Chapter 114: Dark Rumors

It had been two weeks since Ryu assumed his role as the magic studies instructor.

Every day brought him a unique kind of delight: the legal, unrestrained pleasure of encountering his little sister in the classroom, paired with the thrill of using his accumulated knowledge to push talented students to even greater heights. Occasionally, when his sister accidentally addressed him as “Ryu-sensei” instead of “Onii-sama,” a spark of excitement would flash through him—a thrill no student could ever understand.

(Ah… now I see why teaching is such a coveted profession.)

Even Ryu, who had never held much personal interest in education, found himself surprisingly satisfied with the work. Perhaps those who were drawn to teaching from their student days experienced a similar fulfillment, living each day with a sense of purpose and accomplishment that few other paths could offer.

(Well, then… time to head to the magic studies lecture.)

Ryu rose, collecting his materials, and stepped out of the staff room.

The Imperial Academy’s campus was divided by grade. First-year students had their own building, second-years theirs, and so on. The staff room, however, was located in a separate building, meaning instructors had to traverse the grounds to reach their lecture halls.

Ryu walked across the fountain square, his mind elsewhere.

“…….” whisper
“…….” whisper

Some students who passed him cast curious, suspicious glances his way.

(Huh… probably some ridiculous rumors about me are circulating. Well, that’s expected, so no matter. I’m not planning to stick around in teaching for decades anyway. Best to leave it be.)

After all, he was a fifteen-year-old who had not skipped grades at some other academy, suddenly plucked as an instructor at the Imperial Academy—the pinnacle of the Empire’s educational institutions. Considering he was also the head of the Arden Viscount House, it wasn’t exactly shocking that rumors might spring up.

(I’ll just wait for the gossip to die down. Students will get bored soon enough. You know what they say—talk lasts seventy-five days, then vanishes.)

Ryu arrived at classroom 1-A just as the lecture bell rang.

“This lecture is on the difficulty levels of lightning magic. Even within the category of lightning, its nature and strength vary by color. The simplest form is yellow lightning—essentially the kind everyone sees in the sky. Next is purple. Compared to yellow, its speed is the same, but its power doubles. After that comes blue, which has the same power as yellow but double the speed. And finally… there’s black lightning. Black lightning surpasses all others in both speed and power—it is the ultimate lightning. In terms of difficulty, it ranks: yellow < purple < blue <<<<<< black. However, even yellow is usable by only a select few. Therefore, you needn’t worry about purple or higher for now.”

He continued the lecture, occasionally glancing at Rena, and before long, only ten minutes remained.

(The glasses boy in the front row usually raises his hand at least five times, but today he hasn’t. Well, I suppose even that can happen. Yet his expression seems… off. Has he heard one of my strange rumors?)

As the lecture neared its end, Ryu decided to probe a little.

“Glasses boy, you seem off today. Something wrong?”

“Uh… well…”

He shifted awkwardly, eyes darting.

“I won’t be angry. Just speak honestly.”

“This morning, a friend from another class told me a rumor about Ryu-sensei…”

“Oh? What kind of rumor?”

“It’s… a bit hard to say…”

“Don’t worry. Tell me now.”

“Okay.”

He took a deep breath.

“R-Ryu-sensei… is a high-ranking member of an underground organization…”

“““““!?!””””

The students in the classroom gasped, eyes wide.

But Rena and Ryu remained perfectly calm.

(Ridiculous rumor. Who started this?)

(High-ranking member of an underground organization, huh… That’s quite the imagination. I wish they’d just said I had ties, at most.)

These underground organizations represented anti-social powers, banned in virtually every nation. Assassinations of the upper class, illicit loans, mercenary work—money could buy almost anything. Though prohibited, massive organizations spanning continents undoubtedly had branches, likely even in the imperial capital, Wheel. Attempting total eradication would be futile.

Rumor had it that corrupt nobles sometimes exploited these groups—but whether true or not, a lie had spread throughout the academy: that the Arden Viscount House—and by extension, Ryu—was in league with such an organization.

Those close to him—Empress, Grace, Count Blanc, General Kagura Tokugawa—would laugh it off. But the rest of the aristocracy might not be so forgiving.

The glasses boy trembled.

“Maybe… maybe I shouldn’t have said anything…”

“Relax. Glasses boy. It’ll probably work itself out.”

“T-That’s… awfully casual…”

Alice looked at Rena with concern.

“There’s no way the Arden House would deal with an underground group. What do you think, Rena?”

“Hm? Onii-sama said it’ll work out, so I think it’ll be fine too.”

“Really carefree…”

“Well, compared to war, this is nothing.”

“Your comparisons are… absurd.”

Ryu closed his materials.

“For the record, all those rumors are completely baseless. Continue attending lectures with confidence.”

(Still… I can’t just leave this alone. Rena will be joining the student council next term. Any dark rumors must be snuffed out first. And if the Arden House is suspected, friends like Esther and Grace might be dragged into it. That cannot happen…)

Everyone, never forget.

Dragons are inherently protective of their companions.

A creature of such magnitude does not act selfishly, placing friends above itself.

Those who invoke its wrath will pay dearly.

Ryu’s thoughts escalated.

(Wait… I don’t care if they slander me. But if Rena is harassed or bullied because of it…) 

Suddenly, the weather turned. The once-clear sky darkened, thick storm clouds rolling in, black as ink. Sunlight streaming through the windows was replaced by flashes of lightning.

Students of 1-A peered anxiously at the tumultuous sky.

(If Esther were insulted mid-lecture… If stones were thrown at my mother back home…) 

Those outside scrambled to use bags as umbrellas, fleeing into buildings. Wind blew sideways, shaking the academy. Lightning poured over the capital like an unstoppable storm.

The glasses boy finally spoke, voice trembling.

“Uh… Ryu-sensei…?”

“Rumors have started circulating around the academy. The culprits are likely aristocratic students—or maybe a teacher. But the staff room had no ill atmosphere, so it must be students. Only a few aristocratic girls hold grudges against the Arden House…”

Ryu had once been plagued by a dragon’s consciousness before evolving. Now, his human and dragon minds had merged into an eternal, unified personality—but in the presence of those he must protect, if a certain line is crossed, his anxiety could spiral uncontrollably.

Even after the lecture bell rang, he continued muttering.

(I won’t forgive them. I will bury them along with their territory…) 

“Ryu-oniisama, the bell’s rung~”

“Ah! My apologies. That concludes today’s lecture.”

He strode briskly out of the classroom.

The thunderstorm abated slightly. Students exhaled, but their eyes remained fixed ahead.

For the floor where Ryu had walked was scorched, and faint arcs of black lightning flickered across it.

(Black… lightning…?)

Alice stared in disbelief.

“Rena… didn’t Ryu-sensei just say black lightning is ultra high-level…?”

“Yeah… I think he did.”

Rena gazed at the turbulent sky through the window.

(I don’t really get it, but once we get home, I’m definitely going to fuss over Onii-sama a lot…)