Academy Principal

The devoured spells I'd stolen from Norman were diminishing, turning me back into my normal appearance.

I wasn't a magic beast incarnate anymore, but a lowly commoner who beat the shit out of an arrogant young master.

That felt good to me briefly but I knew I had to face the aftermath of my actions.

"…"

Looking at the half-unconscious Norman lying on the ground, my gaze shifted to the same instructor who intervened in the duel even though not a 'signal' of surrender was enacted.

Slowly, this individual walked in our direction before stopping in front.

His gaze slowly fell on me before ending it towards Norman.

His demeanor screams that he is angry about the situation but… I was able to notice the shift of his lip and eyes for an instant before turning it back to being stoic.

"What's your name? You don't look like a student hence I'm assuming you're just newly admitted students of the Academy,"

Huh, I thought we were fighting as well.

Slapping Norman on the cheek as if to show my dominance to the teacher, I answered grumpily.

"You're right, I just got admitted. The name's Cillian Wellington."

"Cillian…"

His actions were a bit different to what I imagined him to do.

If he had been aggressive and planned to attack me, I would've known. However, nothing like that surfaced.

He calmly tapped my shoulders and said.

"If you got admitted you're still a student of the Academy. Follow me to the principal's office now,"

The figure looked around the hall and announced.

"This duel is over. Head back to your classes now,"

The individual who seemed to hold a high authority got to move everyone like that.

He reprimanded me calmly, dispersed the students, and asked someone to carry Norman from the clinic while being mindful of the eyes that came to watch the duel.

Finally, his gaze fell and stated.

"Hello Cesar, my name is Leonard. I'm the current principal of the Academy. And a troublemaker like you should be given a lesson,"

Give a lesson huh…

Never heard that in a while.

…

The only one who followed me towards Leonard's principal office was no other than my sister, Yana.

After all, if you were being led to his office after doing something atrocious to disrupt the Academy's peace, no one would want to be an audience that might get them also in trouble.

By the looks of it, it was all right for them that I was the only one who took this fall… which is right on its own since I'm the one who started it.

"Maybe we should've gone home instead of roaming around…"

Yana appeared shaken that I was being brought to Leonard's office on our first day.

Who wouldn't?

In the eyes of others, I'm a troublemaker and trouble will definitely follow me.

But I reassured my sister that anything that had happened here was not her fault as I caressed her hair.

"This is entirely on me. If I get expelled due to my actions, I'll strike a deal with this guy and make you continue enrolled here. Trust me and don't blame yourself, okay?"

After a few minutes of walking, we're finally at his place.

The windows are covered with curtains, and the room is of moderate size—not too large or small. A table with a chair where he usually sits is positioned in the center, lined by sofas on either side for the people he meets.

'Huh?'

However, the supposed empty sofa had an individual sitting on it.

And it was no other than the first placer of that other trial, Aster Densworth.

 "What the? Another kid?"

Even Leonard was surprised and slightly amused.

Walking down towards his chair, Leonard sat down before signaling me and Yana to sit down on the opposite sofa where Aster was sitting.

Leonard looked at Aster and asked absentmindedly.

"Uh, you're here for what?"

Aster glanced in my direction momentarily before answering Leonard to explain his situation.

"Someone asked me to duel him and things got heated up. Turning bad to worse, this second year got beaten up by me and I got sent here to talk to you. However, I was just following the rules. He hasn't surrendered yet it's my fault that he lost to me. By the way, I think the reason I'm being sent here is because he's some child of some Marquis in the Dimity Kingdom,"

Wow, it almost looked like the same situation as mine.

Leonard even looked at me to confirm that he was hearing the same thing before a chuckle escaped his lips.

"Goodness, we have two geniuses here beating up second years like it's nothing. All right, I don't know what transpired on your side Aster but I'm sure it's no different from Cillian,"

My gaze instantly shifted to Aster who did the same thing to me.

Then our gazes returned to Leonard as we awaited the consequences of our actions for messing up some nobility that tried to do that first.

"Now then, what's this is all about?"

Here it comes…

"This is a show, duh,"

Huh?

"Look, I'll also be in big trouble if I don't reprimand Cillian for straightening up that arrogant child. Oh, I don't know who you messed up with Aster but you also did a great job,"

Our heads tilted sideways, visibly confused if we were being given a punishment or a compliment for doing those actions.

But we're slowly convinced it's pointed at the latter.

"Why?"

The question in my mind was voiced out from Aster's mouth.

Leonard shrugged and replied immediately as though he had already expected the situation to happen from the start.

"Believe me or not, the Academy is already at the point where students focused on high connections rather than deep learning. Some of the teachers have contact with children while those children abuse their powers since those teachers are there to protect them.

"But you two are different. You have the talents and skills to stop those arrogant bastard— students from doing whatever they wanted. Hehe, to be honest, watching Cillian destroy Norman was gratifying,"

Leonard is very… interesting.

He seems to be on the side of justice and equality and will do whatever it takes to put those things into action.

But I think I got the gist of where this conversation was leading to.

And by the looks of it, he's starting to get right in the discussion.

"So, I was thinking so hard about how I can use your talents to fight those arrogances, and one thing that came to my mind is you guys joining the student council. Haha, I know everything's fast but I also got people behind me who are determined to change the Academy as it is."

Well, that was indeed fast since what he's asking required us to do some hefty work.

In a nutshell, he was using our abilities to change the Academy. He wanted to use 'us' to pluck out those students and restore the Academy the way it was in the past.

And what will we receive from him?

Undoubtedly, it is the protection.

Beating up those children in higher positions just had its cons.

But if we're on Leonard's side, that could be arranged.

Leonard confirmed this suspicion of mine when he stated.

"I'm sure you realize you are some threat to them. They will obviously harass you in any way possible but I could prevent that. Of course, I'd still protect you even if you don't accept my terms. You can just think of joining the student council as a way to get you at the top while also doing some work,"

That's generous of him.

I thought that he was hiding his true self and then straight up forcing us to do this plan, but he seems to be really a good guy.

But who knows, maybe he's just good at hiding it?

I tried to see what reactions Aster was having… and I shouldn't have done it.

"Woah…"

His eyes were full of admiration and respect for Leonard.

Aster didn't appear to be innocent which still made me think that way, however, he seemed to like the idea of straightening out 'those' kinds of students freely and declared it the judgment of justice.

Looks like he had one talented fellow to do his work.

As for me, I don't see the benefit of working together with Leonard.

"Is that it?"

Everything that he said, I can do on my own.

Leonard who didn't seem disheartened about my actions smiled.

"Yep, that's it? So, are you in or out?"

"I'm in!"

Suddenly, Yana raised her voice as she raised her hand which made me jerk my head towards her.

"Let's do this together, Cillian! I-I also want to beat those shit—students that looked down upon us. We're going to save the Academy!"

She had that bright smile on her face as she said those dangerous words.

But what can I do, she's convinced that she's doing the right thing which they are.

"Hahh…"

I guess I'm sold.

After all, there's nothing bad about this.

Both my hand and Aster raised our hands together and said jointly.

"We're in,"