Gwen swept in, surrounded by servants. Viktor, every bit the gentleman, extended a hand to invite her into the meeting room.
They walked side by side. Along the way, Gwen sized him up—her gaze inevitably catching on the pitch-black, one-eyed crow perched on his shoulder.
Once inside, Viktor shot a look at the servants. They immediately withdrew.
The doors closed. Only the two of them remained.
Gwen sat down, her expression icy. "Did you receive the Academy's invitation?"
Viktor tapped the table lightly. "I did."
The air in the room instantly chilled.
He still couldn't figure out what this woman felt toward "him."
They were engaged—yet she was also the one who personally killed Viktor in his previous timeline. As far as he could tell, Gwen didn't harbor even a shred of affection for him.
And yet… she helped him.
The Academy's offer had been pushed through with the Delin Family's influence—Gwen's family.
The more he thought about it, the more confusing it became.
Still, if he could mend their relationship, maybe he could avoid that death ending altogether.
Viktor waved his hand. Five bottles of crimson Life Potions materialized on the table in front of her.
"Please accept these."
Gwen gave them a single glance and made no move to take them.
He sighed at her pride and continued, "It's a thank-you gift. Liah told me everything. I don't want to owe you."
He met her eyes—deep, ink-black, steady.
Gwen turned her head away, chewing her lip. After struggling for a moment, she asked:
"Yesterday… did you actually confess to the Duke's daughter or not?"
Viktor fell silent.
Did he do it? Yesterday's Viktor did. Today's Viktor was a different person entirely.
Seeing him refuse to answer, Gwen assumed the worst. Her cheeks flushed bright red as she snapped:
"Viktor! How could you do something like that? The Duke's daughter is only seventeen! How could you go after a minor?!"
Viktor: …
Great. Now everyone thought he'd tried to flirt with a minor.
Gwen, a knight with an ironclad moral compass, absolutely despised that sort of behavior.
If he didn't handle this properly, it could very well become the fuse that destroyed his relationship with her for good.
Viktor exhaled heavily. "Please understand—I do not have feelings for the Duke's daughter."
Gwen glared, voice tight. "This incident is already all over the city."
Looking into her eyes—filled with anger and helplessness—he answered solemnly, "I'll take care of it. I won't let the rumors drag either of our families down."
He wasn't wrong. This scandal tarnished not just the Clavenna Family, but also the Delin Family—the one bound to him by marriage contract.
Gwen opened her mouth but couldn't form words. Something about Viktor felt… different. But she couldn't pinpoint what.
She rose to her feet, finally picking up the potions. As she opened the door, she said, "If you run into any trouble, come find me. I'll help you."
Then she left.
Viktor finally let out a breath.
Vega's raspy crow-voice rang by his ear. "Who the hell was that?"
"My fiancée." Viktor spread his hands helplessly.
The one-eyed crow gave him an oddly pitying look, smoothing down its own feathers. "She's sharp. Her eyes are scary—like she could see right through me. Good thing I look like an ordinary crow."
Viktor had no words for that.
"An ordinary crow? You? Not even close."
…
The next morning, Viktor arrived at the Academy as promised.
The Royal Magic Academy was exactly what its name implied—a place for the wealthy and noble.
A small portion of students were commoners with extraordinary talent who received tuition waivers… in exchange for eventually serving the Royal Family.
Staring up at the magnificent campus, Viktor recalled the game's setting.
There was a massive library here where mage players learned spells of all tiers.
He planned to visit it.
He urgently needed a few powerful spells to bolster his combat capability. Even though his default magic power was already strong, he was a player—having more spells was security.
He had already received his contract yesterday. He was officially a senior professor at the Royal Magic Academy.
On his first day, he greeted the dean. After a brief exchange, the dean instructed him to teach the Academy's top class to prove his strength.
Leaving the dean's office, Viktor made his way to the Mage Tower.
The Mage Tower—also called the Trial Tower—was where players could take a daily trial for massive EXP rewards.
The tower was imposing, shooting into the clouds, its walls covered in spell formations. Above, shimmering waves masked the upper floors in mystery.
Viktor touched the barrier. His mana trembled.
[Identity verified. Welcome back, Professor Viktor.]
A swirl of black mist enveloped him—and then he was inside.
"So that's the teleportation array."
He climbed the steps. Powerful magical ore crystals lined the walls, books organized in perfect order. Compared to the outside, it was like stepping into another world.
The spotless floor told him someone had cleaned earlier.
A gasp sounded behind him. He turned.
A young woman with shoulder-length hair stood there, her fluorescent-yellow eyes fixed on him. Being stared at in return made her cheeks turn pink.
"Are… are you Professor Viktor?"
He gave a small nod.
She straightened, though her nervousness didn't fade. "I-I'm Henny, your teaching assistant."
She handed him a script. "You just need to memorize this before your lecture this afternoon. Teach according to this script."
He skimmed it briefly. "Thank you."
Henny panicked, turned bright red, and bolted out of his office.
Viktor thought to himself, The Academy really leaves nothing to chance.
After all, no one actually knew Viktor's level of theoretical knowledge. Yes, he was a powerful Third-Tier Mage, and yes, he'd been given a professor title… but that was based on talent and recommendation, not proven expertise.
If he were incompetent, even dual-family endorsement wouldn't save him.
So, he would teach from the provided script. As long as he made no mistakes, no one would question him.
A professor at the Royal Academy does not bluff.
He picked the script back up and studied it carefully.
If they were handing him a free pass, he'd take it.
Noon passed in a blink. Afternoon sunlight glowed bright and warm.
Everyone was waiting to see the Academy's new young professor. Many wondered whether this long-missing genius was merely a publicity stunt.
Viktor arrived at the classroom, the lecture already memorized perfectly. He only needed to deliver the appropriate portions and he'd easily pass this test.
That was the plan.
Until his gaze swept across the classroom…
and landed on the stunning golden-haired enchantress in the first row.
Seventeen years old.
The most gifted student at the Academy in recent years.
Noble blood of the highest tier—second only to royalty.
Elika du Croy.
He hadn't expected the girl he'd "accidentally harassed" two days ago to become his student.
Elika also noticed him. Her eyes glimmered with an unfathomable light.
"That's the little beauty from yesterday's headlines, huh? Not bad… Tsk, already a Second-Tier Mage at her age. She's got potential."
Vega muttered on his shoulder.
Pets were allowed in the Academy. Even strange ones.
The dean himself owned a watermelon—with eyes.
Compared to that, a one-eyed crow wasn't shocking at all.
Viktor cleared his throat and addressed the room:
"I am Viktor Clavenna, a professor of the Royal Magic Academy, and your instructor."
"Today's lecture is: The Structural Influence of Spell Formations on High-Tier Magic Systems."
…
Viktor grew increasingly comfortable as he taught. Time passed quickly.
After about forty minutes, he checked his watch—4 p.m.
He waved his hand. "Class dismissed."
He silently rejoiced.
Perfect. No issues. No questions. Smooth as silk.
He turned to leave—
But in the first row, Elika suddenly raised her hand, smiling sweetly.
"Professor, I have a question. Could you answer it for me?"
Viktor froze, expression darkening.
Of course. Trouble had arrived.