Firana froze as the illusory Wendigo towered near the ceiling of the old ballroom. A man whose body had been tortured by evil spirits until rendering unrecognizable, with skin black as coal and arms that hung to the floor, finished in claws long as knives. A deer-like skull covered its face, with only its bloodshot eyes visible through the cracks. The sight made me shudder. Other than a faint transparency, it was a perfect copy of the original.

The sword fell from Firana’s hand. Unlike knights and honorable duelists, a Wendigo wouldn’t wait for its opponent to retrieve their weapon.

The Wendigo threw its claws forward, but Firana recovered from her stupor and jumped back. Her eyes quickly surveyed her options. The sword was out of her reach and the room was too narrow to safely circle the creature.

“Zaon, sword!” Firana yelled as the Wendigo pushed her against the wall.

The elven boy looked at me, doubting.

Firana dodged, tripped, and rolled over the old boards just to jump on her feet with unexpected agility. [Fencing] and [Longsword Mastery] would not trigger unless she had a sword on her hands, so those movements were totally hers.

As far as the encounter went, I was pleased.

The Wendigo charged forward but Firana jumped over the long table near the wall. However, a table was a small obstacle for a Wendigo. When I thought Firana was going to corner herself, she crawled under the table and scurried like a mouse between the pawns of a lion. The maneuver, although creative, only gave Firana a couple seconds before the creature cornered her against the opposite wall.

The Wendigo had won.

Firana gave a little scream and I made the illusion disappear.

Despite the fact less than a minute had passed, Firana was pale and covered in sweat.

“Good job, although I would’ve kept the sword. An applause for Firana, please.” I said and the kids gave her a flat applause.

Firana wasn’t the only one affected by the presence of the creature.

“W-what was that?” Ilya asked.

“That was a Wendigo, once a powerful magician whose corrupted magic turned into a beast. It’s a high-level monster, very dangerous.” I replied, vaguely remembering the flavor text of [Identify]. To think the System had warned me from the very beginning against Corruption.

I was so focused on Firana’s performance that I had missed how Ilya and Zaon squeezed themselves against Wolf. The half-orc boy wasn’t comfortable at all. Their scared expressions made me wonder if I just went overboard with the exercise. Maybe years of horror movies plus the last journey into the Farlands had atrophied my fear sense for good.

“Do you really hate me that much, Mister Clarke?” Firana approached, dragging her feet. Unlike regular sparring sessions, this exercise had really left her exhausted.

“I have seen your Character Sheet, Firana. I know [Fencing] and [Longsword Mastery] aren’t your only tricks.” I replied.

Unlike me, a regular human being, Firana had two extra traits: [Strong] and [Fast]. What wasn’t clear was if those traits were an expression of her natural potential, or a boon given by the System. Further investigation was required.

At the mention of Firana’s character sheet, the kids looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and embarrassment. Looking into other’s character sheets was kinda taboo, but we couldn’t go on pretending it didn’t happen. Firana, at least, didn’t seem worried at all.

“Can I get a hug at least?” The girl asked.

At first, I thought Firana was still playing with me, but her straightforward eyes were devoid of all deceit. Her request took me by surprise, though. The orphanage’s usual cuddlebugs were Shu and the twins. And half of the time, Shu only wanted a ride to offset her slow pace.

“A hug?” I asked.

Firana nodded.

My teacher's policy was no hugs, but that was back on Earth. My current job was more than being a simple teacher from nine to five. In this world, I was also Firana’s caretaker. I opened my arms and Firana instantly jumped into them. Her heart was racing.

“Scared?” I cautiously asked.

“Me? Please.” Firana replied, giving me a good squeeze.

“You did good. When I saw a Wendigo for the first time, I froze badly.”

Suddenly, Firana pushed me back, almost making me trip. She was, indeed, [Strong]. Four pairs of eyes glanced at me with equal surprise and interest. Then I realized my mistake. I clicked my tongue. I wasn’t planning on fueling their desire for adventure.

“You saw a Wendigo!” Firana yelled.

Bragging a bit wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“I killed a Wendigo.” I replied, puffing my chest.

Ilya raised an eyebrow.

I felt like the uncle who told stories too fantastical to be actually believable. I couldn’t help but wonder if my lighthearted approach to the kids had finally undermined my authority. I explained to the kids that I had used a magical tool to deal with the Wendigo, but the skepticism was still present in Ilya’s eyes.

I sighed.

“Who wants to go next?” I asked.

I would have to find peace with the fact that Ilya would never believe in my feats.

“Do I get to fight a Wendigo too?” Zaon asked with a trembling voice.

“You’ll have to jump onto the dance floor to figure that out.” I replied.

Zaon gave me a troubled glance.

“I’ll go, then.” Ilya said, grabbing her sword and walking to the center of the ballroom.

More than a quarter of my mana pool had disappeared conjuring the Wendigo, so it was unsustainable to summon one for each student. I revised my mental bestiary. A Golem might consume even more mana, a Rok Harpy wouldn’t work indoors, and a Slime was not impactful enough. After a moment of consideration, I found the perfect monster for Ilya.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

“Ready!” The gnome girl tied her brown hair in a high ponytail and nodded.

I couldn’t help but smile at her stern expression.

Carefully threading my mana, I shaped an Elder Black Wolf. The creature had a majestic mane and ferocious eyes and vicious teeth. Despite not producing any sound, its appearance was formidable.

Ilya understood the task almost instantly. Instead of jumping forward and pushing the offensive, she raised her sword and waited for the wolf to make the first move. Black Wolves seemed to know about skills, so they acted cautiously in front of people. As such, I made the illusion to slowly circle Ilya. The girl didn’t lose her cool.

The duel stagnated for a whole minute before the Black Wolf jumped forward. Ilya was expecting it, because she stepped to the side and swung her sword through the ethereal body of the monster. Her footwork had been swift and precise, and as soon as the wolf turned around to claw her down, the girl remained calm and retreated.

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I nodded approvingly.

Imitating how the Black Wolf had tried to find an opening on my defense, I tested Ilya’s nerve during long minutes of only feints and fake attacks. The gnome girl was unbreakable. Other than a few ‘scratches’, the illusion had barely touched her.

No matter what I tried, Ilya remained calm.

“Perfect.” I said, dispelling the illusion.

Ilya put her sword against her shoulder and cleaned the sweat from her forehead.

“That was intense.” The gnome girl said with a satisfied smile.

“For the record, I also killed both an Elder Black Wolf and a regular Black Wolf.”

Ilya raised an eyebrow yet again.

Trying to convince the kids I was actually a really cool adventurer wasn’t working at all. If only Ilya knew I defeated a damn Lich, she would show me a little more respect. I sighed. There was nothing I could do about it.

“Wolf, you are next.” I said.

So far, the exercise was a complete success. Firana had encountered a speedbump to her perfect record, and Ilya had put her skills to work in a different context than a duel. I just hoped both girls drew the right conclusions about their respective fights.

Now, for Wolf, I had something different in mind.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

I closed my eyes and summoned a big and fat Multicore Green Slime.

Wolf looked at me with a disappointed expression, “A Slime?”

Before I could explain my train of thought, Firana got ahead of me. “You are too clumsy to fight anything more dangerous. Look, it’s a perfect monster for an orc, you both are green and tight-lipped.”

I sighed. At least she had recovered from the fright of the chase?

“Raise your hand if you think Firana deserves a punishment for running her mouth.” I said with my best preschool teacher’s voice. Ilya and Wolf raised their hands almost instantly.

“I think I’ll skip this one.” Zaon pointed out.

“What do you mean by skipping this one?! You should be defending me!” Firana replied, grabbing the elven kid by the shoulder. “First you refuse to give me a sword and now this? Are you trying to sabotage me or something, you damn knife-ears?”

“I’m not trying to do anything!” Zaon tried to defend himself with little success.

I clapped my hands and the focus of the group turned back to the duel.

Wolf apathetically eyed the Slime, then, out of nowhere, the creature spat an acid blast. The half-orc couldn’t react in time and the attack hit him in the shoulder before disappearing into a rain of blue sparks. The attack not only took Wolf by surprise but also startled the other kids.

“You are suffering from grievous burns on your shoulder.” I announced.

Slimes seemed inoffensive at first glance, but without a shield, or a mana shield, their acid attack was dangerous. As expected, Wolf raised his guard and attacked. The swing cut through the Slime’s body, missing all the cores. When Wolf was recovering from the cut, the Slime pushed a pointy tentacle out of its body. Wolf jumped back, barely dodging.

“How is the Slime not dead? I cut it in half!” Wolf complained.

“Use your eyes, Wolf!” I replied.

The Slime continued with a series of predictable ranged attacks. The half-orc boy relayed far too much in its strength, but strength alone wouldn’t be enough to defeat a Multicore Slime. It was the perfect rival for Wolf to comprehend his shortcomings. However, Wolf was resolute about his orc values.

“Is this even useful? We don’t have our classes anyway.” Firana asked by my side.

“Ilya didn’t need Skills or Passives to fend off the Black Wolf.” I replied. “What’s the difference between her and Wolf? He has orcish strength and a level in [Longsword Mastery], and yet, that Slime is giving him trouble.”

Firana massaged her temples in a theatrical manner as she repeated ‘why’ over and over.

“Ilya fought smarter… not saying Wolf and Firana are stupid or anything.” Zaon quickly corrected himself before Firana could put her hands on him, but the girl was more interested in Wolf’s fight.

“Bingo! Ilya fought to her strengths. She remained calm, studied her enemy, and decided to fight on her own terms.” I explained.

“Unlike Firana who dropped her sword before the fight even started.” Ilya mindlessly added.

“That won't happen again!” Firana replied.

Wolf must’ve been listening to our conversation because he jumped back and examined the Slime. Learning from other’s mistakes was hard. Even harder if both situations, and in this case opponents, were different.

Wolf examined the Slime, dodging the acid attacks and maintaining enough distance to avoid the Slime’s tentacles. Suddenly, the boy’s eyes lit up. The cores were barely visible, but when the Slime attacked, they lit with mana.

After Wolf discovered its weakness, the Slime offered zero resistance. Soon, the last core was destroyed, and I let the illusion disappear into a cascade of mana particles.

“You should’ve used your eyes earlier.” Firana pointed out as Wolf joined the group.

“And you should’ve kept your sword in your hand.” Wolf replied, unfazed.

I stopped them before the discussion escalated.

“Enough. We will have time to discuss what we did wrong and what we did right next time.” I clapped my hands. “Your turn, Zaon.”

The boy remained still.

“Can I not do it today? I don’t feel really good.” Zaon said with a trembling voice. His face was pale and his shoulders tense. I recognized a case of scenic panic when I saw one, however, it caught me off guard. Zaon was the second student with the most Skill levels in the class. He had more than enough to defeat anything other than a Wendigo or a Golem.

“No problem, Zaon. You’ll be the first to go next time.” I replied.

The boy breathed calmly and returned to his seat. His discomfort was evident despite the fact he tried to mask it. I couldn’t help but wonder what had triggered Zaon’s unease. The presence of monsters? But they were mere illusions, no matter how real they looked, they couldn’t do any harm.

I clapped my hands, catching the attention of the kids, “Enough for today, let’s do some stretching and call it a day. You all did a good job, for now focus on what you could’ve done better.”

Between morning classes and lunch, kids had a free hour where they hung around in the backyard or played with the younger kids. Now, with the rain, we were all trapped inside. Zaon, Ilya, and Wolf remained sitting against the wall, quietly chatting while Firana explored the surroundings.

There wasn’t much to explore in the ballroom. Other than the old tables and furniture covered with white sheets, the only object of interest was a giant wardrobe hidden in the shadows of the far corner. The huge wooden frame was out of place compared to the rest of the decor.

I followed Firana just in the rare case the wardrobe was a portal back to Earth. I felt a faint presence of mana within the boards, as if it was an enchanted item. However, the concentration of mana wasn’t anywhere near the one in the enchanted blanket or in the seeking rings.

“It’s closed.” Firana sighed as she pulled the knobs one last time.

“Are you sure about that?” I replied, forming a small mana lockpick on the point of my finger. I put the tool inside the lock and wiggled it around. It reminded me of when I used to play Indiana Jones in my grandpa’s attic. The old man had a lifetime of junk that for an impressionable five-year-old looked more like a treasure than regular junk.

Finally, the lock yielded.

Firana pulled the doors open, and a pile of old clothing fell upon her. Surprisingly enough, the contents of the wardrobe weren’t damp. They didn’t smell exactly like perfume, but I expected something more foul.

“Old clothes. I don’t know what I expected.” Firana grunted as she went through the pile of old rags. “Oh? This one might fit Mister Clarke.”

Firana grabbed a black travel cloak and offered it to me. The fabric was heavy and despite the passage of time, it looked good as new. Moreso, it fit my body perfectly and had several inner pockets. I put on the cloak and looked at the reflection in the mirror in one of the wardrobe doors. It looked good.

Seeing that we were trying on costumes, the rest of the class approached us.

“I wonder if that belonged to Mister Lowell.” Ilya pointed out.

“Dunno.” Firana replied.

We sorted the clothing until we revealed a pile of parcels and an old leather travel suitcase at the bottom of the wardrobe. I felt like an archaeologist unearthing the Arc of the Covenant. At first, neither the parcels nor the suitcase caught my attention, but then I noticed the monogram in gilded letters. SB. Samuel Byrne.

After Ginz had told me about Byrne living in the orphanage during Mr. Lowell’s time, I had been searching for any clues he would’ve left behind. Until now I haven’t seen success in my search.

With Wolf’s help, I pulled the traveling case out of the wardrobe and summoned the mana lockpick. Strictly speaking, the contents of the suitcase belonged to Wolf, but I couldn’t forfeit the opportunity to shed some light over Byrne’s late life. As far as I knew, the man had been last seen in this world fourteen years ago, just before Wolf’s birth. However, I had seen the man on the flesh just five years ago, in the law firm I used to work at.

Back in Byrne’s cabin there were stacks of magical-looking books and scripts. I remembered being unnerved by them. Was Byrne trying to return to Farcrest? Did he achieve his goal? As far as I remembered the System’s warning, once one crossed the portal back to Earth, there was no way back.

I massaged my temples. Without [Awareness] feeding me the precise dates, it was hard to form a solid timeline. I would have to corroborate the dates Byrne stayed at the orphanage with Elincia.

The lock yielded.

Notebooks, diaries, stacks of letters, blueprints. Alchemy tools. Books. Everything seemed to be well conserved. My hands itched to start reading. This was the best opportunity I would have to fill the voids in the story. However, my best judgment stopped me.

“I think I know the owner of this suitcase. Don’t touch anything. There might be dangerous things.” I warned the kids.

I didn’t want the kids to find a loaded gun.

“It’s just paper.” Firana pointed out, peeking over my shoulder.

“That green thingy looks dangerous… and poisonous.” Zaon replied from a safe distance.

I knew what the ‘green thingy’ was. If it worked, it would be real fun.