Chapter 555

Chapter 555: Dark Demon Takes Office (10K)

“An academic tea party for arithmetic class?”

Catalysta covered her mouth in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief.

She could still chime in on subjects like potion-making and the history of magic, but arithmetic? Either you know it or you don’t. How could there be an academic tea party for such a straightforward subject?

Though Catalysta’s grades weren’t top-tier, she was confident in her reading ability. She found Dark’s statement somewhat unbelievable.

However, when she turned to look at others, she saw that Diana and Rose looked quite matter-of-fact about it.

Was Dark Demon really that proficient in arithmetic?

Catalysta fell silent.

Branny Christian, though not as clear-minded, also felt a sense of bewilderment.

The group returned to the castle in an oddly tense atmosphere and then headed in different directions towards their dormitories.

But after a few steps, Catalysta suddenly stopped.

Born in Synes, known as the “City of Knowledge,” she grew up in an environment rich with scholarly atmosphere. She had heard many tales of prodigies, but seeing one firsthand was different.

“Is this the Valkyrie’s daughter who won two consecutive grades in the Easter Duel Festival?”

“No, maybe it’s just a formal academic tea party, but actually a guidance session for students by the professors?”

Catalysta tried to convince herself.

But noticing her sudden halt, Dark turned his head and curiously asked, “Senior Catalysta, what’s wrong?”

Catalysta turned around and couldn’t help but ask, “President, do you have a theme for your academic tea party?”

“A theme?” Dark thought for a moment and said, “Yes. It’s about math.”

Catalysta asked curiously, “Math?”

Dark nodded with a smile, “Exactly, math. For third-year students, Professor Eric should already be preparing, so perhaps you’ll start math class next lesson.”

Catalysta couldn’t help but feel more puzzled, “Math class?”

Dark explained, “It’s another name for arithmetic class. In any case, you’ll find out soon. Good night, senior.”

(Dark waved his hand, and truly walked away this time.)

Catalysta turned back towards the Mana Academy, but as she walked, she suddenly turned towards the library.

Even though math class was the second lesson tomorrow morning, she couldn’t resist checking in the library to see what exactly math was.

On the other side, Rose’s curiosity was piqued, and she whispered, “Is it about compiling textbooks?”

Dark nodded, “Yes. We’ve finished compiling this year’s math textbook, and it should be distributed in the first math class tomorrow morning. But I won’t be attending the class tomorrow.”

Diana, humming a tune, abruptly stopped and perked her ears up, “What?!”

Dark chuckled, “Actually, I might not attend any math classes this year. So Diana, you must take good notes during class, or I won’t be able to explain things to you if you don’t know where you’re confused.”

Diana pouted, “Why do I have to be confused? Can’t I understand everything after taking good notes?”

“Woof!” Rose suddenly hugged Diana from the side, tickling her under the armpit.

Diana’s fantasy was shattered, and she giggled.

The moonlight was still beautiful tonight.

Moonlight streamed through the castle windows, casting long shadows that gradually overlapped.

Diana and Rose were surprised to learn that Dark would be a teaching assistant for the first years. They initially thought he wouldn’t have classes—being a textbook compiler—but they didn’t expect him to bring even greater surprises.

While they were worried about the difficulty of the subjects, Dark Demon had already become a professor!

First-year students would surely be delighted.

Two little girls playfully entered their dorm.

Dark also brought the golems into the room.

He picked up the cat plant welcoming him and turned on the light, sitting quietly by the bed for a while before extracting today’s “Capital Sin.” With some time left, he took out his “Mathematics I” textbook and started reviewing for the next day’s lecture.

Despite being wealthy, his fixed monthly salary of 2000 credits was substantial.

This translated to 32,000 sacred coins, which was considered high pay even in the capital city. Moreover, he only needed to teach four lessons a month, working six hours.

Hmm, six hours!

A quick calculation revealed how much he benefited.

A professor’s job wasn’t just teaching.

But even without the salary, he wouldn’t mind taking on the role of a teaching assistant.

…

Knock, knock, knock.

As Dark was deep in thought, someone gently knocked on the door.

Without being told, the imp beast flew over to open it.

Sure enough, Aurora appeared at the door.

Dark put down his pen, quietly closed his book, and prepared to surprise Aurora tomorrow.

Aurora tied her silver hair into a bun and wore a chef’s hat, with an apron still on.

Seeing the plate she held, Dark took a deep breath and said, “Little Aurora, it’s late. I don’t want to disturb your rest.”

Aurora blushed slightly and shook her head, “No, I always get plenty of sleep. And today, I installed a simple kitchen and fireproofing on the balcony, so I can study recipes in my room now. Look, these are the buns you mentioned!”

She lifted the lid of the plate.

The aroma of meat buns slowly wafted out, then surged forth as the lid was fully opened, filling the room with the scent.

The golems on the small bed poked their heads out from under the covers, their tiny noses twitching.

The imp beast’s lips curved into a smile.

Little Cubone, who decided to settle in the club dorm instead of moving around, missed out on something great.

…

Dark couldn’t resist the urge to eat, thinking “Gluttony” would someday explode, yet his body moved uncontrollably.

Aurora’s cooking was truly excellent, almost on par with Olivia and the halfling chefs.

Her lack was merely recipes and experience; her skill level far surpassed Dark’s amateur status.

For example, the meat buns tonight, Dark had only briefly mentioned, yet she not only replicated them but also made a steamer!

“How long did it take you to research the buns?” Dark couldn’t help but ask.

Aurora lowered her head slightly and whispered, “Not long, just the weekend.”

No wonder she hadn’t come last night.

Dark took a deep breath of the meat bun’s aroma, and the craving inside him couldn’t be contained anymore.

“I’ll try one.”

He picked up the silver fork on the plate and plunged it into the bun.

Aurora’s cooking was amazing; the bun’s skin was thin yet intact. When the fork pierced it, thick meat juice oozed out, making the aroma even stronger.

Using his other hand to support, Dark carefully picked up the first bun and placed it in his mouth, then bit softly.

The meat juice flowed into his mouth, warm but not scalding.

The taste was slightly salty, perfectly suiting Dark’s palate.

He couldn’t help but bite down hard, tearing off a piece of meat wrapped in dough, then chewed slowly, savoring the familiar deliciousness.

After finishing the bun, a “+1 Gluttony” floated past Dark’s vision.

Seeing the sin index only he could see, he thought, “Why not make ‘Gluttony’ the next subject of study?”

…

The meat buns Aurora brought weren’t few, but with so many golems, each getting one would empty the steamer quickly.

Soon, the buns were all gone.

Aurora, looking at the empty steamer, felt deeply fulfilled.

She felt she had found her purpose in the academy.

“These meat buns were delicious,” Dark said seriously, expressing his thoughts simply.

“I’ll make them again tomorrow!” Aurora exclaimed.

Dark hurriedly said, “No, you’ve just started, focus on your studies.”

Aurora smiled lightly, “Those textbook contents are easy, I’ll understand them after a quick look.”

Dark blinked and said, “But the textbook content is just basic. To truly master it, you need to delve deeper and conduct independent research.

Saint Maryann Academy’s library has almost every existing book, and Senior Pandora is the librarian.”

Aurora nodded, “I’ve been to the library and greeted Senior Pandora. When I’m not practicing cooking, I read books to learn. Don’t worry about me. Also, I successfully summoned a magical beast yesterday. Do you want to see it?”

“Magical beast?” Dark was slightly surprised and asked, “Isn’t the first magical beast for first-year students supposed to be created next month?”

Aurora lowered her eyelids, “The professor gave us each a pack of magical beast materials after the second class…”

Dark: “Each one?”

Aurora quickly shook her head, “Not quite. It seems to be Anna, Angie, Jon, Joie, Vivian… around ten in total.”

Dark took a deep breath, “That’s special treatment!”

Aurora thought for a moment, “Probably. According to the professor, our foundations are solid enough to start summoning magical beasts ahead of schedule.”

Dark asked, “What about Victoria and Phoenix?”

Aurora shook her head, “They didn’t receive any.”

“Right.” Dark nodded, “Victoria and Phoenix have only recently begun studying magic after their initial exposure. As magus familiars, they still need to hone their control over mana. Show me your magical beast?”

Aurora understood, and immediately drew out the mana spirit card from her card deck.

Dark slowly said, “Your magical beast, aside from your familiar, is the first mana spirit. Though it may not be strong, it reflects the personal traits of a magus, holding great importance.

I’ve already endowed your familiar

The demonic beast with a certain level of spiritual intelligence, this magical beast is the second one and also temporarily the last one. You must understand.”

Aurora obediently nodded, then blushed as she began to cast a regular summoning spell.

Despite the slow speed, she still successfully summoned the “magical beast” in her hand.

The “magical beast” that appeared above the summoning circle was surprisingly a floating circular mirror!

Such magical devices were actually quite rare among golems.

Dark felt slightly surprised and couldn’t help but observe carefully.

Aurora’s circular mirror had two sides; the front frame seemed to emit scorching flames like the sun, while the back frame resembled the moon releasing cool moonlight.

Different frames and attributes led to the two mirrors being completely different.

The front was a copper mirror surface, while the back was a silver mercury mirror.

From a feeling perspective, it wasn’t merely the surface fire and ice attributes, but rather the rarer light and darkness attributes!

Dark restrained his impulse to inquire about its attributes and ultimate skill, sighing, “Your magical beast has some uniqueness.”

Aurora grabbed the handle of the mirror, blushing as she said, “My magical beast is called ‘Sun Moon Mirror,’ the front absorbs sunlight, the back absorbs moonlight, but I don’t know why, it doesn’t have an ultimate skill, it’s just a white card.”

“Just a white card?” Dark furrowed his brows slightly in thought, saying, “Perhaps it just hasn’t found the right usage method. I’ll help you awaken its spirit first.”

Aurora excitedly said, “Mm-hm!”

Dark took out “Arrogance I” again, activated it, and shone it on the “Sun Moon Mirror.”

Even if the magical device awakened its spirit, its thinking activity level would still be below average.

Just like Dark’s solo sword sheath, it could float in the air without thinking.

But how exactly to develop it, Aurora had to do it herself.

…

After awakening the spirit of the “Sun Moon Mirror,” there wasn’t much noticeable change.

However, when Aurora whispered to it, it did respond accurately.

Dark looked at the mirror, suddenly a thought came to mind.

He immediately wrote a line with his pen, then showed it, saying, “Little Aurora, look in the mirror and read this aloud.”

Aurora, though puzzled, read each word aloud: “Mirror of magic, mirror of magic, who is the most beautiful woman in this world… the most beautiful woman!”

After reading this sentence, Aurora’s cheeks instantly turned red as if on fire.

Dark immediately looked at the mirror’s surface, but this magical device didn’t give any face, showing no reaction on either side.

“Tsk!”

He clicked his tongue.

The experiment failed.

But wait, at least he got a rosy little apple.

…

When Aurora left with the utensils, she suddenly wondered if she had been teased.

But she quickly convinced herself, “Dark isn’t that kind of person!”

Yet her pace quickened.

…

Returning to his desk, Dark spun the pen for a moment, struggling to think of how to use the mirror with such a flavorful name.

In the end, he had no choice but to set aside this problem and continue preparing for class.

By the time he was ready, it was already past midnight.

The scent of the healing flower became extremely faint after drifting away, barely perceptible.

But its effects continued to work, giving a faint sense of comfort when immersed in the fragrance.

To ensure he would be energetic in the morning, Dark practiced “Technique of the Shadow God” for fifteen minutes before sleeping soundly.

…

On Tuesday morning at six o’clock sharp, Dark Demon woke up due to his biological clock. He continued to drowse for a bit, then got up before the “Laziness +1” effect, starting to groom his hair and appearance.

Since it was his first time substituting for first-year classes, he wanted to leave a good impression on the first-year students.

Even if Victoria and Phoenix’s identities as magical beings were exposed later, as long as his image was impressive enough, it would make it easier for the first-year students to accept them.

These were additional benefits of making a good impression.

After half an hour of meticulous grooming, Dark looked at himself in the mirror, seeing no flaws, nodded slightly, and walked out of the bathroom.

Then he gracefully finished breakfast brought by the imp beast, wiped his mouth, and read the newspaper as usual.

After a week of school, reports about Saint Maryann Academy in the newspapers had almost disappeared, but the “Saint Judgment” action initiated by the Holy Church was artificially exposed.

Both “The Wise One Daily” and “The Clown Daily” extensively covered news about the “Saint Judgment” action.

Although the ultimate goal of the “Saint Judgment” action was difficult to achieve, it couldn’t be denied that its effects were gradually manifesting.

Continuous arrests or on-the-spot killings of evil organizations or demon remnants were reported.

Some notorious criminals executed by the “Saint Judgment” were also heavily publicized in the newspapers.

The prestige of the Holy Church, which had increased after executing the “Undying Demon King,” further grew during the “Saint Judgment” action.

It was unclear whether the Holy Church tasted some sweet success and thus began to show signs of self-promotion.

…

Dark wasn’t particularly concerned about the situation of the Holy Church; he just habitually glanced at it, and that was all.

After reading the newspaper, he reviewed the content he would teach in class once more, then placed the necessary items in his shoulder bag.

Finally, he thought for a moment and added a magic pen inside.

Professors usually held a wand when lecturing, which could assist in casting spells or serve as a substitute for a pointer.

Dark didn’t have one, so he used a magic pen instead.

At half past seven, everything was ready.

He tightened his collar and stepped out.

…

After he left, the magical devices in the dormitory slowly got up and tidied themselves, waiting for the eight o’clock bell to ring before heading to the canteen for meals.

Most of them would go to the clubroom afterward, while a few would head to the library.

In short, wherever the fragrance of the flowers reached, that was their activity range.

Occasionally, the students and professors in the castle would give curious glances to these magical devices.

Fortunately, they were all cute and well-behaved, making it hard to form bad impressions.

If this continued for a long time, most people would passively get used to their presence.

However, first-year students who were just beginning to learn magical theory might find it hard to understand how these magical devices could be so intelligent.

…

Dark walked out of the tower, gradually moving away from the second-year students who watched him with puzzled eyes.

“This should be the place.”

Looking down at the map displayed on the selection card, Dark confirmed he hadn’t taken a wrong turn and unconsciously quickened his pace.

Not long after, faint human voices could be heard ahead, and the classroom for first-year mathematics was already in sight.

“Found it!”

Dark immediately slowed down and steadied himself.

He had more than one experience with substitute teaching and wouldn’t panic over such matters.

But since it was his first time serving as a professor for first-year students, besides teaching, he also needed to remember all the students’ names during the roll call.

In this regard, every professor seemed to do a good job.

But he lacked confidence.

However, every creature has its own way; he had his own method too.

…

Before the classroom, Dark raised his left hand lightly, and the heavy black mana book appeared in his palm. Then he lifted his head and chest, pushing open the classroom door.

The lecture hall that could accommodate all first-year students was very spacious, just as familiar to Dark. The entire classroom was divided into four sections according to the houses, with each house’s students sitting in their respective areas.

Professor Lars Melnor, who taught first-year mathematics, was sitting in the corner near the window, observing the students without hiding it.

And the students, under the old professor’s gaze, only dared to whisper and speculate quietly about Professor Melnor’s intentions.

Not far from Professor Melnor, two small princesses sat in the first row of the noble house area, having a heated discussion.

Anna and Angie argued on the first day of formal schooling over seating arrangements.

Neither wanted to sit together, yet both wanted to sit in the first row, ending up glaring at each other in the front row while the back seats were all taken.

When they came to their senses, the seats were already fixed, forcing them to sit with gritted teeth.

Without the big princess and the second queen consort watching, Anna and Angie became increasingly audacious, even causing headaches for the professors.

Behind them in the second row, Joie and Aurora sat. These two could be considered the second tier of the noble house first-year students.

While the two princesses glared at each other, Aurora was reading “Mathematics I” very seriously, and Joie, influenced by her, flipped through the pages intermittently.

Next to the noble house was the knight house.

Phoenix sat relatively further back; given her tall stature among first-year students, she chose the back row.

At this moment, she slightly tilted her head to look outside the window, lost in thought.

In the last row of the knight house sat the tallest student in the first year—Spike Leon!

This orc royalty sat alone in the back, reading with large, copper-rimmed eyes.

On the other side, Jon Demon sat in the middle of the magic house, flipping through his textbook earnestly.

As for the dark elf Viviene Alvende, she sat in the front row without any concern for the surrounding gazes—alone, she was also very focused.

Only Victoria Demon, from the fool’s house, had been distracted from the start. Her books were neatly arranged on the table, clearly untouched since they were taken out.

Only when Dark approached did she show a puzzled expression.

“Screech —”

The classroom door suddenly opened, revealing a handsome blond youth holding a mana book, with a shoulder bag on his back, entering the classroom gracefully and elegantly.

The atmosphere in the classroom froze momentarily; the originally suppressed whispers abruptly stopped.

Dark scanned the room, quickly finding several recognizable faces.

He walked up to the podium without changing his expression, his gaze landing on Professor Melnor’s face.

This was his first lesson as an assistant professor, and Professor Melnor would listen throughout.

On one hand, it was to assess Dark’s teaching ability, and on the other, to support him.

Because this year’s first-year class indeed had a few troublemakers, even he found them quite challenging.

…

Dark gave a slight nod to Professor Melnor, then walked to the lectern, unshouldered his bag, placed it on the table, and took out the textbook, attendance book, and magic pen, looking down at the students below.

Professor Melnor with leisure.

Victoria’s small mouth formed a perfect O.

Even her deskmate prodding her arm repeatedly did not elicit any response.

She probably never imagined that her master would suddenly walk in looking like a professor.

Jon, who had been engrossed in his book, didn’t notice anything at first until the atmosphere around him changed noticeably.

He raised his head, and his handsome face suddenly turned pale; the pen in his hand dropped onto the desk with a “clack.”

Joie was even worse, instantly grabbing his head, wanting to flee.

Aurora, who had been reading intently, quickly realized the situation after her initial shock and saw the princess in front ask Professor Melnor a question from afar.

But Professor Melnor only smiled calmly, stroking his white beard.

“Clap clap!”

Dark Demon skillfully clapped his hands to draw the students’ attention, gradually calming the noisy classroom.

The students looked up at him, waiting for him to introduce himself and explain why he was there.

At that moment, Dark began speaking confidently: “Good morning everyone. I believe most of you have seen me at the welcome banquet. Some may remember me vividly, but others might have forgotten. So let me reintroduce myself. I am Dark Demon, just appointed as Professor Melnor’s teaching assistant. Starting next week, every first math class will be taught by me. Anyone with questions can raise their hand.”

No sooner had he finished when a female student from the Mana Academy raised her hand high.

Dark pointed his magic pen at her. The girl stood up and asked, “Excuse me, aren’t you a second-year senior? Why are you becoming Professor Melnor’s assistant? Or, why should you?”

The last sentence, “Why should you,” completely highlighted her sharp, aggressive demeanor.

Her brows were stern, her lips thin, and her tone involuntarily rose.

From the reactions of her classmates, she seemed to have considerable influence.

In the knowledge-centric Mana Academy, this must be an exceptionally outstanding top student.

Dark smiled and said, “That’s a good question. Flip to the last page of your Math I textbook, and it will tell you the answer.”

Cecilia Doyle, with a puzzled expression, flipped to the last page of Math I, then read from top to bottom until she saw the name “Dark Demon.” She suddenly tightened up and looked up sharply.

Dark smiled at her and asked, “Still have doubts?”

“No,” Cecilia took a deep breath and sat down.

Almost all the students in the classroom simultaneously opened their textbooks. A strange atmosphere spread out like ripples on water.

The sudden wave of noise signaled their unease.

Someone even raised their hand and asked, “Senior Demon, is the name written in the book really yours?”

Dark turned and wrote his name in the textbook, saying, “Write it down. We’ll be together for at least one semester, so I believe you need to remember my name. Alright, if there are no other questions, let’s start roll call.”

…

Even the toughest students couldn’t stand firm at this moment, let alone the toughest first-year student, who was extremely familiar with Dark.

The two little princesses puffed out their cheeks like pufferfish, discussing for the first time since school started.

Jon and Joie were paralyzed by the fear deeply rooted in their hearts, with childhood shadows constantly surfacing.

Victoria and Phoenix were confused, but they naturally didn’t dare to object.

At this point, pretending to be obedient was the key!

Aurora was radiant, thoroughly enjoying the surprise brought by Dark.

The dark elf girl’s eyes darted, and the king’s beast frowned deeply.

But roll call began.

…

Names and students’ appearances were matched one by one.

“The Mana Book” recorded everything.

There was no need for Dark to memorize, as names would automatically appear.

Once roll call ended, Dark officially started the lesson.

Because this was a formal class rather than substitute teaching without content, Dark directly had the first-year students open their textbooks and continued from where they left off last week.

The beginning of Math I covered basic calculations, teaching how to use vertical arithmetic and memorize multiplication tables.

Additionally, it included the precedence of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

The course wasn’t difficult, being only the third class after school started. It would gradually increase in difficulty as the semester progressed.

Dark Demon, with extensive teaching experience, could even make Diana understand the material. Needless to say, these first-year students would grasp it easily.

He skillfully incorporated some mathematical anecdotes into his lecture, gradually making the originally somewhat silent atmosphere more lively.

…

After explaining part of the content, Dark quickly wrote several problems on the blackboard and directly called out a few students who were distracted during class, moving on to the exercise session.

“Jon.”

“Ah!”

Jon suddenly jolted, instinctively standing up and tensing up.

His classmates probably saw him like this for the first time, looking smart and steady. If it weren’t for Professor Demon standing there alive, they might think Jon had encountered a ghost.

“Put down your book and come up to solve the problem.”

After Dark casually finished speaking, he called out Joie.

The younger sister of the twins, reminded by Aurora, walked to the podium like a zombie.

Her hair, shaped like the steps of the Spiral Bell Tower, bounced rhythmically, adding a unique texture.

The usually dignified Miss Demon lost all her grace at this moment.

If someone didn’t know better, they might think Professor Demon had done something to her.

After calling out this brother and sister, Dark called out two more boys, then, amidst Victoria’s lucky glance, called out her name, followed by Spike Leon.

Six people were called up to the podium to pick up chalk and solve equations on the blackboard.

With Jon’s level, he shouldn’t have been stumped by such calculations, but once beside Dark, he trembled uncontrollably, unable to calm down.

Joie didn’t listen at all, her mind a mess.

Victoria bit her lip, listing multiple vertical equations on the blackboard and finally arriving at the answer.

Among the remaining three boys, besides the little beastman, they all answered correctly and hurriedly went back down.

Professor Melnor had never called students up to solve problems in the previous class, but since they had only attended two classes, they didn’t know whether this was a regular practice.

Little did they know that Professor Melnor had only learned this method recently.

He had always relied on the completion of homework after class to assess students’ understanding of the class content.

However, the interval between two classes was too long, and plagiarism of homework was rampant, making it hard to accurately gauge.

Like Dark, who made several students solve problems after each section while others solved them below, it allowed students to reinforce what they learned and control the difficulty of the lecture.

It also punished those who daydreamed in class!

…

Bad student? Jon.

Bad student? Joie.

Bad student? Spike.

Standing on the podium as if publicly punished.

If Professor Heldred Bode of the Mana Language was here, he would definitely stop his habit of hanging people in the air.

After all, hanging in the air wasn’t necessarily as agonizing as it was now.

Professor Heldred Bode might even praise Dark Demon’s teaching methods, feeling a connection.

…

Seeing Jon, Joie, and Spike completely frozen, Dark frowned slightly and said, “Jon, Joie, five points deducted each. Spike, if you really don’t understand, after class you can ask those who do, or go to the office to ask Professor Melnor. Of course, you can also come to me. With enough questioning and learning, nothing is unattainable.”

“Yes, Professor,” Spike said in a rough voice, then dejectedly went back down.

Joie couldn’t help but mutter, “Why isn’t he getting points deducted…”

Dark’s gaze shifted to her, causing her to shiver.

Dark said in a gentle tone, “Mathematics requires a solid foundation from the very beginning. Without a strong base, it will be very difficult later on. You can go down now, pay more attention in class.”

Joie dared not refute and quickly went down.

One of the three big shots of the first-year class in the Noble Academy had lost all face.

Jon also went down with a gloomy face.

He felt he could solve the problems, just not in the right state.

…

After they went down, Dark explained each problem and gave points to those who answered correctly, without deducting points for incorrect answers.

The actual credit gains made some students who just understood the value of credits eager to participate.

This also motivated the students.

Taking advantage of the situation, Dark proposed more problems for others to solve, and those eager to earn credits immediately responded enthusiastically, rapidly improving the classroom atmosphere.

“Ring ring!”

Unconsciously, the bell rang.

Dark reluctantly put down his pen and assigned related homework.

“Today’s class was quite pleasant, see you all next week.”

He realized he seemed to have a natural inclination for teaching.

…

As Dark was about to leave the classroom, Professor Melnor waved at him, and he slowed down.

Once Professor Melnor caught up, they walked side by side.

Professor Melnor generously praised his teaching skills, making him feel embarrassed.

“It’s not that great… Just picking up techniques from Professor.”

“Which professor?”

“Well… Lily?”