The Exchange Teacher - Welcome to Dyntril Academy

"You wished to see me, Master Gerenet?" Sophia stood with her hands clasped in front of her, and a slight bow.

Basque sat in his audience room on the sofa. He put down Kamryn's reflection paper about the mage incident and sat up straighter. "Can you tell me what's going on with Banca?"

"She's facing repercussions for what she did to Miss Reianna."

Basque tilted his head and glared at Sophia. "Karma is a pretty concept, but it doesn't explain why I found her former friends and classmates stomping on her in the Grand Entrance Hall."

"But it does."

"I need more than that…"

"This will probably sound stupid to you, because it sounds stupid to me, but the change is from her family claiming that Miss Reianna is a mage. Natt would be able to explain it better, as she lived in that world. I just—"

"What would I be able to explain?" Natt asked, walking into the room wearing a nightgown, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

Sophia looked from Basque to Natt. "That…" Sophia's mouth fell open, and tears rolled down her cheek. "Natt?"

"The Hianbruns fixed it for me," she said and rubbed a hand down her healed eye.

Losing all the decorum that she usually maintained, Sophia ran over to Natt and took Natt's face in her hands. Turning Natt's head, Sophia stared at the left side of her face. "Can I touch it?"

"Sure."

Sophia took her hand off the side of Natt's head and ran it down where the scars had once been. "You're so beautiful, again."

Natt blushed.

"Does it work? Can you see out of it?"

"Yes. It's like I never lost it."

"What amazing technology." Sophia backed away from Natt. "I am sorry for my impertinence."

"We're still friends, Sophia. We always will be."

Sophia shook her head. "I was your maid. I abandoned you when you fell. I have no right to claim you as a friend."

Natt put her hand on Sophia's shoulder. "That's fine, because I'm just going to keep claiming you as mine." After squeezing Sophia's shoulder, Natt left her and joined Basque on the couch.

"Honestly, Soph, I'm surprised you hadn't heard yet."

"No, I hadn't. I was only informed that you returned." Sophia's voice was dark. Basque didn't want to be whoever she was angry with.

"Anyway, what am I explaining?"

"When I was coming back from the upperclassmen's dorm, I found Banca being stomped on by other students from Class A."

Natt went stiff. "Is she…"

"I took her to Tyze. She'll be okay."

The tension left Natt, and she leaned against Basque, putting her head on his shoulder and hand on his chest. "Well, you know how Kruamian rank is determined by kills?"

"Yes."

"Mages are excluded from earning rank since mage is its own specific rank. Throughout our history, political opponents would often claim a rival was a mage, allowing them to hop them in the rankings. There are only fifty marches, five dukes, and three arches.

"If someone just on the outside of the limited rankings were to claim and show that someone in the limited spots was actually a mage, that would open up a spot for them. It became so common of a ploy and tactic that massive penalties were put in place to discourage people from making the claim."

Natt dropped her hands down into her lap. "It's a mercy that Sanya had to transfer schools. Jorellen is too proud to move Banca."

"What sort of penalties?"

"Economic, medical, and probably the most severe are the social ones. Their hunting group is dissolved. Jorellen's former group all have children in Class A this year."

"So the child gets punished for her father's claims?"

"Banca supported her father in his claims. The other teachers will turn a blind eye to it, too. As long as Banca is in this school, she will be treated worse than a commoner."

Basque gritted his teeth. "I can't tell which society is more humane, Kruami or a Yani."

Natt gave a sharp laugh. "Yani are monsters that have no society."

"Exactly."

She slapped his thigh. "Kruami isn't all bad."

Basque didn't say anything.

"It is as Natt said. Miss Banca is receiving similar treatment to what she gave Miss Reianna."

"Only Reianna had a class of friends. Is Banca's lack of medical care also due to this…whatever with the mage claims?"

Natt tilted her head up so that her eyes could see Basque's. "You're not seriously feeling sorry for that little Yani that tortured Reianna for a month, are you?"

"How can you not?"

Natt sat up and slid away from Basque. "She's a Julvie junior in the making!"

"She's a child, Natt."

"How do you think Reianna would feel about this?"

"Reianna gave Banca ostemorphina to heal her legs at the trial."

It was Natt's turn to fall silent.

Sophia cleared her throat. "As exciting as it is to watch you two quarrel, is there anything you need from me, Master Basque?"

"Yes. Banca is in Tyze's office. I asked him to keep her for the night. Could you please get her a fresh uniform?"

"Understood."

"How long has this treatment of Banca been going on?"

"Since she lost the trial."

Conflict gnawed at Basque's gut. The trial had been months ago. Sophia called it karma, but it had already progressed beyond excessive. And if the two women were right, it wouldn't stop. But Banca wasn't his student.

"Is that all, Master Basque?"

He nodded. It wasn't, but it was all he could do. "Yes. Thank you."

Sophia bowed and left.

Crawling back to Basque, Natt pushed him so that he fell against the armrest. As he repositioned himself, Natt lifted herself up so that he could slide beneath her, then she sat on him.

"You're too magnanimous," she told him.

"She's a child. She will learn from this."

Natt pressed down on his chest with her hands. Her long, lily white hair dangled in his face. "Would you give Julvie a second chance?"

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"I gave you one."

She slapped his chest, then lay down on it. "Are you sure I wasn't the one who gave you a second chance?"

Basque chuckled. "We both did." He kissed the top of her head. "And I'm glad for it."

The following morning, Basque went out to Tyze's office. Banca was still sleeping on the medical bed when he got there, but she was wearing one of the school-issued pajama sets, not her uniform.

"How is she?" Basque asked the bald nurse.

"Physically? Fine."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She doesn't have the fortitude that Miss Reianna has. Miss Banca is stronger than all of the other first-years on an individual level, and they know that. So, they're going after her in groups."

Tyze rubbed a hand over his hairless head. "I spoke to Hendrix. He's been treating the other kids quite a bit. Broken arms and legs here and there. She's probably giving as good as she gets. It's only a matter of time until someone dies."

Basque nodded. He looked over at the girl again. The air about her had changed. "Good morning, Miss Banca."

Her lilac eyes opened. "Gerenet-Shr. Why am I here?"

"You needed medical help."

She didn't say anything.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

Again, more silence.

"Do you need anything?"

"You say that like I should trust you."

"Why couldn't you trust me?"

She laughed. "I guess Reianna isn't that special to you."

Basque walked over and sat on the stool next to her bed. "No, Reianna is special, but I don't see what that has to do with you trusting me."

"You hate me."

Basque nodded. "I won't pretend that I like you."

"So, why should I trust someone who hates me?"

Picking up the uniform that was on the counter behind the bed, Basque put it in his lap. "Because I'm a teacher before anything else. Are you able to sleep in your room?"

Banca shook her head.

Basque put the uniform on top of her. "You can come here anytime. To sleep. To get help. Whatever you need."

She took the uniform into her hands. "I hate the school colors. I miss my lilac ones."

Putting his hands on his knees, Basque stood. She didn't look at him; she just stared at the uniform. He'd said what he needed and turned to leave. He was halfway to the door when her voice stopped him.

"Thank you, Gerenet-Shr."

After a pause, he nodded without turning around and left the office. If he looked at her again, he knew he would ask her if she regretted her actions, and he was too scared to hear her response.

Like he'd told Daymein, he didn't have time to teach all of the students at the school, and it wasn't his country. Banca was living in her society, and considering the way that society treated the others he'd seen, that single thanks before he left was probably the most he'd get out of the girl, despite all his bluster with Natt the night before.

Leaving Tyze's office, he stopped at the windows that looked out into the training grounds. Kyre stood in Basque's spot, and the other students followed him in the exercise routine. Being banned from the underclass training grounds gave Basque more time in the morning, but he also missed the more casual interactions with his students. Those mornings had felt more like they were working together as a team rather than Basque just teaching them.

I miss my lilac ones.

Banca's words came back to him. They didn't feel like a spoiled girl wanting her luxuries back, as much as they felt like a wounded soul wishing for happier times. Nostalgia for something that had been fleeting, but better than now.

His students were better off now than when it was just him and them. Nobles had joined them, training together, laughing together—people they'd spend their lives with. He might as well have felt nostalgic about locking his students away from the world for their protection.

"Useless emotion."

Basque turned away from the window. Times might have been more fun for him, but they for sure weren't better. Nostalgia would only hold his class back. Things weren't good for Banca. She had more uses for the emotion, but only if it didn't stop her from pushing forward. Back didn't exist for her.

When he got back to his room, Natt was eating breakfast in the audience room. She smiled at him and pointed at the plate of eggs with her fork. "Why does your food taste like cafeteria food?"

"Reaggie used to be the head chef."

"Who?"

"Long story."

"Can we get a new one?"

Basque shook his head. "It would compromise Sophia. We tried to send him back, but the Master Chef refused."

"Of course, Patthew would. He probably did a little dance when you took this guy off his hands."

"That's a bit harsh."

"What did you have for dinner last night?"

Basque stared at her.

"Still think I'm harsh?"

"It'll come back to me…"

"Are any Hianbruns who can cook staying around?"

Basque raised his hand.

Natt raised an eyebrow in response. "You can cook?"

"It's a relaxing hobby."

"Well, now that you can't train your students outside of class, how about you take that free time and teach Reaggie how to cook?"

Basque sat down next to her. "I'd rather spend that time with you."

"And I'd rather move back to my room and eat the teacher's meals."

"Okay! Fine! I'll teach him."

"Thank you!" Natt kissed him on the cheek.

Reaggie came in with Basque's meal, and they took the time to inform him that Basque would teach him how to cook some Hianb dishes because Basque was "homesick for them."

The man was beside himself with excitement, and it took several minutes to convince him that Basque couldn't start teaching him that very day.

Before long, it was time for them to go to the morning meeting. Basque squeezed Natt's hand. "You ready?"

"More than ever. I can't wait to properly stare down those Yani."

The quiet buzz in the teachers' room of conversations here and there died out as they caught sight of Natt. Several times, Basque heard them whisper, "Her eye," to each other.

Harnel just stared at her like he'd never seen her before. For her part, Natt just got out a piece of paper and started to draw. Basque watched her draw the students from Class E from memory.

She was still drawing when Julvie came in. "What the Yani…? Miss Cormick, your eye!"

Natt looked up at her. "What about it?"

"What do you mean 'what about it'? It's there!"

Natt put on a shocked expression and pawed at her eye. "Oh, Yani! Basque, did you notice?!"

"Now that you mention it, it is back! Huh. Funny that."

"Cut the Yani shit! How did…what's…?"

Turning her attention from Julvie to Basque, Natt said, "Such poignant questions."

"Indeed. Quite sharp."

Julvie slumped down into her chair. She looked at Basque. "Did you…?" Julvie chewed on her thumbnail.

Basque smiled at Natt. "Again, I'm at a loss as to how to answer such a finely tuned question."

"Good morning, teachers!" Krill said, and the room stood.

"Good morning, head masters."

When Yasher and Krill sat, so did the rest of the room. Krill looked at Natt and Basque, then turned his gaze to the others. "I'm sure by now you all have seen Miss Cormick's stroke of luck. This was a demonstration from our illustrious guests. Their medical abilities outstrip ours, and they used Miss Cormick to show off their skill."

All the eyes in the class turned to the two lovers.

"Hianbru has the ability to regenerate missing body parts."

The room broke out into murmurs and pointing.

"Silence! Before the surgery, the arches convened to debate about Miss Cormick's future. She is a fallen. A fallen may not try to regain their position."

More murmurs ran through the teachers.

Basque and Natt already knew that. Eder had informed them prior to the procedure. It had never mattered to Basque, and Natt had already given up on becoming an archduchess and reforming the country from the inside, the only reason she had wanted the power in the first place.

After the meeting, several of the lower-ranked male teachers came over to speak with Natt, making Basque roll his eyes. The only person to annoy him with a comment was Julvie's clone in the third-years, Kora. Plum to Julvie's pink, the mono-chrome dressed woman remarked, "One eye or two, she's still trash."

Thanks to the attention Natt was receiving, there was still a large number of teachers hanging around to overhear when Frankyl came over and asked Basque, "Are you a mage?"

The room fell silent again.

Basque laughed. "Me? A mage?" he shook his head. "No, not even in the slightest."

"How…how did you defeat both Mage Daymein and Mage Loushee yesterday?"

A creak came from Krill's desk, and Basque looked over to find the deputy headmaster leaning over his desk as if to better hear Basque's response.

"All mages have weaknesses."

Sitting in her chair, Natt repeated Basque's boast, "Gerenet-Shr single-handedly defeated three mage Yani."

Several of the male teachers gathered around Natt took a step back.

"And you claim not to be a mage?" Julvie snorted.

"I am not."

Caerson, the fourth-year's Class B teacher, asked, "But what about your tattoo? Is that not something a mage would have?"

Basque frowned. "It's not my power. An inker gave it to me, like they do all Hianb citizens."

"Is an inker a mage?" someone else asked.

"People!" Krill yelled out. "Classes are waiting. You can socialize when work is done."

Grateful for Krill's interruption, Basque stood. "I best be getting to class. Natt, shall we?"

Natt stood as well. "Thank you all for the kind words." She walked over and put her arm in Basque's. "Let's go," she said.

"Must be nice," Julvie called out.

Natt stopped, but Basque pulled her with him. "Don't."

"Yeah," Kora called out. "Fuck the outwaller, get whatever you want."

Basque pulled Natt out of the room. "You've not risen to their provocations so far, don't start now."

"But you were never part of it before."

Warmth spread through Basque. "Thank you, but I don't care what they say about me."

"It is nice, though."

"What is?"

"Fucking the outwaller."

Basque laughed. He didn't know what he would do if he ever had to leave this woman.