CHAPTER 78: THE NEW INSTRUCTOR

Chapter 78: The New Instructor

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The academy had issued new uniforms earlier that week, and Arios, Lucy, and Liza wore them for the first time as they prepared for class. The design was a crisp white jacket trimmed with navy aesthetics, paired with white trousers for the boys and a white skirt for the girls. The look carried a sharp, formal edge, clearly modeled after the uniforms of mage knights serving in the kingdom.

Arios slowly adjusted the collar of his jacket with a chill expression, while Lucy smoothed her skirt with quiet approval. Liza, on the other hand, tugged at her hem with mild irritation, muttering that the academy probably cared more about appearances than comfort.

The morning was quiet, the kind of calm that usually came before the bustle of academy life. Arios left his dorm room with Liza and Lucy beside him. The two girls walked in sync with him, both holding their books as if ready for whatever class would come next.

Liza adjusted her hair as she walked, the faint irritation on her face showing how little she liked mornings. "I still don’t get why they schedule classes this early. It feels like they’re doing this on purpose."

Lucy glanced at her with a small shrug. "It’s not that early. We’re already used to training in the mornings, aren’t we?"

"That’s different," Liza countered quickly, looking at Arios as if expecting him to side with her. "Morning training at least wakes you up. Sitting in class this early just makes me want to fall asleep."

Arios noticed, however, that Liza’s complaint had some truth. The halls were filled with other students dragging their feet, yawning, or half-heartedly chatting on their way to class. The energy wasn’t high, and no one seemed excited.

Lucy sighed and tightened her grip on the strap of her bag. "Complain all you want, but you’ll still go. You don’t want to get docked points, right?"

That convinced Liza up, at least for now.

The three of them passed through the wide corridors, heading toward the lecture hall for magical theory. The sound of footsteps echoed off the polished stone floors, and groups of students around them talked in hushed tones. There was a strange tension in the air, something different from the usual morning mood. Arios picked up on it quickly—there was a sense of anticipation. Some students whispered to each other about the new instructor who would be handling their class today.

"Have you heard?" one boy whispered to his friend as Arios walked by. "They replaced Professor Marden with someone else. Apparently, the guy’s... different."

"Different how?" his friend asked.

The boy shrugged. "Don’t know. I just heard he’s more... casual than the others. Maybe it’s a good thing?"

The two disappeared into the crowd before Arios could hear more.

Liza caught part of it too. "So we’re getting a new instructor. Great. Just what we needed."

Lucy tilted her head. "It might not be bad. If he’s easier than the others, maybe class won’t be as strict."

Experience had already taught Arios that whenever people tried to sound optimistic about new authority figures, it rarely ended the way they thought.

They entered the lecture hall together. Like always, the room was arranged in tiered seating, rows of desks facing the main stage at the front. The walls were lined with magical diagrams and glowing runes that made the place feel both modern and traditional at the same time. Students were already filing in, their chatter louder here. The name of the new instructor had already spread— Professor Garron.

Arios, Lucy, and Liza took their usual seats near the middle row. Liza immediately slouched against her desk, resting her chin on her hand. "If this guy’s boring, I’m sleeping," she muttered.

Lucy ignored her and pulled out her notebook. She was always diligent about taking notes, even if she didn’t need them.

The bell rang, and the room slowly quieted down. The door at the front opened, and the new instructor entered.

Professor Garron looked to be in his late thirties. He was tall, with a lean build and a sharp face. His smile seemed friendly, but there was something about it that immediately felt off— too wide, too deliberate, as if it was plastered on rather than genuine. He walked with an air of confidence, his steps slow, his eyes sweeping across the room in a way that lingered longer than normal on certain students.

"Good morning, everyone," he said, his tone smooth and casual. "I’m Professor Garron, and I’ll be handling your magical theory classes from now on. Professor Marden has been reassigned, so... lucky you, right?"

Some students chuckled politely. Others just stared.

Garron placed his books on the desk and leaned against it instead of standing formally. "Now, I don’t like boring lectures. I believe learning should be... fun. Relaxed. No need to stress yourselves out." His smile grew wider. "So let’s make this enjoyable."

His gaze swept the room again. This time, Arios noticed the way his eyes trailed down Liza’s form before shifting back up to her face. It was brief, but obvious. Liza stiffened in her seat, her eyes narrowing slightly. Lucy caught it too, and her expression tightened, though she said nothing.

Professor Garron continued as if nothing had happened. "Why don’t we start with something simple? I want to get to know my students. Let’s do introductions. Stand up, tell me your name, and something interesting about yourself."

Groans filled the room. Most students hated this sort of thing, especially at this stage of the year. But Garron’s grin never faltered.

One by one, students stood up and introduced themselves. Garron responded to each one with comments that were just a little too personal.

"That’s a nice voice you have there," he said to one girl. "Bet you’d be good at enchanting with vocal runes."

Another time: "You’re athletic, huh? Strong arms. That’ll be useful in practical training."

The remarks drew nervous laughs, but more often they left students uncomfortable. Still, no one openly objected.

When it came to Liza’s turn, she stood up reluctantly. "Liza," she said flatly. "I love magic. That’s it."

Garron chuckled. "Direct and to the point. I like that. Fire suits you. It matches your... fiery personality, I imagine." His eyes lingered again, not on her face this time but lower, before he finally waved her to sit.

Liza clenched her jaw and sat down without a word.

Lucy stood next. "Lucy. I would like to specialize in healing magic. I also wish to be decent at support spells." Lucy lied as she just wanted him to get off her back.

"Oh, a healer," Garron said, his grin widening. "Always good to have someone like you around. I imagine people would depend on you a lot. That must feel... rewarding, right?"

Lucy simply nodded and sat down.

Finally, Arios stood. "Arios. General magic. Combat-focused."

"Straightforward," Garron replied. "I like that too. Strong and reliable, I’m sure." He gave a quick smile and moved on, not lingering as he had with the girls.

The rest of the introductions finished, and Garron launched into his lecture. His teaching style was far more casual than the other professors. He cracked jokes often, some of them bordering on inappropriate. He made comments that drew uneasy laughter but didn’t stop.

Every so often, his eyes would linger again on female students, particularly those who were attractive and busty. Liza shifted uncomfortably every time his gaze found her. Lucy kept her head down and focused on her notes, but Arios could tell she was tense.

By the time class ended, the atmosphere was uneasy. Students left quickly, whispering to each other about the new instructor.

"That guy’s weird," one girl muttered as she passed Arios. "Creepy, even."

"Yeah, but he’s nicer than Professor Marden, isn’t he?" another argued. "At least he’s not strict."

"Strict is better than... whatever that was," the first replied.

Arios, Liza, and Lucy walked out together. Liza’s arms were crossed tightly. "I don’t like him," she said bluntly. "The way he looks at people... disgusting."

Lucy nodded. "He feels... wrong. It’s not just his behavior. It’s the way he carries himself."

Arios had seen enough men like Garron before in his past life— people who hid behind fake smiles but revealed themselves in small, careless moments.

Back at the dorms later, the tension lifted somewhat. Liza dropped her bag onto the couch with a loud sigh. "If I have to sit through more of that, I’m going to burn the classroom down."

Lucy gave her a look. "Don’t say that so casually."

Arios moved to the small kitchen space in his dorm. "We’ll cook something. It’ll help take your mind off it."

Liza perked up a little. "Fine. But I’m not cutting vegetables."

"You never do," Lucy muttered, moving to wash her hands so she could help.

The three of them started preparing dinner together. Arios handled the main cooking while Lucy assisted with the chopping and seasoning. Liza mostly hovered, sneaking bites of ingredients when she thought no one was watching.

"Stop eating the carrots," Arios said without looking up.

Liza froze, then scowled. "How do you always know?"

"Because you always do it," Arios replied.

Lucy chuckled softly. "Some habits are predictable."

For a while, the room was filled with the sound of chopping, sizzling, and casual conversation. The tension from earlier faded bit by bit. By the time the food was ready, both girls seemed more relaxed.

They ate together, the simple act of sharing a meal grounding them again after the uncomfortable class. Liza complained about how bland the academy’s cafeteria food usually was, and Lucy carefully suggested new recipes they could try in the future. Arios listened, contributing when necessary but mostly letting them talk.

It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it was enough. After a day like this, small moments of normalcy were what kept everything balanced.