Leon having a damaged mana core wasn’t particularly surprising since Orryx had been possessing the boy for at least a couple of years. What was slightly more troublesome was repairing the damage.

  Fixing a damaged mana core itself was easy for Lucian. However, a mana core was both powerful and fragile. Restoring it completely in one go would have been reckless. Leon’s body had already grown used to the weakened state of his core. Forcing it back to full strength all at once would likely have overwhelmed his body and killed him.

  So Lucian chose a more measured approach. He restored the mana core only enough to stabilize it and prevent further fracturing. Through training and steady improvement in his magic, the boy would gradually restore his own mana core and eventually be able to get it back to its full potential.

  Lucian placed his hand gently against Leon’s chest. A soft golden glow spread beneath his palm, warm and steady, seeping into the damaged core. The light lingered for a brief moment before fading away.

  He withdrew his hand after finishing, then glanced at Belle. “That should do it. But I have to say, for a human boy, his mana core is actually quite robust. I’d expected far worse after prolonged demonic possession.”

  “It is not entirely unexpected, Master Lucian. Leon is a Belkov.” Belle said.

  “Yes, I’m aware they’re an important noble family or something of the sort. But are they unusually special in some other way as well?”

  “The Belkovs are one of the three major noble houses of the Kingdom of Celgrad. Each of those houses has a long history of producing exceptionally gifted mages, and Leon appears to be no exception.”

  “Some things truly never change. Magical bloodlines ruling over everyone else is a tradition as old as ambition itself.”

  “You make it sound worse than it is, Master. It is only natural that the strong rule over the weak."

  Lucian rose to his feet, smoothing his sleeve. “I’m just not entirely convinced that’s something to be proud of. But, anyway, we should wake Nia and explain things.”

  "Allow me, Master."

  Belle gently woke Nia and reassured the worried maid, and informed her that Leon was much better now. Lucian also mentioned that the boy would wake up in a few hours and should recover fully over the next few days, at least physically.

  Nia felt a huge sense of relief. In her excitement, she accidentally mentioned that Leon was also a student at the academy, which meant Lucian would probably see him again before long. But now that the boy was mostly fine, Lucian decided to ask some questions.

  When Lucian explained that Leon’s illness had been caused by demonic possession, Nia went pale with shock. She insisted she had never suspected anything like that and had no idea how it could have happened.

  The more he spoke with her, the clearer it became that demonic possession was extremely rare in this era. He asked Nia again and again if anything unusual had happened before Leon was possessed, quietly hoping for some clue that pointed to something bigger. But she couldn’t remember anything out of the ordinary.

  Yet, based on what Orryx said before, Lucian suspected the demon had simply been a stray, likely trapped inside a cursed object Leon had found by accident. If that was true, then other stray demons could still be scattered throughout the world.

  So Lucian decided to go on a small demon hunt to stay ahead of things, but before leaving he asked Belle to politely adjust Nia’s memories so the maid would only remember that Leon had fallen sick and that Lucian had helped him, since he thought it was best if news about demonic possession didn’t start spreading around too soon.

  Over the next few days, Lucian traveled with Belle across several kingdoms. They flew and teleported as they searched for any other signs of possession, but found nothing. He could have kept searching and covered more ground if he had stayed on the search longer, but eventually he had to stop.

  Apparently, he had responsibilities now, and Belle made sure to remind him. In another era, Lucian might have kept searching, but he doubted the stray demons still wandering the world posed any real threat in the grand scheme of things. At least, not enough to send him on some grand quest to hunt down every last one of them.

  In the end, Lucian decided that a few stray demons weren’t a serious problem for now. And before long, he was walking alone through the academy, following the directions Elysia had left him. According to her note, his class was in the Elysia Building, a name he found more than a little self-indulgent.

  But when Lucian reached the top floor, he found a massive crowd packed into the corridor. Students filled the hallway wall to wall, and he could barely even see the door to his classroom.

  Lucian tapped a nearby student lightly on the shoulder. “Excuse me, what’s the commotion?”

  The student turned with wide, excited eyes. “We’re waiting for Professor Lucian Ashford’s first class!”

  “Well, you're looking at the man himself, and I would very much like to reach my class.” Lucian said, reminding himself that "Ashford" was his cover name while in the academy.

  The student stepped back so quickly he almost tripped. “P-Professor Ashford, I’m so sorry! Please go ahead!”

  The students nearby heard him, and their heads turned. The entire crowd fell quiet so suddenly it almost felt like someone had cast a silence spell.

  Even with the students making space for him, getting through the crowd was still a struggle. Lucian walked forward as calmly as he could, but it was awkward. He had to squeeze past shoulders, step around bags, and avoid bumping anyone too hard.

  By the time Lucian reached his classroom door, he was already sure some kind of rumor had spread about him. He didn’t bother thinking too hard about it, though. He just wanted to get inside and finally have some space to breathe.

  The room was set up in a seminar style. The desks curved inward toward the front, and a wide chalkboard covered one wall. Large windows lined the other side, letting in the morning light.

  Lucian walked to the front of the room and set down his notes. A moment later, the students streamed in behind him, quickly filling every seat. It didn't take long for the classroom to be packed with what looked to be nearly fifty students, judging by how closely they sat together and how a few had dragged spare chairs from the back to squeeze themselves in.

  When Lucian looked back toward the door, he saw several more students outside. He gave them an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid that if you’re still outside, you’ll need to attend the next session instead since this class is full."

  A few disappointed murmurs followed, but the students complied and walked away. The last one even had the courtesy to close the door behind them, which was much appreciated.

  Once the room had finally settled, Lucian turned back to the class. "Before we begin, I want to ask, why are there so many of you? I was under the impression I would be teaching maybe twenty or thirty students at most.”

  A student near the front raised his hand. “Normally, class sizes are limited to twenty or thirty students, Professor, but Headmistress Elysia announced that, for your class, those limits would be temporarily lifted due to high demand.”

  “Thanks for the clarification, but why exactly, is the demand for my class so… enthusiastic?”

  “Ah, recently, the graduation requirements for this academic year were revised. Your class now counts toward several mandatory criteria, including applied arcane studies, practical arcane combat, and supervised field experience. To be honest, it was a very convenient choice for anyone looking to free up space for additional electives.”

  Lucian vaguely remembered reading about the policy before. Students were required to complete several key modules alongside their coursework, supposedly to make their education more well-rounded. Once those were out of the way, they were free to choose whatever classes they wanted to finish their required credits. In other words, his class let them clear most of the mandatory requirements early, so they could focus on learning what they actually wanted much sooner.

  He could already picture Elysia’s smug expression, probably very amused after pushing through that change. Lucian was just about to make a sarcastic comment on the situation when a sharp knock echoed through the room, drawing his attention to the door. “Yes?”

  The door opened, and several students gasped outright, while others stiffened. Whoever stood in the doorway was clearly not an ordinary latecomer.

  Lucian himself was surprised to see a student, judging by her uniform. She had long black hair and a pale complexion, but otherwise, there was nothing overtly flashy about her appearance, yet something in her eyes carried a sense of authority.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  She looked directly at him. “Are you Professor Lucian Ashford?”

  “I am,” Lucian said..

  “Then it seems I’m in the right place,” she said, stepping into the room.

  Lucian raised a hand gently. “I appreciate the enthusiasm, but this session is already full. You’re welcome to attend the next one though."

  After he said that, the room went unnaturally quiet. Lucian noticed every student staring at him as though he had just committed some grave offense, though he had no idea what.

  Even if the latecomer had been the daughter of a duke or some other notable figure, Lucian was still the professor, and she was still a student. As far as he was concerned, he was well within his rights to turn away excess students, especially given how full the class already was.

  To his surprise, the girl showed no sign of offense. Instead, she turned to another student seated near her. “Would you be so kind as to make room?”

  The other girl stood so quickly her chair nearly tipped over and bowed deeply. “Of course, Princess Octavia.”

  Ah. That explained everything.

  Lucian had done some light reading on the royal family before arriving at the academy, enough to recognize the name. Princess Octavia was the youngest child of the king and queen. She did not stand to inherit the throne anytime soon, but she was still royalty all the same.

  He didn’t want to treat the Princess differently if he could help it, but she was still royalty. Causing a scene by accidentally offending a princess, especially this early in his tenure as a professor, was the last thing he wanted. Maybe once he knew more about Octavia, he’d adjust his approach.

  For now, Lucian simply told the girl who had given up her seat to take one of the spare chairs at the back and sit wherever she was comfortable. As she did, he gestured toward the now open seat. “You’re welcome to join us this time, but please try to arrive earlier next time, Octavia.”

  A collective gasp rippled through the room, and Lucian realized his mistake too late. He probably should have used the Princess's title, but he just hadn’t thought about it. Titles generally felt unnecessary to him, and old habits died hard. If there were consequences for that, so be it.

  To his mild surprise, Octavia only smiled and turned toward the rest of the class. “There’s no need to worry."

  Then, she looked back at Lucian and gave a polite bow. “I apologize for my tardiness, Professor. I will be more punctual next time.”

  Lucian had half expected irritation, or at least some sign of wounded pride. Instead, the princess seemed courteous and entirely unbothered by his lack of politeness. For someone of her standing, she was remarkably grounded, and Lucian found himself impressed.

  It did make him wonder how she had been raised. Royal children, from his experience, were not usually known for taking such things in stride from someone of a lower status.

  The class was starting to get noisy again as students began chatting, so Lucian decided it was time to move on and finally start the lesson. “I suppose I should introduce myself properly.”

  He picked up the note Elysia had left him and read it quickly. “My name is Professor Lucian Ashford, and I’ll be teaching you all…” He paused, then read the title aloud, “Advanced Application of Magical Theory.”

  A few students chuckled, like they thought it was a joke. Lucian laughed with them, secretly relieved that none of them noticed this was genuinely the first time he’d checked what he was supposed to teach.

  Lucian vaguely remembered skimming through the academy’s curriculum before, but he hadn’t bothered reading it properly. What little he saw hadn’t impressed him anyway, and he didn't feel like punishing himself by going any deeper.

  What he did want, however, was a clear sense of what his students could actually do. These were supposed to be some of the brightest young minds the kingdom had to offer, so he hoped their understanding of magic would be decent at the very least. Still, Lucian wasn’t especially optimistic given that these students were likely prepared since they were young to deal with the academy's official curriculum.

  He turned to face the class. “To start the lesson, tell me, what do you all think the original purpose of magic was?”

  A few hands went up as students began to answer. One student answered that magic existed for convenience, to make daily life easier. Another suggested it was meant as a tool to understand the world. Someone else claimed it was a gift from the gods, meant to guide people and keep order.

  Eventually, Octavia raised her hand. Lucian’s gaze shifted to her, and he gave a small nod for her to speak.

  “As I understand it, Professor, the original purpose of magic was for use in warfare.”

  “Good, now which part of warfare do you think magic was used for first?”

  “It was used to support the front lines. Mages stayed behind the troops and cast spells to break the enemy formation. To devastate their frontline before our soldiers ever had to close in.”

  “And that's where I must correct you. The first magic used in war wasn’t used to kill, it was actually used to keep people alive.”

  Octavia looked surprised, and several students glanced at each other as if they’d misheard him. Judging by their faces, most of them had expected Lucian to praise the princess and move on. After all, there was plenty of magic built for violence.

  “The earliest battlefield magic was healing, specifically to treat wounds as well as to stop bleeding. It took quite a long time for magic to become developed enough to serve as a proper weapon. One that was more efficient than just shooting an arrow from a bow or cutting someone down with a sword."

  The room fell quiet. A few students looked uncomfortable, as if Lucian had just spat at some sacred truth. After a moment, another student raised their hand. “Professor, if magic started as healing, why is healing magic so rare now? From what I know, only clerics or paladins blessed by the church can use it. Elves seem like the only exception, since they can all do it to some extent.”

  “Excellent question,” Lucian said. “There was a time when healing magic wasn’t rare at all. Back then, the mortal races used magic to do all sorts of incredible things. They reshaped rivers, calmed storms, purified poisoned land, and kept entire cities fed through winters that should’ve wiped them out.”

  Most of the students began taking notes after that. Although, not everyone was writing.

  Lucian noticed one student sitting near the middle rows. The young man’s expression was calm, almost blank, his gaze fixed directly on Lucian, and after a moment, he raised his hand.

  Lucian stopped and offered a polite smile. “Yes?"

  The student stood up slowly. He had short red hair and a refined posture that made it obvious he’d been raised to carry himself properly from a young age. “My name is Lucas Wren, second son of Duke Winston Wren. It is an honor to attend your lecture, Professor.”

  Lucian inclined his head slightly. “A pleasure. What would you like to ask?”

  Lucas folded his hands behind his back. “You’ve described a time when healing magic was widely practiced and foundational to early magical development. May I ask what sources support this claim?”

  That question was completely valid, and Lucian wasn't sure how he should answer. It wasn’t as though he had learned what he knew from academic papers. Everything he knew about magic came from direct hands-on experience and seeing things first hand.

  Casually claiming he’d been there thousands of years ago when mortals first learned magic probably wouldn’t go over very well. So Lucian came up with a different answer, one that was still technically true. “Much of what I described was drawn from fragmented historical records, yet when multiple early traditions present the same healing frameworks and spell structures, clear patterns begin to emerge.”

  Lucas nodded slowly. “Then may I ask a second question, Professor?”

  “You may."

  “Have you published any research papers prior to teaching here? I would be very interested in reviewing your work.”

  Lucian blinked a few times. Admittedly, answering that question was going to be slightly more complicated than he'd like.

  He had written things before. There was a time when entire libraries had once considered his work foundational. Of course, most of those writings were now several centuries old, and the libraries that housed them were probably burned, looted, or reduced to rubble by now.

  Still, Lucian smiled and answered with something that was technically true. “I haven’t published anything recently. However, I’ve contributed to a number of collaborative works over the years. Though I suspect you may find some of them rather… difficult to locate.”

  Lucas studied him for a long moment, then inclined his head respectfully. “I understand. Thank you for answering my questions, Professor.”

  Lucian nodded. “Of course, but it does seem like you still have more to say."

  “Please don’t misunderstand. I respect your position, and I appreciate your willingness to teach us. However, I believe it’s only responsible for students to understand the qualifications of those guiding their education. To be blunt, based on your answers so far, I have certain concerns regarding your capability to teach at Celgrad Royal Academy."

  Hearing that, Lucian wasn’t surprised. Something like this had been bound to happen sooner or later. It was true he’d obtained the professor position through somewhat unorthodox means, though circumstances had made it necessary.

  He had a fairly good idea where this was going. So, rather than wait, Lucian decided to draw it out. “Would you care to suggest a way for me to prove myself, then?”

  “Yes, actually. With your permission, I would like to challenge you to a magical duel to better assess your practical ability. Should you be unable to prevail, I would have reservations about your suitability to teach here, as your current academic credentials leave me somewhat unconvinced.”

  That was more or less what Lucian had expected to hear. If anything, it was convenient, because a duel could settle things cleanly,

  Of course, Lucian knew that winning a duel wouldn’t silence every doubt about his academic ability. But people had always trusted what they could see. And nothing convinced an audience quite like a clear, undeniable display of magical superiority.

  “And your terms?” Lucian asked.

  “If I win, I ask that you resign from the academy.” Lucas said.

  The room erupted as several students gasped, while others immediately began whispering among themselves. Lucian raised a hand, and the noise started to die down.

  Only after all was quiet again, did he lower his hand. “I can accept your terms. But it seems only fair that I gain something as well if I win, yes?”

  “Of course. What would you ask of me, Professor?”

  “If I win, you will be barred from attending my class for the remainder of the academic year.”

  For the first time since he’d stood, Lucas visibly faltered. "Is that it?"

  Lucian nodded. "Yes, that's it."

  "That seems… rather minor, Professor. Are you certain you don’t wish to ask for something more substantial?”

  "No, not really."

  “If it would make matters more equitable, I would be willing to offer compensation should you win. A formal reward of some kind, be it money, a prized item, anything somewhat reasonable."

  “I appreciate the offer, but I have no interest in compensation. I merely intend to demonstrate my abilities."