added event of Principal Kurt almost dragging me and Gladwin into a strip club.


    I had had enough to drink for a whole year.

 Chapter 30: Black Rose Club Hunters (1)

    Was it just my imagination?


    It couldn¡¯t be. Mondays were universally hated. At least for those who remembered what day of the week it was.


    Yet, as I observed the silver-haired child walk around with the same watering can, holding her coat with one hand as she pronounced from flower to flower in the dawn sky, I couldn¡¯t help but think she was giddier than before.


    I hadn¡¯t been here for two days, if anything, my ability to tell her expression should have dwindled.


    My time in the early dawn went by yawning and tilting my head at the girl.


    Eventually, like always, she gave me a light bow and went back to the dorms.


    The sun had completely come up in the sky, but it was still rather early to be out and about.


    Especially after the party last night. It was a little intense.


    ¡°Maybe I should go walk a little?¡±


    Stretching my hands above my head, I decided to head out toward the gates of the academy.


    Dawn was a time when very few people would be around. It was the time when all nocturnal creatures scurried back to their dens. A little quiet for my tastes, but that made for the right environment to hear the animals.


    ***


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    A messy chorus of mornings greeted me back as I stepped into the classroom. These kids were still as uncoordinated as an acapella assembled entirely with toddlers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the roll call out of the way first. Argent Stryde!¡±


    ¡°Present.¡±


    ¡°Atlas Whisper?¡±


    ¡°Present¡­¡±


    The roll-call went by smoothly with all the students calling in. I was boasting a perfect attendance rate in the second week too! This was usually the time when many militants tried to escape, so the current attendance was rather interesting.


    ¡°Alright! All of you, we are going to extend your weekend by one day today.¡±


    Confused, the students tilted their heads at my words.


    That was natural. Today was a rather special day for the academy¡¯s first years, and by extension, the entire student body.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Club Exhibition Day! All the seniors have put in extra effort to get more club members, and so, all classes for today are suspended. You all may go check out whatever club you like in all of Glorenstein.¡±


    The students seemed surprised at my words. Of course they were, Black Rose was more of a hostage den than a classroom.


    That we would let them join clubs was surprising enough, but it seemed the powers that be were of a different opinion.


    [Clubs? Who cares?]


    Ah, what a succinct response Gladwin had received. It was very reflective of higher-ups. The type of response that made you want to punch someone¡¯s face in.


    It made me nostalgic.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s that. Go and enjoy. Find a club! I have been asked to pick up a role as an advisor so I¡¯ll be doing that too. In case anything happens, just call for one of the professors or the knights in the academy, ok?¡±


    That should be enough for the students.


    I waited for them all to stand up and leave the classroom while I pulled out a diary and checked the list of clubs that Richard had handed me.


    All of these either lacked an advisor or could use one more. Richard said I didn¡¯t have to stick to the list. For professors too, these clubs were a way to pursue a hobby. The need for an advisor wasn¡¯t that stringent.


    With the corner of my eye, I watched all the students start to stream out. It was nice to see a lot of them hanging out as friends.


    Even Iaso tried to walk around alone, but one very smiley elf, Seren Eilfir, wrapped her arm around Iaso¡¯s neck and dragged her away.


    All the best, Iaso.


    As all the other students stepped out, only four remained in the class.


    For some reason, all of them were expectantly gazing at me.


    It was a quartet that seemed very unlikely to get together, but also a quartet that only fit together.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the hold-up?¡± I asked, eyeing them all one after another.


    Prince Ier, Rosentea of Scential, the Golden-haired commander Elara, and the saintess candidate Yuliana Soleil.


    I didn¡¯t expect these four to stick close to each other. In more ways than one, they were the most powerful four in the classroom.


    ¡°We are just waiting around¡­¡± Rosentea said, covering her face with the fan. ¡°Nothing suspicious¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± I said, tilting my head.


    Argh I wanted to hang out with friends too! No Ethan, bothering students is not right.


    With a sigh, I picked up the book and packed my attache case.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be off. Have fun today!¡±


    I said those words and started leaving the classroom.


    Tap tap, went my feet.


    And as I slowed down, four more sets of footsteps followed.


    I looked over my shoulder to find all four of them standing behind me.


    ¡°No seriously, what?¡±


    ¡°N-nothing¡­ why did you stop¡­?¡±


    Rosentea raised her fan all the way to her eyes this time! If you¡¯re going to cover your face in guilt then don¡¯t look away!


    An amused chuckle left Elara.


    ¡°These guys are curious about you, so they plan to follow you.¡±


    ¡°Lady Elara! Shush¡ª¡±


    Rosentea tried to stop the girl, but it was too late.


    I chuckled at their interaction.


    ¡°Is that so? Does that include you too?¡±


    Elara nodded.


    ¡°I am curious. These two say they don¡¯t know who you are, and I want to know how strong you are. Well, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to keep up a farce. Is it fine if we follow you around?¡±


    ¡°Of course! But only for today!¡± I smiled brightly. I guess I get to hang out with the kids! That was going to be fun!


    Rosentea sighed while Prince Ier shook his head.


    Elara had a bright, amused grin. And the saintess candidate, Yuliana wore a composed smile.


    I pumped my brows at her, asking ¡®You too?¡¯ and she nodded lightly.


    Now then, to get along with kids. I had learned my lesson, no Pspsps.


    I raised my hand high and struck a pose.


    ¡°Black Rose club hunters! Let¡¯s head out!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I turned my gaze back again.


    They all stood with their jaws dropped.


    Guess not, huh?

 Chapter 31: Black Rose Club Hunters

    After a whole week of extreme analysis by the merchant heiress Rosentea, the four people who were most curious about their professor and had the guts to hang out with him all came to a simple conclusion.


    The professor is weird but is too kind. Almost naive. More observation was needed.


    And with that conclusion, they all decided today was the day to act.


    In all reality, it was just the whims of Ier and Rosentea, and the poor little miss saintess candidate had no choice but to get dragged along with them.


    Since they didn¡¯t feel just three were enough, they also reeled in Elara.


    It was an opportunity for Elara to look more into someone intriguing. The Danube Kingdom was extremely weak, and someone talented was an asset worth more than gold for her.


    If she could recruit him for herself, it would be great.


    With that thought, the Black Rose club hunters were assembled.


    The first place they hit was the equestrian club.


    Flipping through his diary, the professor started telling them all the information they didn¡¯t ask for.


    ¡°This place is good. They wanted a new advisor since it became tough with only one. They have many horses on hand, you get to experience the bond personally. I think horses are great whether it is wartime or not.¡±


    From the club¡¯s usual activities to the number of members and benefits.


    Even if they were only interested in the professor himself, he was trying his best to make them all experience the Club Exhibition.


    ¡°Should we try it out?¡± The professor asked.


    Prince Ier and Rosentea looked at each other and shrugged. This was part of the observation too.


    With a wide grin, the professor charged in first. He jumped through the fences and hopped straight in.


    ¡°The Black Rose Club Hunters are here to check this club!¡± He said.


    The geared-up members of the club all clapped their hands.


    ¡°Welcome! We have the first guests.¡±


    ¡°Black Rose Club Hunters? Is that a new event?¡±


    ¡°Please just write your names and grades here. You can ride a horse before you decide to join!¡±


    The professor smiled and answered all of them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the advisor?¡± He said.


    ¡°Professor Barnum did not come in yet. I heard there was a party?¡± The seniors were just as powerful as Ethan and chatted him up.


    ¡°Is that so? Well, can we all try riding?¡±


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The seniors smiled and dragged him around.


    ¡°Of course! Horses are great, they are also a good personality test. They don¡¯t bond with bad people!¡±


    It was instantly busy. Ier almost wanted to turn right back from the embarrassment but powered through.


    The four students entered the grounds like normal people through the gates and were greeted by the overbearing seniors. They were all desperate for new members.


    All of them were personally guided inside the stables by a different senior.


    ¡°Here, please put on this gear, your highness.¡±


    Prince Ier was led by a senior with blonde hair. She seemed to be from the empire as well. A noble perhaps?


    He quickly wore the gear and walked to the inner parts of the stable.


    ¡°This right here is Carrot.¡± It was a towering Friesian horse. A pure black giant that seemed to be filled with a sense of nobility.


    ¡°She is very difficult to ride. I won¡¯t recommend her for first-timers¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    True to his words, the Prince got on the horse with ease and let it saunter out of the stables.


    ¡°Woah! That was the fastest I¡¯ve seen someone manage Carrot!¡±


    The prince held in a soft smile. As he stepped out of the stables and into the ground, he saw the rest of the Club Hunters.


    Outside one of the stables, a few of the seniors were busy trying to separate a horse that was biting into Rosentea¡¯s hair.


    A personality test¡­ Ier thought that might be very accurate.


    He then took the horse in the other direction and noticed Elara. She was breezing through the obstacles already as she moved with the horse in complete sync.


    ¡°What! She¡¯s riding Kyutie already?! Even the club president has a tough time with Kyutie!¡±


    For some reason, all of the scary horses were named in the worst way.


    Ier held in a sigh. He was not going to compete with Elara. And he had to admit, she was amazing in more ways than one.


    He then looked at the saintess candidate who was being bothered by two horses. Both of them nuzzled close to her and tried to lick her face, acting cute.


    The talkative brought her hands together in a smile.


    ¡°Wow, I think horses really do like people with a pure heart. The saintess candidate is cozying up with so many¡ª¡±


    Right then, a scream tore through the grounds.


    ¡°P-princess! He¡¯s a princess!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Disney princess!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen something like this! He is blessed by the horse god!¡±


    All of them turned to the source of the voice. Carried along by seven horses at once, the professor scratched his lips as the horses took turns cozying up to him.


    ¡°Personality test¡­ huh?¡±


    Ier was fairly surprised.


    ***


    The Equestrian Club was just the start of the legend of the Black Rose Club Hunters.


    In no time at all, they were hitting up every club in their way.


    Music Club.


    ¡°Professor! Come face us in a sing-off!¡±


    They were all forced into singing with the professor. Ier had to play the piano to a great audience.


    Quiz Club.


    ¡°Oh my, are you not Quiz boy Quinton!¡±


    ¡°Quiz time, who is the current head of the Luxan family?¡±


    ¡°Is it Sir Antony Luxan? Um, Reverse Quiz time, who is the son of the seventh honorary archbishop of the Church of Light?¡±


    ¡°The son!? I have no idea!¡±


    There, they all had to face the quiz club in a quiz-off. The Club Hunters barely won thanks to the saintess candidate coming in a clutch.


    The restaurants too.


    After working up a sweat, the professor ended up feeding them all great dishes at the academy¡¯s restaurants and then dragged them away again!


    Cooking club.


    ¡°Lady Elara Danube has made simple yet perfect crepes¡­ and the Club Hunters team has won the cooking contest!¡±


    They were all forced into a competition.


    Football club.


    ¡°Prince Ier! Pass!¡±


    Business Club.


    ¡°Finally! This is my time to shine! I¡¯ll show you what Rosentea of the Club Hunters can do!¡±


    ¡°S-she¡¯s a demon! Stay away!¡±


    Before they knew it, they had hit up tens of restaurants and dozens of clubs.


    The sun started setting. All of them were completely exhausted.


    Limp on a bench, they saw some other students pass them by.


    ¡°Oh look, it¡¯s the club hunters.¡±


    ¡°I hear they are all amazing in every field.¡¯


    A smile etched itself on Prince Ier¡¯s lips.


    It was nice to see the legend of the Black Rose Club Hunters grow¡ª


    The prince stopped in his tracks.


    His eyes widened as he slammed his fist on his thighs.


    ¡°Damn it! We were supposed to observe the professor but all we did was play around!¡±


    And the Club Hunters disbanded right there. (Not really)

 Chapter 32: Hearsay

    Poor Prince Ier seemed very disappointed, but the one more shocked was the girl sitting next to him. The red-haired lady of the Scential house was trembling all over.


    ¡°We got tricked¡­¡±


    I was a little hurt. It was not like I forced them to have fun at gunpoint or anything!


    It seemed Prince Ier understood that bit, but I couldn¡¯t say the same for the other person.


    ¡°That crafty professor! If only it was about economics, I would have crushed him. Did he use magic?¡±


    Troubled, I turned to the saintess candidate and the lady of Danube sitting on the next bench over. Both of them sighed and shook their heads.


    There was no helping her, huh? It seemed the Scential merchants were going to be in a tough spot down the line.


    Unknowingly, a smile started filling my face.


    Kids being kids.


    A long time ago I had seen other sixteen-year-olds being forced into drills only to be mauled on the battlefield. The sight of those kids trembling in fear, kids in the same battalion as I was, overlapped with these four in my mind.


    This was better.


    They should be able to laugh like this and whine like this. That was the best.


    With a smile, I joined in.


    ¡°It was pretty fun! I would have been lost in that mind game if not for Student Rosentea.¡±


    The saintess candidate, kind as her title would suggest, understood my intentions and followed right along. ¡°I agree, it was a great trick by the Business Club.¡±


    ¡°Football is hard too¡­¡± Elara joined in as well.


    Prince Ier smiled at her words. ¡°We won there!¡±


    ¡°You did well!¡± I jumped in to compliment Ier. ¡°I had no idea backpassing was not allowed! We would just play however we wanted in my day.¡±


    Ier nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Rosentea suddenly sat up straight. She crossed her arms and rushed to cover her smile with her folding fan. ¡°I am pretty amazing myself. All of us are. The whole school knows our strengths. It is enough.¡±


    And with that, the girl started laughing. Boy, was her merchant group in big trouble. Well, she was still excessively smart during the business club¡¯s games. She may just have gotten comfortable with this group.


    ¡°Oh, professor. About the meals¡­¡± the saintess candidate called out.


    ¡°Liked them?¡±


    ¡°Quite a lot. You paid for all of us, I¡¯ll repay you.¡±


    I brought a finger to my lips and shushed her.


    ¡°Kids don¡¯t ¡®repay¡¯ adults. Just say thank you.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The saintess candidate reeled back, then smiled and said a word of thanks. That was enough repayment for the food.


    ¡°You guys should have brought some more things since I was buying,¡± I said. ¡°Look, the cartography club¡¯s map. It is one of the best I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    Prince Ier and Rosentea seemed interested in the map that I pulled out from my bag.


    World maps were rather expensive and tough to come by. But with the war over, their accessibility had increased. It seems that the cartography club was one of the first to get to use it.


    ¡°Is it that good?¡± Rosentea asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not military grade, but close enough. Very accurate and updated, like this crater in the Eastern end of the Empire? It was made 7 months ago, a bit before the last battle.¡±


    ¡°It might be good enough for merchants?¡± Prince Ier asked and Rosentea nodded.


    ¡°Pretty good.¡±


    Even the saintess inched over to where we were sitting. Like a small snail, she put her head in between our arms and stared in awe as well.


    ¡°So!¡± A voice interrupted us as we were peeking at the map.


    Elara crossed her legs and eyed each of us one after another.


    ¡°Have you all thought about what club to join¡­ or advise?¡±


    All of us slowly turned our gaze away from her. Ah, et tu, Saintess Candidate?


    Ier and Rosentea might have been right, we ended up having way too much fun.


    ¡°In that case, I have an idea.¡± Elara continued right away. ¡°How about we make our own club? A Black Rose club? We¡¯ll reel in everyone in the classroom.¡±


    Oh?


    Was she planning to influence them all already? For Elara, this classroom was a bag of opportunities. She was already using it well.


    ¡°You can do whatever you want. The professor can also rest easy by becoming our advisor, you get to keep an eye on everyone. And if you want, you guys can always join two clubs.¡±


    The other students contemplated it for a bit.


    ¡°I like it,¡± said the Saintess candidate. ¡°I would rather stay here in class than join a club. This is convenient.¡±


    Rosentea nodded too. ¡°I am more interested in the student council, so a simple club is good.¡±


    Ier too. ¡°A low-profile club. That¡¯s best.¡±


    It was a good deal for everyone. Especially for me. If there was ever a problem from the top about putting all these kids in clubs, this would lower the impact.


    And I could be the advisor for the kids that mattered.


    ¡°Very well. Then, professor. Please take my request to start a club,¡± said Elara, coolly letting her hair flutter in the wind.


    ¡°Give it to me in writing.¡±


    ***


    The kids all went back. The evening sun had cast its red hue on the skies.


    I thought it would be a good time to stroll out of the academy again, but I met a familiar face on my way out.


    ¡°Oh! Professor, it¡¯s you!¡±


    The green-haired girl was a grad student whom I had met at Jeremy''s party. My eyes widened as soon as I saw her.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t Enna! Did you get home on time?¡±


    The girl, Enna, nodded at my words. ¡°Thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that friend of yours?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She injured her back recently,¡± the girl said with a laugh. ¡°You won¡¯t believe it. That girl, she drank the night we were out and fell off the bed so hard she can¡¯t walk anymore.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t strange for me to hear such details from people about their friends. Sometimes, drinks brought people closer than time could. Enna thought of me as someone she could share things with.


    ¡°Her back? Well, she must have been scared.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not anymore,¡± the girl waved her hands. ¡°I told her that a veteran guaranteed there couldn¡¯t be a demiurge, and she said I was right. She was so insistent about it earlier, but now she says she must have remembered wrong.¡±


    My eyes narrowed at her words.


    ¡°Is that so¡­? Maybe she wanted to escape the party?¡± I asked.


    Enna shrugged. ¡°Possible. Anyway, professor. Have you heard of the Black Rose Club Hunters? I am looking for them before our club closes its exhibition. The others wanted to challenge them.¡±


    Ah. The grad school clubs were open till late into the night.


    I would have gone along, but I felt there was a need to do something more urgent today.


    ¡°I heard of them. They were hitting the Acapella club next. But they are not grad students, so don¡¯t bother them ok?¡±


    ¡°Yup! I¡¯ll take care of that!¡± Enna beamed and hopped away. ¡°See you later, professor! Come say hi sometime!¡±


    ¡°Of course! All the best in defeating the Club Hunters!¡±


    She won¡¯t be finding them anytime soon.


    I exhaled a sharp breath and adjusted my coat. My grip on the attache case tightened as I walked off faster than before.


    Not to the gates, but to the administrative buildings.


    I quickly made my way through the floors and knocked on the door to Richard¡¯s office.


    ¡°Ethan? What brings you here?¡±


    With as normal a smile as I could muster, I asked.


    ¡°I heard Professor Barnum from the Equestrian club didn¡¯t make it to the academy today. Did something happen after we drank?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Richard raised his brows. ¡°Right¡­ he hurt his back.¡±

 Chapter 33: The Deeper You Peer Into Glorenstein (1)

    Lumie Ador kept glancing at me today. Were the flowers not fun enough?


    It was strange that she would look after flowers in the first place, but the more I observed her the more clear it became that she was just a kind-hearted child


    This person alone had picked up more trash and disposed of it correctly than many modern-day environmentalists did with an entire troop


    The interest was a little strange. Though her face was as cold as ever, I had an inkling that she was a little distressed


    The inkling turned into conviction when, instead of going back inside like usual, she stepped up in front of me


    Her lips twitched as she lowered her gaze, trying to say something.


    I decided it was not right to rush her and waited for her to gather her thoughts.


    Lumine clenched her fists and exhaled.


    ¡°Are¡­ you ok?¡±


    My eyes widened at that question. Instinctively, I touched my lips. Was I frowning too much?


    ¡°I am alright,¡± I said. ¡°The mornings are just a little too quiet. Don¡¯t worry and go back.¡±


    Lumine hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and turned away. Once she was out of my sight, I sighed and started tapping my feet.


    There were too many things on my mind. A walk to clear that out would be the best.


    As I made my way to the academy gates, a realization hit me.


    This was the first time that the child had mustered up the courage to talk to someone on her own. Not just to me, but to anyone in this academy.


    Lost in my own thoughts, I completely glossed over that fact and her words. I should have treated her more sincerely.


    ¡°Haah¡­¡± A sigh left me. The tapping sound of my feet grew louder yet. ¡°At least there is some progress in that field.¡±


    ***


    A cold morning fog draped over the streets of Glorenstein. It blocked anyone who tried to see too deep into the city.


    Still too early for the night lights to close down, the street lamps cast their ochre glow on the frosted panes. The light which should have increased visibility only aided in blocking it.


    No clacks other than those of my boots came off from the stone roads. It was empty as could be.


    What a horrible time to think of clearing one¡¯s mind. The city only wanted to cloud it more, mind, body, and soul.


    Stolen story; please report.


    I would have been lost in the streets if my steps weren¡¯t guided by a place to head toward.


    I lowered my hat and pulled the collar of my coat as I found myself in front of the railway junction.


    The first place I had seen when I came to Glorenstein.


    A low thrum spread through the ground as the passing trains picked up speed, and the whistle of their engines followed right behind.


    I retraced my steps, the same ones as I had done on the first day. Walking toward the carriage stops where the early birds waited for their first customers.


    The fog waded away as I inched closer to the parked carriages.


    The driver first in line noticed me and rushed over. His feet stopped right before mine.


    ¡°Hm? Professor Ethan? Is that you?¡±


    I looked up to face the carriage driver and my eyes narrowed. ¡°Jackie¡­ have you been well?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Since the last time, I¡¯ve been doing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Last time, and this time too. Why do you work past midnight, and wake up again at dawn?¡±


    My tone was a notch sharper than I had intended it to be. Jackie reeled back in slight surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    He hesitated.


    ¡°Your father, you said he injured his back when we first met?¡±


    He was a young man who had to take up the business in place of his father. His father who too¡­ had injured his back.


    The first victim I knew of the same ailment.


    ¡°How is he doing?¡±


    Jackie shook his head.


    ¡°His condition is deteriorating. The doctors said there was no injury other than the back pain, but he is growing paler by the day. He has lost weight. They said it could be a curse of some kind. If I had more money I could ask the church¡­¡±


    ¡°Jackie,¡± I cut the boy off. ¡°Take me to your father.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ no, I¡­ I have already received a lot of help from you, professor. For that request of yours too¡­ I can¡¯t ask for more.¡±


    ¡°It will really help me out,¡± I said.


    The young carriage driver met my eyes. An unwavering gaze.


    ¡°Please, take me to him.¡±


    Jackie nodded at my words and gestured at the carriage.


    ***


    The carriage rolled through the streets of Glorenstein, but the fog covering the city showed no sign of letting up. It seemed it was going to be the same the entire day today.


    My eyes were fixed on the streets as we passed block after block, slowly making our way to the downcast outskirts of the city.


    The further away one went from the center of a city the more dilapidated the buildings became. Even the education haven was no different in that quality.


    Maybe it was more pronounced here than in other places. That was the fault of this side of the world. We did not even know how to treat each other well, let alone someone else.


    Jackie and I remained quiet throughout the ride. Only the sounds of my fingers rapping against the carriage¡¯s window filled the place. Not long after, the carriage came to a halt in front of a run-down house away from the road.


    Wild grass had grown all over the grounds, except for the bits they had cleared out to plant some vegetables they could handle.


    Jackie led me out of the carriage and toward his house.


    A small house made of wooden planks, some bricks, and still unpainted gypsum. Small holes and cracks littered the building, letting the cold air flow in regardless of the time.


    Behind the house was a small makeshift stable where they tied the horses for the carriage. That seemed in a better condition than their house.


    A log was tied to the branch of a tree, like a makeshift swing made for a kid.


    ¡°My sister and mother live with me,¡± said Jackie. ¡°The little one¡¯s birthday was last week, father wanted to surprise her with a gift this time¡­¡±


    I tightened my gloves as Jackie pulled the door open and showed me inside.


    Lying down on a bed close to the entrance was an old man, he looked as if he had not tasted food for the last decade.


    His face was pale, his bones sticking out of his skin. Even in that state, he was easily recognizable.


    Jackie¡¯s father was the same person who had driven me around the very first day I was in Glorenstein, the one recommended by Mundus.


    My eyes narrowed, and a sense of calm washed over me as my heart started beating slowly.


    There was no denying it.


    A demiurge was in Glorenstein.

 Chapter 34: The Deeper you Peer into Glorenstein (2)

    Even amongst the many demonic races, there was a group of people that were especially disadvantaged.


    A group of allure and glamour, of charm and captivation, of cusses and curses.


    If they stood together under the command of a leader, they could make one the strongest legions amongst the 11 generals of the Demon King. But alone? They were miserable.


    On that side of the world, they were exploited as prostitutes¡ªand on this side of the world, they were reduced to playthings of the rich and the fancy.


    These beings had become the parents of the most common hybrids that roamed this world, Succubi and their abandoned children, the Succubus-Demiurges.


    ¡°Professor¡­?¡±


    ¡°Jackie, go and fetch some ingredients I ask of you. Right now.¡±


    Jackie¡¯s father wasn¡¯t in a good condition, but it wasn¡¯t deadly. I had seen the work of the demons many times on the frontlines. If this curse had been cast by a succubus instead of a demiurge, then his father wouldn¡¯t have survived.


    ¡°Ingredients? What do you¡ª¡±


    I rolled my sleeves up and rushed to the kitchen in his house. There was a coal stove and dozens of utensils. It was more than enough for me to start.


    ¡°We need to replenish his life force. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s safe, but we must be careful. Fetch a pen.¡±


    Jackie dashed out of the kitchen to fetch some paper.


    ¡°Jackie!? What is going on¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mom! The professor is¡­¡±


    His mother woke up from the commotion, and Jackie explained my presence. I could have said something, but the situation was urgent. Jackie¡¯s father had spent too long in his state. The sooner I gave him something, the better.


    I scrambled through my attach¨¦ to look for some other ingredients. It was convenient to have a spatially enhanced item at times like these.


    Jackie returned with the paper. He noted everything I told him to fetch and ran out of the house.


    I was about to start cooking when his mother asked to help me with the preparation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help too, please.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Please start with some water.¡±


    I found the ginseng extract and a health potion brewed by some of the finest beastmen alchemists, and we rushed to prepare the medicine I had in mind. Soon, Jackie would return with ingredients that grew in the earth¡¯s womba place filled with life forces.


    These voodoo medicines were not something I believed in at the beginning, but the many beastmen I met at the frontlines convinced me enough to use them.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I had seen some people regain their back with these medicines, so it was worth a shot. There wasn¡¯t anything else we could do right now.


    Jackie¡¯s father was in a critical condition, from severe dehydration to a complete loss of life force. It was a typical curse.


    When the succubi invaded one¡¯s mind, they could change their consciousness. The curse usually turned the target into their puppets, but many succubi could also alter memories.


    Injury or intoxication was the best way to weaken someone¡¯s mind for them. Both were even better.


    The succubi¡¯s invasion wasn¡¯t deadly by nature. But most often, the people afflicted by the creatures of dreams were cursed and had their life force sapped.


    The curse manifested on the lower back, which explained why it was so elusive. The back pain was one¡¯s life force being sapped, and since it wasn¡¯t as pronounced in the initial stages, no one noticed.


    The only way to end this was to stop it from its core by getting a priest involved¡ªsomething I couldn¡¯t do.


    As the concoction brewed, I made an oral rehydration solution. It was just a mix of salts and sugar.


    ¡°It has been a month since he was injured?¡± I asked Jackie¡¯s mother. ¡°He still drinks and eats, right?¡±


    ¡°Very little, but he does,¡± She said. ¡°I never thought it would end up like this¡­ I thought it was just an injury¡­¡±


    Jackie¡¯s mother was ready to cry at any moment. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t console her.


    ¡°Please keep an eye on the medicine,¡± I said and grabbed the solution. ¡°I¡¯ll take this to him first.¡±


    I left the kitchen behind and returned to the room. My eyes narrowed again as only I and Jackie¡¯s father were left in the room.


    It was a relief he could still talk.


    I gently raised his back, sat him against the headboard, and handed him the wooden glass with the rehydration solution.


    ¡°Drink this¡­¡± I pulled a chair and sat down next to him. ¡°I want to ask you a few things.¡±


    ¡°You are¡­¡± Weak, feeble, the man raised his bony finger and pointed at me. ¡°The last man¡­ I dropped¡­ the professor?¡±


    Last man.


    I pursed my lips at his words.


    He had answered all my questions.


    ***


    Soon after, Jackie returned from the central city and rushed back inside. We made the herbal medicine, mixed it with the ingredients I brought, and had Jackie¡¯s father drink it all.


    I watched, leaning against the walls, as the family gathered around the father.


    My eyes were stuck on the man, scrutinizing his every action.


    Eventually, I sighed. I couldn¡¯t gain anything by observing a sick man. He couldn¡¯t tell me anything more.


    I decided it was time to leave. I grabbed my suitcase, lowered my hat, and walked out the door without interrupting the family.


    Jackie noticed my absence and followed me outside.


    ¡°Professor Ethan¡­!¡±


    ¡°Ah, Jackie¡­¡± I turned to him. ¡±I left the ingredients in the kitchen and told your mom how to make the medicine and the solution. Give it to him twice a day.¡±


    ¡°Will he¡­¡±


    Jackie looked troubled. I raised my hand and firmly gripped his shoulder.


    ¡°He will be alright,¡± I said. ¡°I promise it.¡±


    The young boy took in a deep breath. He nodded, and I patted his shoulders.


    It was time to leave.


    My thoughts were muddled. I snapped my fingers as I walked through the streets. Dozens of threads unraveled in my head. I had to remember every step along the way, from the moment I had stepped inside Glorenstein. There were sure to be clues somewhere.


    And if I found them, I had to think of what I could do next. If I did something, how would it affect me down the line? There were too many things to think about.


    It made sense for the demiurges to be here. The deeper into the territory you would be during the war, the less you would be suspected. Glorenstein was also a prime hiding spot. Who would be interested in the city of education during a war?


    Thinking of the wartime was useless. I had to find the demiurge.


    For now, the best person to look at would be the one who talked about the demiurges, Enna¡¯s friend. But the curse of the succubi had invaded her mind, and she had already forgotten everything.


    It was still alright. I had taken the correct measures, as long as I found the demiurge soon¡ª


    A rattle resounded behind me, breaking me off my chain of thoughts.


    I looked back and found Jackie rushing toward me with his carriage.


    ¡°Professor!¡± He said, he pulled the reins and brought the carriage to a stop. ¡°Get on. Isn¡¯t the academy going to begin soon? I will drop you off.¡±


    Right¡­


    First, I had to go back.

 Chapter 35: The Deeper You Peer Into Glorenstein (3)

    ¡ªSLAP!


    I slapped my cheeks and took in a deep breath.


    The door to the classroom slid open, and I stepped inside.


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    All the noise in the classroom hushed down as the students turned my way. Their expressions were the same as ever¡ªsome were happy in class, and some couldn¡¯t wait to get out of it. It had already become a familiar sight to me.


    I smiled brightly at the students¡ªa smile familiar to them¡ªand stepped up on the podium to begin the roll call. A perfect attendance again.


    ¡°Everyone had fun at the Club Exhibition?¡± I asked as I leaned against the lectern.


    They nodded their heads and groaned. One student¡¯s shout cut through the classroom.


    ¡°Quiz time! I want a rematch!¡± Student Quinton complained. He shot up from his chair and glared at us, the Black Rose Club Hunters. Quinton was vexed enough to say ¡®quiz time¡¯ and not start a quiz.


    Well, getting destroyed by the saintess in quizzes despite being dubbed the Quiz-Boy must be hurtful.


    Before anyone could answer Quinton, the sound of a lute interrupted.


    ¡°Skills blaze bright, each flame unique. Yet mine still burns! At the undefeated peak.¡±


    It was Lute-Man Luke. The classroom let out a united groan the second he opened his mouth.


    ¡°What is he saying now?¡± Rosentea did not bother hiding her frown with her fan. Everyone shared her sentiments as they glared daggers at the man.


    For the sake of the students, I decided to interpret.


    ¡°He says every one of you was defeated despite being hot stuff. Everyone except him.¡±


    All the students groaned once more.


    ¡°Wait, professor!¡± A low growl thundered in the classroom. Zacka, the muscular dwarf who could harden his body enough to tank the ogre, shot up from his chair. ¡°You mean you and the Club Hunters targeted every club other than the clown¡¯s? Why!?¡±


    ¡°Student Zacka, no calling someone a clown.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Wow. For a voice that loud, he was docile.


    Lute-lad (or whatever these kids called him) was in the literature club. When we neared the literature club, the other club hunters turned tails and dashed away like cheetahs.


    I couldn¡¯t blame them. No one could.


    ¡°Tell me, Student Zacka,¡± I said. My eyes mellowed down as I smiled wryly.


    ¡°In our shoes, would you have targeted his club?¡±


    Zacka lowered his eyes and apologized again.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d die before I do that¡­¡±


    I may have been wrong in my assessment. The big shots of the classroom weren¡¯t Ier, Yuliana, or Elara¡ªtrue power was always in the hands of the lute dude.


    The ways of the world were mysterious. Despite my experience, I couldn¡¯t have guessed this outcome for the classroom power dynamics.


    Did their treatment of Luke count as bullying? Luke got a real kick from their reactions, so I¡¯d think it didn¡¯t.


    I best keep an eye on Luke in the future. Though, I was sure he could handle himself. For now, there was no need to keep this conversation rolling. I changed the topic before they could say another word about death and the hunters and whatnot.


    ¡°The first lecture is mine, so I¡¯ll start a little earlier. We will continue with basic grammar.¡±


    I turned toward the board and pulled it down. I grabbed a piece of chalk and started writing some common sentences in the demonic language.


    I got some respite from the kids, but my mind was far too distracted today. Keeping the lecture simple was for the best. Something I could teach without much thought.


    ¡°Professor!¡±


    Right as I was about to start, an interruption came my way. I was used to the voice. The same student uttered the same word in almost every lecture.


    ¡°Yes, student Seren?¡± I spoke without turning back.


    ¡°How do the demons handle their funerals¡­ for their dead?¡±


    My hands froze at her words.


    I pursed my lips and closed my eyes. With a sigh, I turned back toward the students. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°The talk about death made me curious,¡± Seren said, a soft smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s rarely a thought since I won¡¯t be dying anytime soon, but you know a lot about demons.¡±


    I placed the chalk down and leaned against the blackboard. The elf didn¡¯t mind death. She also didn¡¯t care about a lot of other things. Seren always smiled when she asked her questions as if nothing concerned her above being a topic of amusement.


    ¡°The dead¡­ huh?¡±


    My eyes gazed over the students. Was it alright to talk to them about this? It should be.


    But¡­ they all must have lost a lot of people. I saw Iaso sitting listlessly at the back. And then Atlas, he too was looking at me with deep intrigue.


    I sighed. The innocent question of a child was just that, a question. There was no need to overthink it.


    ¡°It is something I admire about the demons,¡± I said. ¡°I am sure almost everyone on the front lines was impressed when we saw them.¡±


    The students all relaxed and stared at me.


    ¡°The demons, on the day their people die, cry a lot. Like anyone would, they let out all their tears and screams, every last bit of grief they could muster. They mourn and mourn until some of them find it hard to scream anymore.¡±


    I could almost see those days again. The pain and grief that would make anyone watching falter. Even the hardest of demons cried their hearts out.


    ¡°And when the night falls, they build a pyre and cremate the bodies of the dead¡­¡±


    Unlike the Church of the Sun, which taught us to bury, the demons all cremated their dead. They were beings blessed by immense mana¡ªcremation was the fastest way to return to nature.


    ¡°But¡­¡± A smile started tugging at my lips. Right, I could almost see those days again. ¡°For the entire time the fire burns, they do not shed another tear.¡±


    As long as the smoke guided their spirits back to nature, every time the ones that had passed away looked behind¡­


    ¡°They celebrate their lives. With bright smiles and music. A celebration of everything the dead did. The demons reassure the ones gone that the ones who remain will live on¡­ that they will remember. As long as the fire lasts, they drink, dance, and be merry.¡±


    So the ones who looked back could go with an easy heart.


    ¡°How beautiful¡­¡± muttered Seren. ¡°I¡¯d like my life to be celebrated too¡­¡±


    Was it beautiful? In my eyes, it wasn¡¯t so.


    One last round of trickery for the dead. That¡¯s what it meant.


    My fists clenched tight.


    That¡¯s right. Those demons all tricked the ones gone. They hid the pain the ones who had passed by left them. They masked it, draped it. Was a single day of mourning and a single night of celebration enough to make up for a lifetime of memories?


    And so what if you cried today? Their absence invaded your mind when the ones you needed around weren¡¯t there anymore.


    A sigh left me.


    All of those were my opinions. There was no need to force it on these kids.


    I smiled at Seren¡¯s words.


    ¡°If you do good deeds, people will remember you with a smile. Be kind, and that should be enough. Any other questions, Seren?¡±


    The girl shook her head.


    I picked the chalk back up and turned around to the board. As I faced away from the kids, the smile that I wore was swept away.


    Today was shaping up to be a troublesome day.

 Chapter 36: The Deeper You Peek Into Glorenstein (4)

    The class ended. While the students were busy with the rest of the subjects, I decided to go back out to the city.


    It was a mess. I wasn¡¯t taking the demiurges lightly from the beginning. But to think they were bold enough to harm the people of the city.


    That too all the way back to last month. That alone was extremely worrying.


    Many thoughts rushed through my head as I made my way out to the city gates. Seeing the students had just made it worse.


    Last month, if something happened to Iaso. What would have happened? The result of that kind of situation couldn¡¯t not be messy.


    It was terrible to even think about.


    The whole city would have been upturned. Utter chaos. The Aegean Kingdom would have gone all out against the Empire, and if the Empire found out the demiurges?


    I shuddered just thinking about it. The war might just have resumed. A civil war to blame the demiurges. I could even imagine a massive pest control being carried out in the entire world.


    The war that had barely ended would just start again¡ª


    My feet came to a halt as I was about to step out of the building.


    The missing pieces in my line of thinking were coming together.


    I slowly turned on my heels and changed the direction of my steps. I had to go and sneak into Gladwin¡¯s office.


    ***


    There were two skills I considered most important during wartime.


    One was the ability to have a clear head and the ability to act despite how uncomfortable you were, and the other was the ability to hide and play dead whenever you needed to.


    Natural disasters, misfires, mistakes, monsters¡­ the enemy wasn¡¯t the only one after your life. A war was the act of going against nature, and it was natural that nature fought back.


    Those skills carried over.


    I didn¡¯t know how strong a man Gladwin was, but I was sure that I wouldn¡¯t be caught that easily.


    Even if he did find me out, I could always talk to him. For now, this was the best route.


    The room on the floor above the principal¡¯s was empty and dark. An office laden with mahogany furniture and walls all around, it was a perfect place for the grandeur of someone with his high rank.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    By all means, as far as the state hierarchy went, Gladwin was ¡®officially¡¯ my senior when I was still in the army.


    I gazed over the entire office from the door. He had no reason to lock it, Gladwin would, in fact, welcome intruders. What easier way was there to fish out suspicious people?


    But, unfortunately, those old things didn¡¯t work on me. My eyes went to the small devices around me, the magical circles that were all around, ready to register if someone tampered with his things.


    I reached into my pockets and pulled out a magic stone. It was a gift I had received from the archwizard, the apprentice of the Magic Tower master.


    I had met her on the front lines. Being friends with people came in handy during the times you¡¯d least expect. This device was rather simple but extremely effective.


    She said I had a penchant for getting into sticky situations, and that was why she made this. A simple stone similar to the one that blocked noise, but this one instead overloaded and temporarily blocked all magical items around me.


    It was very helpful since I couldn¡¯t use magic myself.


    The device sucked out some of my mana and gleamed a bright, blue glow. With it in effect, I strode into Gladwin¡¯s office as if I were out on a walk and started checking his documents.


    The thing I was looking for was nothing important, so it must be kept away so he wouldn¡¯t be bothered by it.


    The first place I checked was the cabinets behind his desk.


    {Periodic Report on Glorenstein City}


    {The city remains under observation. We have moved some manpower to verify people that move inside the city instead of ones moving outside to accommodate for the heightened tourist season.}


    {Periodic Report on Black Rose Classroom}


    {All the students continue to be docile and understanding. They can see the academy as a place to learn in large thanks to the accommodations made. We will continue to provide a safe environment}


    Documents with all kinds of titles and contents. My eyes scanned them and moved to the next.


    {Report on Result of Interrogation}


    {We were unable to retrieve a confession of any validity of the attacks being planned by the Aegean Kingdom. The point of contact is still suspected to be letters}


    Tsk.


    {Report on Glorenstein Academy Faculty}


    {Faculty has remained the same. All teachers are diligent with their duties. The chimera research in the White Graduate Lab is of continued interest. No oddities.}


    {Report on Professor Major Ethan Kalenice}


    {Continues to be an exemplary citizen. No point of concern. The Major is facing no troubles.}


    {List and Details of Changed Academy Staff¡ª}


    There we were.


    Details of the staff that had been changed in and out of the academy. I quickly ran a finger through it. The idiot had arranged them in alphabetical order by name.


    After a few more pages of flipping, I finally found it.


    The name, no, the role that I was looking for since the beginning.


    Right on the small grid was the name and the address of the person listed. The one person who could be the key to all my questions.


    It was time to head out.


    ***


    Gladwin Hark whistled as he went back to his office.


    Hearing that one of the professors of Glorenstein, especially one that taught physical subjects to the Black Rose had injured himself was of slight concern.


    Not for his health, no. But for other things. Thankfully, the visit seemed to have proven fruitless.


    There were no signs of anything strange with Professor Barnum. He was still healthy, if a little too tired.


    Gladwin stopped in front of his office gate.


    His eyes stopped on the handle for a short moment.


    The civil servant narrowed his gaze and pushed the door open.


    The office, dark as ever, hadn¡¯t changed in the slightest. It felt as if the mana in the air was just a little too high.


    But the devices he had planted were still functioning well.


    He shrugged and went back to his desk. There were many reports to write.


    If he was lucky, he might be able to sleep for a whole thirty minutes tonight.


    The life of a civil servant was tough.

 Chapter 37: The Deeper You Peer Into Glorenstein (5)

    Once more, I found myself on the outskirts of the city.


    Though the streets were still dimmed by the fog, the sun had started to fight back.


    I walked through the downtrodden paths at the edge of the city. On the seventh block behind the fountain square, a building that stood out even amongst the dilapidated houses around was erected.


    Long patches of wild grass had grown all around it.


    I stepped through the grass, pulling my hat low.


    The thin wooden door looked like it might fall off if someone gave it a couple kicks of love. The rotting planks that held up the structure weren¡¯t much better either.


    Tap tap, I knocked on the door.


    No response.


    I knocked again, a little harder this time.


    A sigh left me.


    Around the back was a window. I moved over to that spot. Dirt and dust had clouded on the glass pane. With the hems of my sleeves, I rubbed some of it away, but only darkness greeted me back.


    ¡°Guess there¡¯s no option¡­¡±


    The door was my only way inside. I held the handle tight and firmly pushed it with my shoulders.


    A snap rang as the wooden latch was rooted off its screws.


    ¡°Ahak!¡±


    Dust, a lot of dust came rushing right outside, along with a horrible stench. Even the city¡¯s sewers might smell better.


    I frowned and stepped inside the house, slamming the door shut behind me.


    Darkness was everywhere in this room. I couldn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°Matches¡­¡±


    Thankfully they were in my pockets. With a sizzle, a match lit up and the room around me finally registered to my eyes.


    Mold and fungus had grown at every corner of the house. I moved the match around and stepped ahead.


    My feet hit something as a rattle echoed in the room.


    The match blew off.


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    I lit another and lowered it to the ground. The entire floor was littered with bottle after bottle of alcohol.


    Alongside the bottles were dozens and dozens of booklets and flyers all over the floor.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The mark of three swords and a shield. I knew this one.


    A symbol of a radical group of people who wanted to bring down the monarchy. It was not uncommon to find such ¡®revolutionaries,¡¯ especially during wartime.


    But this symbol was one that even the revolutionaries did not like. It was nothing but a gathering of drunks and gamblers who blamed the world for their problems.


    The windows too. I couldn¡¯t see through them not because the room was dark, but because they were closed off with planks.


    Anyone with a sick hangover might do just that.


    I waded through the sea of bottles and the waves of dirt. The increasingly strong stench was my guide as I passed by another door and found the bedroom.


    There was no bed inside, only more bottles of beer and paper bags. An entire troop of cockroaches slithered out of them when a rolling bottle hit it.


    What the hell was this place?


    Another match.


    In the middle of this garbage treasury, a man was lying down on the ground.


    Calling him a man was wrong.


    A single half-drunk bottle of alcohol had fallen next to him, right between dozens and dozens of emptied bottles. Alongside them, a dried-out puddle of black, dried blood.


    I lit the next match closer to the man. Gray, loose skin, and a pile of bones. His hair was falling out, the only body part he could still move were his eyes and all the sound he could make was the small groans he uttered.


    He had cut his body in many places whenever he fell to the ground.


    It was a miracle that rats had not eaten him alive.


    The man was in no condition to talk.


    There was no doubt about it. It was the curse of the succubi. One that must have been ailing him for a long time. With no one to care for him, he was much worse off than Jackie¡¯s old man.


    ¡°How did Glorenstein ever hire a man like you?¡± I asked. It was pointless, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. ¡°Couldn¡¯t have gotten in without some solid connections, is that right?¡±


    I lit another match.


    I couldn¡¯t waste time on this guy. But I also couldn¡¯t leave him alone.


    If I left him alone, he would die. No matter how much of a scum he was, he would die.


    Deaths¡­ we had had enough of those. I took out a potion and administered it on his wounds first. He groaned and writhed in pain.


    This much was enough. I¡¯d ask Jackie to handle the rest, get him to a doctor.


    The match burned to the base and went off.


    Another.


    I was hesitating.


    But I couldn¡¯t afford to. Time was running out. Every moment was dangerous.


    I picked up the half-drunk bottle and rolled it in my hands, flipped it up to see the stamp at the very bottom.


    A sigh left me.


    I dropped the bottle and pressed my temple fingers.


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    This was the worst.


    ¡°Just¡­ haah¡­¡±


    ***


    I left the dying, cursed ex-janitor in Jackie¡¯s care.


    Everything I had to see, I had seen.


    Passing through the streets, my steps led me to the center of the city once more.


    In the battle between the sun and the fog, the fog had won and once again covered the city. It was only the din of the city that didn¡¯t stop whether it was rain or shine which kept me sane.


    Even though my steps were slow, the destination I was headed to came closer and closer until it was right in front of me.


    A place none would visit this early in the morning, especially not in the city of education.


    The overhead bells chimed as I pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    A sweet scent wafted through the air, inside the place lit up by small fires and lamps.


    The bar, one of the most famous in Glorenstein, had no one but me and the owner in the place.


    ¡°Oh! If it isn¡¯t!¡± He smiled and greeted me right away, gesturing at the stools on the counter. ¡°Too early for drinks, isn¡¯t it? Are kids that troublesome, young lad?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not the kids, never the kids. It¡¯s the adults that trouble each other.¡±


    I pulled a stool back and slammed two stones on the counter as I sat.


    ¡°Here to complain about your boss then? Just let me finish wiping these glasses¡­¡±


    The man tossed the cloth away and finally turned to face me.


    ¡°So! What can I get for you?¡±


    I looked back into his eyes. Met his gaze.


    ¡°How about the demiurges?¡±


    ¡°... What¡­?¡±


    ¡°Where are you hiding them, Mundus?¡±

 Chapter 38: Everyone Drinks Mundus Alcohol (1)

    ¡°Where are you hiding them, Mundus?¡±


    A silence lingered in the bar. Neither of us said a word, only stared at each other.


    Slowly, Mundus picked up a bottle of whiskey and started wiping it down.


    ¡°Another of your jokes, lad?¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll start with something else.¡± I turned my gaze down to the counter.


    I didn¡¯t know how to have this conversation¡­ Not with someone I considered a friend.


    ¡°Did you ask for the Aegean Princess to be killed?¡±


    Mundus flinched.


    Sighing, I leaned on the counter.


    That reaction was enough.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Ethan?¡± Mundus said, his voice low. ¡°If it is a joke, it is definitely not funny.¡±


    ¡°It was odd to me from the beginning.¡± Ignoring his words, I continued. If I continued like this, he would just get angry.


    ¡°Why would the General personally come over to the Academy if he was going to do something foolish like bribing the people inside? A contingency plan?¡±


    I turned to face Mundus again. He was glaring at me.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do something that foolish.¡±


    It was confusing to me from the very beginning. Why would the General come all the way to the academy? But I couldn¡¯t just dismiss it as the involvement of another party.


    Because the four idiots I had apprehended believed they were backed by the Aegean.


    Now, I had a clear view of things.


    ¡°You and the demiurges you are hiding have been here for a long time, right?¡± Mundus was shaking more and more.


    His eyes snapped around, looking for any opening. Maybe a place to run or maybe to fight me.


    ¡°The war ended, and Glorenstein Academy started changing. That was the source of your troubles. Dozens of new people from the Empire entered the city and started scouring through the place. Every inch, every corner.¡±


    That was what had caused the mistake in the first place. Gladwin and the rest of the civil servants were far too busy inspecting the outside of the city.


    That same outside where Mundus hid his demiurges. It became increasingly difficult to hide when the civil servants were busy sniffing out every single criminal like dogs would.


    ¡°You were scared you¡¯d be found out. Leaving the place was your best option. And you found a lifeline in the convoy from the Aegean Empire. The ones here for negotiation.¡±


    Was it a stroke of luck, or a deliberate use of their abilities? I didn¡¯t know the details. But this was what made sense.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°You found out that they were here for the Princess of Aegean and used the drunkard Janitor who frequented your shop to communicate with the criminals, didn''t you?¡±


    Mundus might have realized that there was no escaping. He stood still at my words.


    But there was something strange about this too.


    I only hit this conclusion when I thought about what would happen if the demiurges were caught as criminals for the Iaso incident.


    They must have thought so too. All they needed was an opening and a way to make sure the problem remained between the Aegean and the Empire.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll ask again, did you ask for the princess to be killed, or just captured?¡±


    Mundus gulped at my words.


    He sighed and pulled a stool from behind the counter as he sat down in front of me.


    This was good. This was better.


    I needed there to be a conversation, not violence. He still did not say anything.


    ¡°I know you asked for a capture. It is natural. Her death would have been extremely counter-productive. You only wanted an opening to escape, which would have come your way if the tensions between the two groups rose.¡±


    My mind went back to the hell of a room that I had been in just a while back.


    ¡°That Janitor bastard decided to tell them to kill her himself. He was an extremist who hated nobility. Your plans failed thanks to me, but they did what they had to do.¡±


    The very next day, the civil servants decided to revamp the academy from the inside instead of the outside.


    ¡°It brought you time. Their focus shifted from the city to the academy, and you could hide again.¡±


    Mundus placed a hand on the counter.


    ¡°Your entire argument for blaming me, is that the janitor is someone who drank a lot of my alcohol?¡± Mundus faked a laugh. ¡°Incredulous. You are framing me¡ª¡±


    I nodded at his words.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll tell you more. The day I arrived, you guys cursed another person, didn¡¯t you? The carriage driver who referred me to? Jackie¡¯s father.¡±


    Mundus reeled back. His eyes were trembling. If I didn¡¯t keep in touch with Jackie, then I would have never learned of this.


    ¡°He wanted to buy gifts for his daughter. He thought after dropping me, he could also go to you for an extra tip. That was also the day you had come back from your trip and he caught you with the rest of the demiurges.¡±


    Was he distressed? Maybe they were all worried about the increasingly difficult situation in the city. That was why they made that mistake.


    Mundus gulped again.


    I wasn¡¯t done yet.


    ¡°Well, even if not back then. You still had a chance to leave now. When the academy began once more, the number of people heading inside the city increased. That was your chance to escape.¡±


    Mundus shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re not right¡­ There is no demiurge here. I am the only one¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know there are more, Mundus.¡±


    I leaned closer over the counter.


    ¡°Probably someone young, since you guys made a mistake. That young demiurge was seen by one of the students of the academy, right? It was during the party four days back. There was no better time for you guys to leave. But someone had witnessed you guys. If not for that mistake¡­ I would have never known that there were demiurges in the city.¡±


    He continued shaking his head. He wasn¡¯t denying my words, but the situation.


    ¡°And you could have escaped that day. But you had to go back. You intoxicated her with alcohol and used a curse to wipe her memories out. She seemed like a weak child anyway. That last-moment change thwarted your chance to leave.¡±


    Because by then.


    The streets were flooded by the guards who were patrolling after the party. How could they not when the prince of a different country was drunk in the hotel?


    It made escape impossible.


    ¡°Your window hadn¡¯t closed. Whoever you guys were collaborating with would help you get into another city, right? You tried to move again the next day¡­ But the carriage drivers all over the city were taking the worst possible routes and you ended up encountering a drunk Professor Barnum.¡±


    Mundus stopped.


    He took in a sharp breath.


    Nothing I had said yet was incorrect.


    He raised a bottle of whiskey and smashed it against the counter. In one fell swoop, he lunged ahead at me, aiming straight for my neck.


    My hands grabbed his forearm before he could reach me. I twisted it and gently hit his wrist, making him drop the bottle.


    Without a second¡¯s delay, Mundus picked up a second bottle with his off hand and brought it down to my head.


    ¡°Just stop. It is useless.¡±


    His hands froze.


    I continued speaking, but this time in the demonic language.


    ¡°I alerted those guards to keep you hidden. Even the strange carriages were my doing. I couldn¡¯t let you leave.¡±


    Mundus dropped the bottle.


    ¡°You¡­ that language¡­¡±


    ¡°Mundus. Tell me where the demiurges are¡­ I only want to help you escape.¡±

 Chapter 39: Everyone Drinks Mundus Alcohol (2)

    Whiskey trickled into a glass as Mundus sat down again.


    He took a long gulp, downing the entire thing in a go before filling it up again.


    ¡°How do you know the demonic language? Are you a demiurge too?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Too? So you are one?¡±


    Mundus squinted in annoyance.


    He didn''t have the eyes characteristic of a demiurge. I would have never guessed it.


    ¡°Both my parents were demiurges.¡±


    He downed another glass in a go. Anyone would want to be drunk in his situation.


    ¡°I see¡­ are they¡­?¡±


    Mundus shook his head.


    Another silence filled the room.


    His parents had lost their lives. It was a stroke of fortune that Mundus inherited the eyes from their human side. Such an event didn¡¯t happen in first-generation Demiurges, but in a second generation, I could believe it.


    He broke the silence again.


    ¡°I don''t believe a human can speak the demonic language this well.¡±


    We were only speaking in that language. Maybe this too was a form of him gauging the situation, but what else could he do?


    He couldn''t escape from me. Even if he could, someone else might catch him and the other demiurges.


    ¡°I have not told anyone about any of this,¡± I said. ¡°But they can find out any time. Getting to Barnum was the worst, but there¡¯s still something we can do.¡±


    My words were sincere, but for him, it was nothing more than a What If.


    What if I was not lying? What if I was really on their side?


    If there was any other way to convince him, I would have. But other than the demonic language, I had nothing to show.


    Mundus¡¯ mind must have been a mess.


    His eyes were stuck on the counter, but he was not seeing it. His mind was in a struggle against itself.


    Mundus was lost for months on end and every moment had been full of risk for him.


    In that situation, with familiarity, I was dangling hope right in front of him.


    No matter how rational someone was, logic rarely won the tug of war against the two golden words called ¡®what if.¡¯


    He clenched his fists tight and loosened it, only to do it all over again.


    A clank rang as he put the bottle of whiskey down.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Why?¡± He said. ¡°Tell me that. Why?¡±


    It was my turn to look away.


    I hesitated too, just as much as he did.


    I reached out to the drinks close to me and picked up a bottle, snapping it open.


    ¡°I am tired¡­¡± I said. ¡°A decade of war. Eight of those years I was a part of it¡­ I don¡¯t even remember how many hundreds I killed with my own hands.¡±


    The taste of alcohol sliding down my throat made it a little easier to talk.


    ¡°I am just tired, Mundus. I don¡¯t want to continue this¡­ this cycle. If I can, I don¡¯t want to kill anymore¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­¡± Mundus scoffed at my words.


    That was right. I would laugh too.


    ¡°That is impossible. Right. Not killing anymore is not possible.¡±


    Both Mundus and I knew.


    ¡°That is why I try to save as many people as I can.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± It didn¡¯t take a second for Mundus to reject my words. ¡°Or rather, you¡¯re not telling the whole truth.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything in return, I didn¡¯t meet his eyes either.


    Mundus nodded to himself once more.


    After a long bout of silence, he spoke up.


    ¡°Ethan, if we follow your plan¡­ the kids, those demiurges¡ª¡±


    ¡°They will live.¡± There was no hesitation within me. ¡°Not as rats, not in hiding, not in the way they are right now. They will live like people should. I promise you this.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you. This plan of yours, I¡¯ll trust you.¡±


    ***


    The bar was closed, and the doors shut. The two magic tools I had with me were working without rest to keep any semblance of our voices from going out.


    I spread a map on a table as both of us looked over it.


    ¡°Your collaborator, where were they going to take you?¡±


    Mundus pointed at a city a little closer to the border from Glorenstein.


    ¡°Syrati, but we would all have to pass through the guards. Going to them now is impossible, I don¡¯t know how we will coordinate again.¡±


    So that was why he hadn¡¯t left yet.


    ¡°Demiurges?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Eventually, I¡¯ll have to go to them too. But for now, they were safer in that city than in Glorenstein.


    I picked up a pencil and made a mark on the map. The same one I had brought during the club exhibition.


    I couldn¡¯t have imagined I would be using it like this.


    ¡°You will have to go into the demonic lands.¡±


    Mundus sighed.


    ¡°I have gone to the borders. There is no way to cross it.¡±


    I made a mark with the pencil on the southern borders, near the place marked off as the third of the nine Forbidden Lands.


    ¡°Right here. The security is weak since it is close to the forbidden lands. Smugglers from the demons¡¯ side use it all the time, it¡¯s very low risk.¡±


    ¡°If they run into a smuggler?¡±


    ¡°Toss them some money and use their help, or fight them off. It won¡¯t be tough. They are all low-level anyway.¡±


    I continued tracing ahead with my fingers.


    ¡°Right here, just a little bit into the borders, you¡¯ll find a cave that opens up¡­¡± I scribbled on the cave and made a second mark much further inside the demonic lands. ¡°In this village, here.¡±


    Mundus tilted his head in confusion.


    ¡°There¡¯s no village there.¡±


    ¡°Not on maps, no. But I have lived here for three years. Even the demons don¡¯t know that it still exists.¡±


    ¡°Lived there¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. The place was destroyed once, but we rebuilt it.¡±


    I turned to face Mundus.


    ¡°If you get here your people won¡¯t be bothered by anyone. It¡¯s a smooth sailing journey, everyone there will accept you.¡±


    Mundus bit his lips.


    The problem was not with crossing the border or reaching the demonic lands. Though it would be long, it was a feasible journey.


    The real problem¡­


    ¡°How will we leave from Glorenstein¡­?¡±


    Mundus grew visibly distressed.


    Two citizens, one student, and one professor. Too many people had already been marked by the curse of the succubi.


    Even if they left.


    ¡°Gladwin Hark would figure out there were demiurges here,¡± I said. ¡°And if he does, he will chase after you.¡±


    Mundus¡¯ ragged breathing and his tapping feet shooed off the silence. He got more and more tense with each passing second.


    I didn¡¯t know how to have this conversation¡­ not with someone I considered a friend.


    That I would help demiurges, revealing this did not worry me.


    But this did¡­


    ¡°We must put an end to this right here,¡± he said. I couldn¡¯t look at him. ¡°They must know that there was a demiurge. And they must catch that demiurge, that is the only way they won¡¯t chase after the rest¡­¡±


    A thud resounded as Mundus slammed his head on the table.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡±


    A groan, a weak, desperate voice leaked out of him.


    ¡°A place¡­ a place where they can live like people¡­¡±


    There was no other option. To save the rest of the demiurges¡­


    ¡°Come back at sundown. I¡¯ll prepare everything¡­ I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    I was asking him to sacrifice himself.

 Chapter 40: Promise (1) [Mundus]

    Our sin was our birth.


    A sin so great that centuries of our lineage could not make amends for it. It was the selfishness between the two sides of the world that gave birth to us.


    The ones that had riches and abundance, but lacked the blessing of mana. The ones who lived in scarcity and encumbrance but were loved by mana.


    When the worst of those two sides united, we were born. How could a demiurge make amends for all that lived on this earth, was it not cruel?


    It was useless to think about these things, but I couldn¡¯t do anything else.


    I sat alone with my head buried in my hands. Ethan had just left the bar, promising to return at sundown after handing me a letter for the ones who would be reaching the village.


    Who could I blame?


    Who was to fault here?


    Was it not the world itself? But what was the point now? I already knew how unfair this world was.


    Biting my lips, I pushed myself off the table.


    Time was running out. I had already lived long enough. Something had to be done now.


    Neither for me, nor for this damned empire. But for the ones who were with me.


    This bar, this city, I was going to leave it all behind forever. Maybe someone else will take over.


    This place wouldn¡¯t miss me. Heck, it would scorn me.


    There was no reason to worry.


    I rushed up the stairs of the bar and went to my room, the place where I lived.


    There was no time. I had to be quick on my feet.


    First, I gathered all the money I had saved over the years. Everything. Every single coin in every nook and cranny of the room, I gathered it all.


    Making four different bags, I put away the mini-fortune. Each of the bags would last them for the journey. I had to make sure to put them at different places in case they made a mistake.


    The most important thing right now was to smuggle a second carriage outside of the city without leaving any traces.


    My friend said he would handle that, so I had to trust him.


    Instead, I started rushing around the building. I grabbed every empty barrel I could find and filled it with bottles of water and food.


    I stuffed them all and sealed them shut. It was strange, how very strange.


    With one step, my body felt light as if I had lost all control over it, and with the next, it became to heavy to move.


    It was not the weight of my bones, but of my heart. My breathing never really settled down.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    I was anxious. It was pumping.


    It felt as if my insides were rotting away. As if I was here and not here at the same time.


    But I didn¡¯t stop.


    I carried them all over to the back gate, so I could place them all in my carriage as the moment came.


    This much should be enough. For seven of them, children, it would be enough to last them the journey and then some more.


    I was sending them away, to a place I have never seen or heard of. Even maps did not have it. All I had to trust was Ethan.


    But if it was true¡­


    If it was true, they would be living a life I could only ever dream of.


    I grabbed another barrel and took it down the stairs, to the backgate.


    Strength left my knees again and I slipped down the stairs. The barrel tumbled with me as I fell atop it.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Tears threatened to spill out. There was no pain, yet I wanted to cry.


    Not yet. I couldn¡¯t afford to cry yet.


    I wiped my eyes and stood up. After placing the last barrel in place, I went back to the storage room at lower floor.


    The dusty place was filled with old goods and items. I went to the couch at the corner of the room and pushed it aside.


    There was a small door beneath it. A very small door.


    I held the handle and pulled it open.


    Gasps rang out from the dark place.


    ¡°Mundus¡­?¡±


    ¡°Grab your stuff and come out. We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the sun¡­ still up?¡± The eldest of the kids below asked.


    How old was he? Just seventeen. And that child spoke like a prisoner.


    ¡°Yes. Now is our only chance. We have to leave.¡±


    The kids below started to fumble around. In that place where the kids could barely sit with their heads lowered, I couldn¡¯t even fit.


    From their toys to their beds. Everything had been in that place. Even light was from them, with a single lantern being all they could use.


    Yet, these kids.


    They always smiled.


    One after another, they started streaming out of the gap.


    I took a glance at the old clock in the room. Sundown was just an hour away.


    Slowly, all the kids stepped out. Three girls and four boys.


    ¡°Come here, quickly.¡±


    I led them out of the store room and towards the backdoor, where I had gathered all the barrels.


    These small kids couldn¡¯t even grow. The oldest, Synac, was just seventeen, and the youngest Apin was barely 10.


    ¡°All of you, see this.¡±


    I hurriedly laid down the map in front of me and brought the kids around.


    ¡°Synac, do you remember what I told you about driving carriages? Can you do it?¡±


    Synac nodded. ¡°I have to drive?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You will have to drive. You have to drive with everyone else, alright?¡± I quickly tapped on the map. ¡°Lan, do you remember how to read maps?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Lan, the oldest of the girls, answered. She hesitated, scared.


    ¡°Look at this map. You will follow this marked route. You are smart kids, so I am sure you will handle it. This¡­ this border, it will be tough but you can cross it if you¡¯re on the carriage.¡±


    ¡°W-wait¡­¡± Synac interrupted my explanation. Lan and the other kids had a similar expression. All of them were looking at me with trembling.


    ¡°Where are we going, Mundus?¡± Pat asked. The mischievous boy was very timid today.


    I pointed at the mark, the place that would be their destination.


    ¡°Here¡­ once you reach this place, there will be no more need to hide when the sun is up. No need to live below the ground¡­¡±


    The kids gasped.


    ¡°Right¡­ you don¡¯t have to hide from people. You can make friends, go out and play. Maybe sometimes food will be scarce, but not always.¡±


    The kids looked awed, but the oldest of them had a different thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re not coming with us¡­¡± Lan muttered. ¡°Why? D-did we do something? Mundus, you¡¯ll come with us, right?¡±


    My breath got stuck in my lungs. I closed my eyes shut and took in a deep breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­ right behind you. If we¡¯re followed, it''s all over. So I will make sure nothing happens.¡±


    Lan shook her head.


    ¡°Now, follow what I say, ok?¡±


    I started again, telling all of them of everything they would have to do. At the border, and when they crossed over, to Ethan¡¯s letter for when they reached.


    Synac and Lan still had some complaints, but they held it in.


    The sun was about to set. We were almost due.


    ¡°Now, just a little longer, you¡¯ll have to hide. Go in the barrels¡­ go¡­¡±


    ***


    Ethan had entered the bar again. It was just me and him in the place. We had to leave before others came around.


    Ethan did not say a word, maybe out of consideration.


    ¡°Lad¡­¡± I called out to him. ¡°Promise me something¡­ No matter what happens. No matter what, you won¡¯t let anyone from here chase the kids.¡±


    Ethan looked into my eyes.


    ¡°I promise.¡±

 Chapter 41: Promise (2)

    Mundus and I loaded the barrels on a carriage and set off. It was just the two of us, sitting in the driver¡¯s seat as the carriage rolled through the streets of Glorenstein.


    We headed straight outside. Neither of us exchanged a word.


    The carriage came over the gates of the city. Two guards were standing at the post, inspecting everyone that went out.


    I had been here a whole month, and of course, I had made friends with them.


    Immediately, I put on a smile and a friendly face and greeted the guards.


    ¡°Mundus! And, it is¡­ oh, the Professor? What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Sick party that day, professor!¡±


    I was a little surprised that one of them was there. But what could I say?


    It didn¡¯t look like Mundus was in any shape to talk, so I took the lead.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading down toward Parna town. Going to drop this alcohol off. Should be back before midnight.¡±


    The guards only glanced at the rest of the carriage. Both I and Mundus were very trustworthy.


    Maybe Mundus was even more so than I was.


    ¡°Got it. Party there too?¡± the guard asked, and I grinned.


    He let us pass through the gates and off the carriage went.


    The smile on my face wiped away just as quickly as it had come up. I turned toward Mundus.


    ¡°You have a lot of connections, Ethan,¡± he said.


    ¡°Friends¡­ are good, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Friends? Wasn¡¯t everyone a chess piece to you? Someone to ¡®capture¡¯?¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, I only stared ahead.


    ¡°There¡¯s always some way to use everyone, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    I wanted to deny it. Say it was all genuine. But how could I? To say I had no other intentions would be a lie. I had different motives, everyone did.


    Did that make the connection worthless?


    I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°You know, Ethan?¡±


    The further we went away from the city, the more vigor Mundus¡¯ voice gained.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°These eyes of mine. People said it was a stroke of luck that I inherited the humans¡¯ eyes.¡±


    Mundus whipped the horses.


    The trees started to grow denser as the city walls became smaller and smaller.


    ¡°It was no luck. It was a curse. I was cursed by these eyes.¡±


    His words, his actions, they were not of those that a dying man would hold.


    I see. He had strengthened his resolve.


    All this time, I was worried about saying things to him, but not doing so now would just be disrespectful.


    ¡°Magic¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°Luck, fate, it all follows the laws of nature. You give something, you take something.¡±


    Finally, I turned to face Mundus for the first time.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°What did those eyes take?¡±


    Mundus whipped the horses again.


    His hands were trembling, ever so slightly.


    ¡°My mother wanted me to be educated. Live a normal life. But it was impossible. As long as both of them were around, it was impossible.¡±


    A child of two demiurges.


    What kind of life must his childhood have been?


    ¡°She taught me herself, whatever little she could. Stole some books if she got the chance. It was such a long time back¡­¡±


    I only listened to his words.


    ¡°It made me curious, a bit rebellious. Even though they warned me. Over and over to not go outside. To not meet with people, I did not listen. I was just a child back then.


    ¡°It was the worst. I met a band of merchants. Humans heading into the city. They saw me and thought I was a lost child. One of them. My worried mother chased behind me, and they discovered her.¡±


    I pursed my lips.


    I had seen the treatment demiurges received all the way on the frontlines.


    ¡°Villagers with pitchforks, guards with their spears, anyone and everyone in that town chased my mother and father down.¡±


    Mundus grit his teeth as he spoke. His hands which were trembling from fear a moment back now quaked with rage.


    ¡°I can still see that day, Ethan. The way they all put my parents on stakes and pelted them with stones until every part of their bodies bled. They scorned them, and then eventually burned them alive. I can still hear her screams¡­ But do you know what I hear more?


    ¡°It is the way the people called her a ¡®kidnapper.¡¯ They thought they were bringing me justice, that my parents had kidnapped and stolen a human¡¯s child. All because of these¡­ fucking lucky eyes.¡±


    We were almost at our location. I could see the carriage close by.


    But my ears were still with Mundus. Lending him a listening ear was the least I could do.


    ¡°And what then? What after they brought me ¡®justice¡¯? Those fuckers all abandoned me. They left me on the street, and then kicked me out calling me a beggar¡­¡±


    The carriage slowed down. We had reached a wide clearing in the forest path. The road would fork down the line, one toward Parna and the other toward the borders.


    Mundus brought the carriage to a halt.


    He dropped the reins and turned toward me.


    ¡°I took in every demiurge child I could find when I grew up. The ones behind are the result of my life of struggle¡­ I wished to open an orphanage, Ethan. I thought I could live with kids who had lost their parents, and make a safe, happy place for them.¡±


    But that dream was being stolen too.


    Neither of us said anything more.


    Now was not the time.


    We got off the carriage and moved to check the new one. It was a little smaller than Mundus¡¯, but it would do the trick.


    ¡°It¡¯s good, how did you get it?¡±


    ¡°I brought it off a caravan going the same way.¡±


    Mundus and I moved back to the first caravan. He pulled the curtains away and started pulling off the lids of some of the barrels.


    He had hidden the kids inside.


    Two of them, seemingly the oldest, cautiously looked at me and took to the head of the new caravan.


    ¡°Ethan, let¡¯s move them.¡±


    I went over and carried the barrels filled with rations and supplies to the other one.


    We had to destroy this caravan to avoid every suspicion.


    ¡°Lan, do you have the map?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    One by one, Mundus started talking to every child. He went over to them and hugged them tightly. He was not crying, not trembling, not anymore.


    I reached into my pockets and pulled out a pair of glasses. There wasn¡¯t a way to get sunglasses here, but stained glasses worked.


    ¡°Synac. You¡¯ll be driving most of the time. Always wear the robe and keep yourself safe, okay?¡± Mundus patted the oldest boy¡¯s shoulders. I went over and handed Mundus the glasses.


    ¡°These¡­?¡±


    ¡°They are made from stained glasses.¡±


    Mundus handed it to Synac.


    ¡°The ones you will meet there are all this mister¡¯s friends. Take, take these glasses and keep them with you.¡± Mundus, like a father to his child, put the glasses on the boy. ¡°Hide your eyes until you get there. Always keep them hidden.¡±


    Time was running out.


    Mundus said his goodbyes to all seven children, and I took a step back.


    ¡°And this¡­¡± Mundus pushed a final barrel toward the children. ¡°All of you are strong kids, tonight, no one will cry, okay?¡±


    The kids nodded gently.


    ¡°T-there is¡­ some alcohol in this. Synac, Lan¡­ Keep this safe for me, alright?¡±


    The two eldest kids nodded.


    Mundus finally moved back with a smile.


    ¡°It is time to leave.¡±


    The kids kept staring his way, and he waved them off.


    ¡°Synac, go.¡±


    At Mundus¡¯ words. The wheels of the carriage finally moved forward. The boy at the front whipped the horses and slowly, they started moving.


    In the blink of an eye, the carriage made a distance between us.


    As it went further from sight, I stepped away from Mundus and reached into my case.


    I pulled out a sword, a pure white blade that had lasted me for years, and tossed my bag aside.


    Slowly, Mundus turned toward me.


    He wore a smile.


    Right.


    He had hardened his resolve.


    ¡°Ethan¡­¡± he said. ¡°I will ask you again. Why do you do this?¡±


    ¡°It is because¡­¡± What was there to hide now? ¡°I wish to see a world where both sides are at peace.¡±


    ¡°Is it an ideal? Those always fall through, Ethan. Dreams, just stay dreams. I am proof of that.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°It is not an ideal. It is a vow.¡±


    Mundus nodded.


    The night had deepened.


    The tumultuous day was coming to an end.


    The fog that had covered the city since the morning was finally starting to lift.


    ¡°Ethan¡­ I¡­ I really¡­¡±


    His chest swelled. He took in deep breaths.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to die,¡± he said. ¡°There is only one way¡­ I will kill you here and go chase after the kids¡­¡±


    A friend.


    A demiurge.


    ¡°I am sorry, Mundus.¡±


    I sighed and raised the blade.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you chase them. I promised my friend.¡±

 Chapter 42: The War Is Over [Volume 1 Finale]

    The ones who lacked mana but had great control and variety in their magic, and the ones who could only cause destruction and corruption but were blessed with immense amounts of Mana.


    Demiurges possessed the best of both worlds.


    Natural fighters. By all means, if they were ranked only by their potential.


    Demiurges would be at the top of the food chain.


    Mundus¡­ was not going to be an easy opponent.


    ¡°I am sorry it has come to this,¡± said Mundus. ¡°You are just a soldier, right? I consider myself quite strong¡­ it will be impossible for you to survive.¡±


    A scoff left me.


    Before I could answer, the world around me changed.


    In the blink of an eye, dozens of magic circles etched themselves into the skies. Mana coalesced around each of them as a white glow traced their patterns, giving birth to magical phenomena.


    The battle had already begun.


    I stomped my foot forward and charged ahead.


    The many magic spells all took form at the same moment. Balls of fire and spears of condensed lightning shot at me from all directions.


    I swung my blade and intercepted the attacks. No matter what came my way, it was all sliced in half with the swings of the sword.


    My pace picked up. With minimal movements, I dodged what I could and cut down the rest.


    Mundus had only started. Another spell was already completed under his feet.


    He placed his hand on the spinning green magic circle and the movement of mana changed once more.


    The ground.


    The roots of all the trees around us started to move. They all gathered under the ground and merged into one.


    Simple elemental magic in the hands of someone who could fire them off without any worries became troublesome.


    Like a soaring serpent, the whip of roots tore through the ground. It made waves, gouging everything in its path out.


    The ground under my feet was uprooted as the enormous whip swerved upward and launched me off.


    I flew up high in the sky, above the trees.


    Dozens and dozens of more magic circles were waiting for me at the top. I immediately twisted my body and swung the sword in an arc.


    The sword cut through the very air, sending a crescent of wind outward as it sliced all the magic circles.


    I turned mid-air again, looking down at the ground once more. The whip of roots was chasing after me, but I paid it no heed. My eyes narrowed, scanning through the trees.


    I found Mundus preparing a dozen more spells. It was truly insane how much mana he had.


    The sword flipped in my hand. The grip changed as I arched my back and hand.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    I threw the sword ahead with all my might and it cut through the air like an arrow.


    The whip of roots came up to me. I used it as a foothold and lunged off the air, straight toward Mundus.


    The sword shot straight toward Mundus. It pierced through every single magic circle he had made to protect himself.


    Mundus snapped to the side as the cold blade grazed his right cheek. Before the sword could stab into the ground, I grabbed it.


    Shocked, Mundus turned to his left, where I already stood.


    ¡°When¡ª¡±


    I drove the hilt of the sword straight into his jaw.


    The man tumbled back from the pain, and I followed. I didn¡¯t let the gap between us increase as I stepped ahead. My hand stretched out toward his collar when I noticed a red glimmer in the corner of my eye.


    A last, tiny magic circle had survived. A black spark shot out of the circle and touched my gloves.


    Demonic Magic. It was a corrosive spell called hellfire that didn¡¯t stop burning until it reduced what it had caught to dust. That alone must have taken immense amounts of his mana.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    I didn¡¯t stop driving my hand ahead. Almost simultaneously, as the spark touched me, I grabbed my glove with my sword hand and yanked it out.


    Mundus¡¯ eyes widened as the glove flew off my hand and touched his clothes. It was already too late to stop it for him.


    I grabbed his collar and pulled him closer. I twisted my entire body and¡ª


    BOOOM!


    ¡ªThrew Mundus away.


    The trees in his path snapped in half, and the sheer force of air left lines through the ground. Curved up like a ball, Mundus flew from the middle of the forest to where we had left the carriage.


    A complete clearing had formed in front of me as I left the carriage and everything else in smithereens.


    It had caught on fire too. The hellfire had spread from his clothes to the carriage.


    Smoke wafted through the air as Mundus spat blood and pushed himself up. His body was slowly burning.


    ¡°Soldier¡­ my ass¡­¡±


    I narrowed my eyes and lowered my blade as he spoke. Even though he could only groan, I could hear every word.


    ¡°You¡­ you didn¡¯t even use a shred of your mana... What kind of monster are you?¡±


    He was acting strange. Even though he was burning alive, he hadn¡¯t given up.


    Mundus raised his hands up high. He stuck his thumbs out.


    Tears streamed down his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± like a madman, he groaned.


    This guy¡­


    Magic, everything followed the laws of nature. To gain something, you had to give something. Mana usually replaced the role of this sacrifice.


    But a greater power could be attained by giving up a greater sacrifice.


    Mundus wailed, he cried.


    And then he drove his thumb straight toward his eyes. The eyes that had been the greatest of his fortunes. He was ready to give it up.


    ¡°AAAH!¡±


    He screamed out loud, but he couldn¡¯t gouge out his eyes. I rushed straight in front of him and cut both his arms off.


    A mouthful of blood spilled down his lips. With a soft thud, both his arms fell to the ground.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    He had lost. He couldn¡¯t do anything anymore.


    Mundus¡¯ feet lost strength as he fell on his back, right on the burning remains of the carriage.


    ¡°You monster¡­¡± he said. ¡°That power¡­ just what did the world take from you?¡±


    I did not answer.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    I only raised the sword to his neck.


    ¡°I kept my promise, Mundus.¡±


    Mundus showed me a pained smile and nodded. He tried to speak, but all that left him were gasps. He couldn¡¯t accept death.


    Who would?


    ¡°I am sorry¡­¡±


    Before the fire could spread above his neck, I lifted the sword up high.


    ***


    Immense waves of mana had alerted the ones in the city. It was a disturbance on the level they hadn¡¯t imagined could break out in Glorenstein.


    Even the smallest of threats were of utmost importance, and this was way beyond something small.


    The sheer amount of mana flying around made even Gladwin nervous.


    He thought of informing Ethan but realized soon how conceited a thought it was. Gladwin immediately got to work. He had to see what was going on.


    He forbade every professor who could sense what was going on from stepping out of the academy and forced them all to guard the students, especially the kids of Black Rose.


    Along with the other civil servants, he rushed to the source of the disturbance.


    A lot of guards had reached the place as well. Well outside the city gates, the forest path that led to the town of Parna now had a fire rising through its center.


    Gladwin and the rest were about to charge in when they noticed.


    A single man stepping out from the woods. In one hand, he held a case, and in the other, gloved hand, he held¡­ the head of a person.


    The man emitted an immense pressure, an aura that made all of them freeze in their spots.


    Slowly, the man raised his head and noticed them. His cold, soulless eyes mellowed down in an instant.


    The tense air around him disappeared like a dream as the man wore a pained, wry smile.


    ¡°Professor Ethan¡­¡± Gladwin called his name, his eyes on the decapitated head the professor carried. ¡°This¡­¡±


    Ethan raised his hand and held the head toward Gladwin.


    ¡°A demiurge,¡± he said. ¡°I handled it.¡±


    Gladwin, surprised, took the head from the professor.


    ¡°Professor¡­ the blood?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t mine.¡±


    The professor started stepping ahead once more. All the city guards in his path stepped away out of fear and awe.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Gladwin asked a moment too late, but there was no answer.


    The situation had been resolved before he could even reach the site¡­


    His subordinates all stared at the head in Gladwin¡¯s hands.


    ¡°This is¡­ Mundus?¡±


    ¡°The alcohol seller? He was an insect?¡±


    ¡°The professor must have gone easy on this bug.¡±


    The last remark snapped Gladwin back to his senses.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gladwin asked.


    ¡°Look, he¡¯s smiling.¡±


    Gladwin took another glance at the head in his hands. Even in death, he wore a smile.


    Gladwin couldn¡¯t understand. He didn¡¯t feel any mana that might have been brought about by the professor. Fighting something that could shake up Glorenstein, was going easy?


    He stared at the fire in the distance. His eyes traced the cloud of smoke rising to the skies.


    And he froze.


    Far off in the skies.


    An enormous cloud¡­ was cleaved in two halves.


    ¡°You might be right¡­¡±


    ***


    The door to my room shut behind me.


    Quiet, everything was far too quiet.


    My heart trembled as I stumbled through the room. Blood stuck to my hands, my clothes, my neck.


    I rushed straight to the bathroom. Vomit surged from my neck and gushed out of my mouth.


    Again.


    I had done it again.


    They had started again. Slowly at first, all around me, I could hear them.


    Crawling up my feet. Slithering up my back. The voices whispering in my ears, screaming at my heart.


    I could hear them all.


    [How did we end up here?][Don¡¯t-don¡¯t kill me!][Ethan, you must run][You used us!][You left us behind!][You have to live. You have to survive.][Burn these demons to the ground!][Kill them all! Massacre them!][I found you half dead.][Human? We don¡¯t care.][Just a kid, you need to eat more][Hey, do you want to live with me when you grow older?][Kill them! These traitors!][They¡¯re hiding a human!][Traitors! Traitors! Death to traitors!][No! Leave my child! Leave my daughter!][Mom! Help!][Ethan¡­ save me¡­][Why did you bring the war to our doorstep?][You were supposed to have our backs, not turn on us.][I followed your orders, and it cost us everything.][Save us! I know you can! You can stop them! Please!][Please, no more. Make it stop.][I trusted you, and you betrayed us all.][You have to push through! Don¡¯t let their deaths be in vain.][The two sides of this world¡­ can never be together.]


    And now¡­


    Another had joined in¡­


    [Funny young lad¡­] [You¡¯re a charming man.] [Why do you do this?] [Promise it.]


    [Ethan¡­ I don¡¯t want to die.]


    I closed my eyes shut.


    No. I couldn¡¯t stop.


    Not yet.


    I had done all I could. It was good. It was a step closer to my goal. It was all the more reason I couldn¡¯t stop.


    Until this world became one where everyone could live like a person.


    Until the two sides of the same world became one¡­


    Until I fulfilled my promise.


    I couldn¡¯t stop.


    The voices never stopped. I forced them out of my mind and looked ahead. Into my eyes.


    The war may be over.


    But my work wasn¡¯t.

 Post Volume Author Note and A Request!

    Hello everyone!


    Thank you very much for reading APO to the end of the first volume. All of you are the real MVPs of this story. If not for you, it would have never found its footing. I cannot express with words how grateful I am for every one of your support.


    With the end of the first volume, I thought now would be the best time to talk about the story.


    As it was before, the story of APO is always going to be a character-centric, mostly a slice-of-life tale. But at its core, there are some questions that it presents. To achieve your goals and dreams, your ideals, one must frequently go against them. Is a victory achieved like that truly worth it? Is it even a victory? And is there no other way? These are the dilemmas that are present throughout the tale, but of course, most of it will always be about the effects of war and how it affects our dear professor and his students.


    With the climax of the first volume, there must be some questions. I would address the most probable ones here.


    What is with the sudden tone shift?


    The story was always planned to be this way. But don''t worry, this is always going to be going on as a parallel plot and most of the time will be spent in the classroom with a light-hearted, feel-good atmosphere.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    What is the power system like?


    The power system has been largely hinted at in the last few chapters, but the coming chapters will be diving deeper into them, especially from the view of the students. There must certainly have been ways to explore more of the power system while keeping with the characters and plot in the first volume, but I was not able to do so. For that, I sincerely apologize. I will do my best to develop my skills and bring you the best experience.


    What is the world like?


    The world-building has mostly trickled down through dialogues and some sentences, with the general view of it pretty clear. It is divided into two halves between the humans and the demons. We will go deeper into the finer workings of this as well in the coming chapters.


    I would also like to address another thing.


    The chapters in the first volume will be edited to make the prose tighter, but there will be no change in the update schedule. We''ll still have new chapters everyday at 8:30 GMT!


    Finally, I would like to make a request to all of you.


    With the end of the first volume, I request that you drop a review or a rating on RoyalRoad or ScribbleHub. The reviews and ratings will mean a whole ton and will extremely help us with the exposure at this starting time for the story.


    I hope you will consider it.


    If there is anything about the story at all that any of you dislike or would like me to improve upon, please let me know. I will do my best to correct it. I wish to write a tale that everyone can read with a grin and remember with a smile.


    I will do my best with each coming chapter to bring you an even better story.


    Your support means the world to me.


    Thank you very much.


    Cerealissoup

 Chapter 43: Stop Time! (Volume 2 Start)

    ¡°I feel a little lost at times.¡±


    I rested my elbows on the table and sighed.


    ¡°There is progress, yes. Each day passes and I feel closer to where I wanted to be, in some way. Even if it takes a long time, I will get there, yes. I am sure. But, I sometimes wonder¡­ worry¡­ no, I fear¡­¡±


    My head hung low. The purple cloth on the table and its mystical embroideries that were no less puzzling than the scribbles of a toddler only made me speak more. Or maybe it was the coin that I had put down.


    The shadows cast on the tents moved even if I didn¡¯t. The flickering flames of the candle held that ability.


    ¡°You fear¡­?¡±


    ¡°I fear that I will forget. When the destination is behind me, will I remember the steps I climbed? The hurdles I crossed? The hands¡­ that stayed behind to push me forward?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I see, you are afraid.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I am sure I can be a good professor who gets along with his students, but the process of it feels far too fulfilling to fear forgetting.¡±


    The woman with the crooked nose and more wrinkles on her face than the hair on her head waved her hands around. She grabbed a handful of powder from god knows where and tossed it on the candle.


    Orange, green, yellow, red, the color of the light changed with our every breath.


    ¡°You fear forgetting!¡± The woman said. ¡°I have just the thing for you.¡±


    It was here.


    The moment of truth had come.


    The woman reached below the table and slammed down a small, black box.


    ¡°It is this! Believe it or not, for the cheap price of two hundred gold, you can¡­ stop time itself.¡±


    I narrowed my gaze.


    ¡°What? Tell me my future or give me some skill or something?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The woman tilted her head at my words.


    ¡°What?¡± I followed. ¡°Are you not a shaman?¡±


    The woman suddenly ran a hand down her face and the wrinkles all started to peel off, only to reveal a youthful look beneath. Her head which looked like a despondent field was suddenly full of hair.


    ¡°I am no shaman! Do you believe in stuff like that, professor?¡±


    I was stumped.


    ¡°Who are you then?¡±


    Two more heads popped in from behind the tents. Young kids that I had seen walking around on the campus many times before. All three of them looked to be Grad Students.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°We are students of the academy, of course,¡± said one.


    ¡°This is a booth we made to test our startup. That box, we call it Dodak.¡±


    I had been walking around the school grounds for a light stroll when the sight of a curious little tent tucked away under the shade of a tree grabbed my interest.


    A fortune-teller somehow being inside the academy was impossible. So I thought it was finally my time. I had been another-worlded for far too long to go without a cheat item or a skill, it should have been my chance!


    But it was just some students. Damn it, I should have thought this through.


    Sighing, I looked at the box again.


    ¡°This thing¡­ Dodak was it. What do you mean it stops time?¡±


    The air of mystique that they had set up was completely gone, but the three kids¡¯ excitement and claims were enough mystery for this cramped tent.


    One of the three, a dwarf, grinned and slapped a long, thin sheet on the table. It was something I had seen only in movies a long, long time back. Film used for photography.


    They were blurry, small, and astonishingly low quality, which was somehow still better than videos on a certain site at 144p.


    Admiration was due, and I was surely impressed. I had seen magic supplementing long distances with the help of an innovative spell that allowed long-distance video calls during the war. It was strictly a military gadget to be used by the Freedom Alliance.


    But images, cameras like this, were pretty interesting.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very impressed¡­¡± the elf boy complained.


    ¡°No, I am. It is very impressive, how does it work?¡±


    The kids smiled and got to explaining the mechanics of the camera. It was very primitive, to my surprise. As soon as one pressed the shutter, it would open the block on the lens and the image would then pass through it to get burned on the film behind it.


    I had to hold it still for thirty seconds to let the exposure settle in. After that, they would take the film from me and then dip it in a solution made of their ¡®secret¡¯ alchemic formulas and hand it back to me, with the images developed.


    I wanted to talk about the logistical nightmare it would be to have to do this every time someone wanted to take images, but that wouldn¡¯t be good for students.


    I also wanted to tell them how the military had probably not just squashed their invention long back, but had, quite literally, crushed it to bits with their video technology. It was only a matter of time before they¡¯d start making images too, much better than these. But that wouldn¡¯t be good to talk to them about either.


    Instead, I decided to speak on something else.


    ¡°Two hundred gold? That¡¯s my yearly salary in this place. Who can even pay that much here?¡±


    The kids all looked away.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t think that far¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still in the test phase.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s revolutionary¡­¡±


    No one was going to buy it. No one would be interested just yet.


    ***


    Soft sunlight kissed the grounds of the Glorious Glorenstein Academy. Under the rustling leaves, I made my way back to the dorms with a new black box in my hands.


    A few days had passed since I said goodbye to Mundus.


    Even though it was quite the incident, the world kept spinning. A few rumors had spread through the city. Mundus¡¯ being a demiurge, and the handling of the case by Gladwin and the other civil servants.


    They reported me as someone who had discovered it and dutifully informed the authorities. Or at least that was the public perception.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time this had happened. I expected it, welcomed it even.


    There were no signs of any other demiurge around, the security had been tightened a notch, and the people who were affected by the demiurge were all given treatment.


    Glorenstein was peaceful again. It felt a little ironic to say so, but it was the truth.


    Once more, my thoughts had become those of the students. It was the best this way.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    On my way back, I noticed a girl with silver hair staring at a tree. The aloof girl, a priestess of the Lunar faith, was blankly staring at some leaves.


    It was rare to see her outside in the early morning. The timing was great too, angle and everything.


    I silenced my feet and stopped myself from talking to her. Slowly, I bought the item I had just purchased to the front and aimed the lens at her.


    With a click, the shutter flipped to the side and the camera started working its magic.


    A magic that would eventually make me lose two hundred gold.

 Chapter 44: A Thousand Words

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

 Chapter 45: Brewing Trouble

    I wanted to start right away, but unfortunately, I had someplace to be.


    This would be a long process, so I told Lumine that we¡¯ll go take pictures tomorrow. I was looking forward to what happens down the line. Even if she didn¡¯t end up making friends in the classroom, as long as the girl wasn¡¯t lost, I was going to be satisfied.


    Not everyone needed friends. Not everyone wanted them either.


    After leaving Lumine behind, I found myself in front of the administration building.


    I was called over to the Principal¡¯s office, where our usual meetings happened.


    I climbed the stairs of the buildings, passing by and greeting each of the busy admins working their way around.


    Naturally, the one I was going to meet was the one who held true power in the academy. Gladwin Hark, a manager under the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.


    He hadn¡¯t called me to his office, which meant he had no idea about my break-in. Mundus had, thankfully, also taken care of every smallest thing that could allude to the presence of the kids or myself in the bar.


    The investigation didn¡¯t bring anything suspicious either.


    There was nothing to worry about. My crime was perfect this time.


    I stopped in front of the door to the office and was about to knock when it swung open.


    A woman with long brown hair stood on the other side. She wore a labcoat that snugly fit over her short figure, a telltale sign of her half-dwarf blood.


    ¡°Professor Ethan!¡± She said, looking up at me. Short as she might seem, this lady was very well achieved. No one in the faculty did not know of her.


    Even I, who had only met the other professors a mere two weeks ago, knew her.


    How couldn¡¯t I? She was¡­ the undisputed poker queen of our first-ever Annual Glorious Glorenstein Pre-Entrance Ceremony Poker Competition (faculty only)!


    ¡°Professor Denadis. It has been a while.¡±


    Professor Denadis nodded. She had an extremely bright smile for someone who had just stepped out of the principal¡¯s office. Her constant nods were almost cute.


    ¡°It has. Oh, I heard about the incident¡± She immediately changed her gaze. ¡°It must have been shocking, getting tricked like that by those things. Thank god Mr. Gladwin was around.¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Those are things of the past, let¡¯s not bother ourselves with the depressing stuff.¡±


    Denadis smiled again. Her scruffy hair bobbed with her head every time she nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, Professor Ethan, I must get back now.¡±


    ¡°Of course. It seems things are going well?¡±


    ¡°They are! The chimera-research lab has never been livelier.¡±


    ¡°That is great to hear. I won''t hold you up anymore.¡±


    The professor turned away and walked off. My gaze lingered on her for a second before I pushed the door open once more and entered the office.


    Just as ever, sitting at the desk was the principal, Kurt; and on the couch was the civil servant, Gladwin Hark.


    Both of them greeted me with a stiff nod. The principal is more so. He felt a strange sense of responsibility for a lot of incidents related to demons.


    Four people had been cursed by Mundus. Principal Kurt, being the man who had headed a paper on Demonic Mana, a curse that one of the demon king¡¯s generals used, thought there might be a way to counter this too.


    Unfortunately, the magic that Demons used was the same as the ones we did.


    I decided not to talk about this and greeted them both. Gladwin pointed at the couch, and I took a seat.


    ¡°Professor, how are you feeling?¡± Gladwin asked, a bitter smile on his face. ¡°I am sorry about the way it turned out.¡±


    That¡¯s right.


    Most of the credit had been given to Gladwin. Nothing was said outright, but we had declared that ¡®Gladwin Hark handled and wrapped up the case.¡¯


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t the first time it had happened. It was smart of the empire to be cautious.


    He also had an explanation for me, though.


    ¡°We had to veil the incident as a sting,¡± Gladwin said. ¡°It would have caused diplomatic trouble with the other countries, but thankfully we managed to say we had it under control. I really apologize that it has to be this way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it at all,¡± I told Gladwin. ¡°In fact, I welcome it. How is Professor Barnum doing?¡±


    Gladwin¡¯s smile only grew softer. He looked like he was touched by my kindness. Of course, I knew better than to ever drop my guard around him.


    There was a reason that this man was sent to the volatile academy out of every other civil servant the Empire had.


    ¡°Professor Barnum is going to be in attendance, but he will take a while to recover.¡±


    A moment of silence filled the air. Gladwin took the chance to pick up a kettle and poured tea into three cups. He placed one in front of me, dragged one toward himself, and stood up to give the last one to the principal on his desk.


    As Gladwin sat back down, I decided to come to the point.


    ¡°What did you need me for?¡± I asked.


    Gladwin¡¯s gaze narrowed.


    He leaned ahead and pushed a small envelope toward me.


    ¡°This is information we have received from the intelligence of multiple countries.¡±


    I flipped the envelope open and pulled out a letter from within.


    ¡°As we expected,¡± Gladwin said. ¡°The presence of the nobility has become of great interest for some of the scum in the world. Criminals and cultists from not just the Empire, but the whole world are turning their gazes this way. The war¡¯s end is the best time for them.¡±


    A few names on the list of groups were rather recognizable. Even during the war, there had been some disturbances on the inside.


    ¡°I wanted to alert you. We will handle all of it, but you should know that we plan to use their interest.¡±


    ¡°Use it?¡±


    ¡°We will lure them out and crush them all. Please stay on the lookout for the students, Professor Ethan. Enemies from the outside could come in at any time.¡±


    I pushed the letter back into the envelope and placed it on the table.


    ¡°Got it,¡± I said.


    It seems some interesting things are going to happen soon. How fun.

 Chapter 46: Lumine (1)

    Dawn, the next day.


    I woke up and sat on the side of the bed. The curtains let a bit of morning light pass into the room, and the music from the gramophone boomed loudly.


    A sigh left me. It was peaceful.


    How different were these days from back when the war still raged on? Sleeping would have been a nightmare back then if not for the Wizard from the Hero Party¡­


    Times like these made me remember my friends. I wonder if they were doing alright, everyone in the hero party too. Their letters were far too infrequent.


    I stretched my hands above my head and shimmied my toes. It was really peaceful.


    I had nothing much to do today. Gladwin and the rest of the civil servants would update me when they had more information on the groups and their movements.


    Though I shouldn¡¯t, I was hoping some of those criminals made their way inside the academy so we could have some fun, but well.


    I sighed and pushed myself off the bed.


    Another slow, peaceful day had begun.


    A kind of day that I could only wish for these last eight years.


    Only wish for.


    ***


    Lumine Ador stood in front of me. The silver-haired priestess of the Lunar church wore a simple white blouse and a long, pleated blue skirt. She had her hair tied in a bun as she excitedly¡ªher face still stone cold¡ªlooked around the flower gardens.


    I watched her with the camera in my hands. For some reason, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away.


    What was this¡­? Was I just seeing things or was my skill Lumine Meter finally updating? I could swear I saw dog ears drooping out of Lumine¡¯s head.


    Come to think of it, if Iaso was the picture of a cat, then Lumine seemed like a dog. I would have said another cat with how quiet she was, but Lumine lacked the quality of being a tad insufferable.


    That¡¯s right, she was a Japanese Spaniel, the middle ground between cats and dogs.


    Lumine tilted her head as she looked my way. I shook off the thoughts and reached into my coat. ¡°If you want to take pictures, Lumine,¡± I said. ¡°You have to dress the part.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    I pulled out a beret and slapped it on her head. It was perfect for her hairstyle. Next, I reached into another pocket of my coat and pulled out a fake mustache.


    Lumine looked at it and shook her head, but I couldn¡¯t compromise on this detail. It was very important. We had to look like true auteurs now that we had the grand responsibility of handling a low-quality yet inventive camera.


    Lumine shook her head further frantically, she was intent on not wearing it, but I was prepared for this.


    ¡°Haha!¡± I laughed an evil laugh and reached into my coat again! This time, I pulled out another beret and mustache and wore them myself.


    ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Lumine snorted as she looked at me. She covered her mouth, holding in her laugh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty to laugh!¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll wear your mustache too!¡±


    Or so I hoped. But she didn¡¯t fall prey to my peer pressure. In the end, I was the only one who had to walk around with the beret and the mustache.


    My first order of business was to teach Lumine to click pictures.


    I let her grab the camera and pointed at the flower field.


    ¡°We have barely used any, but this has enough film for a hundred or images. We should start with a picture of the flowerbed you¡¯ve worked hard on.¡±


    Lumine flipped the camera in her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s 200 gold, by the way.¡±


    She flinched and changed her grip. Just a mention of the price was enough to make her treat it like an idol of god.


    Lumine lowered her head.


    ¡°Anyway, taking a picture is pretty simple. You just point the camera at your target and press the shutter button here.¡± I showed her the button and guided the lens to the flower field. Lumine was too stiff to have full control of the camera.


    But this much was enough, she looked to be having fun.


    Lumine carefully pointed the camera at the flower from where she stood. She had no regard for camera angle or the lighting, it was pretty endearing to see.


    The first one, she could take herself.


    The girl tapped the shutter and held it that way for thirty seconds. Once it passed, she let go and turned to me. It felt as if she would hop in excitement, but she didn¡¯t.


    I smiled at Lumine and praised her.


    ¡°Good! We¡¯ll be able to see this very well when the film is developed.¡±


    She looked happy. I was glad the proximity was paying off in some way.


    ¡°Remember, the best photographs are candid. Take them when no one expects it. Alright, now let¡¯s go and get some photos in!¡±


    And while we are at it, let¡¯s go make sure Lumine doesn¡¯t have a hard time in the classroom.


    ***


    My plan was rather simple. I will use the images as an excuse and drag Lumine around to the people of our classroom.


    Her image was pretty solid in the class¡ªa girl that doesn¡¯t speak. And when spoken to, act¡¯s haughty.


    If someone could act haughty in the presence of people like Ier and the Saintess Candidate, I would like to meet them. By all means, Lumine was not rude but misunderstood.


    But the world wasn¡¯t kind. If things continued, the classroom¡¯s opinion of her would change into that of a person who thinks too much of herself. Then to that of a person who always gets in trouble, and eventually to that of a person who was a total asshole.


    It may be her fault, it was definitely a problem with her communication, but that doesn''t mean we disregard what caused it.


    If she was not comfortable speaking, she was not comfortable speaking. Whatever path she chose, I planned to help her. If my presence could ease the wounds from the war even a little, I was happy.


    Today, we would go around and take pictures with most people from our Black Rose Classroom. They will stick around because I was the one calling them, and when they see Lumine diligently doing her best to take pictures, they would all be impressed and have a gentler opinion of her.


    That was the plan.


    Until it got ruined before we even met the first person.

 Chapter 47: Lumine (2)

    The camera came loaded with enough film to get a hundred snaps. I thought I¡¯d teach her a little bit about camera angles and lighting, so for that, Lumine and I first decided to picture some animals around the city.


    Lumine kept glancing at me. My mustache and my beret made me look great, but out of place. In any case, my face did not suit a mustache¡ªor a beret.


    Walking around the academy grounds dressed like someone straight out of a play or a circus earned me a bunch of snickers from the distance.


    Some of the students I had met at Jeremy¡¯s party noticed me and waved our way as well.


    Lumine and I found ourselves near the fountains at the central plaza of the academy. It was still early in the day and very few people were around. Wait.


    It was early in the day. Weren¡¯t classes still on?


    ¡°Are you playing truant?¡± I asked Lumine.


    The girl turned her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good. You should attend your classes.¡±


    Lumine pointed at me. She seemed to be saying ¡®I am with a professor, that¡¯s not truancy.¡¯


    It was a gotcha moment. I didn¡¯t say anything more. Truancy with a professor¡­ well played.


    Pigeons and sparrows held regular meetings near the fountains. When people were not around, the bird parliament assembled atop the lavish statuette of the sun-god¡¯s first priestess and discussed their future.


    It was quite an important historical moment for all birds. Their economy above the skies of Glorenstein all depended on this.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, we should picture that to commemorate the moment.¡±


    Lumine meekly tilted her head. Her idea of pictures was much different than mine.


    Of course, both of us knew that ¡®stopping time¡¯ was semantics. But that did not take away the novelty of the perspective.


    Lumine looked at me. My Lumine-meter told me that she was ¡®what¡¯s the point?¡¯


    ¡°We are here to figure the point out. Of course, I also want you to take better pictures.¡±


    Lumine, who had the camera in her hands, shrugged and went to the right. She pointed the camera at the bird-senate, and by extension, pointed it at the sun.


    The more light exposed to the film, the better; but if you pointed the camera directly at the sun, it would just leave a bad glare on the film.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Haah¡­ not like this.¡±


    I guided Lumine to fix the camera position. Not directly at the sun, not directly behind it either. We avoided the pitfalls of glare and backlight by making the picture not too bright and not too dark.


    Next, I told her to lean and hold the camera low. I didn¡¯t know how it would look on a legacy camera like this one, but lowered angles made things look bigger.


    Lumine snapped the picture.


    We both stood together and looked at the camera.


    Until it was processed, there was no telling how good it turned out. In the end, we both sighed and decided to get some other pictures.


    We were about to head out, when it happened.


    A person in crutches walked towards us. The rugged man with a stubble and thick mustache was someone I knew.


    ¡°Professor Ethan? Your makeover is great.¡±


    I smiled at his words. This person, an ex-knight, was Professor Barnum. He taught a practical class on real-life battle experience and was also the person who was hit by the curse of the demiurges.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I grinned. ¡°You look better now, professor.¡±


    ¡°My back still hurts, but I am much better. It would have been too late if it wasn¡¯t for you, professor.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°That is not the case. I only expressed my doubts about what I had seen in the front line.¡±


    Barnum nodded.


    ¡°It must have been God''s will. We avoided a messy situation. I still don¡¯t know what memories Demiurge tried to erase, but at least it is nothing important.¡±


    Barnum chuckled at his words. He looked like a friendly neighborhood man, the image was only solidified in my head since he was older than my father, the current count.


    We all reasoned that the curse must have erased the demiurge¡¯s true identity.


    We were immensely lucky that no cursed one regained their memories. If they remembered and talked about the presence of the other demiurges, I would have had to step in.


    Barnum thought the air had become too stuffy and turned to the girl next to me, but his smile disappeared as soon as he saw Lumine.


    ¡°S-student Lumine¡­¡± Barnum muttered. ¡°How surprising. I didn¡¯t expect to see you with the professor.¡±


    It was a confusing reaction.


    ¡°Is it surprising?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is. You two are the very opposite of each other.¡±


    I glanced at Lumine from the side of my eyes. She didn¡¯t seem to mind the professor¡¯s comment. I didn¡¯t want him to inadvertently say something that could be considered rude.


    ¡°We are not. We are best friends, right Lumine?¡±


    Lumine flinched.


    ¡°Friends? You truly make friends with everyone, Professor Ethan!¡±


    I noticed it. The soft, momentary flinch. It wasn¡¯t at Barnum¡¯s words, but mine.


    I chuckled at Barnum¡¯s words and continued talking with him, but my eyes were still on the girl. I cut the conversation short and Professor Barnum left for his way.


    When he was out of earshot, I turned to Lumine.


    ¡°Are you all¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªProfessor¡­¡± Lumine interrupted me before I could speak. ¡°I should go to class.¡±


    She was perfectly fine not going but changed her mind now.


    Lumine turned away and started walking off without saying another word.


    ¡°You can skip it if you want. I¡¯ll take the blame¡ª¡± I was cut off once again. Lumine firmly shook her head.


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Please stay in your lane.¡±


    And with those words, she walked off.


    Wow, ok. That was a little rude.


    It was said that the mouth was the door that brought disasters. This was the first time I had experienced the disastrous words of Lumine that had alienated her from the class in mere days.


    Were it anyone else, they wouldn¡¯t have noticed.


    Were it anytime sooner, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed either.


    I had spent far too many hours with Lumine to not be able to tell her expression, so I knew. This was the most expressive I had seen her.


    I told myself to have a chat with her the next time I saw her¡­


    But Lumine did not come out of her room. Not at dawn to water the flowerbeds, nor in the morning to attend class.


    Lumine had completely shut herself inside her room.

 Chapter 48: Lumine (3)

    ¡°Ken?¡±


    ¡°Present.¡±


    ¡°Lumine.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Yet again, no response came back as I took the roll call. My classes that had perfect attendance all this time had finally caved in, and student Lumine was nowhere to be found.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to let a situation like Iaso happen again. I knew she had locked herself in her room, and verified it myself. It was a relief, but that didn¡¯t make the situation any better.


    I held in a sigh and continued class. It proceeded smoothly with the students being the same as ever.


    I was noticing more and more of the kids these days. They had started to feel comfortable in the classroom, and that made me happy.


    Except for Seren.


    ¡°Professor, what¡¯s their economy like?¡±


    ¡°Prof, how do demons reproduce?¡±


    ¡°Yo, ya got a girlfriend?¡±


    The more comfortable she became, the more annoying she got. I wasn¡¯t discouraging questions, that first one was great! But the last one? Yeah, that¡¯s a no-go.


    I chided Seren, and she momentarily changed back but would revert soon enough. It had become a battle of endurance.


    Anyway¡ªthe class ended soon and it was time for the students to go out. They were the ones changing classrooms to a laboratory for alchemy this time.


    Elara Danube stopped in front of the teacher¡¯s desk and waved a bunch of papers in her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done all the paperwork, professor. Everyone in the classroom will be joining our new club¡­ Except for one person. I pushed the joining form under her door but didn¡¯t get it back.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Elara had proposed that we make a club for the class when the Club Hunters were making their rounds. I had agreed to take on the role of the advisor for them.


    The class¡¯ golden-haired commander said she was making a place where all these people¡ªthe hostages of the Empire who would fit in with the other students¡ªcould do their own thing. I knew she had different plans.


    Elara¡¯s drive was not hidden from me.


    She was someone who was born in the weakest kingdom on the continent, she was trying to up her influence.


    Out of all the students in the classroom, she and I were the most similar.


    I took the documents from Elaran and glanced at them. All the official matters were handled cleanly. I would just have to drop this with the admins and could start the club within a week.


    To be honest, this was work for the Black Rose. The school would have no choice but to bend over backward for their every wish. Elara didn¡¯t make it a concern, but rejection was not an option.


    ¡°Wait. The purpose of the club is to study the effects of plush toys on the psyche of different species. What?¡±


    Elara shrugged, her cheeks were tinted a slight shade of red.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t decide what to write. It was not me, Zacka suggested the purpose.¡±


    Zacka? That dwarf whose muscles could win against a bear in a wrestling match? I would have believed her if she said Rosentea or Atlas, but this was definitely a lie!


    I guess the school would have to bend over for their wishes. Thank god rejection was not an option.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll handle this. Plush toys are great.¡±


    ¡°Plushies are the best.¡±


    I looked at Elara and she averted her gaze again. Caught in the act this time, girl. Give up.


    ¡°Student Elara¡­¡± I called out to her before she could leave. There wasn¡¯t a reason to, but it didn¡¯t hurt to ask. ¡°Do you know anything about Student Lumine?¡±


    Elara nodded. ¡°She¡¯s the priestess of the Lunar sect, right? I heard she is very popular, they say her blessings make money rain.¡±


    Elara traced her eyes back to the classroom, at the empty front seat where Rosentea sat. The Scential family was a merchant group loyal to the Lunar sect.


    ¡°Aside from that, anything about her past?¡±


    ¡°About her past¡­ Well, I don¡¯t know anything, but I can write a few letters if you want.¡±


    ¡°You would?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a small thing if it can make you owe me a favor.¡±


    How cunning. For a child, she had a great eye for people.


    Unfortunately, the Danube family¡¯s information network was nothing compared to my friend circle.


    ¡°My letters would work faster and better, so I¡¯ll have to say no this time.¡±


    Elara smirked and raised her hands. She seemed amused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it then, professor,¡± Elara said as she turned on her heels and set off, but stopped at the door. ¡°There¡¯s something your letters won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look back.


    ¡°I hear her sobbing in her room.¡±


    With those words, Elara left.

 Chapter 49: Lumine (4)

    I disliked teenagers.


    Friendliness was my passive skill. I was friendly to teenagers, but I disliked them.


    They were prone to mistakes, hasty for achievements, hard to understand, and easy to die. It was the worst bunch of qualities one could ask for in a soldier.


    Even the Duke of Blood and Iron thought I would desert this academy and had to trick me into joining.


    I was not blind. The events that led to Lumine Ador locking herself up all happened in front of me.


    We were out taking pictures.


    Professor Barnum ran into us.


    He seemed perturbed when he saw Lumine, but that did not affect her.


    Next, I called her a friend. Not just any friend, but a best friend. Playful as it may be, that was enough to make Lumine dash off.


    If the problem was something tangible, then I would have been able to handle it easily. But clearly, the issue lay in Lumine¡¯s past.


    If she continued like this for long enough, the Empire might get suspicious. And even if she avoids that suspicion, she would never really get along with the other students.


    It was troublesome.


    I crossed my hands as I strolled around the academy grounds yet again with the camera in my hands.


    Lumine¡­ a priestess whose blessings bring immense fortune and success. She was the hand of Midas for more than a few influential people in this world.


    I had a lot to gain by bringing her to my side.


    Progress was slow right now, but as my plans took shape, I would need a lot of things. Money, influence, power. While I steadily built all of it up, it was never enough.


    Not to mention, there was always a hindrance that stopped me from gaining any kind of influence. It wasn¡¯t something I disliked, I welcomed it.


    There was more than one way to bring Lumine to my side. If she was truly trying to shut herself away from the world, extending her a helping hand would take me a long way.


    I could make her dependent on me, and then move not just her and the Lunar sect, but all the followers of the sect as well¡ª


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    My thoughts came to a halt.


    A girl had just stepped out of a bakery. She had black hair, twitching cat ears, and held a bag of cookies in her hands.


    Iaso, the girl, snapped her head side to side as she looked for anyone who might know her.


    ¡°I-a-so!¡± I called her name out and raised the camera. Iaso shook her head around again, startled at the sudden voice.


    What a dork. She wasn¡¯t looking behind her.


    ¡°Pspsps!¡±


    Iaso immediately turned back and found me. The cat call always worked.


    I waved and gestured at her to stay still for the picture as I pressed the shutter. Iaso, though, had other plans. Her face contorted in rage and jumped over at me.


    ¡°You bastard! Stop mocking me!¡±


    ¡°W-wait! The picture, you¡¯ll ruin it!¡±


    Iaso swiped her claws at me and I stepped back to dodge them. The picture was completely ruined.


    I kept dodging and she kept trying to attack before we both ran out of breath and stopped.


    ¡°Haah¡­ haah¡­ why do you always do that?¡±


    ¡°It works on cats.¡±


    ¡°Professor, if I didn¡¯t like you¡­ haah.. I would have buried you in the ground...¡±


    ¡°I am honored.¡±


    Iaso opened the paper bag slightly and extended it toward me. She liked the cookies way too much, so I refused. Why was she hiding it if she didn¡¯t mind getting caught? Or did she not mind getting caught since it was me? It was a puzzle that was best left untouched.


    Iaso and I decided to head back together. She asked about the camera, and I gladly explained. She wasn¡¯t very impressed, the idea that it was just an inferior, almost ugly version of portraits seemed prevalent.


    The world had magic, so I could understand why they had a bigger appetite for ¡®portraits appearing on the film with a button¡¯ than in my old world.


    ¡°Professor, what is happening with that Lumine girl?¡±


    Iaso dropped the question at an odd time. Right when I was conflicted about what to do.


    I put up both my hands behind my head and sighed.


    ¡°She seems troubled,¡± I said. ¡°She hasn¡¯t left the room for days now, right?¡±


    Iaso shrugged.


    ¡°She asks the maids to bring her food, and avoids everyone else¡­¡±


    It was troublesome.


    Iaso turned her gaze away from me with a smile. ¡°You know, professor. I was thinking about what you said, about needing a hand.¡±


    I stopped in my tracks. Iaso didn¡¯t notice me as she continued walking.


    ¡°You were right,¡± she said. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t helped me back then¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have survived¡­¡±


    Iaso turned on her feet. She turned to me with a bright smile. A very bright smile that no camera would capture well.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    I ran my hand through my hair and sighed.


    Haah¡­ stupid, stupid Ethan. What were you thinking? The Mundus incident had shaken me up more than I thought.


    Eight years ago, I was helped by people without any reason, without any conditions.


    So what if I had my goals? So what if I wanted the world to change in some way? Did that mean I would use everyone for my goal?


    No.


    What was the point of something like that? I was helped eight years ago without reason, and I planned to help whoever I could without reason.


    That was the only way I could keep their spirit alive. I never needed to think this much.


    ¡°That¡¯s rude of you, professor.¡± Iaso glared at me. She had just thanked me and I started laughing. That was very rude. But, the next moment, her expression mellowed down. ¡°You¡¯re planning to go help her?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t solve things for someone else, but I could lend them a hand.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Iaso sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t keep your nose to yourself, can you? You¡¯ll get in trouble like this one day.¡±


    I was already making an enemy of the entire world, what more trouble could come my way?


    ¡°If that happens, it¡¯ll be my turn to ask you for help, alright?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± she said. ¡°Want a cookie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take one.¡±

 Chapter 50: Talking without Speaking

    The problem here was words. Communication, if I was to be more general.


    Lumine didn¡¯t only mess up communication, she also actively avoided it every chance she could. She was thorny and tacit. Despite being with her almost every morning, I had merely had her speak thrice.


    The same words kept creating trouble for her, to the point that someone like Professor Barnum walked on his toes around her and everyone else in class didn¡¯t mind her absence. They probably welcomed it to some degree.


    She wasn¡¯t without blame. If I wanted to give her a hand, there were many things to consider.


    That said, the issue right now was still communication.


    Thankfully, I knew more than one way to communicate with someone. You didn¡¯t need to speak to someone to communicate, from pictures to letters, they were all forms of communication.


    I got to my room and started setting up my stationery on the table. It was time to get to some work.


    I first poured some ink in my pen, then I neatly laid out a colored paper with some pretty borders.


    And with that, I started working.


    It was a little difficult to decide what to write. I wrote some words then scrapped it.


    It was the first time I had been this split about a letter. While I was still scribbling on paper after paper, a few knocks rang on my door.


    ¡°Come in, it¡¯s open,¡± I said. There was really only one person who would come to my room.


    The door swung open and my good friend, the vice principal, Richard entered the room.


    As ever, he made himself home right away. Richard rushed straight to my kitchen and made some tea.


    ¡°What are you up to?¡± he said. After he had made his tea. He didn¡¯t make me any! This little!


    ¡°Where¡¯s mine?¡±


    ¡°No really, why are you throwing so many papers?¡± Richard seemed shocked. He had seen me breeze through most letters, but this one was tough. ¡°What is troubling you?¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    I stopped moving the pen and flipped it in my hands. I was conflicted about how to approach my student, and in front of me was someone who I considered a great teacher.


    I turned my chair around and pointed at the bed. Richard nodded and took a seat.


    He attentively looked around and took the first word. ¡°Are you maybe writing a letter for inside the school? I told you not to do that the last time.¡±


    ¡°Inside the school? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Is the letter for the student council? You should visit personally.¡±


    What the hell? Why would I write a letter to a student council?


    ¡°I will visit them personally when I need to,¡± I said, a little confused. I made a mental note to probe into this more at a later time, for now, there was a pressing question.


    ¡°Richard,¡± I said. ¡°I need your help with one of my students.¡±


    Richard raised his brows before straightening his back.


    ¡°So something was troubling you. How can I help?¡±


    ¡°There is one student who pushes people away all the time,¡± I said. ¡°It is to a degree that people slightly dislike her.¡±


    Richard nodded as I talked about Lumine. I never mentioned her name, but told him all the details I could. About how she was thorny from the beginning, how she never spoke with others, and then how she started avoiding me and locked herself up.


    Richard crossed his arms when I finished explaining the situation. He closed his eyes and hummed before smiling at me.


    ¡°Tell me, Ethan. You make friends without any trouble, don¡¯t you? Aren¡¯t you ever afraid of being judged?¡±


    It was a sudden question.


    ¡°Judged? Not really. If someone dislikes me, I just step away.¡±


    ¡°Right. Your social awareness is off the charts, so you don¡¯t worry about this stuff. Well, do you ever judge someone, Ethan?¡±


    I smirked.


    ¡°Why would I?¡±


    Richard snapped his fingers. ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. I know you are around adults most of the time, so you must not be used to such a frontal display of emotions. Kids don¡¯t wear many masks to hide what they feel. Their emotions are frequently overwhelming.¡±


    ¡°No masks¡­ you mean to say, there is a relation here?¡±


    ¡°People who judge others are usually the ones who feel the most insecure, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± I said. ¡°I have seen far too many of such people.¡±


    ¡°So what about people who push others away?¡±


    Ah¡­


    ¡°They are frequently scared of being pushed away themselves¡­¡±


    Richard¡¯s words didn¡¯t feel like a big revelation. They weren¡¯t. But I was never able to put a finger on it in Lumine¡¯s case. There was something in her past, that made her speak less and avoid others.


    Voluntarily or involuntarily, there was a high chance that she was left behind.


    ¡°I think I know what to do,¡± I told Richard.


    ¡°Will you be able to write the letter now?¡± He asked.


    I picked up a piece of paper from the desk. ¡°I finished while you were making tea.¡±


    ¡°Then what was all this about?¡±


    ¡°Reassurance.¡±


    ***


    That night, I found myself inside the students¡¯ dormitory.


    I had killed my presence completely and avoided the gazes of the knights. As long as I wasn¡¯t in their eye-sight, I wasn¡¯t going to be caught.


    I reached the door that said Lumine Ador and slipped a sheet of paper underneath.


    I didn¡¯t want to disturb the other children, so I left. The next few days were going to be very early days for them.

 Chapter 51: Lumine (End)

    {To,


    My friend Lumine.


    Your presence in the classroom is missed. As a teacher, I cannot condone your actions, but as a friend, I say take as much time as you need.


    I have been doing my best to take care of the flowers in the flowerbed at dawn. I have no experience in this line, so observing you has been all I have to go on. The flowers seem to be blooming for now, but I worry for the Azaleas, the shrubs don¡¯t seem as vibrant as ever.


    It must be the weather, but if there¡¯s anything that I may be missing, I hope you can help me.


    Best,


    Ethan


    }


    .


    {To,


    My friend.


    I have not heard from you since yesterday. Since then, the leaves have started to fall and I have noticed the stems of the shrub seem brittle. You always stayed a moment longer on the Azaleas. Are they missing something?


    I will be asking the gardener of the Academy today, but I worry that he might not be able to help much either. I do not think there are any other plantations in the academy with these Azaleas.


    Best,


    Ethan.}


    .


    {To,


    The Respected Professor.


    My words friends My! presence brings misfortune. My words are not meant for a friend''s ears and my presence is not meant for people.


    Please stop and leave


    Please don¡¯t talk.


    I don¡¯t deserve to be called a fri


    I appreciate you trying to talk to me all the time, professor, but I avoid you for your own good. If you are close to me, then you will be faced with great misfortune.


    Azaleas do not grow in this place, in that soil. I planted them personally and sustained their bloom with my blessings. These plants that I lingered a moment longer with became close to me, their death is not something that can be avoided. It is their eventuality, their fate. The fate of everything that comes around me.


    Please do not contact me further. I say this for you.


    Lumine.}


    .


    {To,


    My friend.


    A fickle thing, words are. They exist to ease communication, yet are the greatest patrons of miscommunication. I am sure no one is a stranger to their nature. Words may serve to trick others, and sometimes even yourself, but the page is not tricked by words or its intentions. The page accepts it all and weighs the words without bias or judgment, without prejudice or preconceived notions. The page is the most fair arbitrator and the most patient listener.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    If your words are not meant for your friends, then say them to the page. Your friends shall read.


    If your presence is not meant for people, then do something meaningless. People shall adjust.


    You say your presence sealed the fate of the azaleas, yet it is your absence that is killing them. Your words may be tricking others, but they trick you the most.


    Help those flowers live.


    Best,


    Ethan.}


    .


    {


    I was a child when I became friends with a priest¡¯s daughter. Lily, her name was. We used to hold hands and stroll through the flower fields. Her favorite blossom were the Azaleas.


    The clergy then, one day, said I was blessed by Goddess Luna. That my prayers can reach her ears and move her heart. That if I were so much as touched by someone else, I would lose my ability, that I would fall out of her favor.


    A child is not foolish, professor. I knew that their words made little sense, so I tried to be with Lily, and one of the church''s patrons found out.


    They cut the arm of her father.


    They sent her and her parents away to the frontier. Told her to never show her face here again.


    But I did not stop yet, I sent her a letter, I tried to talk with her. ¡®Your words bring misfortune,¡¯ she said.


    I have tried.


    Do you think I have not?


    I have reached out more than once. What do you believe that led to? More tragedies.


    I am the priestess of the Lunar goddess. Like the sun and the moon do not meet, I cannot meet with the people of this world.}


    .


    {The flowers have died.}


    .


    .


    .


    Lumine ran out of her room as she saw the letter. The maids and knights posted outside the passageways did not stop her as she rushed out.


    She ran down the stairs. Her heart raced.


    The gray skies, the cold air, none of it entered her mind.


    She had to see.


    She had been too attached, she had to see. With her own eyes. Once, she had to see.


    Lumine rushed out of the dorms and turned to the flowerbeds and¡ª


    ¡°H-hey! Stop overwatering it, Lady Rosentea!¡±


    ¡°You do not know business, Prince. The more the better.¡±


    ¡°Bloom, dear flowers.¡±


    ¡°Wow, the saintess just doubled those azaleas¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, nerd¡ªAtlas, which flower is this one?¡±


    ¡°Flowers that bloom, even in this gloom¡ª¡±


    ¡°Someone shut that lute bastard up!¡±


    It was a sight she had never expected.


    The flowers that should have been dying by now were all in full bloom.


    Lumine couldn¡¯t believe it. Everyone in the Black Rose classroom had gathered and were looking after the plants. Chaotic, but practiced. As if they had been at it for a few days.


    A loud snap broke Lumine out of her thoughts. She turned to her side, and saw the professor with the camera in his hands.


    Her eyes widened.


    ¡°Professor¡­¡±


    ¡°You finally stepped out,¡± he said.


    ¡°You tricked me¡­¡±


    ¡°Lumine, even the sun and the moon meet. Have you not seen an eclipse?¡±


    Lumine couldn¡¯t say a word. The professor had started quoting her own words.


    ¡°Is it too fleeting?¡± he asked, then raised the camera. ¡°Leave that to the gods. The sun and the moon have been around since before hate and love, before the two sides of the world, before humans and demons. For them a fleeting moment repeats longer than a lifetime.¡±


    The professor then raised the camera again.


    ¡°They won¡¯t mind you getting along with others. You too, can make your eclipse last a lifetime. Just trap it in this camera.¡±


    Lumine lowered her gaze.


    ¡°The azaleas did not die, because your other friends were still around. If you can¡¯t fix things alone, rely on them.¡±


    Lumine shook her head.


    ¡°I have been rude¡­ I can¡¯t.¡±


    The professor smiled brightly.


    ¡°Then you absolutely can¡¯t keep running from them, right?¡± The professor slowly reached his hand out, and placed it on her head. ¡°Take one step, those small moments you build now will last you a lifetime.¡±


    The professor pushed Lumine ahead and stepped back. He raised the camera again.


    And captured the moment.


    With all his students.


    All of them.

 Chapter 52: Red Dahlia Class

    A day before the professor finally managed to get back the perfect attendance score under his KPI, another thing happened with the rest of us in Black Rose Classroom.


    Wow, I said ¡®us.¡¯ Hard to believe as it was, with each passing day, I had started to fit into the classroom. It wasn¡¯t difficult, I only had to sit back and act like a dead man.


    That was me, Atlas Whisper. A little dog in this den of lions. How did I end up in a den of lions despite being a little dog? Well, let¡¯s say that the respectable vice-principal of this academy is not as respectable as he is punchable.


    Returning to the point¡ªsomething was happening in the Black Rose Classroom.


    It started with an announcement from our instructor for battles, Professor Barnum, who had very recently injured his back.


    ¡°There is an assessment between multiple classes for our subject from tomorrow. Every class will be competing with another class. You guys are paired up with the Dahlia classroom, so prepare well.¡±


    Some of us gasped and some of us were excited. It was shocking.


    We were being pitted against other classes for a fight. It was an unexpected situation, and many of the students were looking forward to it. They wanted to see how they would fare in the academy that curated the best of the best.


    but that was the end of it.


    It should have been.


    The classes for the day ended. The students were about to head out of the classroom when the door opened with a bang. I flinched at the loud noise. Being in this classroom for the last few weeks wasn¡¯t without its benefits. I had developed my own ¡®trouble¡¯ senses and I could tell¡ªthis was trouble.


    A group of students stormed into the classroom. Four students, all dressed neatly in the school uniform, anyone would believe they were members of the class from their confidence alone, but one thing set them apart from us, the badge of a red dahlia that gleamed on their blazers.


    ¡°This is the Black Rose classroom¡­¡± A man with a sly smile stepped forward. His narrow eyes behind his glasses glanced over the classroom.


    ¡°How quaint. For a building made in a rush, they went the extra mile,¡± a girl from the group crossed her arms and made a note. ¡°It almost feels unsuited for people like you, Lady Scential.¡±


    The girl with brown hair stared daggers at Lady Rosentea Il Scential, one of the most powerful figures in our classroom.


    I had no idea what was going on. That was when someone next to me smirked. To my side, my seat partner and the only other person who sat this far back, Lady Elara Danube leaned ahead on the desk and smiled at the sight.


    ¡°How funny. That girl is the heiress of the Dragon¡¯s Eye Merchant group, they are a competitor of the Scential.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I muttered. Lady Elara glanced at me for a moment before looking ahead. She asked, ¡°What do you think is going on?¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter what I thought. I was just a little bird stuck inside an airplane race. Making it out alive was enough.


    ¡°You are right,¡± Lady Rosentea raised her paper fan and covered her face below her eyes. ¡°This place is quaint, and your crude presence ruins it. Speak your purpose and leave.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± the girl clicked her tongue. She was to charge ahead in rage, but someone stopped her. The girl from the Dragon Eye clicked her tongue and stepped back.


    The sly man from before stepped up again.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°I apologize for the misconduct. I am Tynor Doors, a member of the Red Dahlia class.¡± The man bowed and introduced himself to the classroom. ¡°You all know of the assessment scheduled between our classes. We just came to suggest a friendly competition as students.¡±


    ¡°Competition?¡± Prince Ier interjected Tynor¡¯s words. He was the only one here who could match up to him. ¡°It is rude of you to storm our class and say all this. We don¡¯t have any reason to compete with you.¡±


    Tynor bowed again. I had heard that the academy policy was to not treat students as students despite their status outside of the academy, his actions were very formal for this place.


    ¡°What if I say there is a reason? Have you heard of the Chalice of the Fallen Heaven?¡±


    Gasps rang out through the classroom.


    Chalice of the Fallen Heaven? I had no idea about this. I looked around and my gaze landed on Lady Elara, who too, had straightened her back.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Lady Elara looked at me, her gaze incredulous, before it shifted to a smile.


    ¡°Right. You didn¡¯t grow up in a palace or something.¡± Thankfully, she was ready to explain. ¡°You know about items, right?¡±


    I did know, though only a little. Items were the objects that we made to counteract the lack of our power. Demons who could wield great destructive magic held the upper hand when it came to war, but that was changed with items.


    Using the expertise and talents of many disciplines, the people of this side of the world created items imbued with different abilities. It was the easiest way to increase one¡¯s strength without sacrificing anything.


    I nodded at Lady Elara.


    ¡°The Chalice of the Fallen Heaven is an item made with the blessing of the first saintess. If you drink from the chalice, your mana permanently increases by leaps and bounds.¡±


    I gasped.


    Mana was something that could never be enough, and there was a way to increase it.


    ¡°Hoho¡­ You might not know this, but the Chalice of the Fallen Heaven will be sent to the academy soon.¡± Tynor¡¯s voice rippled through the class. Now everyone was paying him attention. ¡°I have heard that they might let an exceptional student use it once, and this test is the beginning of the search for that exceptional student.¡±


    A lot of us couldn¡¯t believe our ears, most of us couldn¡¯t.


    Lady Elara immediately deflated at Tynor¡¯s words.


    ¡°Haah,¡± she sighed. ¡°I thought it would be something interesting, but this guy is here with only rumors.¡±


    She dismissively waved her hands and plopped down on the desk again, as if she couldn¡¯t bother with this anymore.


    Unfortunately, everyone else wasn¡¯t of the same opinion.


    They all gulped in anticipation.


    ¡°There is no better way to show your skill than with a fight. A round for best of five, whoever wins will not only be considered to get a chance to use the Chalice, but can also make the other class follow any one of their orders¡­ how does it sound?¡±


    Tynor raised his hand¡­ he pointed ahead, past Prince Ier and Lady Rosentea, past the Saintess candidate, even past Lady Elara¡­ and straight at me.


    ¡°The true leader of Black Rose!¡±


    ¡°W-w-what?!¡± I yelped in surprise.


    Tynor smirked.


    ¡°It is no use hiding your identity. I saw clearly on the very first day. Everyone in this class has been following you since the entrance ceremony itself.¡±


    I was not someone particularly religious.


    Even more so after the events that had landed me in this classroom.


    But this¡­ this had to be a trick of god. This was punishment. What else could it be?


    Tynor smiled, convinced of his narrative.


    ¡°When we win, we will deal with you first, Atlas Whisper, the true leader of Black Rose!¡±


    As they had stormed in, the four students all stormed out.


    COME BACK!!


    I could only stretch my hand, but no one was going to help me.


    Ah, I get it.


    This world had forsaken me.


    Just when I thought I was adjusting to this classroom, this happened. It was all just a twisted joke. Yes.


    Life was bleak. I am sorry, mother, father, the world hates your son.


    Without a word, Lady Elara tapped my shoulder and Princess Aegean shook her head.


    Soon, the other students in the classroom also came over to console me.


    ¡°We are sorry, you¡¯ll probably die in battle tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll win the other four for you, Atlas.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am sure the professor will let us build a memorial for you.¡±


    ¡°Your heart was kind, Atlas Whisper. This Seren will remember you with joy.¡±


    Ah yes, do that. Just write me off as dead, won¡¯t you?


    No one was going to back out of this challenge for me.


    I swallowed my tears.


    And before I knew it, the next day rolled around. It was a day filled with tenseness and a day when even the last member of our classroom had rejoined class only to see me get cooked today.


    I wrote a letter to my parents and left a will. The students in Dahlia classroom were going to kill me.


    Or so I thought.


    Professor Barnum stood at the front, looking at the gathering of Black Rose and Red Dahlia.


    ¡°Why are you all dressed in battle gear for a written assessment?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a fight¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why would I make you fight with students from Black Rose, and when I am injured? I never said it¡¯s a fight.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ you teach¡­ battle¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t die that day.


    Not completely, at least, since embarrassment killed a part of me.


    I looked to the side and found Tynor on the ground, his soul had left his body.


    Embarrassment had claimed more than one victim.

 Chapter 53: Black Rose Club

    A giant carriage stood in the middle of the Black Rose square. The many buildings had created the perfect grid for the Black Rose, and it was natural to use it liberally.


    The point of Black Rose, after all, was to cater to the royals and nobles. Even for the catering, today might be a tad too strange.


    For one, though the carriage was here for the students, I was sure none of them would appreciate the contents.


    ¡°Delivery!¡± The driver of the enormous carriage and one of the guards of the academy stepped out to greet me.


    I welcome them with a smile.


    ¡°Please bring it here,¡± I said as I led the carriage over.


    Black Rose¡¯s buildings each had a clear purpose. One was the teacher¡¯s dormitory occupied by me and god knows how many spiders; the other was the student dorms; a dorm for the staff; one to function as the school building; and lastly, a recreational building that was open to use for anything, from training to experimentations.


    ¡°Should we take it inside?¡±


    The guard asked, hesitating. There was far too much in the carriage to carry alone.


    ¡°Nope, let¡¯s leave it here.¡±


    At my words, the guard and the coachman both left the cargo behind and sauntered off on their horses back where they came from.


    I crossed my arms, impressed at the size of things.


    This should do.


    ***


    Today was a special day for all the students of Black Rose. They weren¡¯t particularly excited, but a change was always welcome by kids. Especially if it seemed fun.


    Classes ended and all twenty-five of the students in the classroom stepped out of the school building. At their front was the apparent true leader of the classroom. Not Elara, not even Lute-Lad Luke, but Atlas Whisper.


    The humiliation from a day before existed only for Atlas, for everyone else, it had become the most amusing joke of the entire month.


    ¡°Finally today¡­¡± Elara mumbled. The group of them stepped out of the building and to the square¡­ when they all stopped.


    A strange sight unfolded in front of them.


    Piled up like a lofty mountain, a peak of stuffed toys stood before them, reaching a whole floor high. The students were deeply perplexed at the sight in front of them. There were enough stuffed toys to climb and fall from without getting a single scratch.


    The group of them gathered around the mountain of toys. As soon as they were close enough, the top of the mountain flew off and a black-haired man emerged from within.


    ¡°BOOO!¡± He screamed.


    ¡°AAAH!¡± Only one scared voice returned. Atlas flinched and covered his head in fear, and stopped as soon as Elara placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Huh¡­ tough audience,¡± the professor shrugged.


    He tossed away some of the toys in his path and climbed down the mountain, in his hand a single stone with a strange rune.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    The students all held questions, but more than the mountain of stuffed toys, they were worried that their professor was truly, sincerely a nutjob. Who else would play tricks like those?


    Thankfully, the professor was not the only one, the students had a nutjob on their side too.


    ¡°Prof, what¡¯s this?¡± Seren raised her hand and asked.


    The professor turned to face Seren with a penguin-stuff toy in his hand. He held the toy in front of his face, much like Rosentea held her fan, and waved its hand at Seren.


    ¡°This! Student Seren! Is a takeover.¡±


    Seren tilted her head. ¡°What are you talking about Prof?¡±


    ¡°I am no prof! I am Emperor Penguin Balthazar the Third!¡±


    The nutjob was amused. Struck by a flash of brilliance, Seren picked up a cat toy and spoke while moving it.


    ¡°E-emperor Penguin Balthazar the Third! What are we doing here?¡±


    ¡°What else, Kitty the Kat? We are here to take down this Black Rose Classroom, and then eventually the whole world! The stuffed toys have had enough, it is time to fight back!¡±


    ¡°However shall we do this, Emperor Whatchamacallit!¡±


    Emperor Penguin Balthazar the Third turned once again and pointed at the class¡¯ golden-haired commander, Elara Danube.


    ¡°This¡­ this... Pfft¡­ this class will study¡­ the effect of our kind on different species and then take over the world¡­ pfft¡­ hahah!¡±


    Elara flushed red at the sudden mockery. Her fist clenched tight. She wanted to protest but was too flustered to do so.


    It was the first time the ever-calm commander of the classroom had wavered.


    Needless to say, Emperor Penguin Balthazar the Third¡¯s coup d¡¯etat did not last long and he lost that day.


    ***


    Today was the inception of the Black Rose Club. A club made and attended solely by the students of the Black Rose Classroom.


    As described by the forms, the club¡¯s main activity was to test the effects of a stuffed toy¡¯s effect on one¡¯s psyche, and as a result, the kind Glorenstein Academy purchased stuffed toys en masse.


    ¡°Take whatever you want with you to your room, the stuffed toys are now ours. We¡¯ll move the rest to one of the storerooms in the recreational building.¡±


    The professor¡¯s instructions were followed by a mass movement of the stuffed toys. Most of the boys were too embarrassed to take any, and the same was the case with some of the girls. Stuffed toys were for kids, after all.


    They were all fairly jealous when they saw Seren and Luke casually grab and take them away, even more so when their professor took not one but three and buried himself in them.


    One might guess that the professor was trying to help them get over the embarrassment, but his kind smile fit with the toys so well that it only increased their embarrassment. As if he was claiming, ¡®If you don¡¯t look as innocent with them then don¡¯t take any.¡¯


    After the stuffed toys were moved, Prince Ier posed a question to the professor.


    ¡°What are we supposed to do in this club?¡± he asked.


    The professor shrugged. ¡°Of course, the answer is whatever you want. But there wouldn¡¯t be a reason to make a club if it was just that, right?¡±


    Ier nodded.


    The professor then pointed at Elara, who faked a cough and stepped in front of the students, standing next to the professor.


    ¡°We¡¯ll let the club president have a word.¡±


    Elara began a speech.


    ¡°To start with, thank you for going with my request and joining this club. There are two reasons I started this club.¡±


    Elara held up two fingers in front of the rest of the students.


    ¡°The first is to make a space for all of us to stick together and do whatever we want. I don¡¯t need to explain why.¡±


    The students knew they were hostages. A collective amongst them was the only way they could make sure that they were never pressured by anyone else.


    ¡°The second is to do whatever we want while getting a lot of resources,¡± Elara smirked and turned to the professor. ¡°Is it ready?¡±


    The professor smiled. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°The Glorenstein Academy goes the extra mile to ensure clubs need all they require to operate, even if that thing is hard to obtain. It is one of the rules of the Empire established by the first emperor who founded the academy.¡±


    The academy had a few sacred rules that had to be followed at all costs, and giving the clubs a lot of autonomy was one of those. Back then, with the Empire still young, the Emperor believed in the creativity and freedom of students and gave them resources, which in turn, blessed the Empire with some of the best items under the skies.


    ¡°You might think that studying the effect of something on our psyche is a little absurd, but it gives us access to another thing.¡±


    Elara accepted a stone from the professor, a teal stone tablet, and raised it high.


    ¡°We can use this as an excuse to receive a military-grade Status Check.¡±


    ¡°Oooh.¡±


    ¡°Status check!?¡±


    ¡°They allowed that?¡±


    The professor invaded Elara¡¯s speech.


    ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t lie. The toy bit was completely unnecessary. It would have been much easier for me to get this if you said you wanted to develop your abilities.¡±


    Elara lowered her head with a blush.


    ¡°Anyway!¡± She said, ¡°Status check! Let¡¯s do it!¡±

 Chapter 54: Terrible Teal Tablet

    The Stuffed Toys had little to do with the status checks. Usually, something like this, outside of the Freedom Alliance, wouldn¡¯t be allowed in this last decade. It would have been initially difficult to get our hands on the Terrible Teal Tablet¡ªthe request was almost rejected, but the Crown Prince overturned it.


    It was simple.


    He wanted to see which of these kids were useful and which he could bring to his side. Though the Empire had sent Prince Ier, everyone else here was the scion of their country, the future leader. Anyone worth anything would flock to his side.


    I looked at the students flocking around the boxes filled with the Teal Tablet. At their front, Elara Danube stood with a soft smile and narrowed eyes.


    Like the Crown Prince, she too, had similar intentions. The reason she advocated for this was to find who she could bring to her side. Of course, she couldn¡¯t say it was to develop their abilities to the Empire, but her excuse was seriously bad. Was she actually a klutz?


    ¡°Alright! Gather around!¡± Elara clapped her hands and gathered all the students. ¡°We¡¯ll take the Terrible Teal Tablets and conduct the status checks together.¡±


    The students all circled around the box. Yuliana helped Elara take the teal tablets out and hand them to the students. All of them were riddled with excitement and nervousness.


    Status Checks were the backbone of the military at a point. Not because it showed where to place someone, but how to train someone.


    That made the biggest difference with Status Checks.


    The Crown Prince wanted to see who he could bring to his side, Elara wanted to see who she could use for her goals, and these two were not the only ones with an ulterior motive when it came to Status.


    I, too, was using this as an opportunity to scout the students. The next generation leaders¡­ For my purpose, there was nothing more important.


    I came to this academy at all for this very reason. To make a connection with the next generation of this side of the world.


    Only, my approach was different.


    They wanted to feed fish and hope the best fishes follow them. That would never work. You had to dangle bait in front of the fish and pull it out.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Elara and the Crown Prince were both still narrow-minded. Talent wasn¡¯t something you found, it was something you cultivated. The hint to that fact was in the Terrible Teal Tablet itself.


    The students had all grabbed a tablet each and were ready to start using it.


    I stood up then and waved my hands. I couldn¡¯t let them dive into the status check this easily. Especially without addressing an important thing.


    ¡°Before you all start, I have to ask something. What do you all think the Teal Tablet tells you?¡±


    ¡°Is it not our current abilities?¡± One of the students, a green-haired boy raised his hand and answered.


    ¡°Incorrect, student Argent.¡± I clicked my tongue and took a step ahead. Some of them seemed to know the right answer, but more were confused. ¡°That is a common misconception which has spread from the low-ranking soldiers. The status check is not a revelation of your ability, but your current limits.¡±


    ¡°Limits?¡± asked Student Ken.


    I nodded. It had turned into an impromptu lecture, but as the advisor for this club, this was part of my duties.


    ¡°You see, the Terrible Teal Tablet was made a miraculous blend of Divine Power and Magic. One ability from nature, and one from faith. It goes beyond just a test of your strength and shows you the abilities of your soul. Your potential, or limits.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Seren said. ¡°If the Tablet says my strength is at intermediate, does that mean intermediate is my limit and not my actual strength?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is usually the case.¡± I took Elara¡¯s tablet and spun it in my hands. ¡°You can have intermediate strength and be unable to pack a good punch, not unless you put in the effort to reach that intermediate level.¡±


    ¡°By training and practice, right?¡±


    I nodded at Elara¡¯s words. In the end, if one did not put in the effort, their ability would never increase.


    ¡°Wait, so,¡± Iaso was the one who spoke next. Her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Does that mean the teal tablet¡¯s verdict is final? You can¡¯t grow stronger?¡±


    ¡°Of course you can. Nature gives what it takes, it takes what it gives. Your training itself is a sacrifice of comfort, that allows you ability. The more you immerse yourself into growth, the more you will grow. And¡­¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°There is always a way to sacrifice something to up the limits immediately.¡±


    The students nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Remember, at the end of the day, the Status Check and the Teal Tablet is a tool made for us to use. We don¡¯t work based on the status, but the status works for us.¡±


    People grew stronger before the status check was formed, and will continue to grow in the same way. The status check only provided them with a guideline to follow.


    ¡°Should we start now?¡± Elara asked me. I nodded, handed her the tablet, and she took over again.


    I had done this thing many times.


    It was a sad truth, but for thousands of people, status checks were utterly useless.


    After all, it stopped displaying stats post-level 10. Until someone made major improvements in the Teal Tablet, they would all be stuck.


    That said, reaching level 10 alone was enough to make you a powerhouse. There were thousands of level 10s, but each of them was enough to flatten mountains. Which made them extremely valuable despite their abundance. It was like having an ICBM.


    ¡°You want one?¡± Elara asked.


    ¡°Nah. I find this thing useless.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Elara smirked and turned away. With those words, the students used their mana on the tablet, and the skies gleamed with a bright teal light.

 Chapter 55: Status Check

    A teal glow glimmered in the skies of the Black Rose grounds as the students used their mana on the Tablet.


    After the tablet reached a saturation point with their mana, they all used a small knife or weapon to prick their fingers and leave a drop of blood on the tablet.


    The blood smudged on the tablet and the link between the students and the tablet began.


    The glow of the tablets disappeared as if someone had flipped a switch and black engravings formed on the tablets.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡±


    ¡°It worked¡­¡±


    A few gasps of admiration left the students as they observed the Teal Tablet. It was the moment of reckoning when they would finally find where they stood. Even amongst the soldiers, a status check was always full of excitement.


    ¡°O-oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Level¡­?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold in my excitement either! I mean, was someone supposed to just sit around twiddling their thumbs when something this cool was going on?


    But! Peeking would be rude, wouldn¡¯t it? Ah damn it, if I am not caught, it shouldn¡¯t matter.


    I put my hands behind my back and hopped in between the students. Like a rabbit trying to hide from a carnivore, I made my way to the sight of the familiar twitching black cat ears and leaned ahead, looking over Iaso¡¯s shoulder.


    There, in the common language of the continent, her status was etched on the Tablet.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤  ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Name: Iaso Ragdoll Aegean


    Level: 2


    Stats¨C


    Strength: Low


    Endurance: Low (Low)


    Agility: Intermediate (Low)


    Mana: Low (High)


    Traits-


    Ragdoll Stealth


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤  ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    ¡°Woah what?¡±


    Iaso¡¯s tail straightened up and she jumped at my words. She hid the tablet and glared at me. ¡°When the hell did you crawl there?¡±


    ¡°I was just passing by! I didn¡¯t see your status at all, promise!¡±


    Iaso glared at me. After a few seconds, she finally sighed and turned away.


    ¡°How are you level two?¡± I asked. The level was the only thing that said anything about one¡¯s current abilities. Her stats were not bad at all for level two.


    In fact, any stat at Intermediate before Level 4 was phenomenal.


    ¡°So you know my level! You saw it!¡± Iaso hissed at me again. She almost seemed ready to scratch my face.


    I raised my hands.


    ¡°I just saw the level, only a glimpse! It wasn¡¯t on purpose.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The same standoff like last time happened again and the girl returned to the tablet once more.


    Stats were divided into three tiers. Low, Intermediate, and High. Usually, levels 1 to 3 had all their stats in Low; 4 to 6 in Intermediate; and 7 to 9 in High.


    As I had mentioned before, training did not only increase the stats you could use but also increased the limits of the stat, albeit minorly. For Iaso to have any stat in the Intermediate degree was proof of her improvement.


    ¡°Professor¡­¡±


    A hand grabbed the hem of my shirt. I turned back and found Student Ken¡ªthe tall human boy who had fought the Blue Ogre with Zacka the dwarf¡ªcalling out to me.


    ¡°What is it, student Ken?¡±


    ¡°These stats¡­ is it broken?¡±


    I looked at Ken¡¯s tablet. He pointed at the mark next to his stats.


    [Strength: Low (High)]


    ¡°Ah, this,¡± I spoke loud enough to let the other kids hear too. ¡°The stats are classified into Low, Intermediate, and High, as you¡¯d guess.¡±


    Ken nodded.


    ¡°Even in those stats, you have three more divisions. Again as Low, Intermediate, and High, though the Intermediate just gets omitted for the word itself.¡±


    ¡°So I am on the higher end of Low?¡± Ken asked, he was a shy kid compared to the others in the class, but was also capable.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    I let Ken observe his stats and walked around again. This time, I reached Elara. I didn¡¯t get to peek at her stats, she willingly moved her tablet to let me see them.


    And it was a work of art.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤  ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Name: Elara Danube


    Level: 4


    Stats¨C


    Strength: Intermediate (Low)


    Endurance: Intermediate (Low)


    Agility: Intermediate (Low)


    Mana: Intermediate (Low)


    Traits-


    Commander¡¯s Aura


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤  ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Elara turned to me and raised a brow. Her proud smirk fit her age.


    Well, did she think she had the highest stats of everyone? She was wrong. With a bigger smirk, I pointed at the Saintess Candidate Yuliana and both of us inched over to her, sneakily.


    Privacy invasion? It was like checking test scores! If your friend ever hid their test scores, it was natural to do anything you could and see those scores. This was the same.


    We looked over both of Yuliana¡¯s shoulders and at her teal stone tablet.


    For the Saintess and people who had completely immersed themselves in the church, their ¡®mana¡¯ stat usually changed into a ¡®divine power¡¯ stat, and that held truer for the saintess candidate than anyone else.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤  ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Name: Yuliana Soleil


    Level: 3


    Stats¨C


    Strength: Low (Low)


    Endurance: Low (Low)


    Agility: Low (Low)


    Divine Power: High (Low)


    Traits-


    Miracle Bringer


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤  ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    That¡¯s right. There¡¯s always a bigger fish in the pond. Yuliana¡¯s innate ability was likely even higher. With enough practice, that ¡®High (Low)¡¯ would probably change to ¡®High (High)¡¯


    While Elara was mulling over getting her stats thrashed, I had my attention snapped out by another student.


    ¡°Prof, prof!¡± Seren screamed from the side while raising her hand high.


    I snapped my fingers and pointed at her. Then I stopped and stared at my hands. It had become a routine. This girl was going to Pavlov me into snapping my fingers every time she went ¡®Prof.¡¯


    ¡°What is this trait thing?¡± she asked.


    It seemed more people had one than I thought.


    ¡°Your trait is¡­ somewhat similar to an innate ability. It is about a power that you possess aside from these stats.¡±


    Traits were only defined in the tablet. They were usually seen as something people naturally possessed. Elara¡¯s ability to command was something she had developed, and that turned into a trait. On the other hand, Iaso¡¯s Stealth was a technique passed down in her family, she learned it and it was counted as her trait by the tablet.


    ¡°Traits are pretty rare,¡± I said. They were the prime ability to sacrifice as well. ¡°Those who have it, congratulations. Those who don¡¯t, know that the Hero didn¡¯t have a trait either.¡±


    The Hero did not require a trait as well. That crazy guy was always fluent enough with his skills that everything he used could be considered a trait.


    ¡°W-what kind of trait is this then¡­?¡±


    A very unexpected person spoke up. Everyone in the classroom looked at the back to find Atlas trembling.


    I whistled. He had a trait too?


    ¡°You¡¯ll know best,¡± I said, and the other students flocked over to Atlas.


    Seeing all of them together was always endearing for me. Even though the status was rather pointless in my eyes, it would bring them together and let them gauge their strengths.


    I swept my gaze over the students. That was when I noticed, away from the rest of the students, that one person looked at the Teal Tablet with disappointment and nervousness.


    Like a student who was expecting an A grade on a test and was returned a C, Prince Ier clutched the Teal Tablet and bit his lips.


    A sigh left me.


    I knew this would happen

 Chapter 56: Research Center

    If one lived with others long enough, especially with their parents, they would know that not all footsteps sounded the same. They could tell angry footsteps from gloomy ones, and giddy footsteps from dull ones. It was like developing a perfect pitch but for steps.


    I had a fine specimen of that perfect pitch right next to me today.


    Traipsing along¡ªtraipsing, I mean it¡ªmy side with the black box camera in her hand was Lumine Ador. The same girl who would make a killing as a statue performer was almost hopping off the ground.


    Her face had not changed much, but her actions definitely did. To be honest, in her place, I would be the same.


    We were off to meet the three stooges of grad school and finally get our film developed.


    It had been a week since Lumine stepped out of her room. I gave her the camera after that incident, it was her turn to ¡®collect her eclipses.¡¯ It sounded funny now that I thought about it again.


    My attendance list for my first month as professor couldn¡¯t be perfect, but my student could almost hop along the school grounds, that alone was enough.


    That said, I did have another thing on my mind now.


    Two days back, with the inauguration of the Black Rose Club, we also performed a Status Check for everyone.


    And some people were looking at it as if they did not expect what they saw. The worst of them all was Prince Ier.


    No trait.


    Every stat at Low.


    Level 2.


    Prince Ier placed too much value on the stats and found himself stuck. It would happen to anyone. It reminded me of when I had first seen my stats 8 years ago.


    I was at level 1 with every stat at Low (low), but there was a difference between the second son of a count and the second son of the emperor.


    At that time, I survived thanks to my trait. But I didn¡¯t think anyone needed a trait.


    People gave the status check and the Teal Tablet too much credit.


    In my eyes, its function was pretty straightforward. It told me what I could sacrifice and what I could possibly gain.


    Simple as that.


    But to tell that to students who seemed to be thinking of the status as an end-all was a little tough.


    ¡°Professor¡­¡±


    I snapped out of my thoughts at a call. Lumine tugged at my sleeves and pointed at the building ahead. In the northern depths of the academy was a research center for the grad students.


    It was neatly tucked away in the middle of a group of trees. Lumine and I entered the building and were greeted by dozens of grad students with more bags under their eyes than one would see in a flea market.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Funnily enough, the grad students who looked more like zombies and undead than humans had a giant smiles on their faces. A lot of them were giddily laughing and smiling.


    Lumine, too, was seriously creeped out by this dissonance in their physical and mental states.


    ¡°Professor¡­ purification¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, stop! They are normal humans.¡±


    I barely held back Lumine from ending the laughing undead.


    After walking into the facility, going through the green walls, and asking for directions a few times, we found ourselves in front of the Record Room.


    The door creaked open. The three stooges that had sold me the camera sat around a pile of papers, constantly moving their hands. What was this? Some kind of Civil Servant work experience?


    They were in the same weird clothing that they had worn the first time.


    ¡°Oh¡­ aren¡¯t you the rich professor?¡± The witch-dressed girl noticed me and then saw Lumine and the camera in her hands.


    ¡°Is she your daughter?¡± One of them asked.


    ¡°Do I look like someone who has a daughter?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Too young.¡±


    They were not crass enough to call me old. I made my over to the students and pulled a seat next to them. The students didn¡¯t mind my familiar actions at all.


    ¡°Need help?¡±


    ¡°Will you?¡± Asked the dwarf. ¡°If it won¡¯t trouble you, can you look at those experiment records? Just verify the numbers please.¡±


    Lumine seemed surprised at the sudden turn of events. Well, if you saw someone in need of a hand, you should extend it.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, picking some of the papers up. The students got back to making their documents while vetting their words with many books around them.


    Homunculus. Chimera. All kinds of ancient and modern tomes on alchemy and biological magic were splayed around them.


    The experiment records themselves were about the reaction of some classified subjects to different kinds of Rune-Engraved stones. From the amount of mana inputted to the type of reaction.


    Huh¡­


    This was interesting.


    Chimeras were a rather fascinating subject. It was something I heavily disliked, but I couldn¡¯t not be interested. Chimerism in Humans had caused a lot of problems over time, but it could also be used to get rid of some diseases.


    A double-edged sword. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to succeed with a new type of chimera. The classified subject must be one of those.


    Probably a small rabbit that has horns or a rat that can spew fire.


    ¡°By the way, she filled the camera. Do you mind developing the images and giving us a new film?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said the witch. ¡°Once we¡¯re doing with this. It¡¯ll be 50 silver for all of it.¡±


    Fifty!?


    Damn them. I take it back, don¡¯t help such money suckers.


    ***


    It took a while, but Lumine and I returned from the research facility and were headed back to the Black Rose.


    They said that the images should be done developing in a day and would bring it to us.


    I got to see a lot of interesting things about the academy. Knowing that there were some major advancements with the Chimeras and that this was the reason why Professor Denadis was in a particularly good mood was helpful.


    Of course, Lumine did not get the same benefits, so I decided to let her eat whatever she wanted.


    I brought Lumine some Ice Cream, the only thing she seemed interested in, while she took pictures of the delicacy with her re-filled camera.


    After she started biting on the ice cream, I decided to ask her a question.


    ¡°Are you getting along with the others now?¡±


    Lumine looked at me.


    She hesitated a bit but nodded.


    ¡°Better than before¡­¡±


    She knew about the plants better than anyone else. Since all the students started taking care of them, in the evening, she had the chance to talk more.


    ¡°Tell me about a few things.¡±


    Lumine mulled over her words and spoke of the events of her day in just a line or two.


    Her routine at Dawn still continued, and I still accompanied her.


    It was good to see her getting acquainted with the other students, but I couldn¡¯t be complacent. If the Lunar Sect had truly been as strict as her letters said, then it would only be a matter of time before they took objection against her current openness.


    At that time, I would need to make them shut up.


    ¡°Also¡­¡± Lumine muttered. ¡°Dahlia¡¯s class came for a fight.¡±


    My ears perked at those words.


    ¡°Who did? Dahlia class?¡±


    Lumine nodded.


    ¡°Students.¡±


    This¡­ was surprising. No. For a fight¡­


    Against our class?


    Strange as it was, wasn¡¯t this something I could use?

 Chapter 57: Glory Glorious Glorenstein

    Rosentea Il Scential had fairly boring days in the Black Rose Classroom.


    She was the heiress of the greatest merchant company on the Continent, and just like here, every other student in the Classroom was a scion of their own associations. All of them were raised meticulously to ensure that they would be able to lead their people should the people call for it.


    And so, the classes taught at the Academy had become fairly boring.


    Rosentea knew the Empire hadn¡¯t gathered them to educate them, but would it kill the Empire to provide them with some entertainment?


    The door to the classroom snapped open and Rosentea turned to the door.


    ¡°Good morning everyone!¡± today too, Professor Ethan Kalenice stepped into the classroom with a giant hamper in hand and a bright, infectious smile.


    He greeted them all, talked with a few individually, and began his attendance.


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t without entertainment. Every other class was redundant, but she couldn¡¯t say the same for Professor Ethan¡¯s class.


    He taught a novel subject¡ªone that even the best of scholars struggled with¡ªfluently enough to make one wonder if the professor had experienced it all firsthand.


    Demonic Language. Rosentea was especially interested in the subject matter and the language. It was one of the few things she could look forward to.


    The professor himself was fairly interesting. He was assigned to this class on recommendation and was not a normal professor, or a professor at all, before this classroom.


    That alone made him special.


    But the mystery around him and the few hints of connections he dropped made him even more interesting. She couldn¡¯t be sure, but if the professor was a pasty, he could easily become a signature item.


    ¡°Today, we¡¯ll be studying a bit about magic from the demons¡¯ point of view. Since you all used the Teal Tablet a while back, this would be of interest.¡±


    The professor tapped his chalk on the blackboard and started the lecture.


    ¡°Magic with demons is a bit special. They are blessed with immense mana, which means they can use all kinds of destructive spells.¡±


    The professor wrote ¡®Nature¡¯ on the board, in demonic language, and turned around.


    Talking about magic was a little boring for Rosentea. She was interested in the subject, but most places she could extract money through it were already covered by smarter and more experienced people in the merchant group.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Student Rosentea!¡±


    Her interest was in newer inventions. The camera that the professor had handed Lumine was one of those, she would have been very interested if the Scential Group hadn¡¯t already purchased the rights for the Military Grade Video-Communication devices. Those things could store videos and images too.


    ¡°Student Rosentea!¡±


    ¡°Wub!?¡±


    Rosentea jumped up and shook her head around in surprise.


    The professor pursed his lips, hiding the laugh that threatened to spill out from her actions. He pointed the chalk at Rosentea and crossed his arms.


    ¡°Can you tell me why more Mana makes the demons stronger?¡±


    Rosentea furrowed her brows.


    ¡°More mana will make anyone stronger?¡±


    The professor sighed.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    It was a perplexing question. Things even kids knew.


    The professor tapped on the board once, and Rosentea nodded. He wanted her to say whatever she could in the Demonic Language. Code-Switching had been useful for her when she learned the regional tongues of the continent.


    Of course, for a genius like her, she didn¡¯t need to switch languages. She could express herself confidently.


    Rosentea flicked her hair and began.


    ¡°As a spell goes against nature, the cost of mana to use it increases, or I should say, the ¡®value¡¯ of the spell increases.¡±


    The professor raised a finger, but she wasn¡¯t going to let him interrupt.


    ¡°For example, if someone emitted simple mana, they would only need as much as they use. But if the mana was added with properties, then more mana would need to be used for simpler spells. The properties too, depend on their abundance in nature. Wind-based spells use the least amount of mana since the world is filled with wind. This is followed by Water, Earth, Fire, Metals, and most kinds of Elemental Magic.¡±


    The professor sighed and nodded. It only spurred her on more.


    Excited, Rosentea continued.


    ¡°Now you might ask, what about other spells? Why is spatial magic so difficult when space is everywhere?¡±


    Rosentea crossed her arms and smirked.


    ¡°It is because spatial magic goes against nature, the same is the case with most destructive elements. And because of its ¡®unnatural¡¯ stance, no matter how much one sacrifices, ¡®Time¡¯ Magic will only ever be a concept.¡±


    The professor sighed again. ¡°Great job, but you explained everything in the common tongue.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Rosentea looked around the classroom, and everyone turned their eyes away.


    A genius as she may be, one didn¡¯t need to be a genius to tell that another trait defined Rosentea. She was a total silly goose.


    Rosentea sat back down. The professor took her speech and started teaching vocabulary through it.


    The class was back in normal session, and Rosentea paid more attention than before to avoid that embarrassment. No way was she going to pull this again.


    The class was about to end soon.


    The professor finished the lecture. He started wrapping the class up and assigned them some material to review when his eyes shifted to the door.


    A bang roared through the classroom. The doors slammed against the wall and the silhouette of a person stood on the other side.


    ¡°GLORY!¡±


    The man took a step ahead. Clad in an impeccable suit, he gracefully spread his hands.


    ¡°GLORIOUS!¡±


    He screamed with all his heart as he rushed into the classroom and turned to the kids.


    ¡°GLO.REN.STEIN!¡±


    The kids¡¯ jaws collectively dropped at the sight of the strange man. It was the one moment when the future leaders of the world, including Lute-Lad Luke, had the same thought.


    What the fuck?


    The man with slicked hair turned to the students and clicked his tongue, gracefully.


    ¡°The glorious Glorenstein Academy has admitted too many students this year. This favoritism¡­ No matter who you are, as the protector of glory I cannot sit back and let this happen.¡± The man raised his hands and proclaimed. ¡°I have come here to test your Glory! I am the Glorious Professor of Red Dahlia, Glober Loriosus!¡±


    ¡°Oh hey, Professor Jim,¡± said Ethan with a smile.


    The strange man froze. He bit his lips and whispered. ¡°It¡¯s Glober Loriosus¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, whatever you say, Professor Jim.¡±


    Yeah seriously. What the fuck?

 Chapter 58: Black Rose in Trouble?

    I had an idea when I heard from Lumine about the events of the Dahlia classroom.


    Not only had those guys challenged our class to a fight, but they also called Atlas the true leader. It was quite a humorous event.


    Of course, if something like this happened there must be a reason behind it as well.


    Well, the reason aside, one of the results was this man in front of me.


    Slicked back gray hair, a stiff smile that highlighted his French beard, this professor who liked to call himself Glober Loriosus was Professor Jim.


    He was one of the few people who had not participated in the annual glorenstein poker competition. He said gambling was beneath him and he would work instead.


    ¡°Professor Jim,¡± I said and tapped his shoulders. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Right, ahem.¡± The professor faked a cough and looked at the students again. ¡°A new building, multiple special considerations, and many changed rules, all of these things have been done for you kids. This is a first for the Glorious Glorenstein Academy! I, Glober Loriosus, am here to once and for all, bring an end to this classroom and the favoritism shown to it!¡±


    Professor Jim¡ªor Glober Loriosus as he insisted we called him¡ªwaved his hands passionately as he put his point. This was way more intense than I had expected.


    ¡°You see,¡± said Professor Jim. ¡°Students from every other class find this unfair. Why shouldn¡¯t they? The guidelines of the academy make all the students equal!¡±


    This was my cue, I jumped in and interrupted the professor.


    ¡°I agree about seeing everyone as an equal. I am sure that all my students are fairly kind-hearted as well.¡±


    How couldn¡¯t they be? They were raised during the most tumultuous period in recent history. A fair few of these students knew their lives could be forfeit at any moment¡ªjust like a commoner¡¯s would¡ªand did not live on their status.


    ¡°Yes, indeed,¡± said Professor Jim. ¡°You are correct, that is why if one has to justify this place, it should be through capability.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, prof!¡± Seren interrupted the conversation from the side.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Can we leave?¡±


    Damn it! This wasn¡¯t working. I looked at Professor Jim. The two of us communicated with our eyes. He finally coughed and pointed at me.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°That is why! I suggest your class fights our class!¡±


    We jumped straight to the point! And it worked, all the students around had their attention back on us.


    ¡°Fight?¡± I said. ¡°What kind of fight?¡±


    ¡°A one-on-one against a student from the Dahlia Classroom. In front of the student body? What do you think?¡±


    I looked at the students. The word ¡®fight¡¯ seemed to have intrigued them, especially the one at the back. Elara wouldn¡¯t want to miss this chance, it was a time she could beat someone in front of the entire student body. For someone who was looking for influence everywhere she could find it, this was a great opportunity.


    Unfortunately, I had someone else in mind. She¡¯ll find many better ways to get her influence.


    ¡°Very well then!¡± I said. I pointed to the student at the front. ¡°He will fight your student.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Prince Ier reeled back. He was pushed to the spot without any clue of what was happening.


    ¡°Fight¡­ me?¡± Prince Ier pointed at himself, he looked perplexed.


    ¡°This twiddly twig will fight for the Glorious Glorenstein¡ª¡±


    Ok, too far. I pulled Jim by the shoulder and whispered in his ears.


    ¡°Professor Jim! He¡¯s a prince of the empire.¡±


    ¡°Shit. Sorry. It¡¯s Glober Loriosus.¡±


    Professor Jim faked a cough.


    ¡°V-very well,¡± he said. ¡°In one week, we shall have the face-off at the Raphael Training Center. In front of the academy, prove your worth! Glory. Glorious. Glorenstein. Glober out!¡±


    The whirlwind of a man in Professor Jim dashed out of the classroom, leaving a strange air inside.


    ¡°W-wait¡­ the classroom is at risk?¡± Prince Ier asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. Of course it wasn¡¯t, what kind of question was that? As if the complaints of some random professor and kids could stop this.


    ¡°And you want me to fight to protect it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± You don¡¯t have to, but let¡¯s say yes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll train you into a fine warrior.¡±


    ¡°Prof, can we leave now?¡±


    ¡°Haah. Yes, student Seren. You may leave.¡±


    ***


    I left the class behind and let Prince Ier mull over it.


    Outside the classroom, sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree was Professor Jim. He took a long drag of a pipe and beckoned me over.


    ¡°How was my acting, Professor Ethan?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good,¡± I said and sat next to him. ¡°You need to go easy on the Glober Loriosus thing.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t acting. It¡¯s my name.¡±


    I sighed and looked away.


    The situation here was pretty simple.


    Over the last month, many people had seen the favored treatment the Black Rose classroom had received. Though almost everyone knew that they were princes and princesses, dissatisfaction wasn¡¯t going to disappear.


    This wasn¡¯t something that the faculty had to look at, but Professor Jim next to me was a very dutiful teacher.


    I had recently learned that he hadn¡¯t gone back home during the vacation but was making a model of the academy, with matchsticks.


    He scared me.


    ¡°Do you think this will help remove the dissatisfaction?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t think a fight would help ease the opinion of the students.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Professor Jim. ¡°If the Black Rose student loses or secures a narrow victory, we will tell the students that the Black Rose is simply another normal division that has people in tricky positions on the class roster. That alone will turn the Black Rose from an unapproachable enigma to an approachable bunch.¡±


    ¡°And if they secure an overwhelming victory?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. All our students are battle-hardened. The time period is bad in that way.¡±


    ¡°If?¡± I insisted.


    Professor Jim scoffed.


    ¡°It might cause a greater divide, but the justification will be present¡­¡±


    I nodded and leaned back.


    I will also get what I want in either scenario. Which was to make these kids less dependent on the stats and more confident in their abilities.


    It was a win-win scenario.

 Chapter 59: Spar (1)

    The students of the Black Rose Club had gathered outside the buildings, in the square assigned to our class, and were mostly chatting around.


    The ones in multiple clubs had left for today, and we were left with only fifteen of the twenty-five students.


    Some of them had started playing catch while the rest were simply talking.


    Maybe it was because the club was still new, for some reason, they always stuck to the outside of the real building we could use as a clubroom.


    ¡°So, what was all that?¡± Iaso stood next to me and stretched her hands. ¡°This class is not really in trouble, right?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°It would definitely affect your relationship with the other classes though.¡±


    Iaso nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± she said. ¡°Is it necessary to fight? You know Prince Ier had some of the worst stats in the class, right?¡±


    A sigh left me. I gently ruffled Iaso¡¯s hair.


    ¡°And Ier is probably one of the strongest in the class.¡±


    I stepped ahead and clapped my hands. The students all turned to me at once and gathered as if they were waiting for me to call on them.


    ¡°Alright, all of you,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s head inside the recreational building. Student Ier has taken on quite the responsibility for us, so how about helping him?¡±


    Prince Ier stood at the back of the group. He tensely looked at the rest of them as they all agreed without hesitating for a second.


    It was natural they would help him.


    I led the students into the recreational building, all fifteen of them. The four-story tall building was the biggest facility in Black Rose by width alone. A lot of the amenities in here were in the dorms too, from board games to pool tables and whatnot, there was something here that couldn¡¯t be replicated elsewhere.


    I led the students to the center of the lowest floor and turned the lights on.


    An enormous training ground stood in front of them. Punching bags and training dolls were set on one end and small cubicles to practice magic were on the other. At the very center of the place was a ground for sparring matches.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The students had been using this place for their classes with Mr. Barnum and weren¡¯t surprised.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a sparring match, is that alright with you Student Ier?¡±


    Prince Ier looked my way. ¡°A sparring match¡­ that should be ok. I wanted to spar for¡­ a while. It will help for the competition.¡±


    He was hesitating with his words, looking at all the others as he spoke.


    ¡°Who wants to go against him?


    When none of them answered, Student Ken raised his hands. Ken and Prince Ier had been getting along well since both of them were on the front of the Ogre battle, he and Zacka were experienced as well, so I agreed.


    ¡°You two can take any weapon from the racks and use any non-confrontive spell. Don¡¯t injure each other and you¡¯re good.¡±


    The two of them nodded and walked over to the weapons racks filled with all kinds of wooden weapons on both sides of the ring.


    Ken looked at each of the weapons with a slow gaze. He was weighing the advantages of each of them, it was impressive. On the other hand, Prince Ier picked up a spear, the weapon he was used to and comfortable with.


    Ken smirked at the Prince¡¯s decision and picked up two falchions.


    ¡°I can use two, right?¡± asked Ken.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    He had managed to hold an Ogre back without any real weapon, with something he preferred his ability would jump higher.


    Prince Ier had been raised as the second prince. To make sure no succession troubles arise during times of war, he was likely raised with less attention than the crown prince, but his abilities were fairly developed.


    Even when he must have been discouraged from doing so, Prince Ier worked had managed to learn his way around a weapon and to keep his calm in battles.


    He was, without a doubt, one of the most skilled students in the classroom. Against Ken, though, the story changed.


    Ken was from the Desert Kingdom of Tahar. War or not, he was experienced in fighting a lot of monsters, it was a tradition in Tahar.


    It was hard to tell who would win.


    The two students, with their weapons in hand, walked to the center of the arena.


    ¡°Both of you, stop exactly when I say stop, ok? This is a spar, so fight to develop and not to win.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The two of them nodded and I stepped away from the arena. The other students too circled the place to watch the fight.


    I raised my hand, and with a sharp breath, screamed.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    Neither of them made the first move. Prince Ier raised his spear and took a stance while Ken held his swords next to him, ready to intercept anything.


    They circled each other¡­ gauging each other with their eyes.


    And then, Ken moved.


    He charged straight ahead at the spearman with both his swords at his side. He was making great use of his agility, but a spearman needed only one opening.


    Ier swerved the spear in his hands. He thrust it ahead and intercepted the charging Ken.


    A spark flew out as the sword met the spear. Ken had blocked the attack with one blade. Immediately, he pivoted his body and swung the second sword down at Ier.


    And once again, Prince Ier moved his spear to block the attack. Unfortunately, this was merely the start.


    Like a whirlwind, Ken swung both swords down at Ier with successive strikes, and Ier had no choice but to block them all.


    Speed and flexibility against practiced interventions. Clangs echoed as wood clashed against the wood.


    Their fight had truly begun.

 Chapter 60: Spar (2)

    The Falchion was a broad one-sided blade slightly curved at the top. It was made of wood but was crafted and reinforced by talented craftsmen¡ªthe sword was indistinguishable from the real one.


    Ken¡¯s speed that humans back on Earth could barely hope to reach, his arms longer than the average person, and his familiarity with the weapons he had chosen, all of them created a perfect synergy that let him overpower Ier.


    Every second, he unleashed a tempest of strikes on Prince Ier and his spear. Ier needed an opening to make distance and reassess, while Ken needed an opening to strike down Ier.


    Ken continued to rain his attacks on Ier and pushed him back.


    But Ier wasn¡¯t without thought. He had stepped back in circles to lead Ken into a trap.


    As Ken took another step forward, the magic circle on the ground manifested. A moving magic circle was difficult while being pushed back. Instead of using magic where Ken would step and risk an opening, Prince Ier patiently created a simple spell and lured Ken to the trap.


    The magic circle gleamed a brown hue and the ground under Ken¡¯s feet collapsed.


    Ken tripped in the pitfall and lost his balance. Taking the chance, Prince Ier swung the spear in a circle and pushed both of Ken¡¯s swords away.


    ¡°Wha!?¡±


    ¡°Got you!¡±


    Prince Ier pulled the spear back and thrust it ahead. Ken brought the sword back, but even if he managed to hit the spear it wouldn¡¯t stop the thrust. The spear was just too close to be stopped¡ªOr so it should have been.


    A magic circle formed over Ken¡¯s fists, enveloping the falchions in his mana. Ken brought the blades back and struck the spear.


    And in the next moment, Ier¡¯s spear wobbled as his hands came to a stop. The sword and the spear were vibrating incessantly. The sudden vibrations completely shook Ier¡¯s balance and made his hands freeze in their tracks.


    Ken hopped away and created a wide distance between the two of them. The one cornering had to jump back.


    Unprompted, Ken explained his skill to Ier. ¡°We call it resonance. It¡¯s sound magic¡­ wind, actually, but it works¡­¡±


    He was truly fighting to develop.


    ¡°Neat trick,¡± said Ier. He shook his hands to get a hold of his senses again. ¡°That¡¯s all it is, a trick. It won¡¯t work again.¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡­ says that¡­¡±


    Ken spun both blades and took a stance.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Ier raised his hands and mana poured out of him. Magical circles formed in the sky, in the path between Ken and Ier, all of them gleaming with a blue hue.


    ¡°Come!¡±


    Ken charged. He lowered his upper body and dashed toward Ier as he zigzagged his way ahead.


    As Ken stepped out of a certain line to confuse Ier, an icicle flew down from the magic circles above them.


    Ken summoned his magic spell again and broke the ice into shards with his vibrating sword. This ability that could make anything a chainsaw obliterated the icicle this time, but it wouldn¡¯t keep happening.


    At that moment, Ken decided to not step under the magic circles.


    He dodged his way through toward Prince Ier, but unfortunately, the largest number of circles had formed in the space closest to Ier.


    Now that Prince Ier had received an opening, he immediately sealed Ken¡¯s movements.


    The effects of the icicles were heavy on Ken, but that wasn¡¯t all. Ken wasn¡¯t stopped from using his speed and flexibility to strike the spear again. With his power alone he could neutralize a fighter for a long, expensive few seconds.


    Ken had to get one hit in with the spell, and he did.


    Prince Ier, though, had also thought of a counter for it.


    As Ken¡¯s sword struck Ier¡¯s blade, Ier too moved in the same direction as Ier, and then with a simple trapping technique, he managed to get back on top.


    It was a skill showing Ier¡¯s expertise.


    An expertise that brought a smile to Ken¡¯s face.


    The two of them struck each other without mercy. Every time their weapons met, loud bangs and crashes would fill the training building.


    Ier was slowly cornering Ken and was making the disadvantages against a spear very clear.


    That was when it happened.


    Ken noticed Ier about to attack again, and instead of intercepting the spear, he tossed his blades.


    One blade flew upward and another forward, aiming straight for Ier.


    Ier was caught off guard.


    Ken reached his hand out to grab the sword in the front. It was a follow-up from a diversion tactic, but Ier was not hindered.


    He readjusted his aim and struck the sword that came hurtling at him from close range.


    The sword flew off.


    The spear was almost at Ken¡¯s neck.


    The battle was over¡­


    But the spear only went past the sword and touched empty air.


    Ken had already dashed away from the front as if he never cared about catching the sword and landing the hit.


    Prince Ier blinked his eyes in surprise. That¡¯s when the second blade spun down right in front of him, and a hand stretched from the side.


    Ken grabbed the sword again and pointed it at Ier¡¯s neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± Ken muttered.


    Ier dropped his spear and raised his hands.


    Ken had used the ingenuity he could only experience with a rational mind when he fought against real monsters.


    It was technique versus experience, and this time experience had won.


    ***


    ¡°This was natural.¡±


    ¡°Ken¡¯s agility stat is pretty good.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s also level 3, one of the very few at that level.¡±


    I heard the other students as Ken pulled his sword back and stepped away. Prince Ier took in a sharp breath and lowered his head.


    He had lost. Completely.


    The other students slowly gathered around Ken to praise him. A few looked at Ier to check if he was good, and being the prince he was, Ier wiped away all gloom from his face and smiled at them.


    The students hounded Ken and Ier stepped away to rack his weapons back.


    I walked over to Ier and stood next to him.


    ¡°Student Ier.¡±


    Startled, Ier looked at me and wore another fake smile.


    ¡°Professor¡­ I think it wasn¡¯t a great idea to make me fight, why not ask Ken¡ª¡±


    I clicked my tongue and interrupted him.


    ¡°Why do you think you lost?¡± I asked.


    Prince Ier wryly looked at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s because Ken was stronger.¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± I rejected Ier¡¯s notion. By all means, the one who expressed more mana here was Ier. The one who expressed more intellect and technique was also Ier.


    ¡°You did not lose because Student Ken was stronger. You lost because Student Ken was smarter.¡±


    Ier looked at me.


    ¡°What do you think, student Ier?¡± I smiled. ¡°How about I tell you the fastest way to get stronger?¡±

 Chapter 61: Fastest Way To Get Stronger (1)

    ¡°Fastest way to get stronger¡­?¡± Ier repeated my words in a soft mumble.


    I didn¡¯t see a sign of the man who had confidently killed the Blue Twin-Headed Ogre just a few weeks back. The status check, and the subsequent loss had affected Ier.


    Those two things definitely weren¡¯t enough. He had probably been troubled since way before he had seen the status.


    The other students seemed to have overheard my words and slowly turned to me.


    ¡°Professor,¡± Elara said. ¡°Fastest way to get stronger? Is it some kind of trick from the army?¡±


    ¡°I heard there are some potions that make you stronger. Like drugs?¡±


    ¡°Would that be allowed in the fight?¡±


    These guys sure reached far. Well, I wasn¡¯t going to suggest doping.


    ¡°Those potions and drugs don¡¯t work on everyone, you kids,¡± I said, shaking my head. Honestly, if that did work, the military wouldn¡¯t hesitate in doping their soldiers. They had to be tailored specifically for a person and used a lot of resources.


    No matter what you did, nature was one that took what it gave. Even dopes had to be valuable to show any result.


    ¡°Aside from those, there are three ways to increase your strength that work universally.¡±


    I held up three fingers in front of them.


    ¡°One, use an item. No matter how weak you are, if there is a compatible item you will immediately see a surge in strength.¡±


    Unfortunately, the problem with items was even more pronounced than the one with doping. Getting your hands on an item like that was difficult, and using it was even tougher. At least, unlike doping, Items would work for anyone.


    ¡°Two, you sacrifice something. It is not a method that is recommended for anyone in the world, especially not for you kids.¡±


    Sacrifices were largely seen as taboos. Though many people were forced to the extremes during the war, including myself, everyone had still learned to avoid sacrifices like the plague.


    Nature would test you itself if it were to give you something. Just like the hero would fight a demon; the soldier, its army; and the merchant, bandits; the one who stood to gain would fight the trials of the world.


    Sacrifice, then, was vain.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    It was a bitter topic.


    I waved it away from the students.


    ¡°And lastly, the third method.¡±


    A smirk took over my lips as I gazed at them.


    The students looked at me with anticipation, especially Ier.


    ¡°It is to develop control.¡±


    ¡°Control¡­?¡± Ier repeated my words. ¡°With the spells?¡±


    ¡°Not spells, but everything. Every single time you use your mana, it should be in perfect control.¡±


    Nature gave the equal of what it took. The way to get stronger, then, was to give more.


    One could say they would like to sacrifice their bad habits, maybe someone would try to use the sacrifice to their advantage, but one could not trick nature.


    Something one did not value was not something one could ¡®give up,¡¯ it merely became something one disposed of.


    What if, instead of seeking more, one learned to use what they had better?


    That was the third way to grow stronger.


    ¡°Have immense control over your mana, that is the fastest way to get stronger. No matter what you do, make sure there isn¡¯t even a drop of waste.¡±


    ¡°It sounds good,¡± Elara said. ¡°But is it possible? I mean, yes, while you can learn to control your spells better, isn¡¯t the advantage minimal?¡±


    ¡°For you kids with a stat higher than you currently use, it is natural to focus on tapping into the reserves you hold. You keep exhausting your mana and then you¡¯ll be able to use more of it, that¡¯s how the traditional way to train works.¡±


    Elara and Ier both nodded.


    ¡°But for Student Ier, those tiny improvements will be making a big change.¡±


    Unlike them, his stat was pretty low. That did not mean it wouldn¡¯t grow. As he trained and his level increased, there was always room for the stat value to increase, but until then he had to make the most of what he had.


    After all, no one started at level 10.


    ¡°Control¡­¡± Ier mulled over my words. Affected by the status or not, he showed that he was always willing to learn.


    I was worried that he might be down, but it seemed these four kids who took the lead in the classroom¡ªthe original members of the Black Rose Club Hunters¡ªweren¡¯t going to give me much trouble when it came to teaching them.


    ¡°How about I teach you for a week?¡± I said to Ier. The others could handle themselves on their own, but this one had potential.


    And if he could shake things up a little, that would be enough to tell them all that status wasn¡¯t necessary.


    ¡°Professor, are you sure you¡¯d be able to do that?¡±


    Surprisingly enough, the one who intervened this time was Yuliana.


    ¡°You look weak.¡±


    ¡°I thought knowing demonic language was your only skill.¡±


    Hah! I knew it. My convincing skills only didn¡¯t work on old men. These kids all had similar thoughts to me.


    Yes, yes, I was weak. Very weak. How fun.


    ¡°I can teach pretty well,¡± I said. ¡°Student Ier, what¡¯s it going to be?¡±


    Ier looked at me.


    I looked back at him.


    ***


    At the back of the academy¡¯s northern ends stood a mountain range. A tall, rugged, beautiful range that worked as both a trekking spot and a bulwark for any possible problems.


    Though it was a small mountain range of three peaks and a few ridges, the place was a testament to the city¡¯s, and also the academy¡¯s size.


    The mountain was useful for the people of the city and was traditionally open to anyone in Glorenstein. The academy barriers stopped around the base of the mountain, but students too were allowed to wander in as long as they didn¡¯t go too far.


    Of course, with a professor, that became different. I could take students anywhere.


    So I brought my student to the precipice of the tallest summit.


    In the place where people rarely reached, a loud scream echoed.


    ¡°PROFESSOR!!¡±


    He had to be loud, it was hard to hear.


    ¡°WHAT?¡± I answered back in a scream.


    ¡°WEREN¡¯T YOU TEACHING ME CONTROL?¡±


    ¡°YEAH?¡±


    ¡°THEN WHY AM I HANGING UPSIDE DOWN FROM A MOUNTAIIIN!??¡±

 Chapter 62: Week Of Hell

    Prince Ier von Kelvin Bezark stepped into hell.


    He agreed to be trained by me, and for the next week, I did not let him have a moment of rest.


    It was a memorable training experience for me, too. The events of a whole week flew by¡­


    ***


    A cold wind blew in the mountain ranges as the clouds moved overhead. The clouds looked close enough to get into my hands if I reached out, but they were probably further than the sun for someone else here.


    "WHY AM I HANGING FROM A MOUNTAIN!?"


    I clicked my tongue and peeked down from the precipice of the mountain. I casually fiddled with the rope in my hand, the one that went down the edge of the hill and was tied to the feet of Prince Ier.


    "There is no better activity than this to make you understand your muscles," I said, peering down from the cliff. The drop was steep and deep; it would probably be a hundred feet before he met anything on his way down.


    "And why!" Prince Ier flailed like a fish as he tried to pull himself up. Whenever it looked like he was establishing his balance, I swayed him with the rope. "In the world! Do I need! To learn THAT!?"


    He was freaking out. He was about to use magic. As soon as I felt the movement of mana, I dropped the rope.


    "Ah¡ªAHHH!"


    He flitted further down the mountain. I grabbed the rope and stopped him.


    "What did I say? You can''t use magic! Only pure mana!"


    The mana emitted came out as a one-to-one deal. If he could push mana to move himself, he''d know exactly what to do.


    Prince Ier tried to use the mana to stop himself from swaying furiously and to get back to the mountain, but every time he tried, he shot out a whole burst of mana, which only made his position worse.


    "You''ll do this every day until you manage to pull yourself out with only mana."


    ***


    "Don''t slow down!"


    Prince Ier did not even snap back with a reply. I made him walk on his hands around the perimeter of the Black Rose Academy for ten laps.


    He groaned and bit his lips but worked as I told him to. Every time he was about to slow down, I forced him to walk faster.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Want support? He could take all of it, though only through pure mana. Not using mana would be impractical for him, after all!


    "Oh! It''s Professor Ethan! What is going on?"


    I even ran into Jeremy, and some of the other Black Rose graduate students, and they all cheered on Ier with all their might.


    It embarrassed him more and made him go faster; it was perfect.


    ***


    The week wasn''t all training.


    "Professor¡­"


    Lumine tugged at my shoulders and handed me an envelope.


    "Pictures¡­"


    "Oh! They are here!"


    Lumine and I also looked at the developed pictures and decided to take some more. It had a picture of almost everyone in the classroom.


    We should also take a picture as a whole class.


    "Why are they all tinted green, though?"


    It was almost as if someone had dropped green blood on it and wiped it away. Lumine shrugged at my words and turned to the next picture.


    ***


    Not all training, but most of it was training.


    After finishing his laps, I guided Ier to the back of the academy, to a small thicket overlooked by the forest, and handed him a wooden sword.


    "Your mana refinement should be good enough to cut through a wooden doll with a wooden sword."


    Ier grumbled but raised his sword.


    Before he could swing it down, I pulled him back.


    "From ten meters away."


    "Without using any magic?! How do you expect mana to do something?"


    "It''s a skill, student Ier. Now, don''t complain and swing."


    ***


    I also got some information from others about the events that happened around us.


    Richard, in particular, came to me one day.


    "You guys are hosting a spar between the students?" he asked.


    I nodded. "Professor Glober Loriosus said this will help the students."


    "You mean Professor Jim?"


    "Yeah, him. I thought he officially changed his name?"


    "He didn''t. He just likes to call himself that." Richard said. He then told me about the student from the Red Dahlia class.


    "There''s a genius amongst geniuses named Wilbur Smith. Prince Ier will likely face him. If anything happens to the students¡­"


    I shook my head.


    "Nothing should happen. We''ll bring Mr. Gladwin to the venue, too."


    "Right, he did agree for now since you will be the supervisor," Richard said.


    "By the way¡­ does Professor Jim?" I asked.


    Richard immediately nodded.


    "Yes, totally. A lot¡­. He scares me."


    ***


    If our enemy was a genius, we had to be one too.


    "Learn your affinity. Keep trying more spells."


    I guided Prince Ier inside the training halls to practice his spells.


    "Affinity¡­?"


    "You don''t have to make sure you use every magic well. Most people have a stronger sense of one element than another. It will help your mana control a lot if you can use more of a strong weapon."


    Prince Ier would try all types of spells to test his affinity and find what worked best for him. But in very few minutes, he slumped to the ground.


    "I can''t. I used too much mana."


    I smiled.


    "Then drink a potion and get back to training."


    ***


    Soon, we started seeing results.


    "You''re almost there! Come out! Grab that rock and come out!"


    "AAH! I''ll do it!"


    From climbing¡­


    "Oh hey, Professor and His Highness the Second Prince?"


    "Jeremy, hey."


    "Good day, Senior Jeremy."


    To casually greeting someone in a headstand¡­


    "Profesor, I think the element that I can use best on instinct is Ice."


    "I see, you have found your affinity too¡­"


    Just like that, the days passed by. Linearly, slowly, but shortly. It all worked.


    And on the day before the battle.


    "Argent¡­ Ken¡­ Zacka¡­ Ier¡­ and Atlas."


    Five students were missing from my class.


    "You kids, wait here for a bit," I said. "I think I might know where these five went."

 Chapter 63: Week of Hell (2)

    I thought a normal life consisted of simply going to class, staying at home, and coming back. I was just a little hen in a den of wolves, it was necessary to attract the least amount of attention I could.


    But that dream was crushed today as I walked through the veil of trees and deeper toward the northern half of the academy.


    Today was the day that I, Atlas Whisper, ordinary extraordinaire, was going to skip class.


    Not of my own volition.


    "So¡­" Zacka said. "It''s a straw doll you can''t fight? What smith made the doll?"


    "I don''t have to fight it!" Prince Ier stressed his words. "I have to cut it."


    "And the doll is immune¡­ to magic¡­?" Ken added.


    "No! I am not allowed to use magic! Did you guys hear anything I said?"


    "Not really." The yellow-haired Argent shrugged. "You said we''re skipping class, so we followed along."


    Prince Ier sighed. "I''ve managed every other test, but this is the only thing I can''t do. If I could use magic, it would have been easy, but just emitting mana is like blowing on something with your entire body."


    Argent leaned ahead and stared Prince Ier down. "Your muscles do look better," he said. "But not as good as mine."


    "Whatever, grasshead," Zacka clicked his tongue. Argent could not say anything to the real muscle guy here. "I think we''ll see your doll when we fight it."


    Wait a second. Didn''t they say they were here because they wanted to skip class?


    I didn''t want to do that. Skipping class would only make me seem like a bad student, being seen like a bad student would make the professors work me more, being worked more will stress me out more, being stressed out will make me misbehave more, and then I''ll be seen as a punk, and then the others will start to hate me, and that will stress me more, and I''ll do more bad stuff, and then bam! Beheaded for insulting royalty!


    Skipping class is death.


    At least for me.


    Since they were doing this voluntarily, I didn''t have to follow along. I could just leave!


    I slowly turned on my heels and started to walk away. Escape was imminent. I lowered my stance and charged off¡ª


    "Ahp!"


    ¡ªWhen someone grabbed my collar and held me back.


    "Where do you think¡­ you''re going¡­?"


    I looked back and found Ken, staring down at me. If I skipped class, I''d die eventually, but if I ditched these guys, wouldn''t they kill me immediately?


    Tears were forming in my eyes.


    "I thought I''d go back."


    "No can do¡­" said Ken.


    "Friends should share responsibility," added Zacka.


    "We skip together, we flip together." Prince Ier pointed his thumbs down.


    "And well, if you''re with us, then Ethan won''t scold us a lot."


    All four of us looked at Argent.


    "Ethan?" asked Prince Ier.


    "The professor¡­?"


    We nodded and were back on our way. I guess it wasn''t just me who found calling the professor ''Ethan'' a bit weird.


    After the short walk, Prince Ier brought us to a clearing in the middle of the thicket. A straw doll stood at the edge of a clearing with the distant mountain peering over it. The trees around the doll had been struck down with messy gashes and blasts and had opened a clear way to the mountains at the back.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Green grass had been squashed, it looked more like green blood than grass, this was all the effect of Prince Ier using his mana. It was not magic, there was no magic circle involved.


    This almost felt wasteful to me, wouldn''t using mana be easier? But Prince Ier did say his Ice Magic had grown rapidly in the last seven days.


    "Is this it¡­?" asked Ken.


    Prince Ier nodded. He pulled out the wooden sword strapped to his waist. Prince Ier raised the sword and pulled it back.


    I observed his stance, it was very different from what I had seen back in the fight with Ken. Even Ken seemed to have noticed that.


    It looked more¡­ relaxed? He seemed more neutral than before as if he was ready to face anything.


    "I can aim and reach it¡­" Prince Ier''s sword started being colored with a white hue.


    A gasp left me. This was the first time I had seen such a concentrated use of pure mana and not any kind of magic.


    Prince Ier swung the sword. A white crescent left his sword and charged straight ahead. The white crescent cut through the air and reached the training doll.


    And then, right as it hit the doll, it spread away like splashing water. The doll was only pushed back a little bit.


    "Cutting through is impossible!" Prince Ier clicked his tongue.


    He then handed the sword to the others. Argent went first. He swung the blade and discharged a ton of mana, which in turn pushed him back and made him fall.


    Then went Ken, and then Zacka, both of them could launch it out but their mana dispersed within moments.


    They even handed the sword to me, but I could barely do anything. Mine traveled much less than Ken and Zacka''s and was dimmer than Argent''s, but at least I could launch the mana out.


    It was frustrating.


    Just as we were about to try again, we all heard footsteps from the back.


    We turned around, and there stood our professor. He held his hat down and narrowed his gaze as if asking what we were up to.


    "Why are you skipping class?" He asked.


    Before anyone could say anything, Prince Ier intervened. "You monster! This is impossible, isn''t it?! No one can cut a straw doll with mana alone!"


    The professor sighed.


    "You have done enough, just go back today."


    "Ah ha! So you know no one can do it and you''re backing off!"


    "Even Professor Barnum can do it, injured. It became a standard military training for people on the front lines." The professor held his hand out, and Prince Ier angrily handed him the wooden sword.


    "Like I said." The professor dropped his attache case and held the sword on his shoulder. He stood twenty steps away from the doll¡ªlike the rest of us¡ªand lowered his blade.


    "You''ve done enough. You''ve learned enough. Once I cut it, all of you go back, and Student Ier, rest for today."


    "Sure," Prince Ier huffed. "If you do it, that is."


    Was it just me or had they gotten more casual? Well, maybe learning or life-and-death situations can both bring people together.


    We couldn''t see anything, it didn''t seem like the professor was going to fill his sword with mana.


    He casually swung the blade up, a very fast swing.


    "Oops!" he said.


    "See! You can''t even shoot the mana¡ª"


    Prince Ier held his tongue. A slick slide resounded in the air as the straw doll suddenly dropped from the center.


    It was cut neatly in two halves.


    Everyone looked at the doll with surprise.


    The professor pushed the blade away and sighed. "I thought I put in too much strength. I am a little out of touch. Now then, you''ve seen it can be done, let''s go back now."


    No one could object. The others grumbled a bit as the professor picked up his attache case again and turned around. The others, too, followed him and started walking away from the thicket.


    "Damn it, if only I could train a bit more."


    "Will you be fine tomorrow?"


    "I don''t think everyone can do this¡­ I want to learn too¡­"


    I held my breath.


    I couldn''t even feel when his mana entered the blade and when it shot out. No, not just that, I could barely follow his swing either.


    My eyes were stuck on the doll. Was something like this really possible with just mana?


    I slowly raised my gaze.


    That''s when I noticed.


    A giant cloud of dust had formed on the distant mountain, rocks were falling off, and a sudden landslide.


    "Ah¡­"


    I shook my head and pulled my glasses off. I wiped them and looked up again¡­


    This time, the cloud of dust was gone, but the rocks that had fallen were visible.


    "Student Atlas? Why did you stop?"


    "S-sorry! I''m here!"


    I held my thumping chest and rushed behind the others.


    Right, it was a coincidence.


    A small landslide happened at the same time. It couldn''t be the professor.


    ***


    The rest of the day passed without incident. As the sun set and rose once more.


    The day of the battle between the two classes came by.


    *** Special Story: The Academy''s Professor is Overly Weak?!***


    If you transmigrate into a noble, don¡¯t become the second son.


    When I suddenly woke up in the body of the son of a well-off Earl in a grand empire, I thought I¡¯d be able to live in peace.


    I enjoyed grand meals, grand beds, and thought, eventually, grand friendships. I thought nothing would be in the way of this relaxed, rich life at the frontier. Money solved all, after all.


    I was wrong.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ we need to accumulate achievements in the war. The eldest is the heir, and the youngest is too young, so you go, son.¡±


    My cold-hearted father uttered those words of love, handed me a bag of food, a letter of recommendation, and sent me to fucking war.


    War against the demon king.


    I trained hard at the war. It was tough, but eventually, they took me in and made me march to the Demonic Lands... when my foot slipped in a mountain. What could one expect from a modern citizen? I was not used to this.


    My world turned upside down as I slipped down the mountain, and fell straight down where we came from.


    There, I died.


    ***Special: The Academy Professor is Overly Weak!? -- END!***

 Chapter 64: The Prince vs The Genius

    A large crowd had gathered at the Raphael Training Center. The day was sunny and the clouds were clear.


    Students from all classes, departments, and majors alongside many professors stood around the elevated arena. Made of white stone, the arena was about four feet off the ground and had green paint on its edges.


    The only thing keeping this giant crowd together and quiet was the presence of one person on the stage.


    The man tilted his tophat, flared his walking stick with impeccable pizazz, and raised his hand.


    ¡°GLORY!¡± He screamed. ¡°GLORIOUS! GLORENSTEIN!!¡±


    ¡°¡°GLORENSTEINN!¡±¡±


    The crowd of students and teachers together screamed back as Professor Jim, or Glober Loriosus as he liked to call himself, took in the moment.


    ¡°He¡¯s popular¡­¡± I muttered. Professor Jim was quite something, though he scared me.


    ¡°His classes are funny and easy, so he became popular.¡± Standing next to me was Professor Laura, the blonde-haired professor from the Dahlia classroom. She was the first of my colleagues I had met back when the term had just started and I was put with the Dahlia faculty. She was also the one who introduced me to Professor Jim.


    On stage, Professor Jim had started addressing the fight that was about to happen. I noticed quite a few familiar faces. There was Enna and her friend, Jeremy and the other grad students of Black Rose, the three stooges, and Professor Denadis.


    My gaze lingered on Professor Denadis for a second too long. She was biting her lips and watching the arena tensely. Did something happen?


    I wanted to ask, but that would be too insensitive right now with this crowd.


    It was quite an impressive crowd.


    ¡°Will the prince be ok?¡± Richard, standing next to me, asked. ¡°Wilbur Smith¡­ that student is one of the strongest I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right. Wilbur is kind so he won¡¯t do anything, but he¡¯s very fearsome.¡±


    Richard had been talking about this student for a while now. However he was, I was confident in Prince Ier.


    Even if he fought Elara right now, I was sure that Prince Ier would pack quite the punch before going down. If he went down.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°This is going to be a fun fight¡­¡± Someone put their hand on my shoulder. I looked back and nodded at Professor Barnum.


    There were now four of us here.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t cause any problems¡­¡± said Professor Barnum.


    The show from the Glorious Professor of Glorenstein Academy came to an end with another chant of the three g¡¯s and the man started descending from the arena. His eyes met mine, and we both nodded at each other.


    The students were still leaving the Black Rose kids alone, but it seemed like our plan would be working.


    ¡°Who do you think will win, Professor Ethan?¡± asked Professor Laura.


    ¡°Hah¡­ I think it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ***


    Prince Ier took a sharp breath.


    He held a spear in one hand and stepped up to the arena.


    His friends from the Black Rose Classroom all cheered him from the back, but he couldn¡¯t hear them.


    A fleeting thought of why he was supposed to represent the class came into his mind, but the last week had been very intense. Intense enough for him to not think about those things any longer.


    It was a fight he had trained hard for. Of course, he would fight.


    It may be about Black Rose and Dahlia and whatnot for the others, but for Prince Ier, the battle was proof of his growth.


    Prince Ier looked ahead. The student coming up from the opposite side was a boy with scraggly brown hair. His eyes were droopy.


    The boy was not carrying any weapon, but he didn¡¯t seem worried in the slightest.


    It wasn¡¯t odd to find people without weapons.


    Prince Ier considered himself a balanced fighter. Someone who used both short-range weapons and long-range spells to his advantage.


    People like Elara Danube or, as far as he had seen, the professors were the ones who focused their spells and magic on their short-range skills. Many of Elara¡¯s spells enchanted her weapons or accompanied them in some way. As for the professor, it was a mystery, but one could guess.


    Lastly came mages. The ones who focused completely on spells, like Seren.


    ¡°Before we start,¡± Prince Ier raised his voice and asked. ¡°Have we truly inconvenienced all of you? The Black Rose Classroom was established as proof of the era of peace. If there are any problems for the other students, then we will do whatever we can to find a solution.¡±


    He mentioned the exact public reason and followed with an address of their emotions. It was enough to make the other students quiet down a bit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ there were problems?¡± Wilbur Smith answered. ¡°I had no idea.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ there are no problems?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re happy in Glorenstein?¡±


    Wilbur Smith nodded. ¡°Very happy. My mum said it was either this or fishing. And I would rather fight the demon king than fight fishes.¡±


    Prince Ier was stunned.


    ¡°What¡­ why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever fished? If not, you won¡¯t understand. Fish are the root of all problems in the world.¡±


    Prince Ier bit his lips. He wanted to ask what the fight was for if there weren¡¯t any problems but quickly figured that this weirdo wouldn¡¯t know even if there were problems.


    He calmed himself. That Tynor and Professor Glober something, and now even Wilbur Smith. Prince Ier told himself that everyone in the Dahlia classroom was just a weirdo.


    ¡°Well, do you want to fight?¡± Prince Ier asked.


    The air around the relaxed opponent changed. His eyes turned sharp as he glared at Prince Ier.


    ¡°Fight¡­ of course. You won¡¯t suggest backing off, right?¡±


    Prince Ier raised his spear.


    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say yes.¡±


    The two sides took their stances, and from the sides, Professor Jim announced.


    ¡°BEGIN!¡±


    The battle between the Prince and the Genius started.

 Chapter 65: The Prince vs The Genius (2)

    Prince Ier raised his spear high and closed his eyes.


    He could feel the culmination of his week-long efforts in his body, in his very bones.


    It was a bit over a week when he had seen the results of the status check.


    No traits. Everything at Low. It felt like another hit on the head. He was always the disposable child. From being sent to this academy, to everything that had happened at his home.


    His elder brother, the crown prince, his younger siblings, and even his own mother.


    Prince Ier had always felt inadequate. Felt they had ignored him because he wasn¡¯t competent enough.


    If it had been only incompetence, Ier would have never felt bad. He acknowledged improvement. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he worked, he didn¡¯t seem to improve. His trainers all called him plenty strong. He was an ace when it came to academics as well, and there was no place to put in the effort.


    And when he had seen his limits in the form of the status check, it only hurt more. Even though his instructors were full of praise, in his mind, Ier was someone who could never break through the confines of fate.


    But none of those thoughts entered his mind today. Prince Ier had focused on something else. In a mere week, the professor had shown him dozens of ways he could improve.


    ¡°BEGIN!¡±


    Professor Jim announced the start of the match, and Ier rushed ahead. He didn¡¯t give his opponent the chance to even gather himself as he rushed right in.


    He could hear the professor¡¯s voice in his mind.


    [Being powerful doesn¡¯t make you strong. There are many more ways to win a fight than to defeat your opponent in a show of force.]


    Ier charged ahead, his spear pointed at Wilbur.


    He would have struck, but Wilbur was far too relaxed. He would be able to counter this.


    Ier twirled the spear and slammed its tip on the ground. A wave of mana flushed outward as a giant magic circle encompassed the entire arena.


    The circle gleamed a blue glow and spun as the spell activated. The temperature dropped, and the top of the arena started to get covered with frost.


    Ice formed all over the arena¡¯s grounds.


    Wilbur stepped back in surprise, his footing was completely blocked by the thick layer of ice. Something like this wouldn¡¯t affect just one side, though. Wilbur looked at Ier, but the prince was gone.


    From the side, Ier charged in with the spear. He was running on the frozen ground without any trouble.


    ¡°How¡­¡±


    That¡¯s when he noticed. Everywhere Ier stepped, a small crack appeared in the ice.


    He was using pure mana to supplement his steps. It seemed like a wasteful use, but it worked splendidly right now.


    Wilbur tried to run back but could slide on the ground.


    And before he could move, Ier narrowed in. He thrust the spear at Wilbur¡¯s head.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Wilbur yelped, his eyes sparkled with pure admiration as he allowed himself to slip on the ice to avoid the spear.


    Narrowly, the spear¡¯s range stopped short of hitting Wilbur.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    It would have been the end of it¡­ if Wilbur had not noticed the small white coalesce of mana at the tip of the spear.


    The ball of mana shot out like a ray. The time taken for a chant, for a magic circle, and the cost of using a spell, all of them were discarded in favor of immediate power.


    There was nothing Wilbur could do but admire it. He tried to dodge, but he knew it was too late.


    The beam of mana struck the side of his cheeks¡­ though a pang of pain never came. The beam of mana dispersed instead and only served to push Wilbur further back on the ground.


    Wilbur fell on his back and slid, while Ier grit his teeth.


    Whispers from all around reached their ears.


    ¡°Insane¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Wilbur unable to even move.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Black Rose kids were this good.¡±


    A chuckle left Wilbur. He couldn¡¯t care less about the others today. No, he couldn¡¯t care about them on any day, but today, even more so.


    The one in front of him was far too interesting.


    Wilbur laughed. ¡°Haha! Prince Ier, wasn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t know a lot of etiquette since I grew up in a village. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Ier replied, a little bitter about the failure of his attack.


    ¡°You¡¯re a riot¡­!¡±


    Wilbur crawled on all four limbs as he slid through the frozen arena. He rushed over to the spot where Ier had stepped earlier and used the established footing to stand up.


    Ier pulled his spear closer. He couldn¡¯t keep running around and wasting mana, and his opponent looked too ¡®on-guard¡¯ to be phased by his attacks.


    Right then, two magic circles formed around Wilbur. Then two more, and then four more.


    Dozens of magic circles stood in wait, similar to what Ier could do.


    Using arrows or projectiles on ice, where the terrain was on his side, was perplexing for Ier.


    Wilbur stepped ahead.


    The magic circles followed him as he jumped through the arena, stepping exactly at the same spots where Ier had stepped before.


    ¡°What?¡± Ier reeled back in surprise. Within moments, the one who looked like a ranged fighter was in front of him.


    Ier rushed away, but in precise movements, Wilbur followed, using the tracks that Ier made.


    Creating distance wasn¡¯t going to work. Ier took charge and let his opponent come closer.


    Wilbur was a step away. As soon as he was in range, Ier swung the spear down.


    Instead of dodging, Wilbur swung his empty hand. The magic circles around Wilbur gleamed with a brown hue, and the ground of the arena below the ice shot up.


    It formed a staff in his hands and was crushed as it met the spear, but it didn¡¯t affect Wilbur at all.


    It had created new footing.


    Wilbur stepped ahead and swung his empty hand once more.


    Ier was surprised, but magic could be countered. He aimed his spear to intercept the earth staff he expected to pop out, but instead.


    ¡°ACK!¡±


    Wilbur slammed his fist into Ier¡¯s stomach. The magic circle hadn¡¯t activated a second time.


    Ier launched out some more mana to hold himself up and raised the spear again.


    Wilbur swung his fists once more, both of them aiming for Ier. As Ier prepared to take the punches, the magic circles around activated, and two earth staves shot out from behind Ier.


    They were about to slam into his back, but Ier narrowly managed to twist his body and cut them off with his spear.


    A storm of back and forths ensued. When Ier expected a spell, Wilbur punched; when Ier expected a punch, Wilbur used a spell; when Ier was prepared for them both, Wilbur kicked, and when Ier expected a kick, Wilbur punched and used a spell.


    Like messy scribblings, Wilbur¡¯s unexpected attacks rained down on Ier. Ier used his all to tackle the attacks and hold Wilbur off.


    He jumped back, and Wilbur dived in at the same time, never letting the distance increase.


    As the battle raged on, Ier started to become disadvantageous.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± A staff of stone stuck out from his left and grazed his shoulder. Ier immediately cut it off from the center, grabbed the broken stone, and swung it at Wilbur.


    Wilbur took the attack head-on and laughed. Undaunted, he fought even as he bled.


    ¡°You beast¡­¡± Ier grumbled and stepped back. ¡°At least it¡¯s over¡­¡±


    Ier jumped back and tapped his spear on the ground.


    Wilbur looked down as well. Ier had been running all over the arena¡­ and with his spear, he had etched a giant magic circle on the ground.


    There were multiple ways to use magic, depending on their complexity. With enough mastery, simple spells like forming arrows or a veneer or ice, or even making stalactites jump out were possible with an ethereal magic circle.


    But as the spell grew more complex, one drew more complex magic circles. More calculations, more concreteness, it all coagulated in the form of physically made magic circles, gestures to use spells, and even chants to aid visualization and the manifestation of the spell.


    The casting time grew longer, and the requirements were tougher. It was difficult to pull off in a battle, except for experienced mages.


    And a magic circle to aid a higher-order spell was completed.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Wilbur laughed again. ¡°You were doing this the whole time?¡±


    At the time Wilbur was launching attack after attack, Ier had his eyes set on the end of the battle.


    Ier slammed his spear down on the battlefield.


    And the spell activated.


    ¡°Blizzard.¡±


    A sharp gust of wind blew all over the arena, and the very air started to freeze.


    The staves of stones froze over. The magic circles dispersed.


    From the bottom of the ground, a giant spike of ice emerged like a rising tide and tried to swallow Wilbur whole.

 Chapter 66: Frustration and…

    I tapped a cup of cold lemonade on Ier''s head.


    The boy had buried his face in his palms as he sat on the bench.


    "It''s fine, Student Ier. You fought well."


    ¡°Gah¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Ier only groaned at my words. The entire Black Rose Classroom was here.


    After the fight had ended, the kids stayed around to talk and chat with the others. Many of the spectators were interested in both parties, but many were also interested in the kids from Black Rose.


    Ier''s speech in the beginning was great, and it helped them all connect better.


    Of course, it barely had as much power as the end.


    The kid used a giant high-order spell to bring down Wilbur, but Wilbur was pretty smart. He ended up launching mana in a way similar to Ier and pushed him off his ground.


    That shouldn''t have affected someone, but Ier had already exhausted all his mana. He ended up blocking Wilbur''s last attack, and his spell broke down before it could immobilize his enemy.


    Tired beyond help, Ier could only watch as Wilbur ran and stopped short of punching him.


    The end.


    Ier had fought really well thanks to his control over mana. He said he would have never imagined fighting that long and using another higher-order spell.


    The loss was¡­ just a part of it.


    "Student Ier, drink this."


    "I don''t want to¡­"


    "Haah. You just fought. You have to drink and eat if you want to keep going."


    Ier did not reply. He simply took the glass and sipped it with his head still hanging low.


    I couldn''t help him more. He needed someone else.


    I beckoned over the four kids who had played truant with him and pointed at Ier.


    "Go be there for him," I said.


    Ken, Zacka, and Atlas did not hesitate and walked right to him, but Argent Stryde placed his hands behind his back.


    "Won''t he be annoyed? We should give him space."


    Give space to this overthinker? That''ll only make things worse.


    "He''ll get plenty of space later on. For now, try to cheer him up."


    "Fine~" Argent, too, walked over to the bench and started talking with Ier.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    It was a good battle.


    A great one that these kids usually wouldn''t get to see. But the most shocking part of it all was what Professor Jim told me as the fight began.


    That Wilbur Smith had only been learning magic for a month. He was from a small village raised by a single mother, to think that guy would be able to handle Prince Ier in a single month of learning.


    We could have used someone like him on the front lines. I had seen plenty of talents in my own corps, and quite a few of them were like him, but Wilbur seemed to stand out.


    He was interesting.


    I decided to keep him in mind for later and looked at the other students. Elara was busy talking with the many kids who had bombarded the Black Rose students. Of course, it was another chance for her to increase her influence, and she would take it.


    Rosentea was facing off against another student from the Dahlia classroom¡ªa girl. It seemed many of our students knew this group of Dahlia kids; they must have been the ones who had asked for a fight the first time.


    Richard and Professor Laura had gone away with Wilbur to get him checked by a priest. Yuliana offered to help, but they couldn''t accept that from the saintess candidate, and she had to settle for healing only Ier.


    Hm¡­


    Things had turned out well. It was as peaceful a conclusion as I could have asked for.


    I was a little worried about later, but I doubted there''d be a problem.


    My eyes flitted around, and I found Lumine as well. She was talking with the three stooges about the camera and the images she had taken during the battle.


    Huh. Did Professor Denadis leave? I wanted to ask her what was up, but I had missed my chance.


    Maybe her Chimera research wasn''t going very well.


    Since the last thing on my mind was crossed out, I did what I could only do in my free time.


    ¡°I-a-so!¡±


    "What what? What do you want?"


    That''s right. I was going to bother Iaso.


    ***


    The day passed by quite merrily. The students were all getting along and were generally in a good mood.


    There were two things that had happened. One, people had become more open to the Black Rose students.


    Two, the kids from Black Rose realized Ier would have definitely won the battle. The student with some of the worst stats had shown an outstanding performance in a flashy fight, helping them realize there was more to things than stats.


    They had all done well. It was a good moment as an educator.


    Ier, especially, had worked pretty hard.


    That night, I decided to treat him to something to eat and also make sure his defeat didn''t negatively affect him, so I went to the student dorms.


    And a knight approached me, flustered.


    "Professor! I was about to come to you."


    "What happened?"


    "Prince Ier stepped out in the evening and has not returned¡­"


    Haah¡­


    I thought something might be up.


    I shook my head.


    "Wait here. I''ll bring him back."


    ***


    Night had fallen. The people of the academy were almost all back to their dens, and a quiet filled the skies.


    A single student with blonde hair swung his sword in the middle of a thicket at the northern end of the academy.


    "Gah!" He screamed as he launched mana out, but it never did anything to the straw doll.


    Again.


    Once again, he had failed.


    Ier let out his frustration as he swung his sword over and over. The thoughts of his family had returned to his mind. Of course, like always, Ier the useless could only manage an average performance.


    It was vexing.


    Today, though, Ier felt worse than usual.


    Someone had placed their faith in him. Someone had spent every day of the last week training him with all his heart.


    Prince Ier had let him down, too. Another person was added to the long list of people he had disappointed.


    Prince Ier found that the most vexing of it all. He didn''t dislike losing; it was a process.


    But he despised failing someone.


    "Damn it¡­ I still can''t hit it¡­"


    Prince Ier rested the wooden blade down and sighed. It was all useless.


    He felt a strange pang in his chest.


    His eyes turned away from the doll and to the thicket. There he noticed, a pair of green eyes staring at him from the trees.


    "Huh¡­?"


    As Ier mumbled in confusion, the eyes watching him inched closer.


    A slimy amalgamation of green flesh and blood was standing in the thicket.


    ¡°What the¡­ this¡­¡±


    It looked like an ogre, a swine, an orc, a goblin, or maybe a troll or a golem.


    No, it looked like all of them.


    "This¡­"


    The being stepped out of the trees and cast its shadow over the clearing.


    "A chimera¡­"


    The monster swung its arm.

 Chapter 67: Breakthrough

    A chimera¡­


    The monster made of many monsters. Its green flesh bubbled out as if it was boiling alive. Steam emerged from its body, littered with many mouths and eyes.


    Every time the bubble of flesh burst out, thicker, greener blood spurted to the ground.


    Prince Ier was stuck in his place, his feet rooted. An average chimera was already strong, but this crazy monster in front of him was of a different caliber.


    How could it be¡­ how did it even come here?


    Ier knew better than to face it. He also didn¡¯t want to attack it and attract attention.


    He took slow breaths.


    Very slow breaths.


    Ier lifted his feet off the ground and stepped back. His eyes stuck on the Chimera.


    He stepped further and further back into the trees.


    As soon as he was ready, he turned around on his feet and was about to charge out.


    When more of the green flesh and blood wriggled in from the ground, Ier stopped in his tracks. Like slimes mixing, the flesh and blood seemed to have a mind of their own as they slowly inched closer.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    Ier heard loud thrums and footsteps coming from the back.


    He turned around¡­ and saw the giant Chimera closer than before.


    Its many eyes flitted around, and strange groans left its dozens of mouths before one of the eyes saw him.


    All the eyes stopped moving and fixated on Ier alone.


    The Chimera raised its bubbling arm and swung it down straight at Ier.


    ***


    Ier had disappeared.


    It seemed he was frustrated. I thought he would be in the thicket that I had trained him in, so I set off to look for him.


    As I left the grounds of Black Rose and toward the north of the academy, casually making my way past the streets, I saw Professor Denadis running around.


    It was an excellent chance to ask her what had happened.


    I raised my hands to call her out when something brushed against my feet.


    On the ground, the photos that Lumine had clicked and received after development were crawling through the academy campus.


    ¡°What in the world¡­?¡±


    I wiped my eyes and looked again. That damned green photo really was moving.


    My gaze shifted away from the photos to the rest of the place. And slowly, in the distance, I noticed many similar green masses of goopy flesh and blood moving through the academy.


    Professor Denadis and her lab in the north. The amount of green these last few days. The moving photos. The papers that I had checked with the three stooges. Even the report I read when I was sneaking through Gladwin¡¯s office.


    All of it pointed at one thing.


    A chimera was on the loose.


    With widened eyes, I watched as the photographs and the other masses of flesh slowly moved toward the north¡­ toward the thicket.


    ¡°Oops¡­¡±


    ***


    Ier dived to the ground and rolled ahead as he dodged the swing of the Chimera. The trees and the ground hit by its skin evaporated into the air.


    It was not just boiling. It was quite literally a moving mass of acid. The trolls¡¯ blood in it made it regenerate, the slime¡¯s made it coagulate, and the orc¡¯s made it wreckful.


    Ier rushed to his feet and dashed through the trees. He returned to the clearing in the middle of the thicket and jumped to grab the wooden sword.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    More and more of the goop around the monster started to slather on it as it turned back toward Ier.


    ¡°Kiee¡­! Kieee!¡±


    It groaned with its many mouths. Its every noise echoed through the thicket.


    Ier held the sword in front of him. He had to run in some way. A single hit from that thing would kill without even letting him struggle.


    The Chimera suddenly stepped closer. Its speed was faster than before. It ran toward Ier and smashed the ground.


    Ier could feel the heat wash up on his back as he ran away.


    But the Chimera wasn¡¯t going to let go.


    It didn¡¯t turn around. Instead, the eyes on its side saw him. The Chimera¡¯s body formed another hand and slammed it down again.


    ¡°Whoa!?¡± Ier kicked himself off with a burst of mana as he narrowly avoided it. Three arms had formed on the Chimera now.


    Ier rushed back to go out of its range. That¡¯s when one of the many goopy slimes that were closing in jumped at him.


    Ier shuffled and dodged the slimy flesh, cutting through it with his sword.


    He couldn¡¯t run too far away, nor could he go too close.


    It was terrible.


    He was stuck in limbo between the two places.


    And as if the Chimera had heard his thoughts and decided to have a laugh, its arms disappeared.


    ¡°Oh god¡­ what now?¡±


    A sense of foreboding struck Ier.


    He raised his sword.


    The Chimera¡¯s arm shot out of its body like a whip. Its range was greater than the three arms combined as it shot straight for Ier.


    It swept through the ground, burned down the trees and the stones in its path, and inched closer to Ier.


    ¡°Fuck¡­. Fuck fuck!¡±


    Ier dashed ahead, but it was futile. The slimes all around gathered even more and formed a wall around them.


    He could only run in circles, which would end if he stepped on the burning soil.


    Ier had to stop the whip.


    From a distance, cut it off.


    He raised his sword and steadied his breathing. He was about to die. He was going to die.


    Unless he managed it.


    He closed his eyes. Again, it was like he could hear the professor in his mind.


    Ier took in a sharp breath, and his mana gathered at the sword. The whip had turned again and was coming straight for him.


    Thinner.


    Sharper.


    He remembered what the professor had said. How foolish were his mistakes?


    He was to make a blade. Bringing his mana together was not enough. He had to temper it. Do not emit it, use it.


    Ier¡¯s mana smashed against itself as he flattened it closer, and closer. The white hue that used to fill his blade turned transparent as only the edge of the chipped wooden sword was covered with his mana.


    Ier opened his eyes.


    His mana completely disappeared.


    He swung his sword down with all his strength.


    A crescent of invisible mana shot out from his blade. It cut through the ground and charged straight ahead. Thin, sharp, tempered, it was the result of hours and hours of honing and learning.


    The crescent gouged the soil below as it charged ahead. It met the tumbling whip¡­


    ¡°KRAAAAH!!¡±


    And cut it from the center.

 Chapter 68: The Chimera in Glorenstein

    I whistled atop a tree as I saw Ier slice down the whip of the giant Chimera.


    There it was. He finally managed to use his mana like a weapon. This usage of mana alone would increase his spells¡¯ power by many times.


    If he could compress mana and use what nature had given him in a better way, then even with low stats, he would be able to counter the ones who did not know how to use their mana.


    A slither rang as the whip, which looked more like a tentacle, started to move again.


    ¡°W-wwhat!?¡±


    Ier stepped back in surprise, raising his sword. Well, if that much had been enough to defeat the Chimera, then he would have won long ago.


    I crossed my arms and observed as more and more of the green blobs merged with the Chimera. The green-tinted film that had escaped the Black Rose Classroom wriggled in my hands as it tried to reach its main body.


    ¡°You are not going anywhere.¡±


    I shoved the film in my coat and stood up.


    The Chimera¡¯s cut-off tentacle had merged again and was about to attack Ier once more. This was, by all means, a major slip-up. Any chimera that went rogue should be killed, but then again, it was the most unique monster I had seen in my years of being in this world.


    ¡°Guess I can teach Ier more¡­¡±


    I looked to get my sword¡­ but there was nothing in my hands. Right, I had left the case back in my room since no one could have expected a fight here.


    ¡°Well, no can do.¡±


    I left my hat on a tree next to me and flexed my muscles¡ªI shot off.


    ¡°KRIEE!¡±


    The giant Chimera had raised its whips once more in front of Ier. The boy scrambled back to avoid it, his eyes filled with horror.


    I stepped in front of him right that instant.


    ¡°Professor¡ª¡±


    The whip was right in front of us. I emitted mana from my hand and flicked the whip back.


    The Chimera¡¯s whip swatted away like a mosquito.


    ¡°What are you doing just standing around?¡± I asked my eyes on the Chimera.


    Something was wrong.


    As the blobs filled it up, the Chimera¡¯s composition was changing.


    There was something different about its mana. As if another being had taken over it.


    How many damned monsters did they use to make this one? It had immense mana, comparable to some demons.


    A sick, twisted thought momentarily entered my mind, but I shrugged it off. The protocol was to burn. There was no way in hell that Gladwin would go against protocol.


    I took a sharp breath and stretched my hand out.


    ***


    Prince Ier couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    But he had to. He had seen the same person over and over until he was sick of him this last week.


    ¡°Professor¡­ what are you¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°How are you here?¡±


    This was the worst of the worst-case scenarios. The monster was far too much for Ier to handle alone, but now¡­ the professor was here too.


    If he were going to die alone, he wouldn¡¯t have been this worried. Unfortunately, fate seemed to have other plans.


    ¡°You did good. Your slash was perfect.¡±


    The professor said strange words as he stood in between Ier and the Chimera.


    Ier couldn¡¯t pay it any heed. How was he supposed to?


    Why¡­ Why was this professor standing in between him and the monster? At this rate, both of them would die.


    ¡°W-we have to run, professor!¡± Ier desperately screamed as he raised his blade. ¡°You can¡¯t fight that thing! I¡¯ll hold it back, so go get help¡ª¡±


    The professor scoffed and slightly turned his head. He stared Ier down from the side of his eyes.


    ¡°Can¡¯t fight¡­? What makes you say that?¡±


    Ier froze in his spot.


    The professor¡­


    The person who seemed weak all this time.


    There was never a reason to consider him weak. He was someone who was far too cheerful, someone who seemed the very opposite of strong¡­


    But¡­


    ¡°Student Ier, prepare that spell again.¡±


    With those words, the professor lowered his stance.


    The monster had changed tactics. This time, dozens of tentacles shot out of it like the first one. The acidic content and temperature of its flesh had increased so much that the tentacles were on fire.


    At the same time, the professor stretched his arm to the side, and a vast amount of mana spilled out of his hands.


    The mana coalesced around his palm and formed a blade of pure mana.


    Ier had just learned how to use his mana like that.


    He believed himself to be the best person to say that this was a straight-up impossible feat.


    The Chimera wasn¡¯t going to wait for Ier. Dozens of tentacles boomed toward them at once.


    Faster than Ier could see, the professor swung his sword and charged ahead. The tentacles of the Chimera dropped to the ground, and a gust of wind struck Ier.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The professor was in front of the Chimera in the blink of an eye. He pulled his hand back and punched the body of the giant monster.


    Another boom echoed as the Chimera arched from the center and flew to the skies.


    ¡°KEIIIIE!?¡±


    ¡°Ouch! Ouch, ouch!¡± The professor waved his hand and blew on it. ¡°This thing is hotter than I thought!¡±


    Something melting the ground was merely ¡®hotter¡¯ for the professor. Ier could not believe his eyes.


    A growl resounded as the cut-off tentacles all shot straight for the professor while the main body of the Chimera formed two hands, ready to smash the professor into the ground.


    Casually, the professor swung his blade and cut off the tentacles into smaller pieces. He then twisted his body and met the falling Chimera with a punch.


    His hand collided with the monster''s, and a shockwave spread through the thicket, shaking the trees whole.


    Ier could only watch.


    Shrewdly, the professor used his other hand and cut off the Chimera¡¯s head. He turned around and let the Chimera¡¯s body slide off to the ground before kicking it to the side.


    The Chimera flew off, and the professor turned back to Ier.


    ¡°Freeze!¡± he said as he tossed the head toward Ier. It tumbled toward him like a canon.


    Ier stretched his hand and used a frost spell to freeze the head of the Chimera. It fell on the ground and was left immobile. Unfortunately, it was not enough to deter the monster.


    Albeit slightly shorter, the monster had regenerated its head from all the tentacles it had absorbed.


    ¡°Student Ier¡­¡± the professor brandished his sword and said. ¡°I¡¯ll hold it down, so prepare your spell.¡±


    The spell. The one that he had used and failed to pull off against Wilbur.


    ¡°Do it! Don¡¯t hesitate!¡±


    The Chimera jumped ahead again and smacked the professor. The professor narrowly dodged.


    This time, the dozens of tentacles had turned shorter and grew in number. From twenties to forties, eighties, hundreds of tentacles all shot at the professor. He dodged what he could and blocked the rest.


    The professor¡¯s suit was burning, but he didn¡¯t seem deterred in the slightest. He was determined to keep the Chimera away.


    How could Ier hesitate in this situation?


    He used the sword and started to etch a giant circle on the ground.


    He had failed before.


    He had lost before.


    This same spell, and he couldn¡¯t do it. What if it happened again? What if he failed again?


    Those thoughts stopped Ier in his tracks. His hands trembled.


    What if¡­ he let someone down again?


    A gust of wind blew and pushed Ier back. He looked to the side and found the professor kicking the monster in his direction.


    Ier rushed to the back as the Chimera zoomed past where he stood. Then, in the very next moment, the Chimera stood up once more and charged back at the professor.


    Ier looked down and saw the magic circle completely flattened out.


    ¡°Ah, sorry!¡± the professor screamed from the side. ¡°It got ruined. Just make another one.¡±


    Another one¡­


    Ier scoffed.


    Of course. If he let someone down, he could just try again.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ier shouted and created the circle once more. He made the giant spell on the ground and then another magic circle above him.


    The professor¡¯s coat was utterly ruined, he was slightly bleeding from his cheeks, but the monster was in much worse condition.


    It was shocking to see something that could regenerate without any end in sight as tired as the professor had rendered it.


    He was sure, no matter how long Ier took, the professor would handle it.


    Ier rushed to finish the circle. He made the last sigils on the ground and gathered all his mana.


    This time, he compressed it like he had learned. The compressed mana seeped out of him, and the magic circles started to spin.


    A blue glow gleamed out of the circle. The temperature in the air started to drop.


    ¡°PROFESSOR!¡± Ier roared. ¡°It is ready!¡±


    The professor glanced at Ier and then skewered his sword of mana into the Chimera.


    He lifted the Chimera with his strength alone and then flicked it toward the magic circle. The blade of mana dissipated as the monster hit the ground.


    The professor immediately grabbed the Chimera again and drove its head into the dirt. Finally, he kicked the Chimera again and sent it flying at the circle.


    ¡°Do it!¡±


    Ier closed his eyes.


    The Chimera was flying at him, but Ier only focused on the spell.


    His hair started to crinkle, his lips dried, and the effect of the spell was making everything freeze over already.


    And then, as soon as the Chimera was in front of him.


    ¡°Blizzard!¡±


    Ier raised his hand high.


    The magic circle glowed the brightest it had. A wave of pure ice emerged from the ground, swallowing the Chimera whole.


    The trees around froze, and the ground formed a layer above them. The wave of ice went higher and higher, its tip taller than the trees.


    And inside it, the Chimera was trapped.


    Ier¡¯s spell had succeeded.

 Chapter 69: The Chimera in Glorenstein (2)

    I dusted my shoulders and stepped over to Ier.


    The air around us had turned cold from the effects of the spell. In the middle of the thicket of trees, a giant pillar of ice held the slimy chimera. I guess the Glorenstein Press Circle was going to have another new attraction to add to their pamphlets, though I doubt this one would last long.


    Ier was busy staring at the ice and then at his hands as if he couldn¡¯t believe he had done this.


    I smiled and tapped his shoulders.


    ¡°Nice work, Student Ier.¡±


    ¡°Professor¡­¡±


    He turned to me with a smile, and then his eyes widened as he recalled the fight.


    ¡°This¡­ you¡­¡±


    ¡°Shush.¡±


    I stopped him before he could say anything and turned to the side. Ier followed my gaze. Footsteps echoed behind the trees as Professor Denadis waded through the trees.


    ¡°Professor,¡± I said, waving. ¡°Did you lose a chimera by any chance?¡±


    Professor Denadis didn¡¯t seem amused by the joke. It didn¡¯t work on everyone.


    Since she wasn¡¯t in the mood for fun, I wiped away the smirk, too.


    ¡°Do you mind giving us an explanation? If not for Prince Ier here, there would have been a lot of problems.¡±


    I emphasized Ier¡¯s name and the professor bit her lips. None of the destruction this thing could have caused would be worse than endangering a member of the Black Rose Classroom, a prince of the Empire himself.


    ¡°I apologize¡­ the chimera was far smarter than we had anticipated.¡± Professor Denadis turned her gaze to the frozen chimera. She looked disappointed. ¡°There was a landslide yesterday. It broke into pieces like a slime and disappeared when we were all distracted.¡±


    Landslide? Her lab was near the mountains, so it must have been a frequent event.


    Ier intervened in the conversation.


    ¡°Professor. I have never even heard of a chimera like this¡­ aren¡¯t chimeras a mixture of two monsters at best? What in the world was this thing?¡±


    I had similar questions.


    More specifically¡­


    ¡°Its mana was far too immense. I didn¡¯t notice anything odd, but this kind of mana is not found on this side of the world¡­¡± My eyes narrowed as I glared at Professor Denadis. ¡°Not even on monsters.¡±


    Professor Denadis gulped.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mixture of about a dozen monsters¡­¡±


    A dozen. Even a chimera made of two monsters usually collapsed when it was a transformation to this degree.


    There was something off.


    I didn¡¯t want to, but I had no choice. I had to ask the question that bothered me.


    ¡°Professor Denadis¡­ The catalyst for this chimera, what did you use?¡±


    Professor Denadis gulped.


    ¡°Is it related to a demiurge in any way?¡±


    ¡°D-demiurge¡­?¡±


    Even Ier was surprised at my words, but I couldn¡¯t consider him. I had to know.


    If it had been an option, I would have never given the head to someone. Unfortunately, I had to be cruel.


    I was already being suspected, and it would only worsen. The moment he got a chance¡­ that person would come for my neck. To show I was loyal, I had to follow the rules.


    Professor Denadis lowered her head.


    ¡°When I was young, Professor Ethan, I momentarily got to see the true potential a chimera could attain. It was a level beyond mere monsters, beyond what we do. A human was turned into a chimera¡­¡± She shook her head from side to side as if she could see that sight in front of her. ¡°The magic tower I was a member of was burned down within days¡­ it was because the tower master had used a demon as a catalyst.¡±


    Demons¡­


    Again. These sick bastards.


    ¡°So you¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Professor Denadis shook her head. ¡°I only tried to replicate that effect. I didn¡¯t use a Demiurge. You can verify it with the principal and Mr. Gladwin. I swear on the sun god.¡±


    A sigh of relief left me.


    Thank god¡­


    If they had defiled the dead even further, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to sleep well.


    I was still a little worried, but asking Gladwin would ease that last bit of doubt, too.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    When the anger and doubt washed away, admiration entered my mind.


    She had made this entire thing with her skills alone, without using the twisted means of the tower she was a part of. I had heard of many such rogue magic towers and organizations sprouting up and taking advantage of the war, which was pleasantly surprising.


    ¡°It is over now, though¡­¡± said Professor Denadis.


    I heard footsteps and shouts coming in from the distance as Professor Denadis approached the ice statue and placed a hand on it.


    ¡°I thought I could develop it, but it¡¯s best if this thing is gone¡­¡±


    People were coming in. Probably her lab members.


    I looked at Ier and nodded. It was best to walk away without attracting attention. Ier stepped up first. He noticed my hat on the tree and gestured that he¡¯d fetch it.


    When he was gone, I reached into my pockets. The photographs were still wriggling.


    ¡°Professor Denadis¡­¡±


    She looked at me. I could see her eyes glistening with suppressed tears.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said, holding the film out for her. ¡°I had this made in your lab, but it was all ruined. If you could develop the film again¡­¡±


    Her eyes widened as she looked at the green-tinted film. Without a word, I grabbed her hand and forced the film on her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you handle that!¡±


    The screams were coming closer. If we got caught here, Ier and I could say goodbye to sleep. Ier had grabbed my hat from the tree and was already rushing out.


    I jumped away from the ice and ran off, too.


    ¡°Professor Ethan¡­ how did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Handle it, please! The ice, too!¡±


    ¡°What?! Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To sleep! Bye!¡±


    ***


    Ier and I rushed out of the trees and the thickets. We passed by the frantic students of the Chimera Research lab and made our way back to the Black Rose Department.


    I held my hands behind my head and smirked.


    ¡°You did well, Student Ier.¡±


    Ier had both his hands out. He was smiling.


    ¡°Professor¡­ The Kalenice family has always been a family of great mages. The first count made immense contributions in making this Empire a real empire¡­¡±


    That was too much praise for us frontier nobles. The Kalenice family was once influential, their word still held weight but not as much as it once did.


    ¡°I had heard there was a member of that family who was born with immense magical talent, more than anyone had seen in years. I always assumed it was the next count. His achievements are immense, after all.¡± Ier turned to me, and he looked into my eyes. ¡°And I had never even heard of someone named Ethan Kalenice¡­ This person who was born with immense talent, is it you?¡±


    I laughed at his words.


    ¡°If it was, would I have punched the chimera instead of using magic?¡±


    Ier pursed his lips. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. I am only an ex-soldier and your professor.¡±


    We continued walking in silence again.


    As the new constructions made for the Black Rose came into view, I smirked again.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°Are you happy with yourself?¡±


    Ier looked at me, confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You had a week to emit mana and use the spells, and you did it today. You¡¯ve grown. Aren¡¯t you satisfied with living up to your expectations?¡±


    Ier stopped. His eyes wide.


    ¡°My expectations¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    He looked down in thought. I didn¡¯t say anything and only waited, watching him with a smile.


    I had said it before. I knew he wasn¡¯t going to give me much trouble.


    Ier looked at me and smiled.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he said. ¡°I am happy, but I am not done yet. I¡¯ll reach there soon.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ Yes, you will.¡±

 Chapter 70: All in a Days Work

    The final notes of the symphony came to an end, and with it, my eyes snapped open. The disc hadn¡¯t ended; there was still more music to come, but this much silence was enough to wake me up.


    I stretched my hands above my head and propped myself on the bed.


    Another day began.


    I slid off the bed and walked over to the windows. The curtains rolled open, the windows fell back, and sunlight entered the room. It was necessary to get some sunlight early in the day! It was the preliminary version of touching the grass.


    ¡°Haah¡­¡± I suppressed a yawn as I walked back to my bed. It was a relief that everyone had started tending to the flowerbeds together after the Lumine incident.


    Since all the students were involved, it was easier for them to take care of the flowerbeds after the sun had risen.


    Of course, there were also the academy''s gardeners, and the staff assigned to Black Rose also helped, but only when the students weren¡¯t looking.


    I looked at the sheets. Since I barely moved, there was nothing to fix on the bed, so I just remade it every morning.


    The music picked back up as I dusted the sheets and flapped them back on the mattress. It was a softer tone than the one that helped me sleep, but of course, I still liked it loud.


    Humming, I put up the last pillows against the headboard and trudged to the storage closet at the back of the kitchen, where I found a broom and a fur duster.


    After picking them up, I got to work. You had to clean up your room every day, and a clean room meant easier moving around when you had to.


    The dust from the corner, from the mattress, and the back of the furniture.


    ¡°Oh, morning, Mister Parker!¡± I greeted the spider living in one corner of my room. He lived rent-free. Spiders had no sense of economy. They believed in symbiotic barter trades. I gave him board, and Mister Parker (christened by me) would clean up any annoying bugs for me.


    I preferred an early bath. Once the room was clean, I took that bath in silence. Then I got out, changed into the clothes I picked out beforehand, and then made a cup of coffee to be enjoyed in silence.


    Silence, for me, was, of course, keeping the gramophone blasting at max volume.


    When drinking coffee, I tended not to do anything else unless someone else was in my room. It was so natural to do nothing that I would sometimes forget I was a twenty-first-century person.


    On second thought, I had completely forgotten it.


    None of those thoughts remained about how my parents looked, how my friends looked, what their names were, what city I lived in, or what school I went to.


    Even the wish to go back had died eight years ago.


    After finishing the coffee, I cleaned the cup and the dishes. Then, it was time to grab my case, put on my hat, kill the music, and step out.


    There was little to do for me as a professor.


    Every morning, my first order of business was to talk to the staff of the Black Rose Dormitory. I would talk to the knights and the maids, then head to the plaza closest to the Black Rose.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The lady who ran the bakery would usually have my order of cookies ready to go in two hampers every morning. I made small talk with her, then made small talk with everyone in the plaza, then made small talk with everyone visiting the plaza, and finally returned to Black Rose.


    After returning, I would leave one hamper of cookies with the maids so that all the staff could share it and keep the other for the students.


    If only we had more teachers in the Black Rose, too. That would have increased the number of cookies. These morning cookies were all being chalked up as the academy¡¯s expenses anyway, and they would be until I got caught.


    At this time, it was straight to class.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± I said as I stepped in, and all the students replied with another good morning.


    The students, too, looked forward to the cookies quite a bit.


    My duties as their professor were pretty limited. It was simply to complete the roll call, talk about any changes or events, and then leave them to the other professors.


    The complaints about classes being boring had increased among the students with each passing day.


    As they started to adjust to their academy life, they began seeking novelty in routine things.


    Classes being boring was a result of the professors and the curriculum itself being too easy for the scions. They were all well beyond the academy level before stepping in. Most of them, at least.


    Since that was the case, the other professors had no choice but to opt for more practical and experimental classes.


    If only we had more teachers in the Black Rose, too. That would have brought more options for the teaching. It would require highly qualified individuals. Maybe I might find some.


    Of course, who would want to teach a group of people being observed? How different was it from being monitored, too?


    The school day would usually continue without incident. I took this time to visit Gladwin now and then and return before Club Time.


    The Club had become interesting. Most students were interested in what I had taught Ier, and I was happy to teach them outside of class.


    After that, I would make rounds again. Sometimes I stepped out of the academy and into the city, ok quite frequently, other times I stayed in the academy and talked to people.


    When night came around, everybody went back. I would go to my room and start writing letters and receiving letters.


    This part took a lot of time. I had to stay updated on things happening all over the world and make adjustments.


    My funds were coming along very well. I had a hand in most significant businesses all over the continent. It solved a big problem for me.


    I needed to do something about manpower now. It was tough while sitting inside the academy, but it wasn¡¯t impossible.


    I left the letters thinking of how the first step of my plans was coming to an end and how the next would begin soon. I was still powerless, comparatively, but power could be gained.


    After that, it was back to the gramophone and into the bed.


    All in a day¡¯s work.

 Chapter 71: Returning News!

    The thwacks of swords rang out in the recreational center after classes today, too.


    The Black Rose Club was in session, and the kids were out and about their own tasks. They still seemed to have a preference for using the grounds, but the students had also started to utilize the training grounds in the recreational center.


    I sat with my hands crossed and watched them all. Ah, how peaceful.


    Ever since Ier had fought in the exhibition battle, the other students became interested in the training. Of course, I could hang everyone from a mountain.


    That was too much of a hassle.


    Instead, they all decided to ask Ier for help, and he gladly obliged. Initially, the kid looked pretty shocked at his loss, but the Chimera incident made him far more confident.


    Ier and I decided to keep our roles in the incident secret. This was mainly because he could do without the attention, and I was the same. It worked out well since neither Professor Denadis, Gladwin, nor the Principal wanted to let the students know of this problem.


    Quite a few had noticed the green blobs, but they were all chalked up as harmless accidents within the Chimera Lab, and there was no mention of the giant Chimera.


    Hm¡­


    It would be good to do something revitalizing for Gladwin and the other civil servants. They were far too busy with all the suspicions around the city, and now there is this incident, too.


    Was my life perhaps easier than that of a civil servant? I¡¯d say the constant risk of death is better than being worked like a mule, but well, the dead would probably disagree.


    It was nice to observe the students like this.


    They were far happier during Club hours than they were during the normal class hours.


    Today, especially since Ier was teaching them all the principles of using their Mana. It wasn¡¯t something anyone would use down the line except in extreme situations, but it also helped them grow as mageso.


    I heard footsteps stepping into the room.


    The footsteps echoed closer and closer, and soon, someone perched down on a seat beside me.


    ¡°Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Richard.¡±


    It was my good friend, the vice principal Richard Benett. I turned to him, and both of us watched the students.


    ¡°It¡¯s an interesting sight, seeing all these important kids get along as if they are in a playground.¡±


    I nodded at his words. ¡°These kids are far too normal for their status. It is a surprise.¡±


    ¡°The effects of war are felt even away from the frontlines,¡± said Richard. ¡°They must have heard of too many people dying. They are only like this because you have provided them with a safe space.¡±


    I smiled.


    ¡°We need more teachers for Black Rose. Preferably someone ingenious enough to truly help them advance their skills.¡±


    So far, they have been learning according to the curriculum assigned by the academy. It is rather comprehensive for students, but for these kids, it is far too easy.


    ¡°I agree, but you know how difficult it is to get someone for that role. The staff here do not have the same level of authority on anything compared to what the professors possess. It is difficult to find someone approved by all the countries.¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    The professors could not just enter the students'' dorms at any time; they were also going to interact with the students.


    The staff of Black Rose was under strict orders to avoid interaction as much as possible. They were only to escort the nobles when there was no other choice, and most of their duties were limited to attending to the nobles.


    They were all normal people. Maids and Butlers you would find in the royals¡¯ castles.


    A professor who ticked all the boxes would be difficult to find. Maybe someone from the hero party would be approved by everyone?


    ¡°Ethan¡­¡± Richard turned to face me, finally. ¡°I needed your help.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, alerted by his words.


    Richard hesitated to speak, which rubbed off on me. I was worried something had happened.


    ¡°How much do you need?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Did you take a loan from the mafia? Happens all the time, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°What in the¡ªWhat mafia is in Glorenstein?¡± Richard chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just that my fianc¨¦e will be in Glorenstein next week. I received a letter. I was going to ask if you¡¯d help me pick a gift.¡±


    ¡°Ah! I finally get to meet her?¡± I smiled and slapped Richard¡¯s back. ¡°Congratulations. You were waiting a long time for this.¡±


    His fianc¨¦e had been in her hometown for quite a while and Richard was deeply looking forward to seeing her again. This was great.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you anytime, when and where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°How about today? We can look around.¡±


    ¡°I am free.¡±


    The plan was made. As the club hours ended and the kids started returning to their rooms, Richard and I set out of the academy.


    We decided to hit several places, but then a problem came to my mind.


    ¡°Do you have anything new to present yourself in?¡±


    Richard was a self-made man. In his hard work, he completely ignored himself.


    ¡°Is this stuff not good?¡± He asked. He dared to ask that in a drabby brown coat, glasses with a crack, messy hair, and slightly torn shoes.


    ¡°You need a glow-up.¡±


    There was no way I was going to let him meet his childhood sweetheart without putting any effort into his own looks.


    I dragged Richard through the streets of Glorenstein and went to the shop with the best clothes around.


    To Ms. Frock¡¯s. The same lady who had dressed Richard up during the party.


    And as we entered, she greeted us with a bright smile and tears in her eyes.


    I asked her what was happening, only to regret it moments later.


    ¡°My son wrote after three years! He is returning from the capital at last!¡±


    I looked at Richard.


    He looked back at me.


    This timing¡­ When there were signs of movements of all kinds of organizations all over the country.


    The return of someone silent for so long was far too suspicious.


    Far too suspicious.

 Chapter 72: Civilians Do No Harm

    Mrs. Frock was very excited today. She giddily welcomed everyone to her shop with sweets.


    ¡°When my son was a child,¡± she said. ¡°He always said he¡¯ll go to the capital and become a big man, that he would make me never work a day.¡±


    Richard and I sat in the lounge of her boutique as we watched her pace about and fetch the latest in style for Richard.


    Her mouth didn¡¯t stop for a second.


    ¡°What a silly kid, isn¡¯t that right, young man?¡± She asked me, with a smile as bright as one would see from their own mother. Her happiness had made her take that role for everyone who would be visiting her store.


    I looked at Richard, and he smiled back wryly.


    The onslaught of the middle-aged lady¡¯s awkward memories continued. I tried my best to act like I was enjoying them but to be honest, it didn¡¯t matter. One did not care about someone else¡¯s reaction in times like these.


    I could probably fall asleep and have someone draw eyes on my face and she would still believe I was listening.


    The spree of looking at clothes that barely made a fit came to an end when one of Mrs. Frock¡¯s employees told her to take a break.


    ¡°I am sorry, I think I am not in the right mind today. Come again tomorrow and I¡¯ll show you some clothes I picked out for Richard.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Richard said. ¡°Take a good rest today, Mrs. Frock.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and,¡± I intervened. ¡°When¡¯s your son coming back again?¡±


    Mrs. Frock smiled brightly when she heard a question about her son.


    ¡°In three days!¡± she said. ¡°His letter said he¡¯s already on the way!¡±


    With those words, Richard and I stepped out of the boutique and onto the stone pavements of the city.


    The bell on the door rang its muffled chime. The din of the crowd merged with the rattle of the carriage wheels of the city around us.


    We stepped away from the boutique and toward the academy, taking the streets slowly.


    I looked down on the street.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Richard.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to think?¡± I sighed. ¡°Should we ask Gladwin?¡±


    Neither of us were strangers to the recent developments that took place around the city. Gladwin¡¯s briefing, while lacking in detail, reached both of us.


    There were people from all kinds of organizations targeting the Black Rose class.


    Whether they would make a frontal move, whether they were really after the Black Rose students, or if they were using the big fish as a distraction, we couldn¡¯t say anything about that.


    But one fact was pretty clear.


    A lot of them were on the move.


    ¡°I think we should,¡± said Richard. He sighed as he looked up at the skies.


    ¡°You know, Ethan. I dislike this.¡±


    ¡°This?¡±


    ¡°The fact that innocent people might have to suffer due to someone else.¡± He locked his hands behind his back. I was probably the only person whom Richard could be this comfortable with. ¡°Why do our actions need to have consequences on other people? Why can¡¯t we just pay the price ourselves?¡±


    I smiled at his words.


    I didn¡¯t know what prompted it, but I agreed with his words.


    ¡°Things would have been simpler if I was the only one who suffered for my mistakes¡­ so much simpler.¡±


    Richard nodded.


    We both continued walking in silence.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    As we neared the academy gates, Richard said a last word.


    ¡°I like Mrs. Frock.¡±


    She had treated both of us warmly. Even if the extent of the warmth a shopkeeper could show their customer, the depth of it was far greater.


    ¡°I hope we are wrong to be suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Me too, Richard. Me too.¡±


    ***


    Gladwin, as usual, had made the principal¡¯s office his own. Principal Kurt and he were both fairly busy with their work.


    A lot of things required the Principal¡¯s approval on paper, which made them sitting together more efficient.


    Personally, I thought it was a way for Gladwin to put some pressure on the academy and the staff. He still used his own office for the more secretive work.


    Principal Kurt, who usually sat with his documents every time any of us met Gladwin, had joined the civil servant today on the couch as Richard explained our recent encounter.


    ¡°Someone returning from the capital after three years¡­¡± Gladwin said as he sipped on the tea. ¡°I see the timing is suspicious, but unfortunately, it is not something that needs to be investigated.¡±


    I crossed my arms and leaned back on my chair. Gladwin looked at me and then hummed.


    ¡°It is information that is useful, and we¡¯ll keep this returning kid on the list of observation targets¡­ but investigating him in-depth seems to be a waste. We also don¡¯t have enough manpower to do that when most of our people are busy chasing after other concrete leads.¡±


    We couldn¡¯t say anything more to it.


    Richard seemed slightly troubled, but he knew that was the case too. Our request was coming from suspicion and a point of bias toward someone we personally knew.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Richard. ¡°Keeping them under observation is enough.¡±


    Gladwin nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There is little harm civilians can do anyway. The demiurge incident was one where many stars aligned and our enemy inherited human eyes.¡±


    Richard did not know that I was the one who had killed the Demiurge. With how strong our rapport had become this last month and some weeks, Gladwin didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to hide my involvement.


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t reveal anything when the Emperor himself had ordered otherwise.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you, Gladwin.¡±


    Richard¡¯s words marked the end of the conversation and we all continued sipping on our tea.


    That was the end of this incident, or so it should have been. But when we stepped out, Richard still seemed troubled.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked. ¡°Why are you so worried about this?¡±


    Richard sighed.


    ¡°My fianc¨¦e would also be here in two days¡­ I feel like making sure there is nothing wrong. It would suck if she came here and something happened to someone we knew.¡±


    I didn¡¯t not understand his sentiments. They might seem shallow, but it just meant that Richard could not see others¡¯ discomfort.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡± I said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we investigate this ourselves?¡±


    Richard tilted his head.


    ¡°Ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ we can try that.¡±


    Yes, that¡¯s right. Black Rose Club Hunters had already disbanded! It was about time we started something new.


    I was getting too bored these days.


    It was time to birth the 221B Glorenstein Street Duo.

 Chapter 73: A Small Lead

    ¡°Why did we have to put on these clothes?¡± asked Richard as he adjusted his coat.


    The day after the two of us met Gladwin, we were out on the streets again.


    If I was going to play detective, then the get-up was necessary. I didn¡¯t own a deerstalker, but an Inverness coat was easy to grab. The idea that, being the soldier myself, I should let Richard handle the detective-ing came to mind.


    But it was far too fun an opportunity to miss out on.


    ¡°It is elementary, my dear Watson.¡±


    ¡°Who is Watson? Also, is that a pipe!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a showpiece,¡± I said, taking the pipe out of my mouth and blowing out playfully.


    We had nothing to really base our suspicions on except Richard¡¯s gut feelings and his want to keep his fiancee safe.


    There was very little we could do before Mrs. Frock¡¯s son truly came here. In fact, there was going to be nothing more efficient than letting him get here and stopping him before he could do anything.


    But that was also risky.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t going to deter us detectives. We had to be on the lookout starting now.


    ¡°Since there is a lack of information¡­ Let''s pick some information out.¡± I pulled out a pocket diary and handed it to Richard. He pulled a pen from his pockets and held it open.


    ¡°Information,¡± Richard repeated. ¡°I¡¯ll break it into categories. We need an intent, we need background? We might need to see what all is going on here, what would a civilian, or someone posing as a civilian, have to do at this city.¡±


    Oh? He was pretty much on top of it.


    ¡°We can add more fields as we go on. For now, I think it is best to get some information.¡±


    I nodded, my arms crossed. This was awkward, wasn¡¯t I playing Sherlock? Should I tell him how to act?


    That was just rubbing salt on the wound.


    I had to work in some other way.


    ¡°Come with me, we will get to a good information source.¡±


    ***


    I guided Richard to the outer grounds of the Glorenstein Railway Station.


    The place where the most number of carriages gathered. There, at the back of the line of carriages, I noticed a familiar face.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Two familiar faces.


    ¡°Professor!¡± Jackie, the young coachman, waved me over with a bright smile. Behind him stood his old father looking over at us.


    ¡°Carriage driver?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Do you think one person can give us information?¡±


    I smirked and gestured at him to follow.


    Jackie bowed as I stopped in front of him, and his old father did the same.


    ¡°Professor, it has been a while.¡±


    ¡°It truly has. I see your father is doing well.¡±


    Jackie¡¯s father scratched his head and stepped forward. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, professor. The treatment you got us helped a lot.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You should thank you son for most of it.¡±


    Jackie had truly played a big role. If not for him, I might have never connected the dots.


    ¡°So, where do you want to go today?¡± Jackie slapped his carriage.


    ¡°I needed your help,¡± I said, leaning closer. Jackie had already helped me with something like this once.


    Jackie nodded. ¡°Sit inside. Father, can you drive us today?¡±


    Richard and I stepped into the carriage and Jackie followed us while his father went to the driver¡¯s seat. The carriage separated from the line and we went off to nowhere in particular.


    In the rattling carriage, I gave Jackie a simple request.


    ¡°I want you to look out for something for me. If there are any new people coming into the city and they do something suspicious, give me a heads-up.¡±


    Richard seemed reprehensive at my words.


    ¡°Just one person¡­?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Oh, no sir,¡± said Jackie. ¡°I alone won¡¯t be telling you all this. If you ask something from me, every coachman in the city will be on your case.¡±


    Richard looked at me and I rubbed my fingers and thumb together. For a very small fee that they had already received from me a few weeks ago, most of the coachmen would help without questions. Money solved all, after all.


    Of course, asking them for information and ordering them upfront was stupidity. They would be suspicious. That¡¯s why I had Jackie collect all the information for me.


    Jackie did not ask for a reason why nor any details he would have to do any of this. He was more than willing to inform me of two things.


    One was the movement of newcomers in the city and if they ever wanted to go to any suspicious place.


    And the other was the location of any possible suspicious gatherings.


    There were people targeting the Academy, they would have to plan thoroughly and have a very strong profile if they wanted to succeed.


    After asking Jackie to handle these things, I told him to let us off and the carriage came to a stop.


    Richard and I got off the carriage as Jackie waved us out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, professor. I¡¯ll handle it all and let you know the moment I hear something.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be counting on you, thank you Jackie!¡±


    The carriage drove off. We were left in the outskirts of the city where the buildings were decrepit and houses barren.


    Richard looked around and smirked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was an information network like this in the city.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s everywhere,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s a guild of beggars in the Capital city. They can find you anyone who exists and make you anyone who doesn¡¯t.¡±


    The network of coachmen was very tame compared to it. This was no other than extensive boots-on-ground investigation. I had simple outsourced it.


    ¡°While we¡¯re here, let¡¯s a take a look around and go back?¡±


    Richard nodded, and we started to gaze at the houses around.


    That was when a familiar building entered my sight.


    It was a worn down house with a broken door. One where mold grew and the smell of moss and fungus had become the default. The same house I had stormed before.


    It was the house of the janitor.


    The mark of three swords and a shield.


    The revolutionaries.


    A question that I had forgotten came back to my mind. How had that sick bastard managed to get into the academy? At that time, I had chalked it up to connections.


    But how did that man manage it?


    Now that there was a possibility of more people being involved in something suspicious¡­


    ¡°Richard. We might have a small lead into something big.¡±

 Chapter 74: The Invitation and Trois Pilier

    I led Richard through the labyrinthine outskirts of Glorenstein, toward the building I had once broken into personally.


    Richard followed me curiously as we closed in on the worn house. The door was still broken with no wooden lock on it.


    Wild grass grew far up from the ground and scuffed our trousers, almost as if they would prickle my skin.


    I placed a hand on the door and pushed it slightly, revealing the inside. Yet again, dozens of cockroaches and rodents were squeaking around inside.


    ¡°Is this alright?¡± Asked Richard.


    ¡°He¡¯s still being treated,¡± I said as I covered my mouth with a handkerchief and stepped inside the house. Richard followed, carefully tiptoeing over the bottles on the ground and covering his mouth too. ¡°When he¡¯s done, he will be tried for subordination to a criminal. This place is fair game.¡±


    ¡°It still sounds like trespassing to me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it wasn''t.¡±


    Richard held in a sigh, even sighing in this place felt disgusting. Talking was just as bad, but we had no other choice.


    We kicked the stray bottles in our path and stepped up to the blockades on the windows¡ªThe guards wouldn¡¯t mind us messing with this place at all.


    Richard tapped the boards and shook his head. It was too tough still to just be pulled out. For him, that is.


    I simply used my elbow and broke the wooden boards from the center. The boards on the windows were crushed and fell, letting in the myriad of lights into the room.


    The first thing Richard noticed was the thick black layer of mold and dirt on the floor. He covered his mouth and retched.


    ¡°How do people live here¡­¡±


    I continued breaking the windows open to let some fresh air in. Though it felt like it was more dangerous to let out this stale air into the free world.


    ¡°It¡¯s only that drunkard bastard¡­¡± I said, grimly staring at my elbows. I felt something damp at the end there and it gave me the same scare as a child would receive when looking underneath their bed and actually seeing something.


    The two of us held in our reservations and started looking around. As I had seen the place before, other kinds of thoughts entered my mind.


    What had that guy done to end up like this? Was he always like this?


    Maybe he had lost someone, or maybe there was something so horrible that he couldn¡¯t bear it. I had similar experiences before, and at that time I only got up from the mud because I had people around me¡­


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    A sigh left my lips.


    What was the point of thinking about this?


    ¡°Oh, look what I found¡­¡± Richard turned to me and raised a poster with his gloves. The poster of three swords and a shield.


    ¡°I have seen it before. Do you think this might have something to do with our guy?¡± I said and walked over to Richard.


    ¡°I doubt¡­ the Trois Pilier wouldn¡¯t stay quiet. Not those bastards.¡±


    Right. Even if I was going through the worst of problems, I wouldn¡¯t have supported criminals painting themselves in a noble light.


    Not these revolutionaries. Not these ones.


    There were many groups of revolutionaries, some that I personally identified with. But I knew the Trois Piliers were not deserving of any of it. They wanted to commit vile crimes in the name of protecting justice.


    Even the army pillaged at times, but these bastards did not leave anyone behind. They would loot everyone, defile everyone, and keep their heads up and call themselves warriors after it all.


    They were disorganized, hasty, and mostly dead.


    That¡¯s right. The army had stopped in between the war and had gone out to annihilate these bastards. The hero was a part of that operation too.


    Now all that was left was their dregs. That was why they weren¡¯t considered a serious threat.


    There was no need to sympathize with that bastard, not for now.


    Richard and I continued to search around the room.


    That was when we found something. A small envelope.


    It was an invite to an event. One without any marks of any sort. There was only one instruction, to watch L''¨¦clipse Noire.


    ¡°What in the world¡­¡± Richard muttered as he stared at the emblem.


    It was an invitation to a meeting, in the house of a revolutionary of the Trois Pilier.


    It was extremely strange. This wasn¡¯t their modus operandi. These bastards wouldn¡¯t even think of doing something like this.


    Not the ones that I knew about. It was possible that they might have changed the way they operate and the way they work now that they were at the brink of extinction.


    But there was a different, clearer explanation in my mind. Gladwin had mentioned that there were many different groups targeting the city.


    Then there was something organized. The fact that we had a young man under suspicion. The sheer scale of any operation that would take place in this city.


    It was all far too much to trust this old coot with.


    ¡°What if there was a group using the Trois Pilier as a cover?¡± I said. ¡°In this city?¡±


    Richard gulped at my words.


    He seemed to be considering the possibility.


    ¡°If that is really true¡­ then there would really be trouble around us, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    The Trois Pilier might just have been a cover. A detraction from the real problems.


    It was possible. There was another group in my mind, one filled with youth, which did just this¡­ But the problem was this old bastard¡¯s involvement.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Richard yelped, his eyes on the invitation. ¡°This thing is today!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°When did it come here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s stamped for two months ago by the post office. They sent it through the mail boxes to avoid being seen.¡±


    That meant before this old man was caught¡­


    Did these collaborators make this plan before the old man was fired from the academy? Then could it be¡­ they weren''t just using the Trois Pilier as a cover for themselves but also to manipulate this person who was possibly an ¡®in¡¯ into the academy?¡±


    ¡°Where is it taking place?¡± I asked.


    Richard shrugged. ¡°It only mentions L''¨¦clipse Noire.¡±


    ¡°And what is that? Some kind of code word?¡±


    ¡°It must be,¡± said Richard. ¡°Where do criminals meet?¡±


    ¡°In sewers?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Too conspicuous. People frequently visit sewers, you know?¡±


    I hummed and Richard crossed his arms.


    ¡°Maybe someplace in the woods? An outhouse?¡±


    ¡°Gladwin would have known. A outhouse would never escape him.¡±


    We both thought. I took the letter from Richard and flipped it around and¡ª


    ¡°Richard¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    A sigh left me.


    ¡°It even has the location on the backside. What the hell were you doing?¡±


    ¡°It does?¡±


    ¡°Yup, The Velvet Veil. It¡¯s a theater company here.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ there was a location¡­¡±


    That was embarrassing.

 Chapter 75: Velvet Veil

    The enormous dome of the Velvet Veil stood proud in the city. Far away from the central streets was the newest theater in Glorenstein.


    It was a place made by a playwright from the capital a few years before the war started. Thanks to the nature of the plays that appealed to not just the citizens, but also to the young and juvenile students studying in the academy, it quickly became a big hit.


    Richard and I adjusted our clothes and stepped to the door of the theater.


    ¡°This is larger than I thought,¡± I said as I stepped into the lanes made by the steel railings.


    ¡°It is,¡± said Richard. ¡°This place is fairly popular due to its cheap prices. There are four stages here, we might have to go to the smallest one.¡±


    The ticket counter reminded me of a retro cinema. A single glass pane with a small hole cut through it was the only way to talk to the receptionist inside. The brick walls on both sides were covered with posters and artwork advertising the newest plays and their dates coming up for the city.


    The city of Glorenstein was quite developed despite being a hub for education. I didn¡¯t have the chance to explore a lot of these places except for the brief periods of time when I was too injured to continue fighting on the frontlines and took small breaks.


    It was always novel for me.


    I strolled to the counter and lowered my head. Inside sat a brown haired man, yawning and pulling his ID.


    ¡°Welcome to Velvet Veil!¡±


    ¡°Hi! I am here to catch a showing of L¡¯Eclipse Noire? The show starts in half an hour, I believe?¡±


    The receptionist narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Do you have an invite, sir? It is an exclusive play.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    I looked back and stretched my hand toward Richard. The clueless Vice Principal shrugged, confused.


    ¡®I don¡¯t have an invitation!¡¯ he mouthed.


    ¡®The stupid letter!¡¯


    Richard ¡®ah¡¯d in realization. He rummaged through his pockets and handed me the letter.


    ¡°Right here,¡± I said. The receptionist closely scrutinized the letter and nodded.


    ¡°Please head in to the fourth stage through the door. Here are your tickets. You will have to present it to the gate guards.¡±


    I accepted both the tickets from him. I asked how much we owed and of course, it was all paid for already.


    We left the line and went to the door. After a quick pat-down, we presented the tickets to the guard.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Hm. Stage four. Pick up the masks from here, please.¡±


    The guard pulled out a tray from his spot and handed us both a masquerade mask. We each accepted one and finally got into the theater¡¯s premises.


    As expected of the Velvet Veil, the name matched the place to a perfect degree. Velvet-hued rugs laid the path ahead to the stages, on the ivory walls were posters of dozens of more plays that had been shown before.


    The ceiling was lined with chandeliers and boards informing us of emergency exits and the path ahead. It all exuded a luxurious exuberance that one wouldn¡¯t expect from a theater for the masses.


    ¡°Do you think we should be doing this?¡± asked Richard, a little nervous. ¡°I mean¡­ weren¡¯t we looking only for Mrs. Frock¡¯s son?¡±


    ¡°We were looking for something suspicious,¡± I said, adjusting my golden mask. As we tapped our feet deeper toward the fourth stage, more and more people came into our sights.


    All of them clad in masks, waiting around in the lobby before heading to the stage itself. Many of them chatted and talked while the rest stood behind, leaning against the walls and smoking their cigars.


    Their clothes were as varied as their heights and genders, some of them came about in suits while others wore jumpers. If one called over people walking through the city square at a random moment and put a mask on them all, the crowd would look similar to this.


    ¡°And we found something suspicious.¡± I whispered in Richard¡¯s ears as I pointed at the scruff of their clothes. Almost all of them bore the insignias of different groups, guilds and clans in the city.


    But it didn¡¯t take a genius to know that most of their identifiers were fake, it only took someone who had lived in Glorenstein long enough.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ this is very suspicious.¡±


    A ring resounded from the doors of the stage. A member of the staff called everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°The play will start in 20 minutes. If you wish, you may take your seats inside.¡±


    At his words, a few of the guests moved to sit inside in the theater.


    That was when my eyes fell on one guest in particular. One in a green mask with feathers sticking from the top moving opposite to the crowd.


    I traced his path with my gaze and saw him going into the greenroom.


    Huh¡­


    There was another source of information.


    ¡°Richard,¡± I whispered. ¡°Go inside. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Just head inside.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Ethan¡ª¡±


    Sorry, Richard. I wasn¡¯t going to pass on all this amounts of fun.


    I followed behind the green-masked man. The crowd was left at the spot and most of the guests started moving into the seats.


    I quickly hid behind a pillar and looked over. Into the greenroom.


    The door to the Green Room opened, and the man casually stepped inside and waved his hands, I saw the rest greet him before the door closed.


    Alright. This place was going to be easy.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± I faked a cough, stretched my hands, and stepped toward the Green Room. Before the play began, I too, had a show to perform in.


    The door swung open and I took a step inside.


    ¡°How is everyone doing!¡±


    The eyes all around turned to me. All of them, in strange costumes and clothings, sat in the Green Room and looked at me weirdly.


    ¡°Are you a performer?¡± Someone asked. ¡°The guests aren¡¯t supposed to be in this room.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I am supposed to be here.¡±


    Oh? So they didn¡¯t know everyone who was to perform either? Was this mask just helpful, or were they far too secretive? Well, I would know soon.


    ¡°Anyone wants coffee?¡± I asked.


    All of them glared at me.


    They all blinked. Some on the seats, some in front of mirrors, some just standing around.


    I smiled and blinked too.


    ¡ªSchwing!


    A collective loud sound rang out as silver gleamed inside the room. All the performers had weapons in their hands.


    I guess being friendly had its fair share of limitations¡­


    ***


    Twenty minutes passed by. Richard nervously looked around at the seats in front of the stages.


    His friend was not here yet.


    The lights went off. A spotlight gleamed open on the stage.


    And in came the performers. No, just a host.


    A black haired host with a wide, friendly, familiar smile in a golden opera mask.


    ¡°Oh, fuck¡­ Ethan, what the hell are you doing there?!¡±

 Chapter 76: Stroke of Brilliance

    ¡°Anyone want coffee?¡±


    My words hung in the air inside the greenroom as I looked at all the people in the greenroom.


    Silence. Silence. And then they all raised their weapons. A collective, synchronous schwing resounded in the air as their blades swept out of their belts.


    The ones closest to me, sitting on the chairs, leapt off the ground and jumped straight at me.


    ¡°Well, at least I asked.¡±


    The first one jumped straight at me and swung his knife down. I stepped back and raised my foot. The man tripped over and was about to fall when I grabbed him from the back of his collar.


    The second one swung his sword too.


    I raised the first one and tossed him on the second one. He crashed into the man and both of them tumbled backwards as if someone had kicked them like a football.


    ¡°Really? All this for a mask? Like, don¡¯t you know how annoying kids are! They destroyed mine! Or wait, are you guys angry about the coffee?¡±


    I was lying through my teeth. Something should work! I needed to get more information from them.


    ¡°T-t-this bastard!¡±


    ¡°Who is this man?¡±


    Another of them charged straight at me. A knife ready to stab and gorge into my stomach.


    Again, I lightly stepped back and dodged. Two more jumped at me from the back.


    I weaved and stepped aside again, and their weapons passed by me.


    ¡°Did it just go through him!?¡±


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    I crossed my arms and thought. What could I do to make this situation better? My words were not a panacea, nothing I could say would work here.


    A socialite wasn¡¯t a con man, despite the similarities.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it hitting him!?¡±


    ¡°What in the world is this guy!?¡±


    Hm¡­ What to do¡­ I closed my eyes too, completely lost in thought. There must be something.


    This was very fun after a long time. If these people had an interesting ideology uniting them¡ªI could use them for my goals too. There was no need to solve things with a fight.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°He closed his eyes and is fighting!?¡±


    ¡°Someone! Help! Hit! Him!¡±


    ¡°Haah¡­ haah¡­ I can¡¯t swing the sword anymore!¡±


    That¡¯s when a flash of brilliance struck my mind.


    I opened my eyes and slapped my palms together. It was an aha moment.


    The greenroom had been destroyed completely, the fools wearing green masks were still after my neck.


    An hatchet came swinging straight at my neck. I punched the swinger in the face and sent him flying to the ground. At the same time, I dived ahead and rolled behind the rubble left in the room.


    Shards of glass had spread everywhere, leather and feathers of the chairs around filled the ground. I scrambled on the ground and dodged the ones still running behind me.


    Finally, below a table, I found a notepad. I yanked it out of the ground and stood back up.


    ¡°This should work.¡±


    Right in front of me was another of the green masked actors, holding an ax.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    I swiped his ax before he could raise it. Then, just as fast, I lightly cut his finger and used his blood to write on the notepad.


    ¡°Get him!¡±


    A scream resounded from behind. The green-masks who lacked teamwork finally decided to swing all their blades down from all directions.


    The attacks, though, never reached me.


    I immediately fell to the ground and grabbed my chest.


    ¡°AAH! No! I¡­ Lost¡­ this can¡¯t be¡­!¡±


    My broadway level acting worked as I fell to the ground, stuck my tongue out, and played dead.


    All the ones around me stopped in their tracks.


    ¡°What happened just now¡­?¡±


    ¡°Did he just¡­¡±


    They then looked at the ax-swinger.


    ¡°You¡¯re very strong,¡± one said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do¡ª¡±


    ¡°Way stronger than we thought. Amazing.¡±


    ¡°No seriously¡­ I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can take the credit for this one.¡±


    Hah. Even in playing dead, I helped a person raise their career. How nice of me. This much was owed for the fun these guys were going to provide me with.


    They all huddled around me and looked down.


    ¡°So¡­¡± said the hatchet swinger. The ax-swinger was probably going to avoid saying anything. ¡°What do we do with him?¡±


    ¡°We should tie him up and take him away,¡± the one who I tossed like a ball said. ¡°That¡¯s the best option.¡±


    Hell yes! That¡¯s exactly what I wanted!


    ¡°What if he brought someone with him?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ let¡¯s use his clothes to lure the person out.¡±


    Wait wait! This was not what I wanted!


    Unfortunately, I had no control over them using me to try and lure Richard out. Or more specifically, using my coat and my mask.


    ***


    Richard sat in the audience as his friend, Ethan, got on stage and clumsily hosted the event.


    He could only watch, anxious, but for some reason Ethan never looked his way. His voice and actions were very different from how he usually was.


    It was odd, but Richard figured his friend didn¡¯t need much help.


    He waited and watched. The stage was then filled with green-masked actors and players who went on their performance.


    Richard made extensive mental note of the entire show. If there was any secret communication in the form of the show, then he wanted to be able to decipher it.


    Or so he planned to.


    When his eyes fell on the small memo stuck on the back of one of the performers. The memo fell off his back and on the stage as the play ended and applause followed.


    The people left the seats but Richard waited. Once the lights inside the theatre went off, he finally went to the stage and picked up the fallen memo.


    Written on it ominously in blood, were words that Richard never expected to see.


    [Sorry. Getting kidnapped for an investigation. Will probably need paid leave.


    Don¡¯t cut my pay,


    Professor of Black Rose]


    Richard closed his eyes and stared at the ceiling.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder if he¡¯s seriously smart or seriously stupid¡­¡±

 Chapter 77: More To Learn.

    Richard stepped out of the theater with a frown. He had tossed the mask away, and was carrying the letter from his friend written in blood.


    His eyes lazily scanned the outside of the Velvet Veil street. He looked over at the theater again, where the receptionist was busy dealing with a new influx of people.


    A poster caught his eye. One with a moon, at the bottom, the costumes were credited a familiar name.


    ¡°Mrs. Frock¡­¡± Richard muttered her name and looked at the letter in his hands again. She was a good person. He didn¡¯t need a reason to look out for good people.


    Richard smiled to himself. He rushed ahead from his lane and flagged a carriage down.


    ¡°Oh!? Vice Principal?¡± The carriage driver, surprisingly enough, was Jackie again.


    ¡°Jackie!¡± Richard exclaimed. He handed him the letter in a rush. ¡°Take this and give it to the Principal of the academy! Make sure it reaches him! I have to go help Ethan!¡±


    ¡°Did something happen to the professor?¡±


    ¡°No time to explain! Go!¡±


    ***


    Loose threads dug into my skin. Splinters were stuck in my hair and grazed my face while shoe stamps were all over my clothes.


    ¡°He¡¯s out cold¡­¡±


    ¡°What a bastard. We broke so many logs and he still isn¡¯t bleeding.¡±


    The voices of the masked men around me echoed. They had tied my hands, feet, and eyes and gagged my mouth with a thick cloth.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°What do we do with him?¡± Someone asked. It was the voice of the axe-wielder. ¡°Why did we bring him here to this place?¡±


    Someone else, a person who sounded like a smart-ass that would be pushing his glasses up as he spoke, spoke.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t take a guy like this to our base. It will mess things up.¡±


    Wait. Wait wait wait! That breaks the whole purpose! I only came here because I couldn¡¯t figure out what they were signaling through the play. If they didn¡¯t take me to their base¡ª


    ¡°I see, that makes sense.¡±


    Before I could even finish my train of thought, the rats grabbed me from both sides. They lifted me up high and threw me with all their might.


    A distant ¡®good riddance¡¯ was all I heard as I tumbled toward the ground.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    A stone hit my head.


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    I hit a stone.


    ¡°Bleh!¡±


    I rolled down, smacking stones and being smacked by stones as gravity pulled me in its embrace. Dust wrapped around me and pebbles stuck in my lips.


    Finally, a large boulder came in my way and broke my fall. Not today, mother earth.


    I groaned and spat a mouthful of blood out as I tried to push myself up. The mana in this place was immense, infused in every breath.


    ¡°Where the hell¡­?¡±


    The idea wasn¡¯t as much a stroke of genius as I had expected it would be. Though, it had worked perfectly well the last time I used it.


    A troop of demons had taken me in as a prisoner of war and that gave me more than enough knowledge about their organization to subdue them.


    It was during a time when I didn¡¯t have a good hold of my own mind. A dark time that I didn¡¯t like to think about a lot.


    The place around me was strange. The ground was slightly damp, it was a strange roughness on my palms. Moss?


    ¡°A place like this was in Glorenstein?¡± I muttered to myself as I sat up.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t in Glorenstein, doofus.¡±


    I heard a voice. Inside the cave.


    There was someone else here.


    I was still blindfolded, so I couldn¡¯t see earlier, but the voice was unmistakable.


    Maybe there was something to learn here.


    ¡°And who are you?¡± I said. ¡°Who are you calling a doofus?¡±


    ¡°I am calling a doofus a doofus,¡± the voice answered. ¡°Well, what can I say? I am stuck here too. If you¡¯re a doofus then that makes me one as well.¡±


    Maybe there was something to learn from being kidnapped after all.


    ¡°Why did they drop you here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Why else if not for their crazy plan? Who in their right mind would accompany that bitch to lead a fight against the entire town.¡±


    My eyes widened.


    A fight against the whole town? Was something like that being signaled through the play?


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of that one leading the Anti-Imperial Rebels.¡±


    I froze.


    ¡°The crazy bitch Frock.¡±

 Chapter 78: Trouble Never Knocks

    A knock spread through the principal¡¯s office in the Glorenstein Academy.


    ¡°Come in,¡± said Principal Kurt and the door opened. In stepped the taciturn guard of the front gates, who loyally held post whether it was shine or rain. The guard bowed and handed a letter to the Principal.


    ¡°It¡¯s from the Vice-Principal.¡± Was all the taciturn guard said as he bowed and walked out of the office.


    Principal Kurt lowered his glasses and placed away the documents he was signing on a pile to his right and turned to his left, where Gladwin sat relaxedly on the mahogany single-seater.


    Principal Kurt opened the letter and scanned it through, only to have a sigh leave him.


    ¡°It seems there is some trouble,¡± said Kurt. He creased the letter from the center and tossed it over to Gladwin.


    At the same time, another knock rang on the door and, without waiting for an answer, in stepped a blonde-haired woman. Her eyes were as baggy as the white coat she wore.


    ¡°Professor Denadis, you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Professor Denadis as she casually strode over next to where Gladwin sat and settled herself on the last, three-seater couch.


    Gladwin smirked as he placed the letter down.


    ¡°Funny folks,¡± he said. ¡°It seems Professor Ethan has stumbled on something big.¡±


    ¡°Professor Ethan?¡± Denadis repeated. ¡°Again? What is he doing now?¡±


    Gladwin placed the letter down and crossed his legs. He pinned his knees with his hands.


    {Found something strange. On an investigative leave with Ethan.


    Will probably take a few days.


    Don¡¯t cut our pay.


    Please.


    Seriously, don¡¯t. This is a real problem.


    Don¡¯t cut it.


    Best,


    Richard.}


    Those were the words written on the letter. Professor Denadis was slightly amused, but today, her attention was elsewhere.


    Finally, Principal Kurt took a seat on the remaining, two-seater couch, and Professor Denadis pulled out a small glass vial from her coat.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Ethan here, Ethan there. I didn¡¯t think much of him when he came around¡­¡±


    A green-tinged blob crawled around in the vial. Once part of a giant chimeric beast, this was all that was left from the years of her effort.


    ¡°But when I saw him defeat the Chimera that once caused immense destruction¡­ I have to ask you, just who is he¡­?¡±


    Professor Denadis leaned ahead on the table, staring into Gladwin¡¯s eyes, past his soft smile and straight into the persona he hid behind his cunning smile.


    ¡°Just who is that man? What kind of power does he hold¡­?¡±


    ***


    Mrs. Frock.


    The name rang in my ears like the music I usually heard at night. Strange, since it was barely as relaxing. If anything, this lady¡¯s mention of Mrs. Frock¡¯s name had only alerted all my senses.


    As if I had been struck by a truck, the thoughts in my head muddled around. But unlike last time, I couldn¡¯t come to a conclusion. There was no ¡®a-ha¡¯ moment this time around.


    All I was left with was a strange shock, a sense of disbelief, and an abundance of incongruity.


    ¡°Doofus, why were you thrown in here?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Frock¡­¡± I mumbled again. An organization, seemingly anti-imperialistic in nature, was busy making its mark in the shadows of Glorenstein.


    It seemed almost impossible for Mrs. Frock to be the one leading it. Was there perhaps a daughter? Or maybe someone pretending to be Mrs. Frock?


    As the initial shock started to fade away, my thoughts started to flow again.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± I said to my companion in this cave. The place we were stuck in, thrown away by the anti-imperialists.


    According to Gladwin, multiple groups were making their moves to have their agendas fulfilled against the gathering of hostages. The ones who held value as hostages for the Empire held even more value as hostages for criminals.


    Now, we had found someone inside the city involved in these happenings. Richard and me had initially assumed it would be Mrs. Frock¡¯s long estranged son, or maybe someone else related to him.


    But¡­ we never expected Mrs. Frock herself to be the mind behind all this.


    A breath got stuck in my mouth. Everyone was gathered to pass-on signals. My fellow captive had mentioned a fight against the entire city. And the ones at the play were extremely particular about the color of my mask.


    ¡°The plan was never in the play¡­¡±


    Mrs. Frock owned a boutique. A boutique that could transform someone like Richard from a dull academic to a socialite.


    ¡°The signal was the costumes¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about their method of communication?¡± asked my fellow captive. ¡°What is the point now? It¡¯s all over anyway.¡±


    ¡°Over¡­?¡± I muttered. ¡°Why is that? I assume you have your own agenda with the royalty too. Why give up so soon?¡±


    ¡°Give up?¡± she scoffed. ¡°I guess I should tell you. That bitch is using all of us.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a witch, a chimera scientist,¡± my fellow captive didn¡¯t have any regard for my continued shock. ¡°Do you think we can fight and win against the entirety of Glorenstein? It¡¯ll be a miracle if we last a day.¡±


    A chimera scientist.


    Eerily enough, I had heard from and seen one mere days ago.


    One that talked about a special kind of chimera.


    ¡°She is planning to use all of us as a sacrifice to match the mana of a demiurge. That bitch plans to awaken the worst kind of Chimera this world has seen. She even calls it her ¡®son¡¯ that bitch.¡±


    Oh fuck.


    ¡°I have to stop this¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it? Sure, doofus. We are both in this mana vein. Even the archmage won¡¯t be able to use magic here. Give up¡ª¡±


    A snap rang out as I broke the rope binding my hands with a small flex of my muscles.


    Thankfully, magic was not something I needed to use.


    I quickly pulled down my mask and turned to my fellow captive. A brown-haired lady dressed like a rogue.


    ¡°You wanna leave this place?¡± I asked. ¡°If you want my help to come out you¡¯ll have to help me break this chimera down.¡±


    The lady swallowed her words.


    ¡°Did you just¡­ break your binds?¡±


    ¡°Answer.¡±


    She scoffed.


    ¡°Fine. There¡¯s someone I really need to protect in this town too.¡±

 Chapter 79: Slash, Dice, Mask

    Richard Benett was looking for Ethan, the person who had acted like a captive and was taken away by the green-maskers. As soon as he handed the letter not to Jackie, Richard turned back around into the Velvet Veil theatre and lined up with the rest of the crowd.


    A small bell rang, and all the shows were suspended at the same time. The people in masks scrawled out with the ones who were here to enjoy the normal shows. It was a perfect escape plan where people took turns to get out and gather in the lobby of the place.


    His best bet was to look for the green-maskers and make them spill out everything they knew. Then maybe in their chief hideout, he would find his friend Ethan. Was it time for a rescue operation? Such thoughts entered Richard''s mind, but even in his distracted state, his mind was on his surroundings.


    People left the shows with the rest of the crowds of all five theaters making it impossible to tail any one person amidst the hundreds.


    But for Richard it was possible. To be an educator one must teach well, but to become an educator in Glorenstein, one had to be strong.


    Very strong.


    A small magic circle formed with every step Richard walked, right below his boots. Small strands of ethereal mana shaped like butterflies flew out of the ground. hey carried a thread of mana connected to Richard from the tip of his finger.


    It was the sign of their ability that allowed Richard to observe people more closely.


    As the thread moved around, it dabbed around an object in one of the passersby''s pockets.


    It was the green mask!


    Slyly, Richard trailed behind the guy with the green mask. He passed around the streets following the trail of the masked man. They shuffled into the deeper and deeper corners of Glorenstein.


    Richard kept a small distance, trailing the man like a master.


    Was it their precaution? Hours passed in his following the man. It was already late in the day, but now the sun was starting to set.


    He could only guess where Ethan was and what he must be up to, but Richard could only continue trailing.


    Eventually, the man seemed to make a move that Richard had been waiting for. The move to their hideout. Richard followed behind slowly, keeping his presence hidden well, but as they took the shadier turns, the masked escapee had noticed Richard already.


    Their paces turned brisk. The man ran ahead and Richard followed right behind. The mask in his back fluttered side to side and caught Ricard''s eye.


    The man turned to a dead end.


    He snapped back, Richard right behind him.


    "I-I''ll never lead you to our base¡ª"


    "I don''t need it either." Richard shoved his elbow into the man''s jaw. Knocking him out at once. He quickly disrobed the man and stole his clothes. Especially, his green mask.


    "Let''s see..."


    He looked down at the magical thread sticking out of his finger. He had attached it to some other person he suspected of being the masked man. One to steal the identity of, and one to follow.


    It was the perfect plan.


    Richard put on the mask with a cold glare and stepped out of the alleyways. His eyes monitored the streets. As soon as the musty moss of the alleyways disappeared...


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Richard''s eyes widened. A dark shadow loomed over all of Glorenstein.


    "AAAAH!"


    "W-what in the world!?"


    "Help! Run! Help!!"


    Dozens and dozens of men and women in green masks with weapons turned to massacre the citizens. Blood spilled out everywhere as did the scream.


    In the mere moments that it took Richard to grab a mask from a suspect...


    The city had started to burn.


    Burn from the hands of people who wore the same mask as him.


    ***


    I pulled the mask off the girl too. She dressed in the robes of a rouge. Just as I would expect one to look. Her hair was a shade of chestnut and her eyes were sharp. A thin but evident scar ran down her cheek.


    "How did you manage to break free?" She asked, dusting her hands as she took a small distance from me and checked her belongings, her weapons. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how people can use magic in a mana vein.¡±


    The girl was keeping an eye on me. She acted trusting and docile as she checked her weaponry, but her awareness did not miss me. She was sounding me out.


    Mana veins were a place where the magic of the world had seeped into the bedrock and changed the very constitution of the ground. These places were filled with mana to the point that summoning even a single circle without interference became impossible.


    If using magic normally was like drawing with oil paints on a slightly damp paper, then inside a mana vein or other magically enchanted terrains, it became comparable to drawing on an ocean.


    Impossible.


    Even more so for me who couldn¡¯t use magic in the first place.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t use magic.¡±


    ¡°You did not¡­? How does that¡­¡± Her eyes turned to the binds that were on the ground. The mana-resistant chains which I had broken off into pieces. The proof of it was in front of her.


    The girl gulped and placed her hand on the hilt of her dagger. ¡°What group are you associated with¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I am a professor at the Glorenstein Academy.¡±


    She took a step back, her feet sent a pebble tumbling behind.


    She was shaken. I could see her feet trembling and her fingertips shaking, but even then, her face remained collected.


    How amusing. What a talented person. I could see why people planning a revolution had her as an asset.


    ¡°A professor¡­ hah!¡± She scoffed, acting bravely. Her hand on her dagger tightened. If she could kill me here, there was still a chance to escape, huh? ¡°So the academy got wind of it¡­ Are the other groups who were hiding outside the city also caught?¡±


    I smiled and crushed her hopes. ¡°It is not just the academy, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs is here and active.¡±


    The girl bit her lips at my words. Her hand loosened from the dagger and a sigh left her.


    ¡°This was a losing battle from the get-go,¡± she said. Even now, she wasn¡¯t losing hope. It was pretty clear that she was racking her brains in another direction. ¡°That Frock bitch and her cronies would never have succeeded.¡±


    What to do¡­ I felt a little bad for her. Maybe it would be fine to drop a hint.


    ¡°You seem capable of holding a conversation,¡± I said. ¡°Unlike others.¡±


    If she would work with me, a ¡®conversation¡¯ would be possible.


    The girl seemed torn but did not waste time in making the most optimal choice.


    No¡­ there was something else making her hesitate. Her eyes trembled for the first time in this conversation.


    For some reason, I remembered my own self when I had to act against others to protect them.


    As if she had firmed her resolve, the girl clenched her fists and looked at me.


    ¡°Will you be able to guarantee my and my friends¡¯ safety? I will only help you stop that bitch if you can.¡±


    She would help either way¡­


    ¡°And you seem to have some morals.¡± I smiled and stretched my hand out at her. ¡°Ethan Kalenice,¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Uh, Shirley Be¡ªShirley, just Shirley.¡±


    It felt a little bad to be tricking her. I couldn¡¯t help her after all.


    To be honest, I had no power to help her. If the criminals were caught by the civil servants, I could do nothing about it.


    If, they were caught.


    ¡°I¡¯ll guarantee your safety,¡± I said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would come to this¡­ I have no choice now. How do we get out?¡±


    Both of us turned to the other side of the dark cave at her words. In front of us was a steep incline leading upward. A giant boulder was on the ground, the same place that I had hit.


    The ascent of about 40 meters high was something that would be impossible to scale without magic. For anyone else.


    ¡°About that¡­ brace yourself for a bit, ok?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Wha-¡±


    ***


    A giant boulder stood deep in the forest, stretching above the tall trees. Unbeknownst to most, it blocked the entrance to a Mana Vein lost in these mountains long ago.


    For decades, only some people of certain magical towers knew of its existence. The boulder alone had protected the cave for years.


    Until today.


    When the boulder cracked from the center, a loud explosion followed, sending the enormous boulder the size of a giant into the air.


    In the midst of the exploding boulder, one voice resounded through the air.


    ¡°YOU CRAZZY BASTARD!!¡±

 Chapter 80: Where Monsters Hide

    I jumped up from the cave. My eyes darted around as I stepped on the stalactites and stray rocks as a foothold on my ascent. Alongside the wind that was pushed back, the screams of my fellow captive filled my ears.


    "AAAAAH!"


    It must be sudden, but I had no choice. If Mrs. Frock was truly working to make a chimera, then I had to stop it before it could start.


    I finally saw the giant boulder blocking the entrance of the cave. I pulled my leg back.


    "Hold tight!"


    ¡°You monsterrr!"


    The boulder was hit with the force of my kick, charged with all the physical strength I could summon. The boulder cracked at the center as the impact formed a small crater on it.


    The cracks spread on it like spiderwebs, and in the blink of an eye¡ª


    ¡ªBOOOM!


    A massive explosion blasted away the boulder blocking the entrance of the cave. I tossed my fellow captive through the cloud of dust and debris before landing on the outside of the cave.


    it was a steep drop down again right behind me. Scary place.


    Dusting my shoulders and my palms, I walked out of the cloud of smoke. We were deep in a forest, on a hill that I hadn''t seen before.


    "How far from the city are we...?" When did this happen? Was it magic?


    On the ground in front of me, was my fellow captive Shirley flat on her face, covered in dust.


    ¡°Ptui¡± Shirley spat on the ground and pushed herself up. She sat and looked at the scratches she got from being tossed on the ground with a deep frown. What a ruffian. I hope my students don¡¯t learn anything from her.


    She glared at me and I ignored her.


    It was a hill I never knew. A cave I had never seen. I couldn¡¯t explore all of Glorenstein, but knew most of the dangerous places.


    What was worse, I couldn¡¯t even see Glorenstein from here. Mana flooded my eyes and my vision expanded drastically, but not a sign of the city came into view.


    As my head turned to the other side, a sharp, brown object entered my view. My vision returned to normal immediately.


    A branch was bulleting toward Shirley on the ground. A branch from the many trees around us.


    ¡°Look out!¡±


    Shirley noticed a beat before me and rolled on her back. Her legs landed down and in she stood up in a swoop like a gymnast pulling a trick.


    Shirley pulled out the daggers from her waist as two more branches came shooting for her.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    At the same time, the trees all around started squirming and throbbing. The ground pulsed. Roots started swarming out of the ground like waves on a shore.


    ¡°KRRRAAAAA!¡±


    Thunderous screams ripped through the air, and so did another thing¡ªthe barks of the tree.


    Eyes and mouths ripped through the wood on the trees all around us as they started moving their branches and roots like arms and feet.


    ¡°Ents¡­¡± Shirley muttered. ¡°They can¡¯t speak either. They are rabid Ents.¡±


    Ents generally had a level of intelligence like Goblins, but they could also end up as crazy wild killing machines.


    Ones that were at least Level 4.


    ¡°Ah, so there was surveillance after all.¡±


    ¡°Joking even at a time like this? I thought Glorenstein professors are very upright.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just my first year.¡±


    Even though my words were light, my mind was scrambling in every direction. Ents? I didn¡¯t worry about being swarmed by a dozen or so ents.


    It was the fact Ents existed at all around Glorenstein which worried me. I could understand a highly protected laboratory, I could understand demiurges that looked exactly like humans.


    But monsters? There was no way monsters out in the open would be able to escape the academy¡¯s detection. And if not the academy, then Gladwin would have sniffed them out.


    It was impossible unless they were in¡ª


    ¡ªA ball of vines studded with sharp branches came swinging to my head.


    I gently stepped back, dodging the strike. After the dodge, I grabbed the vines sticking out and tugged it closer.


    ¡°Gwouh!?¡±


    A strange noise left the Ent as I yanked it through the ground and pulled it toward me. Without even bothering to turn, I smashed the back of my hand into the Ent¡¯s body and snapped it in half.


    My eyes instead turned to my fellow captive.


    Shirley nimbly moved around the Ents. Her daggers clashed with the branches as sparks flew out in all directions.


    Anyone would think she was being overpowered, but five Ent corpses were splayed on the ground. All of them were pierced by a single strike.


    Shirley aggressively pushed off the branches and slammed her foot ahead. Her shadow slithered forward and merged with the shadows of the Ents. The shadows climbed up the Ent¡¯s frame and held it down in place.


    Her shadow manipulation did not end there. Shirley held her dagger in a different grip, making its shadow bigger due to the light. She swung the dagger ahead, slicing the air.


    But the dagger¡¯s shadow fell over the body of the Ent.


    And cut it through the middle. In a single strike.


    Shirley did not bat an eye at the dead Ent. She moved her shadow to the next Ent annoying her and sliced it in the same way, and then the next.


    Such an immense degree of Shadow Magic without even casting. A chuckle left me.


    I never thought a talent like this would come in front of me inside a dungeon.


    It only made me wonder about how strong the people she was collaborating with were, and how strong the ones who must have thrown her in were.


    The Ents finally all fell and Shirley breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°The monsters, and the mana vein, all of them going unnoticed seem very strange to me,¡± I said.


    Shirley nodded.


    It was then.


    Perhaps since the ones who had attacked all died. The entire mountain we stood on started to rumble and shake.


    A vibration spread through the ground. The sand and the stones pushed up in waves as many more roots seeped out of the ground.


    Every single tree on the mountain growled.


    All of them were Ents.


    I smirked and looked to my side, only to find the color drained out of Shirley¡¯s face.


    Her gaze was not on the Ents.


    It was in the distance.


    Moving under the clouds was a being larger than a mountain. With wines covering its ancient, enormous body, the creature¡¯s every step sent the earth quaking.


    A level 10+ monster.


    A behemoth was raging in the distance.


    This place was not near the Academy. It was not even the city. The only way so many monsters could escape us was if they were in a completely different dimension.


    This was it.


    We were in a dungeon.

 Chapter 81: Monster (1)

    ¡°Just who is Professor Ethan¡­¡±


    Professor Denadis¡¯ question filled the principal¡¯s room. The two members of the academy watched Gladwin with expectant eyes as sipped his tea.


    ¡°What kind of power does he hold¡­?¡±


    Gladwin took in a sharp breath. His eyes narrowed down, maybe in thought.


    They watched him carefully, and that was why they could tell. They could see him.


    Shivering.


    Trembling.


    Principal Kurt and Professor Denadis could not say a word. Slowly, Gladwin took another sip and placed the cup down. He met their eyes.


    ¡°Demons too, are thinking, feeling creatures.¡±


    His voice was cold, foreboding. The sun started to set outside as Gladwin gazed at the two.


    ¡°Just like humans and the other races, they live together and help each other out. Vermin as they may be, they can be called people.¡±


    Gladwin shook his head.


    ¡°No, they are people. The great war between the two sides of the world was a war between people.¡±


    Gladwin¡¯s words trailed off. A strange sense of terror filled every syllable he squeezed out of his mouth. As if he could see it, as if he was back in that time.


    ¡°It happened five years ago¡­¡±


    The two listeners gulped.


    ¡°In a battle between people¡­ a monster intervened.¡±


    At the same time, a blare resounded throughout Glorenstein. A sharp influx of magical energy filled the air as the barrier around the academy activated. The three stood up in a fluster.


    The door to the office broke open and the other civil servants streamed inside.


    ¡°T-trouble!¡± They screamed. ¡°T-the city! The city is burning! There is a rebellion!¡±


    ***


    Harrowing screams echoed all over the academy. The sound that filled the institution, strangely enough, did not originate anywhere close-by.


    It was carried by the wind. Shrieks of fear, screams of pain, and evidence of terror. The unsuspecting students who had been living a normal day all this time were faced with a sudden turn of events.


    In the distance, way beyond the walls of the academy, raging fires danced under the sunset sky. Now and then, streams of blood would fly up followed by screams.


    The students of Black Rose were all pulled away by the knights of the Academy. All of them were dragged over to the dormitory without any warning.


    They gathered in the lobby of the dorms, shocked at the sudden turn of events.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°W-what is happening?¡± Marnie, one of the students who could not fight, panickedly asked.


    ¡°Is the city on fire¡­ is it the demons?¡±


    ¡°N-no way!¡± Atlas screamed. His voice caught them all off-guard. No one expected the quiet friend to shout this loudly. Surprised by the sudden attention, Atlas shook his head. ¡°I mean¡­ the demons can never come here¡­ it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± said the saintess candidate.


    ¡°I agree too,¡± Prince Ier backed them all. ¡°The Empire is not sleazy enough for anything like that to happen. Don¡¯t worry, whatever it is, it will get sorted out¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡±


    Another voice cut them all off. The students turned toward the door and found a black-haired girl with cat ears tussling with the knights.


    ¡±Lady Iaso, please!¡± The knights held her back and others blocked the door. ¡°You can¡¯t go out!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it!¡± Iaso said, swinging the wooden sword in her hands. ¡°That nosy bastard will definitely try to intervene! It¡¯s a fight, right? We have to go help the professor!¡±


    ¡°The professor is not around?¡± Elara muttered. ¡°Princess Iaso! You must calm down, this won¡¯t help.¡±


    Iaso looked to the side and found her classmates huddled around. It seemed to have distracted her which made the knights sigh a breath of relief.


    ¡°L-lady Elara is right¡­¡± said the knight holding her. ¡°You have to stay here. The professor will be safe.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s out there! That guy will get stuck in between. I have to repay a debt¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAnd will your going there help?¡± asked Elara. She sighed and placed a hand on her head. ¡°Just calm down. I am sure the knights have already gone out in the city. Since we are weak, we are better off staying back here.¡±


    Iaso bit her lips. The moment her weakness was brought forward, she couldn¡¯t say a word.


    But what was she supposed to do?


    Wasn¡¯t it just like this? On an unsuspecting day when her house was burned down and her only friend killed? Was she supposed to sit back and hide again?


    Even if she hated it, the world presented no other option.


    Strength left Iaso¡¯s body as she lowered her weapon. She couldn¡¯t do anything. Again.


    Nothing, except hope that the professor is safe. It was a terrible day. She dragged herself to the other students and lowered her gaze.


    The other students too ended up nervous. One of their own, their professor was not around. He was likely in the mess that continued outside.


    A tense air filled the room. The situation seemed much worse than before.


    Except for one person. Prince Ier alone remained puzzled through the interaction.


    ¡°If the professor is out there¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean everything is perfect?¡±


    Only he knew how strong the professor was. Prince Ier did not have the chance to see many strong people, but even with his limited imagination.


    He just couldn¡¯t imagine the professor losing.


    ***


    ¡°I-it¡¯s a behemoth¡­¡±


    Shirley barely managed to let out her words. Her eyes were stuck on the monster in the distance.


    ¡°An entire dungeon¡­ we were thrown in a dungeon, not a prison.¡±


    I smiled and looked back. We originally thought that the rebels had thrown us into this cave. A mana vein.


    The place was still filled with stones. It was a goldmine. Why would they store prisoners there? The place we were thrown at from the beginning was a magical terrain.


    A place formed over the years, as the Earth changed and the wills of many and many, the will of the mana itself formed a different location in space. A separate dimension called a Dungeon.


    It was this dungeon that made the Demonic Lands still exist. After all, where would people living in a barren world source their food from?


    There was only so much smuggling could facilitate.


    The mana concentration there gave rise to many such holes in space.


    Rarer as it was, dungeons were not uncommon on this side of the world. Unless we defeated its core, escape was impossible.


    What a twisted dungeon, it had started by throwing us in a mana vein. Something that humans would consider a reward room compared to the rest of the place.


    But since we were in a dungeon. It also meant time here moved differently from the rest of the world.


    As we stood here. It was possible that Mrs. Frock¡¯s ¡®son¡¯ had already made a homecoming.


    ¡°Hey, Shirley,¡± I said. ¡°I am sorry, but you¡¯ll have to take a step back.¡±


    ¡°W-what do you mean¡­?¡± Shirley asked. ¡°You mean, give up? There¡¯s no way we can defeat a behemoth. It can flatten mountains¡ª¡±


    ¡°I mean shut up and don¡¯t get in my way.¡±


    I lowered my stance.


    Mana started to fill my body.


    Slowly, it seeped out of my hand. A sea of mana.


    An overflowing ocean.


    My heart pumped, my muscles squeezed, my temperature soared.


    ¡°I am going to break through this place as fast as I can.¡±

 Chapter 82: Monster (2)

    Shirley saw many things through her life. One did not have to be a warrior to see bloodshed during the war; it was far too commonplace, like spotting crows in the sky.


    Being a revolutionary and a criminal let Shirley see more than most others. That was what she could tell.


    What she saw in front of her today was nowhere close to normal.


    No, that was an understatement.


    What she was witnessing was beyond ordinary. It was on the scale of stories she had heard.


    The stories of the warriors at the very front of the war. The heroes fight against the strongest of the demons. The vanguards of the final assault.


    A wave of mana sent Shirley''s hair fluttering. Ethan''s mana was charging out like water from a broken dam.


    It was a sight she had never seen before.


    Did demons possess this much mana? Was it even possible? Shirley couldn''t tell.


    His eyes had turned a shade of yellow from their black. Slowly, the mana leaking all around the dungeon merged, coalescing into a sword right into Ethan''s arms. The sheer amount of controlled energy warped the air around his blade.


    "Shirley, get behind me."


    Unable to refute, the girl rushed behind Ethan. Even being near him was suffocating. A strange, fearsome pressure squashed on her very soul the closer she got to the man.


    Even the Ents surrounding them all over the mountain hesitated to move. But what could be expected from monsters?


    Cornered, even rats fought back, and these creatures had been living as kings of this place.


    "KRAAA!" A collective scream tore through the air as the monsters charged straight at them. Dozens, no, hundreds, of sharp branches and vines shot straight at them.


    Twigs shaped like arrows. Roots held like swords¡ªleaves tossed like darts. The attacks of all the Ents gathered at once.


    "Foolish."


    The man in front of her swung his sword¡ª


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡ªAnd the world came to a standstill.


    A strange quiet filled the air as if the attacks coming their way disappeared as if it were all a dream.


    Shirley slowly raised her head and looked around. All the branches, vines, and leaves were covered in the attacks of hundreds of Ents.


    Were all stopped in the air.


    Frozen. As if time itself had stopped.


    "Ma¡­gic¡ª" Shirley''s words stuck in her throat. As she focused, she could see the same thin veneer of warped air around all the attacks that sheathed Ethan''s mana sword.


    This was no magic. There was no spell this quick and this sophisticated.


    What she was seeing was sheer mana control. With his overflowing mana, the man in front of her had stopped all the attacks from approaching them.


    Balance? Limits? Those be damned. It didn''t look like Ethan had used up half of his mana.


    "Just what¡­" Shirley tried but couldn''t express her thoughts.


    Just what did a person have to sacrifice to get to this level?


    "Don''t move from here," said Ethan. With a flick of his wrist, the Ents'' attacks fell to the ground, and he slowly lowered his stance. His muscles flexed, and his coat swayed.


    A bang resounded in her ears as the man shot off the ground and dived straight toward the Ents. A cloud of dust was left behind where he stood, and as soon as it cleared away, the massacre taking place entered Shirley''s sight.


    Dozens of Ent corpses lay splattered on the ground. Like a storm, the man raged through the monsters. With every swing of his blade, tens more would fall. Behind his back was destruction and only destruction.


    He grabbed the branch of one Ent and flung it in the air like rolling a mace. The man threw the giant tree entirely at tens more and crushed them all, then hit the next as if he was swatting flies.


    His kicks snapped them in half. His punches left the ground gorged out.


    It was not a fight. It was a one-sided rampage.


    Shirley gulped and stepped back.


    An old rumor entered her mind as she saw the entire mountain getting cleared out in minutes.


    A rumor she had heard when the war was nearing its end. It had become rather popular among the revolutionaries, and they all had to shrug it off as a madman''s musings.


    There was a man the Emperor wanted to hide from the world.


    The guide of the Hero party, the leader of the Final Assault, and the man who single-handedly held off the eleven generals while the Hero party fought the Demon King.


    A black-haired monster.


    Like everyone else, she had scoffed at those words as an amusing tale. An imagination meant to bring some amusement.


    A shiver ran down her spine, naturally.


    Shirley chuckled.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ it just can¡¯t¡­¡±


    It couldn''t be true.


    ***


    I sighed and took in deep breaths. It had been a while since I had moved around this much.


    Behind me, the wake of thousands of Ents had formed atop the mountain. Seeing the place filled with trees now completely clear was quite amusing.


    The Ents had managed to scratch me here and there, but I was mostly unharmed. I checked my weapon and then my state.


    I still had a bit more than half of my mana reserves. Since I couldn''t use magic, its effect on me was minimal, too. I couldn''t use temporary mana potions.


    There was still a chimera to fight, and god knows whatever else that could be outside.


    But before that¡­


    My eyes turned to the giant in the distance. The same giant that was looking at me.


    I still had a behemoth to fight.

 Chapter 83: Monster (3)

    A boulder hurled through the skies.


    The closer it came, the larger it grew. The blue skies and clouds were hidden behind the giant stone flying my way. The boulder grew bigger and bigger, and eventually, I could see the moss and trees growing on it.


    Shirley screamed from the side.


    It was not a boulder but a whole chunk of a mountain. I chuckled as I swung my sword made of condensed mana.


    A crescent of mana shot out of the sword and cut through the mountain chunk, splitting it in half from the center. The two parts of the mountain fell away from where we stood, and behind it appeared the giant Behemoth.


    It had deemed me a threat.


    I hopped on the ground. Once, twice, again, feeling my blood pump once more¡ªI set off.


    The ground behind me shrank as I dashed through the mountains all around. With a leap, I jumped off the ground and took to the air. My mana formed a small platform beneath my feet, and once more, I pushed off it to run into the skies.


    ¡°GRWAAA!¡±


    The Behemoth screamed and stretched its hand out¡ªa giant, bellowing monster.


    How fast could it be? Turns out, insanely fast. The Behemoth¡¯s fist was in front of me in the blink of an eye. I kicked the air and changed my trajectory, going a little higher only to land on the Behemoth¡¯s fist.


    I ran.


    I tore through the wind as I ran up the hand of the Behemoth. It screamed, growled, and tried to shake me off, but that wouldn¡¯t pass.


    The Behemoth raised its other hand and brought it down on me as if swatting a fly. I barely reached the size of its fingers.


    I raised my blade and swung it up again. The sword of mana chopped off one of the Behemoth¡¯s fingers as I jumped again and took to climbing the other hand.


    How long had it been? Was it since the Final Assault? I hadn¡¯t had a chance to face an enemy like this in a long time.


    I reached the Behemoth''s shoulder; there was nothing it could do anymore. The Behemoth tried to pull away as I lept off its body and up high again; I was in front of its face.


    ¡°There we¡­¡± I pulled my hand back¡­ ¡°GO!¡±


    And punched it.


    The air around us trembled as the Behemoth¡¯s face warped around the punch. First, its head, then its neck, then its entire body was knocked off its feet as the Behemoth flew to the side.


    Despite falling, the Behemoth did not give up. It swung its hand again, and this time, dozens of magic circles formed behind me.


    I formed a footing in the air and turned back, only to see the magic circle dissipating.


    It was a distraction!


    As soon I turned around again, the Behemoth was back on its feet and right before me. Its fist, too, came swinging from the side.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I tried to block it, but was already too late. The fist of the Behemoth smashed straight into my entire body.


    As I flew off this time, a burst of wind boomed through the skies. The Behemoth wasn¡¯t done. It swung its arms again as dozens of magic circles formed around us.


    The stones and rocks over the terrain trembled and shook, and they charged straight at me all at once. With each second, a new rock flew and smashed straight into my body. It had marked me with its magic and used me as a core to attract all these stones.


    All I could do was fly away and slowly alter my direction.


    The force finally dissipated, and I flew down like a rocket running out of fuel. My body, alongside the small ¡®planet¡¯ of stones I had formed, all crashed into the top of a clear mountain.


    A giant crater formed where I fell, revealing the dozens of magic stones inside the mountain. I had dropped right next to Shirley.


    I groaned and winced as the stones fell off, the magic¡¯s effect ending. I slowly pushed myself off the ground and stood up. Blood flowed down my head and some parts of my skin.


    ¡°AAAH!¡± Shirley screamed as she saw me stand up. ¡°H-how are you¡­ alive¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch,¡± I winced again and dusted my clothes, standing in the middle of the crater. ¡°That hurt¡­ motherfucker, I think he broke my ribs¡­¡±


    ¡°Ribs¡­ j-just your ribs¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shirley,¡± I cut her off. ¡°I am sorry, but please just wait here a little longer. We have to get out fast.¡±


    I wanted to save some strength, but it didn¡¯t look like the time for that. Did it?


    ¡°Argh¡­ I¡¯ve lost my edge in this last year¡­¡±


    I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck. Peace really made people weak, huh? With a single last stretch, I shot off the ground again.


    This time, I jumped straight to the Behemoth. I wasn¡¯t planning to save my mana anymore.


    The Behemoth¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as I appeared right before it. Once again, I pulled my free hand back in a punch, and the Behemoth immediately crossed its arms in front of its face.


    Rookie mistake.


    I swung the sword in my other hand. Mana, incomparable to before, sleuthed out of my sword and dug into the Behemoth¡¯s body. The sword''s swing sent the air rippling as it dug into the Behemoth¡¯s wrists¡­


    And cut it apart.


    ¡°GWAAAH!¡± The Behemoth screamed, but I wasn¡¯t done.


    I made my way down again and kicked it in the stomach. The Behemoth¡¯s body arched back as I jumped up again and drove my fist into its jaw.


    The Behemoth was lifted off its feet again.


    ¡°Sorry, I have no more time to waste.¡±


    Before the Behemoth could react, I raised my sword. All but a bit of the mana in my body started gathering at the tip of the blade.


    The mana platform holding me up disappeared. One last kick, I jumped again straight to the Behemoth¡¯s chest.


    Dozens and dozens of magic circles formed in the air, but just like one couldn¡¯t use magic inside a Mana Vein.


    With the immense mana I used to cut them down, even Behemoths¡¯ magic circles fell apart. My attacks were a moving, harnessed mana vein on their own.


    I drove the sword through them all, cutting through circle after circle as the blade reached the Behemoth¡¯s chest, right atop the magic stone that served as its core.


    And there, the energy at the sword¡¯s tip exploded.


    ¡ªBOOOOOM!


    A great wave of mana burst through as the Behemoth fell limp on the ground. Without missing a beat, I grabbed the magic stone, making its heart, and bagged. A level 10 stone was a gold mine.


    I fell from the sky and to the ground again, but this height could barely hurt me.


    As I fell, I dashed off once more to fetch Shirley. The girl was still where I had told her to stand, frozen in place with her jaw dropped.


    ¡°Thanks for waiting. That took a while,¡± I said, pulling my hair back. It had bloodied too much. ¡°Let¡¯s leave?¡±


    ¡°M-monster¡­¡±


    I turned back.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    There was no monster. Was she seeing things?


    ** Special Story: The Academy''s Professor is Overly Weak?!**


    If you transmigrate into a noble, don¡¯t become the second son.


    When I suddenly woke up in the body of the son of a well-off Earl in a grand empire, I thought I¡¯d be able to live in peace.


    I enjoyed grand meals, grand beds, and thought, eventually, grand friendships. I thought nothing would be in the way of this relaxed, rich life at the frontier. Money solved all, after all.


    I was wrong.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ we need to accumulate achievements in the war. The eldest is the heir, and the youngest is too young, so you go, son.¡±


    My cold-hearted father uttered those words of love, handed me a bag of food, a letter of recommendation, and sent me to fucking war.


    War against the demon king.


    I trained hard at the war. It was tough, but eventually, they took me in and made me march to the Demonic Lands... when my foot slipped in a mountain. What could one expect from a modern citizen? I was not used to this.


    My world turned upside down as I slipped down the mountain, and fell straight down where we came from.


    There, I died.


    **Special: The Academy Professor is Overly Weak!? -- END!**

 Chapter 84: Chimera Maker

    ¡°W-why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­ mom¡­¡±


    A mother hugged her child as people in opera masks surrounded them. The yellow light of the fire dancing over the city¡ªlighting up the night of Glorenstein as people all over the city screamed, ran, and killed¡ªcast its glow on them, making the attackers seem larger than they were.


    ¡°It has to be done¡­¡±


    ¡°For the people of this world.¡±


    ¡°You are a sacrifice for revolution. You should be proud.¡±


    The people in opera masks took a step ahead and raised their weapons. Their clubs and muskets aimed at the woman and her child.


    Right then, magical circles formed over the masked shadows.


    ¡°Blooming Flower Garden.¡±


    Richard Benett swirled his wand and the magic circles on the ground gleamed a black glow. The shadows cast by the houses and the masked men on the streets rose from the ground.


    Hands of shadows clutched at their legs, then their faces and mouths, coiling around their entire body one after another and holding them down in place.


    ¡°Gwah!¡±


    ¡°M-mage! It¡¯s a mage¡ª¡±


    The attackers in Opera masks were all captured by the rising shadows. Richard slowly stepped out of the alleys.


    The attackers were gagged by the hands of shadows. Richard sighed and looked around.


    How many did this make? He had already subdued tens of them. With the knights around, the situation should not have spiraled into anything worse.


    But the flames dancing over Glorenstein had not subsided.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Richard helped the woman stand up.


    ¡°T-thank you. Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet.¡± Richard waved his short wand in the air and another magical circle formed over his palm. The same spell he had used earlier to track others activated as a butterfly formed in his hands. ¡°Follow this butterfly, it will guide you to the Glorenstein Academy on a safe path. You have to go now.¡±


    The woman hugged her child and nodded. The butterfly flapped its wings and set off, and the woman promptly followed.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ Just what is going on?¡± Richard cursed his luck. The attackers he had captured would be taken in by the city guards soon, he had to move to the next place before more people got hurt.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Right on time, a butterfly of mana dashed toward him, tied to a string that led elsewhere.


    He had been using his spell to find people in need.


    Richard¡¯s mind was filled with worries. About his fiancee who was to come here tomorrow, about the state of things, his friend, this city, but all he could do right now was to fight and save as many people as he could.


    Richard dashed through the city. Signs of destruction were all around him. Corpses littered the streets, strangely enough, most of them were of the masked criminals.


    The knights had no choice but to take down all these people. Occasionally, Richard ran into the corpse of a civilian and winced. It was a nightmare, one that the city would not forget.


    The butterfly led Richard toward a large empty street in the north of the city, away from the academy. As its wings slowed down, Richard¡¯s eyes widened.


    A familiar back. A familiar person was standing with her back to him. In front of her, a shop was on fire.


    The boutique that he had frequented, and the person for whom Richard had started looking around the city.


    ¡°Mrs. Frock?¡± Richard muttered. ¡°Mrs. Frock! You¡¯re safe! We must get out of here, I¡¯ll guide you to the academy¡ª¡±


    An ominous feeling stopped Richard in his tracks.


    His words were stuck in his throat. Slowly, he looked around and noticed more people standing in the alleys.


    Familiar people. The staff members of the boutique. All of them remained hidden in the shadows and glared at him, hiding their presence the best they could.


    Richard gulped and gripped his wand.


    ¡°Mrs. Frock¡­?¡± He muttered, ignoring the others. He acted as if he hadn¡¯t noticed them at all.


    ¡°You have been running around town and stopping people¡­¡± Mrs. Frock¡¯s voice echoed in the empty street. Slowly, the middle-aged lady turned around, her sharp eyes piercing straight into Richard. ¡°Why are you subduing them¡­ Vice-Principal?¡±


    A chuckle left Richard.


    Would a victim of such chaos ever say words like these? No. No one in their right mind would ever try to rationalize it.


    Richard¡¯s grip on his wand tightened.


    ¡°Mrs. Frock¡­ do you have something to do with all this?¡±


    Richard¡¯s gaze fell to her hands as Mrs. Frock turned around. She held an Opera mask, a green one.


    Similar to what he had seen. Richard¡¯s mind fluttered back to the play he had seen, right after in the posters¡­


    [Costumes: Mrs. Frock]


    The costumes were made in her boutique¡­ under her supervision¡­


    ¡°Why is it? I even shared sweets with you?¡± A madder red tint filled Mrs. Frock¡¯s eyes as she glared at Richard. She brought her hands to her lips and chewed her nails. ¡°Why are you getting in my way?! Do you not want to see my son!?¡±


    Richard gulped.


    There was no denying it anymore.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ part of this chaos¡­¡±


    ¡°Part?¡± Mrs. Frock chuckled. Crunch crunch her teeth went as her nails fell to the ground. ¡°You fool. I caused this. All so I could bring my son back to this world¡­ my dear child whom the empire killed ruthlessly¡­¡±


    Tears dripped from her eyes. She laughed at one moment and cried at another. She tore through her nails and started chomping on her skin now.


    A cold wind blew in the streets.


    ¡°Since you got in my way, you should help bring him back.¡± Mrs. Frock nodded to herself, her eyes were fixed on Richard but she was not ¡®looking¡¯ at him. ¡°Right¡­ you will be good nutrition. You are strong, right? Yes, we¡¯ll use you. Right¡­¡±


    Mrs. Frock flicked her wrist.


    ¡°Kill him.¡±


    Her cold words were like the knell of a bell


    ¡°HAH!¡±


    Screams rang out from all the corners as the members of the boutique jumped out of the shadows.


    At the same time, Richard slammed his wand down.


    ¡°[Blossom Prison!]¡±


    Magic circles had already formed in the shadows. All of them activated at once as the shadows extended and grabbed the staff of the boutique in place, tying them down to the ground.


    Finally, as they tried to pull themselves out in the light, Richard saw them all.


    Some had wings, some green skin, others had the heads of wolves, and others the claws of ogres.


    All the members of the boutique were chimeras.


    Without knowing it, Richard had stepped into a fight with the biggest enemy.

 Chapter 85: Chimera Maker (2)

    Mrs. Frock''s chimeras were held down by shadows as they tried to prance on Richard. His shadows barely held them down, but it was a waste.


    Mrs. Frock flicked her wrists again as mana seeped out of her. She seemed to have issued an order of sorts. With that simple movement, Richard felt his magic weakening against the immense strength of the chimeras.


    Their transformation had deepened.


    Richard knew it wouldn''t be a simple win from the start, but things were more dire than he thought.


    Richard changed his grip on his wand and swung it to the side. More magic circles formed in front of the enemies.


    If he couldn''t hold them back. Then, he had to get in the first attack.


    The binds holding the chimeras down broke apart. A man with the head of a lion jumped out. His shadow coursed over the street under the watchful eye of the flames burning the city, and along with his shadows, another shadowy figure wriggled.


    A spear formed out of the shadows of the buildings and dashed at the Chimera''s shadow. It stabbed into the Chimera''s side.


    The Chimera''s eyes widened as it felt a sharp pain in its sides. With its beast-like reflexes, the Chimera rolled to the side and barely avoided the attack.


    Richard clicked his tongue. This was going to be a real threat.


    A crunch resounded as Mrs. Frock bit another of her nails off.


    "You use shadows well, boy," she said.


    "I learned it from my fianc¨¦e."


    "Is she around? She''ll be good nutrition too."


    "Hah..." Richard scoffed, his eyes glancing over the enemies again. "If she were, she would have ruined all your plans long ago."


    Mrs. Frock crunched another nail. With that as a signal, the Chimeras changed their stance.


    The battle truly began.


    The six chimeras dashed through the sides and the streets as they circled Richard. Magic seeped out of their bodies as they heightened their transformation to the maximum.


    Attacks flew in from all around Richard in the wide, empty street. He backstepped and swung his wand. Butterflies of mana emerged from his fingers and fluttered straight to the chimeras'' eyes.


    At the same time, shadowy hands emerged from the ground. A chimera mixed with a harpy flapped her wings and shot needles of wind at Richard.


    Richard jumped back¡ªa single needle grazed his clothes¡ªas the shadowy hand grabbed the Harpy and smacked her to the ground.


    Already, behind him, another Chimera had raised its hands.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Flames seeped out of the Chimera''s arms. Richard didn''t even know what Mrs. Frock had made it with.


    Once more, butterflies flew out of Richard''s hands and smashed into the Chimera''s face. Richard used the chance to slip by and darted to the side¡ª


    "GAH!"


    A sharp pain scoured through his sides. His clothes had burnt through, and his skin was melting. A chimera with the head of a snake, a Lamia-chimera, had shot a ball of acid right at him.


    The Chimera prepared to attack again, her mana coalescing at her mouth. Richard flicked his wand, and a hand appeared from her shadows. It gripped her feet and dragged her to the ground.


    The Chimera''s acid crunched in her own mouth as a feral scream left her.


    "Looking away!?" A scream tore through again as the Lion-Chimera once more attacked Richard.


    It was terrible. The onslaught of attacks continued from all directions. Richard parried and tossed the chimeras away, but they all came back.


    His butterflies were good for distraction, and his shadows to counter them, but Richard had nothing strong enough to stop all these enemies in their tracks. With each passing moment, the injuries piling on him increased.


    His skin melted from the sides. Blood seeped out of his back that had been gouged out by attack after attack. A few feathers were lodged in his feet while signs of being punched and battered littered his body.


    If this continued, Richard would not win. His injuries would lead him to defeat. He had to do something to stop the chimeras now, but without any strong attack that could tear through those things'' defenses.


    Richard''s eyes narrowed. If he couldn''t break through the Chimeras, then he didn''t have to. There was someone else here, defeating whom would give him a chance to escape if not victory.


    He was going to bet everything on the next move.


    Richard lowered his stance. As ethereal circles littered the street, he squeezed out every drop of his mana.


    The Chimera tried to jump in again, but a bulwark of shadows formed on both his sides. Hands extended out of the tall wall and stopped the chimeras in their tracks.


    Without sparing them a glance, Richard dashed off. He ran straight into the middle of the shadow walls, his eyes fixed on Mrs. Frock.


    "Y-you! Mad fool!" Mrs. Frock''s face scrunched in disgust as Richard ran closer. She bit through her nails until blood covered her lips. She reached into her back with her other hand and pulled out a pistol.


    A long pistol with a shot already loaded in it. Her hand trembled as she aimed for Richard, but the man ran undeterred.


    A pistol, he could stop that much. Mrs. Frock knew it too, and so she bid time to ensure a perfect shot.


    That''s when it happened.


    A needle of air shot straight at Richard and stabbed into his feet. Richard''s face twisted as he looked to his side.


    All this while, the other Chimeras had stopped moving. The mana Mrs. Frock had been supplying them with focused on a single chimera, the harpy. And the result¡ªa single needle breaking through the spell that Richard had made with all his strength.


    That single needle was enough.


    Richard stumbled; his body lost balance as he flailed to the side. The spell he had set up crumbled at once as he lost his focus... his chance.


    Mrs. Frock smiled, her teeth extended all the way to her ears. The trap had worked, her enemy had faltered, and her son''s nutrition was secured.


    "You fool!" Mrs. Frock screamed. Her finger wrapped around the trigger.


    Slowly, she pulled it back. Her eyes, the gun''s nozzle, all of it was pointed at Richard''s head. The trigger moved with her finger.


    Two horses ran in from the side and rammed into Mrs. Frock, trampling over her. The lady fell to the ground and rolled away as the hooves of the horses crushed her hand.


    The horses and the carriage they pulled came to a screeching halt.


    "Oh, fuck... oh shit..." The carriage driver held his head and groaned. He slowly looked at the other side of the road and found a familiar face.


    Richard, too, was shocked at the sight of the driver.


    "Jackie...?" He muttered.


    "V-vice principal!?" Jackie replied.


    "He''s here? The Vice Principal?"


    "The glorious second leader of the glorious Glorenstein?"


    "Who did you say? Oh, I am so screwed. I never should have gone out to party."


    More heads popped out of the carriage. Professor Barnum, Professor Jim, and Student Jeremy were sitting at the back.

 Chapter 86: It Shall End Before Sunrise

    Richard froze in his place as he saw the people peeking out of the window of the carriage.


    He grabbed his burnt shoulder and winced. ¡°What are all of you doing here?¡±


    ¡°W-what happened to you!?¡±


    Of course, all of them were worried about Richard first. They rushed out of the carriage, but Richard stopped them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t! There are still enemies here. One of you stay with Student Jeremy.¡±


    ¡°Enemies¡­?¡±


    The word that sent everyone else on alert was like a thread dangling from the heavens for someone else. All of them turned toward Jackie, who stopped scratching his head in fear and smiled.


    ¡°Enemies! Of course!¡± Jackie exclaimed. He then turned to Richard with a bright smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t hit a pedestrian, but an enemy!¡±


    Richard was irked, but it was true that Jackie had saved him.


    Professor Barnum stayed back while Professor Jim rushed over and helped Richard stand.


    The Chimeras, having lost their master¡¯s command and mana, had fallen to the ground without much strength. It was inevitable, they were all reduced to Mrs. Frock¡¯s puppets.


    ¡°We should tie them up¡­ wait, Glorious second leader, you need to sit down first.¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­ we have to bring these guys down before anything. Go for Mrs. Frock first¡­¡±


    Professor Jim, being a gentleman, did not let Richard follow in his injured state. He dragged Richard back to the carriage and asked Professor Barnum to administer first aid.


    Professor Jim then walked over to where Mrs. Frock lay on the ground. Richard did not move his eyes away from the unconscious Mrs. Frock. Only when Professor Jim started tying her up did Richard breathe a sigh of relief and fall on the seats.


    Professor Barnum immediately administered a potion to Richard¡¯s wounds before carefully separating his clothes from his melting skin.


    Jeremy, too, immediately started scouring through his wounds and flinched every time he discovered a new injury.


    ¡°This is something that would need Enna¡­ Actually, you need the saintess.¡±


    Richard glared at Jeremy¡¯s words. ¡°Why were you out of the academy at this time?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡­¡± Jeremy turned his gaze away. He had been assigned guards like everyone else in Black Rose, but he had buddied up with them following Ethan¡¯s example. Every time he went out, he would get them hammered and enjoy on his own.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°I was out with Professor Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Ethan was with me this whole day¡­¡±


    Jeremy clasped his mouth shut.


    ¡°We have a lot to discuss once we get back, student Jeremy. With Ethan too, he enables your behavior.¡±


    Jeremy nodded. That was all he could do. His daily excursions were definitely out of the picture now. At least he wasn¡¯t sinking alone and had dragged Ethan with him.


    It was then, an exclamation resounded from outside the carriage. Richard snapped upright despite the pain.


    ¡°What happened!?¡± He screamed.


    ¡°Vice Principal¡­¡± Only Jackie¡¯s shaky voice from the front returned.


    Richard and the other two slowly looked out of the carriage. Outside, in opera masks, stood dozens and dozens of people. Guns and weapons weighed in their hands as they glared at the group. One of them pointed their weapon straight at Professor Jim¡¯s head.


    ¡°Give her to us and we will spare you,¡± said the man wearing the mask. ¡°We are not an enemy of the people, if it is not needed we won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    Professor Barnum gripped his blade, while Professor Jim slowly glared at the enemies. Even with a cursory glance, they could count 40 or so of them.


    It was possible. They would definitely be able to bring these many rioters down, even if they used magic and weapons, the rioters couldn¡¯t be much stronger if at all.


    But¡­


    Professor Jim¡¯s gaze landed on the carriage. There was a civilian, a guest they had to protect, and a gravely injured colleague with them.


    Jim sighed, waiting for the carriage.


    Inside, Professor Barnum was about to step out but Richard held him back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    Professor Barnum couldn¡¯t say anything. He simply sat back down.


    As the door did not open, Professor Jim received his confirmation. He slowly raised his hands and stepped away from Mrs. Frock.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± he said. His eyes teemed on the man with the pistol. If there was even a fleeting threat, Professor Jim would fight.


    With a gesture, the other masked rioters rushed over and lifted Mrs. Frock up, alongside the other wounded chimeras. They all rushed backward.


    Professor Jim watched as the man waved his hands.


    ¡°Take her away,¡± the man said and his followers slowly started to rush back into the alleys. Eventually, he too, stepped back while still pointing his weapon at them. As the man reached a distance between them, he spoke.


    ¡°You were smart. Lay low till sunrise, it will all be before then.¡±


    With those words, the last of them disappeared.


    Professor Jim sighed and returned to the carriage. He pulled the door open and sat down.


    ¡°How inglorious,¡± he muttered. ¡°Vain.¡±


    ¡°Why did you let them go¡­?¡± asked Jeremy. He was trembling with his grip on his weapon, but Professor Barnum and Richard had held him back too.


    ¡°There was no reason to negotiate with those terrorists. Was it because of me? I would have fought¡ª¡±


    Professor Jim smiled. Even if he was from a different country, Jeremy embodied the glorious spirit of Glorenstein in his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, student Jeremy,¡± said Jim. ¡°We have not spared them. In fact, we were sparing them by taking them in.¡±


    ¡°What does¡­ that mean?¡±


    All three professors of Glorenstein peeked out of the windows again.


    In the distance, above the city, clouds gathered.


    A great rumble spread through the city as a blinding flash overtook the night skies for a brief moment. As if the sun had been dragged back up. Jeremy froze in place at the sight.


    ¡°Gladwin and the Civil Servants of the Ministry will handle them now,¡± said Professor Jim.


    ¡°How sad. I pray they reach the next life, if they are still left capable of it,¡± added Professor Barnum.


    The Empire¡¯s greatest weapons had taken to the streets of Glorenstein.


    ¡°He was correct. It will all be over before sunrise.¡±

 Chapter 87: No Need To Worry

    Once you defeated the core of the dungeon, which, in most cases, was the strongest monster around, the magical energy holding the space together collapsed, and another crack in the dimension opened up.


    Similar to the one through which the dungeon opened.


    Shirley, still shocked by the Behemoth, followed me toward the place where its body had fallen.


    In between the clearing¡ªan almost mountainous extension formed by the Behemoth''s body¡ªwas a giant circle. Electricity crackled around as a crack in space floated above the Behemoth.


    "Crazy¡­ who in the world are you?"


    "Is it anything strange?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders. "If you think this is strong, then you should probably give up on creating any change."


    Shirley shook her head. "No. Defeating a Behemoth without using any magic spell is crazy. You can''t convince me otherwise."


    Oh? So she kept in mind that I hadn''t used a spell. The truth was that I couldn''t use any magic spells, but noticing it in a battle was quite the task. If someone saw me punching a monster the size of a mountain until it died, they would think I used more magic spells than stars in the sky.


    The more I watched her, the more useful she seemed.


    "Let''s get out of here."


    Shirley and I stepped into the dungeon''s exit.


    The world around us changed. The dungeon''s exit was usually in the same place where its entrance had manifested, and this time, it seemed to be the case as well.


    The sight of the grand forest was replaced by processed lumber forming a cottage, and the body of the Behemoth was turned into creaky floorboards.


    Spiders and bugs had made their home in this place. I looked back at the dungeon''s exit and entrance, which had taken the form of a single crack. The electricity crackling around it had lessened. It will close soon.


    "This place¡­ I think it was built around this dungeon," said Shirley. "A dungeon being formed in the backroom of a house is not impossible¡­ but it''s hard to believe."


    I nodded at her assessment.


    "Just how long has Mrs. Frock been planning this?"


    With a sigh, I gestured at Shirley to follow along. There was still blood seeping out of my head, so I hoped to find a potion or two around here¡ªor, more importantly, my attache.


    There was nothing here. And if we had to guess, the guards we didn''t see outside the caves would probably be out here in this cottage and around it. Shirley and I exchanged a nod.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I placed a hand on the door, and Shirley stepped behind it.


    Three, two, one, I pushed the door open¡ª


    "Oh, this one has to be pulled."


    "I think blood has gotten to your brain, Mr. Professor."


    "Just call me Ethan. Not like you stopped me anyway."


    It wasn''t my fault they made the door open inward. I pulled the door open, and Shirley charged out.


    Her daggers flew to both her sides, and immediately after, groans echoed out.


    "Clear."


    I left the room behind Shirley and took a glance around. Two bodies were on the ground in the living room of the small cottage. More footsteps rang around us.


    More people were coming.


    Shirley took to the main entrance of the place as I checked the two she had killed.


    Once again, both of them had tattoos of a completely different group. One could assume they were members of the groups that had gathered around Mrs. Frock, but would anyone tell them about the location of a dungeon?


    Even Shirley had no idea we were in a dungeon despite being the leader of one group.


    These people were from Mrs. Frock''s original group, and the same organization that I expected was behind it¡ªthe bastards who used everyone else as a cover.


    No one knew about their operation except themselves. Even after chasing them for a few months during the war, the hero party''s scout could not learn much about them.


    Nothing, except their existence.


    The Devil''s Palm. If those guys were indeed involved, then Mrs. Frock would probably be the least of our concerns. Her chimeras might be strong, but the Devil''s Palm was worse.


    Way worse. They were some of the few people that did not discriminate between the different races. Humans, elves, dwarfs, or demons, to them, everyone was nothing but a bug to be used for their goal of taking over the world.


    Groans and screams continued in the back. When I left the bodies alone, I saw Shirley dusting her hands with a dozen more corpses around her.


    Not bad at all.


    Knowing Devil''s Palm, it was likely that none of these guys knew what they were a part of. It would be useless to interrogate any of them.


    "Find a potion?" asked Shirley.


    "No. They aren''t carrying anything good."


    Shirley stepped out of the cottage. I followed behind her.


    "It''s past sunset¡­" said Shirley.


    My expression hardened. We were already quite late¡­


    "Do you recognize this place?" I asked. Things seemed terrible, but we had a different objective for now.


    We had to stop the Chimera from being formed at all.


    "Hm. Not really," Shirley said. "I do know we are in the mountains south of Glorenstein."


    "I don''t recognize this cottage either."


    I placed a hand on my head and gazed toward the city. It was distant, so I couldn''t see much. I was already too low on mana to use it on this.


    "I am worried," Shirley said, trembling slightly. I think we should go to Glorenstein first¡­ if something has already started¡­ There is someone I need to keep safe there."


    I looked down at her hand. She was wearing a ring. A husband or a lover? Or could it be someone else?


    Someone with a family was not bad. In fact, it was a good reassurance. Shirley checked all the boxes on my list.


    "I am worried, too," I said. But we have to stop it from getting worse. If the Chimera awakens, even I can''t rule out casualties¡ªnot in my current state."


    It was then.


    A bright light flashed in the distance, in the sky above the city. A magic circle wide enough to cover the city center, one larger than the Behemoth, formed in the middle of the night.


    "L-light magic¡­?" Shirley muttered.


    Rays of light started to simmer below the circle. At once, they shot through like a pillar, as if divine judgment was being passed down.


    A chuckle escaped me.


    "Haha¡­ I guess there is no need to worry about the city now. We can focus on the Chimera."


    I knew this. I knew this very well. The executive manager of the Ministry, Gladwin Hark, had taken the matters into his own hands.


    The Hunting Hound of the Empire was let loose.

 Chapter 88: Crossfire

    ¡°I guess the investment is paying off in some way.¡± Gladwin adjusted the collars of his coat as he watched Professor Denadis.


    The chimera that she had created and had received back from Ethan in a tiny form was still useful for something else. It was now being used as a way to bind the criminals down in its slimy structure.


    Though Gladwin Hark complimented her, Denadis was far more shocked by the sight he had produced. The falling spears of light fell like raindrops on a stormy night.


    The spears impaled through the masked men running around. Their screams had created a grim orchestra that did not bide well with the beautiful yet deadly sight of Gladwin¡¯s spell.


    Despite the seemingly haphazard, chaotic fall, the spears of light did not touch a single civilian. Even the criminals were not killed, they only had their feet or hands stabbed through and pinned to the ground.


    ¡°Amazing control¡­¡± said Denadis. She had known of Gladwin Hark¡¯s achievements for a long time, but seeing them personally was quite different. ¡°But, maybe put them out of their misery? Is there a need to prolong their suffering?¡±


    Gladwin smirked as his gaze swept over the site. He noticed chimeras, the same ones that had been running rampant in the outskirts, and had managed to do a number on Richard. There were also the masked idiots who had cornered them.


    ¡°It is not right to kill the Empire¡¯s citizens, is it?¡±


    Denadis raised a brow.


    ¡°There¡¯s a labor shortage after the war,¡± Gladwin said. ¡°Why waste perfectly useful manpower? They would serve well if they are chained.¡±


    Professor Denadis only nodded. The bright Empire''s policies had their own dark shadows. It served one well to stay out of them, and she knew it.


    ¡°That said¡­¡± Gladwin¡¯s gaze suddenly narrowed. One of the criminals ran straight at him with a knife. Gladwin did not move. The criminal charged at him.


    ¡°DIE¡ª¡±


    A spear fell from the sky when he was mere inches away from Gladwin, stabbing through the criminal¡¯s calves.


    Gladwin took a step forward, right over the criminal¡¯s head. A crunch resounded as he pressed his foot down.


    ¡°Who orchestrated this?¡± He asked. ¡°Where is that bastard?¡±


    ¡°N-never¡­ I¡¯ll never tell you! You bastard¡ª¡±


    Gladwin silenced the man and took a step back. A sigh left him as he gazed at the town once again.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°The biggest rat slipped away¡­ But not for long.¡±


    ***


    Mrs. Frock walked against the walls as she made her way through the dark city. The fires had started to go out, and the magic circle looming over the city center had pronounced the darkness further.


    It was by sheer luck that she had escaped. As soon as her pawns saw Gladwin Hark in the middle of the city, all of them decided to sacrifice themselves to let one person run away.


    Mrs. Frock took the chance. How could she not?


    If they died, they would serve her well. Those fools were out for revolution, for a change, but her?


    ¡°I will get my son back¡­¡±


    Her steps rang in the darkness.


    ¡°There are still more¡­ in the mountains. More people. No matter what, my son will be back¡­¡±


    Her words were only for her ears. Only for hers.


    ¡°Mama¡¯s coming¡­ just hold on¡­ just a little longer¡­¡±


    The puppeteer of the show disappeared into the darkness.


    ***


    ¡°Good god¡­¡± I cursed at the sight of the gruesome corpses. The occasional corpses had increased the higher we climbed on the plateau in the South-East. All the corpses were masked. ¡°It seems the civil servants had a field day here.¡±


    Shirley shook her head at my words. ¡°They must have captured many, but there were quite a number of organizations that had gathered under Mrs. Frock.¡±


    I nodded and we continued moving on.


    According to Shirley, Mrs. Frock expected most of her people to die and use them as sacrifices for the chimera. Thankfully, the civil servants were more concerned with capturing than killing. Even though the chaos was great, the fewer the deaths the weaker Mrs. Frock¡¯s Chimera would be.


    We continued walking up the streets. Funnily enough, not a single leaf crunched nor a sign of our steps lingered on the mountain path. Both of us were naturally good at the sneaking game.


    ¡°What are you going to do next?¡± I asked Shirley.


    ¡°I should be fine¡­ I have a different identity.¡±


    I figured as much from her mention of Glorenstein.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know about my people,¡± said Shirley.


    ¡°I made a promise. I¡¯ll tell them what to do and avoid incrimination, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I didn¡¯t let the conversation disappear into silence. There was a lot I needed to know from Shirley and now was as good a time as any. Who said I can¡¯t mingle with someone while climbing up a mountain to stop a city-breaking criminal?


    ¡°Do you like cats or dogs?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ dogs?¡±


    ¡°Shortcakes or cheesecakes?¡±


    ¡°Cheesecakes.¡±


    ¡°How many languages do you speak?¡±


    ¡°Are you interviewing me, professor?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?


    ¡°Four. I speak four languages¡ª¡±


    Our impromptu roadside interview came to a sudden stop. Shirley and I quietened down. We were mere moments away from the lab, this was the worst.


    The twigs and leaves around us crunched in all directions. From within the dark trees, all kinds of people in opera masks stepped closer. They smacked weapons in their palms, some clanged their hammers against the ground.


    We were surrounded.


    A deep sigh left me as I slowly pulled my hand back. There were too many, I could count at least fifteen. This was my mistake, I had been conserving energy because of the wounds and the corpses reassured me that the civil servants must have swept through this place.


    ¡°Hostages!¡± One of them screamed. ¡°Perfect. Just what we needed to bargain our way out of this place. Of course, I didn¡¯t think the hostages would come walking to us on their own¡­¡±


    The masked men cackled.


    Shirley stepped next to me and whispered. ¡°Can you fight?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I responded. ¡°It¡¯s just a giant hassle.¡±


    ¡°Alright, get them!¡± The masked man shouted and waved his blade at us. The others all cackled and charged and swung their weapons¡­


    ¡°Ahgh!?¡±


    ¡°The heck!?¡±


    ¡°S-stop why are you hitting me!?¡±


    ¡­ At each other?

 Chapter 89: Closer To The End

    The masked men were going home with it. In every direction I looked, someone was smacking the shit out of someone else.


    ¡°S-stop! You traitor!¡±


    ¡°W-who was it? Who hit me!¡±


    They were confused. With everyone in masks, a traitor in their ranks disrupted their entire operation. They couldn¡¯t tell who hit whom, with everyone hiding and blending into one another.


    ¡°What is going on¡­¡± Shirley muttered, exasperated. Who wouldn¡¯t be after seeing their enemies kick the living shit out of each other?


    I, though, quickly got over my surprise and enjoyed the moment.


    ¡°Get that bastard!¡± I screamed. ¡°Behind you, golden mask! Behind!¡±


    The guy with the golden mask was almost about to get whacked by a steel rod but was saved, thanks to me.


    ¡°Get him! Go golden mask!¡±


    I kind of recognized that golden mask. Was it the same one I had stolen¡­ Well, who knows?


    I cheered on a few more when a voice snapped at me.


    ¡°We are trying to help, can you just shut up!?¡±


    ¡°Get that cheering bastard first!¡±


    Ooh, scary.


    I hid behind Shirley. The girl looked at me like someone looking at a very mischievous and annoying cat. One that had just dropped an expensive vase for the seventh time straight.


    The people around finally managed to smack the last of the resistors down. They hadn¡¯t killed anyone, thankfully. It seemed it was clear to them who they were fighting and who were on their side.


    Finally, the masked in-fighters, traitors, whatever I should be calling them, turned to us and started removing their masks. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out who they were.


    ¡°Big sister!¡± A burly man said. ¡°You are safe. We were very worried when we couldn¡¯t find you.¡±


    ¡°These bastards were planning to kill everyone in the town,¡± a girl with slick long hair tied into a bun added. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we were in cahoots with such idiots.¡±


    Shirley, the person all words were directed at, breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I knew nothing would happen to you guys, but I was still worried.¡±


    So her people were trained enough for her to be so confident? That wasn¡¯t all. It seemed they also had an idea about what I was doing here. Their trust in their leader was just as great.


    No matter what, I couldn¡¯t let Shirley and her people go. I needed them.


    For my purpose.


    After all, I was no better than one of these criminal organizations. I, too, seek revolution. A much grander revolution than any of them are imagining. Manpower was the natural next step in my tasks.


    I stepped forward and spread my arms. My tone was as friendly as ever.


    ¡°Thank you for your help there; we would have been in slight trouble.¡±


    The burly man and the sleek girl from before both eyed me and winced.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°How are you walking like that?¡±


    ¡°Does anyone have any potions?¡±


    My bag was still at large. I had something that could help me recover some of my strength, but it wasn¡¯t a necessity. Refusing their kindness was different altogether. One of Shirley¡¯s gang members handed me a low-grade potion with an apologetic look, and I gratefully accepted it.


    Anything was better than nothing.


    ¡°This is a professor from Glorenstein,¡± said Shirley. ¡°He said he will help us escape incrimination¡­¡±


    Shirley glanced at me. It seems she felt guilty since she couldn¡¯t help at all against the Behemoth.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I intervened. ¡°And we have to move fast. Nothing is over yet. The chimera and the civil servants both have us in a chokehold. Were any of you seen by people or other criminals?¡±


    The eleven gang members all shook their heads. The masks had hidden them well.


    ¡°We will trust you since big sister seems to. Maybe one or two would recognize us,¡± said the girl with sleek hair. ¡°And none of us attacked any civilians.¡±


    I nodded at her words. Shirley¡¯s control over this group was quite the spectacle. I wanted to ask a lot more, but we didn¡¯t have time. Each second counted until we took the Chimera down.


    ¡°Alright, give me a sheet of paper and listen clearly. All of you tie your hands with ropes and snap them from the middle, make sure it''s tight so that there are marks on your hands.¡±


    The civil servants were observant of everything. As I continued explaining, I started writing a note on the sheet of paper.


    ¡°You guys will act like a merchant caravan captured a few days ago. The criminals had taken you for their own work and planned to use you in a sacrifice ritual. Before you were caught, I came and helped you. Do all of you know the topology around us?¡±


    The burly man nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll match our stories. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I signed the note and handed it to him. ¡°Take it. Hand this thing to them before anything. Don¡¯t answer more than a merchant caravan would be able to. Got it?¡±


    They all listened well.


    ¡°Thank you, professor. We will repay you. Let¡¯s go, big sister.¡±


    Shirley stepped back. ¡°I am not going with you guys. Ethan and I need to stop that bitch Frock before anything happens.¡±


    ¡°W-wait, you too?¡± the burly man seemed surprised. In that case, I am coming too. You already got caught once when you said you¡¯d find us a way out, big sister.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± I intervened. ¡°This is risky. More people would only get in our way.¡±


    If things went south¡­ for example, if someone used a self-sacrificing spell, then that would be the end of all of us. In such a terrible situation, I only had the confidence to grab Shirley and run with my injuries.


    ¡°I apologize, professor,¡± the sleek girl said. ¡°Do you think you can say that in your current state?¡±


    ¡°He can.¡± Shirley vouched for me. ¡°All of you leave. We don¡¯t have the time for this.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an order, Meilkan!¡±


    The burly man pursed his lips at Shirley¡¯s words. Time truly was running out every second.


    Without more conversation, we decided to split up, unagreeable as it was for Shirley¡¯s eleven.


    Shirley and I set off again for the lab. We were far closer than before, and my guide was quite skilled.


    An eerie air loomed in the woods as we reached closer. It was a great trek from the south to the east, but we had managed it in the time one would take from Glorenstein to here.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little strange¡­¡± said Shirley. ¡°That the dungeon, a prison, was hidden better than the lab.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± I responded, pushing against a tree. ¡°Mrs. Frock is nothing more than a pawn. There are players on a far larger scale involved in this.¡±


    Shirley looked at me with a sidelong glance.


    ¡°I was worried that might be the case¡­ Professor, has anyone said you are quite suspicious of a seemingly upstanding citizen?¡±


    I chuckled


    ¡°What¡¯s your angle here?¡± she asked. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to help me,  I still am a criminal. Your strength, all the things that you know, what in the world do you want?¡±


    I smiled a wry smile. The lab was finally in our view.


    ¡°I promised to keep you from being caught.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve more than delivered.¡±


    ¡°That is why, I wish to make a new promise. When all this is over, Shirley, come find me¡­¡± I looked into her eyes. ¡°I will make you a promise of change. My goals are similar to yours¡­¡±


    Shirley did not say a word in response.


    She looked toward the research lab, a place erected in the middle of the mountains with stones, covered with numerous magic circles that had hidden its presence before today when there was no longer any need to waste mana on hiding.


    A sound rang outside the cover of trees. A low, deep rumble spread through the Earth.


    Shirley and I immediately exchanged glances and then rushed out of the trees¡ª


    A great explosion resounded as the walls of the laboratory broke down, crushed.


    That thing... broke out. The body of a lion, blue fur, and multiple heads¡ªone serpentine, one wolf-like. Its sharp claws were the color of the moon, and its bulging muscles were like boulders threatening to fall to the ground.


    Despite its physical body, the traces of slime in its being were visible. Unlike the imitation Denadis could make, this thing was the real deal¡­


    ¡°Mama¡¯s here¡­ mama¡¯s here¡­¡±


    The chimera had awoken.

 Chapter 90: Tenth Of A Second

    It had already woken up. The chimera had already woken up.


    Shirley pulled me back and dragged me into the cover of the trees again as the cloud of dust slowly rescinded. That was the right decision. We had to wait and see what it was capable of¡ª


    My thoughts stopped in the middle of their tracks.


    ¡°My child¡­ my son, just a little longer.¡± A tearful, apologetic voice followed behind the chimera. ¡°Mama will save you¡­ you must be in pain¡­¡±


    There was no mistaking it. That face. I was holding out hope, pitting one false image against another.


    I wished¡ªI truly wished it wouldn¡¯t be her¡ªbut reality was as cruel as ever. The one in front of us was the same person for whom we had started this entire thing.


    The same person for whom Richard and I had set out in the first place.


    A twig snapped under my feet as I grit my teeth.


    Shirley and Mrs. Frock both snapped their heads my way. Our cover was blown quite soon. But even so, I had seen more than enough. The Chimera was clearly not complete, or Mrs. Frock wouldn¡¯t have said those words.


    If we were to stop it, we had to do it now. Letting it loose to gauge its strength was not an option.


    ¡°Who is there!?¡± Mrs. Frock screamed, and I slowly stepped out.


    ¡°You¡­ boy, it is you.¡± A gentle smile took over Mrs. Frock¡¯s face. The same smile I had seen every time I visited her boutique. ¡°Ah¡­ Ethan, boy, you said you wanted to see my son, right? C-c-can you do me a favor?¡±


    Mrs. Frock bit her nails and stepped forward. Her eyes were fixed on mine.


    ¡°C-can you please die for my child? You have always been a dear, you can do this much, right?¡±


    I held my breath and placed my hand on my side. Mana seeped out of my palm and slowly coalesced into a blade.


    Mrs. Frock didn¡¯t let it go unnoticed.


    ¡°You won¡¯t¡­ boy, you won¡¯t¡­ YOU WANT TO HARM MY SON?¡± Mrs. Frock took a step forward. ¡°I won¡¯t let you¡­ no¡­ never, you can¡¯t touch my son¡­ kill you¡­ kill you¡­ kill you¡­ I¡¯LL. KILL. YOU!¡±


    A shiver ran down my spine at her maddened screams.


    ¡°This bitch has gone mad!¡± Shirley shouted. ¡°That¡¯s not your son, you old tramp, that¡¯s a monster!¡±


    Shirley swallowed her words. The chimera¡¯s rock-like muscles suddenly contracted and trembled. It shot off the ground and suddenly dashed straight at us.


    ¡°No, Graham!¡± Mrs. Frock shouted, but the Chimera was clearly not in her control.


    The giant blue monster suddenly appeared before my face. It raised its arms the size of logs and swung them down. I took a step back.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Shirley!¡±


    ¡°I got it!¡±


    The darkness below the chimera wriggled and wrapped around the shadow of its arms. The Chimera stopped in its tracks, and without wasting a second, I swung the mana blade at its arms.


    Strangely enough, there was next to no resistance. The Chimera¡¯s hand separated from its body and fell.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    The Chimera stepped back in pain. A sudden flow of mana formed around Mrs. Frock. She was about to reinforce the Chimera.


    I immediately grabbed its fallen arm and tossed it like a canon toward Mrs. Frock. The high-speed projectile smashed into her and carried her away, stopping her spell before it could materialize.


    Mrs. Frock fell into the debris of the lab, and I didn¡¯t spare her another glance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop Shirley! It will heal!¡±


    Shirley immediately changed her stance and closed in. As I had expected, the Chimera¡¯s hand had started to heal up like Denadis¡¯ did.


    We had to make it. Before anyone could do anything. I had to end this fast, but I lacked the firepower to finish it in a go.


    The Chimera restored its hand, and we prepared our follow-up. Once again, Shirley held it in its spot, and I cut it. The Chimera swung its arms in a mad thrashing.


    I quickly jumped in and raised my hands before it could hit my support.


    ¡°Professor!¡±


    ¡°I am fine!¡± I wrapped my hand around the Chimera¡¯s. I yanked it to the ground with all my strength and slammed it down.


    Shirley didn¡¯t miss the chance and used her shadows to attack it. The Chimera split from the middle. The half I held wriggled and dissipated into a slimy structure as it gathered again at the lower half. The whole chimera formed once more, but noticeably shorter than before.


    ¡°This is working!¡±


    We both charged in again and just like that, we took turns. When Shirley held it down, I cut it with my blade, and when I pinned it, Shirley¡¯s shadows started to sear through it.


    ¡°No¡­ no no¡­ my son. Stop. Why are you doing this?¡± A desperate cry rang out from the sides. ¡°Why are you hurting my son¡­?¡±


    A cry so utterly real that I almost hesitated.


    ¡°GRAAH!¡± The chimera screamed and repeated its same old attacks, but we managed to hold it off every time. There was nothing it could do against us.


    ¡°Why¡­ why must he suffer¡­ I¡­¡±


    My gaze went to Mrs. Frock. Chalking her behavior up to insanity was the perfect way, but if she did something strange¡­


    ¡°Shirley!¡± I screamed. ¡°Get to Frock first!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shirley asked back in surprise. ¡°You can¡¯t handle it alone¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Go, stop her before she does something actually insane.¡±


    Shirley hesitated. She stopped in her spot, alternating her gaze between the Chimera that was engaged with me and Mrs. Frock.


    Perhaps that hesitation caused our greatest problems.


    In Mrs. Frock¡¯s hand was one of the claws I had cut off and tossed at her. She held it high, its sharp nails pointing straight at her neck.


    Both our eyes widened when we noticed her actions.


    ¡°If I can¡­ save my child¡­¡±


    She was going for the worst. The greatest taboo that I had barely stopped the last time.


    A sudden image flashed in my eyes. An image I had seen five years ago before I rejoined the war.


    Mrs. Frock¡­ was going to sacrifice herself for mana.


    ¡°STOP!¡± I screamed and reached out. I could have thrown my blade, ran to her before she could blink, this would never have been an issue¡­ if I wasn¡¯t injured.


    ¡°WAIT YOU!¡± Shirley screamed and charged through the ground. Her shadow traveled even faster than her toward Mrs. Frock.


    But unlike us, she held no hesitation.


    A truly insane person¡­ cared not a shred about herself.


    We wouldn¡¯t reach. Shirley¡¯s spell would be a second too late. My eyes turned elsewhere. Toward the Chimera in front of me.


    If I could take it down before Mrs. Frock sacrificed herself¡­ the mana would have nowhere to go. Even if it meant injuring myself further.


    My heart pumped once more. All the mana in my body gathered into my blade, and every single last drop coursing through my veins was squeezed out into the blade.


    With the difference of a tenth of a second, two events happened that night. The two events that formed the difference between the safety and destruction of Glorenstein.


    Mrs. Frock drove the Chimera¡¯s claw into her neck.


    And I swung my blade with all the mana in my body, entering a mana shock.

 Chapter 91: The Battle Ends

    A bright light flashed in the South-Eastern Plateau. A light bright enough to light up the night sky for a split moment as a ¡®cut¡¯ traveled upward.


    The clouds had split apart.


    And then, everything fell silent. Birds, insects, and even the wind seemed to have stopped for the moment.A soft thud resounded in that silence as Mrs. Frock¡¯s body fell to the ground. And right after, a loud bang echoed.


    Dust rose in the sky as the giant chimera, split in half from the top, fell to the ground.


    This time, its body did not wriggle or change. It simply remained on the ground. Dead.


    ¡°We¡­ did it¡­¡± A gasp left Shirley as she clutched the wounds she had accumulated in battle. ¡°We stopped the Chimera¡­ W-we did it¡ª¡±


    Shirley turned to look at me and stopped in her tracks. Blood poured out of my mouth as if a faucet had been opened. My entire body was convulsing as the shock of using all my mana started to hit me.


    ¡°P-professor¡­ Professor!¡±


    ¡°Stop¡­¡± I groaned the words out. ¡°This is fine, it is nothing.¡±


    ¡°How are you¡­ talking¡­?¡±


    ¡°Shirley. Leave. Right now.¡± I slowly stepped ahead, almost tripping over, but held on. ¡°The civil servants¡­ will come here soon. Run right now.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re injured!¡±


    ¡°Leave!¡± I shouted at her. ¡°Go, right now! You don¡¯t have any time to waste. If you¡¯re caught, it''s over for you!¡±


    Shirley took a step back. She bit her lips, then nodded.


    ¡°Ok¡­ Stay alive, professor. You better stay alive¡­¡±


    ¡°This is nothing but a scratch¡­¡± Saying such words while coughing out blood like a broken fountain didn¡¯t make it trustable, but I was being truthful.


    Shirley nodded and dashed into the distance. I watched her body fade into the trees until my mind went blank.


    Slowly, I pulled myself to the Chimera''s body. Immense pain was assaulting every nerve, but only confusion and shock stayed in my mind.


    That slash¡­


    That tenth of a second¡­


    I was late. I was the one who lost that exchange. Mrs. Frock had sacrificed herself faster, and her sacrifice should have strengthened the Chimera beyond anything here.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    After all, taking someone else¡¯s life was an act against nature. It was worthy of punishment, not reward. The balance of the world had to be maintained, though, and the sacrifice of others still gave one strength.


    On the other hand, giving up your life¡ªsomething everyone valued more than anything else in the world¡ªfor your goal, was an ultimate form of sacrifice.


    The noblest of sacrifices.


    The strength it lent was greater than any other. It brought about a calamity beyond comprehension for the ones against it, and a miracle beyond prayer for the ones with it.


    Yet¡­


    Mrs. Frock¡¯s sacrifice brought her nothing. Nothing at all¡­


    I slowly leaned next to the body of the Chimera, propping myself upright against it. I heaved heavy sighs as I finally took a breather.


    How¡­ How did it happen? Why?


    I couldn¡¯t guess it. No matter what I thought, I couldn¡¯t understand it.


    My gaze slowly traveled to the debris of the lab¡ªat Mrs. Frock¡¯s corpse. A frown took over my face immediately. Why did someone like her have to become the person she had turned into at the end?


    Just what kind of grief and pain did she carry?


    A few moments of silence passed. Soon enough, a voice cut through the air as many presences made themselves known around the lab.


    ¡°Professor Ethan¡­¡± Gladwin¡¯s familiar voice reached my ears. ¡°You look, battered.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I answered, coughing another mouthful of blood.


    ¡°From this?¡± He asked.


    I reached into the pocket of my coat and slowly pulled out a stone. I tossed it at Gladwin, and he caught it smoothly. Gladwin¡¯s eyes trembled in surprise. He definitely hadn¡¯t expected to see a magic stone stronger than a Level 10.


    ¡°Where¡­?¡± Gladwin asked with a trembling voice. It was extremely shocking to see a monster stronger than Level 10 around here. Just subjugating that one Behemoth would need at least four or five Level 10s.


    ¡°There was a dungeon in the south,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alone?¡±


    A scoff left me.


    ¡°I was wrong, Professor Ethan. You look in rather good health.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    Anything not dead was great against a Behemoth for him, huh?


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not at all, Professor Ethan. You have done well. You have saved many more than we have today.¡±


    Gladwin gestured at the other civil servants, who rushed to me. Some of them applied first aid and administered a potion before helping me stand.


    ¡°You need immediate medical attention,¡± said Gladwin. ¡°They will take you back to the city.¡±


    As they pulled me up, I looked back at Mrs. Frock''s body. Once again, the same thoughts flooded my mind. There was confusion about her end, yes, but what filled more of me was instead compassion.


    The years of war had made its gruesome mark on everyone.


    ¡°Mrs. Frock,¡± I eked out. The civil servants stopped, and Gladwin turned toward me. ¡°Can you bury her?¡±


    ¡°The criminal? Bury her? Someone like her should be hung in front of the city¡ª¡±


    I wished to cremate her, but I couldn¡¯t follow the culture of the other side of the world.


    ¡°Just a grave will do¡­ please.¡±


    Gladwin nodded at me. His eyes turned away again at the scene. This much was good enough.


    They started dragging me away from the scene while the others stayed back to investigate.


    It seemed everything was over in the city too.


    At last, a very long day had come to an end.


    Suddenly, Gladwin¡¯s voice echoed again. The civil servants stopped, but Gladwin had not turned back.


    ¡°You¡¯re too naive at times, Professor Ethan. Too warm, for no reason. One day this warmth will take away something far too important from you.¡±


    I lowered my gaze at his words.


    ¡°It already has,¡± I said with a wry smile. The civil servants started walking again. ¡°It has taken away my coldness.¡±


    A truly long day had come to an end.

 Chapter 92: Visitors in Illness

    ¡°So, how was the play? L¡¯Eclipse Noire, was it?¡±


    The bed next to me creaked as Richard turned my way. His body was wrapped in bandages in more places than mine. Despite the wounds that must be searing him in pain, Richard was smiling.


    ¡°It was the best play I had ever seen,¡± he said. "It was the greatest thing under the sun. You can tell me that a band of ducks is performing a sonata, and even that would be less epic than the play. You should see it. Ah, too bad. The actors are all dead or imprisoned. You can never see something that good.¡±


    Inside the hospital room lit by sunlight, a basic human instinct was rekindled within me¡ªthe instinct to want to punch the daylights out of a person.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have gone off, Ethan. Ahak¡­¡±


    ¡°Bastard, you are making me curious about the play on purpose! It was bad, right?¡±


    ¡°I said only the truth.¡±


    I glared at Richard, and he stared back at me. We both broke into a smile and started chortling until the pain made us both stop. Now that the adrenaline had run out, the pain was even more intense than before. I had used up all my mana, and it would take at least a week before I was back in good condition.


    A time far longer than others, thanks to my insane mana pool.


    Richard wasn¡¯t any better off. His injuries were severe, but apparently, he alone had saved almost a hundred people in Glorenstein. People were hailing him as a hero outside the city.


    The grand night when the city burned had passed us. There were casualties, but the civilian deaths could be counted on one hand. This was largely thanks to Richard and, along with him, a second group of people running about¡ªProfessor Barnum, Professor Jim, Student Jeremy, and even Jackie the coachman.


    Naturally, news spread not only throughout the city but also throughout the Empire. Everyone had heard of the attempted attack on the city where all the scions of the world had gathered.


    Such an incident would usually be something that could cause a lot of trouble for the Empire. But there was still a saving grace here.


    ¡°Hey, it''s your turn,¡± Richard said, handing me the newspaper. I flipped it open with one hand and placed it in front of me.


    Right there, on the first page, was the sensational headline.


    ¡°Level 10+ Behemoth obliterated in Glorenstein. The Empire¡¯s Soldiers at their strongest after the war¡­¡±


    Shockingly enough, under the headline was a photograph of Gladwin holding the Behemoth¡¯s magic stone. The article was all about how the civil servants had done everything around Glorenstein, including beating the behemoth with some minor help from a faculty member¡ªa language professor¡ªtelling them the location of the enemy.


    How humorous.


    There were a bunch of other articles about Richard and about Jeremy¡¯s sudden popularity increase in the Bezark Empire after the incident.


    The door to our room suddenly opened. Richard and I turned heads. At the door was a brunette with a soft smile and sharp eyes that resembled knives. Her fashion was quite different, but her face hadn¡¯t changed.


    It was a familiar face¡ªone that made my jaw drop. I almost sat up and said something, but Richard beat me to the punch.


    ¡°Shirley!¡±


    ¡°Richard¡­¡±


    Wait¡­


    The ring.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The lover. It couldn¡¯t be¡ª


    ¡°You¡¯re injured, you look terrible.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry. I know I said we¡¯ll have a date today, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no. Shut up! What do I care about that when you''re hurt? I am just glad you¡¯re ok.¡±


    Shirley, the same criminal I had helped escape from the caves, was here. She immediately ran and embraced Richard, tears glistening in her eyes. She went on and on about how scared she was when she heard he was hurt and how ¡®Richard-like¡¯ it was for him to jump into danger.


    I agreed with that last bit.


    I could only watch in surprise. Richard''s back turned toward me, which made the girl meet my eyes. She winked at me.


    ¡°Shirley, I have to introduce you. This guy here is Professor-Major Ethan Kalenice. He¡¯s the friend I mentioned in the letters.¡± Richard then turned to me. Ethan, this is Shirley, my fiance¨¦.¡±


    No shit. The coincidence was quite insane. So Shirley¡¯s double identity was being Richard¡¯s fiancee? That meant she was lying to him? No, the tears in her eyes were quite genuine.


    Confused as I was, I knew to act.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, Lady Shirley. It is an honor to finally meet you.¡±


    ¡°And I of you,¡± Shirley said with a soft smile. ¡°Thank you very much for all the help you¡¯ve given my Richard.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I have been the one receiving help.¡±


    Shirley smiled brightly. ¡°You¡¯re just like he said, professor.¡±


    ¡°Get used to him, Shirley. We are going to see Ethan a lot.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling we will,¡± said Shirley. ¡°Quite a bit.¡±


    I was caught off guard, but this wasn¡¯t bad. Shirley was a good person, I had assessed that much, and there was no need to say anything about Richard. If they would be the same with demons was something still to be seen. That was why, until I was sure, my true goals weren¡¯t going to come out.


    For now¡­ it was fine to keep going. I watched them with a smile as Shirley and Richard started to catch up.


    They held hands and talked about things of barely any importance, but both of them seemed to enjoy nothing more than the other¡¯s presence.


    A smile spread on my face. This, too, was a reason I wanted to change things in this accursed world.


    Slowly, I placed my head down on the bed again and covered my face with the newspaper so as not to disturb them.


    It was a great feeling to have someone to look after you during times of illness. I vividly remember it¡ªmemories that I didn¡¯t particularly want to think about now.


    I tried to close my eyes and drift into sleep.


    ¡°PRO-FES-SOR!¡±


    The door to the room snapped open once again, followed by a loud voice.


    ¡°H-hey, stop! This is a hospital.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t rush in like that, Princess Iaso!¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡±


    I moved the newspaper away. Right in front of my bed was Iaso, her teeth and ears trembling as she sniffled.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d go and get hurt¡­¡± Iaso raised her fist and smacked me.


    ¡°Ouch! Why are you hitting me then?!¡±


    ¡°Stupid! Stupid professor! Even though last time too!¡±


    Iaso kept whining until Student Seren and Student Elara stepped in to stop her. The time when she was cornered by her old knight and the general was similar; the girl had already lost everyone close to her once.


    I may have been the only one around, but the fact that she valued me so much naturally pulled another smile out of me. I looked at the students, and the entire Black Rose classroom came up to visit me.


    ¡°Professor, we are glad you are fine,¡± said Yuliana, the saintess candidate, with a smile.


    ¡°Not me, in particular. But it would be troublesome if we couldn¡¯t go and attack more clubs.¡± Rosentea flapped her fan.


    ¡°Hey, lady Rosentea, do you have to be like that?¡± and Argent was snappy with a response.


    ¡°Professor¡­ you¡¯re ok¡­?¡± said Ken, and next to him, Zacka nodded.


    I noticed Atlas at the back trying his best to stop Quizzy Quinton and Lutey Luke from annoying the rest of the class out there.


    They all started to talk and thank everyone. They had even brought me and Richard a get-well-soon gift.


    Lumine had somehow found her way next to me and was standing quiet, but close. On my other side, Ier knelt down and whispered in my ears.


    ¡°How in the hell did something injure YOU?¡±


    ¡°Read the paper? I¡¯ll tell you all about it later.¡±


    ¡°No way, that thing?¡±


    In no time, the door opened once more, and more people streamed in.


    Prince Jeremy and the other Graduate students, alongside Enna and her friend.


    ¡°Prof, you ok? We¡¯ll have to have a comeback party for you now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, party, Enna, we have to go this time.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t miss prof¡¯s party for the world.¡±


    Then, I entered the three stooges who had sold me the camera, and with them, Professor Denadis.


    ¡°We got hustled, professor. But not as bad as you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll stick to fortune-telling next time.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Hm.¡±


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t all. The kids who picked a fight with the class, the students of Red Dahlia, entered as well.


    ¡°Glory! Glorious!¡±


    ¡°¡°Glorenstein!¡±¡±


    Professor Jim, Professor Laura, and Professor Barnum were with the kids, too. Eventually, the principal and the rest came in with some gifts and wishes.


    Right¡­ someone to look after you when you were injured. It truly was a blessing.


    A blessing that I still had.


    ***


    A few days passed, and Richard and I were both discharged. Instead of going back to my room, though, I made my way to the academy''s administrative building.


    To the top floor, a place I had only sneaked into before.


    I slowly stopped in front of the only door on the topmost floor and knocked lightly.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    [author][/author]

 Chapter 93: Here Lies the Spirit

    ¡°Tea?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    Gladwin¡¯s eye bags had become heavier than I had ever seen them. With a slight frown, he picked up the kettle and poured some tea into two cups. He slid one to me and grabbed the other for himself before slowly laying back on the couch.


    ¡°I am sorry again¡­¡± said Gladwin. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they keep doing this.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. Like I said, it¡¯s only natural.¡± I took a sip of the tea. ¡°I am a weapon, it is natural to flaunt your weapons.¡±


    ¡°I do not wish to steal credit for your achievements, Professor Ethan. And to get punished on top of it¡­ can you believe they promoted me and gave me a raise? Those crazy bastards!¡±


    Huh?


    I thought he said punishe¡°d, then why the hell was he promoted? Gladwin seemed on the verge of breaking down as he mentioned his promotion.


    ¡°What would a reward look like?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be stupid and say retirement with a pension. Getting fired is the best reward.¡±


    What the hell was going on in the ministries of the empire? Was the actual threat in this world in that place? If it was, then it was something I couldn¡¯t solve. I decided not to stick my nose in those affairs.


    ¡°Are you in better health now, professor?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thanks to you.¡±


    Gladwin had naturally spared no expense in helping Richard and me have a speedy recovery. He was for some reason thoroughly guilty about that too. His subordinates were all crying about someone getting healthy faster. No seriously, should I be getting worried about these civil servants?


    We continued drinking in silence, then when we were on the second cup of tea, I posed my question.


    ¡°How did Mrs. Frock escape from all your checks?¡± The civil servants had extensively monitored every person in the city. They had also looked at the other groups, all of which were larger than Shirley¡¯s, which helped mitigate the damage a lot. But the fact that a Chimera scientist of her caliber was in the city was strange.


    ¡°Mrs. Frock was born in this city, and has spent her entire life here.¡±


    My eyes widened at his words.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. I am sure the Chimera I faced was similar to Professor Denadis¡¯ chimera.¡±


    Of course, Gladwin knew that Ier and I had fought the chimera. He knew everything that happened in the academy.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Gladwin. ¡°I was puzzled about it too. Even more so when we found Mrs. Frock¡¯s corpse in the basement of her boutique. An eight-year-old corpse.¡±


    ¡°What¡­? What do you mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Frock had been born in this city and spent her entire life here. There was nothing particularly strange about her. The people of the city though, did say that eight years ago she had contracted a bad case of jaundice.¡±


    I pursed my lips and listened.


    ¡°She was reclusive for a month, and when she finally healed and came out of her house she had lost a lot of weight, her bones looked weaker too, sickly.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡­ replaced her? Magic¡­?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gladwin shook his head. ¡°The Mrs. Frock you know¡ªthe one who had been living here for the last eight years¡ªhad cut off the face of the real Mrs. Frock and grafted it on her own. Sewed it over her face with her skills.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    A sigh left me as I placed a hand on my head.


    Crazy. What the hell was this? She had quite literally stolen someone¡¯s face.


    Just why¡­


    What drove her to that?


    ¡°Why?¡± I said.


    Gladwin reached into his pockets at my words and pulled out a book. He dusted it lightly and placed it on the table.


    ¡°This was at the lab,¡± he said as he slid the book toward me.


    I inspected it, flipping it in my hand. Slowly, I opened the book and skimmed through it.


    All of it was scribbles. Scribbles and notes muddled over each other, but if I looked closer, I noticed traces of words underneath the marks. It seemed to be a diary before it was used as a notebook for research. If someone gave it enough time, they would be able to figure out something.


    ¡°Did you read it?¡± I asked.


    Gladwin nodded. ¡°Listen carefully, Professor Ethan. You deserve to know. And you can decide if you want to tell the vice principal¡­ The Mrs. Frock you knew was not Mrs. Frock, of course, and we still don¡¯t know her real name. But¡­ she was a villager who lived near the magic tower with her son before they were all kidnapped by the tower for their human experimentations.¡±


    I gulped. The magic tower had been doing it for years before the war began, and as soon as the Freedom Alliance learned of it, they charged straight in to destroy the tower.


    ¡°Mrs. Frock, or whoever she was before, was very confused. They were trapped in a cell, all together. No one was given any food, not until they all started eating each other. The atrocities of the tower are far too great¡­ Every time they wanted a new subject to put into their chimera, they simply took one out of the cells. And eventually, one day¡­¡±


    I flipped to another page in the book and froze. Just this page, just this page still held what it originally had. There was almost no white space left on the page anymore. With her blood, no, with someone¡¯s blood, Mrs. Frock had written one line over and over.


    [They took Graham. They took Graham. They took Graham. They took Graham. They took Graham. They took Graham. They took Graham. They took Graham. They took Graham. They took Graham. They took Graham.]


    ¡°It was her son¡¯s turn.¡±


    Terrible.


    How utterly terrible.


    ¡°The fake Mrs. Frock was a genius, Professor. You saw it right? All those notes, all those documents. She became a genius chimera researcher simply through observing. Her genius is tens, no a hundred times greater than even Denadis.¡± Gladwin waved his hands, before putting them to his sides.


    I could guess what happened next. ¡°Her son was turned into the chimera¡­?¡±


    ¡°They surely tried,¡± said Gladwin. ¡°But no. We already know the human and the demon used as the base for the chimera that we all fought¡­ Unfortunately, the chimera they tried to make with the fake Mrs. Frock¡¯s son was a failure. It probably died within days, if not in hours.¡±


    I clutched the book tightly.


    ¡°In the end you were right. Before a criminal or a psychopath, she was a mother unable to cope with her son¡¯s death. Unable to cope with the unjustness of this accursed world.¡±


    Gladwin stretched his hands. I took in a deep breath and handed him the book back.


    Mrs. Frock, the fake Mrs. Frock. She saw her son in that chimera. Even though he had died, he was surely dead, she couldn¡¯t accept it.


    ¡°Her life may have been in vain,¡± said Gladwin, ¡°but her genius doesn¡¯t have to be. I¡¯ll entrust this in the right hands, I promise.¡±


    ***


    A gentle morning breeze blew past my cheeks. The sounds of the chirping birds and the scent of the blooming flowers carried over by the wind were as refreshing as ever.


    In this mountain trail, there was no longer blood. With my attache in hand and my hat in the other, I made my way up the South-Eastern Plateau near Glorenstein.


    My mind was clear today. A thought haunting me for almost a week had been resolved.


    I found myself standing in a clearing. The wind sent my coat aflutter. I took a slow step forward and knelt in front of the remains of the laboratory hidden and made by a genius.


    That day, Mrs. Frock had sacrificed herself.


    The greatest, most taboo sacrifice one could make. That day, she was faster than me. Even if just a split second, she was faster.


    In front of me was a tombstone. A ¡®fake¡¯ tombstone.


    [Here lies the spirit of Greta Frock]


    I took out a knife from my attache and brought its blade next to the stone.


    I had seen it myself. The power of self-sacrifice. Not just once. Over and over, the stronger someone was the more unbalanced their death. It was terrifying, and war was a cesspool of it.


    After all, there was nothing one valued more than themselves. Even those who hated their lives found the most value in their lives. The ones with nothing, and the ones with everything, all of their value was enclosed within their ¡®lives.¡¯


    I believed there could be no greater sacrifice.


    But how foolish was I? I had seen them too, times when someone truly valued something else above their own life.


    That day, Mrs. Frock may have sacrificed herself, but she truly did not value her life. In her eyes, all the value was in the life of the Chimera¡­


    A mother¡¯s sacrifice was one of her children.


    I put the knife down and bowed, praying for a safe passage for both of them.


    I stood back, adjusting my coat and hat. After a final glance at the tombstone, I turned and left the laboratory.


    Left with a bright smile. A bright smile for all who looked back at us.


    [Here lies the spirit of Greta Frock and Graham]


    The Academy¡¯s Professor is Overpowered Book 1: END

 The Academys Professor is Overpowered Book 1: Epilogue

    Light cast on the black stone floors like shadows while darkness embraced the room. In the raised dais, atop the throne, a lone silhouette sat aloft.


    Two gargantuan doors screeched open like a horrifying wail; and a man stepped through the red carpet.


    Tap, tap, his footsteps rang. Rhythmic, and respectful, as he approached the throne and fell to one knee.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Raise your head, Duke of Blood and Iron.¡± The Emperor responded.


    ¡°The Freedom Alliance has made a complete retreat from the other side of the world, Your Majesty. No one is aware of, or will suspect our presence there.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    A thud resounded as the Emperor rapped his fingers against his throne.


    ¡°That monster?¡± He asked.


    ¡°His every step is being monitored, just like the students of Black Rose.¡±


    ¡°And the rest?¡±


    ¡°All in their separate paths, Your Majesty.¡± The Duke of Blood and Iron lowered his head again. ¡°Only the mage still lurks near the borders¡­ If I may, she would be the perfect justification.¡±


    The Emperor hummed. Thud his fingers rang again.


    ¡°Very well,¡± said he. ¡°You may leave.¡±


    The Duke of Blood Iron bowed deeply and stood up. Without showing his back to the Emperor, he retraced his steps out of the throne room.


    The creaky door wailed again, as only the silhouette of the great ruler remained.


    ¡°Soon¡­ this millenia of mayhem will end soon. The world will be rid of that demonic scum in my reign.¡±

 Chapter 94: For Tomorrow [BOOK 2 PROLOGUE]

    ¡°If we all survive tomorrow¡­ what are all of you going to do?¡±


    Wisps of flames crackled around the bonfire underneath the purple night sky.


    ¡°If?¡± Chuckled the warrior.


    ¡°If.¡±


    The stars had lined up in an immense view, one that would never be visible from the other side of the world. Even barren lands had a beauty that only belonged to them, a beauty that all of them were never tired of.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± A soft voice rang like hymns out a lyre. ¡°I would help the ones displaced and the ones in need. I don¡¯t want to go back and return to being a tool for the nobles.¡±


    The other six nodded gently at the saintess¡¯ words.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Echoed another voice. ¡°I am curious about this land. I think we can figure something out if we give it enough time.¡±


    ¡°You plan to stay here? The king would riot.¡±


    ¡°I am a magician, you fool. I stored enough in a spatial dimension. It¡¯s easier to research back home anyway, and I can even get Dad¡¯s help.¡±


    The hero raised his brows at the magician¡¯s words. Despite what lay ahead tomorrow, it relieved him to see her as feisty as ever.


    A clap resounded as the warrior suddenly sat up. They all turned their heads to the warrior, who had a giant grin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll gamble. I want to double my money.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Lose it all, you mean?¡± Snapped the Magician.


    ¡°Double. After that, I¡¯ll invest it all in my land. Get them all enough material to smith all day for a month straight! I am sure the people of our duchy would like that.¡±


    The warrior then turned to the thief, and everyone¡¯s gaze followed. As the thief sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the warrior laid back down and stared at the sky.


    ¡°I heard my mother back home is sick. It¡¯s hard for her to walk around these days¡ªold age. I¡¯ll rush to her¡­¡± The thief then pursed his lips. ¡°They say she¡¯s sick, but I haven¡¯t received a letter from her in months. I think it''s already too late.¡±


    No one said a word. Realizing the change in the atmosphere, the thief tried to laugh and change the mood again.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t close to her, and she used to beat me up all the time and bother me for cash. I don¡¯t mind if she¡¯s gone. Your turn, you continue.¡±


    Everyone was already far too used to the thief¡¯s attempts to change the mood¡ªby usually making it worse¡ªand learned to brush over it.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The archer crossed her arms and tilted her head. Her ears quivered as she went deeper in thought. In the end, she let out a resigned sigh. ¡°If I survive tomorrow, I¡¯ll try to survive the day after.¡±


    The hero chuckled at her words.


    ¡°I am going to adventure again. You wanna come with?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve had enough of you for two lifetimes.¡±


    ¡°Hahah!¡±


    A soft laugh spread around the camp.


    It was a strange night¡ªa beautiful one.


    Nervousness, fear, all of it still gripped them, but strangely enough, all they could do was smile and laugh and stare at the sky.


    ¡°Ethan, you?¡± asked the Hero.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy a house in the countryside and relax, throw some money in a lake or something. After that, I think I¡¯ll explore that side of the world a bit too.¡±


    ¡°A world tour?¡± the hero exclaimed. ¡°You are the only one who can claim to have seen the whole world.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± said Ethan. ¡°I¡¯d like to see the world¡­ I think it needs a change of pace anyway.¡±


    ¡°The world does?¡±


    Ethan shrugged, and the hero laughed once more.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ the world itself can use a change of pace after this war.¡± With a smile, the hero sat up and looked at each of his friends, one after the other. ¡°I¡¯ll hold all of you to your words. It¡¯s a promise, ok?¡±


    ¡°If we survive tomorrow?¡± asked the warrior.


    ¡°When we survive tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 95: Graded Assignments

    I tapped the stack of papers on my lectern. The chatter in the classroom quietened with the same beat as the tapping of the documents.


    ¡°Your assignments have been graded.¡±


    Like the knell of a bell from hell, my words echoed in the classroom. A sudden, cold wind howled¡ªdefinitely student Seren¡¯s idea of a joke.


    All the students shivered and looked around as the wind blew, their eyes nervously ending up on me.


    This started a bit over two months before today, the first day that the Black Rose Classroom had convened. Following a battle with a twin-headed blue ogre, I asked the students to write a report, and today was the day their reports were handed back after being translated into the demonic language.


    Right.


    ¡°I definitely asked you guys to write a report.¡± I gazed over the students one after the other, stopping at each of them. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start. Student Rosentia, can you tell me when, in the battle, we all broke into song and started dancing?¡±


    Rosentea turned her head. ¡°I forgot everything that happened in the battle.¡±


    ¡°So you made things up? Didn¡¯t you have a report already? You simply had to translate it.¡±


    Rosentea lowered her gaze, still not turning my way.


    ¡°I¡­ threw it away a long time ago.¡±


    I should send a letter to the Scential Merchant Group. They seriously needed to reconsider their heir. Well, at least the honesty was good.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on to Student Seren. How in the world did you manage to write so many curse words in your report? Who even taught you all that?¡±


    Seren shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯d heard them a long time ago.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to ask for more details from her. I turned my gaze to the others. Though most of them had done well, a few had left me speechless. I stopped on Atlas for a second.


    His score was next to perfect. He had even used vocabulary I never taught them, just a few words. He must have picked them up from me in class or somewhere else. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    I honestly expected him to get a perfect average score. To be honest, I thought instead of calculating the class average for my KPI, I would use Atlas¡¯ score. My plans were ruined.


    ¡°And you, you Quinton.¡± I massaged my temple with my fingers and sighed. ¡°What in the world is your report?¡±


    ¡°Quiz time¡ª¡±


    ¡°No quiz time! You¡¯ve left questions all over your report and prefixed them with quiz time. Do you have an explanation?¡±


    ¡°Quiz, do you think I have an explanation, or do you think I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I think you should sit down.¡±


    Was this a case of bullying the teacher to submission? Was this what was going on here? My eyes lastly went on to the strangest of them all. Luka the Lute guy¡ªor whatever the kids liked to call him¡ªhad written a perfect song about the battle in demonic language. How did he learn all that?


    I sighed and started calling each of them out to take their reports. When they came to the lectern, I offered them some advice and filled in the class roster.


    ¡°Argent Stryde.¡±


    ¡°On my way~¡±


    It had been a bit more than a week since the incident at Glorenstein. At the time I was in the hospital, they decided to give me administrative leave. Richard was discharged yesterday, too, and now everything was back to normal.


    Of course, the ones who had it the roughest were the civil servants, but the presence of the Dungeon and the Behemoth had given them an edge.


    A level 10 monster¡¯s appearance would usually cause a lot of destruction, and the fact that we had defeated it without any significant loss to the city had given them an edge.


    ¡®Can any of you protect the people in the same manner?¡¯


    Of course, one would ask why there was a Behemoth in the Empire¡¯s territory anyway, but everyone knew that a dungeon¡¯s formation was in god¡¯s hands and not ours.


    ¡°Zacka!¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    We reached the last name on the list. I handed the dwarf student his report and smiled softly.


    ¡°You look troubled,¡± I said. Zacka¡¯s grades had dropped a bit compared to usual, though Professor Barnum was full of praise for him. In a one-on-one, he had even defeated Ken, our class¡¯ de-facto most experienced fighter.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, professor,¡± said Zacka. He accepted the graded report and pursed his lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. These are just minor ups and downs.¡±


    Zacka nodded and returned to his seat. Now that we were past this, we had to discuss the critical part of their schooling.


    I placed a hand on the lectern and grinned.


    ¡°Your exams for the first-trimester start next week. I won¡¯t bore you with lectures about how you should study and what you should study and how the exams matter and whatnot.¡±


    The students sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll instead give you guys a piece of news.¡±


    The school year was divided into trimesters, each lasting about 12 to 13 weeks. After the first three months ended, the students took a vacation.


    After the incident in Glorenstein, everyone recognized that people needed and deserved a vacation.


    That was why the other countries agreed surprisingly quickly to this.


    ¡°We are all going on a field trip.¡±


    ¡°¡°WOOOOOW!!¡±¡±


    ***


    [A/N: Welcome to APO Book 2. This time, we 10x the political and action-thriller aspect while keeping the same level of homeliness and slice of life. The wind of Ethan''s change is going to blow soon, and it will blow hard.]

 Chapter 96: Glorenstein Carriage Union (1)

    ¡°A field trip is it¡­¡± A sigh left me as I stepped out of the classroom. As always, the campus of the Black Rose was impeccably clean today too¡ªAs expected of the place that housed the scions of this side of the world.


    It was not just the students that were abuzz with thoughts after the announcement of a field trip, even teachers had a similar reaction. Most of the time, though, that thought was about what a hassle it would be.


    Taking care of the students even on a trip was always a pain. But, well, at least I was free of such thoughts.


    If anything happened to anyone else¡¯s students, they would be in a lot of trouble. But if anything happened to my students, everyone would be in trouble.


    I was very surprised when the word reached me through the principal and Gladwin. If the students were to move to a field trip somewhere, it couldn¡¯t end with just the academy¡¯s and empire¡¯s security.


    A controlled environment like Glorenstein was very different from a place that was free and open.


    What could we do?


    I absolutely had to go to that place, after all.


    I was about to leave toward the premises of Black Rose when a familiar figure with blonde hair caught my eyes. Standing next to that person was another familiar student, both of whom I had gotten fairly close to.


    The two seemed to have noticed me as well and hopped over.


    ¡°Professor!¡±


    ¡°Student Jeremy, Student Enna.¡±


    It was the de-facto leader among the graduate students of Black Rose kids, Prince Jeremy. A severe party-head who was being hailed as a hero among the citizens of the Empire since he actively played a part in the rescue of the citizens when the fake Mrs. Frock went wild.


    ¡°Professor, good morning.¡± Enna greeted me with a light bow. She was another party-head, someone who had no problem mingling with people well above her station and who could handle not just her drinks, but also spread timely rumors through it.


    Indirectly, she had helped me a lot to make sure seven children could get to a place where they should be.


    And eventually, I planned to send more there.


    ¡°Professor, professor,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°You¡¯ll be there tonight right?¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    I nodded at his words.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been invited as the chief guest. How can I miss it?¡±


    ¡°If I invite you as the chief guest for the exams will you hit the books?¡±


    Jeremy reeled back at my sharp words. Sorry kid, but education was important. Even though I did not teach graduates or even the second and third year students, their ranking definitely affected my KPI.


    If it''s for my bonus, I could be a strict teacher. At least to him who was always partying.


    ¡°T-that¡­ it¡¯s not like the score matters.¡±


    Enna pinched Jeremy¡¯s arm at those words.


    Woah. Was that ok to do with a prince?


    ¡°At least try, it won¡¯t look good if you fail right?¡±


    Jeremy chuckled at her words. He definitely needed to hit the books. I slowly leaned over and whispered in his ears.


    ¡°If you score well I¡¯ll help you sneak out during the field trip.¡±


    ¡°Even after being scolded like that by the vice principal?!¡± Jeremy asked with tears in his eyes. ¡°You are truly an angel, professor.¡±


    The very reason Jeremy was outside of the academy during the Chimera incident was because he was sneaking out while using my name. Helping him again was a loss.


    But who am I kidding. If I was going to a new place for the field trip I needed someone who could throw killer parties.


    ¡°Say something to Enna too,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°It¡¯s not fair for only me to get scolded.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes on Enna. With a smirk, I pointed at both of them. A deep blush took over Enna¡¯s cheeks as she shook her head.


    ¡°T-there¡¯s nothing like that!¡± she said.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Jeremy asked, but both of us ignored him.


    My smile only grew wider. How amusing, I should have noticed the signs earlier.


    ¡°You keep doing well, Enna. I am sure you¡¯ll handle the exams with all your effort.¡±


    ¡°R-right,¡± she nodded, still blushing.


    ¡°Scores don¡¯t matter as much as effort.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s unfair! My scores shouldn¡¯t matter either¡ª¡±


    ¡°You better hit the books!¡±


    With those words, I left the two of them behind and walked away.


    ¡°See you tonight, professor!¡± Jeremy said from the back and I waved at him.


    That¡¯s right. Tonight.


    ***


    The day passed by. I donned my usual black suit and overcoat alongside my hat. With my attache in hand, I found myself standing in front of a large building.


    Just a week ago, this plot housed a boutique; but now it was bustling with people dressed in modest coats and holding simple gifts.


    The wartime celebrations had led me to see parties on quite the grand scale, but this one was different.


    After all, this was a party where nobles had no place. Of course, many were coming here regardless¡ªincluding a prince. Aside from Jeremy, who seemed to already be inside and drinking, there were also some other professors and even Gladwin.


    I looked at the signboard that had replaced the Boutique¡¯s name.


    [Glorenstein Carriage Union]


    ¡°Professor!¡± A voice called me from the entrance. A young man in a suit rushed over. ¡°Or should I call you our advisor?¡±


    I chuckled at his words. ¡°Which do you prefer, Jackie or the Union President?¡±


    With some sizeable investments, I ended up becoming an advisor in a business.


    ¡°Please, come in.¡±


    It was the opening gala of the new business. A carriage union that was being headed by Jackie and his father, and had brought every single carriage in Glorenstein under its wing.


    It was the first of its kind for commoners of Glorenstein.


    As soon as I stepped inside, I noticed all the new employees that were going to make this business a success. All of them were the members of Shirley¡¯s Resistance Group.


    Or should I say my resistance group now?

 Chapter 97: Glorenstein Carriage Union (2)

    Bright yellow lights dazzled around me as I entered the campus of the latest addition in Glorenstein. The first of its kind union of carriages.


    With Jackie, the leader and president of the Union leading me himself, the attention naturally shifted toward me.


    And naturally, I waved at everyone. If people were around in a city where I had been living for more than one day, chances are they were my friends.


    I picked up a glass of champagne and started making my way around. Alongside Jackie, I first went to the merchants and investors in businesses that were waiting for him.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Frondier!¡± Jackie smiled and introduced me. ¡°This is Professor Ethan, he is our chief advisor.¡±


    ¡°Of course I know Ethan! He is nasty at chess!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Another person stepped into the conversation. ¡°Then we have to play someday. Rune from the Renya Trading Guild.¡±


    ¡°Renya Guild?¡± It was my turn to talk. ¡°Ah, the ones that brought a revolution with affordable perfumes.¡±


    ¡°Same ones!¡±


    I scanned the place and talked to every merchant one by one. This was a good chance to make them all invest in the business and help it grow.


    ¡°The expansion of the business is definitely a tricky situation. In Glorenstein, everyone has registered with the Union, but how do you expect to dominate a carriage market all over the Empire? Paying the salaries for every single person can¡¯t be a profit for you.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you seem to have missed the mark, sir.¡±


    One investor particularly strong in armament around the area talked to me, and instead someone else began explaining.


    ¡°This is a genius model. It¡¯s a union, not a company.¡±


    ¡°So¡­? You mean to say everyone will be forced to join anyway? This worked because Mr. Jackie here got a lot of fame as a hero and was well connected with the other drivers.¡±


    Right. It was me who was well connected with the other drivers. After all, ever since the first incident at Jeremy¡¯s party, I had been paying the carriage drivers in some way to keep moving information for me.


    Even though I did not receive a lot of information through them; I had used them well. That was, in a way, a trial run for this plan.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand, what is the business here?¡±


    ¡°To put it simply, it is credibility in exchange for money.¡± Mr. Rune continued explaining the business model to the arms dealer and I listened while entertaining some other guests.


    ¡°How many times have you rejected a carriage because you couldn¡¯t trust the driver? Many times people also prefer only someone they know. Everyday is like a job hunt for carriage drivers. That¡¯s why, for a small commission fee, they get jobs and credibility through the Union.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°I see¡­ a commission fee. That means people would still be paying the carriage driver and a cut will go to the union.¡±


    ¡°All you need is a small office in every city. One or two staffers would be enough. Unlike our trading where we have to manage the logistics of getting everything to a shop and then manage the funds from there, all this business needs is people.¡±


    ¡°Their ¡®goods¡¯ are already in every place in the form of carriage drivers. Indeed, that is a good model. I still don¡¯t see it working well though¡­ I mean, how much profit can you make from carriage drivers alone? And why would they join you in the first place when you people simply hail carriage drivers on the streets?¡±


    The criticism was good. Unfortunately, the business model¡¯s working had already been proven before. In the modern world. Through UBER.


    I hid a blush as I left the space. I had always wanted to try the transmigration-standard of ripping off modern knowledge to make a profit.


    This was just one of those events.


    ***


    The opening party was proceeding smoothly. I stepped to the back of the room as Jackie and eventually even Jeremy took to the stage.


    It was hilarious to see how a foolish prince was helping with this new company¡¯s promotion so much. This would help make just enough of a buzz.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t without usefulness for Jeremy. He was from the Zirka Kingdom, one of the few places that could compete with the Empire head-on. He was making a presence amongst the Empire¡¯s citizens.


    For royalty of a different country this was no different than influencing political opinion. Of course, the loyalty towards one¡¯s country wouldn¡¯t change. But with Jeremy¡¯s presence growing strong in the Empire, the entire Zirka Kingdom would become a powerful figure in the Empire.


    If the Empire criticized or started enmity with the kingdom, the public would be dissatisfied. When I first came to this world, I used to think that the public wouldn¡¯t matter in a monarchy¡ªBut no country could last when its citizens were unhappy.


    A kingdom is never its territory but its people.


    Just like Jeremy, every person here had their own agenda. From the merchants to the reporters, everyone looked for their personal profit. Even Professor Jim, Barnum and Richard at the front were likely checking if they could invest and make bank.


    Everyone was in some way looking for this business to succeed. Except some.


    My eyes narrowed as I noticed Gladwin along with two other civil servants stepping away from the crowds. He met my gaze and offered me a small nod as he left.


    Gladwin was a civil servant. One in the most dreaded Ministry of Internal Affairs. Anything that could be a problem to the Empire was a place that needed his eye.


    He seemed to have judged the small start-up a waste of time and stepped out. If not for me, I doubt he would have even entered this place.


    At least, that meant there was no reason for them to look at this business anymore.


    ¡°Cheers to this new beginning!¡±


    ¡°Cheeers!¡±


    As the speech came to an end and another was about to start, I slowly killed my presence and stepped away from the building too.


    I reached the back entrance. The door led to a storage room at the back of the shop. Dozens of old crates and boxes had lined up the place.


    I pushed one stack of boxes to the side, and a small entrance leading underground revealed itself.


    The door had been cleaned up a fair bit. This building that used to house Mrs. Frock¡¯s boutique was also, after all, being used as a place for her experiments.


    I pulled the door open and went underground. The stairs led to a wide, bright room lit with white lights. Inside, three familiar faces were waiting for me.


    One man holding a giant battle-axe that was dwarfed by his figure¡ªAnthony, A woman with slick black hair, half of which was styled in a bun and the other half she let drape over her back¡ªRena Fixon, and lastly their leader, Shirley.


    ¡°You sure took your time,¡± said Shirley.


    I waved my hand and walked over to a seat at the back, plopping down on it.


    The Glorenstein Carriage Union was nothing else but a front for me.


    A front to finally start changing this damned world.

 Chapter 98: A Bold Front

    A company that can have offices and staff in every single town around every single city where there were carriages without arising any suspicion whatsoever.


    That was the power of the Glorenstein Carriage Union. With these facts, it was perfect for a front of a revolutionary organization that planned to change everything about this world.


    Information, activities, one could get through everything as long as they had people who could move without arousing suspicion.


    "So, did you guys use that thing?" I asked as I swayed in my chair. The two girls in the room had taken a seat as well while Anthony stood in front of my desk. He was too large to fit in any chair.


    "We did," Rena answered. "You have quite the magic tool. As you guessed, there were many hearing devices."


    I laughed at her words.


    "As expected."


    "Hey, hey, aren''t you being too carefree about this big bro?" Anthony said. It was quite something to be called Big Bro by a guy who looked like he actually ate planes for breakfast when he was a toddler instead of make-believe ones.


    "He is right," added Shirley. "I think you owe us an explanation. Why would they let you have a building like this in the first place? And why in the world would they wiretap you?"


    I continued laughing. It was not my fault, today was a fairly happy day for me. I had been looking forward to this from the moment the war ended. Even though I had to complete a lot of tasks back at the border, this was the true beginning of the change that I wished to see.


    "You see, they sold me this place because they trusted me." I answered. "And they wiretapped it because they do not trust me."


    "Heh?" Shirley asked. "To be fair, I wouldn''t trust a person like you either."


    She seemed to be seeing something else. Shirley shivered slightly, perhaps she was recalling the Behemoth battle. That sure did a number on me.


    "Rude?" I asked. "Anyway, here''s the deal."


    The reason they let me buy this place was simple. It was because I needed it. Gladwin was right next to me when I was in the hospital and had cooked up the idea of the Glorenstein Carriage Union.


    This building where Mrs. Frock used to be was too dangerous to sell to anyone who was unverified. If someone found the secret laboratory she had made it would come with its own set of complications.


    Gladwin could have used it for his own tasks, but the academy had just gone through a giant ''renovation'' and he had enough ''offices'' for anything that he could want to do.


    His only option so far seemed to be letting this building rust by leaving it locked. That''s when I asked for it.


    For Gladwin, it was killing two birds with one stone.


    He was making sure that this place could be used well enough for him. In good hands, he didn''t have to worry about the laboratory that Mrs. Frock had left. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    On the other hand, there was another reason why it was best that ''I'' found a place to use like this. In a secretive manner.


    It was simply because the Empire did not trust me.


    "The empire, or rather, the higher ups." It was really just the Emperor, but the others were fairly suspicious of me too. "They all have beef to pick with me."


    "They do?" Shirley asked. She was the only person in all of Glorenstein who did not just know my strength but also my goals. It was fine to say things to her.


    "That''s right. You do know the current state of the academy, right?"


    Rena answered instead of Shirley. "It''s a hostage situation. They have kept all the scions of the next leaders under observation and are using them to make sure no one steps out of line. It''s a win-win for everyone, though the biggest victory is with the Empire."


    "That is right. But there''s one more person other than just the students they are looking to observe."


    When I had sneaked into Gladwin''s office during the investigation of the Mundus incident. I had discovered dozens of detailed reports about my own actions.


    "They are also watching me."


    Rena and Anthony gulped at my words.


    "Big bro, are you some giant criminal?"


    "Why would the Empire watch the second of the Kalenice Family?" Rena continued. "The Kalenice have been the blade of the Bezark since the beginning of the Empire''s history."


    We have? I didn''t remember that. I had never really been interested in my family''s history.


    Before I could answer, though, Shirley stepped into the conversation.


    "The reason is simple. Do you remember the rumors floating around about two years ago?"


    Shirley''s words made Anthony squint.


    "Which?" He whispered to Rena.


    "About... the guide of the Hero party? I remember that many retiring and decomissioned soldiers mentioned a man who had been guiding the Hero Party through the demonic lands."


    With a smirk, Shirley stretched both her hands as if presenting me.


    I bowed playfully.


    "That''s me right here. Mr. Ethan Kalenice. The person who had been guiding the Hero Party and also the only person who has lived in the Demonic Lands for three years straight."


    The other two''s jaws dropped to the ground.


    "W-w-w-hat?!""!


    I guess it was time to tell people about my past.


    I was not going to divulge everything. Not even about making demons and humans unite.


    Not yet.


    But at least... I could make a start. That was enough to make a change.


    ***


    The meeting with the three ended at almost the same time as the event. The others left first while I stayed back to talk with Jackie and some of the Carriage Drivers. Anthony, Rena, and the other members of Shirley¡¯s resistance group whom I had rescued were all going to work here.


    It was enough to give them an identity. Small-time merchants, captured by Mrs. Frock because they did not have anything to their name, and now working here in Glorenstein on my recommendation as a way to repay the debt for saving them.


    After finally finishing it all, I made my way back to the academy.


    My gaze went up to the stars. I pushed one hand in my coat¡¯s pocket and swayed the other around.


    The wire-tapping¡­ I couldn¡¯t use magic, so it was impossible for me to detect any wire-tapping. The empire was of the same thought, but still used fairly high-grade wires.


    Thankfully, my friends had given me quite a few things. The magic-blocker stone that I had lent Shirley and team was one of those things.


    My body was a magic-blocker thanks to the abundant mana I had which could make even some demons dizzy.


    There was another reason why I had taken this place. While Gladwin trusted me and wouldn¡¯t care for much of its usage, eventually, my plans and my actions would come to the surface.


    At that time, if the Emperor thinks he has an ear on me, then it would be of great advantage.


    My eyes narrowed.


    Field trip, huh?


    It was annoying, but I absolutely had to go to that place.


    I reached the entrance of the academy and greeted the guards before heading to the Black Rose.


    A revolutionary. That word suited me¡­


    Right as I was close to the Black Rose, I noticed a student sitting on a bench near the flowers with his head held low. It was one of the few well rounded kids in the class.


    ¡°Student Zacka!¡± I called out to the dwarf with a soft smile.


    Zacka turned my way. He suddenly shot to his feet and wiped his face before bowing lightly.


    Well, I guess I was a professor first. This was a bit more important than the other things for me.

 Chapter 99: A Bold Front (2)

    Allow me to present a situation to you. A make believe exercise if you will.


    Consider you are a professor in a prestigious university and have been teaching your students for a bit over one month now. Your relationship with the students is not bad.


    But remember, you are a professor. Ah well, from where I come from, professors are either very close to students or not close at all. Let''s switch it up to a teacher. Consider you are a teacher, for a small class.


    That fits better.


    You see a student who, again, you are just a teacher for, crying. Well, it is definitely something to see a student crying. being the kind-hearted and noble teacher you are, you approach the student and ask them what has made them sad.


    How would it play out?


    Option A: The student will snivel, hug you, and start spilling all the secrets.


    Option B: The student will be weirded out, ask who the hell you are? And then walk away?


    That''s right. The correct answer is option C.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked Zacka.


    "Oh, nothing. Have a good night professor."


    With that Zacka started walking away. Hah, as I expected, Option C played out where my student acted as if he knew me but still did not divulge anything.


    Did I ever mention I hate teenagers? While that used to be the case, the more you got used to dealing with teenagers, the more you ended up liking them. They were fairly simple creatures, after all.


    As soon as I noticed Zacka about to walk away, I put a hand on my chest and plopped to the ground.


    "Ah! No! This... someone put alcohol in my glass. This is alcohol poisoning! Help!"


    Zacka looked at me nervously. The burly yet short dwarf was surprised at the sight. He narrowed his eyes.


    I thought it was natural worry for his teacher, but¡ª


    "That''s not how alcohol poisoning looks like, professor. Don''t worry, you can still have 3 more kegs of moonshine no problem."


    "Three more kegs?" I asked, almost bewildered as I pushed my head off the ground.


    Zacka nodded with a straight face.


    "Why do you know that?"


    "I mean, it is in our culture...?" It was always amusing for a teacher to catch their students red-handed with these kind of things.


    "Answer honestly, student Zacka. Do you have three kegs of moonshine in your room right now?"


    Zacka turned his head away. I quickly got off the ground and narrowed my eyes at him. If my eyes could shoot daggers then they would be piercing his face point blank right now.


    "I might... have some..."


    "Three kegs?" A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "A bit more."


    "MORE? How in the world did you even sneak that in?"


    Zacka looked away. Not just a single keg but more than three.


    "I am an adult, professor," argued Zacka. This fool, in some countries in my old worlds adults could vote but not drink alcohol.


    It was a different scale altogether.


    "Fine. You know what?" I said. "I''ll let it slide."


    Zacka clasped his hands and thanked me with a sigh of relief. Taking it away or even word getting out wouldn''t have mattered, but what''s embarassing is embarassing. Even more so, Zacka was one of the few royalty who did not truly act their position in our classroom.


    The war had definitely left all governance a bit more shaky than it initially was, and he too was a result of such an environment. His responsibilities were always a priority and his sensibilities were more with the common people than some others.


    Especially Seren. I had no idea how she turned out that way.


    "I''ll let it slide if you let me have some with you."


    "With me?"


    "You said you are an adult right? Let''s go drink."


    "Weren''t you just about to collapse from alcohol poisoning?"


    I was immune to poison of all kinds. It didn''t matter.


    With that decided, Zacka and I left to have some more drinks.


    As soon as we entered his room my eyes popped wide. It was way more spacious than mine. Heck, it was wide enough to fit six professor rooms! What was this favoritism? I had to have a word with Gladwin.


    My eyes darted around the rooms. Papers were abuzz, spread around all over. I noticed pencil shavings and wood dust in the corners.


    It seemed this place had been cleaned but those spots were missed. Definitely not something the staff would overlook.


    We entered the room and Zacka immediately led me through a gate to his kitchen. He pulled out two mugs that were just a little out of his reach and slammed on the counter.


    His grin never left as Zacka next pulled out a keg from a cabinet. I leaned low and counted way more than a dozen of them.


    "Hey, you."


    "You said you''d let it slide!"


    I did say that. My goal, after all, was to find out what was bothering my precious students and not bother them more myself.


    Zacka pulled out to Kegs. I leaned against the counter and watched him as he lifted one to the counter and climbed on a small stool. He used a chisel to dislodge the top of the keg.


    "We''ll go light on it, is that ok, professor?"


    "Yup."


    Zacka licked his lips.


    "I could really use some alcohol. Thanks for letting it slide, and for coming along."


    It used to be a little strange in the beginning when I was even younger than these kids and was frequently offered alcohol on the battle-field. It wasn''t considered a taboo, and eventually I became used to it too.


    An old memory surfaced and a bitter smile left me. I started tapping my feet and rapped my fingers on the kitchen counter.


    Zacka, on the other hand, after pouring one mug used the other keg. It must be about a connoisseur''s sensibility when it comes to taste. Something about the first pour being the richest. Maybe.


    After pouring both the mugs, Zacka pushed them aside, grabbed the entire Keg and started gulping it down.


    "Hey hey hey!" I snapped, shocked. "What the hell are you doing? Weren''t we going light!?"


    "Yeah!" Zacka stopped, ahh''d and then nodded. "I removed so much!"


    "So much? People usually start with that!"


    "It will taste good. Just have some, professor."


    I sighed and lifted the keg too. I wasn''t very hot on drinking, but if someone was down it was not a great idea to ruin their mood. As long as I didn''t drink it, it was fine.


    Zacka and I took a seat. After a few more sips of the keg, the boy got a faint blush on his cheeks. He swayed and moved his head as he went on and on about dwarf inventors.


    ¡°And then, there was Telagotor. He was the first person to start inscribing spells on magical stones after working with humans. Both the species that were on their wits end against the famine survived because of this friendship that was considered a taboo.¡±


    It was fun to talk to my students about things that had their passion.


    ¡°I never knew you liked making things so much, Zacka,¡± I said. ¡°You know we have multiple workshops where clubs join, right? Why didn¡¯t you go to them?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Zacka took another swig of the keg. That sounded extremely odd to say. ¡°It¡¯s because I should not be doing that stuff¡­¡±


    With those words, Zacka tipped over on the table and fell asleep.


    ¡°Wait what?¡± A mutter left me on its own. Did this guy just go to sleep after all that?


    ¡°After all that effort¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even get to hear anything.


    I looked around the room. I would have looked for clues here, but seeing how he had clumsily cleaned the space up meant there won¡¯t be anything.


    In the end I would have to look for other methods. But more importantly, this kid was going to be late if he woke up with a hangover like this.


    As a dutiful teacher with an (almost) perfect attendance rate, I couldn¡¯t let that happen.

 Chapter 100: The Black Rose Task Force

    The morning after drinking with a student and having a particular experience that was reserved for more experienced and older teachers, I reached the classroom.


    I entered and noticed all the students sitting quietly. As was my usual routine, I placed a basket of cookies for them to eat through the day on a desk¡ª


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    There were already quite a few snacks kept on the table. I looked at the students, all of whom were smiling.


    "Hah..." I picked one of the cookies that they had brought and left my basket down. As I chomped down on the cookie, a big smile spread on my lips.


    "Oh right!" I said. "Can one of you wake up Zacka from the very back?"


    There was one student missing from the class. Their eyes widened altogether. Elara, who sat at the back with Atlas, looked to her side and noticed Zacka.


    She kicked him awake, how courteous.


    "W-what... where..."


    "Morning, student Zacka. Take a seat quickly."


    Of course, last night I had been drinking with him and he keeled over. It would have been a big issue if he just came late to class! My attendance list was at risk.


    So I dropped him in the classroom. You can''t wake up late if you fall asleep at the place you need to be.


    "Let''s begin class!"


    ***


    Needless to say, it seemed that Zacka was royally pissed. Though he didn''t show it, he did throw a few jabs at me. Well, that''s what you get for being late.


    After the first batch of classes ended, I decided it was time to begin looking into the matter. I couldn''t hear a lot from Zacka himself, and it didn''t look like I could get any more information from him about his current situation either.


    Even though he was far more attentive today after being put on spot, and eventually decided to just laugh about the situation along with all the other students, that was just today.


    His performance had taken a tip across the board. I wasn''t one to worry about scores, how ironic would that be coming from a guy who didn''t even attend school?


    But if a student was troubled, it was my duty to look at them.


    And that is why, I gathered my special task force at a bench near the plaza of the academy.


    The Glorenstein Plaza, at the very center of the academy. Hundreds of students and staff walked around the plaza at every moment, making the ones on the bench not very conspicuous.


    I sat peacefully, with my legs crossed and a book in hand. Soon enough, a girl with cat ears and a long black tail walked over and took the seat next to me.


    "Iaso."


    "Professor."Stolen novel; please report.


    We didn''t look at each other, only ahead, as we acknowledged each other.


    Soon, the second member of the task force arrived with the click of a camera.


    "Professor¡ª"


    "Shush!"


    I quickly shushed the student. She placed her hands on her mouth and shook her head in worry, as if she had done something wrong. Iaso gestured to the next bench over and Lumine quietly took a seat.


    The girl then looked at us.


    "Don''t look at us, Lumine!" Iaso hissed without turning. "We are secret agents."


    "Oh...?"


    Lumine was quick to follow instructions. She nodded and did not say anything more. Her eyes usually did the talking¡ªA perfect quality in a secret agent¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t follow that this time.


    Eventually, the last member of the taskforce appeared as well.


    He was not looking this way. It didn¡¯t look like he had even noticed us. Of course, after all, we had not informed him of this meeting.


    A small shine appeared in mine and Iaso¡¯s eyes. I pulled out a cloth bag and Iaso a stick.


    We began.


    Iaso jumped ahead like a cat. Her stealth activated as she slammed the stick on the back of his head and then stuffed it in his mouth.


    Right then, I covered Atlas¡¯ face with the bag and yanked him behind to the benches.


    Atlas whimpered but his voice couldn¡¯t leak out. Iaso and I covered him from the plaza behind us.


    ¡°Alright, Atlas Whisper. You better meet our demands or you¡¯re done in. If you help us, I¡¯ll give you a cookie, ok?¡±


    Atlas suddenly stopped struggling.


    ¡°Nod if you understand,¡± said Iaso and the captive nodded.


    I removed the paper bag and the gag and found Atlas looking at us with deep pity in his eyes, as if he was looking at trash.


    His gaze stung.


    ¡°Just pretend you are a secret agent¡­ and sit quietly.¡± Even Iaso hesitated at the commands.


    Holding back his tears and disappointment, Atlas sat next to Lumine. We too, went back to looking normal, but way more embarrassed this time.


    With all the members gathered, I looked ahead and took a deep breath. My book''s page flipped. Indeed, it looked exactly like the meeting of a group of secret agents¡­


    "Should we talk at a cafe?" I asked.


    "That will be good, yeah."


    "Mhm."


    "HEY! What was the point of all this then!?"


    ***


    We reached a quiet cafe near the Black Rose grounds. The place where I and Iaso usually found ourselves to fetch cookies. This lady was the only one who made them with catnip.


    The manager of the cafe greeted us with a soft smile and asked us to take a seat.


    "The usual?" she said.


    "Usual please," I answered.


    While she walked away, the other three looked at me. Iaso causally stretched her tail and hand as she spread on her chair like a thug.


    "So, what is this about?" she asked.


    I leaned forward on the table. These three were the ones I wanted to kidnap Atlas again.


    But well.


    "There is something I need all of your help with," I said. "Can you guys tell me how class has been going on these days?"


    "Busy," said Lumine. Just a single word this time.


    "It has been busy, yes. But nothing especially troublesome," continued Iaso. "Most of the students have covered all these materials so the exams are not troublesome. The only spot we need to worry about are places where we haven''t really paid much attention."


    "Iaso, are you secretly very smart?" Atlas asked, he adjusted his glasses as he looked at her. "Even Prince Ier was struggling a little with some subjects."


    Iaso scoffed and flipped her hair.


    "Skill issue," she said.


    Where was she learning all these words from?


    "Hmm, even Ier was having a tough time, is it?"


    It would have been ok to ask Ier instead of these three, but I was worried that he might be a bit more conspicuous than the rest. He also took a lot of initiative and might have unknowingly pressured Zacka if he knew something was wrong.


    "You three, tell me if something is going on with student Zacka."


    "Zacka?" It was Atlas who asked. He was the one who was closest to Zacka among these three since Ier''s group always pulled him along.


    "You have a clique, don''t you?" Iaso confirmed it too. "That annoying guy, Prince Ier, Ken, Zacka and you?"


    "Hey don''t call Argent annoying."


    "Is he not, prof?"


    "Alright, I should not be involved in matters between students like that."


    "Hypocrite much?"


    "I call myself an opportunist. Please."


    Iaso and I chuckled and then she nudged Atlas again.


    "So, is something going on? I don''t know why the nosy professor is being nosy again."


    Lumine flinched at those words. I was fairly nosy with her case. She stared at Iaso without saying anything. My updated Lumine translator said that she was trying to defend me.


    How touching.


    "Anything wrong... I guess Zacka has looked a little distracted these days..."


    "Can you guys keep an eye on him for me?"