Chapter 54
“Disturbance at the Academy”
(Conspiracy and Stratagem in the Capital Arc – Part V)
The next morning, the academy was far noisier than usual.
A faint breeze carrying the last traces of summer swept across the courtyard, yet neither the students nor the teachers had the leisure to enjoy its comfort.
“Did you hear? About Professor Kai?”
“They’re saying the Council is considering expelling him…”
“But if his classes are gone, we won’t even be able to use magic properly!”
The rumors raced down the covered corridors and poured into every classroom.
Standing before the blackboard, Kai heard the whispers—but, as always, he simply picked up his piece of chalk.
“Alright, class. Lesson’s startin’. Gossip’s just gossip. The only truth y’all need is what’s written on this board.”
The students exchanged uneasy glances but obediently opened their notebooks.
That afternoon, however, an announcement swept through the entire academy:
“A special Faculty Council will be convened after classes today.
Agenda: The continued employment of Temporary Instructor Kai Cross.”
In an instant, a wave of agitation rippled through the halls.
◆◇◆
After school.
The teachers were assembled in the Grand Auditorium.
Behind them, in the gallery seats, an unusually large number of students had gathered to watch.
The chair of the Council, an elderly professor, struck the floor with his staff and began in a solemn tone:
“The agenda is—whether or not to continue the employment of Kai Cross.”
Immediately, a few faculty members raised their voices.
“Professor Cross is competent, yes—but the rumors outside are appalling.”
“He’s an outsider, and far too close to the Duke’s family. We can’t let the academy get entangled in politics.”
“If we dismiss him, the matter ends quietly.”
One heavy voice followed another.
Then—
A single student stood up from the gallery.
“Please wait!”
Her clear voice rang through the hall.
She was a girl who, thanks to Kai’s lessons, had been able to use magic for the first time in her life.
“If not for Professor Kai, I might never have been able to cast a spell! He taught me how to believe in myself—he made me proud for the first time!”
Another student rose to his feet.
“Me too! The professor taught us why we could succeed! Driving him out would be completely wrong!”
Then another, and another.
Soon the entire gallery was on its feet, voices overlapping in a rising chorus:
“If you expel Professor Kai, we’ll all quit the academy!”
“There’s no point in studying here without his classes!”
“The Cross Class stands with our teacher!”
The auditorium erupted into chaos.
Some teachers looked stunned; others scowled.
The chairman struck his staff against the floor, but the students’ fervent cries would not stop.
At the center of it all, Kai stood beside the podium, silently watching.
His chest felt hot, and his vision blurred slightly at the edges.
(…Guess I’ve been the one gettin’ protected all this time.)
(Even though it’s supposed to be my job to protect them…)
Yet their voices—his students’ voices—were the strength that held him up.
◆◇◆
At last, the Headmaster rose to speak.
“Everyone, look. This—this is the result of his teaching.
A teacher whose students would raise their voices like this for him—
I do not believe such a man deserves exile.”
The old voice carried power and clarity throughout the hall.
“Professor Cross’s employment shall continue.
In fact, we should begin discussions to appoint him as a permanent member of the faculty.”
Thunderous applause broke out among the students.
Some teachers nodded in agreement; the dissenters fell silent.
When the council ended and Kai stepped out of the hall, Lutia hurried toward him, her sapphire eyes shining with determination and delight.
“You saw, didn’t you, Kai? Your place here is no longer in question.”
“…Yeah.”
Kai scratched his head, letting out a wry smile.
“But still… feels like I was the one bein’ protected again.”
Lutia giggled, slipping her arm through his without hesitation.
“Oh, I don’t see a problem with that. A husband who’s cherished isn’t such a bad thing, is he?”
Her playful words were followed by laughter from nearby students and cheerful shouts of—
“Professor!”
Their voices echoed warmly across the academy, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
