Though Lize had stepped forward courageously, her appearance alone didn’t bring about a miraculous turnaround in the battle.
After all, the enemies were members of the Crimson Fangs, who had long fought against the Krantz royal family.
That said, the situation hadn’t become overwhelmingly unfavorable either.
There were still guards brought by a few dignitaries, as well as faculty members defending the hall.
The problem was that most of the faculty here lacked real combat experience, making them far from a significant force.
Moreover, the disadvantage of having to fight while protecting civilians meant the scales seemed to tip ever so slightly in the enemy’s favor.
Clang! Clang!
“Ugh!”
But perhaps it was too early to give up hope.
Just then, a figure in a school uniform appeared from somewhere, swinging a sword—and one of the enemy squad members trying to enter the hall was struck in the chest and collapsed.
“Th-thank you! May I ask your name…?”
“Riley Tern. More importantly, it’s dangerous here. Please step back.”
A female student who had been saved asked for her savior’s name, and the black-haired figure calmly replied while brushing back their hair.
“L-Lize! It’s dangerous! You need to retreat too—!”
“I’m fine, sis! Don’t worry about me—just go with Father and… Ugh!”
BANG!
Meanwhile, Titania urgently called out to Lize, who was boldly fighting at the front lines, but Lize showed no intention of backing down as she swung her frying pan relentlessly.
If the enemy crossed this line, everyone else would be in danger.
At the very least, she had to hold out until he arrived.
That thought alone was the driving force keeping her from collapsing despite reaching her limits.
“Die, you bitch!”
“Lize! Behind you—!”
!?
But perhaps her focus had wavered.
Lize failed to notice the man approaching from behind, wielding a massive greatsword.
By the time Titania’s desperate warning reached her, the blade was already inches from her face.
‘Ah… so this is the end.’
As Lize closed her eyes, resigned to death—
***
Thud.
A warm sensation enveloped her, as if she were being gently embraced.
《Lightning》
Crackle—!
A sound like hundreds of lightning bolts striking tore through the air—though in reality, it wasn’t from the sky but from the ground, where the lightning had erupted and engulfed the enemies.
“Huh…?”
The enemy squad members, unable to even scream, fell one by one, roasted by the lightning.
Sensing something strange, Lize cautiously opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was her own feet, floating mid-air.
As her gaze traveled upward, she soon met the face of a man.
“Ah…”
A soft gasp escaped Lize’s lips.
It was a face she could never forget.
Though he might not know it, he was the very reason she had come to this academy—the man she had been waiting for, believing he would bring hope.
“Abel Rudius…”
She whispered his name as if it were sacred.
From the moment the auditorium came into view in the distance, I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell was going on.
The half-destroyed walls were one thing, but seeing some crazy woman swinging a frying pan alone against enemies made me doubt my own eyes.
And to think she was my student.
No, not just any student—she was the Fourth Princess of the revered Hildek Kingdom.
I was still reeling from the shock of what I’d just witnessed, but at least we’d managed to survive the danger.
Just as I was regaining my senses—
“Abel Rudius…”
Held in my arms, the princess called my name in a faint voice, and for a moment, my Confucian instincts nearly flared up.
Even after living in this world for 25 years, the old-fashioned sensibilities from my past life still lingered.
‘Right, as if a princess would ever address someone so informally.’
‘If she were just a daughter of a count, I might’ve said something, but her status is too high for me to nitpick.’
Suppressing a sigh at the absurdity of class society, I forced a calm expression.
“Your Highness… no, I should call you Krantz now, shouldn’t I? My apologies for being late.”
“Ah, no. Don’t apologize. Thank you for saving me.”
I deliberately emphasized the word “student” to clarify our relationship, and she seemed to realize her mistake, blushing as she shook her head.
Seems she understands the hierarchy between teacher and student.
I’ll let the earlier slip slide.
No sooner had I set the princess down than a figure came sprinting toward us.
“Lize! Are you okay!? I’m sorry, it’s my fault—!”
“I’m fine. I’m unharmed.”
***
As soon as the princess was out of my arms, a girl with pink hair rushed over and hugged her.
The familiar face filled me with dread before relief.
‘So this is Titania Krantz.’
The Pink Princess from the original story, known in society as the mischievous princess.
I never thought she’d actually come to Trivia Academy.
I’d seen her face on the enrollment forms, but seeing her in person made my heart sink.
‘Can’t you just go back to your kingdom?’ The words nearly escaped my throat before I swallowed them.
“Lize! Tia!”
As the two hugged each other in relief, I watched them until another familiar figure came running from afar—a man with a thick beard.
None other than the King of Hildek, father of these princesses.
This was only the second time I’d seen him in person.
“Are both of you unharmed!?”
“Lize protected me, so I’m fine, Dad.”
“I’m okay too. More importantly, I’m sorry. I ruined the frying pan you gave me as an gift.”
“What’s a frying pan compared to you!? Next time, I’ll have the kingdom’s finest blacksmith forge you one that won’t break even under magic!”
“I’m seriously curious if that frying pan’s purpose is cooking food or cooking people. If you’re going to commission a blacksmith that skilled, why not just give her a sword or spear?”
Barely holding back my sarcasm, I kept my mouth shut until the king noticed me and approached.
“Lord Rudius, I cannot thank you enough for saving my daughters. This debt will not be forgotten.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty. If anything, I should apologize for being late and nearly letting your precious daughters get hurt.”
Though I’d done my best, the fact remained that they’d been put in danger.
I bowed my head in apology, but the king grabbed my shoulders and shook them.
“Everyone here saw how you fought off those invaders. How could anyone blame you!? Isn’t that right, everyone!?”
“That’s right!”
“Anyone who says otherwise deserves a broken jaw!”
He bellowed to the crowd behind him, and they all raised their hands in agreement.
They must’ve been watching the situation through detection magic.
***
Swoosh.
“Captain, sorry for the delay.”
Just as I was about to check if other areas were still under attack, Anis appeared as if falling from the sky, and I reflexively smiled.
‘If she was here, that meant the fighting was over.’
“No, you came at the perfect time. What’s the status?”
“All enemies have been eliminated.”
“Good. Then we should proceed with the ceremony.”
“Understood.”
Continuing the ceremony right after a terrorist attack might seem insane, but Anis didn’t question it and immediately began organizing the situation.
Of course, I didn’t mean to hold the full ceremony in this chaos.
I just wanted to say a few words to reassure the shaken students.
“You two, return to your seats. Lize, Tia. As he said, you should enjoy your ceremony.”
“Lize, let’s go.”
“Okay.”
“Got it.”
***
As the Krantz sisters hurried off at their father’s urging, I made my way to the stage.
Some chairs had been destroyed, leaving a few students standing, but none seemed upset.
Instead, they stared at me with eager eyes, making me smirk wryly as I stepped onto the stage.
“To the prospective students of Trivia Academy and our honored guests—I sincerely apologize for the unpleasant experience today. Let me offer my deepest regrets once more.”
“Not at all!”
“We’re fine!”
“Getting to witness Lord Rudius in action was more than enough!”
‘Did they all rehearse this? Their immediate, enthusiastic responses and flattery caught me off guard, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.’
Though I’d ended up here by chance, as the headmaster, I wanted to say something meaningful.
“As you’ve seen today, the world is far from peaceful. Even now, somewhere beyond our sight, people are bleeding and dying—senselessly, out of jealousy and hatred. That is the nature of this world.”
The students held their breath, hanging on my words.
Encouraged, I continued with more force.
“But I promise you this: No matter your past, no matter who you become—as long as you are my students and I am the headmaster of this academy, no scorn or oppression will harm you within these walls.”
I’d long lost the notes I’d prepared, but the words flowed effortlessly, as if they’d been waiting deep inside me.
“And so, I, Abel Rudius, solemnly swear from this moment forward: As the guardian of this new academy, I will devote myself to protecting and guiding its students. My blood and sweat belong to Trivia Academy. Thus, I sincerely hope you will spread your wings freely here and enjoy a fulfilling academic life.”
“Wooooah!”
“Guardian of the Academy!”
“Rudius! Rudius!”
Clap clap clap—!
The applause and cheers (some embarrassingly fervent) didn’t stop even as I descended the stage.
Raising my hand like some politician, I walked down the steps when my eyes caught the shattered wall of the auditorium.
The gaping hole revealed the blue sky, almost refreshing to behold.
…The hell am I talking about, “refreshing”? I’m gonna be drowning in paperwork after this.