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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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After the commotion subsided, Allen arrived at his quarters with his two spirited students in tow.
It was less by his own volition and more by theirs.
He’d told them to drop it, but the look in Sena’s eyes as she prepared to unleash divine punishment silenced him.
“Wow! This is the faculty housing?”
Sena exclaimed.
“It’s nicer and bigger than I expected. Better than ours, isn’t it?”
Ariana added.
“Would you two please just stay put…?”
Allen sighed inwardly, watching them explore his room as if it were their own.
How had he gotten himself into this situation?
“Well, you should have remembered your promise to us!”
Sena chided.
“Yeah, yeah, exactly”
Ariana agreed.
“I never specified when I’d be back, so technically, I haven’t broken my promise…”
Allen started, trying to defend himself.
“What was that?”
Sena’s voice sharpened.
“…Nothing. I’m sorry.”
Allen conceded quickly.
Any further argument would only invite divine retribution.
Just when had she learned that magic, anyway?
“I learned it from the Church while waiting for you, Professor. The Cardinal happened to be there. I honed my blade of vengeance.”
Sena explained with a smirk.
“…I said I’m sorry.”
“Oh my, I wasn’t asking for an apology~”
Sena’s melodic voice grated on Allen’s nerves.
How was it possible to step on a landmine with every word?
It was impossible to hold a conversation.
Still, he had to give her credit for learning such a powerful spell in such a short time.
“So, Professor, what was so important that you forgot your promise to your precious students?”
Ariana asked, leaning back in his chair with an air of superiority.
What was so important…?
“A lot of things happened.”
Allen replied vaguely.
“Something you can’t tell us?”
“Yes.”
He couldn’t reveal Lux’s curse.
She had asked him to keep it a secret.
At his firm response, Ariana relaxed back into the chair.
“Hmph, fine. Whatever it was, it must have been important. Important enough to make you forget your ‘promise’ to us.”
“Thank you for understanding…”
“So, next question. What’s with the ring?”
Ariana’s gaze shifted to the ring on Allen’s left hand, the one he had received from the Helios family.
“Ah, this is…”
“Are you engaged to Amy?”
“…What?”
Allen was taken aback by the sudden question.
“What?! R-really? M-marriage?! This is breaking news!” Sena shrieked, practically vibrating with excitement.
“It’s not like that. Just sit down for a moment.”
Allen raised his voice, trying to calm Sena before she bolted out the door to spread the rumor.
What was she thinking?
Did she intend to announce his supposed engagement to Amy to the entire academy?
Before Sena could act on her impulse, Allen sighed and explained the situation.
“…So that’s what happened. Duke Vulcan gave it to me as a thank you for saving Amy. It absolutely does not mean we’re getting married. Don’t go spreading rumors. Understand?”
“Oh, I see.”
Sena said, nodding slowly.
“I understand.”
Ariana added, her expression more thoughtful.
He was relieved they seemed to understand.
Surely, there would be no more misunderstandings…
“But it’s true the Helios family is after you, right?”
Ariana asked, her voice sharp.
“What?”
“She’s right. At this rate, you’ll end up marrying Amy.”
Sena added.
“What are you talking about…?”
“This won’t do. I can’t let Amy monopolize such a wonderful teacher.”
“Even if she’s my precious friend, there are some things I can’t concede!”
“You two, what are you…”
A sense of foreboding washed over Allen as he tried to interrupt, but they ignored him, continuing their conversation.
“No matter what, I can’t lose to Amy.”
“I can’t believe you’re getting competitive about this…”
“I feel the same. I might lose in grades, but not in charm! I’m a Saintess!”
“You’re planning to win with… charm…?”
“But can a Saintess even get married?”
“Hey, are you two even listening to me…?”
“Hmm, I don’t see why not. Our religion doesn’t exactly prioritize chastity… I think even the Pope is married.”
“So it’s fine.”
“Right?”
“Yeah… do whatever you want.”
Allen finally gave up, throwing his hands up in defeat.
The two girls turned to him, a predatory gleam in their eyes.
They spoke in unison, their voices dripping with mock innocence.
“Really?”
“Truly?”
“…You two are ruthless.”
Allen could only shake his head in resignation.
His return to academy life was not going to be peaceful.
He watched them exchange knowing smiles, a sense of dread settling in his stomach.
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“The academy is closed, but the dining hall is open?”
Allen asked, surprised.
“Of course. It’s open even during breaks.”
Sena replied.
Allen was heading to the student dining hall with his two students because they had claimed they were starving from waiting for him.
What else could he do? He was at their mercy.
“Wouldn’t it be better to eat in the commercial district? I’m paying, anyway.”
“No way! Come on!”
Sena tugged at his arm, pulling him along.
“Fine…”
If they insisted on eating at the student dining hall, so be it.
“See? It’s open, just like I said.”
Just as Sena had said, the dining hall was surprisingly crowded.
He recalled Headmaster Heinz mentioning that most students didn’t return home even when the academy was closed.
It made sense, considering Minerva had every amenity imaginable.
It wasn’t as if they needed to go home for anything.
“Professor Allen?”
“Why is the Professor in the student dining hall…?”
“Wasn’t he in the midterm exam…?”
“Is he alright…?”
Murmurs rippled through the hall as students noticed him.
News of the incident on the Isle of Wisdom had clearly spread.
It was probably impossible to keep something like that under wraps.
The Imperial Family had likely suppressed the media, but word of mouth was another matter.
“Come on! Let’s grab a table before they’re all taken!”
Sena urged, pulling him along.
“Alright, alright, there’s no need to drag me.”
Unlike the faculty dining hall, the student dining hall was a buffet.
There was a wide variety of dishes, but what caught Allen’s eye was a large steamed crab surrounded by various shellfish.
It had been a while since he’d had crab.
“You like that kind of thing?”
Ariana asked, wrinkling her nose.
“Huh? You’ve never had it before, Ariana?”
Sena asked, surprised.
“It looks… creepy.”
Did it?
He supposed it could look that way to some people.
Allen piled his plate with the seafood and explained.
“It was an expensive delicacy back home. It’s a bit of a hassle to eat, but it’s worth it.”
“Hmm, maybe I’ll try some.”
Ariana said, intrigued.
“You won’t regret it. Probably.”
“This looks good too!”
Sena pointed to a dish of baked eggplant topped with cheese.
“Are you a vegetarian?”
Allen teased.
“Hey! How did you know? But I like meat too. Like steak. Okay?”
What did “okay” even mean in that context?
Regardless, it looked delicious, so he added it to his plate.
Once they had gathered their food, they settled at a table and began their meal.
“You heard about the midterm replacement assignments, right?”
Allen asked.
“Yeah, I saw the official notice.”
Ariana replied, picking up a crab leg.
“Ugh, no work talk during dinner!”
Sena protested.
“Don’t be silly. Have you thought about how you’ll prepare?”
Unlike the complaining Sena, Ariana answered as she savored the crab.
“Is there anything to prepare for? We just have to do what we always do.”
“I like your confidence. What about you, Sena?”
“I’m totally prepared! It’s not like it’s happening any time soon…”
“So I guess there’s no need for any special training then?”
He had been considering some extra training sessions, but it was ultimately up to the students to prepare.
It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to interfere too much.
He dismissed the thought and popped a plump shrimp into his mouth.
Ariana, her mouth full of crab, blinked at him.
He was relieved to see her reach for another crab leg, apparently enjoying it.
“Special training? What kind?”
Ariana asked, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Did she want extra training?
“Well… I thought the inter-academy competition would be the most important part. I was thinking of some one-on-one sparring sessions.”
“That sounds great! Let’s do it.”
“Huh?”
“I agree! If we can beat you, Professor, the other students will be a piece of cake!”
Sena chimed in enthusiastically.
He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to indulge them.
It wasn’t a difficult request.
“If you want to, we can. But you think you can beat me?”
He asked, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.
“That’s just an expression. How could I possibly beat you, Professor? I’m non-combat! I’m supposed to be protected from the back lines!”
Sena exclaimed.
“That’s true, but…”
Why did that sound so irritating? He forced a smile.
“I like your enthusiasm. In that case, how about we… turn the inter-academy competition on its head with my students?”
“Huh…?”
“Classes resume tomorrow, right? Just wait and see. I’ll teach you everything I know.”
He would make sure they were unbeatable, at least against other students.
He was already starting to formulate lesson plans, his teacher’s spirit ignited by their eagerness.
Their faces, however, seemed to darken.
“Maybe… go easy on us…”
Ariana mumbled.
“Just a little…”
Sena added.
“Huh? What? You want me to be harsher?”
“……”
They exchanged a look that suggested he had made a grave mistake.
He was probably mistaken.
“Why did you say that…!”
Ariana hissed at Sena.
“You agreed too…!”
“That’s because…!”
Allen finished his meal, watching them bicker in hushed tones.
The student dining hall was surprisingly good.
A true hidden gem.
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[MY GUY please just learn to SHUT UP, bro cant control his mouth lmao. just digging himself in deeper holes]
