Neron Kaelid sighed as he sat behind his desk.
His dark hair firmly sat atop his handsome, pale face.
He had a perfect façade, but the look he gave made it seem like he was on the verge of breaking down.
Of course, this wasn't physical exhaustion. Neron's body was tailored by his Magic, making sure he was always in top state. This loop ensured that concepts like hunger, thirst, or tiredness—even pain—were foreign to him.
The cause for his pained expression stemmed from another problem, though.
'Ah, this is boring…' His mind wondered as he stared blankly at the completed paperwork in front of him.
Even though he had made sure to take his time when handling all of them, it still didn't take him very long to complete everything. Now that he was done with his task, the man wondered what to use the rest of his time for.
"Should I take a walk again…?"
Lately, that had been all he was doing. He was even so bored to the point of somehow desiring company—at least to enjoy himself.
Training would have been a good way to pass away time, but he was currently undergoing internal training, yet he sought something more stimulating.
"Sigh, even that troublesome woman would do right now…" Neron grumbled.
The lady in his thoughts was none other than Serah Crimson, his childhood 'friend' and supposed rival. She had some issues to attend to in the capital—last he heard—so she wouldn't even have his time.
Even though it was shameful to admit it, Neron had to spell out the truth for himself.
"I'm bored…"
No incident had occurred ever since the Demonic Disturbance.
He had suddenly been promoted to Provisional Headmaster—considering his level of power, and his contributions to Ainzlark Academy during the tragic incident.
Such a troublesome task was put within his grasp, and he would have refused. However, upon considering the highly influential position he had been put in, Neron finally decided to concede.
He had used his newfound connections and political power to weave himself into so many factions and even got himself the identity of several spies and suspicious personnel within their ranks.
Taking them out would be easy, but that would simply alert the true culprit. In that case, he simply had to bid his time perfectly.
After all, time was the one thing he had in surplus.
"Should I just take some time off?" The black-haired man mumbled underneath his breath.
Doing so would certainly prove to be something healthy for his current state. However, Neron remembered the last time he took some time away from Ainzlark Academy.
The casualties and destruction that followed were something he had to avoid at all costs.
As Headmaster, he was responsible for the lives of everyone presently residing in the Institute. While he wouldn't make any silly errors in his administration of the school, he often fretted over his wards.
"We have highly skilled students in this generation, but…"
Compared to the previous graduates—especially those of the previous sets and the one before them—they had a long way to go.
Neron knew it was unfair to compare their levels of growth. After all, the previous students had a critical element that these new ones didn't possess.
The person called Jared Leonard.
'That kid…'
Neron gave a wry smile as he rested well on his chair. Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, his lips curled up even more. The man seemed pleased for some reason.
An image appeared in his mind.
"I wonder how he's doing now…"
"Who are you thinking about, I wonder?"
Neron's eyes popped wide open, and then his back bounced off the chair—making him sit straight in a jiffy.
"Nice reflexes." A passing comment echoed across the empty room, and a being suddenly manifested.
He had a long white lab coat, with a black shirt and black pants. His shoes were white—laced with gold and black designs—and his flowing blond hair fluttered a bit.
His golden eyes and charming smile were fully captured by Neron's black pupils, causing the man's expression to morph as soon as his brain connected the dots.
"Y—you are…?!"
The teenager's smile became larger and his lips parted to bring forth words.
"It's been a while… Neron."
Neron, the usually stoic man, jumped to his feet and gave a surprised gasp. His boredom had finally been shattered.
He could see a bright light of salvation standing before him. That was enough for him to break into a smile… and leak out the words of his one and only protégé.
"… Jared. You're back!"
*************
I made sure to use my 'Unknowable' while entering Neron's office, and also 'The Tower' Arcana to warp into his office.
The Arcana allowed me to transport to a destination I hadn't been to before, as long as it was close by.
Since all I had to do was bypass Neron's door, it wasn't difficult to enter his office. I watched him for a short moment, waiting for the perfect time to make my entrance.
As expected, I picked up the perfect moment, making a perfect appearance.
'Neron looks happy. It seems he's happy to see me. Well, the feeling is mutual…'
"Yeah, I'm back. You look… the same…" I commented, smiling at the rough-looking outfit of my previous lecturer.
Nothing about him had changed—except the smile planted on his face.
"Yeah… I suppose." He shrugged, moving away from behind the desk where he was standing.
Before I knew it, he was slowly approaching me at a steady pace.
The obsessive smile on his face began to unnerve me a bit.
"Er… Neron…?"
Was he mad that I just popped into his office? If so, then—
"You're not an illusion, are you?" His voice was low, but it contained great weight.
Neron's intense gaze told me he required a prompt answer—rather, he demanded it!
"Um… no. It's actually me. Ah, are you okay?"
Now, I was getting slightly concerned. This wasn't how I envisioned our first meeting in years to turn out.
"Kukukukuku…" A short, deep chuckle escaped his lips.
'Eh?'
"Kuahahahahahaha!!!"
This had to be the first time I heard my Mentor laugh so loudly.
"Ah, I feel so much better now! It really is you, Jared!" A big smile formed as he doused his chuckle.
"Yep. Yep."
'Is this really Neron?'
