“I can’t thank you enough for your help, Ms. Harris. When I saw I was scheduled to organize the library today…seriously, why do they keep insisting on giving us such menial tasks? Today, of all days!”

Alantra kept passing the books in order, handing them over to the professor who mindlessly put them on the shelves while standing on the ladder.

“It’s not enough to ask me to take over three electives this term, they persist on making me one of the head teachers for the first-years. Honestly, isn’t this too much? Why would the first-years need my lectures, anyway? We all know they will be sleeping most of the time.”

“Not all of them,” she replied, her mind wishing to recall her days when she started at Ergos.

Yet somehow, the memories felt tired.

Professor Morr adjusted his round glasses, the light reflecting in his gray eyes for a brief second. “Well, yes, we can say this is also true. Yet you must agree my time would be better exploited for our older students. The more…serious ones.”

Alantra thought about it, for a few seconds.

She couldn’t exactly disagree with him.

Professor Morr’s lessons were extremely theoretical and absurdly difficult to follow unless the student had previous technical knowledge.

The program for first years was already demanding and overwhelming to most, so to add Morr’s course from the beginning did not seem to be a good idea at all. In that way, no matter how Alantra saw it, there could only be one reason for it.

“They want to increase the number of dropouts. Or eliminate all the students who are not serious enough as early as possible.”

The man cried out, his shoulders dropping as his fingers brushed against the book Alantra held out to him.

“If even you can see this with such clarity, Ms. Harris, I am seriously seen as nothing but a joke here. Why, if my accomplishments are not up to their standards, accept my resignation letter and let us part ways! Don’t force me to stay with that ten-year-contract hogwash! Oh, do forgive my manners, Ms. Harris.”

Alantra suppressed a smile, shaking her head.

“Worry not, professor. Whoever says your accomplishments fall short, they have never accomplished anything grand themselves.”

Out of a sudden, the man grabbed her hands, the book dropping on the floor.

His eyes were glistening with tears, his short and white hair a soft mess.

“Miss Harris, I know I’ve asked already, but wouldn’t you consider being my assistant for this term? As I thought, there is no one else perfect enough for the position but yourself.”

“Professor Morr…”

He let out a deep sigh, dropping her hands and picking up the book. “Yes…oh yes, I know. It’s just such an unfortunate timing. Had I asked you beforehand—ah, if regret could kill a man… Woe is me, indeed.”

If Alantra had to be honest, even if her current schedule did not permit it, she wouldn’t mind helping Professor Taliesin. She liked him.

He was not only brilliant, he was passionate about his field.

Not only that, but Taliesin Morr knew how to enjoy silence and respect other’s privacy and personal space.

Professor Morr was a young man who had joined the academic world and Ergos only to avoid an arranged marriage, yet who could never lie about loving every aspect of that life. Even when he was constantly being overworked.

Such passion and dedication to one’s craft…

Alantra Harris envied that.

“I happened to hear a few things from this year’s reinforcement class, from our favorite ruffian.”

His words brought her back to the present—to reality—her mind taking a couple of seconds to comprehend their meaning.

“How many were expelled?”

“From what he said, a dozen. From my knowledge, four.”

I was almost expecting more…

When Alantra heard the one responsible for the class would be Professor Belenus…

She thought that was also a way for Ergos to limit the number of students.

Taliesin Morr glanced at her for a few seconds, his eyes filling with uncertainty and…apprehension.

“He won’t expel that boy without a just reason—Kairon was very clear about this.”

Alantra didn’t have to ask who was the boy he was referring to.

“I know. Professor Bel is not that kind of person.”

The man pressed his lips together, opening and closing his mouth at least twice before he finally spoke his mind again.

“Why did you defend the boy the way you did? Is there any particular reason?”

To all the other professors who had asked her that same question, Alantra either dismissed them or gave half-hearted answers.

He showed promise; she was merely expressing her thoughts; he could become a great resource to Ergos in the future.

None containing lies, yet not even one showing genuine honesty either.

However, it was Professor Morr asking that time. So perhaps it wouldn’t be such a terrible idea to share it with him.

As she contemplated whether to speak the truth or not, the bell rang.

“Oh! It’s already this late? I guess time flies when we have company,” the man climbed down the ladder, putting the last books on the bottom shelf. “You can go ahead, Ms. Harris. I wouldn’t want to keep you, when you have electives yourself.”

Alantra blinked, her body turning away while her feet were reluctant to go.

“Professor, about your previous question—”

He raised his hand, stopping her.

“I know far well how unwanted it is to answer uncomfortable questions, Ms. Harris. If one day this question does not cause you any discomfort, feel free to share its answer with me. Until then, consider this matter forgotten.”

Alantra could not help herself but to smile that time.

She really liked Professor Morr.

“Thank you, Professor. I will be on my way.”

After that, Alantra thought about how the first day had ended without any issues or complications. Something she was almost proud of, due her situation.

However, on her way back as she walked through the halls, Alantra saw two figures from afar. And when she realized where those two figures were headed, she halted.

Because if she was not mistaken, that had been Professor Bel.

Taking the applicant she had vouched for toward the Iron Training Cell.

----------------------------------------

Our walk was almost soundless, for there were three noises that kept echoing in my ears as I diligently followed Professor Belenus.

The first was the constant murmurs and whispers that kept following us whenever people spotted us.

By the look on their faces and the way their gazes fell on me, it wasn’t difficult to guess their comments. Not when it was clear by my lack of uniform that I belonged to the reinforcement class.

The second noise was Professor Bel’s boots click-clacking their way through the halls, their heels high enough just to make the sound echo in an unsettling way.

The final one was the erratic beating of my own heart, making the blood rush to my ears as if forcing me to pay an even closer attention to my own fears and nerves.

To make sure I knew exactly all I had put on stake with my bravado.

When we finally reached our destination, I stared at the ironclad doors with awe and uneasiness. The professor placed the black crystal tied on his wrist in the door—into a round slot—making the door hum alive as magic energy spread around its carved patterns.

Yet right before he pushed the door open, the man turned around to face me.

His uncovered eye piercing mine like daggers.

“Let me make something very clear—I never approved you.”

The smile I couldn’t hide amplified the twisted irony I could barely conceal in my tone.

“Was this supposed to be a secret? You made yourself quite clear before.”

He scoffed, looking away for a moment before taking two steps closer.

Leaning toward me.

“What I meant is that you were not supposed to be here. For a new student to be approved from the waiting list, it had to be unanimous. And I was against your enrollment. Not because you are from that place, but simply because you suck.”

Suddenly, the sound of my heartbeat faltered as a new hole opened in my stomach.

I clenched my jaw, trying to find my voice again.

“Why am I here, then? What made you change your mind?”

If Belenus’ wintry smile hadn’t sent shivers down my spine, his words would’ve.

“I didn’t.”

My body lost its warmth, my throat became dry. “Then how was I—”

“Someone pleaded with the director to give you a chance.”

What I heard next was the sound of my heart dropping to the floor.

The person who approved my application was Hemdal himself? And who could’ve convinced him?

I didn’t know anyone from Ergos.

Professor Belenus turned and pushed the double doors open, stepping aside the next moment to reveal the room itself.

I almost tripped as my eyes tried to absorb what was in front of me.

What, in the actual fuck, is this thing?

It was a dragon made out of metal, the statues resembling more an armor than something static and rigid. As if at any moment something could possess it and make it come to life.

Then it hit me. Some loose sentences and memories, born from rumors and drunken tales I would hear from time to time about Ergos Academy.

Rumors saying Ergos had a ‘fake dragon’ to punish their students.

“…what is this?”

The man laughed as he leaned against the wall, pulling some levers that not only lit the room but also made the metal dragon growl.

“This will be your best friend for the Evening.”

What was once a metal statue lying on the ground, as if it had been discarded soon began to float. I could see the mana flowing from within, lighting up the beast’s articulations and muscles.

The eyes suddenly popped open, filled with liquid silver that showed a quick succession of lines and sentences I had no feasible time to read before they were gone.

It’s a metal dragon.

It’s a fucking four-legged metal dragon infused with magic.

Seeing my expression, the professor laughed again, pointing at the floating dragon.

“Years ago, one professor brought up the idea to build a special device to train the students who were failing behind our lessons in practical flight, and for some early childhood lessons some sponsors were requesting—for their children. Ergos hired a team of alchemists, engineers, and blacksmiths, ultimately making your new best bud.”

I blinked a few times, eying the thing in front of me. Wondering about the obscene amount of money Ergos had spent to build it, and even more to keep people quiet about it. The mix of alchemy with metals, like it was done with the fake dragon…

It was simply not normal.

It was unnatural.

“Why didn’t you get a real dragon? Why even bother—”

I didn’t even see him move, yet before I could turn around to face him, Belenus Kairon was already in front of me. Looking at me from above, as if he was staring at a pile of rotted trash.

“I just explained it. This is meant for little kids who are still sucking their thumbs, and people who stink. Like you.” There was poison in his voice, something that almost made it seem like the professor had a serious, personal problem with me. “Dragons are not horses—we can’t give you little ponies to train with until you get skilled enough to ride the big ones. If you don’t know how to ride properly, either you or the dragon die. Period.”

The blood was drained from my face, my heart stopping again. A cold touch permeated my body, like a ghost’s I could neither see nor repel.

“So you better prove to me not only that I was wrong in ever doubting you, but that our director was right to put his trust in you. That you can be entrusted with a dragon without making us look like incompetent fools.”

He walked to one of the corners, taking from a chest some potion flasks, a wood bat, and a pair of goggles.

In the next second, the goggles were being thrown my way. I caught them midair, my fingers almost brushing past them.

“Put those on, and climb. Show me what you got,” Belenus spoke with a sadistic smile, one filled with malice. As if he was looking forward to seeing me suffer.

The one thing I refused to give it to him.