The Rebirth of Evelyn Knox

The platinum blonde's face was gloomy and 'terrifying', though Evelyn thought she just looked sad and bullied. Unfortunately, this adorable little thing might not react so well if she tried to pet her, so Evelyn could only keep her hands to herself. 'Ruru and Bree are still more adorable, after all… It's okay…'     

"W-What are your affinities again?"     

Evelyn blinked, wondering if that was even relevant after everything else she had mentioned. "Oh? Well, my lowest is fire, which is thirty percent, and then wind, which is fifty. My highest is lightning, which is ninety percent. Augury said I was a talentless piece of trash. Does she need every student to have maxed out affinities or something?"     

Aurora, who had all her affinities in single digits except for water, almost cracked her teeth from how hard she was gritting them. "A-Augury!"     

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Evelyn had already inquired a little about Madam Augury from Eula the previous day, and knew that she was a senior professor just like Dane.     

However, compared to the red haired professor who was so casually expelled from the academy, Evelyn didn't think Augury's ending would be the same.     

After all, Aurora didn't seem to want to pamper her too much now, and was already quite reluctant to help her without good reason.     

If not for her trying her best to convince the platinum blonde, Evelyn thought that she wouldn't have done anything at all.     

In fact, she still wasn't quite sure what to expect as she walked to the elemental mastery class again. Before she even got inside the building, however, Evelyn got her answer.     

Madam Augury, who was usually so conceited and arrogant, was currently eating dirt as Aurora pushed her head to the ground, stepping on her angrily. "W-Who did you call trash? I-Idiot Augury! I'll kill you!"     

Of course, the fact that Aurora had waited till the morning to do this meant that she wanted all the students to see Augury's state.     

The old lady wanted nothing more than to scream indignantly, but she couldn't even do that.     

This was the most disgusting part about Aurora, which she had always hated deep down. People like her, even if they were only slightly weaker than the girl, wouldn't even be able to resist her attacks at all.     

It was one thing to know an opponent could defeat you, and another thing entirely to be helplessly humiliated like this.     

Aurora hadn't come alone, and Evelyn wondered who the three cloaked people following her were, to be courageous enough to disturb her in such a state.     

"Young miss, you can't be so willful all the time. I think you've already vented your anger, no?"     

"Augury has been serving the academy faithfully for so long. You already expelled Dane without proper trial just before, if you do this again—"     

Aurora huffed. "Hmph. Alright… since all of the pillars seem to support you so much, I'll let you go this time. Pack your stuff and get out of the academy. If I see your face when I come tomorrow, or hear about you bullying my student again, I'll definitely kill you!"     

Feeling truly disgraced and humiliated, the older woman didn't even bother justifying herself. After all, even the pillars had only spoken in her 'favor' as if it was troublesome for Aurora to expel two senior professors twice in a row. They clearly didn't value her at all.     

Her centuries of service to the academy were in vain!     

After the older woman left, Aurora realized that if her words spread, Evelyn might really be able to walk around feeling invincible among her peers, and even seniors! That wouldn't be conducive to her growth at all!      

She cleared her throat. "D-Don't misunderstand, t-that warning was just for idiot Augury. Everyone else can bully Evelyn, un, I definitely won't do anything."     

Of course, who would believe her?     

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Even after Aurora had left with the three cloaked figures, the rest of the students continued to stare at Evelyn awkwardly.     

Towards this strange girl who had already caused two senior professors to be expelled, none of them dared to have any thoughts anymore. After all, even if they tried to befriend her, who knew what would happen if she got just mildly annoyed by something? It was better to stay away.     

Perhaps only Amber, who already considered herself to be Evelyn's friend, could continue sticking close to her.     

Of course, 'Elemental Mastery' had more professors than just Augury, though she was the senior-most professor of the department, and often took the lead when it came to introducing new students to the subject. Not long after Aurora left, several junior professors came to diffuse the situation, and the 'class' was soon started while ignoring the oppressive atmosphere.     

Evelyn thought that expelling the senior professor was definitely good for their class, and even the department as a whole in the end, because she at least managed to learn some things this time. Even if the junior professors were less knowledgeable, they were at least willing to share their knowledge.     

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The headmaster sighed as he watched the enraged Madam Augury send her talismans and artifacts flying into spatial storage devices.     

Though they were generally compact, spatial storage devices couldn't store on another, and their individual storage capacity was, of course, limited as well.     

So it was no surprise that by the time Augury was done, she was already carrying a huge stash of nothing but spatial artifacts ranging from rings and necklaces to bracelets and belts. She almost looked like a vagrant.     

"Just stay in one of the forbidden cities for a while. I don't know why Aurora has been so unreasonable lately, but you know her, she will soon enough stop caring about everything and go stare at her lake. At that time, I can try to—"     

The old lady sneered. "Thanks for the offer, headmaster, but no thanks. I'm done working here, where no one appreciates my work anyway. All I ask is you take care of the children I was bringing up earlier. I won't care about what she did today on the count that she's just a stupid little girl on the inside, but if I hear about her harming my kids—"     

The black haired man shook his head. "Don't worry. I guarantee that I won't let anyone harm my students like that. Not even Aurora."     

It didn't take long for the old woman to finish her 'packing up', and she left without looking back.     

The headmaster didn't know if she would take his advice to stay in one of the forbidden cities, or if she would really just leave altogether.     

Compared to Dane, who had been thrown out and had all his artifacts destroyed, the black haired man felt that Augury was surely 'lucky', since she could easily cross the wonderland like this.     

It wouldn't be wrong to say that half of their strength came from their equipment, and the headmaster was more familiar with this fact than anything else. The difference between Professor Dane, who had all his artifacts destroyed, and Madam Augury, who still retained them all, was like night and day.     

The longer they lived, the more time they had to not only cultivate their own strength, but also to get hold of suitable lucky chances and suitable artifacts. If someone managed to snatch each of his belongings, the headmaster knew that his heart would bleed.     

In fact, he would probably go crazy on the spot.     

Only an abnormal existence like Aurora, who didn't seem to care about artifacts at all, could claim not to be the same.     

And even for her, the headmaster considered the idea foolish.     

After all, even though Aurora was supposedly much stronger than him, the headmaster knew that if he managed to use all his artifacts just right, taking her down wouldn't be impossible.     

For the strongest of their pillars to be so 'poor' was really too much, but there was little the headmaster could do about that. "Hopefully Aurora won't continue doing these stupid things anymore. It's really starting to get on my nerve. What's she leading the pillars into the forest for, anyway? Why not at least let me know? I'm the headmaster!"     

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Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Terrazyme, word of the 'Guardian Beast of Earth' being dead finally reached the King's ears.     

Although the beast itself was more or less 'independent', it was a well-known fact that it had been living in their kingdom for centuries, and often cooperated with the royal family.     

"WHAT! Who dared to—"     

Although the messenger was shaking in his boots, not able to respond at all, the roaring king calmed down on his own as he waved his hand. "Leave. Send in the Second General."     

Very few organizations had the ability to slay the beast, and even fewer had the guts. Of course, he knew that the beast had been sent to the Wonderland of Doom, in which case, its death must definitely be their doing. "Hmph. They dare to tear their face with us, do they?"     

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~ To be continued ~     

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