[Chapter 14 Comment]
[Twin_dragon13773: Illusions are surprisingly powerful in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing…]
[Midday_Eclipse: Sir Theo I agree with Twin_dragon13773's thoughts on the power of illusions being very strong in the right hands.]
Theo looked through the comments, including those from previous chapters, since he hadn't had time to do so earlier. But before he could respond to them, an idea struck him. He decided to return to the basement to find Aurora.
"I'm done with them," Theo declared confidently.
"I have also informed the academy and my father about this situation. The academy will take care of cleaning up this place, while my father will initiate the investigation. Thank you very much, Teacher," Aurora expressed her gratitude with a polite bow.
"It's not a problem. I'm simply doing my job," Theo replied, shaking his head.
Aurora smiled at him. "Still, I feel like I can learn a lot from you. I've been observing you closely, especially during the sparring sessions with the whole class. Your control over your essence is unparalleled, and your skill in wielding weapons is that of a first-class expert. And let's not forget your illusions... I've never seen illusions like yours before."
Aurora paused for a moment, reflecting on the recent events. "You impersonated Andreas, making the boss suspicious of him while positioning your real body behind the boss. By creating a mutual enemy, you gained the boss's trust in the other person. Then, when the boss was deceived by the illusion, you launched a surprise attack. You combine your intellect with illusions, tricking your enemies." Aurora spoke her thoughts aloud. "It seems that the ability many people underestimate, illusions, can be quite terrifying when wielded skillfully."
Theo smiled, pleased that someone else was discussing his tactics. This way, he could respond to the comment out loud, fostering a sense of conversation and connection with the readers. He wanted to communicate as much as possible.
Theo addressed Aurora, "What do you believe is the most important aspect of illusions?"
"Hmm..." Aurora pondered, tilting her head in confusion. "To make them terrifying?"
"Not quite. Even a gentle conversation like this can be an illusion, and I can use it to defeat you. For me, the most important thing about illusions is to make them indistinguishable from reality."
Theo's interest was piqued by this new information. It was the first time he had heard of illusions being used in that manner. He resolved to explore this method in the future. However, in response to Aurora's question, he shook his head. "Not quite. What I mean is that an illusion should be so convincing that it becomes your reality. The line between illusion and reality becomes so blurred that you start believing the illusion is real."
"I see," Aurora replied, her fists clenched with determination. "I will do my best to learn from you, Teacher."
Theo patted her shoulder and winked. "Let's head back then. Your classmates should be arriving by now. We'll return to the academy together."
"Understood," Aurora agreed as they left the house.
Theo waved his hand, manipulating his essence to carry the corpses inside and closing the door, ensuring that no one would discover what had transpired until the academy team arrived.
As Theo had predicted, when they reached the shore, they found another boat carrying Mia and the others.
Theo instructed them to return the boat they had used to reach the location. Mia and the others were slightly disappointed that they hadn't been involved in Theo's plan. It felt like Aurora had outpaced them due to her experiences. However, Theo had no intention of divulging the details of the incident to them.
While driving back to the academy, Theo responded to a comment from a previous chapter in his mind. "I'm not sure where the cliffhanger left off, but I've been using this opportunity to experiment. I apologize if it's been a bit frustrating, but I'm trying to understand this feature to leverage it in the future."
After bidding farewell to his students, Theo proceeded to report to the principal.
Victoria's hair was disheveled, and papers were strewn across the tables, indicating her lack of time to organize them. When Theo entered the room, Victoria's eyebrows twitched. "So, did you have fun with your students?"
"Of course," Theo chuckled.
"Good for you," Victoria sighed. "But to think you would kill your enemies so decisively..."
"I believe it was necessary to eliminate them to prevent future trouble," Theo replied without hesitation.
"I understand that. I don't have an issue with your decision. As teachers, we have the privilege to take action, even to the point of eliminating enemies if we deem our students to be in danger. We are well aware of the risks involved in gathering individuals from the ten realms in this institution. It's just... it's only been a week since the semester started. Couldn't you hold back a little? I'm the one who has to clean up, you know."
Victoria was stressed about the aftermath of Theo's actions. While teachers had the privilege to neutralize their enemies, the school's reputation could suffer if this trend continued, especially if a teacher abused that privilege.
"In any case, I've resolved the situation concerning Aurora. The powers behind her should handle the rest," Theo assured her.
"Yes, her father expressed his gratitude earlier," Victoria replied, looking down for a moment. "What about her studies?"
"I don't think that will be a problem. She has the desire to improve, and I'll do my best to teach her," Theo reassured.
"And Lancelot?"
"I've taught him a few things. From what I can see, he has enough talent to excel in any field. Even if we're unable to complete the task assigned by his family, his talent alone should warrant their appreciation, unless they are incredibly stubborn," Theo explained.
Victoria scratched the back of her head. "I don't see any issues with that. As long as you produce results as his teacher, no one will question your decisions."
"That's good to hear," Theo nodded. "So, is there anything else you need? If not, I'll head back."
"Not at the moment. You should know that your S Class is filled with talented students, but they come with their fair share of issues. If possible, I want you to address their problems and teach them how to utilize their powers properly."
"That's easier said than done, but I'll do my best to work with that. It's quite a hassle, though," Theo remarked.
"Don't worry. With your contributions, you have numerous benefits and can even request the school's assistance if needed," Victoria assured him.
"Does that mean I can request the school's assistance in investigating the recent incident?" Theo looked at Victoria with a serious expression. While he wanted to find the culprit, he lacked the time and manpower to do so. If the school, or rather Victoria, could handle it, he wouldn't mind focusing on teaching his students.
"That's correct," Victoria smiled. "But with your intelligence, I'm sure you've already narrowed down a few suspects, haven't you?"
"I don't want to make unnecessary enemies," Theo shrugged, turning to leave the room.
"That's right. I almost forgot to warn you about this. You should be careful with Teacher Gareth. He was initially assigned as the S Class's teacher, but I felt you were more capable of handling them, so I gave them to you. He might come to bother you, considering he's a noble from the Knight Realm."
"It's going to be annoying. You always know how to give me more problems, don't you?" Theo rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Don't say it like that. It's not intentional," Victoria replied, her lips curling into a small smile. "The recent success might pique his interest, which could lead him to you. So, consider yourself warned."
"Fine. I just hope he doesn't quit as a teacher," Theo nodded in agreement, hoping to avoid any unnecessary complications.
Victoria couldn't help but feel her heart race. "Wait a minute... are you..."
Theo merely gave her a mischievous smile, silently conveying, 'You may try to use that trick to involve me in resolving that situation, but I'll handle it my way, and it'll create a huge problem for you too.'
Victoria swallowed hard, realizing Theo had given her an ultimatum. If she didn't want the aforementioned Gareth to quit, she needed to find a way to prevent it.
"Did I just bring in a double-edged sword to the school? No, he cleverly used me to prevent Gareth from quitting," Victoria mumbled in frustration. It seemed that the academy wouldn't be lacking excitement.
As the class was about to end and he had received permission to rest after a long mission, Theo decided not to attend the class and instead returned to his apartment with Mia.
"Father, I have good news and bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?" Mia asked. She had been waiting near the principal's office and might have encountered someone earlier.
"Let's start with the good news," Theo replied.
"The good news is that I was provoked by a teacher."
Theo raised an eyebrow. "How is that good news?"
Mia grinned mischievously. "Well, the bad news is about what that teacher has been doing in the past few days while we were away. It seems he's been trying to teach the students in our class, thinking that an illusionist like you wouldn't be able to do anything."
"Now that sounds like good news," Theo smirked. "I hope he creates more trouble for us."
"Why is that?" Mia questioned.
"Because he's our next target," Theo whispered to Mia.
Mia's expression brightened, and she became excited, contemplating the mischief she could cause with this teacher. Both Mia and Theo giggled mischievously, sharing the same intent.