Chapter 232: My Students

"So… Teacher Viel, how long have you been in town?"

"I suppose we've been here for about 7 months now?"

"Eh!? But why haven't we even seen you before you became our teacher! Even if the town is big, I am sure we would have met you in the streets!"

Viel, Sofia, and Viel's students were currently seated at a table. The restaurants were filled with people, with some tables even placed outside. Since it was the only restaurant that remained operational, it would seem that it was always filled with travelers and local diners.

Most restaurants have closed due to the shortage of supplies coming in the town, and so most opted to close their business down temporarily. It didn't help that their husbands were also sent to the border to defend the border.

"Uhm… here you go, please enjoy the food."

As the group was chatting, a familiar-looking girl placed the dishes that they ordered swiftly on the table.

"Eh, Lillia!? What are you doing here!?"

The girl was in a hurry to leave as soon as she had placed everything on the table, but alas, before she could even turn around, Andrew pointed at her, his voice even garnering the attention of the rest of the diners.

The girl was Lillia, one of Viel's students that were present on the first day, but like Edward, did not attend the next class.

"H… hello. My… family owns this restaurant." Lillia slightly bowed her head, looking to the side, her meek voice drowned by the whispers that lingered in the air of the restaurant.

"Is this why you haven't attended teacher Viel's class?"

"Hm…"

"But our new teacher is great! He is treating us to dinner right now! And look, we're all already at the Pinnacle of the Earthen Core realm and it has only been a week!"

"Eh!? Really!?" Lillia blinked numerous times as she stared at her classmates. And her eyes widened in surprise as soon as she detected their cultivation levels. Since their levels weren't that far apart, she could still somewhat discern their abilities, and she could not help but be in awe to know that they really have all breakthrough to the Pinnacle stage.

"I--"

"Lillia! Hurry up! There are still a lot of customers to serve!"

"I… I have to go!"

Lillia wanted to talk with her classmates more, but before she could do so, she was called to serve the customers. Hearing all of these, Viel could not help but let out a hum. He thought that like Edward, Lillia also left the class voluntarily.

But it would seem that was not the case. If so, then Viel would be happy to accept her if ever she gains the time and decides to come back to his class.

"So, uhm… Teacher Sofia?"

"Hm?"

As Viel was lost in his own thoughts, his students started speaking to Sofia. Unlike how they talk to Viel, their tones seemed to be more respectful as they addressed her. No, perhaps fearful would be the better word.

"You are teaching Magic Arts? We will also be studying magic arts next year. Hopefully, you will be our teacher then!" Andrew said in a cheerful tone as he started eating the food in front of him.

"My brother and I hope so too, it seems the rumors weren't true and you're actually a gentle person!" Gary and Barry nodded in unison as they looked at Sofia.

"...Rumors?" Viel could not help but pause in his thoughts as he heard Gary's words.

"Yes. It is said that teacher Sofia might be a demon herself! Most of the students say that they could hear cries whenever they passed by her class, and what made it worse was that her students were already adults!"

"I… I see."

Knowing Sofia, those rumors had a high chance of being true. For all he knows, her students might still be in class, shouting and begging for someone to let them out.

Sofia, on the other hand, remained quiet. She just continued to drink her soup, her spectacles fogging up and not allowing the students to see her expression.

"So, next year. We hope that you will be--"

"Pft. Can you hear these brats? All this talk of next year is bullsh*t!"

Before Andrew could finish his words, the sound of cutlery dangling on the table jingled in the air. The man on the table next to them slammed his glass of beer on the table, his words clearly directed towards the children.

"The undead are already at our borders and this town is still playing school? It's a complete waste of time. If your teachers are really that great, then they should be defending our borders!"

As one of the men finished talking, another one instantly followed. "I swear, if the mayor of this town had any brains, he would shut down that school and stop wasting his resources. If you have the energy to teach these children, you should be at the borders!"

"Then why aren't you at the borders, mister? The undead might finally die from hearing your incessant nagging!"

As soon as the men were done talking, Tina suddenly stood up, her eyes as fiery as his red hair.

"What's that, you brat!?"

A creaking noise rang in the air the men on the other table stood up, pushing their table slightly to the side.

"Please excuse my students, they are still young."

But before anything could happen, Viel quickly pulled Tina down back to her seat.

"But teacher, they are insulting--"

"It is better to ignore people like that." Viel immediately shook his head, "You must be calm if you wish to walk the path of cultivation. One can not enter the path of the dao with a heavy heart."

"Y… yes, teacher!"

With Viel's sudden lecture, his students quickly bowed their heads and offered a salute. Their eyes glimmering with awe and passion from their teacher's words.

Sofia, on the other hand, could not help but let out a slight chuckle. If there was one thing that did not change, it was Viel's habit of suddenly giving a speech out of nowhere.

"Kya!"

"What is this shit food!? It's the only restaurant open in this shitty town and it's not even decent!"

The peace of the restaurant was once again disrupted as the sound of plates breaking echoed throughout the air, drowning and stopping all the whispers and conversations of the diners. But even as their conversations were disrupted, they did not really bother with the noise.

Everyone has been agitated lately since the undead has appeared on their borders. It was common to see people screaming and taking it out at each other during these troubled times.

"S… sorry!"

Viel's table, however, had a different opinion about it. The one that was creating a ruckus was the table that they had a little altercation with earlier, and the one that served their food was one of their own, Lillia.

Lillia apologized for a couple of times as she picked up the broken fragments of the plate from the floor.

"Tch. Let's go, we wasted our time coming to eat here!"

"S.. sir, your payment?"

"What!? You serve us shitty food and you want us to pay up!?"

The men's loud voices started to fill the entire restaurant.

"We've traveled far, girl. Don't think you can swindle us with our money!"

"!!!"

One of the men then pushed Lillia down, her hands were cut by the sharp edges of the broken plates on the floor. Although Lillia was a cultivator, it would seem that the men on the table were experts as well.

"Tch. That's what you get!"

"We're leavi--"

Before the man that pushed Lillia down could turn around, he felt an uncomfortable pressure climbing up his spine. And the next thing he knew was that he could no longer see anything.

Everything turned dark. The hustle and bustle that filled the restaurant also died down, and the only thing that entered his ears were the sounds of metal squeaking. The man quickly looked in the direction of the clanging, only to see the golden-haired teacher that they were talking to earlier. His eyes that were previously unseen were now open, and even though he was not looking at him directly, it was as if his jet-black eyes were ready to swallow him at any given moment.

It did not help that everything else was dark, and the crippled teacher was the only one he could see and hear… and he was approaching him.

"W… what do you want!?" The man put up his guard. The crippled teacher, however, did not give him heed.

"Are you alright, Miss Lillia?"

The man could feel his breaths again as the pressure that was weighing down on him instantly disappeared. It would seem that the crippled was not approaching him, but the girl he pushed on the ground.

The man's vision also started to return back to normal as Viel gently helped Lillia up.

"Miss Lillia, do you have any plans on returning to my class if you had the time?" Viel said, his tone calm and filled with warmth.

"Uhmm… y… yes?" Lillia could not help but stutter. Not only because of the sudden question, but because of the slight itchy feeling on her hand. She also almost lost a breath as soon as she saw her wounds wriggling and slowly closing down, and soon, not even a scar to be seen.

"I see. Then that means you're still my student…

...And no one touches my students."