Reborn As A Warlock, Misunderstood As Strongest-Chapter 47: Faculty Meeting [2]

"Head Professor Bella Trey."

"Yes, Chairman."

"Please report."

"It’s been a while since the exam started, but I heard from my adjutant, Instructor Maxim, that there was a group that hadn’t returned yet. Belatedly, I found out that Instructor Rachel and the assistant instructor in charge of the group had disappeared. I checked the test site myself, but by that time, the person who appeared to be Instructor Rachel had already transformed into Evil."

"So you called the Blue Cross?"

"Yes. I decided that it would be right to leave all matters related to Evil to them, so I quickly sent a message. Luckily, Sir Chris, who was mentioned as the next Archbishop of the Blue Cross, was near the Academy and personally took down the attacker."

"The next bishop... Ah, I saw him once when I was young. I remember being impressed by the fact that he was a child blessed by God. Are the students okay?"

"Yes. There were injuries, both big and small, but fortunately, it was confirmed that none of the students suffered life-threatening injuries."

"That’s a relief."

With those words, the chairman fell silent. Because of that, a heavy stillness settled over the hall. It was John who finally broke it.

"But isn’t it a bit strange?"

Maxwell responded, "What do you mean?"

"No matter how promising they are, they’re still students who just took the entrance exam. How could they possibly hold out against Evil?"

"... ... ."

Those words hit the nail on the head.

Bella Trey, who had arrived at the scene, shared the same thought. At the time, she was busy managing the situation, but when she recalled it later, she realized there were more than a few things that didn’t make sense.

At a glance, the area was in ruins—devastated by swords and magic.

That meant the children had fought against Evil.

Even Bella Trey herself couldn’t guarantee how long she could last against such a creature.

Of course, it was fortunate that none of the students had died, but there was no reasonable explanation for how they managed to survive until the Heretic Inquisitor arrived.

"Honestly, how many of the professors here could stand against Evil? Instructor Rachel was one of the best knights in the department, wasn’t she?"

Evil’s strength is proportional to its strength in life. Knowing that, no one could easily claim confidence.

The magic professors, who had been clearing their throats awkwardly, began voicing their opinions.

"Hmm."

"Surely... it must be difficult."

"I heard that demon worshipers have been increasing in the Empire lately. Isn’t this incident related to that?"

"We can’t rule out the possibility."

"Abominable warlocks. Only by eradicating those cockroaches who worship demon gods can orthodox magicians like us truly stand tall."

Even those who held the title of head professor at the Empire’s greatest academy could not say for sure.

It was no exaggeration to say that they lived solely on their pride as professors of Salomon Academy, and even for them, Evil existed beyond comprehension.

John asked, "What do you think, Chairman?"

Instead of her usual blank expression, the chairman’s eyes gleamed with curiosity, like a child who had discovered something fascinating.

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly. Since she rarely smiled, the professors around her were quite surprised.

"It’s certainly an interesting point, John. As you said, it would be impossible for ordinary students to stand against Evil."

"That means... are you suggesting those kids aren’t ordinary students? Even if they’re special, they’re still freshmen. Holding out against Evil seems impossible..."

"I don’t know—unless it’s Sieghart."

John’s eyes widened.

"...Sieghart. You mean the Sieghart family from that legend?"

"That’s right. Zeil Sieghart, one of the students involved in this incident, is a descendant of that family."

John raised his eyebrows.

"Isn’t that just a legend? How can you trust a story that’s been passed down by word of mouth and exaggerated over generations?"

"John," the chairman replied calmly, "legends do not arise on their own."

"... ... ."

"Isn’t it interesting? Let’s find out for ourselves whether that legend is merely an exaggerated tale—or just the tip of an iceberg we’ve yet to see."

John remained silent, but his eyes gleamed with intrigue.

Across from him, Dean McDowell of the Knight Faculty muttered thoughtfully, "Was the rumor true? Is he really a Sieghart...? If he’s a descendant of the one who defeated the evil dragon Fafnir... he might possess the power to resist demons. If so, it’s not impossible that he could fight Evil."

The professors from both the Magic and Knight Departments erupted in debate.

"Rumors are just rumors! How could freshmen who just took the entrance exam fight Evil?"

"But you can’t be sure. If he truly carries the bloodline of that legendary family, he might possess powers we can’t comprehend."

"It’s not that simple! Even with unknown power, Evil is still Evil! It’s madness to stand against such a disaster! Tell me, Professor—could a 7th Circle knight face Evil alone? It’s absurd!"

"Luden, what makes you think you’d know whether I could or not? You’ve never even held a sword!"

"What? Are you mocking me just because I’m a woman? Your brain’s made of muscle!"

Snap!

When the chairman clicked her fingers, the room immediately fell silent.

"I have an additional announcement," she said. "Starting this year, we’ll be creating a new class at Salomon Academy."

Dean Maxwell of the Magic Faculty asked cautiously, "A new class...?"

"The school will gather students who require special observation into one place. Let’s call it Class S."

"But if you do that, won’t there be backlash from Class A students and their parents...?"

The chairman’s cold gaze silenced Maxwell instantly. The sheer pressure in her eyes made him avert his own.

"Don’t worry. Formally, Class A will remain the academy’s top class. You can think of Class S as a group of students with... peculiar circumstances."

"...Understood."

"I’ll leave the investigation into Evil to you, Bella Trey. We’ll discuss disciplinary measures later."

"Yes, understood."

"From this point forward," the chairman declared, "all faculty and staff are to prioritize the capture of any heretics, warlocks, or demon worshipers within the academy. That is my order."

The faculty and staff responded in unison.

"Yes, ma’am!"

After speaking, they filed out of the conference room one by one.

Before long, only Chairman Ashtar remained.

A moment later, a knock came at the door. She spoke casually, as if she already knew who it was.

"Come in, Eden."

The door opened, and a man with a familiar face stepped inside.