‘What in the world is this?’
Professor Amillion was genuinely deep in thought, pondering this mystery.
Huuuuuung—
“Is this the feeling?”
“…Yep.”
After a decade of teaching at the Academy, Amillion had thought they’d seen it all. That was, until Ryu entered Crescent Academy.
Since Ryu’s enrollment, the professor had experienced more crazy and unbelievable events in a short span of time than they had in the previous decade.
It all started with the unprecedented event of a commoner topping the entrance exams. Then came the bizarre incident of an external force intervening in one of Crescent Empire Academy’s internal events. And amidst all of that chaos, the undead showed up—not just any undead, but ones so strong they sent the Academy’s professors into a panic.
The most shocking part? Ryu single-handedly took care of the undead that even third-year students struggled against. And as if that wasn’t enough, Ryu also became the first-ever first-year student to claim the top rank in Academy history, a feat that had never been achieved before.
And now… Ryu was surprising Amillion yet again.
Just a while ago, Ryu couldn’t even manage a simple protection spell properly. Fast forward a few days, and the boy was completely different.
Somehow—Amillion had no idea how—Ryu had mastered control over his magic. Not just any magic, but wind magic—the uncool, non-mainstream type that wasn’t as flashy as fire or ice. Yet Ryu wielded it like a pro, moving wind currents with the ease of someone who had been trained for years.
‘Does this even make any sense?’
As a wizard before being a professor, Amillion struggled to believe what they were witnessing. Sure, they had been surprised when Cain, another S-class student, suddenly improved his skills. But compared to Ryu, Cain’s progress felt like moving from basic arithmetic to algebra. Meanwhile, Ryu’s advancement… well, it felt like jumping straight from counting numbers to algebra.
‘Or maybe beyond algebra…’
Amillion watched as Ryu effortlessly controlled multiple winds at once. Even though it was happening right before their eyes, it was hard to believe.
If Ryu couldn’t handle simple math problems before, how was he now juggling such complex magical manipulations?
‘Was it all an act?’
“Mwahaha.”
Even though faking all of that earlier would’ve been hilariously impossible given Ryu’s obvious struggles with the basics, Amillion couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.
Shaking his head, they redirected their attention to the rest of the class. Among them, Cain stood out—not in a good way. He sat stiffly, clearly preoccupied and not even attempting to gather mana. This wasn’t the confident student they had seen just a few days ago.
The lack of focus wasn’t limited to Cain. Cynthia, who had been acting strangely since the inter-class tournament, also caught Amillion’s eye. She initially seemed engaged but then zoned out, sitting silently with a serious expression.
At this age, students were unpredictable, but every day brought something new. Perhaps it was time for a little team-building activity to re-energize the class.
Time heals all wounds—or at least that’s what they say.
After the tension from the inter-class tournament, Cynthia’s relationship with her friends gradually returned to normal. Initially, she had been moody and uncommunicative, but one day, she suddenly snapped out of it and approached Elaine and Emily.
It wasn’t anything major. She just wanted to apologize for not performing well during the tournament and promised to step up next time.
Despite how unnecessary the apology felt, the others accepted it with open arms.
Now, Cynthia seemed more energetic and confident than ever. What they had initially mistaken for weak mental fortitude was simply a longer-than-expected adjustment period.
With Cynthia back in high spirits, the four of them naturally reconnected. Their interactions became livelier, and the group dynamic improved significantly. Definitely a positive change.
“Miss Cynthia hasn’t visited our house recently, so maybe this time we should…”
“Nope. Stay away from the St. Claire family for now.”
“Father would love to meet you, Ryu-sama. He says he’ll teach you a proper lesson the next time you meet…”
“Hmm? He mentioned teaching me a proper lesson?”
“Yep. He insists you must come.”
“I’ll think about it, but I doubt I’ll have time anytime soon.”
While Elaine’s father clearly had intentions, Ryu simply lacked the leisure to comply with them right now.
Recently, things had been keeping him busy.
First things first, he needed to practice his magic.
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine uttering the words “magic practice,” but there he was—training every day.
Thanks to completing the class tournament quest, he had uncovered an interesting wind magic ability. Not only was it easy to use (just “click”), but there was a visible sense of progression.
Turns out, skills operated on a level-based system. A character sheet existed, but without this foundational leveling system, everything about growth had been confusing until now.
The more magic he used, the higher his proficiency climbed, and once it reached a certain point, he unlocked new spells.
As a result, Ryu stayed behind at the academy after classes ended every day, training alone.
Even the current basic wind magic had so many applications—what new spells might await him?
Just thinking about it made his heart race.
The reason he hadn’t returned to the Black Shadow Guild yet? Simple.
As an “Academy Beginner Wizard” with a title granting a 30% faster growth rate, it would be silly not to take full advantage of it.
Opting for practicality over romance, he figured it was worth maximizing this opportunity.
“Still busy today?”
“Want to join my practice?”
“Ah, I have other things today.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a day for simple magic practice. Normally, he’d be happy to train alongside Cynthia or Elaine, but today he had a personal task to handle.
His second reason for being busy was his role as the leader of the Black Shadow Guild. Yuria had tasked him with investigating potential suspects within the academy.
Two days ago, she handed over info, mentioning three suspicious individuals.
Frankly, these people weren’t your typical students or staff—you’d expect undercover operatives to hide within those groups. But these suspects were far from ordinary.
The first was Cassius St. Claire, the third-year S-class homeroom teacher. Apparently, his abrupt transition from battlefield to classroom was a little fishy. Despite belonging to one of the six great families—the St. Claires—he was still worth investigating.
Next was a name unfamiliar to Ryu—Professor Rockart Erpent from the second-year A-class. According to Yuria, there was a high likelihood this guy had ties to underworld money.
And finally, the vice chancellor of Crescent Academy—Randgar Bayel. A powerful figure with significant connections to the government, Randgar had the ability to orchestrate nearly anything. Though it was hard to imagine the vice chancellor plotting mischief within the academy, Yuria was certain otherwise. She claimed that if the vice chancellor were involved, everything happening lately would make much more sense.
Given the heavyweight lineup of suspects, Ryu felt obligated to give this investigation his full attention.
“So, how about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes. Professor Amillion mentioned the S-class event, which might end our classes early.”
“Ugh, no way I’m voluntarily meeting that guy after class ends.”
“Well… maybe we could all hang out somewhere, even if it’s not my place?”
Thinking about it, tomorrow’s classes did end early. Professor Amillion had announced a break to help everyone recharge. It was a chance for students in the S-class to bond outside of regular lessons.
‘We’d all get along fine if only that Cain Hover brat wasn’t around.’
Cain, the biggest troublemaker in the S-class, had confidently challenged Ryu some time ago, only to meet a swift defeat. Contrary to expectations, he hadn’t retaliated since, though he still shot hostile glances anytime their eyes met.
How were they supposed to foster camaraderie with someone like that around? Waste of time, if you asked him.
*
“Tomorrow… depends on the situation.”
“That works!”
“Wait—so maybe tomorrow…”
“Hmm?”
Before he could respond, Emily adjusted her glasses and spoke up. Over time, she had gained enough confidence to maintain composure even under scrutiny.
“Could you help me test something? I’ve been wanting to try it out, but I can’t do it myself since I’m not good with wind magic.”
“A-ha.”
A classic Emily move.
Giving her a curt nod, Ryu watched her smile brightly in return.
“Alright, everyone, see you tomorrow!”
“See you!”
“Take care.”
With that, he bid his students farewell and headed straight toward the dormitory. If he wanted tomorrow to be stress-free, he’d need to wrap up today’s tasks first.
‘Might as well knock these out in one go.’
Though the suspects weren’t exactly easy targets, he didn’t plan on dragging this investigation out. The sooner he unraveled the conspiracy, the better.
Whoom—
After confirming the coast was clear, he teleported directly to his office. First things first, a change of clothes was in order.
