Chapter 106: Ch 106 : A Teacher’s Path
From a vantage point of the God space, one of Sunny’s nine clones observed the figure of Light Celestine.
The clone, tasked with watching over Veridia, allowed a small, knowing smile to form on its lips.
"This intuition talent is truly something," Sunny’s consciousness mused through the clone. "I wouldn’t have let Aerion’s soul go otherwise."
The decision to allow the reincarnation of a being so powerful and destructive had been a gamble, one guided by a subtle, almost imperceptible nudge from his divine intuition talent.
Now, Sunny watched, waiting to see if that gamble, that seed of hope planted in the soul of a former tyrant, would finally begin to bear fruit.
Down below, in the academy’s immaculate central courtyard, Light stood amidst pillars of shimmering crystal and fountains that danced with enchanted water.
He watched the students, the so-called "geniuses" of the Cosmic Empire.
A young elf effortlessly wove complex light magic, his fingers dancing as if plucking strings on an invisible harp, a bored expression on his face. Nearby, a dwarf prodigy sketched out plans for a new mana conduit, his mind a whirlwind of gears and runes, casually complaining to a friend that the assignment was far too simple.
They were brilliant, the pinnacle of their generation, and they moved with an easy confidence that came from knowing their path to greatness was already paved with gold and prestige.
But as Light watched them, his mind drifted. He thought of the thousands of remote villages he had learned of from the Divine Library, disconnected from the empire’s vibrant heart.
He pictured the children there, whose greatest ambition was a full belly, whose talents, if they existed, would remain forever undiscovered, like gems buried under a mountain of dirt.
He knew, with a certainty that settled deep in his soul, that his purpose was not here, among the gifted who would succeed with or without him. It was out there, with the forgotten.
With his resolve hardened into unbreakable steel, he returned to his lavish chambers in the royal palace.
"Full again?" he murmured, looking at the A-Grade storage ring on his finger that refused to accept another item. "I should have asked for an S-Grade ring instead of this A-Grade." He sighed, pulling a third, then a fourth ring from an ornate drawer.
He worked methodically, storing not just essentials, but the tools of a new life: simple farming implements, basic medical supplies, blank scrolls, and mana-infused ink. He was not packing for a prince’s journey, but for a teacher’s mission.
A short while later, he stood before the heavy, magically-warded door of the academy’s dean. Before his knuckles could even touch the wood, a warm, familiar voice echoed in his mind, carrying on the ambient mana of the room. "You don’t need to knock, Light. Just come in."
The door swung open on its own, revealing a room filled with scrolls, trophies, and artifacts from generations of prodigies.
Behind a grand desk crafted from the heartwood of an ancient tree sat Gunnar, the dean of the academy. His face was etched with the wisdom of centuries, but his eyes still held the fiery spark of a warrior.
"So, what does my little Light want to say?" Gunnar asked, his tone radiating the warmth he reserved only for Light, a boy he had watched grow and considered his own grandson.
"Grandpa Gunnar," Light began, his voice steady and respectful, "I’ve come to talk to you about my resignation."
Gunnar’s friendly demeanor vanished, replaced by the sharp authority of the dean. His back straightened, and the air in the room crackled with a sudden intensity. "What happened? Is someone giving you trouble?" His voice was a low growl. "If anyone in this empire has the guts to cause problems for you, they had better clean their neck in advance, because I will personally separate it from their shoulders."
Light held up a hand to calm the old man’s famous temper. "No, no, Grandpa. With you here, and with my identity, I don’t think anyone would be that foolish." He offered a placating smile. "I just... I want to adventure. To explore our world and find my own purpose."
He knew it was a half-truth. His true purpose was to teach those the academy would never accept, but he also knew Gunnar’s immense pride in his institution. An argument about the academy’s philosophy would serve no one.
Gunnar studied him for a long moment, the fiery anger in his eyes softening into a deep, familiar concern. He saw the unwavering resolve in Light’s expression and knew no argument would sway him. He sighed heavily, the sound echoing in the grand office.
He took the resignation letter Light offered and signed it with a flourish of his quill.
"An empire whose strength rests only on a few geniuses is a tower built on needles, Grandpa," Light said softly, finally voicing the core of his belief. "I want to help build a foundation of stone."
Gunnar looked up, a newfound respect in his eyes. "Be careful while traveling, Light," he warned, his voice now heavy with a grandfather’s love. "The incident with Xar’gath’s invasion and the death of your great grandfather, Thorn is still fresh in all our minds. Your great grandfather was reborn, a divine chance others may not get. Your life is precious."
"Don’t worry, Grandpa. I am also an S-Grade powerhouse," Light said with a flash of confidence. It wasn’t arrogance. With his talents and the battle-honed instincts of Aerion, he feared little short of a demigod.
After their farewells, Light walked out of the city gates. The towering spires of Haven, a marvel of magic and engineering, were at his back. Before him lay the vast, untamed wilderness of Veridia. He took a deep breath of the wild, clean air. This was freedom. This was his path.
He closed his eyes, focusing his mind. "Show me the disconnected villages of the Central Continent," he thought, calling upon the blessing of Isiah.
A huge portion of his mana vanished in an instant, a sensation like a sudden, icy void opening within him. But in its place, a torrent of information flooded his soul—not just maps, but the feelings, histories, and the quiet desperation of thousands of settlements flashing through his mind in a dizzying, overwhelming instant.
He absorbed the knowledge smoothly, his soul already accustomed to such influxes from the memories of his past life.
The nearest village was a hundred thousand kilometers away. A daunting distance, but not for him.
Light opened his pet bag, and with a flash of light, a magnificent creature appeared before him. It was a giant, colorful bird, twice his size, with plumage that shimmered with every color of the dawn and a crest of feathers that burned like a gentle flame.
"Lily," Light said, stroking the bird’s sleek neck. "It’s time for an adventure."
The bird, Lily, let out a joyous cry and lowered her back. Light mounted her with practiced ease. With a powerful beat of her wings, they launched into the sky, climbing at a terrifying speed that would cover the immense distance in a day.
Light lay back against her warm feathers, gazing at the endless blue sky, his heart finally at peace. His path, the true path of his redemption, had finally begun.