It was a tense moment in the quiet exam room.
Ray and the vice principal, Rosemary, sat facing one another across the cold, polished table. The air between them felt unusually heavy, as if even the mana particles lingering in the room had frozen in place. Ray spoke calmly—too calmly—and what he said was so far beyond surprising that Rosemary felt her heart stutter for a brief, terrifying instant.
Her fingers twitched.
For a long moment after Ray finished speaking, neither of them moved. Their eyes locked in a silent showdown, the kind that made time feel stretched thin. Rosemary's usual lazy smile was gone, replaced by a stiff, unreadable expression.
Outside, near the maze by the viewing stand, Ray's parents sat confused.
The large crystal screen showed Ray sitting opposite the vice principal, his lips curled into a faint, unsettling smile. His posture was relaxed—far too relaxed. That smile alone was enough to make his parents' stomachs churn with unease.
"What is he saying…?" Ray's mother whispered.
The screen was on mute.
They could only watch, powerless, as the two figures inside stared at each other. Ray's smile never faltered.
On the other side of the academy, the principal—who could hear everything—felt his scalp prickle.
His eyes widened, and in an instant, his hair stood on end. The color drained from his face.
"Impossible—" he muttered, already pushing himself to his feet.
The chair screeched loudly as it toppled backward. Without another thought, the principal bolted from his office, robes fluttering behind him as he ran with all his might toward the exam hall where Ray and Rosemary were sitting.
Back in the exam room, the silent staring contest abruptly ended.
Without warning, Rosemary lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. The crystal vision dimmed, then shut off entirely. The oppressive tension vanished as if it had never existed.
The very next second, Rosemary threw her head back and burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!" Her laughter echoed off the walls, sharp and unrestrained. "I wanted to see that old senile face getting scared. He's coming over soon. He always pranks others—let's see how it feels to be on the other side for once."
She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still laughing.
"You played well, kid. For a second, you even scared me with what you just said."
Ray chuckled and leaned back in his chair, finally relaxing.
"It was you who gave me that formation disk," he said, amusement clear in his voice. "Inside it, there was a paper that said, 'Play along with me; we are going to prank the old principal.' But the words I said were the things I actually intended to do if the principal thought he could bully me. Haha!"
Rosemary shook her head slowly, laughter fading into a crooked smile.
"You're a scary kid," she admitted. "I wouldn't want to make an enemy out of you. Now the principal is going to come running in here. Demand whatever you want—I bet he won't resist. But don't go too far."
She paused, then leaned forward slightly, her gaze suddenly sharp.
"Now then… would you be willing to be my student?"
Ray hesitated.
"I was planning on taking only the formation exam," he said thoughtfully. "I didn't want to take any other exams. But it seems the other teachers are going to come to the principal soon. Therefore, I'll have you, Senior Adrian, and Senior Sylas to choose from. I honestly don't know what to do."
Rosemary sighed, irritation flashing across her face.
She mentally cursed the principal, blaming him entirely. If not for his meddling, Ray would have stayed here and remained her student alone. Now she might have to share him with two other colleagues.
The thought made her temper simmer hotter by the second.
While Rosemary stewed silently and hurled insults at the principal in her mind, Ray discreetly sent a message to his parents, assuring them that he was fine and that he planned to speak with the principal soon.
Just in case, he even connected a call with his mother and let her listen quietly to everything that was about to happen.
He didn't want them charging in out of panic.
Moments later, the door burst open.
The principal staggered inside, sweat dripping down his temples and soaking the collar of his robes. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath, clearly having run here with everything he had.
His eyes immediately locked onto Ray.
"You—" pant. "You—" another deep breath. He forced himself to straighten, swallowing hard before continuing. "You won't do any such things."
Ray blinked innocently.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, pretending not to understand.
"You know what you said to the vice principal," the principal snapped, voice strained. "Do not pretend you don't know anything."
"I was giving an exam," Ray replied calmly. "I passed her test. I'm supposed to go to the next exam."
"You—" The principal inhaled deeply again, then finally exhaled in defeat. "I get it already. Tell me what you want."
Ray's smile vanished.
"I want the exams to be like any other children's," he said plainly. "I want to be judged fairly. I want to live peacefully in the academy. If Arisa is friendly with me and you're jealous, don't try to bully me for that."
The principal stiffened.
"What—you know who my granddaughter is?"
Ray shrugged lightly.
"What other reason could there be for you to prank me?" he replied. "I wondered until I met Granny Theresa today, and my father texted me that you're a few centuries old. Everything fits."
Ray's eyes hardened.
"Anyway, I don't want any pranks from you. Or else, you know what I'll do. Lastly, I want to open a club named Inventor Guild."
"But we already have an inventor group," the principal protested weakly.
"I don't care," Ray replied flatly. "Firstly, it was you who pranked me for no reason. Even if you give a lame excuse involving Arisa, you're not acting professionally."
His tone sharpened like a blade.
"I can easily make it viral that the principal bullied me because I'm friends with Arisa. You know I'm from the Inventor Guild. I can make news of you bullying me anytime."
The principal clenched his fists.
"…Fine. You can make a club. But what happens next is up to you. If the other inventor group comes and bullies you, that has nothing to do with me. You'll fix that mess yourself."
Ray smiled again—bright, confident.
"Oh, no worries! Just make Vice Principal Rosemary my club's advisor. I'd love to see them try then."
The principal's mouth twitched.
"…Are we done?"
"Remove all the pranks from the next exams," Ray replied. "Then we're done."
"Fine!"
The principal turned and left without another word, already pulling out his communicator and barking orders to his staff to remove every prank from the fourth exam onward.
Ray remained behind with Rosemary.
"I'll probably have three masters," he said calmly. "Please contact the other two and make a routine for when you're all willing to teach me. Make sure it doesn't clash with my other classes or club timings."
Rosemary looked at him for a long moment… then smiled.
After bidding farewell to her, Ray stood up, his steps light yet steady.
Onward he went—toward the fourth exam.