5 Professor

"Kathyln Glayder. I must say that it is an honor to have you in my humble class." Professor Geist gave a deep, exaggerated bow. "Whatever the results of this 'demonstration' may be, please don't hold them against me."

Her cold expression unwavering, Kathyln just nodded, drawing her staff from the dimension ring on her pinky.

"Very good. Let us proceed!" The professor clapped, fire igniting from between his palms.

Without a word, Kathyln lifted her sky-blue staff. Before Professor Geist had a chance to unleash his fireball, two javelins of ice formed around Kathyln.

"Fire," I heard Kathyln say, and the javelins raced toward our professor.

So she had decided to go on the offensive, attacking Professor Geist before he attacked her.

A faint smirk crept across our professor's face as he lifted his hands—which were still aflame—to block the ice spears.

When the ice javelins touched the fire on his palms, they instantly began to melt, disappearing with a sharp hiss.

"Ice Javelin," she muttered again, and this time five spinning javelins formed near Kathyln.

"Fire." Her expression remained icy, like a coiled serpent ready to strike.

"Impressive! As I would expect from our princess," Professor Geist said with a grin as the class leaned forward to get a better view of this encounter. Since most of the students were first-years, they weren't yet at the level where they'd be able to conjure something like this, let alone to do so instantly and with such impeccable control.

Our professor concentrated as the five spears shot toward him, ready to pierce him through if not countered.

"Ember Wisps!" Professor Geist finished preparing his spell just in time, jumping back and releasing small, floating orbs of blue flame.

"Break," Kathyln muttered, and she willed her five ice javelins to shatter into an uncountable number of small, sharp shards of ice.

"Fire!" Professor Geist, his face not nearly so smug as before, commanded his orbs of blue fire to blast his opponent. Kathyln, meanwhile, was so focused on finishing her final spell that she ignored the incoming streams of blue fire. I leapt up from my seat and raced toward the platform.

"Ice Tornado!" Kathyln's voice filled with a faint panic as she realized, upon finishing her spell, that she was about to receive the brunt of Geist's attack.

As the tornado of ice shards began to whirl around him, the professor became visibly nervous—he seemed to have realized that Kathyln wasn't attempting to defend herself.

Geist cancelled the spell, but only the ember wisps disappeared. He couldn't call back the streams of blue fire they'd shot at the princess. Just as they would have struck her, I conjurer dozens of translucent barriers around her body. The fire impacted against the barrier behind, dispersing harmlessly.

Geist used Scorch Field to create a layer of heat around his body, melting the shards of ice circling him. He sustained some light scratches but he didn't even seem to notice. As the ice shards blocking his view melted, he looked quickly around for the princess.

Instead, he found me standing between them. When we made eye contact I saw him tremble at my glare. "How disappointing... I think this little game of yours has gone on long enough, don't you agree?" I kept my expression hard, staring him down without remorse.

"While I appreciate your concern for the princess, it is unnecessary. I have everything under control," he replied, a weak attempt at bravado. He clearly didn't want to lose face on the first day in front of all of his students.

"Under control, you say?" I said, smirking slightly. "Then you wouldn't mind demonstrating your exceptional mana control against this ignorant student of yours, would you?"

"Well, if you insist. I seem to have frightened the princess with my last spell. If you hadn't interrupted, you would've seen that I was just about to cancel the spell. I'd hate for any of my students to misunderstand and think I was trying to actually hurt her."

Even now, this incompetent professor was trying to defend his position, and I could already tell by the murmurs going around the class that many of the students accepted his explanation.

I turned my head towards Kathyln. "Are you okay?"

She seemed to have recovered her composure after her momentary panic. Her face remained aloof, albeit slightly flushed, as she nodded. "Your assistance was unnecessary, but thank you all the same," she said before making her way to her seat.

I turned back to Professor Geist. This should be quick.

"Since you're an augmenter, I suppose it would be fair to let you choose which method you want me to use to fight." He shrugged his shoulders as he walked toward his sword, which was embedded into the ground.

"It doesn't matter," I responded simply.

I could see a vein pulsing in the professor's temple as he looked back at me in annoyance.

"I insist," he retorted.

"Use whatever you're most confident in." I took a couple of steps forward, peering closely at him, studying his every movement and action.

Disappointment or not, this professor was still a light yellow class veteran augmenter. And he was capable and insightful enough to have used blue fire. It seems I'll have to increase my expectations and view this as training with a child.

The professor's grin turned to a scowl as his face reddened. He clearly wanted to make an impression on his class, and I wasn't helping with that.

"Very well then. I'll be sure to go easy on you." The twitch of his brows betrayed the lighthearted tone of his voice.

Pulling his sword free from the ground, Geist made his way toward me. He handled his blade effortlessly, making it dance around him gracefully. His skills with the sword were not on the level of Kanon or Shin, but it was passable.

He dashed toward me without warning, swinging his blade down with a force that didn't exactly convey 'easy.'

His sword was imbued with a layer of blue fire, and it radiated a deadly heat. I dodged his initial surprise attack with minimal effort, sidestepping with only a millimeter of space between us.

"Nice footwork," he commented with a mocking tone.

I sighed internally. This professor's arrogance was almost as unbearable as his incompetence.

His bombardment continued, the force of each swing and stab getting faster and stronger, as if he were trying to test my limits. Every time I smoothly parried or dodged an attack, he kicked it up a notch for the next one. I wasn't using any spells or mana to receive his attacks, just pure physical prowess and martial arts skill, which seemed to frustrate the professor even more.

"I'm sure the disciplinary committee isn't made only of rats who keep dodging and running away," he said loudly through a forced smile.

"I simply thought it not worth the effort when you have yet to land a single strike," I countered with a smirk.

His lips contorted in anger but he didn't respond. By this time, a couple of the students seemed to have caught on that this wasn't just a simple demonstration, and some whispering about whether they should call over the director or the student council.

Professor Geist's attacks became fiercer, and he started implementing several spells along with them. "Flame Pillar."

A stream of blue fire shot up from the ground beneath me at his words. I instantly sidestepped to avoid it, countering him with a light touch to his throat.

Caught by surprise, he jumped back a lot further than he needed to. I saw a bead of sweat forming on his brow. If this was two thousand years ago, I would have already killed him a hundred times over by now.

"Now aren't you fortunate I didn't strengthen myself with mana there." I shot him a snide grin.

It's time to end this charade.

I positioned my palms facing against each other and... clapped.

The sheer wind pressure from the clap sent him flying towards the barrier.

"Gah!" Blood spewed out from Professor Geist's mouth as he collided with the barrier. Fortunately, the professor's mana-imbued body was strong enough that he didn't suffer serious injuries from the impact.

He body slid down the barrier and onto the ground, leaving a trail of blood. I implanted my foot in the ground right next to his face. "How disappointing..."

As if on cue, the bell rang, and I made my way out of the room, following Arthur and Kathyln, who had already packed up and left.

Just as I caught up to the two, I felt a hand grip my shoulder. "Commander, I admit you were rather impressive back there," Feyrith nodded proudly. "As to be expected of our commander."

I gave the elf a smile, tapping him on the chest. "You as well, Feyrith. Aside from a few small mistakes, if you'd known the type of spell the professor was using, you might have had a better chance."

I heard words of encouragement boosted one's abilities and confidence to an extent. It won't hurt to compliment my subordinates once in a while.

"Of course. I hadn't anticipated that he would use such a strong spell. Otherwise I'm sure I would've come out as the victor," he said, but the faint smile on his face showed that he appreciated my faith.

Kathyln, who had slowed down so she was just a few steps ahead of us, turned around. "What do you suggest my mistakes were?" she asked, her gaze fierce.

Hmm. Interesting. I had the impression of her being the shy and quite type, but it seems she's eager to learn and improve. "Your biggest mistake was ignoring your defenses to finish that last spell. You left yourself vulnerable to Professor Geist's counterattack."

Her gaze continued to bore through me, then she nodded and left without saying a word.

"Well, I should get going as well," Feyrith chimed in with a forced chuckle, leaving me and Arthur alone.

"That was quite a show, Commander. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"A wise choice, Arthur. Not many survived by being my enemy," I responded.

"Anyway, I'll get going. See you later," Arthur said, nodding in acknowledgment before heading off in the opposite direction.

—————

I walked towards the direction of the academy's library. I only chose three classes this semester, so I had plenty of time on my hands. The library would serve as both a place to cure my boredom and also learn more about the history of the world. The reason for the changes in history still remained unsolved; perhaps the academy's library held some clues.

As I entered the library, the familiar scent of aged books surrounded me. The library contained roughly a million volumes, and the shelves reached towering heights, requiring ladders to access the upper levels. The book in the library varied quite a lot, ranging from ancient history to mana manipulation.

Reading all of the books one by one would be inefficient and would take years. Fortunately, most students were in class, and there was only me and the sleeping librarian in the vast space.

"Ygg Neas."

I casted a magic circle of a hundred layers. I then stuck my fingertips through the center, activating Ygg Neas. My right hand began to glow with a bluish-white aura. The spell—which promised its caster the universe in the palm of their hand—transcended distance, allowing me to grasp everything and anything, no matter how far away those things were. Any number of books was meaningless before a spell that allowed me to reach anything at any distance.

With Ygg Neas around my hand, I made a grabbing motion midair. From there, I slowly moved my arm. The next moment, all the books flew towards me. I arranged all one million volumes in the air. With a flick of my finger, the books opened as I began to rapidly flip through their pages. With my Magic Eyes, I stared at the books until I'd finished flipping through them. All one million books closed.

"Hmm. Done," I said, quite satisfied with the information I had gathered.

Although some people might say that reading the other unrelated to the world's history was unnecessary, sometimes seemingly irrelevant information could unveil hidden connections or patterns. The history of mana manipulation, the development of magical spells, and even tales of adventurers in distant lands—each piece could contribute to solving the puzzle of the altered history.

Speaking of that, I noticed some odd details contained in the history books. It was said that five thousand years ago, ancient mages created the floating City of Xyrus and all of the teleportation gates scattered across the continent.

If that was the case, that would contradict my knowledge of two thousand years ago. In my era, neither the floating city of Xyrus, or even just the floating island, nor the teleportation gates were present.

Were the ancient mages actually referring to the people of my time? But that would imply I reincarnated five thousand years into the future, far from the original two thousand years that I initially thought.

Did Kanon have something to do with this? The Sword of the Three Races Evansmana had the ability to cut through fate. If used on me, it would allow me to reincarnate five thousand years later instead of the fated two thousand years.

But why would he do that? Certainly, we were enemies before, as he was the Hero and I was the Demon King, but we agreed to be friends in the future. Perhaps there were certain circumstances that forced Kanon to cut my fate.

Hmm. There were simply too many unanswered questions to draw a clear conclusion.

As I was pondering these mysteries, an olive-green owl flew in through the door and landed on my shoulder. Using my Eyes, I peered into its abyss and saw its true form to be that of a dragon with two legs instead of four.

It was a bond, but who's bond exactly was it? Using my Eyes again, I traced the connection from its source to find its contractor.

"You're Goodsky's pet, huh?" I said, recognizing the magical signature of the academy's director. The owl tilted its head, a glint of intelligence in its eyes. "She couldn't bother to just come to me herself?" I muttered.

The owl hooted softly, as if in response. It flew off, with me following. It led me through the entire campus and eventually to the director's office.

I opened the door and headed inside. The horned owl perched itself on my shoulder again.

"I see Avier has personally guided you here. Odd… I have never seen him get so comfortable with a stranger." Goodsky was sitting behind her desk. She looked at me intently for several moments.

"Anything you needed?" I took a seat in front of her desk, and Avier, the green owl, left my shoulder to perch on the window ledge behind Cynthia.

"Yes. I called you here regarding the 'demonstration' in Professor Geist's class." Her expression remained unfazed as she mentioned the trouble I must've caused her.

"We've just dismissed Professor Geist from the academy. Princess Kathyln came forward and explained to me exactly what happened. Of course I had to verify her testimony but everyone I spoke to agreed that the professor was a danger to students." She nodded, placing a couple of documents in front of me.

She works quite quickly. The incident had taken place less than two hours ago, but she had already managed to investigate it and fire the professor. She has potential to be one of my subordinates.

As if she knew what I was thinking, she smiled and added, "Things move quickly when the director has the final say in all matters regarding this academy. I have to say, though, I have never seen the princess as worked up as she was today. When she came in, she looked slightly angry, which, by her standards, is quite serious. You can imagine how surprised I was." Director Goodsky covered her mouth with a hand as she chuckled softly.

"Really? How surprising," I said, not exactly finding her joke funny.

Director Goodsky just laughed and said, "You're quite the ladies' man, Anos. I didn't expect you to woo a princess on your first day."

"Let's cut to the case, shall we?" I said, maintaining a serious demeanor. "I doubt you'd request me here just to tell me that everything is settled. You've even changed your behavior since last we met. What is it that you want?"

She leaned back in her chair, studying me carefully. "Observant, as always. I'd like you to act as visiting professor for your Practical Mana Manipulation class." She pushed a document toward me, studying me carefully. "At least until we can find another instructor to fill the position."

I raised an eyebrow at her proposal. "A visiting professor? You do realize that students will likely find it odd for a first-year student to be their instructor, especially after what happened in Professor Geist's class."

"Odd or not, you've proven your capabilities, and I believe you're more than qualified for the role. Is it allowed? Yes, as long as I say it is. Besides, although this specific situation has never occurred, there have been cases of highly qualified upperclassmen teaching basic courses. As for your other classes, your schedule wouldn't really change. You would just be teaching that one class, for that period." She gave me a business-like smile.

"I see..." I paused, considering the offer. Director Goodsky wasn't doing this for her benefit. She would be sure to get a lot of complaints from noble parents protesting the fact that a first-year was teaching a class. I, on the other hand, would have a bit more work—assuming I actually prepared lessons instead of just improvising—but it was not something I wasn't already used to. "I don't see any harm in it. In fact, I find it quite interesting. I accept your proposal."

"I'm sure you'll do an excellent job. I expect great things from you, Anos, and I'm sure I'm not the only one."

—————

-Goodsky PoV-

"What is it about that boy that always keeps me on my toes? Negotiating with him is more nerve-racking than dealing with the royal families. Is truly one of the Asuras? What's your take on him, Avier?" My bond landed gently on my outstretched arm, his intelligent eyes pondering what to say.

"He is… different. Do not view Anos Voldigoad as a child." My bond spoke clearly, though the words seemed unnatural coming from his beak. "Whether it is mental acuity or emotional maturity, there is much more to him than the eye can see; so much so that even I cannot see the end of it."

"What makes you so certain?" I leaned back in my seat.

"His eyes are that of one who has seen the vastness of time, a depth that surpasses his youthful appearance. It is a gaze that tells tales of endless violence and unimaginable power," he continued. "I suspect he could easily outclass my strength with just a fraction of his," he stated matter-of-factly.

I couldn't imagine anyone stronger than Avier. He was my bond only because he had taken a liking to me when I'd happened by him, deep in the Beast Glades. He usually did his own thing, and I didn't dare treat him like a pet. The revelation that Anos could surpass a wyvern in strength was astonishing. He is either an asura or at least someone connected to them.

"Do not make him your enemy, Cynthia. If treated with trust and respect, he will become the greatest ally, but if betrayed, he may be the cause of this continent's demise." With that warning, Avier flew off.

I leaned forward in my seat, rubbing my throbbing temples as I thought back over the events of the last few hours.

—————

It couldn't have been ten minutes after Anos' altercation with Professor Geist when the door to my office had slammed open and the professor stormed in. "Director Goodsky, I demand that you remove the student Anos Voldigoad from my class immediately!"

"Professor Geist, you look shaken up. What's wrong?" I was taken by surprise by the sudden intrusion.

"The boy has no respect for me. Don't listen to any of the rumors you may hear, I'm being framed!" The man's wide face was filled with desperation and anger.

Two brisk knocks had sounded from the door behind him.

"Please come in," I called. At least this person had the decency to knock.

"I apologize for the intrusion, Director." The petite Kathyln gave me a small bow before coming forward to stand next to the now pale-faced professor.

"What's the matter, Kathyln?" I had leaned forward, looking carefully at both of them.

"This sorry excuse for a professor needs to be fired," she said expressionlessly.

Professor Geist grabbed Kathyln by the arm, pulling her close to him. "How dare you! 'Sorry excuse'? Me?"

"You dare touch me with your filthy hand?" Her expression hadn't changed, yet she somehow seemed to be looking down at Professor Geist.

"Professor, I suggest you remove your hand immediately. Whatever the situation may be, that is not a mark in your favor," I said, standing up and giving the man a hard look. Using force against a student was deplorable.

He immediately let go of Kathyln's arm, then took a moment before responding. "Ah… as I was saying… please do not take to heart any rumors you may hear. I'm being set up—I swear this was all a misunderstanding."

"I have not yet heard any rumors. Do you mind indulging me, Kathyln?"

"This scum picks on students to feel good about himself. Even ignoring the fact that he utterly humiliated Feyrith, if Anos hadn't stepped in, I would've…" Without finishing her last sentence, she glared at the professor.

I had turned to Professor Geist, who was desperately shaking his head at this accusation. "I'm telling you, it was a misunderstanding. I simply wanted to demonstrate, in front of the class, what level the disciplinary committee is at—for the other students' information."

"If that were all it was, then there would have been no reason for you to storm into my office and insist that Anos be removed from your class." I sighed internally as I tried to decide how to handle this dilemma.

I turned to my secretary, who had peeked in to see what the fuss was about. "Tricia, please interview the students from Professor Geist's class and get their statements regarding this incident." She bowed before running off, and I turned back to the two standing in front of my desk. "Now, please be patient while this is sorted out. I will do my best to be just."

Before I had been able to dismiss them, Princess Kathyln spoke up.

"I trust that you will handle this fairly, but just know that, if not for Anos, you wouldn't be handling this professor's ethics case but a student's injury case. My injury case. I bid you good day, Director." She had then turned and left the office, completely ignoring Professor Geist's shocked expression.

—————

When I had reviewed the students' testimonies, it was clear that Anos had completely overwhelmed Professor Geist. While this professor's personality had never sat well with me, his skills were more than adequate for teaching a basic mana manipulation class. But despite the fact that he was a light yellow core augmenter, and a capable one at that, he had been utterly defeated by a thirteen-year-old.

Well, I cannnot say much myself. Even I was utter helpless when faced with Anos' power. A high silver core conjurer being unable to even breath in the aura of a thirteen-year-old; who would even believe that?

I sighed in frustration—I forgot to ask him what he meant he said he didn't have a mana core. What more was there to him? If I asked, would he tell me?