Chapter 30: Professor Leywin

ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:As we continued down the hallway, my bond, Sylvie, perched comfortably on my head, her small, warm weight a familiar presence. She let out a soft chirp, her bright eyes taking in everything around us. Beside us, Gawain's bond, Demitrius, a massive earth-hued wolf, which was now in a cute small wolf cub form, padded silently.For a while, we walked in silence, the day's events still fresh in our minds. Gawain, always the more thoughtful one despite his intimidating appearance, finally broke the silence."Arthur," he began, his deep voice cutting through the quiet, "that fight with Lucas... how did you move so fast back there? Also, how did you bypass [Inferno Cloak]?I glanced over at him, noting the genuine curiosity in his eyes. I could tell he'd been thinking about this ever since the match ended.We both continued to walk, as I explained the principle of [Zephyr Step] and also explained how I used [Oxygen Redirect], to create a layer where the supply of the essential gas for burning fire—oxygen—which the people of this world don't know, is cut out.As we neared the dorms, Gawain seemed lost in thought, processing everything I'd explained about [Zephyr Step] and [Oxygen Redirect]. His brow furrowed slightly, a sign that he was deep in concentration, trying to wrap his head around the concepts. "I see... It's incredible how you can manipulate mana like that, Arthur. It's not something you see every day, especially the way you manipulate the air itself."I shrugged slightly, feeling Sylvie adjust her position atop my head. "It's something I've had a lot of practice with. The key is precision—controlling the mana down to the smallest detail."As we reached the door to our shared room, Gawain nodded thoughtfully. He pushed the door open, allowing Demitrius to enter first. The room was simple but comfortable, with two beds on opposite sides, a few shelves, and a couple of desks cluttered with books and notes. Demitrius curled up in his usual spot near Gawain's bed, while Sylvie gracefully hopped off my head and onto my desk, where she started nibbling on a piece of jerky by taking it out from my bag.Gawain set his greatsword down with a heavy thud, the blade resting against the wall as he sat on his bed. "You can go take a shower, I am gonna be resting here for a bit before going."Nodding I went to the bathroom to take a shower along with a violent cat like Sylvie._________________________________________________________________________________Today, marked the beginning of a new chapter—my time as a professor at Xyrus Academy, teaching Practical Mana Manipulation. As I made my way through the academy grounds, Sylvie perched on my shoulder, her curious gaze taking in the familiar surroundings. The crisp morning air was refreshing, and the sounds of students bustling around added a certain energy to the place.Whispers followed me as I passed by groups of students. I caught snippets of their conversations—words like "disciplinary committee" and "Professor Giest" drifting through the air. It seemed that the events from yesterday had made an impression on them. The fight with Giest, where I'd intervened to protect Princess Kathyln, had left its mark. And of course, the rumors about my duel with Lucas Wykes, where I'd emerged victorious, had spread like wildfire."Is that him? The one who took down Professor Giest?" I heard one student murmur to their friend."Yeah, and he also defeated Lucas Wykes—completely overwhelming him, I heard," another added, a note of awe in their voice.The students' whispers grew louder as I continued my way toward the classroom. I could feel their curious gazes on me, some filled with admiration, others with disbelief. It wasn't every day that a fellow student—and a 1st-year at that—took on a professor in combat and emerged victorious."Arthur!" A familiar voice called out, breaking me from my thoughts. I turned to see Feyrith catching up to me, his usual confident stride accentuated by his long, flowing hair that seemed to catch the light just right."Hey, Feyfey," I greeted, slowing my pace so he could walk alongside me."Don't call me that!" He exclaimed, clearly embarrassed, and continued, "Anyway, I've been hearing all kinds of rumors about what you've been up to," he said with a smirk, clearly amused by the attention I was getting. "You know, as your rival, I can't let you get too far ahead of me."I chuckled at his words and just nodded. Feyrfey had started seeing me as his rival, though our approach to magic and combat was vastly different."...A-Arthur! Feyrith!" I heard a soft voice from behind me. It was Kathlyn running towards us with Nehir following behind.We stopped walking to let her catch up to us, "Good morning, Princess Glayder!" Feyrith greeted her with a confident grin, "Good morning! And please just call me Kathyln." "Well, Good morning Kathyln!" I also greeted her, and she just nodded her head. She looked like she wanted to say something but was also hesitating. "Is there something you want to say?" I asked, trying to push her so she could say what was on her mind.Kathyln nodded her head, and spoke hesitantly, "I-I am sorry for the problem created regarding Professor Giest, I have talked to the Director about firing him but I have not heard anything regarding that matter back from her."Her bond, Nehir nuzzled against her leg, sensing her unease. Sylvie, perched on my shoulder, tilted her head curiously at Nehir but stayed quiet.I shook my head gently, offering Kathyln a reassuring smile. "You don't need to apologize, Kathyln. What happened wasn't your fault. Also, the incident was settled yesterday, so don't worry.""It is!? But, what about Professor Giest?" She asked, confused. "He was fired, according to what I heard from the director."Kathyln's eyes widened in surprise. "He was fired?"I nodded, keeping my tone calm and reassuring. "Yes, the Director made sure of it. Giest won't be causing any more problems for anyone at Xyrus Academy."She looked relieved, though a hint of concern still lingered in her expression. "But, then who will take the Class today?" Feyrith asked.I smiled at Feyrith's question, deciding to keep the surprise for just a little longer. "You'll see once we get there," I replied casually, trying to hide my amusement.Feyrith raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but didn't press further. Kathyln, now more at ease, walked quietly beside us, with Nehir trotting along gracefully. As we approached the classroom, I could feel the anticipation building in the air. Students were already gathered, chatting amongst themselves, likely speculating about the day's lesson. When the three of us entered, all eyes turned toward us—or rather, toward me.Feyrith and Kathyln headed toward their usual seats, still somewhat oblivious to what was about to happen. I made my way to the front of the room, the students' whispers fading into silence as I stepped behind the podium.Kathyln and Feyrith exchanged confused glances as they realized I wasn't taking a seat with them. By this time, the conversations among the classmates centered around me diminished as more and more of the young mages began wondering what I was doing leaning against the professor's podium I cleared my throat, drawing their attention fully. "Good morning, everyone. I'm not sure how many of you know my name, but I believe that most of you at least know who I am. My name is Arthur Leywin, a disciplinary committee member, the only son of two wonderful mages, a doting brother, and your new professor. Let's get along. "I counted down in my head, predicting when the class would erupt. Almost exactly in sync, the entitled students that filled the classroom stood up in disbelief and some in anger as they shouted to stop kidding around and get back to my seat."You expect us to believe that a brat like you is our new professor?" one of the second-years exclaimed."Stop messing around and get back up here! Who do you think you are?" one short first-year barked.I let out a pained breath as I relished the thought of being able to teach this class while lying down."Mmm... would you guys believe me if I said that Director Goodsky appointed me to be the professor for this class for the remainder of the semester?""Get real!""Stop joking!" "Shut up!"Another round of protests resounded within the room as the students grew rowdier.Looking at my fellow committee members, I could see Feyrith's sharp face, filled with a mixture of incredulity and doubt, while Kathlyn wore a perplexed expression."Don't get so cocky just because you beat the old professor! Do you think you could've won if Princess Kathyln and Feyrith didn't tire him out?" a different second-year jumped down and landed on the stage with a loud thud.The student had a pretty big build, and judging from the poor circulation of mana in his body, he was probably at the level of being able to augment only some of his body.He took long strides towards me, preparing to carry me off the stage. Feyrith stood up, ready to jump on the stage as well to stop the big guy but I just shook my head at him.Misunderstanding my gesture as a taunt, he roared, "You shaking your head at me now? Who do you think you are?"Half of the students were a bit nervous, not wanting to get caught up in another drama during class, while the other half was cheering Mr. Brute on.Shifting my gaze back down at the boy approaching me, I uttered a single word."SIT!"Suddenly bombarded with a large influx of mana, the large student crumpled to his bottom with enough force to slightly shake the stage we were on.The room grew deathly quiet as I hobbled over to the confused and embarrassed student sitting upright on his behind. Standing over him, I remained silent, giving him a moment to let it sink into the oaf what sort of position he was in."Director Goodsky didn't bother giving me any official documents proving my claim, but like it or not, I will be teaching this class. "I stepped over the student and made my way to the other side of the silent room."If any of you has a problem with this, you can take it up with this cute little fox here, though I guarantee that she will easily wipe the floor with any of you" I scooped up Sylvie below her armpits and showed the entire class.The students looked at one another, unsure of what to do, so I continued speaking. "For those who want to leave, I won't stop you—in fact, I'll even allow you to be put into another class of your choice. However, if any of you here are even a tiny bit curious as to what this little boy here with a limp can teach you, feel free to stay. " I pointed at the door and waited a few seconds, but whether it was because of my little demonstration with the second year or because they were afraid, none of the students actually left."Now . . . If you'll please go back to your seat, student, I'll begin my lesson. " I peered at the second-year who had jumped down to show off his limited ability eagerly. His face turned beet red, and the student quickly got up and scrambled back up to his seat. As he did so, I took my time slowly limping back to the center of the stage and leaned on the podium that Sylvie had jumped up on."Since this is a Practical Mana Manipulation class, I'll ask a practical question. What is the best way to utilize mana in the surrounding atmosphere?" I scanned through the seats filled with students when almost instantly, a beak-nosed human student with a ponytail shot her hand up.~~A/N: the updates here will be a bit irregular but you can chec kout my other story TBATE: CAERA.