Chapter 293 First Week


    In the rigors ofpulsory sses and the exclusivity of special sessions, Allen found himself separated from Felicia during those hours. As had be his routine, he entrusted Felicia''s safety to Reig, who remained by her side in his absence.


    Reig, attuned to Allen''s mana, functioned as a guardian, able to discern any threats or challenges that might infringe upon Felicia''s. Seeing how tight the academy''s security was due to the existence of the disciplinarymittee, reassured Allen that Felicia was, in all likelihood, safe from harm.


    Not until that day...


    Fighter faculty mandatory ss hours.


    Allen found himself face-to-face with an unexpected twist.


    The instructor for the ss was none other than an individual who, in a past encounter, had once killed him.


    The teacher was the person who had once killed him.


    "I never imagined I''d end up as a teacher in this ce. Life''s funny that way," the teacher remarked, and as he said that, Allen trying to conceal the unease that gripped him, held his breath.


    "My name is Norman, as you can tell from my name, I''m not a noble from any territory, so it''s useless for nobles to try to threaten me to get high scores."


    Allen, grappling with a surge of difort at the reappearance of someone from his ominous past, felt a shiver run down his spine.


    Allen''s initial encounter with Norman had been nothing short of disastrous. The memories of the castle incident during the Noctem Dolls invasion were etched in his mind. Norman had left him with a hole in his stomach and a shoulder split open; And Norman did all that while Reig was in a rampage state and fused with him. Norman''s prowess far exceeded Allen''s, and even as Allen continued to grow stronger, his current self, still adapting to demonic mana, seemed a far cry from a match for Norman.


    ''Why is he here?!'' Allen thought, apanied by a chilling realization.


    The recognition was mutual. Norman, too, couldn''t overlook the ck-haired kid who stood out distinctly from the others. An air of fear was also felt by Norman, who had once inflicted upon Allen.


    "You''re... that kid fromst time," Norman uttered, surprised. Then Norman realizes something. Norman''s perceptive gaze honed in on a subtle but significant change.


    "What happened to your hair?" he inquired, his curiosity revealing a keen observation that sent a jolt of panic through Allen.


    ''Sh*t, if he mentions hair, people will notice my white strands!'' hemented.


    However, Norman''s demeanor took an unexpected turn. After briefly donning a shocked expression, his face underwent a sudden transformation. "Ah no, forget it. I got the wrong person," he dered, as if dismissing the notion entirely.


    The change in Norman''s attitude left Allen both relieved and perplexed. Allen let out a quiet sigh, but didn''t go unnoticed by Norman, who, despite outwardly letting go of the topic, retained a keen awareness of the change in Allen''s appearance. The memory of Allen''s attempt to conceal his white strands resurfaced in Norman''s mind, providing a sinister twist to his thoughts.


    ''Of course, he would hide his hair,'' Norman mused with a wicked smile, a mischievous n forming in his mind. ''How good would it be for me to spill the beans?''


    He was so excited, his desire to spread Allen''s secret about his hair peaked.


    ''That kid must have been put in by Eliphas. If I reveal it, there''s no mistaking it, Eliphas will definitely feel upset!'' Norman thought. "But before that, I really need to know Eliphas'' true intentions," Norman strategized, recognizing an opportunity to deal with Eliphas.


    In the midst of Norman''s scheming reverie, a murmur from the students around him disrupted his thoughts.


    "Is he really our teacher?"


    "He could be the son of a teacher here."


    "Maybe this is a joke from the faculty."


    Norman, ever attuned to the whispers around him, swiftly reacted to the growing scepticism among the students. "Huh?! What are you doubting?! It''s not like you can see the white strand under this hat!" he retorted, his voice carrying a mix of irritation and defensiveness.


    "But..."


    "You''re short."


    "Dwarf has an adult face, but he really looks like a child."


    "He''s as tall as my 10-year-old brother."


    The whispers about Norman''s stature reached a level where even Allen, usually adept at maintainingposure, couldn''t help but feel a shiver down his spine because he could feel Norman''s overwhelming anger.


    "Hey, everyone..." called Norman, his voice cutting through the whispers. "I think the lesson is useless. Why don''t we have some sparring practice? I''ll be your opponent."


    …


    The sparring session with Norman concluded abruptly, leaving an air of exhaustion and awe in its wake. Norman, unable to vent his frustrations more conventionally within the academy, had channelled his stress into the impromptubat with the students.


    "Since you''re all exhausted, ss is over... you can use the free time to rest," Norman dered, strolling off the field with a nonchnce. The students, scattered across the training area, sprawled out on the ground, their bodies weary and sore from the unexpected intensity of the sparing.


    "I knew it! I knew that teachers were strong!" eximed Sharik, lying down with a mixture of exhration and fatigue coursing through his body.


    "At this rate... we''ll have to... take a stamina potion before the next ss," muttered Geirhild, her breathingbored as she contemted the physical toll.


    Allen surveyed the aftermath of the intense sparring session, he observed a scene of collective exhaustion. Norman, strategic in his approach, had targeted non-fatal areas, limiting his strikes to a few broken bones that could be swiftly healed with advanced healing amnis. Despite the fatigue, Allen discerned that the injuries, while impactful, were not intended to causesting harm.


    Watching some students being carried out by members of the faculty executive for additional care, Allen contemted, ''I guess he won''t do any aggressive thing as long as we are in the academy,'' Watching some students being carried out by members of the faculty executive for additional care, Allen contemted.


    Post the demanding ss, the students dispersed to attend their respective specialty sses. The remainder of the day followed a routine of learning and exploration, with each ss offering a glimpse into the diverse facets of knowledge and skills that the academy sought to impart.


    More or less, life at the academy for the first week is just an initial introduction to each ss and faculty.


    Then a week passed,


    the introductory phase at the academy concluded, meaning that the introduction period waspletely over. This signified themencement of advanced studies, delving into subjects that had remained elusive during the secunda ss. The academic journey now entered a phase of heightenedplexity and specialization, where the intricacies of advanced knowledge awaited exploration.


    Moreover, the passage of this week held an additional significance. The points of the new students, frozen during the initial period, were now unfrozen, symbolizing their full integration into the academy''s academic structure. Their names would now join the illustrious ranks on the same altar as the upper-year praeterea.