The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 114

Someone once said: Youth is more beautiful than flowers.

And the warmth that comes to those experiencing pain in their youth tends to easily melt their frozen hearts.

Isn’t there an old saying that “Even slaves form bonds with each other”?

The warmth shown by the usually unlikeable young man, his maturity, and his passion was more than enough to inspire admiration!

It was more than enough to melt the frozen heart directed at Amon.

Ah, that’s not to say that romantic feelings had blossomed.

However, it was clearly “fondness.”

‘Yes. I was surprised to find he’s a better person than I thought, but it’s definitely not romantic feelings.’

Fiora consoled herself as she headed to the principal’s office.

“What? You want to extend your observation period by a week?”

Anar’el tilted her head at Fiora’s sudden request.

It wasn’t unusual for new teachers to inquire about classroom observation, but most usually asked to reduce the observation period.

Yet here was someone asking to extend it instead.

“Yes. I think I’m still not ready to teach classes on my own. So I’d like to observe and learn more from other senior teachers. Please, Principal.”

Seeing Fiora bow her head as she spoke, a look of deep emotion appeared on Anar’el’s face.

For a 269-year-old high elf and educator, it was always delightful to see someone who recognized their own shortcomings and sought to learn.

“Alright! Go ahead!”

“Thank you, Principal.”

“Hoho, seeing Professor Fiora so enthusiastic makes me happy! Was there perhaps something that triggered this?”

Fiora had been approaching her teaching duties without enthusiasm, though not quite as badly as her initial troublemaking.

But suddenly she was acting like a completely different person!

To Anar’el’s question, Fiora answered.

“I feel that at this rate, I won’t be able to help my senior as a junior should.”

“Ah! It seems someone has awakened Professor Fiora’s mindset as a teacher!”

Anar’el’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“Could it be Professor Amon?”

“…”

Seeing Fiora quietly smile without answering, Anar’el’s ears fluttered with joy.

“I knew it! Indeed! I’ve always believed in him!”

“…”

“Hohoho, hiring Professor Amon must be the most rewarding decision of my time as principal…But why are you looking at me with those eyes?”

Anar’el spoke with a trembling voice, seemingly uncomfortable with Fiora’s unsettling smile as she stared at her.

Fiora shook her head.

“No, it’s nothing. Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Yes! I look forward to working with you.”

Fiora left the principal’s office while maintaining her suspicious gaze.

* * *

At lunchtime, Amon’s face looked extremely relieved as he sat at the table and picked up his spoon.

‘It feels like I’ve gained an army of thousands.’

To think that Fiora, whom he thought was just another typical troublemaker from a noble family, was actually a normal person!

Moreover, yesterday she had declared that she would support him as his junior.

‘It’s reassuring. Very reassuring. With this, the number of normal people in our academy has increased to two. In this hell of a den, gaining a precious colleague is quite comforting.’

As Amon was contentedly enjoying his meal, he suddenly turned his head.

Fiora was approaching with food, presumably to have her meal as well.

“Oh! Junior! Over here, over here.”

“Hello, Senior.”

“Want to sit here?”

After Fiora nodded and sat down, Amon spoke in a subtle voice.

“How do you feel about your first class today?”

“That…”

“No, no. You’ll get indigestion while eating. It was stressful, wasn’t it?”

Amon, displaying abundant consideration for his first junior (as always mentioned, he just doesn’t like Kai for some reason), picked up his spoon as if suggesting they should just eat first.

“Let’s first eat…”

“I extended my observation period.”

“Eat first and then talk…What did you just say?”

What’s with this sudden curve ball when things were going so well?

“Ex-extended observation? Why suddenly…?”

“I received permission from the principal. I had entered the observation period with a casual attitude since I hadn’t been thinking about teaching, but I thought it would be better to start over from observation if it’s to help Senior Amon.”

“Uh…”

That makes sense.

‘But isn’t she being too serious?’

Though momentarily thrown off by Fiora’s solemn attitude that wouldn’t seem out of place if she were heading to a battlefield, Amon quickly concealed his surprise and spoke with a forced cough.

“Ahem, Fiora. Now that I hear it, you have a point.”

“Thank you, Senior.”

“However, there are things you can realize only when you face the actual situation unprepared. Sometimes you can gain more desperate realizations because of your inexperience.”

Amon said with a gentle smile.

“So how about reconsidering the extension of your observation period?”

That dirty rhetoric of agreeing with the other person while pushing his own opinion came out again!

But this time, Amon thought he wouldn’t be able to change Fiora’s opinion.

‘Actually, it’s not wrong. How can you teach alone when you haven’t even learned anything during observation?’

Therefore, Amon decided to pretend to give in if Fiora insisted on her opinion once more.

By doing so, he could show the broad-mindedness of a senior!

“Yes, Senior.”

“Huh?”

“Then I’ll go tell the principal right away to withdraw the observation extension. We should hurry to avoid any confusion.”

As Fiora stood up abruptly, Amon also jumped up.

“Wait! Wait!”

“Yes?”

“L-let’s sit down and eat first. There’s still time until your class anyway.”

“Understood, Senior.”

As Fiora sat back down, he looked at her.

“Um, let’s eat quickly.”

“Yes.”

Watching Fiora nibble on her pie, Amon was breaking out in cold sweat.

‘Why is she suddenly so scary?’

With a strange sense of unease, Amon stirred his pilaf and said,

“Um…Fiora?”

“*gulp* Yes, Senior.”

Fiora quickly swallowed her food to respond!

Amon’s eyes trembled.

‘Wait. Could it be?’

Amon opened his mouth.

“Could you stand up?”

“Yes.”

“…Turn around once.”

“Yes, Senior.”

“This can’t be…”

She even turns around when asked?

Amon slowly closed his eyes.

“Ahem! Fiora, this senior wants to eat a cutlet.”

“I’ll go order it.”

“Ehem! Bring some water too when you come back!”

Watching Fiora hurry away, Amon clenched his fist.

He was trembling.

‘I haven’t lived my life in vain! No doubt Fiora must have been deeply impressed by my character and broad-mindedness! Such a respectful attitude toward a senior…It’s like seeing myself! She must have learned from observing me!’

Sloth, who was half-dozing while eating at the opposite seat, said,

“Hey, Amon. Don’t bully your junior.”

“Oh my, suddenly I’m hearing strange noises.”

Amon, who was tapping his ears as if clearing sudden tinnitus, smiled brightly.

‘Such a loyal junior! Finally, a light has come to my academy life!’

* * *

Three days later.

While heading to the cafeteria, Amon naturally reached his hand behind him.

“Ahem! Fiora, hand me a handkerchief.”

Fiora, who was following one step behind, naturally placed a handkerchief in his hand.

“Here it is, Senior.”

“Thank you!”

“Not at all.”

Amon was practically using Fiora like a secretary.

The problem was that Fiora didn’t seem to mind.

No, rather, Fiora was actively taking care of Amon’s needs.

“Senior, here’s your usual chamomile tea.”

“Huh? I’m not thirs-”

“It’s been 1 hour and 16 minutes since you last had chamomile tea. Considering your usual pattern of drinking chamomile tea, that’s already 27 minutes over. The consequences of not drinking chamomile tea, which greatly helps with mind and body function, are…”

“I’ll drink it! I’ll drink it!”

After hurriedly accepting the chamomile tea and gulping it down, Amon saw Fiora wearing a satisfied expression.

And there were several people watching this scene from afar.

“What kind of crazy behavior is that?”

In response to Marion’s shocked words, Sloth said with a stern face,

“She’s gone crazy.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, indeed. Poor Fiora. If the Pendorean family learns of this…”

“No, I mean Amon.”

“Huh? Oh, right. Amon is quite crazy too.”

Kai shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t matter.

“What’s the problem? Recently, Fiora’s observation attitude has become very good. She’s working hard as if trying to learn even one more thing during observation, isn’t she?”

“That’s true, but…”

“They say when someone’s behavior suddenly changes, it’s time for them to die.”

At Sloth’s grumbling, Kai smiled and said,

“Well, anyway, I think it’s a good thing. Let’s just watch quietly for now.”

“Is it really a good thing…?”

Marion continued to glance worriedly at Amon and Fiora until the end.

Meanwhile, Amon was eating his meal with an emperor-like demeanor.

“Fiora, the bib is a bit…”

“No, Senior. If you spill stew on your clothes, the grease will require a long time for laundry, which would greatly disrupt your schedule.”

“Then, I’ll just eat pilaf…”

“If your nutrition becomes unbalanced, it will greatly affect your condition…”

It meant he was receiving excessive protection.

Kai, who was watching this scene from afar, chuckled amusingly.

‘As expected of the Pendorean family.’

The Pendorean family has been a loyal family serving the Imperial family since the 7th Emperor of the Empire.

Considering that the current Emperor is the 18th Emperor, this means they have served the Imperial family for 11 generations, for hundreds of years.

In other words, putting it nicely, loyalty has been ingrained in their family for generations, and putting it badly, they have inherited a seemingly crazy slave mentality for generations!

No wonder during the Great War, an enemy general disparagingly called the Pendorean family “The Empire of Amonis loyal dogs”!

‘To that extent, members of the Pendorean family tend to show blind trust in those they serve. In Fiora’s case, it seems to be Senior Amon. Well, not all members of the Pendorean family live only looking at the Imperial family.’

Kai found this situation amusing.

‘A member of the Pendorean family supporting Senior Amon…Father would faint in surprise if he knew this. But maybe that could become an opportunity to see Senior Amon in a new light?’

Kai, who was smiling gently, looked at Fiora.

‘…But even considering she’s from the Pendorean family, isn’t this a bit too much?’

* * *

In his office, Royce, the head of the Pendorean Duke family, who was checking documents, suddenly looked out the window.

Beyond the sun, he seemed to see his beloved daughter’s smiling face.

“It should be fine. As long as that child’s bad habit of getting too immersed doesn’t show up.”

It already has.

* * *

In the evening, while organizing materials for tomorrow’s class, Amon turned his head at the sound of knocking.

“Senior Amon, the principal is calling for you.”

“Huh? The principal?”

Grumbling while changing into his formal uniform, Amon went outside where Fiora was waiting.

“Ahem, you’ve worked hard, junior.”

“Not at all.”

“Thanks for letting me know. You can rest now.”

“No, I’ll escort you to the principal’s office.”

Here, Amon must have knocked on the principal’s office door dozens of times more than Fiora, including kicks, and must have eaten dozens of times more meals than her, so what kind of guidance is this!

‘It was nice at first, but it’s getting burdensome now.’

This can only go on for a day or two, but it’s already been three days.

But to firmly reject such goodwill from Fiora?

‘Yes…Senior, I’m sorry.’

She would hang her head like a puppy drenched in rain, so Amon, with his tender heart, couldn’t just drive her away.

“Alright…lead the way.”

“Yes, Senior.”

Staring at Fiora’s back as she walked ahead majestically, Amon chewed his lips.

After three days, anxiety was starting to creep in.

‘She doesn’t seem normal either…’

Amon followed Fiora to the principal’s office while rubbing his stomach that was churning with anxiety.