After he accepted the proposal, Yujin first returned to the inn.
Then, in the room Mary had temporarily lent him, he organized the traces of his stay so far and recalled what had happened earlier.
“She was bolder than I expected.”
Yujin thought of Ines, the Headmistress of the Academy. It was what happened when he accepted her offer and shook her hand.
– All right. In that case, I accept the offer for a professor position at the Academy.”
– ……
Woooooong.
She moved her own mana as though trying to probe his own. Worried that she might discover he was a dragon, he erased and concealed all traces of his mana.
He still remembered her reaction clearly. She tried to hide her surprise as quickly as she could, but her eyes grew as large as lanterns, and her pupils quivered uncontrollably.
Of course, she would have been flustered if she couldn’t sense any mana coming from someone who was supposedly a mage. She had tried to gauge the level of the prospective professor, only to find out that he was not even a mage? So it was natural she was thrown off.
– Is something wrong?
So he had smiled shamelessly and pretended not to notice. If she had pressed him about being a mage without mana, he even planned to lie that he had exhausted all his mana using time magic.
– Ah, no… it’s nothing.
Yet, for some reason, she let it pass. It was quite strange.
– …Anyway… you’ve made a good decision. Then, shall we head to the Academy now? There’s a faculty dormitory available.
– Ah, well, I already have a place at an inn I’ve been staying at, so I need to tidy things up there first. I should also say goodbye to the innkeeper.
– …Is that so? In that case, I’ll give you a communication crystal. Contact me once you’ve finished.
After saying this, Headmistress Ines handed Yujin a crystal which he was fiddling with now.
I never thought I’d become a professor in another world…
Yujin felt a rather strange sentiment. If he had to classify it, it might have been a form of anticipation.
He had once taught or lectured newly awakened mages back on Earth as well, and recalling that now, he found himself smiling.
It was quite fun.
It had been nothing special. He had either been teaching newcomers on behalf of his guild, or he had been summoned by the Awakener Association to guide those just awakened to magic; he did things of that nature. Strictly speaking, he had served as a temporary instructor.
He had listened to the endless whining of hatchlings, reassured those terrified by life-and-death struggles… It was practically babysitting, and the pay wasn’t good, so most Awakeners avoided instructor roles. Still, Yujin preferred that to constantly hunting monsters in Gates for a living.
After all, wasn’t it obvious? Teaching and guiding someone so they could survive a harsh world felt far more rewarding than leading a bottom-rung life akin to a mercenary who did nothing but chase money while killing monsters.
Yujin’s interest in becoming a professor largely stemmed from that disposition.
Fulfillment.
It was admittedly a small sort of self-satisfaction, but compared to working purely for money, it felt like a more admirable path.
Yujin wanted to live doing something that satisfied him.
Tiamat had seen right through that desire, which was why she nudged him in that direction.
She hadn’t openly shown it, wary that he might feel burdened given his personality, but she was deeply grateful that he had freed her from the tomb and willingly accepted their contract.
Because of that, she wished for Yujin to live as he wanted and be happy.
With that thought in mind, Tiamat smiled gently at Yujin and asked,
[Are you looking forward to it?]
“Looking forward to it… I guess so.”
Yujin smiled as he answered. Then he spoke.
“Thank you, Lady Tiamat.”
[Hmm?]
“For your thoughtfulness. In truth, you must want to free the dragons immediately.”
Tiamat had spent countless years trapped in that tomb, waiting for someone to come find her, hoping for the liberation of the kin she once led.
It proved how strong her attachment to her own kind was. She had said it didn’t matter because they might sleep for another thousand years, but in reality, she surely wanted to free them as soon as possible.
“Yet even though I got caught up in my own interests, you still took my situation into consideration.”
[………]
“That’s why I’m saying this. Thank you.”
At Yujin’s words, Tiamat looked briefly surprised before smiling warmly.
[Yujin, I saw hope because of you.]
“..……”
[Because of you, I was able to escape the prison that had held me for so long. And I gained hope that I could free my kin. So rather, I should be thanking you. And more than that…]
Tiamat stepped closer to Yujin and softly cupped both his cheeks with her hands.
Strangely enough, he felt a warmth from her, even though she shouldn’t have had a physical form.
[You are my child, aren’t you?]
“………”
[My companion, bound to me by our souls, and the precious kin I created by offering my own heart. So…]
She smiled faintly as she continued.
[It’s all right for you to act a bit spoiled. And I’d like it even more if you trusted and leaned on me.]
“………”
Yujin closed his mouth for a moment and fell silent. Her infinitely deep and broad maternal love shook his heart.
He felt a familial warmth that he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
“…Lady Tiamat.”
[Let’s drop the ‘Lady’. I’ve already revealed so much of myself that continuing to call me that feels like you’re drawing a line; it hurts my feelings.]
“Haha… is that so?”
He gave a sheepish laugh and asked,
“Then what should I call you?”
[What do you want to call me, Yujin? If I had it my way, I’d like you to use a special title just for me.]
“…Mother?”
[All the other children are always calling me that. I’m practically the matriarch of every dragon, after all.]
When Yujin jokingly suggested it, Tiamat answered more earnestly than expected. Since all other dragons called her that, it wouldn’t be special. Then…
“…Tia?”
[M-Mhmml?]
“How about Tia? I shortened it like a nickname.”
Yujin asked with a smile, and Tiamat mumbled absentmindedly for a moment.
[Tia… Tia…]
Tiamat repeated the word as though she was savoring it, then turned to Yujin and smiled.
[Mhmm, that’s nice. I like it.]
“In that case, I’ll call you that from now on, Tia.”
Yujin also smiled in response to Tiamat’s words. Then he continued.
“In that case, now that we’ve settled on a title, how about I share one of my secrets?”
[Hmm?]
In an attempt to change the mood, Yujin spoke to Tiamat.
“Tia, the truth is… I came from another world.”
***
Yujin told Tiamat about Earth, the world he had come from, and how he ended up in this place.
He hadn’t planned to hide it forever, but he hadn’t found the right moment to bring it up. Besides, he’d worried that she might be shocked to learn that this world existed as a form of entertainment in another world, so he had kept his thoughts well concealed until now.
[I see.]
Tiamat showed surprisingly little sign of being flustered. She spoke.
[I had a feeling that might be the case. The knowledge you possess and the way you’ve acted so far… You never really seemed like someone who belonged to this world.]
Of course, Yujin hadn’t gone out of his way to hide himself too much. Still, he hadn’t expected her to remain so calm about it.
[But… hmm, a game, you say. You learned about this world through a game and then crossed over? How interesting. Perhaps some god was involved?]
“Is it possible for a god to do something like that?”
[It’s not entirely impossible. Just like how elves have the spirit realm connected through the World Tree they revere, if one can perceive another world, then a Transcendent can interfere with it.]
“…I see.”
That meant it might be possible for Yujin to return to Earth as well. Though he wasn’t sure if he actually needed to.
[Yujin, you once mentioned thinking there might be other people from Earth who could also cross over here, didn’t you?]
“Yes, that’s right.”
[You should really believe that could happen. If it’s possible, then there’s no reason to think you’d be the only one.]
“If my coming here was indeed someone’s intention, I agree.”
[I suspect the gods might have done it, but… I can’t figure out why. We might need to be on our guard.]
Mumbling this, Tiamat then clapped her hands and turned to Yujin.
[Someday, try using the Prophetic Dragon Word. Unless an existence higher than you interfere with the future, you should be able to predict most things accurately.]
“Really?”
[A dragon’s power is closer to omnipotence than any other. That’s why there was always so much wariness about it.]
Tiamat muttered bitterly, then spoke again.
[Anyway, if you’ve finished tidying up, let’s be on our way. Rather than worrying vaguely about the future, isn’t it a hundred times better to do what you can and prepare?]
“That makes perfect sense.”
Yujin agreed and nodded his head.
Since he had already finished packing, he headed down to the first floor of the inn.
“My goodness, you’re leaving already? That’s too bad.”
Mary, to whom he had grown attached while staying there, greeted him. She had also learned that Yujin would be taking a professor position at the Academy.
“Thank you for all you’ve done for me, Aunt Mary.”
“Oh, come on now. If anything, I took far too much from you.”
Mary recalled the room fees Yujin had been paying all this time. Seeing he had far more money than she’d expected, she waved her hand with an exasperated expression.
“In any case, do well over there. And if you ever get hungry, come on back.”
“Of course. I’ll always remember the food here.”
Yujin bowed his head in sincere gratitude and began to walk away.
“Take care! Come by often!”
He waved back with a smile at Mary, who was giving her final farewell and waving at him. Then he looked off into the distance at the Academy.
Right beside the Labyrinth rose buildings so vast they felt more like a city.
Staring at them, Yujin took a step forward.
Flash!
And then, he vanished from that spot.
***
Meanwhile, after scouting Yujin, Ines and Reina used spatial teleportation to return to the Academy immediately.
The two were facing each other in the Headmistress’s office as soon as they returned to the Academy.
Ines was the first to speak.
“…He accepted it more readily than I expected.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The two recalled Yujin, the man who had accepted their offer of becoming a professor not long ago.
He was known to the world as the only mage to have established the principles of space-time magic, and he had accepted the Academy’s offer far more easily than they had expected.
“…Still, it feels a bit suspicious.”
Ines pondered as she thought of him.
Of course, a professor at the Academy was an immensely prestigious position, not to mention the high salary, excellent benefits, and exceptional treatment it offered. Most people would accept it without hesitation. However, those capable enough to become professors at the Academy often had other tendencies.
Some were more ambitious, driven to prove themselves, or entirely uninterested in such positions.
And the more capable they were, the stronger these tendencies seemed to become. Yet Yujin was different.
By defining space-time magic, Yujin had already proven there were few in the Academy who could rival his abilities. Even so, after verifying just a few details, he had readily accepted the offer.
The details he had checked were minimal. Like whether he would be teaching space-time magic and if he’d have time to explore the Labyrinth. He had shown no interest in salary, benefits, or working conditions.
The only advantage he seemed to care about was being able to keep at bay those who showed interest in him. But even that was questionable. Someone of his power wouldn’t need to affiliate with an institution; he could establish his own school of magic and gather followers on his own. Anyone hoping to recruit him would naturally back off in such a case.
Most of all, from the very beginning, Yujin had seemed genuinely drawn by the idea of being a professor. While he had paused in brief contemplation after hearing the offer and verified a few details, as mentioned earlier, even that could have been an act.
If he truly was a dark mage, that is.
“More than anything, I couldn’t read his intentions at all. He never opened his eyes, always wore that smile, and spoke with nothing but politeness and calm. While his statements during the lecture seemed to reflect strong convictions, meeting him in person made it impossible to discern anything.”
She recalled Yujin’s demeanor. The way he had publicly clashed with the Mage’s Association during his lecture and toyed with the Association’s Head.
At the time, it had seemed like a bold expression of his belief in exposing the corruption of the Mage’s Association. But now that she had met him, she wasn’t even sure if such convictions existed.
His constantly closed eyes, constant smile, and even-toned, calm voice.
Confronted with all of this in person, he came across as someone who took nothing seriously. A man who seemed to mock everything around him.
“Did you sense any dark magic from him?”
At the question, Ines frowned, her expression resembling someone faced with an incomprehensible riddle.
“I didn’t feel anything. Not even mana.”
“What?”
“I couldn’t sense a single thing… Someone like me couldn’t feel anything from a mage of that level.”
She recalled the events of that time.
– Is something wrong?
The face that smiled without the slightest tremor, as if mocking her attempt to probe him.
– Ah, no… it’s nothing.
And then, her own pitiful self as she unconsciously backed down before him.
She bit her lip lightly, and Reina’s expression turned grave in response.
“That can’t be… For someone like you, Headmistress, to fail to sense his presence… does that mean there’s an unfathomable gap between you two?”
“I don’t want to believe it, but… that’s what I suspect.”
A mage capable of completely concealing their presence, even under the examination of someone as powerful as Ines. She suspected he was a mage of that caliber.
“That’s absurd. Are you saying that man is essentially on par with a transcendent being?”
Though that was the correct answer, Reina couldn’t bring herself to accept it. Ines continued.
“I don’t believe he’s truly a Transcendent either. It’s possible he used something like an artifact from the labyrinth to hide his presence. After all, dark mages have been known to use dragon relics to conceal their magical power and pretend to be ordinary mages. But… the issue is, I couldn’t sense any trace of an artifact’s energy either.”
“………”
“I don’t know… I really don’t.”
Seeing Ines so troubled, Reina couldn’t help but voice a question.
“…Do you really intend to bring such a person into the academy?”
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. More importantly, we don’t even fully understand his power yet. In that case, it’s better to keep him where we can watch him and gather information.”
“But the students could be in danger.”
“I will make sure that never happens. Even if it costs me my life, I will stop him. So, don’t worry too much.”
Ines spoke with a faint smile. Reina, however, maintained a serious expression.
“Besides, he may not even be a dark mage. Perhaps all of this is just our misunderstanding, and he accepted the professor position out of a genuine desire to teach and guide others.”
“…I hope so.”
Though they had practically reached the truth, both of them chose to regard it as mere wishful thinking.
At that moment—
Wooong!
“”!””
The crystal ball they had handed to Yujin, paired with its twin, began emitting light. Reina and Ines exchanged tense glances before Ines picked it up.
“…It’s me. Are you ready?”
In response, a man’s relaxed voice soon came through the orb.
[Ah, Headmistress. Actually, I’m already at the academy.]
“…What?”
Already? So soon? Did he use teleportation?
However, the area surrounding the academy was protected against intrusions by artifacts obtained from the labyrinth, which distorted spatial coordinates. Without detailed knowledge of these twisted coordinates, such as the Headmistress Ines had, teleportation was impossible.
But if not teleportation, how could he have arrived so quickly?
[The academy is certainly vast. I’m starting to wonder if I might get lost. Perhaps I might end up at… the student dormitories, for example?]
While the two women were still reeling in confusion, Yujin continued speaking with a light chuckle.
[So, would you mind coming to meet me before I take a wrong turn?]
At those words, both women froze at the same time.
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