Chapter 32: The Teacher’s Interrogation

After an entire day, Allyrose left school, having spent an excessive amount of time in the library and infirmary, leaving her little time to linger on campus.

However, as school dismissed, Allyrose suddenly spotted a familiar figure standing at the school gate.

It was Yuna, her class teacher!

Upon seeing her, Allyrose’s previously buoyant mood deflated instantly. Head bowed, she began to furtively dodge any gaze, intent on slipping away unnoticed, silently chanting to herself, ‘They can’t see me, they can’t see me, they can’t see me!’

As Allyrose attempted to pass through the school gate, a hand shot out, seizing her. She was yanked around, only to be met with a look of clear displeasure etched on the teacher’s face.

“Cough, cough, cough… Oh, uh… what a coincidence, Teacher~”

Facing the tall, red-haired woman, a formidable presence at 1.75 meters, Allyrose felt a sudden meekness. At only thirty years old, Yuna’s magical talent was renowned throughout the entire Royal Capital, astounding even the most seasoned mages.

Even Allyrose, who prided herself on being a ‘bad girl,’ found herself behaving like a meek child in Yuna’s presence, only able to offer an awkward greeting.

“Coincidence… is it?”

Yuna’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Allyrose intently. A slight frown creased her brow as she questioned in a severe tone:

“Where have you been? I didn’t see you in class all day! My, Miss Allyrose, you truly are remarkable. This morning you put on quite a show for the entire school faculty and students, and then in the afternoon, you decided to play disappearing act with me. Young Miss, have you finally decided to do as you please, completely unconcerned?!”

“Oh, oh, oh~ This, this, this… what you’re saying… that’s not quite right…”

Allyrose hastily cleared her throat twice more. After a brief pause, she finally looked up, gesturing towards the white-haired youth beside her, and began to explain:

“Cough, cough, actually, I was taking this new student on a tour of our school! I was performing a great act of kindness, Yuna-chan~”

“As you know, it’s quite difficult for new transfer students who enroll mid-way to integrate into the group and understand the school environment. Without proper guidance, they can easily fall into anxiety.”

“Today, I proactively stepped forward, taking Luo Jia to tour the campus and familiarize him with the surroundings. This is a powerful symbol of the friendliness and kindness taught to your students!”

“Stop spouting such useless nonsense to me!”

With a swift ‘hand chop,’ Yuna struck Allyrose on the head, causing the twin-tailed girl to cry out ‘Ouch!’ and immediately clutch her skull, her eyes welling up with tears.

Watching the scene unfold, Luo Jia was utterly dumbfounded.

Incidentally, he really wanted to know where Allyrose had learned that ‘hand chop to the head’ move.

‘Who said this magic school was useless? This…’

‘The things one could learn here were simply too bizarre!’

Just as Luo Jia was silently complaining to himself, Yuna turned her head, casting a glance at him.

With just that one look…

Even the Lord Demon King snapped to attention.

‘It was strange, he mused. Even though his own strength far surpassed hers, this woman seemed to possess some innate, marvelous aura of confidence, capable of making anyone feel a powerful presence before her.’

“Hmph, this boy beside you, isn’t he clearly the new pretty boy escort you’ve found, you little rascal? He’s quite handsome, I’ll admit… Hmm, but wait, don’t you have a fiancé, little girl?”

“He’s a male servant, a retainer! Wh-what pretty boy?!”

Allyrose hastily shook her head, her face flushing crimson. She then sighed, quickly changing the subject:

“Alright, alright, I won’t talk nonsense with you anymore, Teacher. This is getting more and more ridiculous.”

“I apologize, I’m sorry… I… cough, cough, actually, I ran into a bit of trouble. So I had to go to the library to find a solution, which took a long time, and that’s why…”

“Ah… is… is that so?”

To Allyrose’s surprise, Yuna didn’t immediately question whether she was fabricating an excuse after hearing her explanation. After all, Yuna usually harbored such suspicions.

But this time…

The red-haired woman lowered her head, and after a moment, let out a worried sigh. When she looked up again, her brow was lightly furrowed, and she spoke to Allyrose with a tone tinged with a melancholic complaint:

“You little rascal, you used to be so well-behaved and sensible. Why are you so mischievous now? Sigh, I understand, as your teacher… sometimes people truly are like this; they fight for pride, not just for sustenance.”

“To be suddenly replaced in that position, anyone would feel unwilling to accept it. But, Allyrose, you must understand one thing: sometimes, people cannot be too conspicuous. The more you stand out, the more easily you become a target.”

“Sometimes, one must also learn to tuck their tail between their legs and keep a low profile…”

As Yuna spoke, it was as if she were recounting her own past sorrows. After a moment, she sighed once more, then looked up, her gaze filled with concern as she spoke to Allyrose:

“I didn’t understand this principle either, once. I relied on my small talent, looked down on everyone, and dismissed everything.”

“But look at me now… Am I not still working for the Holy See, staying at this magic academy, teaching you? Sometimes, people must learn to be content!”

“Sigh… Look at you, so conspicuous this morning, you’re bound to have annoyed some people…”

“Oh… I understand the principle, but Teacher, isn’t the example you’re using a bit too abstract? Do you think I don’t know? The Holy See pays you hundreds of thousands of dinars a month to teach here, and you have the autonomy to decide how many classes you teach each week and when you teach them…”

“Why do you make it sound like you were forced into teaching, an unappreciated talent oppressed by circumstance, just to make a living? Seriously!”

“Such a sweet ‘oppression’—could you arrange a similar one for me, please?”

Finally, Allyrose couldn’t hold back and blurted out her complaint on the spot. Immediately, the twin-tailed girl, who had just exposed the truth, was met with a deadly glare from the red-haired woman.

After a long moment, Yuna finally sighed silently, nodded, and then spoke the words she had truly intended to say when she stopped Allyrose at the gate to ‘interrogate’ her.

“Yes, yes, yes… I admit my job is particularly enjoyable~ Heh, especially since I get to bully little brats like you! Well… it’s not *that* exaggerated, I suppose… Sigh, for example, my class schedule isn’t entirely up to me either…”

“Sigh, perfect timing, Allyrose. Let me tell you about the class the principal scheduled for our class tomorrow: Wunaluo Forest, a practical combat lesson!”

“Moreover, they’re looking for a student representative to challenge a disaster-level magical beast that was just discovered there. Heh… I really don’t know what that kid from the royal family is thinking, proposing such a request…”

Listening to Yuna’s frantic hinting, Allyrose couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. A moment later, she nodded nonchalantly, causing Yuna to grow anxious and quickly make her ‘hint’ explicit:

“Allyrose, even though you were nowhere to be seen all day today, don’t even think about skipping tomorrow’s class! Hmm… However, if you genuinely have some troublesome matters, you can ask me for leave and skip the practical combat lesson tomorrow.”

“But you have to tell me now! So? You little rascal, you’re definitely planning to run around again tomorrow, aren’t you? Speak up!”