Chapter 189: Recurring Homeroom Instructor

"Welcome back, students. We are pleased to have you return to the Academy. From today onward, all classes and training sessions will resume according to the regular schedule. We ask every student to follow the Academy’s rules, respect your instructors and fellow students, and take your studies seriously."

The third-year principal stood at the podium, a tall, middle-aged man with neatly combed black hair, sharp gray eyes, and a composed expression that naturally drew the students’ attention.

"To the returning students, continue to work hard and improve your abilities. To the new students, take this time to familiarize yourselves with the Academy and its facilities. We hope that all of you will have a productive and successful year. I am your third-year principal, Tyrone. And with that, the orientation is now concluded."

Seated among the hundreds of rows placed on their very own open-ground complex, Cillian looked ahead at the third-year principal.

Then, gazing around to see more familiar figures, Cillian’s eyes darted toward the far front, where the pink-haired students were seated at the very front, as if demonstrating the power they held.

"Now, let’s get this over with. The Student Council President will take over now."

One man walked to the middle of the stage, which made everyone fall silent as they all looked in his direction.

His pink brows moved gently, and his eyes narrowed as he looked across the hundreds of people sitting around the ground complex. With a calm voice, he introduced himself.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Kairus Xesie, the Student Council President. There’s really nothing else to be said. I hope everyone enjoyed their time at the Academy. I will now call out the members of the Student Council who will help you in times of need."

[Death Flag]

The introduction of the Student Council continued after the orientation ended.

...

There really wasn’t anything particularly new that Cillian found in the orientation. It was just the usual talks where everyone with a higher status in the Academy introduced themselves, such as the three principals and the Student Council of Xesie Academy.

However, he was still curious about everyone since he was in uncharted territory with enemies all around him, which made him listen throughout the discussion and introduction.

"Kairus..."

The firstborn of Harper Xesie, Kairus Xesie.

A Circle Two Sorcerer, a proficient swordsman, and a close aide who worked directly with the Lord. There was no information on whether he was secretly a Ruiner or not. He was also the same person Cillian had met back in Viola, whom he had locked gazes with.

Last but not least, a current Death Flag in Cillian’s eyes.

’Yeah, that bastard is the real deal, all right.’

The way Kairus presented himself was much different from how Cillian would have thought he would appear. He more or less expected another Fergus in the Academy, but he was deeply wrong.

It was just...

’Villain diff.’

Cillian couldn’t help but be amused at his own thoughts as he made his way toward their first homeroom. Because they were still new to the class and hadn’t chosen any of the classes they wanted to attend aside from the mandatory one, which was their homeroom, this was the only time they could do so.

It was something that every first-year always did on the first day, and the previous Cillian had done so as well.

Eventually, Cillian reached his destination as he gazed up at the signboard meant for his class.

[Class 7-A]

This was the special class given to those who came from Viola. It was only because some of the classes from 6-A onward were still full that Cillian could guess that, to avoid disrupting the already formed classes, they had to implement a Class 7.

Sliding the door open while leaving Darwin behind on the side, Cillian soon saw a bunch of heads turning toward the door. It was a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar faces, all wearing the Academy uniforms.

Still no Fergus or Aster in sight.

Well, Fergus might not be a classmate, which Cillian had become convinced of by this point, but Aster would definitely be a classmate of his. There was already a list of students on the papers they received as they went to their class, giving them information about who their classmates were.

’I hope Fergus won’t suddenly change his mind and decide to attend ours. Wherever he is, I don’t care.’

Just as he was pondering, Cillian’s eyes narrowed toward the homeroom teacher’s seat. He had expected it to be a random instructor, but his eyes betrayed his surprise.

Slightly widening his eyes, Cillian’s face twisted slightly.

[Death Flag]

"Welcome, Cillian."

It was Ulrich Jade, the conservative nobleman. If he had previously had glossy black hair, what was left was a bald head, which he covered with a beanie. He wore an exhausted smile, while most of his previously fair skin had been replaced by burn marks that appeared as hideous scars. However, those scars also carried a sense of achievement, which was the fact that he had survived the attacks of the Black Shepherds.

However, his eyes were dead.

The same as Darwin and the rest of the Academy’s survivors, he had changed, but for a different reason.

And his was one of the worst things that could happen to someone, especially for a loving father such as Ulrich.

’According to Darwin, his wife and two kids died during God’s Descent. Because he was locked up like Darwin, he was unable to protect his family.’

It was such a shitty thing to hear from Darwin that Cillian could only remain silent as he listened.

But another alarming matter surfaced in his mind.

’Don’t tell me Zeist, the second-year principal, and Meister, the professor of the Flame Conjuration class, are also here? That crazy principal. No wonder he was mentioning Ulrich from time to time during our conversation. So this was it!’

Cillian looked behind him and saw Darwin staring at him. He never said anything and moved right beside the other guards staying outside the classroom.

’Did Finn get all of them?’

It was only Darwin who had approached him, but Cillian was already thinking that the four who had attempted a hidden attack on Captain back then had gathered once more to take revenge.

’Fuck, this is going wrong on the first day. Just because I told him that they were Helping Hands working for the Shepherds.’

Cillian never revealed the information about what he had told Scott to Darwin for one reason: the Death Flag above the crazy principal’s head.

The Xesie was already wary of him because he had disrupted the Shepherds’ plans. By chance, Darwin had barged his way through to the Xesie without any plan in mind and somehow got captured, forcing him to reveal this information about him. If that information spread, it would be very dangerous.

If that information spread, Cillian’s plans to expose the Xesie for working with the Shepherds would continue to disappear.

’You’re more reckless than me, you bastard.’

Cillian thought inwardly before Ulrich’s voice called out to him.

"Cillian, close the door. We’ll be starting."

Finding himself still staring at Darwin as everyone inside the class looked at him, Cillian let out a soft sigh before moving inside.

’The situation is still within my reach.’

Cillian closed the door and added inwardly.

’It should be, right?’