The office was nothing short of extravagant.
The subtle aroma of premium black tea wafted through the air.
Classical music, likely a hobby of the owner, played softly, creating an elegant atmosphere…
But there was no time to enjoy such a mood.
“So.”
The girl in front of me, the founding dragon who has been with the Empire since its inception, crossed her legs and asked.
“So, you truly didn’t know anything?”
Her tone was playful.
Even the subtle, meaningful smile on her lips.
Anyone with any sense would realize that the girl in front of me didn’t believe a single word I said.
Three hours of explaining.
The result was a complete failure.
‘I’m going insane.’
I swear I didn’t lie.
My goal is to get fired, after all.
I threw away my pride and dignity, laying out the facts exactly as they were.
…It just so happened that those facts were far too unrealistic.
“I simply had the sudden urge to make a public display of racism and acted on it. It just so happened that my target was a big shot who had infiltrated this place under her nose…”
She stood from her seat.
She approached me slowly, locking eyes with mine.
“And the demon who attacked you essentially self-destructed, and you had no intention of fighting back. That’s what you’re seriously claiming?”
We were so close now I could practically feel her breath.
“Our rookie teacher seems to be quite lucky.”
Staring intensely at me, the girl whispered.
Her words, which now openly mocked me.
The pressure felt suffocating, but I couldn’t back down now.
They say I managed to instantly identify the demon, showed no hesitation in eliminating it, and even protected the students?
There’s no way they’d let go of such talent.
This place isn’t a school—it’s a demonic realm.
The recent demon incident made that painfully clear.
I can’t stay tied down here.
Looking her in the eyes, I shamelessly declared.
“Yes, I’m quite confident in my luck.”
Whether in my previous life or this one, I’ve always had strangely good luck.
There was no need to act, so my voice held no hesitation or doubt.
Well, no matter how sincerely I spoke, the problem was that the story itself was too absurd.
Sure enough, she smiled again, her expression loaded with meaning.
“Alright, I’ll believe you.”
Saying that, she relaxed into her plush chair.
My mind went blank.
Seeing my bewildered face, she kindly added an explanation.
“I can tell if you’re lying or not just by looking.”
She pointed to her eyes.
Only then did I fully grasp the situation.
‘A function of the dragon’s eyes, huh?’
It made sense.
Eyes that could see through truth were a common enough trope in novels.
And these weren’t just any eyes—they were a dragon’s.
If they didn’t have such abilities, that’d be even more surprising.
‘Wait, if that’s the case…’
The situation changed.
My plan to tell nothing but the truth had unexpectedly led to a great success.
Honestly, even I found the story I told to be unconvincing.
But to the principal in front of me, my story was genuine.
In her eyes, I must have seemed like a completely insane, worthless individual.
This is an opportunity.
A chance to make myself more thoroughly hated and escape the academy.
There was no reason to hesitate.
I stood up abruptly.
The girl looked at me with curious eyes, but I didn’t care and furrowed my brow.
I was perfectly fine just moments ago, and now I was suddenly acting out—definitely an erratic move.
But that’s exactly the image I wanted to create.
“I’ve been stuck here for three hours now. Frankly, I don’t want to waste any more time with this trivial chatter.”
I tapped my wristwatch rudely.
The principal was about to say something, but I cut her off before she could.
“Next time, prepare a different drink. Black tea doesn’t suit my taste.”
The tea you personally brewed with great care?
I’ll never drink it.
Even if it’s made from the finest tea leaves with a delightful aroma, and brewing tea is your hobby, I’ll trample all over your pride.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
After all, I’ve had enough for today.
Time to go home.
I turned my back and walked toward the office door.
This kind of bad behavior came as naturally as breathing.
Now, if I add a layer of unlikable behavior with my racism…
“What’s your name?”
Success.
The fact that she asked me that question, despite having a file with my name right on her desk, meant only one thing.
She wanted to emphasize that I was thoroughly on her bad side.
“Riyan. I have no last name since I’m a commoner.”
With those words, I left the office.
Just before the door closed, I heard her mutter.
“…I’ll be sure to remember that name.”
Yeah, don’t forget.
Remember it well.
Remember this rude, insane guy and fire him immediately!
***
After Riyan left, the office remained silent.
Already cooled cups of tea sat before her, as Sion, the principal of the Imperial Academy, let out a deep sigh.
“This is… a complete defeat. No excuses to make.”
At first, it had been mere curiosity.
The new professor had caused some unusual events, so she thought she could learn more about him using her “eyes.”
But perhaps because he disliked her prying into his thoughts, he had begun to provoke her openly.
“I just happened to find him by chance. I only intended to act on racial prejudice.”
There was no way such a coincidence could exist in the world.
“I’m far less skilled than the other professors. How could someone like me defeat a demon?”
What Riyan dealt with was not just any demon.
If it had been a simple madman swayed by a demon, the professors wouldn’t have struggled so much.
No, the opponent was one of the “72 Great Evils.”
And not just any of them, but the elusive seventh, Amon—an actual demon, not merely its servant.
“I only survived thanks to luck. The demon accidentally exposed its vital point, and I just happened to pierce it with my dagger.”
But of course, a demon of that caliber would never easily expose its vital point.
It must have hidden its core, split it, and masked its presence.
To claim that he simply “got lucky” and pierced the heart of such a demon?
Even more absurd, the dagger he used bore the imperial seal, and yet he insisted he was just an ordinary person.
There’s no way such coincidences could exist in the world.
Lie after lie after lie.
Everything Riyan said in that office was nothing but a pack of lies that no one would ever believe.
But he dared Sion to see through his words, as if taunting her.
“And yet, I couldn’t see through the lie.”
The dragon’s eyes, capable of stripping away all illusions, failed her this time.
Sion had taken pride in this ability, but the new professor had completely outwitted her.
She didn’t know how he did it, but the ridiculous nonsense he spouted had appeared entirely truthful through her eyes.
A power that had never been defeated was now shattered.
A human who achieved a feat no other being had managed appeared out of nowhere.
Had it ended there, Sion might have felt a thrill from meeting such a formidable opponent.
But…
“He got angry with me, didn’t he?”
The reason was obvious.
Riyan must have realized that Sion was enjoying this situation.
While everyone else was thrilled about capturing the demon, that man had been the only one to try to protect the students.
What would he think, upon realizing that the principal, in the midst of this emergency, was excited to face a worthy adversary?
Realizing that the principal was holding him back out of mere curiosity, while there could still be other infiltrators and students were in danger?
He had every right to be furious.
It was her fault entirely, and he was right.
Not only had she lost in skill, but in character as well.
No excuses—this was a total defeat.
How shameful.
She felt like a senile old fool, and wouldn’t argue if anyone called her that.
“Haah…”
As she thought about it, shame washed over her once again.
She wanted to disappear, but the least she could do was take responsibility for her actions.
If she had committed a mistake, she would have to make up for it somehow.
“Riyan, was it…?”
She whispered his name once more, vowing that the founder dragon of the Empire would never forget that name.
A talent like his deserved the treatment befitting of his abilities.
My efforts have finally borne fruit.
‘I’ve definitely made a lasting impression on the principal, so soon, I’ll be able to escape this wretched academy.’
Such a joyous occasion.
So, tonight, I’ll raise a glass in celebration and sleep soundly in the staff quarters.
Tomorrow, I’ll pack up and leave.
That’s the future that should be awaiting me, without a doubt.
***
“Please, forgive my rudeness!”
Suddenly, a crazy old man blocks my path.
In front of the staff quarters’ door, that elderly professor from before is bowing so low, it looks like his head might touch the ground.
…I’m starting to get a very bad feeling about this.