Chapter 80. Coming Clean

There was a moment of silence in the classroom as everyone waited for Stormwind to continue, but his gaze was stuck on me, and I couldn’t quite tell exactly what it was that he was trying to convey, since it wasn’t hostility, and neither was it friendly.

I sustained the look with him, my expression turning to confusion the more time went on.

“Teacher?” someone eventually asked, breaking the trance that Stormwind had gone into and causing him to look away from me.

“Ah? Hm? R-right. We’ll continue with the same magic refining from the last couple of days, and then we’ll do a small test,” he said, trying his best not to look at me again as he walked to the desk.

“Oh?” I heard Asteora exclaim from somewhere between me and Stormwind. “This is the man that reported you as the Hero of the Holy Gods.”

I frowned and had the impulse to ask her what that meant, but I didn’t want to say something to someone that people couldn’t see nor hear, and since I couldn’t pinpoint her exact location, I couldn’t do the same magic that she was doing to directly talk to her.

But… after pausing to consider her words properly… I finally understood why this elf had been looking at me in such a strange way almost since the moment that we met. If he wasn’t already aware of who I was, then he had been very suspicious—even more so after seeing me use that small Holy spell a few weeks ago.

Then… if he was in the Final War, and had been on the opposite side, it would be obvious why he would be so wary of me.

“That’s a deep frown you have there,” David said. “Finally getting tired of the teacher’s strange looks?”

“I never liked them, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable about them either. I just figured out why he looks at me like that,” I replied, looking at Stormwind as he sat behind a computer, hiding his face from my view. “It’s likely because he thinks I’m the Hero of the Holy Gods, just like how people in your social media think the same.”

“Eh? Really? I’ve—I’ve heard that there was a trend from people of Arretia where sometimes they would report a pretty woman as being that Hero so authorities would harass them… Do you think he did that?” Victoria asked with a hushed voice, trying to hide herself from Stormwind’s face as well.

“What? No. I don’t think a teacher would do that,” David said, and I heard a scoff coming from above us. “At least, not with someone they don’t actually know—but speaking of teachers,” he turned to look at me, “Reeta’s been asking about you. She’s wondering if you died in that Magic Red Zone, so now that you’re doing better, I think it would be a good idea to go see her.”

I nodded. “Yes, I was planning to do that, and I think Nicole might be joining us now.”

“Really? She didn’t appear like the kind that would do that,” David replied, with Victoria nodding along.

“She's been improving her magic lately, and with her new… tutor… I think it would do her good to strengthen her body.”

“Oh well… I hope she’s ready to get punched…” David said with a smirk, which contrasted with Victoria’s wry smile.

“Okay!” Stormwind called out, causing everyone in the classroom to quiet down. “Let's check that everyone’s here, and we’ll get into it.”

“Oh…! How exciting…! To see how this world is going to teach you how to do magic…!” Asteora said, with her supposed excitement not reaching the monotone of her voice at all.

* * *

A couple of hours later, the class was done. I hadn’t learned anything I already didn’t know how to do with my magic, but I still had to come to class because if I missed it, I could end up with failed grade—not that I actually cared, as I just wanted to know more about this world from a place of knowledge like an Academy.

Asteora was of the same mind as me with the things that we were asked to do. She got so bored half-way that she decided to leave and follow Nicole instead—her current trainee. If I were to guess, I’d say that she’s also giving her comments that nobody else could hear.

“I’m going straight to the gym. Coming along?” David asked both me and Victoria.

Victoria nodded, but I had my eyes on Stormwind. After a moment, he glanced at me, before quickly turning to look away, and while keeping my eyes on him, I answered the question, “No. I have a couple of questions for Stormwind. I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Ah, okay. Try not to get in trouble,” David jokingly said, turning and waving his hand in the air.

Victoria didn’t appear to think too much about what I had to talk with Stormwind and left behind David, leaving a mostly empty classroom—save for the handful of people who were still discussing things among themselves.

I paid no mind to those other people and made my way to Stormwind, who appeared to be avoiding me, even if he knew that I was approaching.

“Instructor,” I said, “I wish to speak with you.”

“Hm? Is there something that you didn’t understand with the mana refinement? You missed a few days, so it’s no wonder you’ll be a bit lost,” he replied, his eyes set on the screen of the computer.

I could see from the place I was standing a little bit of what he was currently doing, but it was a mostly white screen with a message written on it. From what I recognized, he was likely reading an ‘e-mail’ or something like that.

I had no desire to pry into his messages, so I quickly turned my eyes to him.

“No. It’s something else,” I said, and he finally looked at me after a frown.

“Then… Sure, I’m listening…”

I glanced at the people that still remained in the classroom, and considered whether or not to speak while they were within earshot, but ultimately decided that it would be better if I could speak without worries.

“I would like to have some privacy,” I said while looking at the other people. “Do you have an office?”

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Stormwind’s eyes widened slightly, and I could see his face turn pale. He looked at the other students that were still chatting among each other, not paying any mind to either of us, before he turned to look up to me.

“Very well… but I’ll have you know right away that I have no interest in any of my students,” he said, shaking his head.

I half-tilted my head to the side, not quite understanding what he meant by that, but I quickly realized the other way in which what I said could be interpreted. “It’s nothing of the sort.”

“Then… I could talk to you right here, couldn’t I? Because if it’s something more personal, then I’d suggest you get in contact with the Wellbeing Department instead. I think they’re much better fit for dealing with that,” he said, turning his face to look back at his computer screen.

I once more glanced at the computer, but as far as I could tell, he was reading the same thing over and over. It was obvious that he was trying to avoid me.

“Stormwind,” I said, my voice stern this time. He swallowed, but tried his best to not show any emotion in his face as he focused on the screen. “I wish to address an issue there might between us, and I think it would be better to do so in private.”

“An issue?” he replied with a raspy low tone of voice, “I—I don’t seem to recall there ever being an issue between us.”

I considered him for a moment. I could easily tell that he was nervous, despite his best efforts to hide it, but I think it would be best to talk to him now and not let him worry about who I was anymore, especially if he was the one that reported me to Asteora.

“I’m aware now of what you’ve done,” I said and he completely paled this time, his eyes wide. “So please, don’t avoid me.”

He bit his lower lip, and clenched his hands, before looking up to me with a mix of fear and determination. “If… if that’s the case… then… let's go to my office.” Saying that, he stood up and took a couple of steps past me, stopping momentarily with his head half-turned my way. “I won’t hesitate to defend myself.”

With a glance, I looked at the handful of students who were looking at us now, and just shook my head as I answered with a voice only audible for him. “You don’t have anything to worry about. It won’t come to that.”

He stood still for a moment and then kept on walking without saying anything in response. I ignored the other students and followed after him.

His office wasn't in this same building, so it took a few minutes to reach the place. The whole way had been awkward, as he exuded the aura of someone who was either ready to fight or to run, but I didn’t mind it as I quietly walked with him.

“Here,” he said once he opened a door that had his name engraved on it.

I walked in before him, after which he closed the door and moved around me to open a set of loud curtains that rolled up after pulling on a string. His office was on a third floor, so even if he did make it so that other people could see what was going on, it wasn't likely that someone was going to look inside.

He sat on the chair by his desk and placed his softly clenched fists on the table as he looked up at me. “So, what would it be?”

I considered my words for a moment. I had no intention of being hostile with him, so I didn’t want to appear accusatory with him, as I understood that the reason why he reported me was likely because of the destruction that I caused in the past. But I also didn’t want to beat around the bush and not make myself clear either.

“I’ve… found out that you reported me as the Hero of the Holy Gods,” I said, my tone of voice soft but firm.

He clenched his hands hard this time, biting his lower lip as he sighed and looked down for a moment, before looking up to me. “How did you find that out?”

“Asteora told me,” I admitted, since there was no need to hide it.

He looked surprised at me, the blood of his face almost completely drained, and I feared that perhaps he was about to pass out. But he managed to control himself quickly.

“T-then, does that mean that… you… that you…” he started, trailing off in the end as his voice failed him.

I nodded, confirming his fears. “Yes. You are right. I am—or was—the Hero of the Holy Gods.”

There was a quick circulation of mana in his body, and I also prepared myself to fight, but after a split second, it disappeared as he sighed and shook his head. “No. There’s no point in trying. Between you and the Embodiment of Magic, there’s no hope for someone like me to even leave a scratch on you.” He looked up to me, his hands relaxing and nearly dropping from the desk. “So what’s it going to be? Are you going to end me for my betrayal like you did so many in the past?”

He was right in that I would consider what he’d done as a betrayal of the Holy Gods and their righteous cause to cleanse all darkness from the world… but that would’ve been in the past, and now, in hindsight, I had to admit that his people were only trying to stop me from handing the world over to the Holy Gods… I just simply refused to listen.

I shook my head. “No. Not at all.”

“Then…?” he asked, his face turning to a confused frown.

“I simply wish to clear things up between us. Part of that is that I do not wish to fight with you, and that I pose no threat to you either,” I said, but his expression didn’t lessen at all. It even seemed to deepen. “And that extends to everyone I once called my enemy.”

“How… How can you say that now? Why are you simply confessing all of that to me?” he said, clenching his fists slightly.

I took the phone out of the skirt’s pockets, hoping to look for one of the messages online that pointed me out as the Hero of the Holy Gods. But, I looked at the phone for a moment; at the reflection of my face on this black mirror, and realized that there was no need to do that as it was easy for people to know just by looking at me, just as what David and Nicole claimed was happening online.

“It’s just a matter of time before other people find out, and you wouldn’t be the first to know as you might’ve already guessed from social media and the fact that Asteora is around,” I said, putting away the phone in my skirt. “So I thought I should clear things up with you.”

He remained quiet as he looked at me. His expression changed from being confused to being angry, then to a mix of both, and finally to fear. I couldn’t know what he was thinking, but I could guess that he was conflicted about this whole situation.

“I don’t know what I should do… what I should say to you… You—you were such a terrifying existence, that I don’t know how I should act from now on…” he said, his voice raising the more he spoke, “How do I know that you won’t suddenly turn and burn me down—this place down! Or the whole world!?”

He was getting agitated, but I tried to remain as calm as I could. As long as he didn’t get hostile, we could still talk. I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping that such an action could calm him down, and by the time I looked at him again, he had regained some of his composure.

“I’m well aware of the mistakes of my past. I know that a lot of the things I did in the name of the Holy Gods were wrong, and I know of the pain and suffering that they caused,” I said, keeping my voice soft. “And… I do not wish to repeat them. There are no Holy Gods in this world, and I intend to keep it that way.”

Stormwind looked surprised as he blinked his eyes a few times. “That… it’s easy to say those sorts of things…”

He was right. And it was also easy to ask for peace when you have the weapons to demand it, which is likely the reason why he isn’t lunging at me. The idea that I’m the same powerful being from a few months ago was keeping him in place.

I shook my head. “I can’t convince you otherwise with just words. But I hope that with time, you’ll come to…”

Forgive me? I asked myself. There was no reason to forgive me.

We remained quiet as I considered the right words to follow it up, but after a moment, Stormwind finally relented as he sighed and leaned back on his chair. “I’m not sure about what I should do, more so now that even the normal resources for such a thing have been used and you’re still around, living your life free, alongside with the Embodiment of Magic and who-knows-what else.” He placed a hand on his face. “There’s really nothing a lot of us common mortals can do to you, but I guess… I have no choice but to accept your words and pray that you’ll stay true to them.”

“That’s all that I can ask for right now—if there was even anything I could ask for in the first place,” I replied.

He sighed, removed the hand off his face and looked at me. “Was there something else?”

“No,” I said, since there really wasn’t anything else to discuss with him. “I shall take my leave now.”

I sustained my look with him for a second more, before turning to leave the office. I wasn’t sure if what I did was the correct thing to do, or if there were going to be other consequences for doing so, but at the moment I could only hope that this helped him calm down about my existence.

And so, with a soft click, I closed the door of his office behind me and left for the gym.