"You think gathering followers is something you can do just by talking?"
"Followers have to be sincere for it to actually work."
As Viktor listened to Vega's explanation, he tapped his fingers on the desk. Morning sunlight spilled across the books, and Viktor, sitting in his study, gave a small laugh.
"Sincerity, huh? I'm not worried, I'll get it out of them one way or another."
Vega squinted his eyes and made a low, discontented cooing sound. That was his way of showing dissatisfaction with Viktor.
"Maybe you're even more devious than the previous Viktor."
"You flatter me."
Viktor didn't bother arguing further and simply went back to reading his speech draft.
He couldn't help feeling that ever since this damned bird had been bound to him, it had started to forget its role in helping to restore the faith of an evil god.
Thinking that, Viktor glanced over at Vega.
The raven was perched on the desk, nodding drowsily, half-asleep.
Vega always ate during the day and slept at night, barely ever moving around.
It was basically a living decoration.
In just a few days, Vega had already gotten noticeably fatter. When it perched on Viktor's shoulder, he could actually feel the weight pressing down more heavily than before.
Still, if Vega wasn't worried, then Viktor saw no reason to be.
So he spent the quiet morning in the study, reading his speech notes and checking over Erika's homework.
———
By noon, Viktor had already finished grading Erika's assignments. As for today's lesson plan, thanks to Henny's careful preparation, he had memorized the main points easily.
When Viktor stepped out of the study, he saw his assistant, Henny, rubbing her eyes as she came out of her room.
"Awake? Get ready, we're heading out soon."
Viktor casually reminded her. She looked startled, like a frightened fawn, immediately coming to full alert and replying quickly, "No problem, Professor, I'm already prepared!"
Viktor nodded, then instructed the servants to prepare a carriage for the trip to the Royal Academy of Magic.
He gestured for Henny to get in with him, and though she was nervous as could be, she obediently climbed aboard.
The two of them sat facing each other. Henny kept her head bowed the entire time, not daring to look up, only stealing tiny glances at Viktor now and then.
Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might leap out of her chest.
Her thoughts were in complete chaos, 'I-I'm actually riding in the same carriage as the genius Professor Viktor?!'
'Oh gods!'
Her face grew hot, and she realized there was sweat beading on her forehead. She couldn't even sit still properly.
Viktor noticed how stiff and uncomfortable she looked and considered saying something, but then decided against it.
If he spoke, it might only make her even more nervous.
Better to let her stew in her own thoughts.
And sure enough, as she fidgeted, her thoughts went wild, she suddenly realized that she'd actually slept at the mansion of the infamous nobleman Professor Viktor that very morning.
Viktor caught the look of wide-eyed shock flashing across her face and couldn't help finding it funny.
He simply watched her while she kept staring down at her shoes, both maintaining that silent, awkward posture.
Not a single word was exchanged for the entire trip. The only thing they did was quietly wait for the carriage to reach its destination.
———
When the carriage finally came to a stop, Viktor spoke first, "We're here."
Hearing his voice, Henny slowly lifted her head, visibly relaxing as she exhaled in relief.
"Finally."
She let out a long sigh, she hadn't expected such a short journey to feel so unbearably long.
After stepping down from the carriage, Henny walked alongside Viktor.
Seeing that he was heading to his office, she gathered her courage and said, "Professor Viktor, the dean asked that you visit his office once you arrive at the academy."
Viktor nodded and immediately headed for the dean's office, with Henny nervously following behind like a timid deer.
Knock! Knock!
After teleporting through the mage tower's transport circle, Viktor knocked on the dean's door.
"Come in."
With permission granted, he opened the door and entered with his assistant.
Standing before the dean, Viktor got straight to the point, "Dean, I heard you wanted to see me."
The dean was an elderly, rotund man covered in all sorts of magical trinkets, he looked every bit the image of a traditional wizard.
He was also the most powerful person in the academy, a fourth-tier mage, known as a Holy Magus.
A living legend.
He had reached that level more than twenty years ago.
Upon seeing Viktor, the dean gently pushed aside his cup, capped his quill, and laid it neatly atop his open book.
Even simple movements seemed to tire him at his age.
Exhaling slowly, the dean leaned back in his chair and began, "Professor Viktor, I heard about what happened in your class yesterday."
Viktor frowned slightly. He hadn't expected that the incident with Erika challenging him would reach the dean's ears so quickly.
"You handled it well," the dean said with a kind smile, then continued, "though... don't you think you might've been a bit too strict?"
"If this keeps up, it could cause some dissatisfaction among the students."
Hearing that, Viktor shook his head calmly.
"If I didn't handle it that way, they'd never learn to respect their teacher."
His tone was cool and matter-of-fact. He didn't think there was anything wrong with what he'd done.
Besides, he was Viktor. And Viktor was not a man who tolerated disrespect.
Fortunately, the dean quickly nodded in agreement.
"Hmm... respect for one's teacher. A fine principle indeed. No wonder they call you a genius mage."
"By the way, I called you here today for this."
The dean pulled out a piece of parchment from his desk and slid it toward Viktor.
"This is an invitation for a public lecture we're hosting. Take a look and see if there's anything you'd like to add."
Viktor accepted it and carefully read through the details.
"I'm sure you already understand," the dean said with a warm smile. "Every lecturer holding a professor's position in our academy must give one open lecture each month."
"We're planning to promote your lecture to the public a month from now, inviting mages and professionals from across the realm. We'll even record it with magistone for broadcast."
By now, Viktor fully understood what the dean was getting at.
"So, I hope you can refine your lecture material within the month. The academy will provide you with a hall large enough to seat several thousand attendees."
"Do you have any suggestions, Professor Viktor?"
As the dean spoke, Viktor realized that the academy's recruitment season was fast approaching.
The school wanted to attract more talented students, and students, in turn, cared deeply about the academy's teaching staff.
If a young, third-tier mage professor were to make a splash at this time, it would be an incredibly powerful way to draw new applicants.
Even if Viktor had a bad reputation, his skill and strength outweighed it. No one would care about his scandals if he could deliver results.
And if he pulled off this lecture flawlessly, those newspaper rumors about him would crumble on their own.
He thought of that newspaper article from a few days ago, and his promise to Gwen.
No one would care about a professor's romantic entanglements if he was powerful enough.
Even if he had flirted with a duke's daughter.
Besides, this would also solidify his position, binding him more closely to the Royal Academy itself.
With that status, he'd have far greater freedom to act before his eventual death came in the future.
So Viktor nodded and agreed.
"No problem. We'll do it exactly as the academy wishes."
Seeing him agree, the dean smiled and turned his gaze to Henny.
"How's your assistant? Are you satisfied with her work?"
Viktor glanced at Henny and replied, "Having such a capable assistant is my good fortune."
With that, he turned and left with her.
Henny followed behind him, heart pounding with excitement.
The more she thought about the professor's words of praise, the more she felt her efforts hadn't been in vain.
She couldn't help but walk a little more lightly, her steps full of cheer.
That afternoon's class went as usual.
This time, there were no "industry observers" present, after yesterday's events, no one expected any more gossip-worthy drama from Viktor.
He taught steadily, and the students diligently took notes.
Even Erika didn't cause trouble, she was focused, writing page after page.
When the bell rang, Viktor packed up his materials.
"Class dismissed."
Then he called, "Erika, come to my office afterward."
———
Viktor handed back her corrected notes and pointed out a few mistakes.
"For someone at your level, it's still too early to use teleportation magic easily, but your approach isn't wrong."
Viktor taught, and Erika listened.
The atmosphere between them was calm and almost harmonious, as if they'd both forgotten that he had flirted with her at her birthday banquet.
He didn't bring it up, and she, of course, kept it buried inside as well.
After passing on his knowledge, Viktor nodded.
"That's all for today."
Erika hesitated, then asked cautiously, "If I have questions later... may I come to you for guidance again?"
She still disliked him deeply, but there was no denying his mastery.
Even the private tutors her father hired couldn't match Viktor's teaching.
He could make the most complex subjects seem simple and clear.
Of course, she didn't realize that Viktor was just relaying what Vega, the encyclopedia-like evil god, told him.
With a being like that feeding him answers, teaching students was effortless.
Viktor thought for a moment, then replied, "We'll see. I've got a lot of work to do myself, but if I have time, sure."
Of course, that was just lip service.
Viktor never worked overtime. When the clock struck, he was done.
Just then, he felt a sudden stir in his mind.
The Mage's Hand spell, had been activated.
If Liya used the Mage's Hand spell, Viktor, as the source of her magic, would be able to sense it.
He had only given it to her yesterday, and she was already using it today?
What were the odds?
He wasn't too worried about Liya, but since the magical source wasn't too far from the capital, he decided to check it out.
Standing up, he told Erika, "I have some matters to handle. Lock up when you leave."
Then, right there in the office, he drew a teleportation circle and vanished.
Erika blinked.
"...Huh?"
Everyone at the academy knew that the mage towers didn't have physical doors, entry and exit were all done through teleportation circles inside.
———
[Outskirts of the Capital]
Liya stared at the charred remains of a group of people, her expression frozen.
The few mages beside her were trembling uncontrollably.
They had seen it, an overwhelmingly powerful, advanced-tier spell unleashed from this woman's hands.
That was magic far beyond their level, mere first-tier mages like them couldn't even imagine withstanding it.
If she was that powerful, why had she asked for their help in the first place?
Compared to her, they were nothing but small fry.
Liya scratched her head, glancing at the carriage behind her.
Even though she'd hung the crest of House Clavenna, they had still been attacked.
'Whatever.'
She'd already sent word to Miss Gwen, she'd be here soon enough.
So Liya and the others simply waited.
Ten minutes later, a troop of knights in cold-steel armor rode up on warhorses.
At their head, of course, was Gwen.
She spotted Liya immediately.
"Liya! Liya!"
Seeing her sitting on a rock, dazed but unharmed, Gwen dismounted and ran over.
Liya smiled up at her.
"Liya, are you okay?"
Gwen grabbed her hands, eyes full of concern.
"Me? Of course I'm fine."
"But those bandits who attacked our caravan... not so much."
She gestured toward the side with her eyes.
Gwen blinked. She'd been so focused on Liya's safety that she hadn't noticed the pile of charred corpses nearby.
When she saw them, she frowned slightly.
As a knight, she was no stranger to corpses, but even so, this kind of gruesome, burnt death made her scalp prickle.
'Still... were those the work of the mages Liya brought along?'
'No, that doesn't make sense.'
'Those mages barely had enough mana to light a campfire, let alone incinerate an entire group.'
'Then who did it?'
A ridiculous thought flickered through her mind, and she couldn't help but tease, "Don't tell me you killed them, Liya? Haha, just kidding."
Liya tilted her head. "What if I said yes, would you believe me?"
Gwen, "...?"
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