Heaven's Greatest Professor

Chapter 40  Professor Walt

Warden stared at the thick, metal-braced handcuffs, uncertain how to deal with this predicament.

"You can't be serious," Tifan shouted. "You want us to give ourselves up? We'd literally be powerless to the whims of some nobles if we let you cuff us."

Warden raised an eyebrow. He did notice something odd about the cuffs but didn't know they could be used to suppress spirit power. Could they restrict raw physical power, though? Whatever it was, Warden didn't want to take chances.

"Finally showing your true colors, eh?" shouted Walt, who seemed convinced they were the bandits. Technically, only one of them was a bandit, but that was past tense now. This guy had no right to convict them.

Tifan didn't bother with the noble bunch and turned to Warden, as if he needed a reminder. "Warden, listen to me," he said. "These people are not going to listen to anything you have to say. With the amount of noble blood stuck up their ass, they probably consider us inferior beings. This is nothing but a game to them."

Warden got that the former bandit was warning him, but still, it all felt a little too unreal.

"How dare you say the job of keeping the peace in the realm is nothing but a game?" shouted the chestnut-haired girl, hiding behind others. "It is you who takes it as a game and makes it difficult for us to govern order over the realm. How sickening."

Even the professor looked offended, his lips splitting into a scowl. "Even if you're not a bandit," he said, "you'll rot in prison for making such claims." He handed the cuffs to another man and drew his sword from the scabbard—a fine blade, sleek and over a meter long. "Looks like we have to settle this in the old way. Kevin, take care of the students. Make sure none of them gets hurt. It'd be a pain to explain to the academy if anything goes wrong with them."

"As you say, Professor," Kevin responded, positioning himself before the teens.

Walt released his aura, and the air vibrated under his pressure. Tifan was already taking a step back, not bothering to remain for a fair fight.

As Warden considered the professor, he was unsure how it had escalated to violence so quickly. Men are like rabid dogs when you hurt their pride. The pressure and aura Walt was radiating were stronger than anything he had faced so far. It easily dwarfed the power of any wolf, perhaps bordering Silver rank.

Well, he was a professor at the prestigious Arcane Academy. He was bound to have some ability, even if he had obtained the position through nepotism and connections.

"Now, Mongrel," Walt addressed him. "Are you all talk, or can you fight?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Warden sighed but drew his blade, even if it probably wasn't the right decision at this moment. Giving reason and mercy to the stuck-up noble at this moment would lead him to believe that Warden was a coward. The fastest way for him to dispel that notion would be nothing less than a crushing defeat.

"Let's dance," Warden said, prepared, unsheathing [The Divider]. In a way, it would be good practice for him to gauge his strength after the breakthrough. He still didn't know how far he could go with 10% capacity. The bandits were never a challenge to begin with. Let's see what this professor has in store for him.

Walt came at him, his blade spilling out golden light of righteous glory in contrast to the murky, dark smoke of Warden's. Both swords clashed with a clang as light and darkness churned into existence in thin air. The impact of the crash discharged conflicting elements on both sides.

The professor came heavier, his sword moving in perfect arcs as his stance was almost impeccable. Warden had to push his reflexes to the limit to fend off the attack, still deliberating if he should use all his power. He was only running on 5% capacity, with only one aperture free. He still hadn't fully grasped what he was capable of. He wouldn't want to accidentally kill the guy, which might really pull him into big trouble.

"You're not half bad," Walt said, grinning, "for a bandit."

"You're merely so-so," Warden replied, "for someone who teaches others. You're not even a true swordsman."

That comment probably stung more than Warden imagined. Walt's attacks became more ferocious. Now it wasn't just about capturing bandits but teaching the arrogant ass who offended him. He would cripple the bastard if he had to, and—

A dark blade flashed to his side, and even though he dodged, the blade struck his underarms, breaking through his defense and armor to draw blood. Walt was sure he dodged and made it, but the blade still stuck.

***

June peered downward from her bonded beast, Sylvie, a Starfire Crane. The wilderness below thinned somewhat after she crossed Triu. Her mentee had already left from there, met with others from the academy, and was safely on her way back to the academy. She wouldn't have to worry about that. One less weight off her shoulders.

The only remaining concern was the problem with constant beast attacks. It wasn't only the one her mentee reported; all the other villages around this region were getting attacked at night. The signs weren't good. They had already found three dungeons, one Grade 7 and two Grade 8. Adventurers were deployed to take care of them, so they wouldn't be an issue anymore.

The problem would be the ones that hadn't been found yet. June's duty wasn't to clear the dungeons but to find them and report back to the academy. Her fighting skills were adequate, but they valued her other capabilities more.

"If only I could find Professor Walt on this track," she sighed. The guy was capable, but he came with students with barely any experience in the field. He wouldn't be able to deal with the issue when he had to worry about them. There was still the thing she heard from her student.

She hoped it was a misunderstanding, and Walt would be a better man and know what's really important here.