Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 225
Chapter Title: Waiting for the School Year to Start (3)
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Vashuka, the capital.
The Jerome family was one of the most influential families in the kingdom, having produced excellent educators for generations.
The old joke about who was higher than the king—the king’s teacher—was not far from the truth.
The disciples they had nurtured were numerous enough to run an entire nation.
Upon arriving at the Jerome family’s main residence, Alpheas was guided by a butler down a corridor built in an ancient style.
Though he had known her for thirty years, this was the first time he had ever visited her room.
When the butler opened the door, a magnificent scene greeted him.
The floor was so clean it reflected his face, and shelves divided into three tiers along the walls were filled with all sorts of antiques.
To the north lay a tiger-skin rug large enough for ten people to lie on, and knowing her aversion to fakes, it had to be real. However, he doubted a tiger that large even existed.
The woman was sitting on a sofa atop the tiger-skin rug. She was in her fifties but looked young enough to pass for her thirties.
She was still beautiful, but in her youth, she had been truly stunning. So prim and proper was she that men couldn't even bring themselves to speak to her.
“If you’re here, close the door and sit. What are you gawking at? You’re as foolish as ever.”
Alpheas couldn't suppress a smile.
Her condescending nature toward all men hadn't changed. Her voice, as clear as a nightingale’s, was also the same, making him feel as if he had traveled back in time.
“Well, it’s just fascinating. I wondered what kind of place you lived in, and it seems you’ve recreated your personality in it.”
“Barging into someone’s home unannounced and spouting such nonsense. How would a country bumpkin like you know the value of my things?”
The rug was undoubtedly of the highest quality. So, Alpheas, still wearing his shoes, firmly trod upon it.
It was a bit of bravado from the man who had once made the proudest woman in the world cling to him, begging.
She didn't scold him. But contrary to his expectations, her expression was one of sheer bewilderment.
“What are you doing? Ah, forget it. Just get to the point.”
Alpheas’s lips curled into a playful smirk. She was the same now as she was thirty years ago.
Olivia Jerome.
A Grade 2 Certified Archmage and the current auditor of the Teachers' Association. Furthermore, four years ago, she had served as the headmaster of the Royal Magic Academy.
“Is there a point to get to? You didn't respond, so I came in person.”
“What do you want me to do about it? You got your teaching license suspended for causing trouble, so why are you asking me to clean up your mess? Headmaster of a rural magic academy? A temporary six-month position at that?”
“It’s not set in stone. You can stay longer if you want.”
“But why? For what reason should I leave this fine house and go down to the countryside?”
“We’re growing old together. It would be nice to leisurely drink tea.”
Olivia’s anger was cold and sharp. It made her look even more like her younger self.
“Aren’t you misunderstanding something? My affection for you was thirty years ago. Besides, you haven’t forgotten how you treated me, have you? Most importantly, you’re not handsome anymore.”
“Haha! So it has come to that. But you are still as beautiful as ever.”
Olivia ground her teeth. This was why she hated men. Like children, they acted as if they owned you just because you gave them your heart once.
The sight of him smiling so shamelessly, a jobless man who had even been stripped of his headmaster position with nothing to his name, was infuriating.
“What gives you the right to be so confident? I am a Grade 2 Certified Archmage who served as the headmaster of the Royal Magic Academy. You’re a Grade 4 mage and the headmaster of a rural school. I’ve earned more money and received more respect. So what gives you, the one here to ask for a favor, the right to be so brazen?”
“Hmm, let’s see. Is it because you like me?”
“You… crazy… bastard.”
Olivia’s face flushed. To say such cringe-worthy things at his age. Had he gone wild in his old age? He was spouting words he never would have uttered in the past.
“I’ll be honest. I was afraid you’d be sad if I came to you after all this time and acted pathetic.”
“Oh, not at all. I’ve imagined you coming to me and kneeling countless times.”
Alpheas smiled bitterly. Indeed, looking back, her wounds were likely deeper than his.
“Alright. If you insist, I’ll ask you plainly. Should I kneel right here?”
Olivia responded with a snort. What good would kneeling do now?
“What have you been up to these days? After losing your job. Did you really go wild in your old age?”
“Oh, you know. Reading books, taking walks. Talking about this and that with Erina.”
For the first time, a flicker of shock crossed Olivia’s eyes.
Alpheas’s first and last love. Erina still lived in his heart.
*He still hasn’t forgotten her. The world’s biggest fool.*
After losing his wife, Alpheas had wandered for ten years before returning with the dream of becoming a teacher, enrolling as a student under the younger Olivia. As he was the genius who had established the photon theory, Olivia had taught him with affection.
Affection. That was the problem. She never should have taken him as a student—a man older, more talented, and above all, handsome.
Unable to contain her growing love, Olivia eventually confessed her feelings to Alpheas.
But Alpheas, unable to forget his wife, rejected her flatly, and from that day on, her life changed completely. She had spent more than a few nights crying over her crushed pride.
What truly angered her was the pathetic feeling of losing the man she loved to a woman who was no longer in this world.
The burning love of her twenties had been blind. It eventually led her to commit the act of defacing Erina's portrait right in front of Alpheas.
For the first time, Olivia felt Alpheas’s killing intent. She clung to his legs and begged, but from that day on, Alpheas refused to even treat her like a human being.
It would have been better if it had stopped there. But the Olivia of that time was too desperate, too passionate. She didn't have the courage to give up on her first love.
But she shouldn’t have. Going to Alpheas's room that night was the mistake of a lifetime.
“Don’t misunderstand, Alpheas. I didn't marry because of you. It's simply because the creature known as 'man' is a nuisance.”
“Is that why you collect strange objects? Olivia, there is no human who does not desire love.”
“It’s a base emotion. My pursuit of you back then was a matter of pride. Because you were so enthralled by a dead woman you didn’t even give me a second glance.”
“Suddenly… I’m reminded of that night.”
Olivia’s face turned pale.
“You came to my room, took off your clothes, and…”
“Stop!”
Olivia held out her hand and shouted. It had been thirty years, but it was as vivid as yesterday. The first and last time she had shown her naked body to a man.
At the time, she had wanted to win Alpheas’s heart, even if it meant doing that. But he wouldn't even grant her request to hold her just once.
*You bastard…*
Even now, the memory was so sorrowful it brought tears to her eyes.
To speak of the most shameful moment of her life as if it were something to be proud of. Why must it always be the woman who suffers?
*I can't forgive him. I’ll make him regret this.*
Having failed to gain the upper hand, Olivia decided to get to the point and picked up a file folder from the sofa.
“Fine. Let’s have a look.”
The documents contained information about Alpheas Magic Academy.
“Alpheas Magic Academy. Ranked fourth among the five great magic academies. Eleventh among all special-purpose schools. You’ve raised it quite a bit for an idiot. It was a pathetic sight when it first opened.”
“I was lucky. I had good students.”
Olivia wanted to smack the smug Alpheas on the head, just as she had when he was her student.
“I heard about it. You have a student named Shirone, right?”
“You’ve done your research. Were you planning to accept from the start?”
“You can think what you want. What I’m curious about is why it only shot up in the beginning. Looking at its performance over the last ten years, it’s barely clinging to its spot in the five great academies.”
“I did my best to provide the students with a good learning environment. Isn’t that enough? The school’s ranking isn’t important.”
“Haha! Still so old-fashioned.”
Olivia uncrossed her legs and leaned forward.
“Alright. Six months. I’ll take the job. I’ll make it far more prestigious than it is now.”
“Oh? That sounds ominous. But I’d be grateful if you did.”
“But there’s a condition.”
Alpheas raised an eyebrow and smiled. He hadn't expected her to grant his request without something in return.
“I have some students I taught when I was headmaster of the Royal Magic Academy. Transfer them to your school. Here are their profiles.”
Alpheas took the profiles before answering.
They were two boys and a girl, all seventeen, with outstanding records even at the Royal Magic Academy, the most prestigious school in the kingdom.
He flipped through the three profiles one by one, and on the last page, his eyes widened.
“Dante? Is this the Dante I know?”
Olivia covered her mouth and laughed.
“Hoho! A student too good for your school, I know. But now I’m the headmaster, so…”
Alpheas just blinked like a fool. He hadn't expected the great Olivia to go all-in like this.
Olivia pointed at Alpheas and declared.
“Transfer Airhein Dante and two others. That is my condition.”
***
Five mages sprinted through the rugged mountain terrain.
They were a young party, their ages ranging from early to mid-twenties, all certified professionals in their respective fields.
Their target was the hideout of bandits who had settled in the mountain range near the capital, a force not to be underestimated with a Rank B bounty on their heads.
Annihilating the bandit group would bring them fame and fortune, but their reason for climbing the mountain today was different from usual.
“Why is it so quiet? Are they already dead? They might be brats, but they’re still just kids.”
“Hmph! Who cares? It’s not like we killed them. You were there too. You saw how those bastards looked down on us. Just because they’re from the Royal Magic Academy, they think they’re all that?”
“Exactly. No matter how immature they are, disrespecting active, certified mages… Kids these days are too arrogant. They need to be taught a harsh lesson to learn their place.”
When they finally reached the hideout, it was dead silent.
Puzzled, they opened the door and were met with an astonishing sight. All forty of the B-rank bandits were spread out on the floor.
The students, sitting at a round table, greeted them.
“Oh? You’re late. We’ve been waiting for a while.”
The mercenaries were speechless. They had only started ten minutes after them. Annihilating a B-rank bandit group in that time was impossible for students.
“You… what in the world are you?”
“Why so serious over something so trivial? How embarrassing for adults. Keke!”
A boy, unusually tall and muscular for a mage, burst out laughing.
He was Bonifard Closer, a student at the Royal Magic Academy.
He had bronze skin, a sharp face, and dark brown hair slicked back, standing up like a hedgehog's quills.
“Hahaha! Just a few days ago, you were all talk. Did you get scared and show up late on purpose?”
A cat-like girl, Victor Savina, sneered at the mercenaries with a mocking smile. She was short for her age, but well-developed, with a waist so slender it looked as if it had been cinched with a rope.
The mercenaries gritted their teeth. Losing to students was a humiliation for active mages. More importantly, if the truth got out, they could be kicked out of the mercenary business.
“I think it’s about time you admitted it, don’t you? We won, right?”
Airhein Dante, the instigator of this whole affair, spoke. He was a handsome young man with gray hair reminiscent of storm clouds and a look that was both fierce and intelligent.
The mercenaries lowered their heads. For an active mage, reputation and achievements were everything. What client would pay to hire a mage who had lost to students?