All-around teacher at the magic academy

Leon was alone in his office.

This was a space surrounded by books and documents, somewhat crowded yet orderly. On his desk lay a gray scarf, its texture slightly blurred in the dim light.

The indoor temperature is high enough that it differs greatly from the outdoor temperature, making it unsuitable for wearing indoors.

Beside the scarf, a delicate ceramic cup was steaming with freshly brewed coffee, its aroma adding a touch of warmth to the small space.

Leon sat in his chair, staring blankly at the doorway, as if anticipating something, or perhaps running away from something.

The interior was dark and quiet, with heavy curtains completely blocking the windows, leaving only a few faint rays of light to filter through the gaps and spill onto the floor, creating a sense of oppression and heaviness.

Leon's thoughts were wandering, and he didn't even know what he was thinking as he sat there.

Whether it was a memory of the past, an anxiety about the future, or a confusion about the present, he did not know.

He just sat there quietly, letting time pass by, as if this would give his soul a moment of peace and allow him to temporarily forget the noise and pressure of the outside world.

dong dong dong-

A soft knock echoed in the quiet office, but it went unnoticed by Leon.

He remained seated blankly in the chair, his body almost motionless, like a soulless puppet, immersed in his own world.

dong dong dong-

There were three more knocks on the door, this time much louder than before, finally breaking the silence inside and waking Leon from his daze.

His body trembled slightly, and his gaze gradually focused, as if he had returned to reality from distant thoughts.

"Please come in."

Leon spoke in a low voice, his voice slightly hoarse, perhaps because he hadn't spoken for a long time, or perhaps because of some inner turmoil.

The door opened with a click, and a cautious head peeked in from the outside.

The woman's eyes scanned the room quickly until she saw Leon sitting in the chair. Her expression seemed to relax a little, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief.

She then walked into the room and gently closed the door behind her.

"What is it, Aurora? Is it Prince Raphael who wants to see me again?"

Leon's gaze fell on Aurora, and he couldn't help but frown slightly, as if he was worried about something else that might distract him.

"no no."

Aurora quickly waved her hand, a hurried smile on her face, and explained, "I have some academic questions I'd like to ask you."

Her eyes held a hint of pleading, yet also an unconscious caution, as if afraid of disturbing Leon's contemplation.

For some reason, looking at Leon sitting behind his desk, Aurora felt that he was different from usual today.

His eyes seemed deeper than usual, and his expression was slightly distant, as if there was an invisible barrier between them, making him seem less approachable.

Hearing Aurora's words, Leon visibly relaxed, his brows unfurrowed, and his expression softened.

He seemed somewhat relieved about Aurora's situation, at least this time it wasn't about Raphael.

"Is there anything you don't understand?" Leon tried to appear calm, his voice as gentle and patient as ever, as he asked.

He adjusted his posture, leaning slightly forward, trying to show that he took the Aurora issue seriously.

"It's like this, Teacher Leon. When I was learning magic, I encountered some symbols that I didn't recognize. I wonder if you know anything about them?"

As she spoke, she handed the paper in her hand to Leon with great care, like a child who had done something wrong, and she didn't even dare to look Leon in the eye.

Leon reached out and took the paper. The moment his fingers touched it, he sensed something unusual.

He looked down at the contents of the paper, and in that instant, his eyes widened as if he had seen something incredible.

But he quickly composed himself, trying to appear calm. However, his slightly trembling hands could not conceal the shock and turmoil within him.

The contents of the paper were simple, just some seemingly random symbols and characters. But Leon understood their meaning at a glance, because the characters were the language of the world he had traveled to before, a language he was once extremely familiar with.

Leon felt his brain buzzing, and the sounds and movements around him became blurred. His whole world seemed to shrink to just a few words on that piece of paper.

His eyes were fixed on the symbols, and the contents of the paper kept replaying in his mind, giving him a dizzying feeling of temporal and spatial disorientation.

Aurora stood there, watching Leon stare blankly at the paper, her doubts growing stronger.

She didn't know if Professor Leon recognized the symbols, or if he was also puzzled by the unfamiliar characters. Time passed slowly in silence, and the atmosphere in the office became somewhat oppressive.

After a long while, Leon finally came to his senses again. He stared intently at Aurora in front of him, his eyes seemingly scrutinizing her, but he did not speak immediately.

Aurora felt a little nervous under Leon's gaze.

She swallowed hard, then stammered, "Professor Leon, do you...do you know what this means?"

Her voice held a hint of expectation, hoping Leon could provide an answer.

Leon didn't answer her question directly. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and asked with a sharp gaze, "Is this something His Highness Raphael asked you to ask?"

Upon hearing Leon's words, Aurora involuntarily trembled. She hurriedly explained, "No, Teacher Leon, it's my own problem. I discovered it by chance while learning magic, it has nothing to do with my brother." She was eager to clarify so as not to cause Leon to misunderstand.

She wanted to continue explaining, but Leon waved his hand, indicating that she didn't need to say anything more.

His tone was flat and devoid of any emotion. "I don't know what the things on this paper mean," he said, as if he truly knew nothing about the symbols.

Hearing Leon's answer, a hint of disappointment flashed in Aurora's eyes. "Alright then."

She responded softly, feeling a little disappointed but also relieved, at least she had tried.

Leon handed the paper back to Aurora with a swift and decisive motion, without any unnecessary words.

Aurora carefully took the paper and then politely apologized, "I'm sorry to have bothered you, Professor Leon." Her voice carried a hint of apology, as she had sensed Leon's displeasure.

"Uh-huh."

Leon simply responded and didn't look at her again; his gaze seemed to have drifted to another world, lost in thought.

He reached for the coffee on the table; the coffee had cooled down and was no longer steaming.

He couldn't resist taking a sip, and the bitter taste spread across his tongue. He remembered adding a lot of sugar, but he didn't know why the coffee was still so bitter. Perhaps his mood was also affecting his sense of taste.

He stood up, the chair scraping against the floor with a harsh sound, but Leon paid no attention to the details. His mind was no longer in the office.

He walked to the window, slowly drew back the curtains, and looked at the weather outside. The sky was overcast, and it seemed like it could rain at any moment.

He couldn't help but sigh, his heart heavy as the color of the sky.

He looked out the window, staring intently at the black figure that had just left—it was Aurora.

He watched her until she disappeared from his sight, then slowly drew the curtains, shutting out the outside world, and sat back down in his chair.

Leon leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and tapped his fingers unconsciously on the table.

His heart was filled with doubt and unease; everything that had happened recently seemed to be going in the wrong direction.