The principal’s office was impressively wide, with high ceilings and large windows. The room was adorned with exquisite antique furniture: a mahogany desk, an ornate bookcase filled with leather-bound tomes, and a comfortable, tawny couch set for visitors.

The walls, lined with intricate wallpaper, were decorated with paintings of past principals and awards won by the school. The office exuded an air of prestige. It was a fitting representation of the grandeur of Glorenstein.

“Major Ethan. ”The gruff man in front of me was only a tad older than someone at retirement age. His serene eyes and neatly trimmed hair betrayed the wrinkles on his face. “I have heard a lot about you.”

His skin had wrinkled, but his visage was chiseled with sharp cuts. His muscles weren’t lacking, either. Despite his age, Principal Kurt looked fitter than many youngsters.

I was always happy to meet with someone who seemed fun to get along with. It was a welcome thing. I shook the principal’s hand and smiled.

“Principal Kurt, it is an honor to be working here with you. I have read your papers on the poisonous nature of demonic mana and its effects on the body.”

He had written a praised treatise on the nature of a curse that one of the demon’s generals used. It helped save hundreds of lives on the battlefront. Of course, I didn’t know Jack about that paper, but that wasn’t something to mention here.

“Oh!” The principal smiled in surprise. He was not expecting me to talk about his research. Everyone’s impression of soldiers was of uptight militants too rigid to be amicable, but that wasn’t close to the truth.

Impressions were easy to break apart. A genuine smile and a few familiar words, and anyone might make Principal Kurt go, “Oh.”

“I didn’t expect you to be the type that knows about this stuff, Major.”

“Please, just call me Ethan,” I said. “It was an important discovery that completely changed the battlefield against the Death Invoker.”

“You were there?”

“On the front lines.”

The man blinked his eyes.

“I had thought you might be someone special since you were sent here for this mission, major—I mean, Ethan. It seems my imagination was too humble.”

I didn’t know what this guy was cooking up in his head.

“Please don’t misunderstand, Principal. I am a normal foot soldier who luckily lasted to the end.”

Kurt laughed at my words.

“Sure, if that is what you say.”

What the hell? I was being truthful…! Or not. It hadn’t worked on this guy or on the Duke. My social skills were still lacking when it came to…convincing older people.

Kurt and I sat at the desk while my good friend, the vice principal, brewed tea and left the office.

We were now left alone. For my future life in the academy, I had to make sure my boss had a good impression of me. I picked up the ceramic cup with beautiful golden engravings and took a whiff of the aroma. Rich.

The principal opened his mouth, but I interrupted before he could say anything.

“Where are you from, Principal?” I asked him.

Of course, I knew this one. I may not be smart enough to read research papers, but I wasn’t stupid enough to not read into my superior-to-be. He was from one of the lesser viscount families from the frontier.

“Do you know of the Alamarak Plains at the southern frontiers?” The principal said.

“The one under Viscount Mani?”

“The current viscount is my nephew.”

I muttered an ‘ah’ and nodded.

“I have been to Alamarak before,” I said. “One of my subordinates was from the Mani City.”

Old folks first found kinship in people from their homes and then in people who knew of their homes. For many people, their homes carried a sense of security—it was a perfect trick to make friends with them.

The viscount of a frontier family wasn’t near the position of the principal of the Imperial Academy. It was not a designation one could obtain through connections—it came with stringent requirements for politics and personal accolades.

He must not have expected me to research all of this. People who made a cursory glance at their employers would only know his current position. My deeper knowledge made my words more genuine.

My information didn’t stop at his hometown and favorite ice cream flavor. I was aware of something much more damning—he was single and had not found anyone for the last 24 years despite desperately trying.

I leaned ahead on the table. If I could destroy personal barriers, then I would destroy personal barriers.

“Sir. Do you know any good clubs that cater to the more…cultured folk?”

The old principal’s eyes sparkled with a youthful glint. It was impolite to say this to people at the first meeting, but that wasn’t the case when it concerned this man with a reputation for being a lech.

“What did you just say…?”

The principal glared at me. His gaze hardened as he clenched his teeth. I knew it! I knew this reaction—the lech was excited!

“Of course! I know all of them! Gloria’s down the seventh street, Arielle’s right across Mundus’. I will take you to the best of them right away.”

The principal stood up and stormed away from his desk but stopped as soon as I pointed at the row after row of documents he had to sign and letters he had to write for the upcoming diplomatic disaster.

Principal Kurt stumbled on his feet. He seemed his age for the first time since we had met. I had never seen a man’s eyes filled with this much grief.

“It is always us small men with small dreams that suffer, Major…”

His words made me bite my lips. I was no stranger to this feeling. It was my dream to back off and stay away from the front lines, but of course, I had to suffer since these people wanted to win a war or something.

The principal and I shook hands and bit our tears back.

In a much smaller period, I had formed a stronger bond with the principal than with the vice principal.

It was a bond understood only by us small people with small dreams. Only us.

***

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs has asked me in no unclear terms to treat you like a normal instructor.”

The principal got to the crux of the matter as we sat down again. Now that we had tea in our cups and had refreshed with some gossip, we had to get to work.

“Hm,” I nodded. “They don’t want me involved with the preparations whatsoever?”

“That is correct. You already know of the ‘angles’ around keeping the students here, and we have to take measures toward that end.”

A single opening was everything the other countries would need to change the location of this gathering of hostages.

We had to ensure no blunders happened when the students entered the academy. At the same time, we had to flaunt the fact that this, indeed, was a hostage situation in order to keep the other countries in check.

That meant the Empire would make every effort, moral or immoral, toward their preparations. Of course, at the end of the day, that effort would be centered around the academy. We can’t stop things that have not happened yet.

“I was informed that you are fairly involved with the internal workings of our country, but the orders are clear,” said Principal Kurt. “We would appreciate it if you play only the role of a teacher, and if something happens, be present.”

A teacher taught, graded, and did their own thing after their duties. Put nicely, they wanted me to be a simple teacher; put rudely, they wanted me to be a doll that would move when they wanted.

I couldn’t get involved with the rest of the preparations. I was completely excluded from this.

No one wanted me to be making more friends.

“It is nice, Major.” Principal Kurt placed his cup on the table and leaned back into his chair. “I would like a small vacation after eight years of war.”

I chuckled.

That was true.

Right…I was here to spend my money and take a break—being a class teacher would be relaxing. They didn’t want me to interfere, which meant they wouldn’t interfere with me. It was a promotion that sent me away from the front lines.

“I agree. I’ll leave the tough work to you, Principal. Looking after the students should be entertaining enough for me…” I sighed and then stopped. “But the students won’t be coming for another month.”

Not talking to anyone would be boring. Extremely boring.

“About that…” the principal muttered. “It would seem one of them is already here…it’s a bit of a messy situation. We’ll likely have to send her back…”

A wide smile spread on my lips.

Maybe I wouldn’t be so bored yet.