The atmosphere in the Faculty Lounge, which had briefly thawed during the discussion of Kazien's teaching methods, thickened once more. Dean Claus interlaced his fingers on the table, fixing the five students before him with an inscrutable expression.
"Kazien, there is one more matter, far more crucial than teaching methods." Dean Claus said, his voice grave. "After the tournament in the Kingdom of Larkvood concludes, we plan to immediately process the graduation for all five of you."
Silence...
For a few seconds, the room was devoid of speech. Only locked gazes remained. Kazien, Alvin, Allen, Arken, and even Erica sat frozen in their seats, trying to digest the sentence just launched by the number one man in the academy.
"Wait a moment, Dean!" Kazien interrupted, his brows knitting sharply. Shock was clearly etched on his usually calm face. "Graduate us? So soon? We haven't even completed one semester here. That doesn't make sense."
"It makes perfect sense, Kazien." Dean Claus replied calmly. He pointed to the stack of exam papers on his desk. "Look at the reality. You are students whose intelligence and practical abilities have already far surpassed the teaching staff here."
Lorga, sitting not far from Dean Claus, nodded in agreement, albeit with a sour face. "If you remain in this academy as ordinary students, our credibility as an educational institution will be questioned. How can we teach students who are essentially teaching a whole class to achieve perfect scores?"
Kazien fell silent. He wanted to argue, but their logic wasn't wrong. His existence here as a student had indeed become a paradox. However, one thing weighed on his heart.
"But..." Kazien's voice lowered slightly, his eyes betraying hesitation. "Is there no other way? Honestly, I... I am worried about them."
"You mean your classmates in Class 1-D?" Professor Dania asked, guessing the direction of her student's thoughts.
Kazien nodded slowly. "I've just built the foundation of their understanding. If I leave suddenly, I'm afraid they will lose their way again and revert to being students who struggle to understand the subjects given."
Professor Dania smiled gently. She rose from her seat and walked closer, patting Kazien lightly on the shoulder.
"You don't need to worry about that, Kazien. You've opened the path. Let me be the one to continue it." Dania said with conviction. "I promise you, I will adopt your methods and teach them properly. This academy will change for the better. Trust me as your homeroom teacher."
Kazien looked deep into his teacher's eyes. There, he saw no hesitation, only the strong determination of an educator wanting to redeem past negligence. A sigh of relief finally escaped Kazien's lips.
"Very well, if Professor Dania guarantees it, I agree. But..."
Kazien let the sentence hang, his face now looking a bit confused, an expression he rarely showed.
"But what, Kazien?" pressed Dean Claus.
"But, honestly, I'm at a loss." Kazien admitted innocently. "My original plan was to spend four quiet years here. If we graduate this quickly... I don't know what to do next."
Hearing that, the corner of Dean Claus's lips lifted into a meaningful smile.
"At a loss?" Claus chuckled softly. "Isn't it strange for an S-Rank Adventurer to be at a loss for what to do?"
Thump!
Instantly, the bodies of Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken tensed up. Their previously relaxed gazes turned wary, staring straight at Dean Claus.
"H-How did you know about that?" Alvin asked, his voice catching slightly. His guard went up immediately. "We have been very careful all this time. We never once discussed our work as adventurers within the academy grounds, not even to you or any teachers here."
"Relax, I'm not spying on you." Dean Claus replied casually, raising both hands in a gesture of peace. "His Majesty King Nalvon himself told me personally. He was also the one who warned us to keep our mouths shut regarding your identities in this academy."
Kazien leaned back in his chair, the tension in his shoulders slowly receding. Of course, King Nalvon. he thought. Because he was the one who met Dean Claus when we arrived at the academy before Marina's arrest back then.
"So," Dean Claus continued, "just use your free time after graduation to do what you are best at: adventuring. Doesn't a true adventurer always long for freedom and new places?"
That suggestion was like a key unlocking an idea in their heads. Alvin immediately turned, looking at his fiancé's face with a different glint in his eyes. There was longing, as well as a burning fire there.
"My Dear..." Alvin called out softly, but his tone was serious. "The Dean is right. We are still too young to marry immediately after graduation. Rather than sitting idly in the mansion, it's better we use that time to adventure."
Alvin clenched his hands on his lap. "There is something I must do. I want to settle the grudges of my past. To hunt down the demon race and those bastard dragons that destroyed my kingdom and killed my parents."
Kazien was stunned for a moment. He remembered the burden of dark history carried by Alvin as a High Elf prince who had lost everything. All this time, Alvin had held back because they were still on the Azvel continent. Now, the door was wide open.
Kazien shifted his gaze to Allen and Arken. "What do you two think?"
Allen smiled sweetly, holding Kazien's hand. "My Love, wherever you go, I follow. Besides, it is our duty to help Alvin, isn't it?"
"That's right, My Huby!" Arken chimed in enthusiastically. "Besides, I can still hold back my desire to marry you. Let's travel this world, seeing things we've never seen before together!"
A unanimous decision had been reached. Kazien nodded firmly.
Then, his gaze shifted to the purple-haired girl sitting next to Allen. "How about you, Erica? Do you want to come along?"
Erica shook her head gently, her hair swaying. "No, Brother. I think I'll stay at home and help Mother at the Guild." she answered casually and straightforwardly. "If no one keeps Mother company at home, won't she be lonely?"
But then, Erica looked at Alvin, Allen, and Arken with a demanding yet playful gaze.
"But!" Erica exclaimed, pointing at her brother's three fiancés. "Before you go adventuring, you owe me one thing. Teach me how to cook until I'm an expert! I don't want to lose to men like you who are so good in the kitchen!"
Small laughter broke out among Kazien and his three fiancés.
"Okay, okay." Alvin, Allen and Arken answered in unison.
Hearing that conversation, Professor Dania frowned, looking disbelieving. "Wait a minute... what does that mean? The three of them are good at cooking?"
"Of course, Professor Dania!" Erica answered proudly, as if speaking of her own achievement. "I even feel inferior seeing their knife skills and spice blends. Even the food in the most luxurious restaurants in the capital loses to their cooking."
Dania's eyes sparkled. As a busy single woman who rarely ate well, this information was very appealing. "Wow, you three are amazing. It's rare for young nobles to want to touch a kitchen. May I... taste your cooking sometime?" she asked shamelessly.
"With pleasure, Professor." Alvin replied graciously.
"Tomorrow we will bring extra lunch for all of you." Allen added, smiling at the other teachers who were secretly swallowing their saliva.
The atmosphere in the room became much warmer and friendlier. The hierarchical tension between teachers and students seemed to vanish, replaced by conversation between ordinary humans.
After the light chatter subsided, Dean Claus brought the focus back to the main topic.
"So, can I conclude that the five of you are willing to graduate after the tournament is over?" Claus asked to confirm.
"I agree." Kazien answered firmly. "But I have one absolute condition."
"Tell us!"
"Please do not reveal our identities, either as S-Ranks or as part of the Altavis family, to the public or other students until we have truly left this academy." Kazien requested seriously.
Dean Claus raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so insistent on keeping it a secret?"
"It would be very troublesome if they knew who I really was while I was still here. They would swarm us like ants seeing sweet snacks." Kazien answered flatly. "I don't like unnecessary commotion, and I want to enjoy my remaining days here in peace."
Dean Claus and the teachers nodded in understanding. They had seen for themselves how the students of Class 1-D worshipped Kazien just because of exam scores, let alone if they knew his true identity.
"Very well, we agree. Your identities are safe with us until graduation day."
....
....
The meeting came to an end. The sun had almost set when the five young people stepped out of the administration building. The purple-reddish evening sky sheltered their journey home to the mansion across from the academy.
Their steps felt light, but their minds drifted far into the future. No one expected that today, their fate would change drastically. From first-year students to prospective graduates, and soon, world explorers.
"Adventuring around the world, huh?" Kazien muttered softly while staring at the horizon, a thin smile playing on his lips. "Doesn't seem too bad. And visiting all the places before 'that chaos' happens... it seems that plan has now been accelerated."
His three fiancés glanced at Kazien with smiles on their respective faces.