Chapter 16

◈ Chapter 16: Suspicion (1)

'Why is that person suddenly here?'

I don't know why the principal is here, but I entered my personal office with a very relaxed pace and closed the door.

Without knowing the purpose of her visit, I must never reveal my true feelings, no matter what happens.

Click.

As the door closed, a suffocating silence filled the room.

I naturally sat opposite the principal, who was already seated on the guest sofa.

She was just smiling at me.

The principal spoke first.

"How is it? The interior design is quite beautiful, isn't it?"

Her words were just a casual opening, with no real substance.

However, I don't let my guard down. Her actions might be a way to test me.

"Yes, it is."

"Seorun Academy provides each teacher with their own personal space. You can do whatever you want here without worrying about others."

"I like that."

The principal's golden eyes turned to me.

I met her gaze without flinching.

In her eyes, which were like beautifully polished amber, I saw my own reflection.

Even when we first met, her gaze made me feel uneasy.

I immediately changed the subject.

"Why did you come here, Principal?"

"Is there a place where I shouldn't come?"

"I'm just curious why a busy person like you would visit a new teacher's personal space."

"Well, I didn't come to a place I shouldn't, did I?"

"But it's a bit overwhelming."

When I spoke bluntly, the principal fell silent.

Her gentle smile remained, but a strange emotion, like ink spreading in water, filled her eyes.

The principal shook her head.

"I don't have any particular reason."

"Is that so."

"Since you're a precious new teacher at Seorun Academy, I naturally have to pay attention as the principal. I was surprised that there were no major issues in your first class, and your first impression on the students seems to be good. That's a relief."

With that, the principal stood up.

I asked out of courtesy.

"Would you like to have a cup of tea?"

"Huh?"

Was she surprised by my offer?

She made a slightly bewildered expression, then curved her eyes like a crescent moon.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have a mountain of work to do. I barely managed to find time to come here."

"I see."

"And since you just arrived, do you even know where the tea and cups are in this office?"

"Probably somewhere in the shelves."

"Wrong. We only have coffee here. If you want tea, you need to request it from the tea room."

"I see. I didn't know that."

"You can learn it over time. Well, I hope we can work well together in the future."

With a playful smile, the principal left after saying that.

She was like a calm storm.

I sighed softly and rubbed my temples with my fingers.

* * *

"How was it?"

As the principal walked down the corridor with a relaxed pace, the old man Wilford followed and asked.

"Did your suspicions about Mr. Rudger clear up?"

"Hmm. I'm not sure."

The principal recalled the conversation with Rudger Chelice, specifically his restrained attitude.

"Somewhat ambiguous."

"Is that so?"

Rudger Chelice was a unique man, the principal thought.

Anyone who meets her eyes is captivated by her golden eyes.

More precisely, they are captivated by the innate magical aura in her eyes.

The Enchanting Gaze.

It is the power the principal possesses and the main reason she reached this position.

Of course, she doesn't intentionally use the Enchanting Gaze on others. It's more like a natural constitution, so anyone who meets her eyes will be affected, whether she intends it or not.

Now, she can control it to some extent, but in the past, it made her daily life quite difficult.

However, as the principal, she honestly admitted that without her Enchanting Gaze, she wouldn't have reached this position.

It was the best tool for identifying anyone who might have ulterior motives when entering Seorun.

She tried to gauge his true feelings through a personal interview.

'My Enchanting Gaze is more effective the stronger the other person's magic power is.'

Her Enchanting Gaze can affect up to a 4th Circle Mage, assuming they aren't using mental defense magic.

Especially, the stronger the magic power, the easier it is to be affected. The power of the Enchanting Gaze is proportional to the total magic power of the other person.

But Rudger didn't react.

He's a 4th Circle Mage, yet his reaction was completely different from the other teachers.

The first time he met her gaze was when he entered her office.

And this was the second time.

The man showed no signs of wavering even after facing her Enchanting Gaze twice.

Did he not see it? No. He recognized it. But he didn't react.

He resisted the power of her Enchanting Gaze with an iron will.

The principal's eyes sparkled.

'Really.'

He's an interesting man.

She couldn't help but think that.

But she couldn't openly show her feelings.

"I'm checking the movements of people who seem suspicious, but so far, there's been no significant progress."

Since she learned about the unsavory group hiding in Seorun, she couldn't overlook even the smallest details.

Among them, Rudger Chelice was involved in a train terrorist incident on his way here.

It wasn't his fault, but it made her suspicious.

What if the train incident was a cover, and someone had switched places with Rudger Chelice during that time?

So, the principal sent Wilford, her most trusted confidant and one of the strongest in Seorun.

Under the pretext of greeting him.

"What do you think, Mr. Wilford?"

"Hmm. I can't trust him immediately, but I didn't find anything particularly suspicious either."

"I see."

If Wilford said that, it could be one of two things.

Either Rudger Chelice is truly innocent.

Or he's so extraordinary that he can perfectly deceive us.

'For now, I can only hope it's the former.'

There are too many things to worry about right now, so she decided to stop thinking about Rudger for now.

"Ah, but there is one thing I can be sure of."

"What is it?"

"That Mr. Rudger Chelice is definitely not ordinary."

"Not ordinary? What makes you say that?"

"I can only attribute it to an old man's intuition."

"What do you mean?"

Wilford seemed quite favorable towards Rudger Chelice.

If Wilford, who has a keen eye for people, says this, it might be trustworthy.

But she doesn't completely dismiss her suspicions.

Any moment could lead to the worst possible outcome.

As a mage, one must deeply consider such possibilities.

Most importantly, she is the principal of Seorun Academy.

In a position that allows no room for complacency, she must be cautious about every possibility.

* * *

Alone, I could only let out a sigh and relax my shoulders after confirming that her footsteps had faded away.

I'm exhausted.

My brain is demanding magic power.

'For the principal to suddenly visit.'

She said it's a routine personal interview for new teachers, but who would believe that?

Everyone would think it's an interrogation.

'The important thing isn't that.'

I immediately sat at my personal desk.

The desk, made of fine wood, looked quite expensive on its own.

On one wall, there was a clock made of gears. On the other, a map of Seorun was pinned to a board.

Rich red curtains were spread on either side of the window, and the chair I was sitting in was also very luxurious.

I marveled at the space Seorun provided to new teachers and the high-quality items filling it.

I examined the list of students in my class.

'It's true.'

There was a student with an unusually long and impressive name.

Erendil von Exilion, 2nd year.

Anyone who isn't a fool would know she comes from a noble lineage if she has the name Exilion as her surname.

'That's the girl who boldly asked me questions during the orientation.'

Her face seemed familiar, and now I know why—she's from the royal family.

This is going to be a nightmare. The princess is attending my class.

She might attend other teachers' classes too, but that doesn't lessen my burden.

Even though Seorun is a semi-autonomous region within the empire, things change when there's someone from the royal family.

If something happens to her, I'll be in a difficult position.

'Nothing should happen here, but just in case.'

Small incidents can occur during magic potion experiments, live combat simulations, or alchemy sessions.

Even if I try my best to ensure the students' safety, there are times when students fight in places teachers can't see.

To minimize such situations, teachers are given the duty to protect the students.

...Thinking about it, there's a secret society hiding in Seorun too.

'This is going to be a nightmare.'

No, but for now, nothing will happen, so I'll try to stay calm.

I carefully examined the list of other students.

There were quite a few standout students among the 1st and 2nd years.

'Like Flora from the Lumos family, and even a noble from another kingdom?'

Then my gaze stopped on one student.

'Eidan.'

He's not from a particularly prominent family, nor has he received training from a renowned mage. Just an ordinary civilian.

He must have talent to be here, but compared to other students, there's nothing particularly special about him.

'Something about him seems familiar.'

There was something that strangely caught my attention.