Viktor's imposing presence suppressed everyone at the scene.
All the students held their breath, no one dared to make a move.
After seeing that things had settled down, Viktor finally spoke.
"Now tell me, what happened here?"
A commoner student standing at the front spoke up, "Erica relied on her noble status to come here and deliberately humiliate us. One student, under her magical attack, was trapped and vanished without a trace!"
The rest of the commoner students immediately echoed his words.
Erica hurried to defend herself, and the situation once again descended into chaos.
"Silence!"
The noisy hall fell quiet once more.
Viktor rubbed his temples, indeed, no matter what world he was in, arguments were always such a headache.
"Is that true, Erica?" Viktor asked impatiently.
Erica gradually calmed down and continued explaining, "I didn't mean to humiliate them. I was practicing magic, and that unlucky guy happened to step into my teleportation spell when I made a mistake, that's why he disappeared."
The surrounding students naturally didn't believe her, but since none of the professors present had spoken, they didn't dare voice any doubts.
Vega leaned close to Viktor's ear and whispered softly, "I checked, the teleportation circle sent the person to another dimension."
"No matter. I'll handle it."
Vega's single eye flickered, and a wisp of black mist slowly drifted from beneath his wings.
Viktor understood his meaning. He raised his staff, and six magic circles instantly appeared in the air.
"Sixfold casting again?"
Seeing this scene once more, Erica was filled with shock.
She hadn't expected that Professor Viktor could so easily perform multi-layered casting, a high-level technique that should have been extremely difficult.
Behind him, Vega lightly added a few runic symbols to the magical array.
Six threadlike black sigils gradually merged into the formation.
The entire array began to glow with a red light.
Mixed with the rays of the setting sun, the brilliance illuminated the entire Arcane Hall.
The crowd was dazzled by the intense glow, unable to open their eyes.
When the light finally faded, a sudden voice startled everyone present.
"This is... the Arcane Hall? I'm back?"
That student looked around in astonishment, tears of excitement welling in his eyes.
"I'm back! I really came back!"
The people in the hall slowly opened their eyes.
Seeing their long-lost classmate returned, the commoner students couldn't help but burst into cheers.
Erica froze in place, she hadn't expected Viktor to so easily reverse her failed magic array.
"So this is... a Third-Rank Mage?" Erica muttered to herself.
Viktor saw that the matter was resolved and spoke coldly to her, "Erica. Apologize."
Hearing this demand, Erica immediately grew defiant.
Resentment brewed in her heart, how could she possibly listen to him?
Why should she?
She admitted Viktor had fixed her mistake, but she hadn't done it on purpose. That unlucky fool was the one who walked blindly into her spell.
Besides, everything about her upbringing and status had told her, "When have nobles ever apologized to commoners?"
Viktor saw her unmoved attitude and frowned slightly, his tone turning mocking.
"You make mistakes and refuse to apologize. Your studies are lacking, and your character is just as questionable."
"So this is the upbringing of House Du Croy?"
Those words struck right at the hearts of the commoner students.
They despised nothing more than arrogant nobles who used their family names to oppress them.
Now that this professor was speaking up on their behalf, every one of their eyes shone brightly.
But Viktor's words also ignited Erica's emotions, though she understood she shouldn't lose her temper.
Just as Viktor said, she was in the wrong.
She shouldn't let her family be shamed because of her actions.
Her ample chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath to steady herself, then she bowed properly to that unlucky student.
"I sincerely apologize for my mistake."
The students, seeing this once-proud noblewoman lower her head, couldn't even bring themselves to mock her.
After all, they were all the same age.
The unlucky student, Jack, finally recovered from his fright and awkwardly accepted the apology.
"I was at fault too. If I had been paying more attention while walking, this wouldn't have happened."
Viktor raised an eyebrow, finally satisfied.
Harmony, that was the kind of peaceful school environment he wanted.
But mere apologies weren't enough. Since she had made a mistake, she needed to set an example.
He glanced at Erica and said calmly, "Come with me to my office."
Erica lowered her head in silence but still followed him.
The two slowly left under everyone's watchful eyes.
Immediately, the students exploded into chatter.
"My gods, he's so handsome! Do you guys know who he is?"
"Looks like a teacher? Maybe a new one?"
"Good heavens, that was multi-casting, sixfold at that! That's the most I've ever seen! How could that be an ordinary teacher?"
"He's a visiting professor in my class, Professor Viktor. He just taught us this afternoon!"
"A professor!? No wonder he's that powerful! But he's so young, too!"
"I wonder when Professor Viktor's next lecture will be. I'm definitely signing up!"
———
Of course, Viktor didn't hear any of the noisy gossip as he left.
Following behind him was Erica, along with his assistant, Henny.
They entered the Mage Tower, passed the identity verification, and the three teleported to Viktor's office.
Viktor casually drew a small magic circle in the air, and Erica's hairpin suddenly appeared in his hand.
He handed it to her.
Erica froze, she hadn't expected him to return her possession.
"Keep your own things safe. And don't ever do something like this again."
Erica bit her lip, lowered her head, and took the hairpin.
Viktor naturally sat calmly in his chair, while the "rebellious" Erica stood before him, looking very much like a student about to be lectured.
Tapping his fingers on the desk, Viktor slowly began to speak.
"Listen, Erica. Whatever conflicts we've had before, right now, this is the Royal Academy of Magic. This isn't a place for you to throw tantrums. I'm a teacher, and you're a student. Get your attitude straight."
"Magic is dangerous. If you can't control it perfectly, don't cast spells in public areas. This time it was only a basic teleportation spell, but what if it had been a high-powered area attack spell?"
Erica said nothing, but the faint trembling of her body showed she was afraid.
If she truly lost control, it could have been a catastrophe.
Viktor's lecture continued.
"You said something correct in class earlier, Erica, that as a teacher, I do have an obligation to answer students' questions."
"But only when the student is genuinely seeking knowledge, not when they're trying to cause trouble."
After saying that, Viktor began demonstrating the principles of teleportation magic in front of her, along with an advanced version of the upgraded magic circle.
"Watch carefully. I'll only teach this once."
Runes and magical patterns danced between Viktor's fingertips.
Erica snapped out of her thoughts and focused intently on every movement.
He showed her how to teleport an object to another dimension and retrieve it again.
After the demonstration, he gave her an assignment, "Practice this. Write a report and submit it to my assistant tomorrow morning. She'll deliver it to me."
Erica said nothing, she only nodded and left the office.
In the corner, Henny had watched everything. After Erica left, she couldn't help but say, "Professor, you're really nice, nothing like the rumors say. But that Erica... I don't like her."
She had already heard about what happened in class earlier, and naturally knew Erica had tried to deliberately make trouble.
Fortunately, Viktor handled it calmly, and turned the tables on her instead.
Viktor didn't look at her, merely said faintly, "If, when you were her age, you got hit on by a man almost thirty years old, I'd say your resentment would be about the same as hers."
Henny was startled. "That... really happened?" she asked in surprise.
Viktor just chuckled softly, stood up, patted her head, and said, "Bring me Erica's notes and speech draft tomorrow."
After that, he turned and teleported away from the office.
———
Erica stepped down from the carriage.
A man stood waiting at the gate of the estate.
He shared the same golden hair and eyes as her, the same bloodline.
It was her proud father, Duke Levi.
Time had left almost no marks on his face.
"My dear, why are you back so late?"
Duke Levi greeted her with a smile, but when he saw her gloomy expression, his smile faded.
"Erica? What happened? Did someone bully you at school? Tell Father, and I'll make them pay!"
Erica stopped him. "Enough, Father. No one bullied me."
"I just met Viktor. He's become a professor and took up his position at the Academy today."
Hearing that, Levi straightened up sharply and said fiercely, "That bastard! I'll have the Royal Academy dismiss him tomorrow!"
Of course, he was only venting to cheer up his daughter.
He knew full well Viktor was exceptionally gifted, a Third-Rank Mage, and now that he had officially become a Royal Academy professor, he was firmly under the crown's protection.
Unless the King himself intervened, no one could touch him.
But Erica didn't know that and hurried to say, "Don't!"
She told him what had happened that day.
After hearing it, the duke's expression softened somewhat.
Erica continued, "I really can't compare to him."
She didn't tell her father about the conflict with the commoners, only about the disagreement in class.
Levi nodded in understanding and comforted her, "In that case, then study magic properly under him."
"For Viktor to become a Third-Rank Mage at twenty, he must have something extraordinary."
"But you are my daughter. I know your talent better than anyone."
"Learn from his strengths, then surpass him. I believe you can."
Hearing her father's words, Erica nodded obediently, then quietly returned to her room with the servants.
After she left, the duke sighed.
Even if Erica suffered grievances under Viktor, he couldn't intervene.
In the end, he was a duke.
Everything he did had to serve the realm.
In his position, he couldn't afford childish behavior.
The Empire wouldn't allow it, and neither would the dignity of a duke.
"I'm sorry, Erica."
———
By the time Viktor returned home, it was already late at night.
Just as he stretched his body in the courtyard, a servant approached him.
"My lord, your sister requests that you come to the study, she has something to discuss."
The servant said this, then hurried away.
Viktor frowned.
'So late? This can't be good news...'
He opened the study door.
Liya was already seated, waiting for some time.
"What is it?" Viktor asked his sister.
But what greeted him was Liya's furious glare.
"See for yourself!"
She slapped a bill onto the table in front of him.
The table shook from the force of her palm.
'So angry?'
Viktor glanced at her casually and picked up the bill.
It detailed all his recent expenses, large sums spent on materials, and even more money unaccountably gone, vanished into thin air.
Of course, Viktor knew where that money went.
Purchasing materials, studying magic...
The first was easy to explain, but the second was something only a "player" could understand. Liya naturally couldn't trace it.
Still... was the household really short on money?
"The territory's income has already been unstable lately, and yet you're spending so extravagantly? Are you trying to drain the very last drop of the domain's blood dry!?"
Liya stood up, jabbing a finger hard against Viktor's chest, scolding him fiercely.
"Explain yourself!"
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