Professor Richard continued to give a speech about the purpose of the test, saying more words than he usually does during normal lessons.
The way he talked and his body language all felt vaguely familiar to Cyril.
It feels like an official trying to clean up after their boss, struggling before the public to downplay a mistake but never addressing it outright.
...Not my concern anyways.
As the students listened, their faces became less frustrated and more confused.
The gazes they sent Cyril subtly changed as well.
"I knew it!" Cedric whispered in excitement, his face showing relief.
He patted Cyril enthusiastically on the shoulder. "There is no way my friend will do anything too mean on purpose. It was just a misunderstanding!"
His voice was low but still could be heard by the whole class.
Cyril slowly grabbed Cedric's hand and removed it from his shoulder, to which Cedric only smiled happily in response.
"I wouldn't call us friends."
Cyril mumbled, but Cedric's face remained optimistic as ever.
"Tsk. What a saint this guy is."
...
Soon the speech was over, and Richard began collecting the bracelets one by one.
Finally free, the students went upstairs.
Everyone more or less calmed down, discussing the lesson with interest on the way.
"So that's why I felt so competitive... It wasn't too bad."
Rose's face had a subtle but proud smile.
Myra stared at her unflinchingly for several seconds, not really hiding.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" Myra jolted away and walked towards the stairs.
"It's just- yeah, I also felt a bit weird. What a horrible lesson..."
The eyes of Richard nearby shook a bit as he sighed.
Rose followed after her, eagerly retelling her experiences.
Myra silently listened and the two of them slowly disappeared from sight.
Cyril haven't followed them, staying in place.
"See you, Cyril! Today was a good day!" Cedric energetically waved and disappeared as well, his smile wider than before.
Cyril observed their departing backs until he was the only student left around.
He walked up to Richard, who looked at him with curiosity.
"What is it, Cyril?"
"Professor Richard, can you tell me where Professor Rendel is?"
Richard was about to say something when a majestic kitten's meow rang out from the side.
Cyril quickly turned around.
From the darkness, Tigris ran out, full of glee.
The tiger cub ran up to him and started pawing at his leg, almost complainingly.
Cyril raised him, holding him in his arms.
"I'm sorry for leaving you for so long, but there was nothing I could do. I needed to fight."
He whispered, his voice more apologetic than ever in his life.
The red butterfly fluttered her wings, greeting the white cat.
"We are here, Tigris! Good job waiting for so long! You are incredible!"
The tiger cub meowed and hid his face in Cyril's chest, only his tail swinging back and forth.
Cyril stood still with a smile on his face, feeling complete.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded from where Tigris came from.
Cyril turned his head.
"Professor Rendel, thank you for-" He quickly interrupted himself.
There was no tough but friendly professor with a scar on his face.
From the darkness appeared a pale woman with lavender hair. She wore a classical robe and a large witch hat that revealed only her thin smiling lips.
At her approach Richard straightened his back, beginning to fiddle with the pile of bracelets near him.
"This tiger is yours? He is so well-behaved and cute."
Her voice was sweet, almost intoxicating in its nature.
"You are...?" Cyril cautiously trailed off, a guess already on his mind.
The pale woman gently touched her cheek in an exaggerated display of sadness.
"To think that a class I student wouldn't even know my name... It's my fault. I should spend more time in the academy."
She raised the hems of her robe and gave a courteous greeting. "My name is Margaret. I am the principal of Ailanthus."
Cyril bowed in return according to the noble's etiquette, still holding the white cub.
"Thank you for taking care of Tigris."
"...It was a pure joy for me. Tigris is such an impressive being."
She stretched out her pale hand towards his chest.
Tigris carefully moved his head, staring at the approaching palm, and nudged against it.
He seems to like her...
Cyril calmly observed her petting the mighty tiger, feeling somewhat warm.
Soon the principal stopped and looked at him.
"What did you think of the test? It was my idea." She proudly nodded, her large witch hat bobbing up and down.
Cyril followed it with his eyes for a second.
Can she even see with this thing...?
"It was an interesting lesson..."
"Let me talk to her! I have some thoughts to share! This woman's idea is not bad at all!" Rhamn excitedly exclaimed in his ear.
"...But it can be expanded upon."
"Oh? How so?"
Cyril paused for a second, as if contemplating.
In a moment he opened his mouth.
"Make the experience more real. If the students couldn't feel the barrier and instead received seemingly real damage to their bodies, it would prepare them for real combat."
"And you can make other 'enemies' for the students. Create a few monsters, maybe ghouls, if that is possible, of course."
"You can also grade Potion Making on this lesson. Make the vegetation around us play a bigger role."
"For example, if a student gets injured, they could use a fake healing herb to make a fake potion to recover from their fake wounds."
Saying this in quick succession, Cyril finally grew silent, his face not really changing its calm expression throughout.
There, hope you are happy.
"I am! Thank you~"
Margaret excitedly clapped her hands.
"Those are indeed incredible ideas! I thought of a few of them as well. Unfortunately, not everyone agreed, saying it would be too damaging to the students."
She sighed with disappointment and subtly motioned with her head in a particular direction.
But the bob of her large witch hat prevented the action from being subtle at all.
Richard, who was fiddling with the bracelets in the distance, flinched.
"However, now that I know that my students agree, it's safe to implement more things next time." A thin smile returned to Margaret's face.
"Hehe, nice! The students of Ailanthus will have to thank me in the future~"
Rhamn's red eyes shone with joy and a bit of maliciousness.
I'm sure they will...
Remembering something, Cyril looked at the principal with a light frown.
"Regina caught a student she suspected to be in a criminal organization. What happened to that?"
"It's just a rat from Lapis, nothing to worry about. Such things happen occasionally."
Margaret's clear voice sounded absolutely unconcerned, as if talking about a sudden rain on the weekend.
Cyril nodded, not prying further.
His gaze lingered on the large hat, hesitation in it.
Margaret's thin smile, the only visible part of her face, grew just a little bit wider.
"Would you like to go to my office? I feel there is much we can talk about, away from those overly soft-hearted."
Richard flinched again and made a small step away.
Cyril slowly nodded.
"I would. There's something I've been meaning to ask."
"Of course."
Without saying more, Margaret turned around and began walking towards the stairs leading up.
Cyril gave Richard one last glance and followed after her, feeling a perplexing sense of foreboding.
The butterfly on his shoulder stared at the principal's back, her antennae twitching in uncertainty.
"She seems nice."
So you don't hate everyone?
"Of course not! I treat people the way they deserve it."
Right...