Chapter 129
"By the way... did you hear, Mr. Clael? I heard a suspicious person was caught near the academy."
"A suspicious person...?"
"Yes. A suspicious person."
Early morning.
Yurii, whom he ran into at the staff dormitory cafeteria, began speaking about that.
"I don't know their motive... but apparently they tried to trespass into the academy. They were found in a battered and restrained state, and handed over to the military police just like that."
"Huh... that's disturbing."
Amlet said the same thing the other day.
That there were suspicious people lurking around, so one should be careful when going out.
In a world with monsters, it's easy to forget—but the greatest enemy of humans is still other humans.
Just as Amlet said, it would be wise to stay alert.
(Come to think of it... I'm not quite on the Saint's level, but I'm still an important figure. I am a Saint, after all.)
There might even be someone who tries to kidnap Clael to use him as a hostage against Reina.
It really does seem like he should be careful.
"By the way... changing the subject, Mr. Clael, have you gotten used to life at the academy?"
"Yes, completely."
Clael nodded honestly at the sudden change in topic.
"Most of my colleagues are kind, and the students are all good kids. I'm managing just fine."
Reina asked him the same thing the other day... but it wasn't a lie.
There are people like Mrs. Veleno, but most of his colleagues are good people.
Some of the male students seem to dislike Clael, but that doesn't mean they play pranks or harass him.
At most, there's the occasional oddball who challenges him to a debate match.
Reina tends to cling to him during lunch breaks and such... but that doesn't bother him.
He's honestly happy to be admired, and if Reina is happy, then Clael is happy too—as family.
The only real trouble is... the lingering summer heat, and how sensitive Reina is to it.
When they're alone, her loosened clothes sometimes reveal her cleavage, or her skirt rides up to show her thighs—it's almost too much for his eyes.
"I see, that's good to hear."
Hearing Clael's response, Yurii smiled gently.
"Many of the academy's students are nobles, after all. Some new teachers get overwhelmed and end up with nervous breakdowns. But from the looks of it, Mr. Clael, you seem to be doing just fine."
"Ah... I see, I suppose that does happen."
Clael, being the fifth son of a marquis family, doesn't feel it much, but for teachers of lower status, having to instruct students of higher rank might be a source of stress.
On the student side as well, there are surely those who don't approve of being taught by a commoner teacher.
"For the first time, I was glad to be part of a marquis family. Seems even that kind of family has its uses."
"Um... if it's hard to talk about, you don't have to say it, but... do you not get along with your family?"
"Not really. It's just... my older brothers seem to be in conflict over the inheritance."
"Ah..."
Yurii nodded in understanding, her expression turning sympathetic.
Anyone familiar with noble society would be able to grasp the situation from that alone.
"It's not exactly pleasant, but... it happens a lot among nobles, doesn't it? My immediate family gets along well, but our relatives fought a lot over land."
"Back in school, I had a classmate who had to drop out because of family matters... Nobles really are exhausting, aren't they?"
Clael and Yurii exchanged glances and gave a wry smile.
After they finished breakfast and were about to leave their seats... the dorm mother, who managed the staff dormitory, approached Clael.
"Ah, Mr. Byrne. You have mail."
"Huh? For me?"
Who could it be from?
Clael received the letter and checked the sender on the back... his eyes widened slightly.
"...Speak of the devil."
"Is something wrong, Mr. Clael?"
Yurii tilted her head.
Clael gave a troubled shrug and waved the letter in his hand.
"It's a letter from my second older brother—the one who left after failing to inherit the family estate. He says he has something important to discuss and wants to meet... or something like that."