Ruachs's POV
I woke to the sharp ringing of my alarm clock, my entire body aching and numb from the previous night's battle. I had pushed myself far beyond what a mage should, draining both body and mana without restraint. Every muscle protested as I lay there, begging for more rest.
But the day had already begun.
The first classes of the semester would not wait for my fatigue. So, ignoring my body's warnings, I forced myself upright and began preparing with what little strength I had left. As I adjusted my uniform, I glanced at the clock—
—and froze.
"FU—"
I was late.
I sprinted through the hallway, panic rising with every step as I tried to reach my second class. Only then did the realization hit me: I had woken up without checking the time, assuming the alarm was for my first class. In truth, I had slept straight through it. What I heard was my second alarm.
As I ran, cursing my carelessness, the hallway around me suddenly warped.
The stone walls vanished.
In the next instant, I found myself charging straight into the grandmaster's office—directly toward her—at full speed. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked up.
I tried to stop, but my momentum betrayed me.
I crashed into the desk in front of her, scattering papers across the room.
"Ah—what—? U-um, my apologies, Grandmaster!" I stammered, straightening as quickly as I could. "I was running to my class, and then I suddenly found myself here."
She sighed, rubbing her temple. "It is fine. This is my mistake. I assumed you were already in class and teleported you without checking. That… caused this mess."
"I see…" I hesitated. "May I ask why you teleported me here?"
"Yes, you may," she replied with a faint smile. "I heard you put on quite a performance last night."
"I only defended myself," I said immediately. "I had no intention of joining the fight, Grandmaster."
"Did you really?" she teased. "You mean to tell me you defeated the second daughter of House Mecharin—one of Astrixion's leading families—purely in self-defense? How convenient, especially when such a victory raises your family's prestige."
"I understand how it may appear," I replied firmly, meeting her gaze. "But it truly was self-defense. I didn't even know who my opponent was until now. I arrived late to dinner and was dragged into the chaos. I left as soon as I could."
She chuckled softly. "I know. I was only teasing. The security cameras recorded everything. I didn't summon you for that."
"Then… why am I here?"
"I brought you here to inform you of what will happen next—and how you should conduct yourself."
"What do you mean?"
"Now that you have defeated the daughter of House Mecharin, your peers will view you in one of two ways. Some will admire you. Most will see you as a threat. You are now on the radar of both allies and enemies. I called you here to warn you."
"I understand," I said quietly. "But why go out of your way to tell me this?"
She studied me for a moment before speaking again.
"As I told you before, I was a friend of your mother," she said gently. "What I didn't tell you is that I am also your godmother. Legally, I am your guardian."
My breath caught.
"I apologize that I can only care for you now," she continued. "Circumstances prevented me from taking you in earlier. But for now—run along. You still have class. Your tardiness will be excused."
"Wait!" I said instinctively, shock flooding my voice—
—and the world shifted again.
In the blink of an eye, I found myself standing in the middle of my classroom.
"WHAT?!"
END of Chapter