Chapter 26: Revelation

A/N: Pretty sure nothing interesting happened till the conversation between Cynthia and Arthur regarding the Professor Giest incident, so things will continue from there, also just to let you know, since Arthur never got to know about the beast will inside Elderwood Guardian's core and gave the core to Sylvie to eat, Tessia doesn't have any beast will, and also Arthur and Tessia didn't have any conversation yet because Arthur has been the DC from the start, so the situation with Broznean Boor and Nocolas Dreyl, was sorted quickly especially due to Gawain's presence as the strongest military Family's heir. If you feel like I missed something make sure to tell me. ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:Pondering what the director had said, I just sat there, my eyes blankly staring at something off in the distance. Like she'd mentioned, there was no real benefit for her to hire me as a professor, which is why I found it so suspicious. It was so ingrained in me to be wary of other people's motivations no matter who they were. I guess as a figure of authority and power, you naturally become suspicious of everyone around you, which was why I couldn't fathom why she'd asked me to do this.Practical Mana Manipulation was a class that didn't have any extra work to grade, which would make it even easier for me to just teach the class. Even if it wasn't easier, it would help build a good position for myself and would be a lot more interesting. Seeing as how I probably couldn't escape attention from the students anyway, I might as well do things a bit differently. Of course, I didn't plan on revealing my full set of skills to anyone just yet, but I didn't see the point in trying to be completely inconspicuous anymore, especially after today."...Arthur?" I snapped out of my thoughts to see that Director Goodsky was looking at me with a rather worried expression."Ah, yes. Although I'm not sure how competent I'd be in that kind of role, I'd like to try my hand at being a professor. " I looked over the document stating my duties and responsibilities as a teacher."I'm sure you'll do an excellent job," she smiled.Looking at her, I asked, "Were there any other classes that Professor Geist taught besides mine?""Fortunately, no. We hired him this year after he retired from being an adventurer. For this semester, the other professors and I decided to only have him teach one class, as a sort of test run." She shook her head at the pitiful results he'd produced."Before I sign, I have one last question," I stated as I read over the final paragraph of the document."Go on," she urged."Wouldn't it be counterintuitive that I'm not allowed to hurt students while being part of the disciplinary committee?" I quizzed."Ah, good question. The 'not hurting students' rule is for inside the classroom. While the situation is always investigated for every case, as long as it is for the safety of other students, such as using a certain degree of force to quell a fight or suppress a rampant student. As for outside of class, during your disciplinary committee duties, I'll trust your judgment on that." With that, I nodded and signed the document.Director Goodsky leaned back slightly, her expression serious yet calm. "Arthur, before you leave, I have one last request."I paused, sensing the weight of her words. "What is it, Director?""I would like you to keep an eye on Claire, Curtis, Kathyln, and Gawain," she began, her tone firm. "They've all recently acquired bonds, and with those bonds comes the potential for them to awaken a beast will. I'd like you to observe their progress, particularly how they handle the challenges that come with it."I felt my heart skip a beat. She knew about my beast will. But how? I had always kept that hidden, even from those closest to me."Director... how do you know about that?" I asked, unable to mask the surprise in my voice.A knowing smile played on her lips. "Virion told me. He spoke highly of your time as his student in Elenoir. You should know by now, Arthur, that secrets don't stay hidden forever. Although, he didn't tell much about your beast will, he did say it's of a very strong being. "Internally, I cursed Virion, labeling him as an old coot for spilling the beans but also glad that he didn't tell about Sylvia. Outwardly, I nodded, understanding the gravity of the request. "I understand. I'll do my best to watch over them.""Good," Director Goodsky replied, her gaze softening. "I trust your judgment, Arthur. This is as much for their safety as it is for their growth. The beast will is a powerful force, and it's important that they learn to control it, just as you have."With that, I left her office, my mind swirling with thoughts. The weight of responsibility pressed down on me, but I knew that this was just another step in the journey I had embarked upon. A journey that was far from over._________________________________________________________________________________CYNTHIA GOODSKY'S POV:"Whew, what is it about that boy that always keeps me on my toes? Negotiating with him is more heart-straining than dealing with the royal families. What is your take on him, Avier?" My bond gently landed on the arm I held out, his intelligent eyes pondering what to say."He is... different. Do not view Arthur Leywin as a child. Whether it is mental acuity or emotional maturity, there is much more to him than the eye can see. " The clear words that came out of my bond didn't seem natural from the movement of his beak."What makes you so certain?" I leaned back in my seat."His bond. That white fox's true form should be that of a dragon..."I bolted up from my seat. "What?! How is that possible? How do you know?""It is because we are of the same kind. I may be of a lesser species of dragons but Wyverns are still the dragons' descendents. " Avier went back to grooming himself."Are you saying that his bond is more powerful than you?" I couldn't help but be utterly baffled by all of this. "I can't be sure, Chance of my victory is equally likely of my loss, but that child has yet to mature. She shouldn't have hatched more than a few years ago. However, I suspect that when she does develop, my strength will not be even comparable to hers," he stated matter-of-factly.I couldn't imagine anyone stronger than Avier. The fact that he was my bond was only because he grew a liking to me when I happened by him, deep in the Beast Glades. He usually did his own thing and I didn't dare treat him like a pet, but the fact that Arthur's bond was actually a dragon and that it seemed so subservient to him made me wonder what that boy really was."Does that mean, the beast will that he has is also from a dragon?" I asked my tone fearful.Aevier nodded, and said, "Do not make him your enemy, Cynthia. If treated with trust and respect, he will become the greatest ally, but if betrayed, he may be the cause of this continent's demise." I leaned forward, rubbing my temples as the weight of Aevier's words settled over me like a heavy cloak. The implications of what he was saying were vast, and the more I thought about it, the more it seemed that Arthur Leywin was far more than just an extraordinary student.Seeking to shift the conversation away from the unsettling topic, I asked, "Anyway, what about those two wolves and the eagle that sat at the top of the clock tower? Did you get any information about their origin or affiliation?""They are odd, as I suspected at first," Aevier replied, his tone cautious."What do you mean, odd? Were you not able to find their origin or affiliations?" I pressed, trying to understand the shift in his tone.Aevier hesitated for a moment before speaking. "While in the Beast Glades, I encountered another one just like them. A wind-attributed wolf. This one was spotted with Jasmine Flamsworth, who you might know as a companion of the legendary swordsman Note—though his real name is Arthur Leywin."The connection to Arthur once again sent my mind spinning. "And what did you find?" I asked, my curiosity piqued despite my earlier desire to change the subject.Aevier's voice was somber as he continued, "These beings... they do not draw mana from the atmosphere like we do. Instead, they generate their own mana from within. It's as if they operate under entirely different principles than any other creature we've encountered."I felt a chill run down my spine at his words. "Generate their own mana? That's... unheard of. What does this mean?""It means," Aevier said slowly, "that we may be dealing with beings that are not just powerful but fundamentally different from anything we understand. Their existence challenges the very foundations of magic as we know it. We have never heard of them, even in legends, as if their existence was hidden on purpose or...." Aevier grew silent, I shuddered at the implication of what he had just said..._________________________________________________________________________________ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:After eating lunch with Gawain, both of us made our way toward our first upper-division class, Team-Fighting Mechanics I. On our way, I told him about how I ended up becoming a teacher of one Practical mana manipulation Class. Gawain seemed doubtful of it, but once I showed him the documents, he let out a low whistle. Just in case you are wondering, Elijah is not my roommate, It's Gawain.Anyway, the classroom, or should say field, to be more accurate, was on the other side of the academy, where all of the upper-division classes were held.The "room" consisted of a huge grass field with several obstacles placed randomly, encased by high walls with runes engraved in them. On top of one of the walls was a separate little room protected by a glass encasing. I assumed that the room was used as a viewing platform for the rest of the students.I saw some students had arrived before me, talking to each other, and I immediately noticed some familiar figures."Ah! I didn't know you'd be in an upper-division class, Arthur, Gawain. " Curtis Glayder waved at us as soon as he realized who we were. Grawder, Curtis' bond, was lying with his eyes closed right next to him."Yeah, I didn't think I'd have a class with you. Please take care of me. " I grasped his hand."Good to see you again, Gawain! Arthur!" Claire put her arm around our neck while smiling brightly. "We have to do our best not to embarrass the disciplinary committee, right?""Haha, I'll do my best," Gawain replied, turning back to Curtis as I just nodded my head. I noticed a small eagle sitting atop the tree looking at me, although his form was entirely different, I recognized him instantly, He was Ignatius. "Oh right, you didn't meet him earlier, that is my bond, Ignatius," Claire said in a proud tone.I realized this must be the bond the director talked about earlier. "I see, anyway, is this everyone that's going to be in the class?" I asked."Hmmm, there should be a few... ah, there they come!" Looking back, I saw several more students and I couldn't help but smile wearily."Princess Tessia is as beautiful as always, isn't she?" I heard one of the students murmur.Walking this way amongst the small group of students was Tessia Eralith, my childhood friend, Clive Graves, the student vice president, and Elijah Knight, student council historian. She noticed me and I could tell she was about to greet me but she noticed that I had an older woman's arm around my neck, so instead, she shot me a glare before snapping her head away, pouting. Clive, oblivious of why she got angry, straight up gave me the death glare as his narrow eyes became even sharper."Good afternoon, Princess Tessia!" Not bothering to remove the arm around my neck, Claire smiled and waves at Tess."Pleasure," she responded, her expression fierce.After she walked past us, she secretly snuck in a pinch to my side, jolting me up."Hmm, I wonder if she's in a bad mood today," Claire pondered.It's because of you!As Claire removed her arm from my neck, I turned to see someone behind us in the back of the group. As soon as I recognized who it was, my face started burning in anger and my clenched fists turned white. It was Lucas Wykes.~~A/N: The upcoming chapters are going to be longer, especially because I will be explaining a lot of things about mana and spells, you can skim through it if you don't want to read, and if I had some time I may make a separate chapter explaining how everything worked. Also, there will be some passages or conversations that are just copy-paste in the next chapter.