"Good evening, Professor Danist. You're his teacher?"
Claire hesitated, and Administrator Miss glanced toward the bed before nodding lightly.
"Yes, the kind of teacher you're thinking of. Barring any surprises, Shade will likely be the one to take over as the next administrator of the Academy Library."
Based on Shade's descriptions, Claire had imagined his teacher as "a venerable old gentleman with a white beard." It now seemed that aside from guessing the species correctly, she had gotten everything else wrong.
Of course, she knew what "the next library administrator" meant. With a complicated expression, she nodded, then released Daniste's hand. Claire had a rather difficult-to-describe intuition—this young and beautiful Sorceress and her handsome, mysterious student probably did not have such a simple relationship.
She trusted her intuition.
"I'm Claire Reinhart, a friend Shade met on the island. Welcome to Fatumonst Island, Professor. Please join the dinner we've prepared later."
Though she dearly wanted to seize Shade by the collar, shake him awake, and demand to know what exactly was going on, Claire continued with her introduction. When facing a Thirteenth Ring Arcanist, such courtesy was necessary.
Miss Danist by the window nodded again.
"All right, but after dinner, I still need to take Emilia back to the Academy. I know who you are. Emilia mentioned you to me. Thank you for taking care of Shade and Emilia on the island these past few days."
"It's no trouble. Shade has actually been taking care of me."
The Witches all laughed, and Megan, seated at the table, spoke again.
"Claire, Professor Danist is one of us. You can trust her completely."
"One of us?"
Sun's Great Witch and someone eavesdropping both pondered this privately. The latter wondered whether he counted as "one of us" as well.
Since something like this had