[---]
Damian walked around the area for a few seconds, pondering what to do with the money that he got. He was never really one for spending on extravagant things, but if the money was from someone else, then he'd have no qualms about spending like a king.
Just as he was about to go to the first store, though, he heard footsteps quickly approaching him.
"W-Wait a minute!" Luna screamed while gasping for air.
In all honesty, he expected her to chase him down, but seeing the other person following her surprised him. His purple hair was slicked back and stretched all the way down to his neck, and his grey eyes had a glint of annoyance the moment they landed on Damian...
Despite wearing the academy uniform, Damian could notice just how finely toned his muscles were...
Damian was surprised. He looked more well-trained than some of the soldiers he had fought with on the battlefield...
But well... it was expected for the son of the current captain of the Imperial royal guards.
"You look tired, Miss Luna. How are you already out of breath running such a short distance?"
"E-excuse me? Short distance?... You're nearly at the outskirts of the main square! I honestly have no clue how on earth you're able to walk this far when the store was all the way at its center!"
"Hm, touche. Anyway, I know a nearby store here selling coconut juice. Do y'all want one?"
Luna's eyes widened like a happy puppy as she nodded her head...
"What about you, Sir Richard? Would you like some?"
"I'll pass, thank you."
"Hmm... okay."
All three of them walked towards the store, and on the way, Luna spoke up and addressed the elephant in the room.
"It seems that you know us, Sir... uhm..."
"Damian. My name is Damian Russleborne. I'm just starting my teaching career at the academy this semester, and I'm your advisor as well, so it's only natural for me to know you both."
"Oh, I see! I wasn't able to figure it out since professors were allowed to wear whatever they wanted. I wish they'd allow us that too." Luna felt more at ease and began to walk by his side.
Richard continued to walk behind them, but Damian didn't need to look back at him to sense his guard slowly easing up...
"I had heard that our advisory professor would be new, but you seem to be quite young!... Compared to most of the professors, at least. Ahaha, I didn't expect our first meeting to be like this."
"You and me both, Miss Luna. I didn't expect the princess of the great Ironblood Empire to be scamming blissfully ignorant ladies who spend their entire mornings drinking tea and eating cakes."
"You hold your damn tongue!..." Damian could hear the sound of Richard's blade being drawn, but it was halted midway.
"Oh come on, Richard. Lighten up a bit, yeah? The man was just joking..."
Her smile soon turned into a mischievous grin as she moved close to him.
"By the way you were enjoying yourself eating cake earlier, can I assume you're one of those ignorant ladies?~"
Chuckling, Damian grabbed the fan that was in Luna's pocket before opening it and covering his mouth with it.
"Oh dear, do I look like one?~" he said, acting bashfully.
"Gahaha! You look stupid, professor."
While walking, Luna took out one of the cups that she used earlier. She tapped the bottom part of it twice, and a hidden compartment within the cup opened up, dropping the marble down into her hands. Seeing it work up close impressed Damian.
"I'm surprised you were able to see through it..."
"It wasn't easy. Using magnetism to pull the marble up and down and keep it within the cup? I don't think anyone else could've guessed that, with how people are so reliant on magic."
"I know. I would've made a killing if someone hadn't spoiled it for me..."
"Better luck next time, I suppose. Speaking of which, that machine was done well. Did you make that?"
"A friend of ours did. I'm sure you'll meet her soon since we're in the same class and all."
Luna set the cup back down in front of her, tapped the bottom twice, and in an instant, the marble seemed to vanish...
Once they arrived at the store, they ordered their drinks and sat on a nearby bench.
Luna took a sip, and her eyes brightened...
"Hmm~ This tastes like heaven..."
Once Damian tasted his drink, he couldn't help but agree. The taste was sweet and incredibly simple, yet it's that simplicity that makes the drink so addictive...
After a while, he took out the pouch containing the gold coins from his pocket and gave it to Luna.
"Eh?... Professor, this is..."
"Oh come on, there's no need to pretend. This was your business with me, right? And don't say no because I know damn well you've been trying to steal it for the past fifteen minutes."
"Geh, I've been busted again?..."
"I told you to leave it to me, princess," Richard said as he let out a sigh.
"Don't worry, I'm not so broke that I need to steal from my students... even if the money is dirty. You could say I did all of this just to teach you a lesson: no matter how clever your trick, there's always someone skilled enough to see through it."
Damian took a sip from his drink before continuing.
"And if you just so happen to piss off the wrong person... well, there's no telling what'll happen to you then."
Luna became silent as she stared off into the distance. It seemed that she was pondering Damian's words...
"Ehehe, it's a bit too late for your lesson, professor. You weren't the first one who saw through my tricks and got me in trouble, and you certainly won't be the last."
She grimaced as she reverted back to her bubbly atmosphere...
"...Forgive me for asking, but from what you're saying, this has become a usual occurrence, right? Why? You're an Imperial princess, doesn't your father send you funds?"
From his previous conversation with the Emperor, Damian could already guess why Luna was doing things like this, but he just wanted to hear the words from the horse's mouth.
"Princess... you don't have to tell him..."
"It's fine, it's not exactly top-secret anyway..."
She fiddled with the straw of her drink before continuing.
"My father was actually against me attending the academy, so he didn't provide me anything. Simply put, I'm broke! Ehehe~"
"..."
"I tried applying for jobs around these areas, but most of them aren't comfortable with hiring a big-shot like me. And the ones that do take me in... well, let's just say that my little friend here would scare them so much that they'd fire me within a day."
A hint of sarcasm was in her voice.
"I don't care what you say, princess. Those who are insane enough to hire an Imperial royalty to work for some copper coins are troublesome folks."
"So you're saying you'd rather see me scam and trick people?"
"No, I'm telling you to use the money that my father sends me. But no, you insist on continuing this farce."
"If I'm just gonna suck off money from you like some parasite, then there was no point in me leaving the royal palace in the first place!"
Luna stood up and shouted, catching the attention of everyone around. Upon realizing what she'd just done, she blushed like a tomato before running off. While doing so, she tripped on god knows what, making herself look even more of a fool.
"Ouchie... kgh, I'm heading back! Don't follow me, Richard! And good day to you, professor. Thanks for the drink!"
And with that, she ran off.
"Princess!... Dang it. Thank you so much for your hospitality, professor."
Richard gave a bow as he quickly followed her along...
And Damian continued to sip from his drink as he watched them walk away.
"Hm, I suppose I should be thanking the goddess for not making her as much of an ass as her brother..."
As he reflected on their interaction, Damian couldn't help but laugh at how drastically different those two were compared to their parents. Though, in a way, he was quite grateful for that. If he had to deal with someone as hard-headed as the Emperor and as unserious as the head royal guard, he'd go insane...
After finishing his drink, he went along and continued his reconnaissance.
.
.
.
[---]
The first day of the semester had finally arrived, and Damian wasted no time. He woke up early to get himself dressed in order to look prim and proper. It was his first time actually committing to playing a long-term role, so he didn't overlook a single thing within his perceptions.
He had already memorized most of the course outline and had crafted various lesson plans.
Damian was also able to somewhat do the finishing touches on his persona as a professor...
It was all set. His initial plan would be simple... he'd make himself a trustworthy figure among the students as well as the faculty and use that newfound reputation to help him search for the great evil...
Ideally, he should rise to a position within the council of the school. However, if there's anything he'd learned from his past experiences, it's that high expectations usually only lead to disappointment, so he decided to keep them low for now...
"Alright then..."
Looking at the mirror, he used his fingers to force himself to smile before heading out.