The Exchange Teacher - Welcome to Dyntril Academy

Along with the rest of the stunned spectators, Basque stared at the stage as nurses rushed to give aid to Banca. His heart raced—she'd gone too far.

"A commoner took down a duke's daughter?" someone behind Basque muttered. They were one of the few people to speak. The announcer hadn't even come on to announce Reianna's victory.

"Yasher! Krill!" A voice rang out through the colosseum. From a seat in the lower bowl, a man with lilac hair pushed his way down and then jumped over the edge. He rushed to the nurses as they carted the girl with identical hair out of the arena.

"Cayelyn."

"Yes, Gerenet-Shr?"

"Get everyone back to the dorms now."

"Yes, Gerenet-Shr. Pods! Form up!"

Not bothering to watch their preparation and departure, Basque bolted down the stairs. He had to protect Reianna. The first girl whom Reianna had injured, Krill said her mother would go after Reianna's parents. She was only an earl-ess. The man who'd just jumped the railings was a duke.

The buzz of conversation in the colosseum picked up. At last, the announcer came on to proclaim Reianna's victory. By that time, Basque was out in the corridor and running to the infirmary. Krill would already be there. An angry father would be in there. Until Basque got there, someone to protect Reianna wouldn't be.

Once again, Leeroye was in front of the entrance. He stood to block Basque off, but Basque plowed through him. The smells of disinfectants and powdered gloves assaulted Basque's nose as he entered.

"...had my daughter go up against a Yani-damned mage!" The lilac man's face was flushed pink, and he waved his hands in the direction where nurses tended to Banca.

Standing in front of the man, Krill held his hands clasped together. "Duke Jorellan, I am very sorry. As you know, the elevator's teacher this year is one of the outwallers."

The duke slammed his fist into the supply table. The bang resonated in the room, silencing everyone in it.

"I don't want your excuses, Earl Krill. I want to know how you're going to deal with that Yani-spawn that did this to my daughter!"

The aubergine-haired Nurse Hendrix interrupted them. "I'm sorry, but Duke Jorellan, the ostemorphina is ready."

Jorellan rubbed his hands down his face, then looked up at the ceiling. "Give her a half dose. Banca needs to feel her defeat longer."

The nurse bowed. "Yes, my lord."

The thought of doing that to any child, let alone his own, was just too alien to Basque. How many times had he heard Krill get upset that more students weren't being injured? That they were being "coddled." As if someone getting hurt or killed meant they were performing better. That would never make sense to Basque.

Turning his gaze back to Krill, Jorellan said, "Now, where the Yani is Duke Yasher, Earl Krill?"

The door that led out to the arena opened, and the silver-haired head master entered as if he were waiting for Jorellan to ask. "I am here, esteemed Duke Jorellan." The older headmaster nodded his head to the other duke.

"Why is there a mage running around in the elevator class?" Jorellan folded his arms over his chest.

Before Yasher could answer, Basque stepped forward. "She's not a mage." The lie was the only thing he could think of to say.

All three looked at him.

Jorellan scowled at Basque. "Who are you, outwaller?"

"I'm Class E's teacher," Basque answered and nodded his head like Yasher had.

Pushing Krill out of his way, Jorellan walked over to Basque. Tall for a Kruamian, Banca's father was the same height as Basque, and his lilac eyes stared into Basque's eyes. He wasn't a tree trunk like Harnel, but his clothes failed to hide his built physique.

Judging by the man's movements, Basque didn't think he would lose to the man in a spar, but he didn't think the victory would be as easy as it was against the other Kruamians he'd fought.

After giving Basque a once-over, Jorellan asked, "Why didn't you report that there was a mage in your class?"

"I just told you, she's not a mage."

"Ha! You're telling me a commoner could beat my child?"

Glancing over to where the duke's daughter lay, Basque's mind raced. She was unconscious. He could only think of one way to remove suspicion from Reianna. If all his students looked suspect, then none of them did. And if he unwittingly got the school on his side… "Deputy Headmaster Krill."

"What Basque?" Narrowing his eyes, Krill too folded his arms across his chest.

"What was our bet?"

The deputy headmaster's eyebrows rose. "That none of your kids would be hit more than once."

"What the Yani does that have to do with the mage?" Jorellan asked.

Without looking at the father, Basque asked Krill, "Who won our bet?"

Krill's look of confusion faded, and a grin slowly spread across his face. "You did, Master Basque."

Basque paused. Not only did Krill put the honorific back in his name, but that smile was eerie. Basque wondered if he'd stepped into something he would come to regret. "Has any other Class E fared so well?"

Krill's smile grew. "Never."

"So you could say they all had mage-like performances?"

With that unhinged smile still plastered on his face, Krill nodded several times.

The bastard of a man was definitely plotting something, but as long as it didn't affect his students, Basque didn't care. All he cared about was that, for whatever reason, Krill was helping him.

At last, Basque gave his attention back to Banca's father. "Duke Jorellan, would you say that all of my students are mages then? They all performed better than any other Class E, so by your logic, they must all be mages."

The duke's face flushed. "Duke Yasher. I'm going to call a board meeting with the arches. Bring this outwaller and the rat-mage." He turned to leave, but Krill stopped him.

"Are you sure you want to do that, Duke Jorellan?"

Looking over his shoulder, the lilac-haired duke frowned at Krill. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, what will the board think when they learn that the daughter you boasted about for years as 'the greatest non-mage hunter' lost to a mere commoner?"

"The girl is a mage." Jorellan stormed out of the infirmary.

The smile fell from Krill's face. Staring at the door Joellan just left through, Krill muttered, "You can't say I didn't give you a chance." Looking away from the exit and towards Basque, Krill took a step closer to the exchange teacher.

Leaning in, Krill whispered in Basque's ear, "That drunk told you about her little friend, didn't she? I swear to you, Basque, the experiments he underwent will look like mercy compared to the dissection we'll perform on your little rat if she is a mage."

Basque shoved Krill away. "Your breath stinks."

Baring his teeth with a smile, Krill said, "That's a promise, Basque."

After remaining quiet for most of the conversation, Yasher tilted his head and asked, "Do you think this game will get you Madam Julvie, Deputy Headmaster?"

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"I'm married, Headmaster." Krill's tone was acidic. Basque had always assumed Yasher and Krill were on good terms.

"Triple upgrade then?"

"Happily married, Headmaster."

"Aren't we all." Yasher spun on his heels and left the infirmary.

Krill faced Basque. "Why are you still here? You won our bet. Go…teach your class." He shooed Basque with his hand.

Keeping his face neutral, Basque left the infirmary. He didn't understand what Kruamian political maneuvering Krill was setting up, but it was making Krill into an ally. Basque wasn't in a position to be picky about who helped him.

Despite how long their conversation had been, the corridors were still crowded. With fewer matches, the intermission between each one was longer. People buzzed about Reianna's performance. More than once, Basque heard someone say mage.

They're going to test her. His lie would be found out. They'd force her to make her interface public, and they'd see her <Identify> option.

Reianna was the only mage he knew with that option, but even if it did nothing more than show Reianna the strengths of her opponents and the characteristics of objects, it was still an extra interface option, making her a mage.

Needling his way through the crowd, it took Basque several minutes to get to the waiting room. Its two guards, Viscountess Ulivia and Baronetess Alestra, stood outside, and they glowered at Basque as he approached.

"I'm here to get Miss Reianna."

"Of course you are," Ulivia said and crossed her arms. "We need to talk to you about the supplementary lessons."

Basque looked at them. "Supplementary lessons are over. Deputy Headmaster Krill admitted that I won our wager."

Alestra's mouth fell open. She closed it immediately. "But they've not had a single dance lesson with me! We wanted to tell you that you need to stop skipping them! You can't cancel them!"

Basque glared at her. After the intense conversation in the infirmary, this conversation seemed even more banal than it normally would. He didn't want to have this conversation now or ever, but they wanted it. He might as well get them out of the way physically and metaphorically. "How often will they be dancing with Yani?"

She waved her arms wide. "They live in this society more than they will hunt Yani! I admit it, Master Basque. I was wrong. Baronet Davith was right, you're not going to let a single student die."

Keeping his face straight, Basque didn't show the women his surprise about Davth's comment.

"But that only makes my lessons more important! Unless you're planning to take all of them back to Hianbru with you, they'll be pariahs here if they can't dance and socialize!"

"There are twenty-four of them."

"Pardon?"

"They'll have each other. That will be enough."

Viscountess Ulivia cleared her throat. "As nice as your little dream is, Basque, you'll cause them to fall. I know you think us callow, but we are trying to look out for the ones who survive—even if I'm still not in agreement with my colleagues about how many that will be."

Basque was done with the conversation. "They don't need it. Please call for Reianna."

Alestra sighed. "I hate fighting Yani. They scare me shitless, and it's so messy when they die."

The older woman looked at her co-guard. "Baronetess Alestra, that is why you are a Bow."

"Yes, Viscountess Ulivia, I am aware of that." She rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to make a point." Her gaze came back to Basque. She looked him in the eyes. "I'm required to kill ten Yani a year so that I don't fall. It's thanks to my socializing that I am able to get those ten. Half the marchons invite me to join them on hunts and help me get my ten.

"Will you deny that to your children? There will be ones like me."

"No, there won't. I'm training hunters, not dancers." He was confident that all of the students in his class would have the courage to face and hunt Yani, but still, the words were reaching him in another way.

While they were his students, she was right in that they were Kruamian. He couldn't bring them back to Hianbru with him. As much as he hated the culture and society of this country, it's where his students would have to live and interact with after they graduated.

It wasn't within his right to deny that to them. It wasn't just his mandate that prevented him, but it was also his conscience. He recalled how Harnel complained that there were students in his class who wanted the dance lessons.

How did he know that there weren't kids in his class who wouldn't enjoy dancing? He'd already locked them away from the rest of the school for a month. Would he lock them away from learning possible positive aspects of their culture?

"I'll think on it."

Ulivia nodded, then banged on the door. "Master Basque is here."

They stood in silence as they waited for Natt to bring Reianna to them. Basque was surprised to see Reianna cradled in Natt's arms. Vomit was smeared across the front of Reianna's uniform, and she breathed the heavy breath of someone sleeping.

"It's just from exhaustion. She'll be fine."

Basque nodded and, bending down, accepted the sleeping girl from Natt. As he took her, Reianna muttered, "No more Razzle, Banca."

His blood ran cold. He looked at Natt. "Miss Cormick, please come to my room after you're done here."

The color drained from her face. "Yes, Basque-Shr."

The two supplementary teachers glanced at each other. He didn't care what rumors they spread or started. After all, the entire school knew he and Natt had sex on the training grounds. What else could they say?

What bothered Basque was what Reianna muttered, her need to "teach empathy" to others, and Banca's name coming from her lips. His gut told him what was going on, but he wasn't going to jump to conclusions.

The roar of the crowd echoing through the empty corridors told Bassque that the fourth-year students were fighting. After three days of the tournament, the corridor stank of spilled alcohol, dropped food, and the regurgitation of drunks who didn't make it to the toilets in time. As he carried Reianna back to the dorms, the soles of his shoes popped as they stuck to the ground from the rushed cleanup.

He never wanted to set foot in this building again, but Krill had already promised there would be another tournament at the end of the school year. Two times a year. Five years. Ten tournaments. He had to suffer through nine more.

Despite wanting to get Reianna into a bed to rest, Basque didn't run back to the dorms. He didn't want the jostling to wake Reianna. He looked at her sleeping face. He couldn't remember the last time he saw her wear her glasses. Had they gotten in the way of her training? He shook his head. No, she'd worn them when they'd started learning on the core.

The crowd was singing another of their stupid chants, and it reverberated out of the colosseum and into the deserted fields between the arena and the school. Basque ground his teeth and tried to think through the noise. Reianna won, but what next?

Krill definitely wanted Reianna not to be a mage. Maybe Krill would be willing to help by somehow fudging the display. Maybe instead of having everyone look directly at Reianna's interface, they could project through something and project a different student's interface.

He shook his head. They were stupid, but not that stupid. A disguise? Could hair color be changed? Maybe they could find a stand-in? Again, he dismissed each option. Krill might help him, and with what Yasher said about Julive, maybe she and Krill were on the same side—no. Julvie would rather shoot herself in the foot with an arrow than do something that could help Basque.

Nothing that he could think of would work. He didn't know how long he had until the board or whatever got together and saw <Identify> on Reianna's interface. He looked at her face again. Was she worth starting an international incident over? Was he willing to force his country to start a war with this country over this girl?

He didn't even have to ask the question. He was not going to let anything happen to her. International politics be damned.

As he climbed the stairs to the third floor and their dorm hall, Basque debated about where to take her. He wanted to watch over her as she slept, as if she were anywhere but safely in his room, someone would come steal her away to do experiments on her.

But in the end, he decided her room was the best. She needed the rest. Fawna was there to take care of her. Basque had calls to make to see if any of the scientists in the delegation knew how to hide options in the interface. If people could figure out how to store Yani, they could figure out how to hide things.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he nodded to Yesenia, who was waiting for him. She didn't greet him. She just returned the nod. After opening the dorm hall's door for Basque, she vanished into the servants' entrance next to it.

Like the days before, the students were waiting for them to get back, but when they saw Reianna sleeping in Basque's arms, they fell silent and let him pass. They followed after him, and when they got to Room 307, Fawna opened the door for him.

Natya appeared, and she took the lead from Fawna as she opened the door to Reianna's room. "Master Gerenet, please put Reianna on her bed. I will see to washing and changing her."

Basque nodded and put the silver-haired girl down in her bed. Pulling his hand back, he refrained from stroking her hair. He didn't want to wake her.

When he went back into the audience room, Fawna waited for him with Dmi, Jan, and Maecy. Taraia stood in the doorway, blocking it for most of the other students.

"Is she…?" Fawna started. She looked down and covered her eyes with her right hand.

Taking a step forward, Dmi put her hand on Fawna's arm. "Is she okay?"

Focusing his gaze on Reianna's blonde roommate, Basque nodded. "She's fine. Just exhausted. She needs rest."

The tension in the room disappeared as if everyone in it took a sigh of relief. Fawna began crying in earnest. Dmi led her into her bedroom and closed the door.

"We're not out of danger yet. They think she's a mage."

"What?!" Cayelyn said as she shoved her way past Taraia to get into the room. "But she's not a mage!"

Basque looked at her.

Taraia stepped up and grabbed Cayelyn's arm.

Cayelyn shook her off. "Right, Gerenet-Shr?"

He kept his eyes on her. "I don't know how much time we have before they test her."

Cayelyn stomped her foot. "But it doesn't matter because she's not!"

"Cayelyn!" Taraia yelled. "She is! Gerenet-Shr would have denied it by now."

Turning to the lime-haired girl, Cayelyn said, "But she doesn't spit out fire like that third-year boy!"

Basque looked at the azure girl. "Not all mages are the same. Some have magic like that, others have…whatever Reianna's ability allows her to do."

"It doesn't matter!" Taraia squeezed her hands and eyes closed. "All that matters is what we're going to do to keep her out of those Yani-bastards' hands."

"Why?" Jan asked. "Why do we need to worry?"

"We need to worry," Basque answered. He wouldn't tell them why. He knew they were smart enough that just saying they needed to worry would help them fill in the missing pieces.

Now that Taraia was no longer blocking the door, the rest of the class came into the room. "What are we going to do, Gerenet-Shr?" Ryleegh asked.

"I'm not sure, but I won't let anything happen to her. I promise you all. For now, let's leave her here in peace. Please, go celebrate her victory. We have time."

He walked through the crowd of his students and went into his room. He closed the door and sighed. The only solution he saw was a war with Kruami.