Chapter 18: Chapter 18: We Want Dean Bruce!

It wasn't that Barnis George was overly self-assured; it was just that each class was typically structured with an attacking magic instructor, a defensive magic instructor, a support magic instructor, and a daily-life magic instructor.

Normally, the attacking magic instructor attracted the most attention, and since Barnis George was standing so close to Dean Bruce, he mistakenly thought the students' eager gazes toward Dean Bruce were directed at him.

This misunderstanding made Barnis George even more excited.

Even though the number of students per class was fixed and couldn't be exceeded, the more students that chose his class, the more he could selectively admit those with better talent. Teaching these promising students would increase his chances of earning rewards from the alliance.

Dean Bruce, on the other hand, wasn't particularly concerned about that. As long as enough students were assigned to his class, he was content. What really mattered to him was crafting a convincing spiel to continue his ruse!

Only use the old saying is not perfect.

Just as Dean Bruce was mentally preparing his next set of lines, something happened that took all the instructors, including André Maxwell, by complete surprise.

Every single new student—over a hundred in total—rushed to the platform where Dean Bruce stood, their faces filled with fervor, looking like zealous devotees.

Even though André Maxwell's reputation in Notting City commanded respect and kept the students from shouting recklessly, they all stared intently at Dean Bruce, their eyes brimming with hope.

"This... what's going on?"

"Does Barnis George really have that much pull?"

Murmurs of confusion spread among the instructors as well as André Maxwell, all of them shifting their focus to Barnis George, utterly puzzled by what was happening.

Furrowing his brow as he pieced together the situation, André Maxwell finally asked in a serious tone, "Are you all saying you want to join Class Two, under Barnis George and the other three instructors?"

"That's right!"

As soon as Barnis George's grin began to widen, expecting the students' choice to be in his favor, every single one of them suddenly shouted, "We want to learn from Dean Bruce!"

"..."

Barnis George's eyes widened in shock, his entire body freezing in place as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

The smile that had begun to form on his face slowly faded away.

How could it be Dean Bruce?

He was supposed to be the main instructor for Class Two, the one responsible for teaching attacking magic!

The other instructors, while surprised, were more focused on their own confusion and disbelief. It was shocking to see such a strong preference, regardless of whether it was for Dean Bruce or Barnis George.

Learning that Dean Bruce would be offering a separate class, the students no longer insisted on joining his particular group. In no time, those gathered around his section began to disperse, moving toward the other two groups.

This sight caused Barnis George's face to contort in frustration.

Not only were the students not flocking to him, but now they were leaving entirely.

"Do they really think I'm worse than the other instructors?" he fumed internally.

His resentment grew, and his gaze toward Dean Bruce became increasingly peculiar.

But given Dean Bruce's immense popularity and his close relationship with Headmaster André Maxwell, Barnis George knew better than to let his bitterness show. Whenever Dean Bruce glanced his way, he was forced to plaster on a smile.

The class assignments wrapped up quickly. For Dean Bruce, things remained largely unchanged—he continued in his role as an assistant instructor. The only difference was the addition of a special class every two days.

He was content with this, as the magic he knew had been granted directly by the system, and he had no idea how to actually teach it.

Occasionally tricking others was one thing, but teaching for real? That would surely make his hair fall out!

As soon as the ceremony concluded, Dean Bruce darted off to the library without waiting for André Maxwell to call him back.

He had already finished reading the foundational magic theories. Though he hadn't completely mastered them, he knew that rereading wouldn't yield much more improvement.

He needed to find more advanced theoretical texts, ones from which he could extract enough knowledge to keep deceiving others effectively.

By the afternoon, as Dean Bruce was deeply engrossed in his reading, Alita Miller approached him. "Dean, you're quite the diligent one," she said with a playful tone. "Right after the class assignment ceremony, and here you are, buried in books."

Dean Bruce glanced at her briefly before returning to his book. "Did you find out anything about the matter I asked you to investigate?"

"Not yet," Alita Miller replied with a shake of her head, smiling. "The person behind it all—someone who could convince a seasoned instructor to attack you within the alliance's territory—must have significant power and status. It's not the kind of information you can uncover quickly."

"I came because I heard about your recent exploits and was so impressed that I simply wanted to spend more time with you."

Alita Miller was a formidable instructor responsible for teaching the upperclassmen, so she hadn't attended the freshman class assignments.

But Dean Bruce had made such a splash that his name had quickly spread throughout the entire academy.

This only deepened Joan Michelle's admiration and respect for him, further confirming her suspicions about his mysterious background.

Dean Bruce put down his book and fixed his gaze on Alita Miller, speaking in a low voice, "Enough with the pretense. Say what you need to say directly. There's no need to waste either of our time."

Clap!

"Bravo!" Alita Miller clapped her hands with a grin. "Dean, you really don't beat around the bush. Fine, I'll get straight to the point—I've got some good news for you."