Free Web NovelChapter 116: Chapter 114: Tutor
Studio Class 104
I stepped inside the studio with all the authority of someone who absolutely did not ask permission to teach here.
Behind me were Silvano and Gawain.
More specifically, Silvano looking like a hostage and Gawain looking like he was supervising a criminal.
Honestly, both were accurate.
Gawain originally wanted me to continue my training today, but thankfully fate blessed me with twenty desperate carving students and a valid excuse to escape physical suffering.
Unfortunately, Gawain didn’t trust me.
At all.
Which was why he followed me here.
"See?" I said smugly while turning toward him. "I told you I had important responsibilities today."
Gawain stared at the classroom full of students waiting expectantly for me, at Silvano who still looked dead inside, then at me.
"Alright... I’ll let you skip training today."
He sighed heavily before sitting at one of the front seats like a disappointed parent attending a school meeting.
Meanwhile, Silvano immediately tried following him.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
He paused. "To sit?"
"Stay here."
"But—" he pointed helplessly toward Gawain. "He’s sitting down."
"He’s not my assistant," I replied calmly. "You are."
The students collectively turned toward Silvano with shocked expressions.
"Assistant?!"
"Silvano?!"
"THE SILVANO ORIENTALY?!"
Silvano looked like he wanted to throw himself out the window. He clicked his tongue in annoyance but still stayed beside me.
Victory.
I adjusted the glasses sitting on my nose before cracking my neck dramatically as the students straightened instantly.
"We’ll be starting with the basics first."
A student immediately raised his hand.
"Yes?" I acknowledged professionally.
The student stared at me nervously. "...When will you give back my glasses?"
Silence.
I clapped my hands loudly, pretending that he wasn’t staring at me.
"Okay everyone!" I announced smoothly. "The material we’ll be carving today is Foamwood!"
The student looked devastated.
Meanwhile, the others immediately focused on the material displayed in front.
————————————
Foamwood
A soft, lightweight material that’s ideal for beginners to learn the basics without frustration. It’s easy to shape, forgiving, and perfect for practicing your carving skills before moving on to more durable materials.
————————————
Another student slowly raised his hand.
"Wouldn’t it be better for us to carve stones already?" he asked. "We’re in Master Class."
I looked at him blankly. "Then prove to me you’re no longer beginners."
The room immediately went silent.
I projected a hologram image into the air—a sleeping cat curled into itself lazily.
Several students blinked.
"That’s it?" one muttered.
"If you claim to be masters," I said calmly, "then carving this should be easy."
The holographic cat rotated slowly above us.
"Art is subjective. I’m not asking for perfection. You don’t need to carve the exact image as long as people can still look at it and say, ’Yes. That is indeed a cat and not a possessed potato.’"
A few students awkwardly lowered their earlier confidence.
I checked the clock on the wall. "I’ll give you two hours."
The entire room exploded into complaints.
"Two hours?!"
"That’s impossible!"
"Who finishes a sculpture in two hours?!"
"As far as I know, even famous Grand Masters need at least a day!"
I raised a brow at them. "I’m only asking for a miniature sculpture."
Silence.
"This level of carving should honestly be finished within one hour," I continued mercilessly. "I already gave you extra time because I’m kind."
The students stared at me like I had personally ruined their childhoods.
"So you won’t teach us?" someone asked weakly.
"Not yet," I answered honestly. "I need to know where your skills currently lie first. Otherwise I’ll just waste time teaching things you already know."
That at least made them quiet down.
Dong.
The clock struck eight.
I smiled. "Start."
Instant chaos.
Students immediately scrambled for their tools.
Some held their carving knives backwards.
One almost dropped his Foamwood.
Another was already sweating before making the first cut.
I finally sat down peacefully then looked beside me. "Where are my tools and materials?"
Silvano, who apparently accepted his fate as my assistant, silently placed my carving tools neatly on the desk along with a large block of pale glowing stone.
————————————
Luminite Marble
A translucent, glowing marble-like stone with faint swirling patterns resembling flowing energy currents.
Difficult to carve due to its unstable internal structure, but capable of producing breathtaking luminous sculptures when handled properly.
————————————
The students nearby instantly widened their eyes.
"Luminite Marble?!"
"She’s using THAT casually?!"
"Isn’t that expensive?!"
I ignored them completely.
"Good," I nodded. "You can start carving too."
Silvano stared at me in disbelief.
"What?!" he complained. "That’s unfair! They already had a head start!"
"Sylvie," I said while calmly adjusting my gloves, "start now or I won’t help you next time."
He looked horrified. "You—"
"Call me Master if you want me to extend your time."
Several students slowly turned toward Silvano with sparkling eyes.
Gawain covered his mouth, shoulders trembling.
Silvano looked ready to commit murder but he inhaled deeply.
"...Master," he said sweetly through clenched teeth.
The students looked horrified.
"HE SAID IT!"
"The VP of SCO really said that?!"
"HE SOUNDS SO WRONG!"
I grinned like a satisfied villain. "Good boy," I praised. "I’ll give you an additional thirty minutes."
"I regret everything."
"Too late."
Meanwhile, I finally picked up my carving tools and began chipping away carefully at the Luminite Marble.
Tiny glowing fragments scattered across the table like bits of light.
A client requested two swans. It was a simple request but boring. So naturally, I planned to overdo it.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Silvano returned to his seat looking oddly victorious.
Actually, he looked disturbingly pleased.
Like a golden retriever that had just been praised for not eating furniture.
But the moment he sat down, his cheeks slowly reddened. "...Good boy?" he muttered under his breath in disbelief.
His brain replayed the earlier scene against his will.
"Good boy. I’ll give you an additional thirty minutes."
Silvano immediately covered his face.
Good boy?!
Who was she calling a good boy?!
Him?!
He didn’t even willingly say "Master"!
He was blackmailed into it!
Emotionally cornered!
Academically manipulated!
’...So why was he still thinking about it?’
He shook his head aggressively, lightly slapping both cheeks as he forced out a laugh.
"Nope. Absolutely not."
A few nearby students slowly scooted their chairs away from him.
Gawain watched the entire breakdown unfold with amusement from the front row. More specifically, shaking his head slowly in disappointment.
"...What?" Silvano asked defensively.
Gawain calmly sipped his drink. "Nothing."
"...You’re clearly judging me."
"It seems My Lady caught another fish."
Silvano blinked. "...Blanca?"
"Yes."
"First of all," Silvano said suspiciously, "why do you even call her ’My Lady’?"
Gawain stared silently into the distance for a moment like a man recalling years of suffering.
"...Punishment."
"...What kind of punishment?"
"The kind that permanently changes your life."
Silvano looked even more confused now. "And what do you mean by ’caught another fish’?"
"Oh?" Gawain’s smile widened slightly. "You don’t need to know."
Silvano narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "That smile makes me feel like I absolutely DO need to know."
Gawain ignored him completely and instead glanced toward Blanca.
She was still focused on carving, completely unaware of the destruction she casually caused around her existence.
Students kept secretly glancing towards her in admiration.
Some looked inspired.
Others looked terrified.
One looked emotionally attached already.
Gawain sighed inwardly.
’Why did these people somehow willingly walk straight into Blanca’s orbit?’
The worst part was, she never even tried.
Blanca was the type to accidentally lure people in while being completely oblivious about it.
Gawain almost pitied them because unlike the others, he already understood something very important about Blanca Frostine.
She genuinely did not realize what she was doing.
A small amused smile appeared on Gawain’s lips.
’Poor fishes...My Lady doesn’t even want to keep any of you.’
She’s the type of fisherman who accidentally catches fish... then throws them back into the ocean without a second thought. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
CRACK.
Silvano accidentally carved too deep into his Foamwood.
"...Damn it."
Gawain looked at him sympathetically now.
Ah.
Another fish had entered the net.
Ping!
Gawain’s expression immediately darkened the moment he checked his OmniSync.
A warning notification flashed across the screen.
[Unauthorized Hostile Presence Detected]
The amused smile on his face vanished completely.
His grip on the device tightened.
’Again?’
Honestly, at this point the assassins were becoming insulting.
He quickly accessed the academy’s systems through his OmniSync, effortlessly bypassing layers of security before tapping into the Omni Drones and nearby CCTV feeds.
Hallways.
Elevators.
Training grounds.
Dormitory entrances.
He finally found five figures dressed in maintenance uniforms moving far too carefully through the western sector.
The drones zoomed closer just in time as one of the assassins pulled out a holographic image briefly.
Blanca.
Didn’t their employer realize something was wrong already?
Every assassin sent after Blanca either disappeared, retired, got hospitalized, or emotionally traumatized.
At this rate, the academy should start charging entrance fees for failed murder attempts.
Gawain’s eyes narrowed coldly as faces flashed across the screen one after another.
’Who exactly keeps sending these idiots?’
