A Dragon's Curiosity

I'm moving back in my student dorm soon, since my semester at university starts again, which should probably increase the release rate. Contradictory, but at home I am often more distracted. Hope you enjoy the chapter ~

Tyne Pinewood glanced at the last two figures joining the circle.

Grace Silverwood and Kian Ravenstone gnashed their teeth and supported each other as they wanted to leave through the gate without acknowledging the commoner, the elf and their teacher who had prime seats to watch them struggle on the ground.

The noble young miss gritted her teeth hard enough to nearly shatter them, glaring at all of them like they were enemies.

When her cousin and herself struggled on the ground, these savages smirked at them, laughed secretly and talked behind their backs.

As they squirmed like earthworms in the mud, the shame could not be any greater to be seen like that.

Nobles were above the rest of the population because of their inborn grace, greater destiny and excellence, this had been firmly taught at the Silverwood house to Grace.

It irked her to no end that they had been humiliated in front of lesser beings, and yet had no avenue to vent the grievance.

While Kian had shed tears of anger next to her, the noble girl had played out various conversations with the family head back home, complaining about the teacher, asking about removing the commoners, telling him about the exercise forced on her, and similar possibilities.

However, Grace was smart enough to figure out that the options she came up with had little to no chance of success.

Either the [Eternal Warrior] would ignore their inquiries, even from the head of the Silverwood house - the duke - or he would find a random reason for the restriction on them.

And most importantly, Kian and herself agreed to carry out their assigned task, and going back on their words meant a loss of face, even if the only witnesses were some worthless commoners.

Hence, Grace swallowed all these infractions and silently engraved them in her mind, determined to pay them back tenfold when she had the opportunity.

Even if it took decades to get that opportunity, she would repay them with even more humiliation.

Kian similarly had a red face, whether it was from crying in pure rage, the exertion to overcome the restriction or shame at being seen at his weakest, no one could tell.

As a young man, prone to violent outbursts, his nails dug into his palms and one more red trails ran down his hands.

If it were not for the tremors in his tired muscles and the depletion of his aura, Kian would very much like to jump onto the teacher and the commoners and teach them a lesson, regardless of the outcome.

“Wait until I can fight you, I will destroy you in the most miserable way imaginable.”

Although he whispered in a low voice quieter than a faint breeze, the sharp hearing of the dragon and the superior physical abilities of the [Eternal Warrior] still caught it.

Fortunately for the boy, they all decided to ignore his resentment and pretend to have heard nothing.

Nisha was the first to move after all of them rested next to the leisurely teacher on his lounge chair, who chuckled at the spent figures next to him once and then paid them no attention again.

Her body always inhaled and exhaled stream of energy, at all times. No effort on her part was needed, the elf only had to breathe and the aura and mana would still fill her body up before shedding the excess amount back outside.

Therefore, her recovery speed exceeded many masters who cultivated to regain their spent energy without taking action.

“Since we solved your assignment, do we get another one or will the lesson continue next time? I am a student attending both warrior and mage classes, so the afternoon lessons will start soon for magicians, and I have not attended the field trip for warriors, so learning more about magic is a better use of my time.

Of course, my teacher will understand if I miss a lesson due to an esteemed guest coming to the academy and teaching us personally, so I’d like to clarify this with you.”

Compared to the two corpses and the starfish, his limbs spread in all directions on the ground, Nisha certainly struck an elegant figure in comparison.

Her breathing showed no signs of roughness and the previously amount of sweat, which flowed like a river, also dried up.

With her well mannered speech and light bow, an old fox like Tyne Pinewood subconsciously also formed a better impression of her.

“A dual student, that’s admirable. When you get to higher levels in your cultivation, many fighters and magicians pick up some tricks from the other profession.

Few can match their progress in aura and mana to the same pace, showing more talent in either side.

As for your future assignment, we can stop here for the time being.

For better or worse, the next few times we will continue with the foundation training, such as running, weapon swings and weight training.

Perhaps you all resent me quite a lot for making you go through the drills, but most of you relied on elixirs and similar cultivation resources to reach your current level or rushed your aura level and have a shaky foundation as a result.

Extreme exertion and depleting your aura fully before recovering can firm the flaws in your base and rectify those errors.

Of course, it’s also possible to use some special items to start over from the first rank and use the experience so far to remake a corrected base.

Unless you exceed the third rank and transform your power on a fundamental basis, then that’s also useless.

Anyway, I’ve rambled on long enough, you can go now, the regular instructor will notify you when there’s a lesson here in the future.”

When it did not concern fighting or running, Tyne reverted into his lazy and uninterested persona.

Since the little runts had a first taste of his education, he was looking forward to how they were going to react and whether they were going to come back on their own.

Not that they really had a choice, but no one knew yet.

Nisha bowed slightly and left through the gates of the courtyard, leaving behind an awestruck teenager who had not imagined that the amiable girl who kept him company during the laps was hardworking to this extent, a dual student, and two angry noble children who grew a new wave of hatred seeing that they were worse in almost every aspect to a mere commoner.

While they had to sit on the ground, lacking the strength to get up and leave, the elf already hastened towards another lesson, secretly shaming them for being lazy too.

“Ah, I forgot to tell her. Anyway, the rest of you, listen up.

Currently, the elf Nisha is ranked first among the four of you, Grace second, Kian third and Aaren ranks fourth.

I will bring the resources respective for your ranking with me next time, make sure to train hard.”

Similar to an afterthought, the [Eternal Warrior] remarked this like an offhand comment, shaking his head while doing so.

“Wait a moment!”

Despite having used up all of the resources at his disposal, Kian exploded with hidden potential at this moment and found the strength to glare at his tormentor.

Balling his fists, the young man voiced his opposition.

“On what basis can you rank that commoner above us?

Just because you like her more, you cannot favor her!

We all completed this stupid exercise of yours, and my cousin is the strongest, while I, a noble with superior skills, can still wipe the floor with that elf!

She is ranked third, not first!”

He pulled up Grace and stood in front of the other youth, disregarding his existence and whether his words would hurt Aaren.

Kian demanded an explanation, otherwise he would not back down.

“Hum. Are you sure? I made my judgement based on facts and reason, but you think that I’m partial based on my likes and dislikes.

Similarly, you doubted my exercise before, and have not apologized even after I explained the reasons to you.

Based on that trend, it will become extremely tedious, every time I ask you guys to do something, will you talk back again at that time?

In this place, there are only teachers and students. You are talking back to a teacher as a student.

Is that how you conduct yourself?”

Tyne Pinewood embodied peacefulness itself.

With the arms crossed behind his neck, legs hanging off the side of the lawn chair, and a big yawn, he obviously did not take the runts seriously.

Kian grit his teeth, no one dared to talk to him this way before, neither at home nor in public.

While his house only had a Count as their highest noble rank, it still was as far apart as heaven and earth from commoners, or adventurer folk, who often did not even count as Leandar’s residents if they came from another branch elsewhere.

And yet, the [Eternal Warrior] had enough power to do so, even Count Ravenstone had to give him some face.

Whether he hated the warrior or not, the young noble still had to have reason on his side if he wanted his house to stand behind his back.

“You are not acting like a teacher or instructor, so I will not treat you as one!

If you keep being partial like this, the Academy and the Guild will investigate and force you to pay reparations for a failed mission.

As long as you acknowledge your mistake and distribute the resources as you should do, then my cousin and me will not report you.

And in the future, you cannot give that damned elf preferential treatment again!”

Kian pointed his finger at the relaxed man lounging in front of him, similar to a general scolding his soldier.

“Aren’t you a brave one, acting more like a teacher than me and preaching to me.”

Tyne squinted his eyes and a dangerous glint appeared in them.

While he looked easygoing and like a good target to walk all over him, the reputation as a fiendish [Eternal Warrior], who walked through seas of blood and tore into monsters more like a monster, did not come from nothing.

A small metal scrap flipped on top his palm, dancing like a small elemental with a will of its own.

Upon closer inspection, the part came from the frame of the lounging chair, and he used a pinch of his finger to rip it off.

Naturally, the children were too exhausted, or too angry in one case, to notice it.

“Is that so… 

How nice, are you worried on my behalf?

Well, how about I provide some proof for my proclamation. When you come to see things my way, it means that you cannot question my arrangements anymore in the future.

Of course, you also have a chance to prove that I am the one in the wrong. I will make amends to the ranking and compensate you with double the amount distributed out of my own pocket for the rest of the turn.

This is a one time offer, though. As a teacher hired by the Academy and the Guild, my word counts as the highest law here.

In the future, disobedience will be rewarded with an appropriate punishment.”

“Are you goading me in order to improve your own position as a teacher?

No matter what your goal is, I swear on my name as a noble that I will not raise the issue of training methods and the ranking anymore if you can prove that you did not show favor to someone else instead of genuine aura cultivation.

My only demand, if you lose, is that you apologize to House Ravenstone and Silverwood on top of the promise you made.”

Grace tugged at her cousin’s sleeve when she heard that he made an oath, but the youth was too hot headed to care.

The instructor did not show them proper respect and gave them a demeaning task, this was his revenge to get back at him and force an apology out of him.

No matter how strong the [Eternal Warrior] had gotten, he still needed to bow his head before them, since they had the stronger backing.

“Interesting. I accept.”

Tepid and succinct with his words, Tyne Pinewood had an amused smile on his face as he agreed.