Martha and their POV


    Every year me and my team would be assigned to cook and manage the lower-ss dormitory however this year of lower lower-ss students were different from the rest.


    "Miss Martha, what do you think about the new students?" Gil asked while he and Jerome carried the supplies.


    "I hope they don''t lose hope like what happened tost year''s lower ss"


    "You said it right Jenny I still remember how those students lost their hope to study" Jerome couldn''t but speak as he remembered the gloomy atmosphere ofst year''s lower ss.


    "The pressure and bullying must be too hard for them to endure" Nadia said while carrying the kitchen utensils.


    "Hmm?..what is that Miss Martha" Jenny asked when they noticed the shadows of certain things outside a certain room.


    "It''s too dark to see...wait aren''t those the furniture in the tea room?"


    Gil finally realizes this as they walk closer.


    Then the more they move closer the more they can hear voicesing from a certain room.


    They all looked at each other when they realized those voices and unconsciously they looked at the door.


    "It''sing from the room"


    "Wait let me open it"


    With the small gap made by Jerome, they sneakily look inside.


    "Hold Apollo down!"


    "Wait why are you ganging up on me!"


    "This is my revenge for tricking me into eating a fart cookie in the tower Apollo!"


    "It''s all your fault Mckenzie because you are a glutton!"


    "Shut up! hold him tight now!"


    "Piss off!"


    Sixteen kids began pulling pillows and hitting each other with it.


    Laughter and continuous teasing can be heard making the five people outside look at each other.


    "It seems like we don''t need to worry"


    "Yes it really seems so Miss Martha"


    "Let''s head inside and prepare for tomorrow''s breakfast"


    "Yes Miss Martha" they said in unison.


    All of us thought that the new lower ss would be more sessful than thest however they were more unique than we initially thought.


    "Gil can you pick up the vegetables at the back door"


    "Yes Miss Martha"


    Gil with Martha''s orders immediately went to the back door however as soon as the sound of the door being closed a scream could be heard after.


    "What is it, Gil!"


    Martha ran to his side and saw three dead bodies lying t on the ground.


    "These people are from the maintenance team!"


    Gil gasped as he realized this.


    "Hmm?... I thought none of you woulde out at this time"


    A childish voice can be heard making Martha and Gil look for its source.


    "I am actually here"


    From the ground, the figure of a boy soon took shape making Gil almost copse.


    "What''s that!?"


    However, the pile of dirt soon turns into a person they are familiar with.


    "Apollo?"


    "Hello Miss Martha and mr Gil"


    Apollos smiled while holding a head in his right hand however he quickly dismissed it and acted as normally as he could.


    "What are you doing young one?"


    "Cleaning Miss Martha I found some rats snooping around so I decided to trap them down"


    Despite his calm expression, the two could see his hand trembling.


    The two couldn''t help but look at each other and immediatelypose themselves. It seems their appearance made the child worry.


    "Is he perhaps worried we would be scared of him?" Martha thought while looking at the child in front of her.


    "Let''s head inside I think we still have a few bowls of soup"


    "Right Apollo lets head inside"


    Gil approaches him and as he moves closer he sees how distressed Apollo''s expression is.


    "It''s okay we understand" despite not understanding what was really happening Gil tried to say as he tried tofort the child.


    "Wait I should clean the bodies first"


    "Nah forget about those Jerome can handle them"


    "Really?"


    "Yes now let''s head inside"


    With Gil''s urging Apollo manages to head inside and head towards the kitchen.


    "Here eat up"


    Martha gave a bowl of soup and freshly baked bread to Apollo making the child surprised.


    "Here eat up"


    The child''s expression still looksplex as if he is afraid of something.


    "Go on take a sip"


    With Martha''s calm urging Apollo finally took a dip and tasted the warm meal in front of him.


    "How was it?" Gil asked while putting the baskets of vegetables on the side.


    "Apollo?"


    There was no answer making Gil look at Martha.


    "Are you alright student Lionheart?" Martha asked seeing no further reaction from the child.


    "Can I ask a question?" unexpectedly the boy spoke to which Martha answered "Yes"


    "You won''t change right?"


    This question made the two look at each other a bit taken aback.


    "No need to worry about something like that.."


    "People''s perception can easily change so..."


    "Apollo"


    Martha''s voice made the boy snap from his dark thoughts.


    "People don''t easily change especially those with firm will"


    "Little one no matter what happened"


    She calmly said while wiping the bread crumbs on the boy''s cheeks.


    "We will always remember the little kid we saw on the first day. The kid that freely enjoys his friend''spany and smiles like nothing needs to worry" she continues to say making Apollo look down.


    "Gulp!"


    A big spoonful of soup and a chunk of bread were immediately devoured by the kid as if he wanted to divert his attention to a different thing.


    "Thanks" he suddenly voices out while showing his clean bowl of soup.


    "Your words mean a lot to me"


    He then smiles happily at Gil and Martha.


    "I''ll be going then"


    Apollo left leaving the two still in a daze.


    "In the end what really is happening" Gil couldn''t help but say.


    "I should probably ask the headmaster"


    "Okay Miss Martha I''ll just clean this up"


    While Gil remained inside the kitchen he suddenly remembered something.


    "Why do I feel like I am forgetting something important?" he questioned however he quickly dismissed the idea.


    "It might be just me," he thought while cleaning the stack of vegetables.


    Unbeknownst to him a friend of his was stuck outside not knowing what to do.


    "Just what am I supposed to do with these bodies" Jerome grimaced as he thought of possible ways to eliminate the bodies.


    ...


    Teaching in the Academy was something I never dreamed of, but since the emperor gave me an order to change my duties and instead of being a soldier, I became an undercover professor. My task is to protect a couple of students and those students are these sixteen staggering students.


    "What''s this Apollo? why so slow"


    I spoke looking at the kid that I think I don''t need to protect.


    He was strong beyond his age and his usage of his skills may have been attributed to his life inside the tower. I was witnessing the growth of a monster and it made me both excited and scared.


    This past week more and more people disappeared within the academy. From the maintenance team to the newly hired and old professor, they began disappearing and appearing as dead bodies.


    Surprisingly their bodies have something simr. An irregr construction of Mana, it was different and ckened to the point of corruption but for some reason they didn''t.


    It made me wonder why we didn''t notice such a detail, I have killed hundreds of members of the monastery yet I didn''t notice such a thing. Somehow I felt like someone was aiding us.


    My gaze thennded on the boy who I suspected to be that person.


    "That''s a very swift transition, I am impressed"


    I waved my pen again activating one of the sealer''s gravity spells.


    "Argh!"


    I chuckled seeing his reaction and at that moment he became an ordinary-looking child in front of me.


    "I hope you kids remain this way"


    Despite the hellish experience the students are experiencing the professor remains happy seeing them struggle.