The Academy's Strongest Undercover Professor

Chapter 133 - Campfire

'Do I have a girlfriend?' I thought about it when Amelia asked me this question.

Honestly, I was a bit surprised by the question as I had no idea why she would even ask such a thing. However, it wasn't like I could easily answer this question. After all, there was this whole thing with Ava...though I had no idea if we were a thing or not. All I knew was that I was interested in her for the moment.

"Ugh...it's complicated. I don't think I am, but maybe in the future when I get back to the Royal Academy."

Amelia seemed disappointed for a short moment before getting a smile back on her face.

"Oh, I see. Good for you, then."

I frowned, confused by how she was currently acting. "Why are you asking?"

She blushed instantly. "Ah, I was just wondering. That's all, no worries."

I was still confused as to why she would ask such a thing out of nowhere, but I just nodded, accepting her answer.

"So, uh, do you really think you'll be able to beat him?" Amelia asked again. "When I met, I truly felt like there was no way for me to win, and...not that I want to be mean, but when I look at you, I don't get that feeling."

"Oh, that's because I don't want you to feel it." I smiled. "We're friends, aren't we? Why would I try to scare you guys for no logical reason?"

Then, as if to prove my point, I released a bit of my power, and instantly, the look on Amelia's face completely changed. It was as if she realized that I was just as dangerous as Zero, maybe even more dangerous.

"I-I see...thank you," she replied, stuttering. "I didn't know that you were restricting your strength for us. So, thank you for that."

"Ah, it's nothing much, don't worry about it."

Then, once again, there was only silence between the two of us.

Zale made it possible for me to fight against my past once more, and he made it possible for me to increase the amount of aether in my body.

Zoe pushed me to my absolute limits for the first time in quite some time.

All three of them had helped me in ways that I could have never even guessed when I had first left the academy. And honestly, thinking back on it, I realized that I was way too rushed in my decision. After all, if my students were with me right now in the Snowy Mountains, things would have been much more complicated.

This wasn't an environment that many could handle in their life, and many of them would have either gotten heavily injured or they would have slowed me down tremendously.

So, I was happy to have found the ancient tribe since they were able to keep them safe for the time being, which was much better than having them with me for when I would face Zero. After all, he would have been able to use them to distract and win against me.

This fight would be most likely the hardest that I have ever gotten with in my life, and I needed to have my entire focus on Zero. I can't have students distracting me while I fight against him.

Then, as I was thinking of all these things, I heard a shallow noise on my right. There was something there, something that even I couldn't detect with my [Mana Sense] active.

"Who's there!" I shouted as I grabbed hold of my sword.

Phoebe and Amelia didn't wake up even as I shouted because of how exhausted both of them were. However, when I stood up and walked over, the series of footsteps getting closer to me...I simply couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the person who was standing there.

It was Hank, Art's father.

I had no idea how he had found his way here or even why he did so, but I just couldn't believe it.

"H-Hank? Is that really you?" I asked as I recognized him in an instant.

After all, he was quite easy to distinguish just by the way he walked, his feet dragging against the snow because he was too lazy to even raise.

"Tsk, why are you shouting? It's already enough of a pain to be here..." Hank muttered in a voice that I simply couldn't forget.