Father, I Won’t Do Anything

“What is it?”

Flinging open the headmaster’s office door, Professor Peyron cried out to Seiden as if he had suffered the greatest injustice.

“Headmaster, I can truly tolerate no more. At this esteemed Melbel Academy of profound history, there is a student challenging a professor’s authority!”

“What do you mean? Please explain slowly.”

“Well, you see…”

However, overcome with agitation, Professor Peyron could only ramble incoherently.

Regarding him with a displeased gaze, Seiden shifted his attention to Jaina, who had followed Peyron inside.

Unlike the flustered professor, her expression was remarkably composed.

“Student Jaina, what seems to be the matter?”

Startled by Jaina’s abrupt visit, Seiden asked with widened eyes.

“My apologies for the unannounced intrusion, Headmaster. The office door was open, and… it’s an urgent matter. Professor Peyron doesn’t seem to be in a state to explain, so may I speak instead?”

“You, you!”

The agitated Professor Peyron immediately began berating Jaina upon seeing her.

“Professor Peyron, you should be setting an example before your students. Moreover, this is the headmaster’s office. Please refrain from such unbecoming conduct.”

As Seiden frowned in rebuke, Peyron opened his mouth in a sense of injustice.

“My apologies, Headmaster. In my excitement, I lost composure. But this student has publicly humiliated me before many students today. I would appreciate your understanding on that matter.”

“Are you referring to Student Jaina as the one who challenged a professor’s authority?”

Seiden gazed at Jaina with a puzzled expression, for she didn’t seem the type to act without proper cause.

Seeing Seiden’s prompting gaze to explain the situation, Jaina promptly spoke up.

“I merely wished for the truth to be revealed, not falsehoods. I had no intention of challenging Professor Peyron’s authority.”

“Ridiculous! Did you not systematically refute the content of my lecture before the students, claiming it was false? Was it not you, that insolent and disrespectful student?”

Seiden rested his elbows on the desk, folding his hands as he said:

“First, it would be best for Professor Peyron to regain his composure. This matter seems to require hearing both sides out slowly.”

As Professor Peyron nodded and took a seat, Jaina handed Seiden the report she had written.

“What is this, Student Jaina?”

“It’s a report regarding the content of Professor Peyron’s lecture. He had assigned me to write a report if we had any rebuttals, but the professor didn’t even attempt to read it properly. So I presented it before the students.”

Seiden accepted the report from Jaina and began reading it.

“Hmm…”

His initially expressionless face gradually hardened as time passed.

Disconcerted by this sight, Professor Peyron fidgeted restlessly, rising from his seat and anxiously fidgeting with his hands.

“Professor, do you not recall the content of the report I presented? Shall I recite it for you?”

“No, no need!”

“‘The Tower Lord Diamid Bellafanian nearly brought about this world’s annihilation. If not for Princess Elia and Headmaster Seiden, the Demon King couldn’t have been sealed. The Tower Lord is a selfish, weak opportunist…'”

Pausing from reading the report, Seiden asked with a horrified expression:

“Professor Peyron, is it true you made such statements during your lecture?”

Confronted by Seiden’s inquiry, Professor Peyron could only stammer incoherently, for he was well aware of Seiden’s former comradeship with the Tower Lord.

Seiden pressed him further:

“And you said this before none other than Student Jaina?”

“Yes, yes, I did! But was I not merely stating the academic consensus? It seems you’re treating me as if I’ve done something wrong, Headmaster.”

“You were wrong, utterly wrong!”

Letting out an exasperated laugh, Seiden rubbed his lips, at a loss.

“Headmaster, Professor Peyron made further statements during his lecture. May I continue?”

Without waiting for a response, Jaina proceeded with a respectful expression.

“‘If the Tower Lord hadn’t rashly acted, blinded by his own abilities and telling lies to conceal his weakness, my father might have survived.'”

“Professor Peyron, are you in your right mind?”

As if he had heard enough, Seiden rose from his seat, causing Professor Peyron to flinch in shock.

“I was well aware that you were grieving the loss of your father and harbored resentment towards your former friend, the Tower Lord. That’s why, while understanding your personal views were reflected in your lectures, I refrained from intervening as much as possible. But how could you make such statements before none other than Student Jaina?”

Uncharacteristic fury etched itself upon Seiden’s usually gentle and laidback countenance. As the air in the room chilled and tension mounted, Peyron’s face turned deathly pale.

Not many could withstand the aura exuded by one who had once faced the Demon King himself.

“Submit your resignation immediately.”

“Th-this is an unjust decision!”

“It’s the best approach, compared to meeting the Tower Lord Diamid in person.”

Though trembling, Professor Peyron pressed on, seeming to have nothing left to lose.

“To demand my resignation simply for criticizing someone close to the headmaster during a lecture? Even with your authority as the headmaster, this is an unjust decision.”

“Professor Peyron, you are currently obfuscating the issue. This is not a matter of personal connections. The problem lies in teaching personal subjective views as facts.”

However, Peyron stubbornly shook his head, gritting his teeth as he refused to resign from the esteemed Melbel Academy, renowned as the continent’s most prestigious institution, offering superior salaries and benefits coveted by all.

Jaina regarded him with an expression of incomprehension.

‘How can he remain so brazenly defiant, even within the headmaster’s office?’

Not only had he falsely accused an innocent person, but he had also diminished their contributions, yet he feigned innocence instead of acknowledging his wrongdoing.

“If I resign here, I won’t remain silent! I’ll file a complaint with the imperial court, accusing Headmaster Seiden of abusing his power.”

As Professor Peyron adamantly refused to back down, Jaina could no longer hold back.

As if something within her mind had snapped, Jaina found herself raising her voice unwittingly.

“Then what are your thoughts on a professor insulting a student’s parent during class time? Wouldn’t that be an abuse of power?”

“Now that things aren’t going your way, you’re pinning fabricated crimes on me? Very well. If I had truly committed such a despicable act, I would resign immediately, but even if I were reborn, I have never stooped to such levels!”

“No, you have.”

Jaina took a step closer to Professor Peyron and stated words she never expected to utter from her own lips.

“For I am the daughter of Diamid Bellafanian.”

Upon hearing those words, Professor Peyron seemed to freeze in shock. Then, Jaina continued in a hushed voice.

“I, too, am a family member of someone who risked their life in the expedition, just like you, Professor. Yet you spoke as if you alone were the victim. You belittled my father’s sacrifice as if it were insignificant. And you did so before many students in the classroom. How could I not step forward?”

Jaina’s blue eyes fixed Peyron with an unwavering gaze.

After silently regarding her draconic features inherited from Diamid, Peyron uttered in a trembling voice.

“D-daughter, you say? I’ve never heard such a claim… Are you perhaps lying about having black hair and blue eyes…?”

“No, Jaina is indeed Diamid’s true daughter. I can stake my name on that.”

As Professor Peyron remained unconvinced, Seiden interjected, cutting him off.

“Professor Peyron. Do you realize what you have done? Consumed by delusions of victimhood, you have slandered and insulted Diamid, who made immense sacrifices to seal the Demon King, before his very daughter. If someone had disparaged your father in such a manner, would you have remained silent?”

Only then did Professor Peyron seem to grasp why Seiden had treated Jaina with particular regard from the outset.

Belatedly realizing his blunder, Peyron gazed at Jaina with a pleading expression, asking:

“So, will you tell your father about this, student? Hmm?”

“If you resign, Professor, there will be no need. But if you remain at the academy, I will have no choice but to inform the Tower Lord.”

“No, I won’t give such lectures again. So let’s consider this a mistake and overlook it, just this once…”

“Then will you be able to declare to all academy students that the content of your lectures was false? If you do so, I shall treat it as if it never happened.”

Startled by Jaina’s words, Peyron vigorously shook his head.

“That… that would be tantamount to telling me never to teach in the Empire again. I, I cannot do that. Please…”

Though Professor Peyron pleaded abjectly, Jaina remained unmoved.

“It seems you feel no remorse whatsoever, Professor.”

“That’s not true, I truly am remorseful. I, I can even kneel before you.”

As Peyron knelt before her, Jaina looked down upon him with a cold gaze and spoke.

“Professor, if I hadN’t attended your class, you would have continued lecturing the same content, and students would have believed your words as truth. Even so, what part of you should I trust?”

“I’m sorry… Truly sorry… I resented that man who killed my father so much. If he had been slightly less capable, my father might have lived…”

Though Peyron fervently defended himself, Jaina regarded him with an unwavering expression.

“Have you never considered that it might be jealousy?”

“What?”

“The pain you feel is not from losing your family, Professor. You simply needed someone to justify your envy.”

“…”

“And Professor, it’s not for you to grant forgiveness, but for me. Don’t think that a few words of remorse will suffice.”

Jaina’s resentful gaze bore into Peyron. Unbeknownst to her, the draconic aura was unconsciously emanating from within.

Overwhelmed by Jaina’s aura, Professor Peyron rose and began backing away before fleeing as he shouted:

“Headmaster, I hereby resign from the academy as of today. Student Jaina, I am truly sorry. I have committed a grave wrong!”

Bang!

As the office door slammed shut, Jaina finally regained her senses, her body trembling in bewilderment.

‘Did I just declare myself the Tower Lord’s daughter?’

Turning to her side, she saw Headmaster Seiden smiling warmly at her.