It was a farce of an opening that finally concluded with Lady Luoduan’s intervention.
In truth, the earlier questions had been manageable.
Aside from making Lyr wary, they had not been overly difficult.
Instead, it was that final, casual question that had left him stunned.
Eventually, Luoduan led Lyr away while the students dispersed toward their other classrooms.
“How did it feel standing up there?”
Luoduan asked as she walked ahead, casting a glance back at Lyr.
Though he had not shown any signs of distress earlier, she could now see beads of sweat constantly forming on his forehead.
“It was all right.”
Lyr replied, instinctively pulling at his collar to let some of the heat escape.
He could feel his entire back drenched in sweat.
“This was just an introduction. Once formal classes begin, you will adapt quickly.”
Luoduan continued.
“These students all come from influential families, so it is inevitable that one or two strange fellows will crop up. Just keep an eye out for yourself in the future.”
Lyr certainly agreed with that sentiment.
After all, when he had been at the Academy himself, he had heard similar remarks — though back then, he was the one being described.
‘Now standing from another perspective, it’s somewhat subtle.’
Suddenly remembering something, Lyr asked, “Instructor Luoduan, what is the situation with those Magical Beasts outside the Royal Capital? I encountered some on my way back, and I remember it wasn’t like this before.”
“We are not entirely sure either.”
At the mention of this, Luoduan narrowed her eyes, her expression becoming grave.
“This phenomenon was discovered only in recent months. Logically, Magical Beasts cluster according to the strength of mana, and it should be impossible for them to appear near the Royal Capital in such high density.”
For instance, in the forested areas of the Frontier, the mana was thick and concentrated, making it a favorite gathering place for those creatures.
Lyr had seen many massive beasts there.
However, the vicinity of the Royal Capital should not be like that.
For this to happen so suddenly, the only possibility was the appearance of some powerful magical vessel that instinctively drew those creatures together.
Just as Lyr was following Luoduan toward the office, two figures stepped out from the other side of the hallway.
Before they could react, Tif, who was in the lead, bowed slightly toward Luoduan as a greeting.
“Instructor Luoduan, may I take a moment of Instructor Lyr’s time?”
Tif’s polite tone sparked a bit of curiosity in Luoduan.
She had known about the relationship between Lyr and Tif for a long time.
Why did they seem so distant now?
“Since you siblings have things to discuss, I will leave you to it.”
Luoduan said, making a conscious choice to depart.
She did not forget to add a reminder, “The next class is Etiquette Class. Do not be late.”
“Understood. Thank you for the reminder.”
Tif watched Luoduan leave.
Throughout the exchange, a figure had been hiding behind her, only revealing herself once Luoduan was gone.
Compared to Tif, Teanya was truly afraid of Luoduan.
Once Luoduan had departed, she fully emerged and waved a greeting to Lyr.
“Hi! Long time no see, Tif’s brother.”
Lyr had some memory of Teanya, but since he had not seen her in so long, he could not recall her name at the moment.
Before he could respond, Tif spoke first.
“What is going on?”
Lyr could clearly sense the anger underlying Tif’s tone.
“How should I explain this to you?”
Lyr scratched his cheek.
“Would you believe me if I said I only ended up as a teacher here by some strange twist of fate?”
Tif’s brow furrowed at his answer, her displeasure deepening.
Behind her, Teanya made small, frantic hand gestures, trying to signal something to Lyr.
“I am not asking about that.”
Tif took a step forward.
If not for their current setting, she truly wanted to grab her brother by the collar and make him feel the weight of her fury.
“What exactly happened with that Calamity-class trouble you were suppressing at the Frontier?”
“That is a long story.”
It was a sudden incident, and we didn’t know the situation would be like that at the time.”
Even now, whenever he thought back to the girl he had slain, Lyr’s heart would tremble for some inexplicable reason, as if something residing within his body had been stirred by her.
“Then let me ask you this: did you come back because something happened during that event, which led to you being recalled?”
It had to be said that Tif possessed sharp insight.
Lyr had been doing well at the Frontier; there was no reason for him to return without cause, let alone become a teacher at the Academy.
It was as if a wounded warrior had been forced to retreat to the rear to be stationed in safety.
“Are you carrying some kind of injury?”
Tif finally asked the question she truly cared about.
Being interrogated like this by Tif left Lyr unsure of how to respond.
At some point, he had become very poor at handling Tif when she was in this commanding state.
‘I should be the elder brother, after all.’
Her final question caught Lyr off guard.
‘Is she not angry, but actually worried about me?’
“I suppose so.”
Lyr murmured after a moment of hesitation.
He hadn’t intended to tell Tif to avoid causing her unnecessary grief, which was why he had remained silent about it since his return.
Upon receiving his answer, Tif closed her eyes and then reopened them, letting out a heavy breath.
One side of her mouth twitched as she bit her lip, looking very much like she was still simmering with anger.
The standoff — if it could be called that — was briefly broken by the ringing of the Academy bell.
“Once things at the Academy are finished tonight, get yourself home and explain everything to me clearly.”
Leaving him with those words, Tif huffed and turned away without looking back.
Teanya, following behind, made sure to turn back and whisper to Lyr, “Remember to come, or she really will be furious!”
“Teanya, let’s go!”
Tif’s sharp urge startled Teanya, who could only offer a bitter smile and hurry after her.
Lyr stood where he was, feeling the lingering pressure.
Looking at Tif’s retreating back, he could still sense her immense irritation.
For a moment, he did not know if Tif had simply grown up, or if she had become someone he no longer recognized.
Academy life was not as complicated as Lyr had imagined.
In fact, since it was his first day, he found himself with quite a bit of free time.
For half the day, Lyr spent his time reviewing the student files Luoduan had given him and looking over some textbooks.
When evening began to fall and he saw others leaving, Lyr prepared to head out as well.
Watching the sky as the night burned it a deep red, Lyr exhaled a long sigh.
He had managed to survive the day.
It felt just like his time in the Knights.
Some people wished for this kind of life, but Lyr had never seen it that way.
It was just that, currently, it felt as though there was nothing else he could do.
Perhaps this was for the best.
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