Someone suddenly appeared from within the mist.
Right in the middle, separating Claire and Rion during their duel.
"Isn't this enough already?"
The cold fog finally dispersed, revealing blue hair reflecting the moonlight.
"Professor Ard!" Rena looked genuinely shocked by Ard's sudden appearance. "How did you even—"
"With this, I declare Claire the winner."
Ard immediately announced Claire as the victor of the duel without hesitation.
"What?!" Rion's subordinate shouted at Ard after hearing such a one-sided declaration.
"Rion can't continue fighting anymore." Ard spoke calmly. "Even if he's still standing and his wooden sword isn't broken, his body already reached its limit. I'm sure he's feeling extreme soreness throughout his muscles right now. Meanwhile Claire can still continue despite her injuries."
"..."
Ard let out a long sigh.
"If this duel continues, one of them will end up severely injured. That would only trouble the professors later."
Rion's condition truly looked terrible. Blood dripped from the side of his head, though most of his injuries were bruises and swelling rather than cuts. Claire, on the other hand, had several slash wounds across her body, but her breathing remained stable unlike Rion's ragged breaths.
"Take Rion back to his room and call Professor Celi to treat him."
"...Understood!"
Rion's subordinate immediately carried him away toward the dormitory.
Ard glanced toward Claire and Rena, silently thinking about what to do next.
"I won't thank you."
Claire spoke with the same expressionless face as always.
Ard didn't really care. He didn't think he had done anything worthy of gratitude anyway.
"I-I'm sorry, Professor Ard! I should've stopped them earlier, but instead I—"
"No." Ard interrupted her. "Not entering recklessly was the correct choice. You already tried. And for Claire…" Ard shifted his gaze toward her. "I know you're probably upset deep down, but you should understand that you were already stronger than Rion. There was no need to escalate things to the point of using magic on the same level as him."
"..."
"You already understand the rest yourself." Ard sighed again. "Tomorrow both of you will receive punishment from me. Not just you. Rion as well."
"...Sorry."
"Rena, go back to your room and rest. I'll handle Claire's injuries."
Rena immediately understood what Ard meant.
He wanted to be left alone with Claire.
"Ah! O-Okay then. Excuse me. Good night, Professor Ard!"
Rena bowed politely before leaving the two of them alone beneath the moonlight.
Damn it.
Inside his heart, Ard was honestly annoyed.
He had actually been peacefully drinking tea while talking with Lutra earlier. He knew Claire was dueling, but because he assumed nothing serious would happen—and because he was too lazy to move around at night—he chose to ignore it.
Who would've thought they'd actually use 3rd Circle magic.
Ard exhaled deeply.
"Claire. Any serious injuries?"
"No. Just cuts."
"Good."
Ard snapped his fingers.
A green light suddenly enveloped Claire's body.
"Healing magic?" Claire looked slightly surprised. And without casting…
"I already stopped the bleeding and closed most of your wounds. You can go back to your room now."
"Ah… thank you."
Claire quietly thanked him before turning around, intending to leave.
Ard watched her for a moment.
Then suddenly, he remembered Celi's words from earlier that afternoon.
"Claire."
"Yes, Professor."
Ard blinked slightly.
For some reason, Claire suddenly became more polite.
Is it because I'm her professor now?
Still, he didn't bother thinking too deeply about it.
"I owe you an apology."
Ard bowed his head.
Claire's eyes widened slightly in genuine shock.
"You know… earlier today, someone told me I should apologize to you. After thinking about it carefully, I really did go too far. Making one of my students cry—especially a girl." Ard scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Anyway… what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry. As Ard Le Ventias."
"..."
"Well, you don't have to force yourself to forgive me immediately." Ard smiled bitterly. "Honestly, I know you've probably lived through a difficult life too."
"Too?"
"Ah…" Ard looked toward the night sky. "Our situations are actually pretty similar. We were both isolated inside our own homes. Out of countless people, only a few genuinely cared about us. I understand that feeling very well. Being avoided. Being insulted."
Claire stared at him quietly.
"Were you also treated like an outcast?"
"Hm? Yeah. Back when I still lived at the mansion…"
Ard slowly began telling her parts of his past.
Because he was identified as a demon, people feared approaching him and chose to stay away. That itself never really bothered Ard.
What truly annoyed him were the endless whispers.
"One of the family businesses suddenly collapsed because of an unexpected attack," Ard said calmly. "And people assumed I was the one behind it. Even though I was only four years old at the time."
He paused briefly.
"It wasn't a small business either."
Ventias fabric wasn't merely ordinary cloth.
It was famous across trade routes for its durability. Difficult to tear, resistant to absorbing odors, and comfortable to wear during long journeys through both heat and cold. Merchants trusted it not because it was cheap, but because it never failed.
Not only merchants—even nobles from foreign nations frequently imported Ventias fabric. Smooth, elegant, and gentle against the skin unlike ordinary materials.
And precisely because of that, it became a target.
"The main warehouse was attacked during the night," Ard continued. "The fire didn't spread naturally. It looked planned from the very beginning."
Claire narrowed her eyes.
"There was a traitor inside the Ventias family?"
"Who knows." Ard shrugged lightly. "Back then I didn't really care. Though I heard Father eventually caught the culprit."
Very little could be saved.
Only a handful of cloth rolls and several boxes Ard himself never recognized.
Everything else turned to ash.
"The rumors spread almost at the same time as the fire." Ard's voice remained flat. "'Demon child.' 'Bringer of misfortune.' 'A spy sent by demons.' You can imagine the rest yourself."
Ard pulled out a small cake from his pocket—the same one he had been eating while drinking tea earlier.
He offered one to Claire.
She quietly shook her head.
So Ard simply ate it himself.
"Funny, isn't it?" he muttered. "Fabric supposedly resistant even to Lizardman flames suddenly burned to nothing."
Claire crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"Anyone capable of thinking rationally would realize that wasn't an accident."
"Exactly." Ard swallowed the last bite. "But people don't care about truth. They just don't want the headache of thinking too much. They want someone easy to blame."
He pointed at himself.
"And I happened to be convenient."
He laughed dryly.
"They acted as if they suffered the greatest losses, even though my father—the actual owner—barely reacted."
That's because your father is the Duke.
"Um… Professor." Claire hesitated slightly. "Why are you telling me all this?"
"Well…" Ard looked at her. "Because I used to struggle the same way you do now. Training desperately to prove myself. To show everyone 'I can do it too.' In that sense… we're actually very similar."
"..."
Ard let out another sigh.
"So don't let jealousy consume you."
He slowly walked around Claire, dragging his foot lightly against the ground and forming a circle around her.
"The determination to prove yourself is good. But envy only leads people into dead ends. They fall apart little by little."
The night wind blew softly.
Leaves danced around them.
Ard's voice remained calm.
"And don't judge others too quickly."
"Humans. Demons. Elves. Beastmen." Ard continued. "They're all the same. Living beings, just like you and me. The only difference is that some are good while others are bad."
He looked toward the sky.
"But goodness and evil aren't determined by fairy tales or stories written in books."
"Sometimes bad people feed stray cats."
"And sometimes good people kill birds for no reason."
Claire quietly listened.
"In my opinion…" Ard spoke softly. "A good person isn't someone who's always correct. It's someone who doesn't harm others unnecessarily, realizes when they're wrong, and tries to improve."
He smiled faintly.
"Though sometimes people hide behind the title of 'good person' to excuse themselves."
Claire's eyes sparkled slightly as she looked at him.
"Then what do you think a bad person is?"
"Hm…" Ard thought for a moment. "Imagine a homeless child stealing food."
"That's obviously wrong."
"But why did he steal it?"
Ard glanced sideways at Claire.
"Most people would assume he stole it to eat it himself."
He paused.
"But instead, he brings it back to his starving younger siblings waiting for him."
Claire looked genuinely interested.
"That's an interesting story."
Ard smiled quietly.
"A bad person isn't simply someone who commits crimes. Sometimes people are forced into situations."
"Like that child."
"Stealing is still wrong. But that doesn't automatically make him evil."
Ard looked directly at Claire.
"A truly bad person is someone who harms others while also destroying themselves."
"..."
"To be honest," Ard admitted, "I don't particularly like students like you inside the classroom."
Claire lowered her head slightly.
"But that doesn't mean I hate people like you."
Claire looked at Ard quietly.
The night wind pushed her silver hair backward.
At that moment, Ard resembled a father gently lecturing his daughter beneath the moonlight.
And strangely enough… Claire found herself captivated.
"The clouds are covering the sky," Ard suddenly muttered.
"I see." Claire smiled softly. "Professor."
Ard turned toward her.
"I'm sorry about earlier."
Then Claire smiled.
A genuine smile.
Ard froze slightly.
After all these years, this was the first time he had ever seen Claire smile like that.
"And… thank you."
The wind carried leaves through the air between them.
"Because of you… I realized several things tonight."
For a moment, the atmosphere became incredibly peaceful.
"Yeah." Ard smiled back, though less brightly than Claire. "That's good."
"Thank you once again, Professor. Then… excuse me."
"5th Magic Circle— Fire Ball: Mega!"
"!!!"
Claire's eyes widened.
A massive fireball descended rapidly from behind Ard.
"Professor! Look out!"
She didn't even have enough time to react.
"Lutra."
Instantly, Lutra appeared directly in front of the gigantic fireball.
Then she casually kicked it.
Instead of exploding outward, the enormous fireball shattered apart like crumbs.
"My, my, Young Master." Lutra held her cheeks dramatically. "Why didn't you handle that yourself? Making me work this late at night… what if my skin starts sagging?"
Ard laughed bitterly with sweat running down his cheek.
Claire silently stared.
Though even she had cold sweat forming now.
"I'm not letting you sleep before I do."
"You're truly cruel, Young Master. I'm merely a weak maiden."
"Stop calling yourself weak. It doesn't suit you at all."
"Ehh~?"
I couldn't even see her move.
Claire stared blankly at the maid who had just kicked away a massive fireball without caring whether anyone saw underneath her skirt.
Then suddenly—
"!!!"
Claire felt killing intent from behind.
But she was still only holding a wooden sword.
Damn it!
She had enough time to coat her weapon with aura.
But not enough time to react.
The attacker was too fast.
By the time Claire managed to turn halfway around, the enemy had already appeared directly behind her.
A violet aura-covered dagger thrust toward her neck.
But suddenly—
The attacker was blown away violently.
A loud explosion echoed after their body smashed into a distant wall.
"Eh?"
Claire looked confused.
Then she noticed the circle Ard had drawn around her earlier.
The marks on the ground emitted a yellow aura.
"Aegis."
A defensive-type spell.
It could either be cast instantly or placed beforehand onto objects and people.
Did he already know we were going to be attacked?
"I've been feeling the 'wind' for a while now." Ard spoke calmly. "Headmistress. Why are you just standing around watching?"
What?
Claire's eyes narrowed.
"Oh my. Are you seriously asking a woman like me to work during the middle of the night?"
A familiar voice echoed from above.
Claire looked upward.
A shadow descended from the sky.
It was Elisha.
Floating gracefully through the air while making an annoyed expression.
The Headmistress? Since when was she there?!
Ard smirked mockingly.
"That's what happens when you choose to become a leader."
Elisha slowly descended like a feather.
Her toes touched the grass elegantly.
"That has nothing to do with this!" Elisha puffed her cheeks angrily.
"Good evening, Headmistress." Claire and Lutra greeted politely.
"Hi~" Elisha answered casually.
"Headmistress," Ard spoke again. "You change clothes pretty often."
"So what?" Elisha crossed her arms. "There's nothing wrong with wearing different outfits."
"Well… no, not really. But doesn't it get troublesome?"
"Why would it?"
"...Never mind."
"Hey! Finish your sentence!"
Elisha lightly punched Ard's chest repeatedly.
Seeing the situation becoming too relaxed, Claire quickly interrupted.
"Maybe I'm ruining the mood, but shouldn't we evacuate the students? This is an attack!"
"Hm?" Elisha blinked. "Ah. There's no need to worry, Claire."
"But there's more than one attacker! From what I sensed, there are at least six people. And one of them already used 5th Circle magic!"
"Claire."
Ard gently patted her head.
After Claire calmed down slightly, he continued.
"There's someone here capable of forcing all four races into a ceasefire."
He glanced toward Elisha.
"A living legend standing right before your eyes."
Then Ard quietly spoke her full title.
"Arbiter of Silence. Elisha II. Evangeline De Gray."
Claire's gaze shifted toward Elisha.
At that exact moment, the black clouds covering the night sky slowly drifted away.
Moonlight illuminated Elisha beautifully.
Leaves floated through the air.
Her silver hair shimmered beneath the moon like glowing threads.
Elisha placed one hand against her cheek shyly.
"That's embarrassing~" she sighed softly. "But I suppose it can't be helped."
A small golden sphere suddenly appeared above her palm.
It floated without touching her hand.
Slowly rotating.
"You're asking me to clean up mere insects?" Elisha smiled lightly. "My pride feels slightly wounded."
"You're not the type to prioritize pride over students." Ard casually ate another cake from Lutra.
"What's the point of having professors here otherwise?" Elisha huffed. "Well, whatever. I'll finish this instantly."
Then her smile turned dangerous.
"And afterward… I'll reduce the salaries of every professor who failed to contribute."
Suddenly, Ard shivered.
Not because of the cold night wind.
But because of Elisha's smile.