Chapter 3 - 3. Senile Old Fools (1)
A luxurious office, filled with the subtle aroma of fine tea.
The gentle strains of classical music, the personal taste of the room's owner, lent a refined, old-world atmosphere…
But I was in no mood to enjoy it.
"So,"
The girl in front of me—the ancient dragon who'd been around since the Empire's inception—crossed her legs and asked.
"You're telling me you truly knew nothing?"
A playful tone, a hint of a mysterious smile on her lips.
Anyone with half a brain could see that the girl before me didn't believe a word I'd said.
Three hours of questioning, and it had all led to utter failure.
'This is driving me insane.'
I swear, I didn't lie. My goal here is to get fired, after all.
I laid out the facts plainly, with no regard for saving face or appearing respectable.
…It was just that my account sounded too far-fetched.
"You suddenly wanted to make a public display of racism and simply acted on that impulse. And the person you chose to target happened to be a high-ranking demon who had successfully infiltrated the academy?"
She rose from her seat, slowly approaching me and locking her gaze onto mine.
"And then, the demon essentially self-destructed trying to attack you, and you never intended to fight back. That's really what you're claiming?"
She drew closer, close enough that I could practically feel her breath.
"Our new teacher is quite the lucky one, it seems."
With her piercing gaze, she whispered. Her words were now openly mocking.
The pressure was intense, enough to make me want to shrink back, but I couldn't afford to.
Instantly discerning the demon's identity. Remaining completely unfazed while subduing him, even protecting the students?
They'd never let go of such an asset.
This place isn't a school; it's a death trap.
That much was made clear by the recent demon incident. I can't let myself be stuck here.
Meeting her gaze, I declared shamelessly.
"Yes, I have always considered myself quite fortunate."
In both my past and present lives, I've always had unusually good luck.
And since I had no need to fake it, there wasn't a hint of doubt or hesitation in my voice.
Of course, the truth of my words doesn't help much, considering how unbelievable they sound.
As expected, she gave me another mysterious smile before speaking.
"…Very well, I'll take your word for it."
The headmaster leaned back into her plush chair, leaving me stunned.
Seeing my bewilderment, she kindly offered an explanation.
"I can see right away whether or not you're lying."
She pointed to her eyes, and I finally understood the situation.
'So, it's a function of the dragon's gaze.'
It makes sense. Eyes that can see through lies are a common trope in novels.
And if anything, it would be strange if the eyes of a dragon lacked such abilities.
'Wait, if that's the case…'
The situation had shifted. My decision to speak nothing but the truth had unexpectedly paid off.
Honestly, even to me, my story sounded implausible.
But to the headmaster, it was clear that I was telling the truth. From her perspective, I probably seemed like a hopeless mess of a person.
Which means this is my chance. A chance to make myself look even worse and get expelled from the academy.
No reason to hesitate.
I stood up abruptly.
My sudden movement made the girl look at me in surprise, but I didn't care and furrowed my brow in irritation.
She must have wondered why I was acting out of nowhere. But isn't that exactly the kind of insufferable behavior I'm aiming for?
"I've been stuck here for three hours already. I have no interest in wasting more time on these trivial discussions."
I tapped my wristwatch dismissively.
The headmaster seemed about to speak, but I cut her off first.
"Next time, please prepare something other than tea. I don't care for tea."
So this tea, carefully brewed with premium leaves, in which she'd clearly put effort?
I won't drink a drop. I'll stomp all over your pride and grind it into the dirt.
"Well then, I'll be going now."
And since I'd done enough for today, I decided to clock out early.
I turned toward the door and began walking out of the office—a textbook example of obnoxious behavior.
Add in my prior offensive comments…
"What did you say your name was again?"
Mission accomplished. Despite having my file right in front of her on her desk, she asked for my name.
That was clearly her way of saying, "You've definitely ticked me off."
"Lian. No family name, as I'm a commoner."
With that, I left the office.
Just as the door was about to close, I heard her mutter.
"…I'll make sure to remember that name."
Yes. Don't forget it. Remember it well.
And then, go ahead and fire this insufferable madman!
The headmaster's office, after Lian had left.
With two cups of tea that had long since grown cold, Sion, the headmaster of the Imperial Academy, sighed.
'This is… a complete loss. I have no excuse.'
At first, it was simple curiosity.
The new professor's strange behavior had piqued her interest, so she used her "eyes" to assess him.
But he'd evidently taken offense at her attempt to peek into his inner thoughts. He'd started provoking her blatantly.
-"It was sheer coincidence. I just wanted to indulge in some racism."
There's no such coincidence in the world.
-"I'm not even as skilled as the other professors. How could I defeat a demon?"
What Lian dealt with wasn't just any demon. If it were some minor pawn, the professors wouldn't have struggled so much.
This was one of the Seventy-Two Demonic Pillars.
Specifically, Amon, ranked seventh, known for his elusive nature.
Not a mere servant of demons, but a demon himself.
-"I only survived by sheer luck. The demon happened to impale himself on my dagger by accident."
And no self-respecting demon would carelessly expose their core. They would've hidden it, scattered it, masked its presence.
But to claim it was "luck" that allowed him to pierce the demon's core so accurately?
The dagger even bore the Imperial seal, yet he claimed to be a mere commoner?
There's no such coincidence in the world.
Lies, lies, lies.
Every word Lian uttered in that office was a lie no one would believe.
If she wanted to probe his intentions, he'd let her look all she wanted. That was the attitude he'd shown as he taunted her.
'And yet I couldn't see through his lies.'
She took pride in the dragon's eyes that stripped away all deception, yet in the end, she'd been completely outmaneuvered by that new professor.
Whatever trick he used, his nonsensical story had appeared entirely genuine to her.
For the first time, her eyes' power had failed. A human had effortlessly accomplished what no other being could.
If this were the end of it, she might have just been excited to face a new rival.
'But he openly displayed anger toward me.'
The reason he'd acted that way was painfully obvious. He'd caught on that she was enjoying the situation.
While everyone else had been eager to capture the demon, only he had been focused on protecting the students.
And if the headmaster herself was getting excited about facing a challenging opponent during a crisis?
Of course, he'd have every right to be furious.
Without a doubt, I was in the wrong, and he was right.
I'd lost not only in skill but in character.
So I'd lost, with no room for excuses.
How could I be this shameful? At this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if people called me a senile old fool.
"Ha…"
The more I thought about it, the more the shame returned. I wanted to crawl into a hole, but the least I could do was take responsibility.
If I've wronged him, I'll have to make up for it.
"Lian… Lian…"
She repeated his name to herself. The dragon ancestor of the Empire would never forget that name.
Exceptional talent deserves an equally exceptional reward.
My efforts had finally paid off. Now that I'd certainly made myself unforgettable to the headmaster, I'd soon be able to escape this wretched academy.
This was a glorious success.
So here I was, in my assigned staff dormitory, celebrating with a toast and planning to pack my bags in the morning.
Surely, that's how this story was supposed to go.
"Please, forgive me!"
An old man suddenly blocked my path.
Right in front of the door to the staff dormitory, the same elderly professor as before was bowing so low he nearly hit the ground.
…A feeling of dread washed over me.