The next morning at the Royal Academy, the usually tense atmosphere of the training grounds felt… different.
Warm. Peaceful.
And above all — suspiciously quiet.
Students from various divisions were gathered in groups, whispering in disbelief.
Student A: "Hey… is it just me, or… something's seriously off with Professor Chroma lately?"
Student B: "You mean how he didn't yell at anyone for being late today?"
Student C: "Not just that. He smiled. He actually smiled when someone tripped during warm-ups."
Student D (shuddering): "That's not a smile, that's a sign of an incoming apocalypse."
Laughter and nervous murmurs filled the courtyard.
Sho Ardenthal, standing beside Liyana, tilted his head in mild curiosity.
Sho: "Professor Chroma smiled? That's new."
Liyana (amused): "He must've hit his head."
Their conversation was interrupted by a passing student clutching his training sword dramatically.
Student: "No! You don't understand! He actually said — and I quote — 'Don't worry, everyone makes mistakes!' I thought I was hallucinating!"
Even Sho blinked, a little stunned.
Sho: "…That's… not something the old Chroma would ever say."
From behind them, a soft chuckle echoed.
Princess Arisa (smiling knowingly): "Hehe~ I know the reason."
The group turned to face her. Liyana crossed her arms, curious.
Liyana: "You sound awfully confident, Princess. What reason?"
Arisa: "Let's just say…" — she raised a finger to her lips — "love changes even the coldest heart."
Sho nearly choked.
Sho: "Wait, what?"
Liyana (tilting her head): "Love?"
Arisa leaned closer, whispering dramatically.
Arisa: "The new teacher Principal Alice introduced yesterday… that beautiful woman with silver hair? She's not just any teacher. She's his first love."
Gasps rippled through the nearby students like a wave.
Student A: "No way…"
Student B: "Professor Chroma has a lover?! That guy who used to throw fireballs at us for standing wrong?!"
Student C: "I knew it! That's why he's been humming lately!"
Sho rubbed the back of his neck, half amused, half disbelieving.
Sho: "…Well, that explains the sudden personality patch update."
Liyana (sighing softly): "Love does strange things."
Arisa (smirking): "You sound like you know something about that too, Liyana."
Liyana (blushing faintly): "I—! …Shut up."
The princess laughed softly, hiding her smile behind her hand.
---
Later that afternoon, Professor Chroma entered the training hall — the room immediately went silent.
He wasn't wearing his usual stoic expression. Instead, there was a small, easygoing smile on his face — the kind that made every student think twice if this was really their Head Professor.
Chroma: "Alright everyone, let's begin today's combat drills. And don't overdo it, okay? Remember — training is about growth, not punishment."
The entire hall froze.
Even the wind outside seemed to pause.
Student (whispering): "Who are you… and what have you done with our Professor?"
Asfi, standing quietly near the observation platform, giggled behind her hand.
Asfi (thinking): "He's trying so hard to act composed… how adorable."
From the far side of the room, Sho whispered to Liyana:
Sho: "If this keeps up, half the academy will think they're in a dream."
Liyana: "Or a nightmare. Depends how you look at it."
Meanwhile, Princess Arisa smirked.
Arisa: "Guess even dragonslayers fall in love~."
---
At that moment, Professor Chroma glanced up briefly — his gaze finding Asfi by instinct.
Their eyes met.
A faint smile tugged at his lips before he turned back to his students.
For a second, even Sho — the one who'd seen monsters and chaos — could feel it.
That kind of warmth that only came from someone who finally stopped running from their past.