Chapter 48: Mad Dog of the Clock

“It’s already been two days. Are you saying there’s still no clear improvement?”

“That’s right, Dean. Both the school nurse and I are doing our best, but… honestly, there’s no other way but to trust in Professor Anastasia’s resilience.”

Bardon Roakan’s question about the collapsed professor’s condition.
The one who answered was Professor Javir, who was in charge of the Jade dormitory among the housemasters gathered around the round table.

The confirmation of a man renowned for his alchemy skills.
At this, Roakan just stared at the report on his desk and closed his eyes.

Then, the housemasters of Carnelian and Topaz, who had been cautiously observing him, also began to speak in turn.

“As you know, Dean? If Professor Anastasia can’t leave her sickbed, it will cause problems in the supervision of the Obsidian students.”

The first to point out the problem was Dolores, who was in charge of mystical zoology.
She added, glancing at the pile of papers in front of the dean.

“If that happens, there will also be a major flaw in maintaining order within the dormitory. With four outstanding students gathered, all sorts of accidents could happen.”

“Ahem, Professor Dolores is right.”

Georgios, who was in charge of practical magic, also cautiously joined the conversation.

“Isn’t it a turbulent time with prophecies about witches and signs of the demonic realm’s reinvasion? We can’t just neglect one of the dormitories during a time of both internal and external turmoil.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

Roakan’s calm question.
At this, Dolores and Georgios cautiously exchanged glances and began to reveal their true intentions in a subtle voice.

“So, how about having the housemasters of the other dormitories temporarily supervise the Obsidian students, especially the ranked ones…”

“That’s right, Dean. Isn’t it a top priority to raise the next generation well during difficult times? Especially for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ranked…”

“Professor Dolores, Professor Georgios.”

Roakan smiled elegantly at their all-too-blatant approach.
Then, in a benevolent voice like Santa Claus, he brought up a story that was not benevolent at all.

“If you keep this up, I’ll bring Kamala back to the podium immediately. And I’ll tell her everything we talked about today.”

“Hieek!”

“U-uhm! Ahem!”

The dean’s classmate, and a legendary senior who made them unable to stand up straight.
At the warning to call Professor Bishop, the two immediately shut their mouths.

“Heh heh, I’m just kidding. I don’t know why you’re all so afraid of Kamala. Although she’s a bit strict, she’s a kind and considerate person if you get to know her.”

The person who had made them back down just smiled and stroked the handle of the porcelain teapot.

The so-called “knife hidden in a smile.”
This was how Roakan dealt with people.

Bardon Roakan was someone who did not show his strong emotions, whether to a fellow faculty member or a young student.
Nevertheless, he clearly weighed the importance of the matter and always handled it with a fair and impartial standard.

He just approached everything with a cheerful and kind attitude, but he was by no means a person who was swayed by others.

Of course, even so, the fact that what the two of them said was not entirely wrong remained unchanged.

“You need to consider it carefully to some extent, Dean.”

Javir, who had been silently observing the situation, said in a serious tone.

“The new semester has just begun, and the Obsidian housemaster has suddenly collapsed and has been on the verge of death for several days. Even if we get a substitute for the black magic defense class, if the absence is prolonged, it will definitely have a negative impact on the students.”

Javir, who had finished speaking, paused for a moment and took a deep breath.
Then, he added a word with a subtle, strange glint in his eyes.

“Especially for students who require attention, like student Silvia.”

“Th-that’s what I’m saying, Dean. Isn’t it the same for student Alber or student Krimhild? Hohoho.”

“That’s right, Dean. We are just worried about the bright future of the next generation. We have no other personal intentions…”

The two professors, who had gained courage thanks to the Jade housemaster, opened their mouths again.
While they were diligently arguing for the legitimacy of their claims, Dean Roakan just remained silent and did not make any conclusions.

Certainly, the housemaster of a dormitory is an extremely essential position in the school’s management.
If there is a vacancy, the damage will fall squarely on the young disciples.

In the end, it all depended on when Anastasia would recover from her critical condition, but if her absence was excessively prolonged, the academy would have to make a decision.

“…Let’s just wait another day or two.”

However, Roakan’s attitude was still relaxed and optimistic.

“She just hasn’t recovered yet, but she might get up from her sickbed today, right? Implementing an integrated teaching system between the dormitories is a very complicated matter. It’s not something to be decided hastily, so let’s leave it as a last resort for now.”

Dean Roakan was this kind of person.
A person who never lost his composure and tried to interpret everything in a positive way as much as possible.

Even if he didn’t like it, he wouldn’t shout, and even if someone made a mistake, he would just laugh it off.
Because of that, there was a legend-that-wasn’t-a-legend among the faculty that the part of the dean’s brain that caused anger was missing.

But a legend is just a legend.
There were plenty of targets that could pull the trigger embedded in Roakan’s brain.

Knock, knock, knock!

A sudden knock.
It was followed by the polite voice of a staff member.

“Um, Dean? A visitor has arrived.”

“A visitor?”

“Ahem! Don’t you see we’re in the middle of an important meeting? What kind of visitor, out of the blue? Tell them to come back after scheduling a proper appointment!”

As Georgios put on airs, Dolores also reprimanded the staff member outside the door in a voice full of strength.

“That’s right! How is it polite to visit the dean without a prior appointment? If they have basic common sense, they should…”

“Hey, stop your babbling. I always feel this way, but you academy folks only have mouths.”

A sneer suddenly came from outside.
It was the suspicious voice of a complete stranger, not a staff member.

And the next moment.

“Move.”

Crash-!!

“Hieek?!”

“W-what is this!”

The thick door broke in two and immediately collapsed.
Before the housemasters could be surprised by the earth-shattering event.

“Hey, it’s been a while.”

The person who had destroyed the door stepped into the dean’s office and sneered with a cocky attitude.

“It’s nice to see you after a long time. A lot of time has passed, but you still look good, senior.”

The person who had made a grand entrance was a middle-aged combat magician wearing a black robe and leather gloves on both hands.
His cunning eyes were sharp like an owl’s, and he was a man with a large scar on his mouth.

“Y-you! What on earth are you doing!”

The terrified Georgios jumped up and protested.

“This is the sacred Klomes Academy! And this is the dean’s public office! How dare you commit such an outrageous act…”

“You’re really noisy. Do old geezers’ mouths just develop as they age?”

“Oof!”

The man who had sneered immediately pushed Georgios away.

Although he was rich in combat experience, he could not deceive his physical age.
With a lightning-fast arm, Georgios fell on his buttocks without even having time to use a counter-magic.

“Phew.”

A ruffian causing a ruckus in the dean’s office.
Dean Roakan sighed, looking at him.

“What are you here for, Bertrand.”

Then, he opened his mouth, showing an angry expression for the first time.

“B-Bertrand? Don’t tell me, that Bertrand?”

“The genius magician who received the Horologium constellation? The one who personally trained Nathaniel of Sagittarius?”

“Well, it’s been a while. He was a promising kid, so I raised him a bit and then went my own way.”

Georgios and Dolores were astonished at the name that came out of the dean’s mouth.
At this, the ‘Bertrand’ in question sneered and put his hands in his pockets.

“By the way, I heard that kid failed to ascend his rank and died.”

“…”

“This is why you shouldn’t be called a genius at too early an age, senior. Don’t you just get obsessed with a mere empty name and run wild, hastening your own death?”

The middle-aged magician who was chattering with a chuckle.
A heavy silence swirled around him.
Neither the housemasters, who had frozen at the intruder’s appearance, nor the dean, who was showing anger for the first time, opened their mouths.

Bertrand of the Horologium.
A man who was relatively young among the magicians who had received constellations.
But a sinister man who held the opposite position when it came to the ranking of danger.

One of the very few elites that the Magic Tower boasted had suddenly come to the academy.
And he was deliberately holding the attention of the faculty with such a flippant and thoughtless behavior.

“Bertrand, I’ll ask you for the last time.”

Dean Roakan said, his eyes narrowing sharply.
It was an intimidating gaze that could not be imagined from his usual gentle appearance.

“Why are you here? I thought you were a ‘free-spirited’ person who wasn’t interested in a stuffy place like the academy.”

“Don’t worry, senior. I’m not here to see you.”

Thump. Bertrand sneered, sitting on the chair where Georgios had originally been sitting.

The original owner of the chair, Georgios, was so flustered by the sudden change of situation that he couldn’t even tell him to move and just sat there.

“But there’s one thing, I received a job two days ago. If I just take care of that, I won’t cause any more trouble and will leave quickly.”

“…A job? Here?”

“Of course, I’m not the only one who got this job. Originally, there were two more seniors who were supposed to come with me.”

Nod, nod. Bertrand replied with a nod.
Then, smirk, he bared his fangs and spoke in a menacing tone.

“But you know my nickname, don’t you, senior? I hate being subservient to anyone and sharing the results of a mission, so I came here first.”

“…”

His name was Mad Dog.
The self-proclaimed mad dog of the Magic Tower was Bertrand of the Horologium.
Among magicians, he was a man who particularly loved violence and always solved problems in the most aggressive way.

Wasn’t it so bad that even the elders who used him because his talent was a waste would shake their heads whenever his personality was mentioned?

“N-no! Wait a minute!”

Then, Dolores’s mouth fell open and she shouted.

“T-two people? That means…”

“Tw-two more magicians with constellations? Wh-what on earth for?”

“Tsk, you’re all pretending not to know. The campus must have been abuzz two days ago, and you’re going to play dumb like this?”

Georgios, who was receiving the Carnelian housemaster’s sentence, stuttering.
At this, Bertrand glared at the two of them with a sneer.

“Or what? Now that you’re a family eating from the same pot, are you going to protect her? It would be a headache for both of us if we got involved.”

“Bertrand, I don’t want to hear any more of your nonsense.”

Roakan drew a firm line, glaring at his mad dog junior.

“Confess quickly before I get any angrier. Why are you and two other magicians with constellations coming to the academy?”

“My, my. Why would I, who hates the old-fashioned, come all this way? Isn’t it obvious?”

The three housemasters, staring at him with tense eyes.
The academy dean, staring at him with angry eyes.

Bertrand looked around the four faculty members and gave a mad dog’s characteristic menacing smile.

“Where is she now, senior?”

Then, slyly. He leaned towards the dean and asked.

“The new professor named Anastasia, who drove away the Magic Tower’s special forces a while ago.”

‘What on earth is going on?’

A completely incomprehensible and shocking development.
I broke out in a cold sweat, watching this.

The ancient witch and the first Hero, who had killed each other.
Not only were the two of them having a friendly conversation, but the Hero Belanian had even extended a helping hand to Altra?

A feeling that all the knowledge and common sense I had learned was being completely denied.
A sight that was incomprehensible both as a descendant of a witch and as an ordinary citizen who wanted to live a normal life.

It was then.

• …

Altra once again gave her characteristic menacing sneer.
Then, she extended her artifact towards me and muttered to herself.

And the next moment.

Whoosh…!

‘…!’

Suddenly, strange characters appeared and swirled around me.
Mysterious and incomprehensible characters, as if drawn with a brush using green light as paint.

They swirled around me like a vortex, flying in all directions.
A storm of light made of letters.
It enveloped me as if to devour me and forcibly imprinted the shape of the characters on me.

…But why?

It should be a strange script to ‘Crowley Altra’.

‘Recently… I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere…’

The moment that thought crossed my mind.

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, a tremendous light covered my eyes, blinding me.
The pitch-black space where I couldn’t see an inch in front of me, and the ancestor Altra who was talking to Belanian’s shadow, disappeared behind it.

And the moment the intense light, like sunlight, gradually subsided.

I returned from the world of the unconscious to the world of consciousness.

“…Where am I?”

The place where I finally came to my senses was none other than the academy’s infirmary.
I was wearing a pure white patient’s gown and was lying on a bed, covered with a fluffy cotton blanket.

Perhaps because I was wearing a snow-white outfit instead of my usual black cloak?
It made me feel unpleasant, reminding me of the Altra I had met in the world of my mind.

And as I turned my stiff neck, I suddenly discovered…

“…Silvia.”

A girl with a purple bob and wearing the Obsidian uniform.
She was sitting in a chair for a caregiver, her head resting on the bedside, sleeping soundly.

It seemed she had come to visit me as soon as her classes were over.
She must have been greatly shocked by me vomiting blood and collapsing in front of her.

“…”

I was about to shake her awake but stopped.
I don’t know how long she had been here, but she must be tired in her own way.

Looking at the alarm clock on the bedside table, wasn’t it 5 p.m.?
I could just wake her up when I leave the infirmary later.

‘By the way, it’s only 5 o’clock.’

Then did I just pass out for a few hours?
I had met Chairman Forte around lunchtime, and it wasn’t that late when I returned to my office after the friction with the special forces.

To have passed out for only 1-2 hours after vomiting a large amount of blood.
I was smiling bitterly at the miraculous resilience of Altra’s body.

“…Huh?”

A calendar neatly placed to the right of the alarm clock.
The moment I saw it, I froze.

The day I collapsed was definitely the afternoon of the first day of the new semester.
But on the calendar, two more days had been crossed out with an X.

And now, it was around 5 p.m., when most of the academy’s lectures would be over.

That means, in other words…

‘I missed another class…?!’

The duty of diligent lecture performance required for tenure. I had blatantly violated it twice in a row.

Not only did I cancel the class on the first day of the new semester, but I had also become the epitome of insincerity by not showing up for the second class.
And the cause of that was none other than…

“Al…tr…a!!”

This heavenly nemesis of an ancestor!!

Except for when I was resurrected, she was a damn ancient witch who had never been helpful in my life.

“Heh, hehe, hehehe.”

An anger comparable to when Silvia had blown up the Coral Hall.
I gritted my teeth, burning with it.

‘Please, just let today pass quietly.’

If another annoying guy like last time shows up?

I might not be able to control myself and really kill him this time…