Chapter 3: Senile Old Fools (1)

An extravagantly decorated office.

The delicate aroma of premium black tea wafted through the air.

Classical music played softly in the background - likely the owner's taste - creating an elegant atmosphere, but...

I had no leisure to enjoy such an ambiance.

"So then."

The girl before me - a Primordial Dragon who had witnessed the Empire's history since its birth - crossed her legs slightly and asked.

"You're claiming you truly knew nothing?"

That playful tone.

That meaningful smile playing at her lips.

Anyone with a shred of social awareness could tell she didn't believe a word I said.

Three hours of questioning.

The result was an absolute disaster.

'This is driving me crazy.'

I swear I haven't told a single lie. After all, getting fired was my goal from the start.

I sold out every shred of my dignity and pride, perfectly conveying nothing but the pure, unvarnished truth.

...It's just that it was all too unrealistic.

"You're saying you suddenly felt the urge to publicly engage in racial discrimination and followed that impulse. And your target just happened to be a VIP who had deceived even your eyes and infiltrated this place..."

She rose from her seat.

Slowly approaching, she met my gaze.

"Moreover, the Demonkin who attacked you essentially self-destructed on their own, and you had no intention to attack. Is that really what you're claiming?"

We drew closer and closer.

I could almost feel her breath now.

"Our new professor seems to be quite lucky, doesn't he?"

The girl whispered to me while staring me down with an intensity that was almost oppressive. Her words now openly mocking me.

Though the pressure threatened to crush me at any moment, I couldn't back down here.

Instantly identifying the Demonkin's true nature.

Not only neutralizing them without showing a hint of disturbance but even protecting the students?

There's no way they'd let go of such talent.

This isn't a school - it's a demonic realm.

The recent Demonkin incident drove that point home painfully. I can't stay bound to a place like this.

Meeting her eyes, I brazenly declared.

"Yes, I do have quite a bit of confidence in my luck."

Whether in my past life or this one, I've always been oddly fortunate.

Since there was no need to act, my voice carried not a trace of hesitation or wavering.

Well, no matter how convincingly I spoke, the problem was that the content itself was completely nonsensical.

Sure enough, she flashed another meaningful smile before saying:

"...Very well, I'll believe you."

The Principal leaned back into her plush chair as she said this. My mind went blank.

Perhaps seeing my bewildered expression, she added an exceedingly kind explanation.

"After all, I can tell immediately whether or not you're lying."

The Principal pointed to her eyes.

Only then did I grasp the current situation.

'So it's a function of the Dragon's Eye?'

That certainly makes sense. Eyes that see through truth are a common trope even in novels.

And these aren't just any eyes - they're dragon eyes. It would be stranger if they didn't have such an ability.

'Wait a minute, if that's the case...'

The situation took a turn. My policy of telling nothing but the truth, without a single lie, had achieved unexpected success.

Honestly, even I found my own story unconvincing.

But the Principal before me knows my story is true. From her perspective, I must truly be an incomprehensible lunatic.

This is an opportunity then. A chance to get myself even more thoroughly marked and escape from the Academy.

There was no reason to hesitate.

I immediately stood up, pushing back my chair.

A sudden action. Though the girl looked at me with puzzled eyes, I ignored it and scowled deeply.

A sudden outburst from someone who had been perfectly normal until now. But isn't this exactly the unhinged image I'm aiming for?

"I've already been stuck here for three hours. I have no desire to waste more time engaging in such trivial chatter."

I tapped my wristwatch rudely.

The Principal tried to say something, but not a chance. I cut her off preemptively.

"Next time, please prepare a different beverage besides black tea. It really doesn't suit my taste."

That black tea you personally put effort into brewing?

I absolutely won't drink it. The tea leaves seemed high quality and the aroma was lovely - she appeared to be a tea ceremony enthusiast. Let me trample all over your pride with my mud-covered boots.

"Well then."

And as a bonus, I'm giving myself the day off since I worked hard today.

I immediately turned and walked toward the office door. Acting like an unhinged person as naturally as breathing.

Add this to my stack of racial discrimination and unlikability...

"What was your name again?"

Plan successful. The meaning behind asking me this question while my file sat prominently on her desk...

It could only be to emphasize 'You've seriously gotten on my bad side now.'

"Ryan. Being a commoner, I have no family name."

With those final words, I exited the office.

Just before the door closed, I heard her murmur.

"...I'll make sure to remember that name."

Yes, make absolutely sure you remember it.

Make absolutely sure you remember it so you can fire this insolent madman as soon as possible!

*****

In the office after Professor Ryan's departure.

Looking at the two cups of long-cold black tea before her, Zion, Principal of the Imperial Academy, let out a sigh.

'This is... a complete defeat. There's no room for excuses.'

At first, it was mere curiosity.

She had only wanted to use her 'Eyes' to learn more about the new professor who had done something strange.

But perhaps resenting having his inner thoughts pried into so casually, he had begun deliberately provoking Zion.

-I discovered him purely by chance. I had no intention beyond racial discrimination.

Such coincidences simply don't exist in this world.

-I'm less capable than the other professors to begin with. How could someone like me possibly defeat a Demonkin?

What Ryan dealt with wasn't merely a Demonkin. If it had just been some fool who fell for a demon's temptation, the professors wouldn't have struggled so much.

It was one of the 72 Great Evils.

Moreover, it was Amon, the seventh ranked and most elusive among them.

Not a demon's servant, but an actual demon.

-I only survived thanks to pure luck. The dagger just happened to pierce his vital point because I swung it blindly.

And naturally, a demon of that caliber wouldn't carelessly expose their vital point. They would have shifted their core, split themselves, and concealed their presence.

To see through all that and accurately pierce the center, then claim it was just luck?

Even though the dagger bore the Imperial seal, he still claims to be just an ordinary person?

Such coincidences simply cannot exist in this world.

Lies, lies, lies.

In the end, everything Ryan uttered in this office was nothing but lies that not even the greatest fool would believe.

Go ahead and peek into my thoughts if you want to. That's what his provocative behavior seemed to say.

'And yet I couldn't see through those lies.'

The Dragon's Eyes that strip away all illusions.

Though she had taken pride in that power, in the end she was completely played by this new professor.

What method did he use? To her, all those nonsensical ramblings appeared as absolute truth.

Her power that had never once been broken was shattered. A human had effortlessly achieved what no being had ever managed before.

If this were all, Zion would have simply been excited about finding a new worthy opponent, but.

'That man, he was openly angry with me.'

The cause of his sudden behavior was all too clear. He had seen through her instead. He realized she was enjoying this situation.

When everyone else was worked up about capturing a demon, she had seen how that man alone tried to protect his student.

So how would he feel upon realizing the Principal was gleefully enjoying finding a worthy opponent during such an emergency?

There might be other spies hidden away - he must have wanted to rush out and ensure the students' safety.

How would he feel upon realizing the Principal was selfishly keeping him here out of mere curiosity?

Well, his anger was certainly justified.

By any measure, the fault lay with her and the right with him.

She lost not just in ability but in character as well.

Thus, there was no room for excuses in this complete defeat.

How could she be so unsightly? No wonder if she gets called a senile old fool.

"Haah..."

The shame washed over her anew at that thought. Though she wanted to crawl into a hole, at the very least she must take responsibility for her actions.

If one commits a discourtesy, the only path is to make amends through compensation.

"Ryan, Ryan..."

The Primordial Dragon of the Empire repeated that name. She would absolutely not forget it.

Outstanding talent deserves fitting treatment.

*****

My efforts have finally borne fruit. I've definitely gotten on the Principal's bad side, so I should be able to escape from this insane Academy soon.

An extremely joyous occasion.

So I'll have a celebratory drink in my staff quarters, get a good night's sleep, then pack up and leave tomorrow morning.

That's definitely the future that should await me, and yet.

"Please forgive my rudeness!"

Some crazy old man blocked my path.

In front of my staff quarters door, that elderly professor from before was bowing his head so low he might drill it into the ground.

...An ominous feeling began to creep over me.