Questions spiraled endlessly.
Why is he here...
The unexpected appearance of Hans left Ruine’s mind in complete disarray.
Why are you here?
Hans was the one who had stolen Ruine’s talent. The one who had taught him humility through humiliation. The one who had taken a promising life and plunged it into despair.
Clench...
Ruine was convinced that this special class was orchestrated by Hans. Otherwise, there was no way Hans could be here.
If that man, who had fallen into corruption by allying with cultists, was present, it ant that everything Ruine had suffered could happen again.
It was all wrong from the start.
Just as Ruine’s tangled thoughts began to sow doubt about the legitimacy of the class, Hans spoke with a friendly smile, as if to ease his worries.
"Things must feel complicated."
"..."
"If I were you, I’d also find it strange for a forr archbishop of a cult to suddenly appear as a 'teacher.'"
Hans’s voice was calm, even defending Ricardo in the process.
"No matter how untrustworthy I may seem, I’d appreciate it if you refrained from thinking disrespectful thoughts about Saint Ricardo. Thanks to him, I was able to escape from the cult."
"..."
"From now on, please think of simply as the magic instructor assigned to teach you."
"..."
"I’ve left my past behind and am trying to live an honest life. Whether you believe that or not is up to you."
Ruine’s voice trembled as he shouted at Hans, his defiance filled with unwavering conviction.
"Don’t make laugh!"
He directed his anger at his forr friend.
"You expect to believe that?"
"Believing or not is up to you—"
"You think I can learn magic from the man who stole my talent?"
Ruine felt nothing but hatred toward Hans, who stood before him spouting talk of redemption. He had once sworn that if they ever t again, he’d do whatever it took—even risk his life—to send Hans away.
Ruine’s fall from grace echoed in his mind.
-Ruine’s gotten weird, hasn’t he?
-Yeah, he can’t even land basic spells anymore.
-Isn’t he kind of pathetic now? And that arrogance... ugh.
Clench.
The mory of those words stoked the flas of his rage. The man responsible for the hardest monts of his life was standing right there.
"Hans..."
Hans let out a hollow laugh, speaking as he looked at Ruine.
"The magic I took from you didn’t suit , so I never even used it."
"What?"
"And, to be honest... I didn’t take it because I wanted to use it."
Clench.
"...Are you kidding ?"
Hans, noticing Ruine’s trembling body, refrained from provoking him further, smiling faintly. He had anticipated such a reaction.
I thought he’d grab by the collar... Maybe he’s learned sothing after all.
Hans, who had been ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) prepared for a stronger reaction, took a small step back, his smile widening. If Ruine hadn’t changed, Hans would’ve taken his magic again.
"Whether you trust or not is entirely up to you. I’m here because Ricardo requested it."
"..."
"Shartia feels the sa way. And I’m sure Shuen does too. I imagine the other students share similar feelings."
"I don’t even know what’s going on!"
"Haha... Well, I look forward to working with you. I am your instructor—"
"Don’t make laugh!!!"
Ruine clenched his fists and strode forward, stepping right up to Hans. His long-lost friend was finally within reach.
"Tell what you’re really after."
He wanted answers.
Why had Hans done it?
Did he hate him that much?
After falling into despair, Ruine could sowhat understand Hans’s feelings. The pain of constant comparison, the frustration of reaching for an unattainable position—Ruine had experienced it all.
And...
He now understood the ugliness of doing anything to beco stronger.
"Answer !"
Ruine shouted, standing over Hans. Their relationship had always been like this: Ruine looking down at Hans, and Hans looking up at him.
Realizing again how much taller he was, Ruine’s thoughts were interrupted by a cold voice at his ear.
"Ruine."
"You..."
"Don’t be so arrogant as to look down on . Sit."
"..."
"I’m here as a teacher to instruct students."
"Stop dodging the question and answer . You must have so ulterior motive. Otherwise, you wouldn’t—"
Sssaaaah...
A mont of silence passed.
Thud!
Pain exploded in Ruine’s leg as he lost his balance.
"Ugh...!"
Clutching his throbbing leg, Ruine looked down, only to see Hans’s foot retreating from where it had struck his thigh.
"You bastard!"
Ruine, his legs giving out beneath him, lunged for Hans’s collar, but his unstable stance betrayed him. Instead, he toppled forward, face-first into the sand.
Crash!
Buried in the sand, Ruine glared up at Hans, gritting his teeth.
"I’ll crush you."
"..."
"I’ll beat you senseless until you snap back to your senses."
"I’m perfectly sane... you know."
"..."
"Up you go."
Hans crouched in front of Ruine, eting his eyes with a faint smile.
"Ruine. Listen to ."
"..."
"Before you lose everything else."
"!!!"
Hans stood up, a faint smile on his lips, and began to speak about the lesson.
"That’s right. I’m not soone you’d call trustworthy, as the rumors suggest."
"I trust you!"
"And why’s that?"
"Because a smart commoner hired you. That’s good enough for !"
"I think we’ll get along splendidly."
"Are you a noble?"
"I’m a commoner."
"A re commoner, daring to speak with a noble? How dare you!?"
Hans laughed heartily, stepping back before continuing his explanation.
"To ensure you all engage enthusiastically in this lesson, I’ve decided to add my own rules."
"..."
"I was going to explain everything myself, but Ruine here went ahead and spoiled the surprise."
Hans glanced at the anxious students, offering them a warm smile.
"Yes, I can use black magic to steal talents. I’ve taken skills like Ruine’s 'Fla Glyphs' and the shape-shifting magic 'Morph' from others before."
"..."
"Of course, I don’t use it frequently these days... but I’ll still use it when necessary."
"..."
"And so..."
Hans’s eyes grew cold as he surveyed them.
"Any talent deed unnecessary by a student unable to keep up with the class... shall be repurposed for better use by ."
Sssssaaah...
"I’ll make good use of it."
Watching the students’ trembling faces, Hans drew a line in the sand and continued.
"Let’s begin the lesson now."
"..."
"If you can’t cross this line, you fail."
"..."
"Understood, Ruine?"
Ruine clenched the sand in his fist as he glared at Hans, his voice laced with defiance.
"Fine... I’ll cross that damned line."
"Damn it...!"
Blocked by an invisible barrier, Ruine slamd his fists against it in frustration.
"Why can’t I cross this...?!"
No matter how hard he tried, the simple line on the ground might as well have been an insurmountable wall. He had poured everything into this, and now he was stuck behind sothing so trivial.
"This tea is delightful."
Turning his rage toward Hans, who was leisurely sipping tea, Ruine growled.
"Hey, Hans."
"Yes, Ruine?"
"If I break through this line, you’ll have to tell . Why you made that choice. Why you betrayed the old man."
"Hm?"
"I’ll shatter this barrier, just watch ."
Hans tilted his head and shook it, as if confused by Ruine’s demand.
"If you want sothing from , you’ll need to offer sothing in return. I have nothing to gain from you, so why would I engage in such a conversation?"
"You bastard."
"And another thing."
Pointing to the barrier, Hans smiled.
"This is elentary. Basic, even."
"..."
"If I handed out rewards for sothing so simple, it would ruin you. This barrier is so weak even orcs could break it. Or would you prefer I applaud you like a toddler taking their first steps?"
"Don’t underestimate ..."
"Shall we make it more challenging, then?"
With a mischievous grin, Hans expanded the barrier to encircle the group entirely.
"Until you break out of this barrier, you cannot leave. No food, no water. Only those who exit the barrier will have access to them."
"..."
"Finish early, and you’ll earn a break."
Hans watched their pale faces with amusent before stepping lightly over the line.
"Why are you looking at like that?"
"..."
"Can’t handle sothing this simple?"
Inside a dimly lit cathedral.
Yuria opened her eyes, lifting her head to see a woman standing before her.
The figure was familiar.
Kind, serene, and with the silhouette of a beautiful cleric.
Others who had awakened in the cathedral stared at the woman kneeling before the altar. Clad in a white cassock, her presence alone commanded attention.
"Saint... Thank you for today’s daily bread."
With graceful movents, the woman recited a prayer before slowly rising and ascending the altar.
The mont her face ca into view, Yuria’s eyes trembled violently.
"Hello, everyone."
"Why... why is she here?"
Among those present, only Yuria recognized the woman. She couldn’t forget this monster, the one who had brainwashed academy students and fought on equal footing with the Empire’s sword.
The woman greeted them with a saintly smile, bowing slightly.
"I am the teacher who will instruct you in healing magic and divine power."
Smirk.
"My na is Elicia."
Elicia’s gaze t Yuria’s trembling eyes, her expression betraying a hint of amusent.
"Please take good care of ."
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