Chapter 23: The Commoner Who Became a Professor

Byzantium Academy’s First-Year Magic Student, Clive Debrong.

A noble from the esteemed Debrong knightly family, Clive was one of the rare few who had chosen to study magic instead of the sword.

Yet recently, there was someone who constantly irritated him.

“Sion… that commoner bastard.”

Grit.

Clive ground his teeth, his eyes burning with hostility.

At the end of his glare stood Sion, casually chatting with Patrick and Gae Bolg as if he belonged.

Clive hated him.

It was bad enough that a mere commoner acted so carefree in class, but what truly set him off was the swordsmanship lesson.

—”You bastard! Who did that?!”
—”Are you talking to me, by any chance?”
—”Uh… P-Professor…?”
—”If you’re not out by the count of three, I’ll consider it a challenge to my authority as a professor.”

He had tried to show off during Professor Horiju’s class, hoping to gain recognition for his sword skills.

But then he had a minor scuffle with Sion.

The result? He had been thrown out of class for disrespecting the professor.

It was humiliating.

As a noble and a knight’s son, the swordsmanship class should have been where he shined.

Yet because of that damn commoner, he had lost his opportunity.

“That filthy bastard…!”

Not once did Clive reflect on his own actions.

Instead, all his rage and resentment were directed at Sion.

Determined to get revenge, he had already talked to his friends about putting Sion in his place.

But before Clive could act—another incident happened.

—”I-I need to go to the restroom… w-with Sion…!”
—”…What?!”
—”Hurry, come along…!”

Professor Lunia had grabbed Sion and disappeared into the forest, claiming she needed to go to the restroom with him.

Clive’s blood boiled at the sight.

He had just told that commoner to stay quiet and keep his head down—yet here he was, pulling another stunt.

The students around Clive weren’t happy either.

“Where are those two going?”
“No way it’s actually the restroom…”
“I’m definitely putting that bastard in his place.”
“Sion? Oh, you’re still mad about getting kicked out of class?”
“Seeing that arrogant commoner act all high and mighty just pisses me off.”
“Hah, honestly, same. Remember when he humiliated Professor Margaret?”

Clive exhaled sharply through his nose, radiating anger.

The students around him eagerly agreed, venting their irritation about Sion.

He was just a commoner—what did it matter if they talked behind his back?

There was no risk, no consequence.

Or so they thought—until a certain voice cut through their conversation.

“Gossiping about others behind their backs is rather distasteful.”

“…What?”

A voice as smooth as a rolling pearl.

Clive turned to find Estroza Farawell gazing at them with a gentle smile.

“As nobles, we must always uphold dignity and composure. That is what earns us respect and honor.”

“A-ah, yes, of course! I completely agree!”

“Let us move on from yesterday’s unfortunate events and focus on the future. Growth only comes from looking forward, not backward.”

She ended with a graceful smile—then widened her eyes slightly, as if realizing something.

“Oh dear, I must have interrupted. My apologies. Please, continue your conversation.”

With a final pleasant nod, she turned and walked away.

Clive and the others watched her retreat in silence.

The fiery rage within Clive had cooled instantly.

The students around him nodded in admiration.

“Lady Estroza is truly noble in every sense.”
“She’s always so composed. A model aristocrat.”
“Clive, maybe don’t get too worked up. She makes a fair point.”
“Ugh… well, I suppose she’s right…”

Clive didn’t actually agree.

But Estroza’s presence commanded respect.

And if he continued to badmouth Sion now, it wouldn’t be seen as an insult to Sion—it would be challenging Estroza’s authority.

So, for now, Clive swallowed his rage.

Five minutes later, Sion and Professor Lunia returned.

Yet something was off.

Lunia wasn’t leading Sion—it was the opposite.

Sion walked at the front, his steps confident, his presence overwhelming.

“…What the hell?”

Clive squinted.

This wasn’t the same Sion.

Gone was the clumsy, unremarkable presence.

What replaced it was… something imposing.

“I apologize for the disruption,” Sion began. “After my spirit contract yesterday, I had a discussion with Professor Lunia about various topics. It was an enlightening conversation, wasn’t it, Professor?”

“H-huh? O-oh, y-yes, it was, Sion…!”

Something was wrong.

Clive could feel it.

It wasn’t just the words—it was how he spoke.

Sion didn’t hesitate.

He wasn’t nervous.

There was no trace of the commoner’s usual awkwardness.

“And during that discussion,” Sion continued, “I proposed that I lead today’s class. Professor Lunia agreed. As such, I will be conducting today’s lesson. Does anyone have any objections?”

Sion’s gaze swept across the crowd.

Under normal circumstances, Clive would have immediately objected.

Or laughed.

Or ignored him completely.

But…

He couldn’t.

He felt it.

This strange weight in Sion’s presence.

Even the arrogant noble students were silent.

“…No objections? Very well. Professor Lunia, please take a seat. Let’s begin today’s lesson on the types of spirits.”

Sion’s voice was steady, his pronunciation crisp.

The nobles, once so dismissive, unconsciously held their breath.

Even Clive—who hated Sion—couldn’t shake the sensation.

‘What the hell is this?’

His hands curled into fists inside his pocket.

Memories of yesterday’s humiliation burned in his mind.

‘You think you can just lecture us? Fine. Let’s see how well you handle this.’

An idea sparked in Clive’s head.

If Sion wanted to act superior, then Clive would crush him.

Sion wasn’t the only one who had studied spirits.

Clive had prepared extensively before entering the Academy.

He knew far more than the average first-year.

‘I’ll ask questions way beyond this level… questions he can’t possibly answer.’

Let’s see him stammer and embarrass himself in front of everyone.

Let’s see that newfound confidence shatter.

“Today, we’ll be learning about the classifications of spirits,” Sion continued. “They are broadly divided into standard elements and special elements. For example—”

Clive raised his hand.

A smirk formed on his lips.

‘Your lesson ends here, commoner.’

As Sion snapped his fingers, magic unfolded without any incantation.

Six orbs, each embodying a different elemental attribute, appeared instantly.

“…??”

A complex six-element spell, cast with no chant at all.

Using two spells simultaneously would already qualify someone as a Double Caster—but this?

What could anyone even call this?

The students were left speechless, but Sion, unaware of their shock, continued his lesson.

“There are six primary elements: Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, Light, and Darkness. You may already be familiar with the four classical elements of magic—Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. Think of Light and Darkness as additions to that system.”

With a casual wave of his hand, Sion made the Fire and Water orbs collide.

Naturally, the fire sizzled out the moment it touched the water.

“Like elemental magic, spirits also have attributes. Water beats Fire, Fire beats Earth, Earth beats Wind, and Wind beats Water. Think of it as a food chain where each element has something it counters.”

Sion then directed the Water orb into the Wind orb, where it scattered and vanished.

Next, he pushed the Earth orb into the Wind orb. The rock didn’t even budge, while the wind dissipated on contact.

Finally, Sion summoned another Fire orb, letting it engulf the rock.

With just a few 1st Circle spells, he had effortlessly demonstrated elemental interactions in a way anyone could understand.

‘…Is he seriously explaining it this clearly?’

Clive, despite himself, felt a twinge of admiration.

Elemental affinities weren’t always intuitive.

Most people knew Water was strong against Fire, but why was Earth strong against Wind? Why was Wind strong against Water?

It was difficult to grasp in theory.

But Sion had demonstrated it so visually that it became obvious.

A deep understanding of magic. An awareness of how students actually learned.

Before he realized it, Clive was completely focused on Sion’s every word and gesture.

“Light and Darkness are absolute opposites. Think of them as being in a constant deadlock.”

As the two orbs touched, they spun rapidly, fused into each other—then vanished completely.

It was as if they had never existed.

This was the nature of Light and Darkness.

“They cancel each other out.”

Sion then moved on.

“Anything outside of these six core attributes falls into the category of special elements. These include Space and Time, but there are many others. They’re extremely rare in nature, and the chances of successfully forming a contract with such spirits are almost nonexistent.”

He clapped his hands lightly.

The students snapped out of their trance.

The way he integrated magic into his explanations had been so mesmerizing that they had completely lost track of time.

For a moment, they simply blinked, as if coming out of a spell.

The first to regain his senses was Clive.

‘I… I need to ask a question. If I want to embarrass this arrogant bastard…’

Sion smiled pleasantly at the students.

Had he not been wearing a student uniform, Clive might have mistaken him for an actual professor.

That composed demeanor, that ease in teaching—it was infuriating.

‘Let’s see how long you can keep that act up.’

Clive raised his hand.

“Yes, student? Go ahead.”

“My name is Clive Debrong. I have a question regarding elemental affinities. From what I understand, affinities don’t just dictate strengths and weaknesses, but also complementary relationships. Could you explain those?”

This was upper-year knowledge.

First-years only learned about elemental strengths and weaknesses.

Only in second and third year were students introduced to complementary relationships between elements.

Since this information wasn’t covered in the first-year curriculum, it wasn’t something Sion could be expected to immediately know.

As expected, Sion hesitated, bringing a finger to his chin in thought.

‘Got you now, idiot.’

So, you thought you could lecture us? A mere commoner?

This was what happened when you didn’t know your place.

Now, in front of the entire class, he would fail to answer—and regret ever trying to act like a professor.

“Hmm, that’s a good question.”

Sion nodded, then smiled.

“I was debating how best to explain this, but… I think this will be the simplest way.”

“…Barrier.”

Ziiing!

A massive barrier materialized before Sion’s palm.

Unlike ordinary barriers, this one was clearly visible—likely due to the way the forest’s lighting refracted off it.

…No.

It wasn’t just a barrier.

It was art.

There were four distinct points, each connected by precise lines.

Two other points were detached, floating separately.

‘…Is that a diagram?’

It was.

A perfectly structured diagram, formed using magic.

Sion had transformed a 1st Circle spell into a visual teaching tool.

“Let’s use Water as an example,” Sion continued. “Water is strong against Fire—this is called a strong affinity. However, Water is weak to Wind—this is called a weak affinity. Meanwhile, Water and Earth neither strongly counter nor are countered by each other. Instead, they form a complementary relationship.”

Sion pointed at the barrier-diagram, connecting the elements as he spoke.

‘That’s a Barrier spell…?’

This wasn’t some high-level magic.

It wasn’t even 2nd Circle.

It was a basic 1st Circle spell.

Something every first-year had casually used at least once.

And yet, Sion had warped its shape and repurposed it as a teaching tool.

“Ahem. Clive, does that answer your question?”

“…?”

“Clive?”

“Ah—! P-Professor— I mean, wait, no…!”

The words had slipped out.

Before he even realized it, Clive had accidentally called Sion “Professor.”

Silence fell over the students.

They all turned to stare at him.

For a moment, Clive’s mind went blank.

It was the same level of embarrassment as accidentally calling a teacher “Mom” or “Dad.”

“I… uh…”

His face burned red.

Sion, meanwhile, simply chuckled.

“It happens. No big deal. So, your question is answered?”

“U-uh… yes… It is…”

Clive slumped slightly in his seat.

“Great. Moving on—next, let’s discuss some well-known special attributes. We’ll start with Time Magic…”

Sion continued his lesson unfazed.

Clive, on the other hand, couldn’t even lift his head.

He had tried to trip Sion up with a high-level question.

Instead, Sion had answered effortlessly.

And worst of all…

He had called Sion “Professor” in front of everyone.

The humiliation was unbearable.

Until the lesson ended, Clive couldn’t even look at him.

It was a complete and utter defeat.