A short while later.
Yujin and the Headmistress were alone in the Headmistress’s office after wrapping up Yujin’s introduction session.
Well, strictly speaking, they weren’t entirely alone… but in any case.
In the relatively private setting, the Headmistress was the first to speak.
“So you’ve accepted in the end.”
“Well, after giving a speech like that in front of everyone, it’d be awkward to turn down the opportunity to teach.”
At the Headmistress’s words, Yujin shrugged as he responded.
Indeed, Yujin had ultimately accepted Professor Reina’s proposal for joint lectures.
There was no way around it. After delivering such a grandiose speech at the introduction, wouldn’t it seem strange to turn down the chance to actually teach?
“Well, in a way, it’s not so bad. Spending time quietly in her presence might even help dispel Professor Sahart’s misunderstandings bit by bit. Although… I can’t believe things turned out this way.”
“Weren’t you the one who caused those misunderstandings in the first place?”
The headmistress who could not hold back blurted out the words. She forgot the taboo of showing disrespect to a dragon for a moment and gave Yujin a look of disbelief. Yujin, however, replied with complete confidence.
“No, that’s not true. Technically, Professor Sahart started it.”
“……”
“She’s the one who first suspected me of being a dark mage, isn’t she? All I did was play a small, harmless prank about it. She’s the one who took it seriously.”
The Headmistress was speechless at his shameless response. What nerve…. who was the one who fanned the flames when the suspicions were already dying down and turned them into certainties?
As expected, Yujin who sensed her gaze looked away slightly and added,
“Of course, after clearing up the misunderstanding, I’ll make sure to apologize properly.”
So, you knew you were in the wrong all along!
The Headmistress swallowed her retort and sighed deeply to herself. Then, she asked.
“So… how do you plan to proceed with the joint lectures?”
“Well, since this is my first time officially taking on a teaching role, I plan to observe and learn from Professor Sahart’s lectures first. At the start, I’ll probably be more of an assistant than a co-lecturer. Honestly, it seems like the easier way to ease into things, so that’s part of why I agreed.”
“And in the meantime?”
“Even then, I doubt Professor Sahart will leave me alone. Most likely, she’ll stick close under the pretense of being my co-lecturer, but really to keep a watchful eye on me. Well, there’s nothing I can do about that. It’s my fault, so I’ll just have to accept the surveillance.”
“I see…”
The Headmistress felt an odd sense of unease.
Because of her strict and sharp demeanor, Professor Reina wasn’t the easiest person to approach, but she was still quite popular with men thanks to her beauty. Among the younger male professors, there were even some who secretly harbored feelings for her.
However, Reina showed no interest whatsoever in men. She had never engaged in any interactions that hinted at romantic interest. She was like a solitary, untouchable flower. And yet, now she was suddenly spending time with a man…
And of all people, it’s Yujin…
It was an odd feeling. Not particularly pleasant. If anything, it felt strangely unsettling, perhaps even vaguely irritating.
“…Should I step in and have a word with Professor Reina, if necessary?”
The Headmistress said this almost absentmindedly. It wasn’t something she had meant to say, but neither did she regret saying it. After all, she could have helped clear up the misunderstanding about Yujin in her own way.
However, Yujin shook his head.
“It’s fine. It’s my issue, so I’ll handle it. If I really feel like I can’t manage, I’ll ask for help then.”
“…Understood.”
“Well, lectures start tomorrow. It’ll be fun.”
At his words, the Headmistress made a strange expression. Fun, he said.
“…Somehow, I feel like someone out there might be incredibly nervous about it right now.”
As it turned out, that someone wasn’t likely to find it very fun at all.
***
Meanwhile, in a place that looked like a scientist’s laboratory.
The room was filled with numerous flasks, mysterious potions, magical tools, and objects made of mana. Things that resembled modern-day holograms scattered throughout the space. Sitting there with a slightly tense expression on her face was Professor Reina Sahart.
“……”
She looked as if she were on edge. Her expression was somewhat grim, as though preparing herself for something.
It was then.
Clack.
“Here, drink this.”
“…Thanks, Linne.”
A mug of coffee was placed in front of her. Reina’s stiff expression relaxed slightly as she accepted it.
Sip.
After taking a sip of the coffee, she glanced to the side.
There stood Linne Eneria, the alchemy professor at Labyrinth Academy and one of Reina’s longtime friends. Linne was leaning casually against the desk, holding a mug identical to the one she’d handed Reina.
Linne took a sip from her cup as well.
Sip.
“Haa…”
Linne was no less beautiful than Reina. Just that single scene was enough to look like a painting.
Her subdued blue eyes and ash-gray hair gave her an oddly hollow look, but even that was transformed into a mysterious, decadent charm that added to her allure.
On top of that, her gentle voice and languid expression carried a subtle yet captivating quality to it. She was capable of melting even a man’s heart.
This was likely why, among the male professors, she and Reina were considered the two noble flowers of the academy, though it was possible Linne’s popularity exceeded Reina’s in reality.
She finally opened her mouth to speak.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had time to relax like this.”
“…Mhmm, it really has.”
When Linne said that, Reina nodded her head in agreement. Linne continued speaking.
“How’s the coffee?”
“It’s good. Your coffee’s as great as ever. Is it because you’re an alchemy professor?”
“Is that so? I’m glad you like it.”
As they exchanged this idle conversation, Reina’s expression gradually softened. Talking with her friend seemed to bring her a sense of comfort in its own way.
While the two women were engrossed in their friendly, lighthearted conversation, Linne suddenly brought something up.
“By the way, I was a bit surprised.”
“About what?”
“The new professor who just joined. Han Yujin.”
“!”
At that, Reina’s expression hardened. Linne noticed the reaction and went on.
“Not about him as a person, but I never expected to hear you suggest co-teaching a class with him during that Q&A session. I guess, as a mage, you’re interested in space-time magic?”
“…That’s…”
Reina hesitated for a moment at the question, then turned the question back to Linne.
“…What about you? What do you think? He’s a professor who’s established a foundation in space-time magic.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m not interested. The speech he gave during his introduction was interesting, after all. Honestly, I’d like to attend one of his lectures myself, but… as you know, we’re both swamped with work.”
“…That’s true.”
“Still, aside from curiosity… I get the sense that he’s someone impossible to figure out. His speech was compelling, but I can’t tell if it was genuine or not. Of course, it’s not like I have the power to read minds, so I can’t say for sure.”
When Linne said that, Reina spoke up without meaning to.
“…It wasn’t genuine.”
“……”
At those words, Linne subtly turned her head and looked down at Reina who was sitting quietly. She asked,
“Do you have a reason for thinking that?”
“……”
“I’m not a fool, Reina.”
After saying this, Linne placed her coffee cup on the desk and spoke directly to Reina.
“When you said you wanted to co-teach a class with Professor Han, and even when his name comes up… you seem oddly determined. Or maybe tense. As if Professor Han is an extremely dangerous person…”
“……”
“Reina, are you hiding something?”
When Linne asked that, Reina remained silent for a moment.
Should I tell her? That Han Yujin is a dark mage, plotting a sinister scheme through the princess?
And that he revealed this to me, almost as if he were enjoying the situation while treating it like some kind of game?
Reina knew. Han Yujin could have killed her that day if he wanted to.
He simply had no reason to and nothing to gain from doing so.
Instead, he seemed to relish the situation, going so far as to suggest a game to her. A challenge to overturn everything, expose his identity, and reveal the truth to everyone.
But how?
Right now, there wasn’t a single piece of evidence proving that he was a dark mage. Even if she brought up the seal he placed on the princess, there was no way to verify her claims.
If she recklessly told Linne the truth under such circumstances, would Linne even believe her? And even if she did, could Reina guarantee Linne’s safety? If that man wanted to, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill Linne just for amusement.
He was the kind of man who, despite having the perfect opportunity to carry out his plan without resistance, revealed his identity to Reina for no reason other than an absurd desire for “excitement”, adding unnecessary complications to the situation.
How could she be sure that such a man wouldn’t decide to kill Linne on a whim?
As these thoughts consumed her…
Thud.
“Reina.”
“!”
Linne placed a hand on Reina’s shoulder. She spoke in a gentle voice and said,
“I’ve told you before, haven’t I? You don’t have to carry everything on your own. Just tell me whenever you need to.”
“…Linne.”
Hearing those words, Reina faltered. Then she opened her mouth to speak.
“…Actually.”
In the end, Reina revealed everything.
She started from the beginning, explaining how she had investigated the sudden appearance of the man named Yujin in the labyrinth, which had led to suspicions of him being a dark mage.
She described the lecture hosted by the Mages Association, the offer to recruit Yujin, the events that occurred with the princess shortly after his arrival at the Academy, and how she had initially believed it was all a misunderstanding, only to later discover the shocking truth.
After hearing everything, Linne stayed silent with her lips tightly shut.
But that silence didn’t last long.
“…I see.”
Linne finally spoke, then patted Reina’s shoulder and said,
“That must have been hard for you.”
“…You believe me?”
Reina thought it was unbelievable even as she said it out loud. Yujin had been in a position to easily succeed in his plan by staying quiet, but he had chosen to reveal his identity and even explain his entire scheme to her. All for the sake of something as absurd as “excitement”.
Rationally speaking, it was a ridiculous story. If their roles had been reversed, even Reina doubted she would have believed it herself.
“If I don’t believe you, who else would I believe? You’re not the type to make things up.”
“Linne…”
“Still… if what you’re saying is true, it might really be dangerous. The fact that he sealed the demonic power in the princess’s body… I have no idea how that could even be possible, but dark magic often deals with souls and life forces in ways that ordinary magic doesn’t. So maybe it’s not as strange as it sounds.”
Linne’s voice grew calm and composed as she began assessing the situation. To Reina, that composure made Linne seem incredibly reliable.
“For now, I’ll start looking into Professor Yujin myself. Alchemy has its own methods, so I might be able to find clues in areas your investigation didn’t cover. Maybe… we can even uncover something in the seal placed on the princess.”
“…I’ll bring that up with the Headmistress. Since Her Highness the Princess hasn’t been fully healed, I might be able to request a meeting with her under the guise of assessing her condition.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Could I leave that to you?”
“You’re already helping me, so there’s no need to ask for favors. Besides…”
Reina hesitated for a moment before tightly gripping Linne’s hand and speaking.
“Be careful not to let that man find out. He’s unpredictable, and if he realizes you know about this, there’s no telling what he might do.”
“…Alright.”
Linne nodded as she saw the expression on Reina’s face. Reina looked at her for a moment, then lowered her head deeply and spoke.
“…And, thank you so much, Linne.”
“…It’s nothing. That’s what friends are for.”
Linne gently patted Reina on the back. It took some time for her to comfort Reina, but eventually, Reina pulled herself away from her.
“…I should get going now. It seems like I’m going to be busy again for a while.”
“Alright. If you need anything, just reach out to me anytime.”
“Okay. See you later, Linne.”
With those words, Reina left Linne’s research lab. Linne stood there for a moment while quietly watching the door Reina had exited through.
“……”
After standing still for a while, she finally muttered softly to herself.
“…That’s strange.”
Her low, subdued voice seemed to reflect her genuine puzzlement.
“A dark mage, huh… Hmm.”
After a brief pause, she began walking toward something.
It was her desk.
“I haven’t heard anything about someone being dispatched here… I’d better check it out.”
She kept her calm expression and reached under the desk to pick up a crystal ball.
***
TN: Reina is totally lost lol
Leave a Reply