The academy hallways stretched endlessly in both directions. The flowers blooming at every corner of the corridor looked more vibrant than usual, and it was because of one person.
Elisha.
The Headmaster of Aetherion Academy, walking side by side with Ard through the halls. Every student they passed lowered their heads and greeted them with quiet respect.
Elisha returned each greeting with a warm smile. She truly was someone easy to approach. Not only beautiful, but genuinely warm-hearted. To many of the students here, she was both a guide and something closer to a mother.
Ard let out a long exhale and kept walking. He looked exhausted after everything that had just happened.
"I only wanted to relax and enjoy life lazily. So how did everything end up like this?"
Elisha answered without stopping her greetings.
"It is not good for someone your age to spend his life being lazy."
Those words drained what little energy Ard had left.
"I have heard that line more times than I can count. Everyone says this age is the best time to be active."
"Good. Then stop being lazy."
"But Headmaster—"
"Sister."
"But Sister. The last fifteen years, I have not been able to properly rest even once. I want to go home. Eat my mother's cooking. Take naps. Go fishing. Is something that simple really too much to ask?"
He said it with the dramatic weight of someone who had not eaten in a full year.
"But you just stepped into the mud. So you cannot go back now."
Ard's expression went flat. Then he snorted quietly.
"That was part of my plan."
Elisha glanced toward him while still walking.
"What do you mean?"
"Seeing those students being so naive and foolish irritated me. Their talent has far more potential than they are using, but they are consumed by envy. Jealous of other people's strength. Arrogant over the smallest gains."
"So that is why you were so harsh toward them."
"They have spent years without recognizing their own flaws. Ideally they would realize it themselves, but with pride like theirs, that is impossible. So I will force them to face the truth."
Elisha smiled softly.
"So you actually care about them."
"Of course. Whether I like it or not, I am their professor now. No matter what kind of students they are, I will guide them past their limits. The methods may be harsh, but the results will be worth it."
Elisha wrapped both arms around Ard's arm and continued walking as though nothing had happened.
Ard froze. He immediately began trying to pull away, protesting under his breath, while the students they passed started watching with open curiosity. Elisha paid none of it any attention and kept walking, holding his arm with quiet contentment.
"Were you angry earlier when Claire said what she said about your parents?"
Ard was quiet for a moment, scratching the back of his head while still walking.
"It would be a lie to say I was not. You should know better than anyone how much I love them. But I cannot exactly beat up my own students. They are still immature."
Elisha smiled looking at him.
"Just as expected. Ard is still Ard."
"What does that mean? Of course I am still myself."
"But Claire used to be your junior."
"She was. But now she is a student in my class. Which means she is my student."
"Then what if I joined your class? Would I become your student too?"
"There is nothing left for me to teach you."
"Eh?! But I want to be your student."
"Impossible. And I would never accept it. Now let go of my arm."
"No."
They continued walking, side by side, talking endlessly. Ard looked exhausted the entire way, and Elisha kept laughing softly at his expression.
Students watched them from behind as they passed.
Laughter echoed through the academy hallways. Flowers bloomed at every corner they walked by. Warm sunlight poured through every classroom window. But more than the sunlight itself, what truly warmed the air was the sound of Elisha's laughter.
---
They separated shortly after. Ard said he had something to take care of.
Elisha looked briefly confused, since it contradicted his earlier desire to spend the entire day being lazy, but she nodded and let him go with a smile.
Back inside her office, she sat with one hand against her cheek.
"Doesn't it look like he asked for my permission first?"
She muttered quietly to herself.
"He could have simply left without saying a word."
"Headmaster."
She turned. Rachel had apparently been waiting inside the room.
Elisha let out a long, relieved breath.
"Thank goodness that ended without anything serious."
When Ard had released his aura earlier, it had spread through the surrounding area without restraint. Nearby students fainted. Others struggled to breathe. Several professors had gone on high alert, convinced something powerful was attacking the academy.
That was why Elisha had stepped in herself. Even if Ard had not been truly enraged, the aura he released had shaken an entire building.
"And that was only five percent of his strength. Rather impressive, is it not~"
"I would call him a monster. But no matter how strong Professor Ard is, you are still far stronger than him—"
"You are wrong, Rachel. I may be stronger than Ard right now. But that does not mean I am better than him."
Rachel looked confused.
"Are you saying Professor Ard could someday surpass even you?"
Elisha walked to the large window behind her desk and stood there, looking out at the vast academy below.
"I do not know either. But..."
Her eyes found Ard, walking somewhere in the distance with one hand behind his neck, his expression visibly annoyed. Perhaps he sensed her gaze.
"Whether it becomes light or darkness, something extraordinary will be born soon."
She smiled faintly. Rachel remained quiet, trying to understand. Elisha turned, laughed softly at her confusion, and told her not to think too deeply about it.
Rachel obeyed, bowed, and left.
Alone, Elisha settled back into her chair and played with the ends of her silver hair.
"A few years from now might become far more interesting."
She closed her eyes, still smiling.
* * *