The blazing sunlight shone down from above, its heat pressing heavily against the skin.
Strong winds swept across the training grounds, carrying dust and the smell of scorched earth through the academy field. The intense training and overflowing magical power made it feel as if the sun itself had descended directly above their heads.
Then—
BOOOOM!!
The moment the magic struck the training dummy, a massive explosion erupted.
The blast created a violent shockwave that shook the entire training ground. Powerful winds burst outward, forcing the students to shield their eyes with their arms.
The explosion left behind a massive crater.
Not only was the training dummy completely destroyed, but even the wall behind it had been blown apart. Cracks spread across the ground itself.
Ard slowly lowered his hand and dispersed the dark crimson aura surrounding him.
His expression remained completely emotionless as he stared at the destruction.
'My salary...'
He was worried about the repair costs.
Meanwhile, the students could not even speak properly anymore.
Some stood frozen without expression.
Some smiled in disbelief.
Others had shrunk pupils and pale faces.
Different reactions, yet all shared one thing in common.
Cold sweat.
They were both terrified and amazed by magic without mana.
Questions flooded their minds.
Was this truly what they would learn from now on?
Were there even more unbelievable things waiting for them?
How strong was Ard actually?
Who exactly was he?
And what kind of destructive power was that?
Unfortunately for them, those questions were meaningless.
Because Ard was the type of person nobody could predict.
"As you can see, this is magic without mana."
"Wah~ That was incredible, Professor Ard."
Elisha suddenly appeared behind Ard.
Ard jumped backward in surprise, instantly ruining the cool atmosphere.
"H-Headmaster! Do not suddenly appear behind me!"
"Fufufu, this is fun."
Elisha glanced toward the destroyed area before smiling softly.
"It is only your first day teaching, yet you already destroyed part of the academy. Honestly... perhaps this month's salary will never reach your pocket~"
"W-What...?"
Ard froze with his mouth slightly open.
It looked like something inside him had just shattered.
"Hahaha! I am joking, joking! There is no way I would do something that cruel to my little Ard!"
Elisha suddenly hugged him tightly.
Ard's face was buried directly into her chest.
He immediately struggled to escape because he could barely breathe, but Elisha only tightened the hug further.
'This feels like a snake...'
"L-Let go of me..."
Eventually, Elisha released him while still smiling happily.
'Ugh... she is definitely enjoying this.'
Ard looked slightly irritated but quickly regained composure.
"Ahem! As you all saw earlier, this is magic without mana. The effects and characteristics differ greatly from normal magic that uses mana. Why? Because-"
"Magic without mana is far purer and possesses characteristics that are difficult to understand. It requires deep comprehension of the world itself. However, in exchange, it has no limits."
Elisha naturally continued Ard's explanation.
"Correct. Mana itself is actually an artificial system. Long ago, living beings were unable to use resonance stably."
To simplify it, a Great Mage created the concept of mana as a form of energy.
Mana acted as fuel.
It made magic easier to use and significantly more stable.
"This also allowed ordinary people to use magic. However, the drawback is obvious. Magic becomes limited by the amount of mana someone possesses."
While Ard explained, Elisha casually touched his cheeks, ears, and even his long hair from time to time.
Ard was clearly annoyed by it, but he ignored her because he was teaching.
"So, any questions?"
"..."
The students remained silent.
Perhaps they were still processing Ard's explanation.
Or perhaps they were more focused on why the Headmaster kept clinging so closely to him.
At the moment, Elisha was hugging Ard's arm again.
'Ugh... what exactly is she doing...?'
Ard tried pulling away once more, though just as expected, it was not easy.
Then Claire suddenly raised her hand.
"What about dark magic and holy magic? The Great Mage you mentioned should be Great Mage Vali, the transcendent human, correct?"
"Wow~ That is a very good question~"
Elisha looked impressed.
Ard thought briefly before answering.
"Imagine the Great Mage as the inventor of mana itself... Ah, let us use firewood as an example."
The students listened carefully.
"Firewood can be used for many things. One example is cooking. With it, we can create edible meals."
Claire frowned slightly.
"I still do not understand. What do firewood and food have to do with magic?"
Ard paused for a moment, searching for a better explanation.
"In simple terms, the Great Mage only created the concept of mana itself. Dark magic and holy magic were developed later by different people who used that same concept."
He looked toward the students.
"Holy magic and dark magic do not represent good or evil mana. Everything depends on the user and how it is used."
"..."
"Remember this well. Never judge someone solely based on the magic they use. You have no right to assume dark magic users are evil or holy magic users are righteous."
Ard crossed his arms.
"Dark magic is commonly associated with demons, while holy magic is commonly used by churches because of divine blessings. But that does not automatically define good and evil. Understand?"
"Understood!"
"Did that answer your question, Claire?"
"Yes. Thank you."
'Ard noticed her mood had calmed down slightly.'
"Alright then. That is enough for today! Go rest properly! And remember, rest!"
The students finally began dispersing.
Some chatted excitedly while leaving the training grounds, already discussing future plans.
"You are actually quite good at teaching, Professor Ard."
'Well, that makes sense. In my previous life, teaching and guiding people was practically my job.'
"It is nothing special. More importantly, someone wanted to meet you."
"Who? Couldn't you have simply sent someone to call me instead?"
"Hmm~ Maybe I simply wanted to see you."
Elisha smiled while still hugging Ard's arm.
Ard shivered slightly after seeing that smile.
"Alright then. Let us go meet this person."
"No need. I am already here."
A woman's voice suddenly interrupted them.
Ard immediately recognized it.
The moment he turned around, cold sweat instantly formed on his face.
It felt as though he had just encountered the angel of death itself.
His expression remained blank, yet his face had turned pale.
If Elisha had not been gripping his arm tightly, Ard would have already escaped by either running or flying away.
At this point, Ard was honestly beginning to get irritated.
'Why does she keep hugging my arm? Is she actually a woman? What kind of monstrous physical strength is this...?'
Then the owner of the voice approached them.
A beautiful woman with long flowing blonde hair walked toward them gracefully.
She wore a noble white dress decorated with silver accessories. The most eye-catching ornament was the symbol of the sun surrounded by stars.
The emblem of the Sanctum of Eternal Light.
"Ard! I never expected you to become a professor here! This is wonderful! You can teach my future successors now!"
She laughed loudly.
"Ugh... Headmaster, let go of me."
Ard looked completely desperate.
"I need to leave for my next class."
An absolutely unbelievable excuse.
Elisha stared at him with amusement.
The idea of Ard willingly caring about his next class was simply impossible.
After all, Ard hated teaching because it interrupted his peaceful lazy lifestyle.
"Eh~"
Elisha tightened her grip even more.
"That is rude. Tiffany has been waiting a long time just to meet you."
"Exactly. Besides, I heard you hated teaching because it conflicted with your dream of living lazily."
The woman speaking was Tiffany.
A Saintess from the Sanctum of Eternal Light.
And one of the few people Ard genuinely tried to avoid.
Why?
Because Tiffany talked far too much.
Once she started speaking, she could continue endlessly.
"Suddenly, I feel incredibly motivated to teach. So excuse me, Headmaster, Saintess, I will be leaving now!"
"Nope!"
Elisha suddenly hugged Ard from behind to stop him from escaping.
"T-This is bad..."
Ard's body trembled.
"If Tiffany starts talking, it will take three entire hours before she finishes! And if she has not finished speaking yet, nobody is allowed to leave!"
"But I think Tiffany is cute when she talks."
"Cute my foot!"
Ard shouted in frustration.
"She treats anyone who leaves midway like a heretic!"
"Wah~ Really? But she still seems the same as when she studied here before."
"Oh, come on, Headmaster!" Ard cried out dramatically while glancing toward Tiffany, who already looked ready to begin another endless conversation.
"You always think everyone is still a child because of your age!"
"It is rude to talk about a woman's age."
Elisha pinched his stomach.
Ard flinched in pain.
"M-My apologies..."
"But... I do see you as a man now."
Elisha muttered quietly against Ard's back.
Her voice was soft and muffled.
Normally, nobody should have heard it.
But Ard's senses had long surpassed normal limits.
He heard everything clearly.
The moment those words reached him, Ard's face instantly turned red.
Elisha noticed his heartbeat suddenly becoming faster.
Then she realized something horrifying.
He heard it.
"T-That is not what I meant!"
PAN!!
Elisha shoved Ard away with enough force to send him crashing straight through a nearby wall.
Dust exploded everywhere.
A moment later, Ard calmly stood back up while brushing dust from his clothes.
"You know..."
He pushed his hair backward dramatically.
"Do I look like an orc to you?"
His slightly irritated face somehow looked absurdly handsome.
The moment Elisha saw that pose combined with those words—
"M-M-MY APOLOGIES!!"
She immediately fled at terrifying speed.
Ard simply stood there silently, watching her disappear into the distance.
"...What is wrong with her?"
Tiffany walked closer toward him.
"No idea."
Ard closed his eyes and smiled weakly.
"But more importantly..."
A single tear rolled down his cheek.
"She abandoned me here... alone with you."
"Wow. You cried after seeing me? Did you miss me that much? Ho-ho-ho!"
Tiffany immediately began talking.
Meanwhile, Ard stood there silently like a man whose soul had already left his body.
'I want to go home.'
And so, Ard was forced to listen to Tiffany's endless chatter for quite a while.
* * *
Meanwhile, inside her room...
Elisha buried her face into a pillow while lying on her bed.
"W-What is wrong with me...?"
Her face was completely red.
She remembered Ard pushing his hair backward while saying:
"Do I look like an orc to you?"
"OF COURSE NOT!!"
Elisha screamed while repeatedly punching her pillow.
"I admit it already! You are obviously a man!"
Her face grew even redder.
Perhaps hot enough to cook food perfectly.
After destroying the poor pillow completely, Elisha finally calmed down and sat quietly while hugging her knees.
Even so, her face remained bright red.
"I never paid much attention before... Even though I kept hugging his arm all this time... I did not realize his body was actually that good..."
She covered her face immediately.
"Kyaaa~ What am I even thinking?!"
Meanwhile...
Inside the academy cafeteria, Ard's students had gathered together for lunch.
And their conversation naturally revolved around only one person.
Professor Ard.