IRM Chapter 22

Regarding Reize becoming the supervising teacher, apart from the three parties involved from Bien Village who felt it was somewhat complicated, the little mages of Class S were all beaming with excitement!

A Great Mage! A human-angel hybrid! And dual-element lightning and light magic!

This was so much more impressive than a certain all-element genius who had only learned fireball spells after half a year of study!

The key was that he was still young! On the Demon Sword Continent where mages had an average lifespan of five hundred years, was there a generation gap between thirty and sixteen years old? Not at all! Rounded off, it was just like having another little companion to go wild with~

Reize didn’t put on the airs of a teacher either, smiling warmly as he greeted everyone with a kind face, showing no trace of the depressed and despondent fallen angel he had been a few months ago.

The timing of Reize’s arrival for greetings coincided perfectly with the end of training class. The bell announcing the time echoed throughout the vast academy. Usually at this time, these little mages would have long since disappeared without a trace, but today they lingered reluctantly on the training lawn, unwilling to leave.

One could guess the reason with their toes.

Professor Joseph laughed and scolded in annoyance, “You’re all very diligent today, aren’t you? Want to stay behind for more practice? You still have plenty of magic power left, so I can accompany you to finish practicing.”

Upon hearing that the old man would be their practice partner, the little mages all expressed that it wasn’t necessary and that the professor had worked hard, then scattered like birds and beasts at their fastest speed.

Ji Chi was afraid of Professor Joseph’s deadly loving care and originally wanted to take the opportunity to slip away, but unexpectedly Professor Joseph’s gaze turned and hooked directly onto him. “Ji Chi, you stay behind.”

Evan, accustomed to this sight, gave Ji Chi a helpless expression of “I can’t help you” and quickened his pace toward the dormitory, afraid of also being caught by the old man.

Ji Chi sighed deeply, turned around, and walked dejectedly toward Professor Joseph and Reize.

Seeing his worthless appearance, Professor Joseph became angry, his eyebrows standing on end. “What kind of expression is that! Look at yourself! Half a semester has passed! Tell me what you’ve learned!”

Ji Chi’s lips moved slightly, just about to say something, when he was ruthlessly interrupted by Professor Joseph. “Don’t mention those irrelevant things! This is a Magic Academy! You are a mage! You possess the world’s best talent! What you should be learning is magic! Magic!”

Ji Chi closed his mouth. He didn’t want to say anything anymore. He had heard these words countless times in half a semester and had argued back many times, but it just kept going in circles…

This was probably just a common ailment of elderly people…

Ji Chi chose to selectively ignore Professor Joseph’s nagging, thinking aimlessly.

After Professor Joseph finished scolding, his mood calmed down somewhat. He pinched his brow somewhat wearily, his voice becoming low. “To tell the truth, I’m actually quite afraid too. I don’t have talent like yours, and I don’t know what kind of difficulties you’ll encounter. I’m very afraid of leading you down the wrong path…”

Professor Joseph sighed deeply and looked at Ji Chi very seriously. “I know you don’t like the profession of being a mage, but sometimes, talent doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. It might be a responsibility, or it might be a constraint, because those who need it most are not yourself, but those people you want to protect.”

These heartfelt words struck deeper into one’s heart than roaring and scolding.

Ji Chi fell silent. He had always played the role of the one being protected before, quietly staying out of affairs was his main duty. This was the first time he had been given such expectations.

Seeing that Ji Chi seemed somewhat moved, Professor Joseph nodded and said, “I’m very happy that Reize is willing to serve as Class S’s specially appointed instructor. He also has multi-element talent, and he understands this situation better than I do. He will be the most suitable person to guide you.”

After Professor Joseph finished speaking, he raised his hand and patted Reize’s shoulder. “I’m entrusting Ji Chi to you. He’s a very good student.”

Reize curved his lips and agreed. “I know, please rest assured.”

Professor Joseph glanced at them, shook his head and walked away, his silhouette stretching long in the sunlight, carrying a touch of melancholy.

Reize watched him walk away, then turned back to Ji Chi and said, “Don’t listen to his nonsense, he pulls this routine every year.”

Ji Chi hadn’t yet recovered from Professor Joseph’s words and didn’t expect Reize to say this, letting out a dazed “ah.”

Reize laughed knowingly. “Everyone who can come to the Magic Academy are children with talent, and those who can be assigned to Class S are one in ten thousand. Professor Joseph has taught so many classes of students, guess how many high-talent troublemakers he’s encountered?”

Ji Chi seemed to understand something, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

Reize pointed at Ji Chi with his index finger. “Not to mention him, even I can see it. You haven’t interacted with many people, you respond to soft approaches but not hard ones, and playing the victim is the most effective way to make you listen.”

Ji Chi gave him dead fish eyes. Right, so I was mistaken again.

Seeing his expression, Reize couldn’t help but laugh. “Haha, never mind him. Ji Chi… I’m really sorry I only greeted you by name today. That day I overlooked many things, and I haven’t found a chance to thank you since… Do you have time now? Can I treat you to a meal?”

Ji Chi agreed without hesitation – he happened to have things he wanted to ask Reize about too.

Reize led him along a familiar route to Central Street and pushed open the familiar wooden door of a tavern.

The silver bell on the door frame swayed and rang crisply, alerting those inside that customers had arrived.

“Welcome to Thor’s Tavern~ Magic Academy students get a discount!”

The graceful female mage owner was still polishing her beloved crystal cup, greeting them without looking up.

Seeing her, Reize raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Would a Magic Academy teacher plus the status of a classmate from ten years ago qualify for a discount, Miss Thor?”

Thor paused in polishing her crystal cup, suddenly looked up at Reize in disbelief. The crystal cup slipped from her hand and crashed onto the wooden bar with a clang, its smooth transparent edge chipped with an ugly mark.

She paid no attention to the damaged crystal cup, slowly raising her hand to cover her mouth. “Oh my god, it really is you! Didn’t you… go to the Angel Kingdom?”

The smile on Reize’s face dimmed slightly. He avoided this topic, saying vaguely, “Something happened later.”

Thor could see he didn’t want to talk about it, but was still very happy. “It’s good that you’re back! At the time, I felt uncomfortable seeing those angels with their chins raised to the sky. You must have suffered a lot of grievances!”

Thor complained like an old mother for a while, then quickly waved her hands. “Ah, why am I talking about these unhappy things! Quickly, quickly! I’ll find you a good seat! I’ll prepare the meal today! No charge for the meal!”

Ji Chi, like a background character, stared at that poor crystal cup for a long time, finally couldn’t help but reach out to steady it, only to be knocked over again by Miss Thor who swept past like a whirlwind. “You go to the small private room on the left side of the second floor! The environment is nice there, and there aren’t many people!”

Ji Chi gave up on rescuing that crystal cup and followed behind Reize to the private room.

The sumptuous meal was quickly served – it was the delicious cuisine specially used to entertain distinguished guests in the Saint Trilley Kingdom, crowded together filling the entire table.

Ji Chi couldn’t help but sigh. “I’ve been here several times, but I’ve never seen dishes like these.”

Reize smiled. “This should be credited to the village chief. When I first came to the royal city, I didn’t know anyone. Fortunately, with the village chief’s introduction, Thor and I became very good friends.”

When Reize mentioned the people and events of Bien Village again, even after some time had passed, his expression still showed some dejection.

“Let the unhappy things pass! The afterlives of the people of Bien Village will be full of light and hope!” Reize shook his head and raised his cup toward Ji Chi. “Speaking of which, I was truly very grateful to you at that time. If it hadn’t been for you…”

Reize lowered his eyes and said self-mockingly, “I think I would still have chosen to fall, but the result would only have been worse.”

Ji Chi silently drank a sip of tea from his cup without comforting him, because what he said was the truth – events that had actually happened in the game.

Ji Chi thought of something and looked up, asking Reize with some curiosity, “So have you abandoned your angel identity now? Will those angels let you go?”

Hearing this, Reize raised the corner of his mouth somewhat sarcastically, “You mean my severed wings? Angel wings are condensed from light elements and are symbols of strength and status. They’re rarely severed in battle, but after resting for a while, they can completely recover. However… since I only have half angel blood, unfortunately, even though my talent wasn’t affected, my wings can’t grow back.”

Reize showed a gloating expression as he spoke, “Last time those angels were conflicted about whether to take back a dual-element mongrel, and this time they’re conflicted about whether to take back a disabled dual-element genius mongrel. I heard the two factions are arguing so fiercely they’re about to fight hahaha!”

For a moment, Ji Chi didn’t know how to respond to Reize’s words. In his view, this matter could be called tragic no matter what. If it hadn’t been for those twins…

But there was no point in talking about this now. In a person’s life, how could one not encounter a few mad dogs?

Ji Chi shook his head secretly and consoled him, “It’s good that your talent wasn’t affected. Lightning and light are both very popular elements. The Church’s light element Holy Knights have never been able to recruit enough people.”

Upon hearing Ji Chi mention this, Reize’s expression immediately became serious. “I was just about to tell you about this. Before coming to the Magic Academy, during that period I passed the Church’s recruitment and became a Holy Knight.”

“A Holy Knight? In Harris City?” Ji Chi thought for a moment.

“Yes, that’s right, the Holy Knight Order led by Kael. I wasn’t wrong – they haven’t given up investigating the truth of my resurrection and have already begun to notice you. However, you’ve always been very cautious, so they haven’t found anything, and recently they haven’t been paying much attention either.”

Hearing this, Ji Chi looked deeply at Reize. His movements weren’t particularly low-key, and if they really wanted to investigate, sooner or later he would show his hand. But now he could still sit here peacefully, which was probably also the result of Reize’s secret cover-up.

Reize lowered his eyes to cut the food on his plate and continued, “But in three months, the royal city’s light Holy Knights will be severely short-staffed, so I’ll be transferred to the royal city and assigned a mission.”

Reize stopped his actions and looked directly at Ji Chi. “To investigate Saintess Coralie. The Church doesn’t know what clues they’ve discovered, but they’re now suspicious of her. Even this Dark Night Forest training ground was prepared for her.”

“So what I want to tell you is, stay away from Saintess Coralie if you don’t want to reveal your identity – Saint Alchemist.”

****

Night time, at the Saint Trilley Cathedral convent.

As soon as Saintess Coralie entered her bedroom, she closed the door. She slowly raised her head and, without surprise, saw that familiar figure by the windowsill.

She asked coldly, “Teacher Sheryl, you know that persuading me is useless. I will definitely go to the Dark Night Forest.”

Sheryl quickly stepped out from the dim area, looking somewhat agitated. “You can’t do this, Saintess Coralie! Don’t you realize that since you returned from Bien Village, the Church has already begun to suspect you? Do you know how dangerous it is to go to the Dark Night Forest at this time?”

“I know! How could I not know!” Saintess Coralie was also enraged. “But why can’t I take a gamble? Must I forever be manipulated by the Church? Must I continue the misfortune that befell you? Mother!”

The long-distant form of address stunned Sheryl for a moment. She slowly covered her face, tears streaming down through her fingers. She leaned against the cold wall as if unable to support her own weight, then slowly knelt down along the wall, sobbing quietly. “It’s my fault, it’s all my fault…”

Seeing her like this, Saintess Coralie felt sorry instead. She walked forward, bent down and gently embraced Sheryl. “I’ve said before, neither of us is wrong. The wrong ones are those greedy and shameless people in the Church… Why should we punish ourselves for their wrongs? Mother, let’s go to the Dark Night Forest together to find father, shall we? I miss him so much…”

By the end, Saintess Coralie was almost pleading.

But when Sheryl heard that name, her whole body shook violently. She quickly raised her hand to cover Saintess Coralie’s mouth, her entire being falling into a state of extreme terror, her voice trembling badly. “You can’t say it out loud! We’ll die! We’ll all die!”

Saintess Coralie’s anger surged, and she broke free from her hand. “What exactly are you afraid of? So what if we escape? Would those hypocritical cowards really declare war on the ruler of the Dark Night Forest over a mere saintess?”

“Yes! They would!” Sheryl also became agitated. “Why do you think they provoke the Dark Forest again and again? Why do you think they need so many light Holy Knights? Why do you think I chose to return to the Church back then?”

Sheryl looked at Saintess Coralie sadly. “I know you’ve always resented my departure back then, but if I hadn’t left, those companions you liked, the home you loved, even your father – they would all have disappeared…”

Saintess Coralie was shocked for a long time by the implications in Sheryl’s words, but still found it hard to understand. “But is escaping useful? Since this war will definitely break out, why don’t we stay by father’s side to help and support him?”

Sheryl shook her head. “You don’t understand… I’m begging you, Saintess Coralie, please give up everything, okay? Your father and I have already lost too much. We don’t want you to continue bearing this burden. Even if it’s for our sake, please don’t resist anymore, okay?”

Seeing that everything had returned to the same state, Saintess Coralie closed her eyes and stood up, looking coldly at Sheryl. “Do you know, teacher? What I’ve always hated was never your return to the Church alone, but this cowardly and evasive appearance of yours.”

Saintess Coralie turned and left her, leaving behind a distant remark. “No god will kindly bless you. Happiness must be fought for by oneself. Therefore, I will definitely go to the Dark Night Forest.”