Chapter 10: Teacher Fern
The young girl was maybe 12 or 13 years old. Her cheeks puffed out in an adorable sort of way, and her red hair was done up in a pair of pigtails. Freckles dotted her cheeks and little nose, a pair of bright green eyes standing out in contrast.
Theron couldn't help but smile when he saw this little girl. She probably wasn't a breath above five feet, but she seemed larger. It was impossible to believe that she knew any bad or evil existed in the world at all.
"Theron, where'd you go? You just up and disappeared. Teacher Fern is very unhappy."
"Just handling something," Theron replied, his voice soft and gentle.
Classes were not mandatory. The structure of the Imperial Scholar's path was quite lax. Exams were taken when the student was ready, not at a set time, and so long as you were completing a certain number of credits within an allotted time, you wouldn't be bothered.
There were some geniuses, groomed by powerful families, that only entered the academy for a few months, clearing the credit threshold quickly before graduating to jobs long prepared for them.
Theron was already on schedule, so it wasn't a problem even if he disappeared for another half year.
"That's what you always say. What could you possibly have to do? Teacher Fern is worried about you—!"
The little girl seemed to realize that there were others around and blushed. Her gaze darted about, her instinct being to hide behind Theron, but that would only make it worse.