Magic Academy's Bastard Instructor

Chapter 54: Interlude [2]

Chapter 54: Interlude [2]

As the lecture ended, students shuffled out of the hall, looking drained. 

Vanitas wiped the chalkboard clean, his back turned to the exit.

"Professor, I'm so glad you're back," Ezra said, placing a hand on Vanitas's shoulder.

His voice was laced with relief. Vanitas blinked, glancing at him, then shifted his eyes to Karina, who quickly looked away.

It wasn't that Karina hadn't done her job while Vanitas was away. She did. She just tried too hard to mimic him.

But with her clumsy nature, it didn't quite land the way she intended.

Her attempts to be strict came off awkward. Instead of commanding respect, it triggered secondhand embarrassment for everyone in the room.

Even Karina seemed aware of it, making her more embarrassed in the process.

To be fair, she was trying her best. And that, at least, was something everyone respected.

But still…

It was quite the spectacle.

"Keep working hard, Ezra," Vanitas said. Then, leaning closer, he whispered, "....Thanks for putting up with Karina."

Ezra snorted, glancing sideways. "You should've seen her, Professor… She was practically—"

"Ahem," Karina cleared her throat loudly.

Ezra stiffened like a child caught sneaking a cookie. 

"Of course, Professor!" he said quickly, scratching the back of his neck with a forced laugh before making a speedy exit.

Karina puffed out her cheeks. Vanitas didn't even glance at her, wiping the last of the chalkboard clean.

It wasn't like he and Ezra were close, but they'd occasionally seen each other at the university gym. A few casual exchanges had naturally turned into this odd camaraderie.

One by one, the students left the hall. The room grew quiet soon after.

Everyone was gone.

Everyone except Astrid.

She remained seated. Her pen was still in her hand as her eyes scanned the pages of her notebook.

Her notes were packed with every detail of Vanitas's lecture—ten full pages filled to the brim with every miniscule detail of the lecture that had just concluded.

Wait, no. She wasn't alone.

A few rows away sat another figure.

Cassandra.

'What's she doing here?'

Not that she cared. There were more important things on her mind.

At the front of the hall, Professor Vanitas and his assistant, Karina, were packing up their materials.

Vanitas glanced up, his gaze landing on them.

"What are you two still doing here?" he asked.