The World Is Mine For The Taking

Leon's POV

It was almost a month before the end of the school year.

Most of the students were eagerly looking forward to spring since next month marked the start of spring vacation.

Raymond and Duncan were no exception, buzzing with excitement.

"I can't believe we're finally going to be second-years next school year. Only three more years, and we'll graduate," Duncan said, grinning.

"Are you an idiot?" Raymond shot back, clearly irritated. "We're still stuck in the bronze class, and you're happy about moving to second year? In case you haven't figured it out yet, the longer we stay in bronze class, the slimmer our chances of making it to gold class. Time's running out, dumbass."

"But didn't Princess Myrcella say she'd do something about it? Even though we're in bronze class, she said there's a chance we can still become magic knights, right?"

"You really are fucking stupid," Raymond sighed exasperatedly. "Be realistic for once. Do you honestly think Princess Myrcella can pull that off? You think she's going to destroy decades of tradition and rules in such a short time? That's why I voted for Princess Titania instead. Her vision actually makes sense."

"I voted for Princess Titania too," Duncan admitted, "but I still think Princess Myrcella can do it."

"What about you, Leon? You think she can pull it off?" Raymond turned to me, looking for answers.

"I don't really know," I replied, shrugging. "It's too early to judge her, considering she won't even take office until next school year. But I do think she'll try her hardest to change the academy's vision—to give lower-class students a chance to become magic knights. She seems really determined to make it happen."

Of course, saying Princess Myrcella would succeed was a stretch. She was essentially trying to tear down the academy's long-standing traditions, and even I had my doubts she could pull it off.

But I had an idea why she was pushing for this. War was coming. Not yet, but soon—maybe four or five years from now. Kingdoms would clash, kings would fall, and blood would spill. If Princess Myrcella wanted to rule by usurping her own father, she'd need all the support she could muster when that time came. She couldn't rely on just the hundred or so magic knights the academy graduated each year. She needed thousands—an army ready to fight for her. If she succeeded, the academy would coronate not a hundred, but over a thousand magic knights every year.

"By the way, did you hear?" Raymond suddenly changed the subject. "Professor Rose quit her job."

That was old news to me, but it seemed like the rumor was only now making its rounds.

"Why do you think she quit, Leon?" Stay tuned to empire

"I don't know," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Truthfully, I had no clue what prompted Rose to up and leave like that. Maybe she got tired of working as a puppet for the administrators. Whatever it was, she didn't seem like the type to quit without a good reason.

I still had no clue why she left, even during our last meeting.

For some reason, though, I wanted to see her again.

"There are two professors who've left the academy now. I wonder if they'll be replaced soon?" Raymond asked aloud, breaking the silence.

The academy didn't seem understaffed, but losing two good professors—Professor Rose and Professor Sesillian—wasn't a small thing. It wouldn't be surprising if they brought in a fresh batch of replacements soon.

"Well, no use worrying about it right now. That's something for next year," Duncan said, brushing it off. "I still can't believe it's almost been a year since we started here. Time really flies."

"And time flying by while we're still rotting in bronze class is bad, Duncan," Raymond said pointedly.

"We can only hope the Princess manages to pull off what she's aiming for. Then maybe we'll graduate as magic knights after all."

"Yeah, let's hope," Raymond muttered, though his skeptical tone made it clear he didn't believe it for a second.

As for me, whether or not Princess Myrcella succeeded didn't matter much. I had no plans to become a magic knight to begin with. My only real concern was whether she'd survive long enough to claim the throne. Her ambitious reforms made her a target, and the road to the throne wasn't paved with mercy.

***

Gabrielle's POV

The workload of being a professor at Milham Academy just kept piling up. With the academy understaffed, especially for the second-year curriculum, I had to take on classes left behind by the professors who quit.

Because of that, I hadn't had any time to spend with Master. It tore me up inside. I wanted to quit my job and dedicate myself to him entirely, to stay by his side forever. But for now, my duties held me here. Maybe by Master's third year, I'd finally be able to leave, but dreams for the future always felt uncertain the further away they were.

As I left my office, I ran into someone I least wanted to see: Irene.

I sighed inwardly and prepared to ignore her, but…

"How have you been, Gabrielle?" she said, her voice laced with a sweetness that felt anything but genuine.

I stopped, turning to meet her gaze. She wore a smile, the kind that dripped with scheming intentions.

"Why are you asking?" I replied flatly.

"Hmm. No particular reason," she said, brushing off the question with a shrug. "I mean, since it's just the two of us left from the same batch of professors, I figured I should check in. See how you're holding up."

"You've never asked that before," I said, my tone sharp.

"Well, you and I do have a bit of bad blood," she admitted, her smile widening into something more sinister. "Honestly, I'd rather avoid you entirely, but my eyes keep being drawn to you. Maybe it's the scent of Leon still clinging to you that makes it hard to look away. But lately…" She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping, "…it feels like I don't smell him on you anymore. So naturally, I started wondering. Is he still watering you down there?"

"Master is busy, and so am I," I said, keeping my tone even.

"Oh, really?" Irene smirked, leaning closer. "Then why did he have time to fuck the Princess of Titania?"

"How do you know that? Don't tell me you're stalking Master now."

"Stalking?" She tilted her head with feigned innocence before her lips curled into a sly grin. "I suppose you could call it that, in a way. On Election Day, I asked him to come to my place, but he never did. So, I went back to the academy and—oh, imagine my surprise—found out he was in his dorm, fucking Princess Titania after the election. You can't begin to understand how heartbroken I was."

"You've turned into something I don't even recognize," I said, shaking my head. "You used to be a little more… graceful. Now, you've become a stalker. What would Master think of you? Do you honestly believe he'd give up all the women in his life for someone like that?"

Irene laughed softly, but it wasn't mocking. It had an edge, as if she found the entire situation amusing—or maybe she just didn't care. Her eyes, devoid of warmth, locked onto mine.

"I fully intend to make him choose me over all of you," she said confidently. "I mean, it's obvious he's interested in my body. Every time we're in the lecture hall, his eyes never leave me. Don't tell me you haven't noticed. The way he looks at me—it's like he's screaming that he wants me, that he's dying to taste me again. Of course, he is."

The pride in her gaze was unmistakable. She wasn't lying. She truly believed every word she said.

"A body that's out of reach will always be more tempting than one that's freely available," Irene continued, her voice tinged with condescension. "It's like that saying among adventurers, right? The men who sleep with prostitutes always talk about how they crave what they can't easily have, even if they've got wives waiting at home. That's how it works. The forbidden is irresistible."

"Master isn't some adventurer," I snapped.

"But he is a man," she countered smoothly. "And like I've told you before, Gabrielle, I will steal Leon away from you. I'll make myself the only woman in his life."

She turned to leave, but not before throwing a smirk over her shoulder. "You seem fine, so I won't bother worrying about you anymore. But you… you should start worrying about your Master being taken away from you."

I watched her walk away, my gaze hard and unflinching.

"I won't allow it," I said under my breath, my voice firm with resolve.

There was no way I'd let her take the man I loved with every fiber of my being. If Irene wanted a fight, I'd give her one. Whatever challenge she threw at me, I'd take it head-on and prove who deserved to stand by his side.