Ch.8484. The Academy Women

“Are you ignoring him like that?”

Findenai follows behind me as I ignore Gideon and walk past him. She glances at Gideon, who has his head bowed low.

“It doesn’t matter. If we just wait, he’ll come crawling back on his own.”

The king of Orpheus has begun to check the power of the noble alliance. In reality, it’s not just a check—each blow from the royal family is enough to make their houses stagger.

“He hasn’t completely lost his rebellious spirit yet.”

Seeing how his body trembles as he forcibly suppresses his anger, his resentment might grow even stronger once he regains his composure.

If I’m going to step on him, I should crush him completely.

I’ve never raised anything before, but I’ve heard it’s important to make sure they never think of rebelling again after being punished once.

“Sometimes you’re overflowing with affection, and other times you’re cruel.”

Findenai chuckles, finding it amusing. Since classes were still in session, we walked through the empty hallway toward the dean’s office.

I was going there to inform the dean of my return.

As we climbed the central staircase, I noticed a blonde girl standing at the top.

“Deus!”

Elenoa Luden Griffin.

The princess of the Griffin Kingdom called my name with her arms confidently crossed.

Her bright smile reminded me of the innocent appearance I had seen before, but her eyes and demeanor showed the confidence of a princess without any hesitation or uncertainty.

“Ah, so that’s her?”

Findenai, who had never seen Elenoa before, nodded with a “hmm.”

Conversely, Elenoa frowned at Findenai’s revealing attire but, not wanting to ruin our reunion, came down the stairs with quick steps.

“You’re finally back! My brother gave me a special heads-up, so I’ve been waiting!”

I wondered how she could time it so well even if she had been informed separately, given the considerable distance.

Anyway.

Looking down at the princess who was grinning in front of me as if expecting something, I said:

“Address me as Professor, student Elenoa.”

“……”

“And I believe it’s class time right now. Why are you in the hallway? First-year mandatory courses should be in session.”

“I-I came out to welcome you…”

“Come to my research office later.”

“R-research office?”

“I’ll be assigning you penalty points.”

“……”

Elenoa puffed up her cheeks and glared at me. After giving her a brief, indifferent glance, I continued up the stairs.

Findenai beside me was trying to hold back her laughter, which seemed to irritate Elenoa, who shouted:

“Deus! Is this reality?!”

“What are you talking about?”

Findenai, not understanding what that meant, picked her ear and answered indifferently.

But I paused for a moment.

After stopping, I slowly turned to look down at Elenoa.

I responded to Elenoa, who was looking up at me from the bottom of the stairs with an expectant, beaming smile.

“I just told you to fix how you address me. Additional penalty points.”

Ignoring Elenoa, whose expression crumbled as her mouth fell open, I continued up the stairs.

If I indulge her once or twice, she’ll get used to it and keep coming back. Besides, I was reluctant to reveal too much information about the previous world.

I briefly reported my return to the dean’s office. The dean kept offering me tea and expensive snacks while wringing his hands, but I didn’t want to waste much time with him.

“Kiya, watching that pot-bellied man wiggle his butt, I thought it was a bear dancing.”

Findenai laughed outside the dean’s office. He probably heard her, but it shouldn’t be a problem.

Now that I’ve become a Spiritmaster directly under the royal family, even the dean can’t treat me carelessly anymore.

In fact, he seemed ready to bow down in gratitude for my return to the academy.

As classes had ended, another student was waiting outside the dean’s office with her hands clasped together.

It was the protagonist, Aria Rius.

After Aria briefly greeted Findenai, I watched the two of them for a moment before casually saying to Findenai:

“Go to the Centante Hotel and bring Illuania here.”

Thinking of her resting in the suite room, Findenai quickly straightened up.

“Right! Wow, she’s been living the sweet life while everyone else has been suffering. I’m seriously jealous.”

As Findenai stomps away, I add one more thing:

“Don’t go there smelling like tobacco. She’s pregnant.”

I said it because it might negatively affect the fetus, but Findenai turned her head sharply and snapped:

“Why? Should I carry her because walking is dangerous too?”

“If you want.”

“Ah, yes! If she hasn’t washed, I’ll even bathe her! If she says it’s hard, I can even carry the baby for her!”

I shrugged my shoulders at Findenai, who was glaring at me angrily.

“If you want.”

“You son of a…!”

Findenai went down the stairs, spitting out harsh curses. Anyway, if I don’t respond this firmly, she’ll run wild doing whatever she wants.

Watching Findenai and me, Aria looked a bit surprised.

“Honestly, I was surprised that you have Findenai as a maid, but I’m even more surprised that you two get along so well.”

“We don’t particularly get along.”

“Could it be that you also have memories of the previous cycle, Professor? How did you manage to make both Elenoa and Findenai your allies?”

She must have found it strange that two people who were powerful enemies in the previous cycle had become allies.

I didn’t particularly want to answer, but I became curious.

“Didn’t I do this in the previous cycle?”

Aria’s expression darkened momentarily. She seemed reluctant to speak about it, but when I waited, she sighed and opened her mouth.

“Around this time, Professor, you were continuously hospitalized.”

“Hospital?”

I thought he would have supported Aria as much as possible since she had enrolled, but he was just in the hospital?

“Yes, because of the original owner of the body.”

“……”

I understood without even realizing it. He must have used his connection with Erika to somehow get to the academy.

But without Aria’s help, he wouldn’t have learned about spirit magic, and he would have been constantly manipulated by the original Deus’s soul, attempting suicide.

“So honestly, I was surprised. I didn’t think the future would change this much just by telling you about spirit magic earlier.”

“……”

“As expected, you’re capable, Professor. If only the original owner of the body hadn’t been so stubborn…”

“That’s enough.”

The original Deus has already entered his rest. I didn’t want to bring him up again just to disparage him.

Accepting my words, Aria moved slightly to the side to make way.

“Are you going to your research office now?”

“Yes, but before that.”

I block her path after she made way. The situation suddenly became one where I had her cornered against the wall.

A rosy blush appeared on Aria’s face.

“What are you doing?”

I don’t know what she was expecting, but it wasn’t what she wanted.

“I need to make something clear. How much do you know about my original self?”

“……”

This was quite important.

So far, only two people knew that I wasn’t Deus Verdi but Shinwoo Kim.

Deia and Elenoa.

I told them because it didn’t seem to matter much if they knew, but in Aria’s case, I wasn’t sure how much information she had about me.

I thought she might tell me, but.

Aria smiled sweetly and answered:

“That your real name is Shinwoo Kim, and that you don’t like being called that in your current form?”

“……”

“After all, you were still you in the previous cycle, Professor. You didn’t tell me much.”

“I see, that’s right.”

Thinking rationally, it was absolutely impossible, but I still had to check.

There was a possibility that I might have told her things like “this world was originally a game” and “you are the protagonist,” so confirmation was necessary.

“You always told me when I was feeling down and struggling. That I could do it. That only I could do it.”

“……”

“Do you know how much comfort you gave me, Professor?”

Smiling sweetly, Aria gently extends her hand toward me. The moment her hand touches mine, I had a strong urge to pull away, but.

I gently took her hand.

“…!”

“I am here.”

“P-Professor.”

“I’m much stronger than before, I’ve solidified my position within the kingdom, and I’m the only Black Mage who can walk with my head held high.”

I needed to give her confidence.

The reason she shows such an obsessive reaction toward me is the fear of losing me again.

So I needed to make it clear to her.

This would be the first step in healing her broken mind.

“I’m still afraid of losing my professor.”

“…I don’t belong to you.”

I corrected this point firmly, but Aria gave a faint smile. A seductive expression tinged with mischief beyond eeriness.

“That’s right, not yet.”

“……”

“Hehe, this time there’s no annoying fiancée in the way, so it’s fine.”

The bell rings.

As the next lecture was about to begin, Aria made a pretend disappointed face and let go of my hand.

“Since you like students who follow the rules well, Professor, I’ll go attend my lecture now.”

“Alright.”

As Aria was about to leave, she suddenly infused mana into her body and clung to my chest so quickly I couldn’t even notice, hugging me tightly.

“Haaah!”

After taking a deep breath, Aria smiled sweetly.

I immediately frowned and was about to say something to her, but.

“Just a precaution. I won’t lose you this time.”

Aria let go of me and left. I was wondering what she meant when the Dark Spiritmaster who had been behind me all along gave me a warning.

[Excuse me?]

“…?”

I didn’t answer and just looked at her, not wanting to spread strange rumors by responding inside the academy, but.

The Dark Spiritmaster’s finger pointed to the end of the hallway where Erika Bright was standing, looking at me with a shocked expression.

Now I understood why Aria had said those things before leaving.

[She’s been watching since you held hands.]

The Dark Spiritmaster added sulkily from beside me. I pondered for a moment what I should say to Erika, but.

She made eye contact with me and then fled.