The Retired Supporting Character Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 143 - The Academy Visit of Lormane (9)

A second carriage followed behind Lormane’s, and more priests descended from it.

They looked older, likely high-ranking members of the Church.

"W-Welcome! Chief Administrator!"

Kirrin, tense and stammering, bowed her head deeply.

"It is an honor to have you here!"

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Headmaster Kirrin, and Vice-Headmaster Ismera, along with all the professors."

Lormane responded with a dignified smile.

Her gaze swept across the professors lined up in greeting, briefly lingering on me before moving on.

Our eyes met for a second, and I looked past Lormane toward Maya, who was standing behind her.

Maya didn’t shy away, calmly meeting my gaze.

"Th-This way, please…."

Kirrin, trying to compose herself, led Lormane inside the main building.

The lobby showcased the Academy’s history, a portrait of the only headmaster it had ever had—Kirrin herself—and a few symbolic artifacts.

"Allow me to introduce the history and growth of our Imperial Special Mission Academy…!"

Kirrin, holding a small pointer stick, began her presentation, a bit stiff and awkward.

She’d practiced late into the night, so while her delivery was a bit unnatural, it wasn’t bad.

"This Special Mission Academy is a vital training ground for those who will stand on the front lines of the Empire’s security."

Lormane smiled after listening intently to Kirrin’s explanation.

"Now, we will take you on a tour of the Academy’s facilities."

"I’m looking forward to it."

As Kirrin and Lormane moved forward, Ismera and the professors followed behind them.

Seeing Genev and Morton closely shadowing Kirrin and Ismera reassured me as I trailed along.

Even if Lormane suddenly pulled out a weapon, they’d be able to handle it. Not that I really expected her to do such a thing.

We followed the planned route, introducing Lormane to the Academy’s facilities and curriculum.

Students flocked out to see her—after all, she was famous as a member of the Demon King Slaying Special Force, and the crowd became a sea of people.

Lormane waved to them with a graceful smile, befitting her status as the Chief Administrator of the Church, responding to the students\' enthusiastic greetings.

Watching her composed, elegant demeanor, I suddenly felt a strange sense of disconnect.

The Lormane from the war and the Lormane now seemed like entirely different people.

Had she matured mentally in the past decade?

Well, it makes sense. She’s aged ten years since then. If she hadn’t changed at all, that would be concerning in itself.

"This is the Academy’s commercial district."

We had arrived at the area with various convenience facilities, including a dessert cafe.

"This was established earlier this year under the initiative of Dian, our newly appointed Head Combat Professor."

At that, Lormane smiled at me, her eyes crinkling slightly.

"You’ve done excellent work."

"Thank you."

Lormane turned her gaze forward again.

Next was the underground area where the troll was held.

"This is the lab for producing and researching potions made from troll blood."

Ismera took over the explanation.

"It was previously an abandoned building, but when we captured a wild troll near the Academy, we converted it into a laboratory."

What used to be a damp, empty basement had been transformed into a clean, well-lit lab.

It was fully equipped with ventilation, furniture, and various research apparatuses.

At the far end of the lab was where the troll was confined, the creature restrained by Orendi’s binding magic circle in place of iron bars.

"Oh, is that a troll…?"

The eyes of the priests widened as they beheld the creature.

Even in a fantasy world with monsters, it’s rare for ordinary people to see a creature as dangerous as a troll up close.

In the real world, it’s akin to someone who’s never even seen a deer suddenly coming face-to-face with a predator.

The troll, having just finished a meal provided by the lab assistants, lay comfortably on its back, clearly relaxed.

It had gained a significant amount of weight since being captured, its skin glowing with health—it looked like it was living quite the luxurious life.

We feed it three nutritious meals a day to keep the blood supply stable.

It’s essentially an animal welfare lab.

"Capturing a troll—that’s certainly fitting for the Special Mission Academy."

"It was Head Combat Professor Dian who accomplished that."

At Ismera’s response, Lormane glanced at me once again, saying, "Impressive as always."

Our next stop was the combat training grounds, and after that, the mounted combat area.

The priests marveled at the sight of the horses scattered across the vast pasture.

"I am Professor Anna, in charge of Combat Riding…."

Professor Anna, dark circles prominent under her eyes, began her explanation in a somewhat gloomy tone.

She described the ecology and habits of the wild horses from the Brun Plateau and gave a brief riding demonstration.

"These wild horses were also personally secured by Head Combat Professor Dian. He brought them here from the Brun Plateau."

"I see. The Brun Plateau… that brings back memories."

There was a time when we ambushed and wiped out a unit of the Demon King’s army that had come to the Brun Plateau to capture warhorses for their cavalry.

After showing her several more training facilities, we returned to the headmaster’s office.

Now it was time for a private meeting between Lormane and the Academy leadership.

The professors and the priests withdrew, leaving only Lormane, Kirrin, Ismera, and me in the headmaster’s office.

After taking a few sips of tea, Lormane finally spoke.

"Thank you for the warm welcome. Thanks to your hospitality, I now have a much clearer understanding of the Special Mission Academy."

"Th-Thank you…."

Kirrin, visibly relieved by her praise, bowed her head.

"By the way, Vice-Headmaster Ismera."

Lormane turned her attention to Ismera.

"I hear you have quite the impressive resume. I understand you hold the record for earning your higher master’s degree in the shortest time."

"You flatter me. It’s thanks to the guidance of an excellent mentor."

"I see. Even so, earning a higher master’s in just seven years is no easy feat. Truly remarkable."

"Thank you."

"I heard you were originally the Head Theoretical Professor."

"That’s right. I joined the Academy in that position at its founding, and I was recently promoted to Vice-Headmaster."

"It seems the palace recognized your abilities and appointed you to a fitting position."

"It’s an honor, though it comes with great responsibility. I’m doing my best."

Ismera responded smoothly.

"That must mean your salary has increased significantly as well."

"Ah, yes… it has gone up compared to before."

The odd question caught Ismera a bit off guard.

"And you receive a pension as well, I assume?"

"Yes, though the amount depends on years of service."

"Is the position of professor at the Academy one with job security?"

"As long as there aren’t any major issues, it’s a lifelong career."

"And now that you’re Vice-Headmaster, you’ll likely become Headmaster one day, so you won’t have to worry about retirement, at least."

"Excuse me? Well… I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m not really at the age to be concerned about retirement just yet."

"How old are you?"

Ismera glanced at me at that unexpected, personal question. Lormane’s gaze followed hers and landed on me for a moment.

"I’m twenty-six this year. That’s in human years, of course. But I’m considered an adult by elven standards too."

"That’s quite young. Elves live for hundreds of years, don’t they? You have a long future ahead of you."

"Thank you."

"So, if I may ask, why did you leave the forest to live in a human city?"

Lormane continued her questioning.

"During the war, my homeland was destroyed by the Demon King’s army. It was completely burned down. Rebuilding it will require a great deal of money, so I came out to earn the funds. Though I also wanted to pursue my personal goals."

"There were indeed many forests devastated by the Demon King’s forces. Which forest are you from?"

"You may not have heard of it—it’s the Tiraellen Forest, in the north."

"The Tiraellen Forest…."

Lormane’s reddish-brown eyes shifted, as if trying to recall something.

"I believe I’ve heard of it. Are your parents still alive?"

"Pardon?"

"Your parents."

"If you mean the one who gave birth to me, yes. My mother is an elder of our tribe. I don’t have a father. Elves are a matriarchal society, and women raise children collectively."

"I see. I wasn’t familiar with elven customs. So your mother, the elder, is still alive. What about siblings?"

"My brothers left the forest, and as I mentioned, I was raised alongside many sisters as part of our collective upbringing. But if I were to categorize them like humans do, I had four close siblings, but they all died in the war."

"That must have been hard for you. I’m sorry for bringing it up."

"It’s alright, Chief Administrator. It’s been ten years already."

As the two of them continued their conversation, Kirrin sat in the middle, unable to move or even speak, her eyes nervously darting around.

She had stayed up all night practicing her lines for this reception, but now she had no chance to use any of them. Poor her.

She must be wondering why Lormane was focusing on Ismera with all these strange questions instead of her.

But it was clear that Kirrin wasn’t even on Lormane’s radar at the moment.

Lormane’s persistent questions about personal matters were undoubtedly due to the last page of Maya’s patient ledger.

I didn’t know what else was written in there, but the events of the other night were certainly undeniable.

I studied Lormane’s hands and posture, but there were no signs yet that she was about to pull out a weapon or cause a scene.

"Speaking of elven culture, I’m curious about something."

Ignoring both Kirrin and me and disregarding the fact that this was an official reception, Lormane pressed on.

"Do elves get married?"

"No, we don’t. We meet male elves who visit the forest, form relationships with them, and raise children. That’s all."

"I see… So do elves only have children with other elves?"

It was an incredibly inappropriate question, especially coming from a priest, and Ismera remained silent rather than answer.

"For example, there are half-elves, right? So does that mean elves can marry humans or other races as well?"

"That’s possible, but… I’m not sure what you’re trying to ask, Chief Administrator."

It seemed like it was time for me to step in.

"Excuse me, Chief Administrator."

"I’m in the middle of a conversation with the Vice-Headmaster, Head Professor."

Lormane cut me off sharply.