TRPM 100

chapter 100

Although I realized that Mr. Alex seemed clumsy despite being employed with another purpose in mind, it wasn’t really important.

He might act clumsily and raise suspicions, but that was something he would have been prepared for the moment he decided to work at this school.

…Though, considering how obsessed he was with dragons, it was possible he had rushed headlong into taking the job the moment the idea came to him.

“…Eh, surely not?”

To become a native language teacher, one would need a certain level of education and the relevant qualifications. That meant he was reasonably intelligent.

So, while it was possible he thought of the idea, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to charge recklessly…

“…But the possibility can’t be denied.”

It didn’t mean Alex was unintelligent, but considering his obsession with dragons, he might have acted foolishly regarding anything dragon-related. More importantly, by becoming a native teacher, Alex would have signed a contract involving magic under terms unfavorable to himself…

“He must have been blinded by his obsession with dragons, so he accepted a contract full of disadvantageous clauses.”

The more I thought about it, the more certain I became that Alex had done something foolish in his pursuit of controlling dragons.

“Right… Just because someone becomes famous in the future doesn’t mean they’re wise.”

Being a well-known figure before the time of my regression didn’t guarantee intelligence or wisdom. It was a new realization for me. Not that Alex was unintelligent, of course.

“So, does that mean Mr. Alex isn’t suspicious?”

“Probably, right? Now that I think about it, anyone who doesn’t know about Ha-eun and Sarang’s relationship would likely find them odd, just like Mr. Alex did.”

“I feel sorry for doubting you….”

In any case, the children who heard my explanation erased their suspicions about Mr. Alex. Being inherently good kids, they seemed more guilty about having doubted him.

“I should go apologize.”

“And also explain that Sarang is a familiar. Uh… what’s familiar in English? Servant?”

“No, that means a servant. A familiar is a Familiar. How can you mix that up?”

I smiled as I watched the children prepare to apologize and explain to Mr. Alex. I decided to correct a few things.

“Even though Mr. Alex would understand if you said ‘Familiar,’ it’s better to say ‘Creature’ so he gets it more clearly.”

In English-speaking countries, familiars are often called creatures, and the person who controls them is called a Conjurer or Summoner. So instead of ‘familiar,’ you would call them a summon and summoner. A familiar is essentially an entity summoned through a magic circle.

After I slightly corrected the English they intended to use, the kids nodded in understanding and went off to find Mr. Alex.

“(Teacher, we’re sorry!)”
“(We apologize!)”
“(Huh?)”

Alex was slightly startled when Ha-eun and the kids returned, apologizing. He had never expected them to come to apologize so suddenly.

‘(I wouldn’t even be able to say anything if they had reported me to the police…)’

Alex knew his gaze toward Sarang had been odd, and that the kids had noticed. More than that, he had been nervous from the moment he met the Aura Master Han Geon-woo on his first day, wondering when he might be summoned to court.

‘(But now they’re apologizing…?)’

Alex was a little embarrassed but also relieved that the children hadn’t reported him to the authorities, so he asked:

“(What are you apologizing for?)”

“(We suspected you. That you might capture Sarang to eat or sell him.)”
“(We’re sorry.)”

Hearing that, Alex thought:

‘(Do they eat dogs in Korea?)’

He didn’t find it particularly strange. Even in the U.S., he sometimes saw people eating dog meat in rural areas. He had never wanted to try it himself, though.

Anyway, the kids initially thought Alex was that kind of person but later realized he wasn’t.

“(I’m fine. I’m glad the misunderstanding’s cleared up.)”

Seeing Alex not get angry, the children smiled brightly. Feeling forgiven, they clung to him and started chatting animatedly.

“(Mr. Alex, you were probably puzzled because there’s a dog at school, right?)”
“(You didn’t notice at first, but all the other teachers know. Ha-eun’s familiar… no, it’s her summon.)”
“(Did you know? Even though Sarang looks like a puppy, he’s actually a wolf.)”

The kids even explained things about Sarang to Alex. They didn’t share anything unknown to the public, but they told everything that was already known. In reality, that was all the kids knew about Sarang—they didn’t know he was Fenrir.

“(I see, got it.)”

Listening quietly, Alex realized the same.

“(Teacher, do you like wolves?)”
“(Not as much as dragons, but yes, I do.)”
“(Then shall we show you? Sarang!)”

And naturally, Alex got the chance to see Sarang’s true Fenrir form.

‘(…Trying to observe secretly was probably a mistake.)’

If he had just stated his intention from the start and said he wanted to see Sarang directly, it wouldn’t have taken so long to witness Fenrir’s form. Alex reflected on this. The outcome was good anyway, so it didn’t matter.

“(Look!)”

With Ha-eun’s words, Sarang, who had been in puppy form, grew in size.

Awooo…!
“Ah, Sarang! There are too many people here, don’t howl…!”
…Kiiiiing…

Sarang, now larger, seemed pleased to show his true form and howled, though he quieted down at Ha-eun’s words. Alex’s eyes moved quickly as he observed him.

‘(…Seeing it in person is definitely different from photos.)’

Most people wouldn’t notice, but as a mage, Alex could feel Sarang’s aura.

‘(There’s also a bit of rune power mixed in. Definitely Fenrir.)’

Moreover, Alex realized that some manipulation had occurred during Sarang’s summoning.

‘(That’s why he usually appears as a puppy; the summoning deliberately restrained some of his power.)’

Alex judged this as a precaution, thinking Ha-eun wouldn’t have been able to maintain Sarang’s form with her limited magic when she first summoned him. Now that she was a Grand Mage, it wasn’t an issue, but back then, her power wasn’t that great.

In other words, someone had intervened in the summoning contract between Ha-eun and Sarang. This also meant that the entity who intervened was more knowledgeable about summoning contracts than Alex himself.

‘(Yeon Mirae… she’s not a mage but an Aura user, so probably not her. Could it be the Artist? No, even they aren’t an Aura user, but a psychic….)’

Either way, Alex couldn’t meet them easily now.

‘(Hmm?)’

As he watched Sarang, Alex sensed something off. There were traces other than the intentional restraint of Sarang’s power.

‘(…This isn’t magical energy.)’

The power forming Sarang wasn’t magic. While different people’s mana had different properties, careful observation allowed him to discern whether it was mana or not.

‘(…Aura?)’

This was strange. Ha-eun was a mage. Sarang, receiving power from her, should have been composed of magic—or at least natural energy like a spirit. Drawing on natural energy to compensate for Ha-eun’s insufficient mana would have been theoretically possible, so that would have made sense.

The fact that Ha-eun could contract with Sarang was probably thanks to the Artist or their ally.

‘(If such a transcendent being intervened, what wouldn’t be possible?)’

But suddenly, Aura? That was completely unexpected. Why Aura? Did it mean the entity intervening in Sarang’s contract was an Aura user? Not just Aura—there was something else mixed in.

‘(It’s similar to Aura, but another kind of energy is blended in.)’

It was extremely similar to Aura, but with real Aura nearby, Alex could tell it wasn’t Aura. So Sarang was composed of Aura and another energy remarkably similar to it.

‘(…Then does that mean Sarang isn’t really Ha-eun’s familiar…?)’

Thinking that, Alex felt confused. He thought seeing Fenrir directly might give him clues to summon a dragon, but it only increased his doubts.

“(…Teacher?)”
“(Yes, Sarang, right? Quite majestic.)”
“(Right?)”

Alex said this to the kids who were looking at him curiously. Ha-eun shrugged as if she had been praised herself. But Alex couldn’t look directly at her.

‘(Judging by how Sarang follows Ha-eun, it seems she’s his owner superficially…)’

Could it be that Ha-eun was being used by Sarang’s real owner? Alex hadn’t known her long, but he was concerned. As an adult and teacher, he felt responsible for protecting her.

‘(I need to find out who tried to use this child. Even if it’s just a false alarm, it could be useful. By contacting them, I might learn how they made Fenrir into a familiar.)’

Whether he could protect Ha-eun from their schemes was uncertain, but he had to try. Resolving this, Alex asked Ha-eun:

“(Ha-eun, can you tell me what happened when you first met Sarang? Or if that’s difficult, who was beside you?)”
“(Huh? Yes….)”

Ha-eun found the question strange but didn’t doubt him. Then…

‘Geon-woo definitely told me not to tell anyone he was the Artist or that he taught me magic, and not to tell anyone about my Aura. But he never told me not to talk about Sarang, right?’

Thinking that, Ha-eun spoke honestly:

“(Geon-woo… and the boy in my class, and Mirae unnie… the one who taught me magic, were beside me.)”
“(Han Geon-woo, Yeon Mirae.)”

Alex repeated the two names in his mind. One was still a child, so if he were to suspect anyone, it should be Yeon Mirae first. Considering one of the energies forming Sarang was Aura, Aura Master Yeon Mirae was a strong suspect.