12 - Problematic

Tik Tik Tik.

The sound of the clock echoed through the quiet office.

"Haaaah…"

A long exhale slipped from Professor Ludger's lips. As both an instructor and homeroom teacher, he also bore the thankless role of principal of Lumen Academy.

A title he never asked for. And one he despised.

He hated every moment of it. The paperwork, the politics, but most of all? The students doing something monumentally stupid on day one.

His gaze dropped to the pair of reports freshly stamped on his desk.

Charlotte Lilt. Ellen Ymara.

A sigh heavier than before escaped his mouth. "Even though I had hopes for this year's freshmen..."

Tok Tok.

A polite knock snapped him from his thoughts.

"Professor, it's me. I brought them."

"Speak of devils…" Ludger muttered, massaging his temple. "Get in."

The door opened with a soft creak. A neatly dressed faculty member entered, ushering in two very familiar faces.

Charlotte wore her usual smile, unbothered by the situation. Ellen, meanwhile, walked in with her hands in her pockets, her expression seems bored.

"Sit down," Ludger said, his voice low and firm. "Do you two understand the consequences of your actions?"

Silence.

Not out of fear or remorse. No. They just didn't feel like responding.

"Skipping class barely five minutes after I gave you all the freedom to explore your available courses." He let out another long sigh. "I can't tell if you're bold, reckless, or just stupid."

Ludger straightened in his chair, folding his hands neatly on the desk.

"I'll give you a warning since it's your first offense, and your first day. But let me remind you. You are students of Lumen Academy. Act like it." He said with a stern tone.

His eyes met Charlotte's.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes~" she answered cheerfully.

He turned to Ellen.

"Yeah," she replied, short and to the point.

Ludger stared at the two of them for a long second before finally waving his hand. "Get out of my sight. And don't let me see another report like this again."

They didn't need to be told twice.

As they stepped out of the office, the hallway outside felt unusually quiet. After a few steps, Charlotte leaned closer to Ellen and whispered with a grin,

"Well… that could've gone worse."

"I couldn't care less," Ellen replied flatly.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Charlotte asked, still grinning.

"I might check the combat training course. Sounds like the least boring option." Ellen said.

"Hmm, good idea. I'll tag along. I also want to visit the canteen."

---

The two girls walked side by side, Charlotte lazily twirling a snack stick between her fingers, while Ellen's gaze roamed the campus.

The path toward the training ground led them farther from the elegant main buildings. The air shifted as the surroundings grew rougher.

What once looked like a prestigious institution began resembling a military camp.

From around the wall, muffled voices could be heard. Not joyful or excited, but sharp and sneering.

And then they both paused for a moment.

"Is that…" Charlotte frowned.

Ellen didn't say anything. She moved silently to the edge of the building, peeking around it. A group of three students, clearly from noble backgrounds judging by their adorned uniforms, had cornered another student.

The boy they were taunting wore a plain version of the academy uniform, no emblem, no crest. His sleeves were rolled up, probably from being shoved around, and his knees were stained from the ground.

One of the bullies used wind magic to knock the poor boy off balance, causing him to stumble and hit the wall.

Charlotte crossed her arms and sighed. "And here we go."

Ellen turned to glance at her. Charlotte added, "Bullying's still a thing, obviously. Even here. Especially here."

Ellen didn't look surprised.

Charlotte continued, "We could tell a teacher, I guess. But I doubt anything'll happen. Those guys? Two of them are from Lesser Nobles. One's the nephew of a Baron."

Ellen remained quiet.

"Just ignore it," Charlotte said with a lazy shrug. "It's not worth the trouble."

But by the time she finished that sentence, Ellen was already walking away.

"...Huh?" Charlotte blinked. "Wait—Ellen?"

---

The bullies paused when they noticed a shadow approaching them. A girl, tall and composed, walked toward them with her hands in her pockets and a look that screamed disinterest.

"What's this?" one of them muttered.

"Hey," Ellen called out, her voice calm. "You guys done playing around?"

The leader of the group, a smug-looking boy with golden cuffs, stepped forward. "Mind your business. This doesn't concern you."

Ellen tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Oh, but it does. You see, I was getting bored. And your pathetic display here gave me an idea."

The leader's eye twitched. "What did you say?"

"I said," Ellen stepped closer, her red eyes gleaming, "that you're embarrassing yourselves. All that noble blood, and this is the best you can do? Stepping on commoner?" She smiled.

A spark of wind magic burst at her feet. Ellen didn't flinch. In fact, she casually side-stepped it without looking down.

"I missed on purpose," the boy snarled.

"Sure you did." Ellen's tone was dripping with sarcasm. "Try again. Aim for real this time. I want to see how fragile your ego really is."

"You little—!"

He launched a proper spell. This time with force. A narrow whip of wind slashed toward her. Ellen simply leaned back, letting it pass just inches from her nose.

Her grin widened. "Is that all?"

The confidence in her stance wasn't just arrogance. It was dominance. The way she moved, the way her eyes locked onto them, it was clear. She wasn't scared. Not even slightly.

One of the bullies realized this. "Hey, maybe we should—"

"Shut up! She's mocking us!"

From afar, Charlotte munched her snack. "This is getting good..."

But her smile vanished as a familiar presence approached.

Professor Ludger.

Charlotte immediately left, silently wishing Ellen good luck.

Ellen, just as she reached for the noble's collar, froze when a firm grip caught her wrist.

"Well well," she muttered. "Ain't that my luck."

Ludger didn't say a word. His expression was ice. His eyes shifted to the commoner boy. He gave him a small nod.

Then he turned to the three nobles and grabbed each by the collar.

"You're all coming with me."

---

At the different part of the training ground.

Caelan leaned against the railing, arms crossed, watching the instructor demonstrate mana application in hand-to-hand combat.

Beside him, Sylva scribbled notes with intense focus.

Suddenly, the doors slammed open.

Professor Ludger entered the field with five students behind him.

Caelan blinked. "What the hell..."

Among the group was Ellen, calm as ever. The commoner boy stood nervously behind her. The three nobles looked shaken.

Charlotte had vanished somewhere into the watching students.

Ludger approached Instructor Limina, a sharp-eyed woman built like a seasoned knight.

"Instructor Limina. I've brought some students for disciplinary demonstration."

She raised an eyebrow. "Again? It's the first day."

"Exactly why they need it. Humble them before their egos grow unchecked."

Limina grinned. "My favorite kind of lesson."

She turned toward the students. "Which one first?"

Ludger's eyes flicked to them all.

"You decide." He said before leaving the training grounds with the commoner.

The crowd murmured with excitement.

Caelan leaned in. "Whoa, that girl... She's nuts." He said while scratching his head.