Gara shifted uncomfortably in the too-small robe. He glanced down, relieved that at least the dampness on his chest was no longer exposed.

Langga’s words about Vania lingered in his mind. Truthfully, he had noticed it too. Lately, the way Vania looked at him had changed.

Sometimes he caught her watching him with an expression he couldn’t quite understand. But he knew one thing for sure—it wasn’t malice.

It’s good if she’s really changed, Gara thought. At least she didn’t turn out as extreme as Mona. When I return this robe, I’ll give her some Alrova products she likes.

Lost in his thoughts, Gara didn’t realize someone was waiting in front of his room.

"Boy, how are you busier than the vice headmaster?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Gara jumped when he saw Agus Soren standing there, arms crossed, staring at him sharply.

"Sir! Why didn’t you contact me first?" Gara blurted out.

Who would dare make someone of such high standing in the kingdom wait? A twinge of guilt crept into Gara’s chest.

"I thought that young Aura wouldn’t keep you for so long," Agus said thoughtfully.

"Students should focus on studying, not be used as labor. Should I reprimand her?"

Gara waved his hands quickly.

"It’s not Professor Aura’s fault, Sir. I stayed longer on my own to ask about some herbal plants I’ve been growing."

"Is that so?" Agus scrutinized him.

Gara nodded, forcing his expression to settle.

In Agus’s eyes, Gara looked a bit guilty—but he wouldn’t press a student who was clearly protecting his professor. Besides, he knew Gara well enough. If the boy were truly displeased, he wouldn’t stay quiet about it.

Seeing that the old vampire had dropped the matter, Gara changed the subject.

"Sir Agus, are you planning to return to the space?"

Agus nodded.

Gara immediately opened the door and gestured politely.

"Please sit for a moment, Sir. I’ll notify the people in the mansion to prepare."

Agus was about to say there was no need. He didn’t intend to stay at the mansion anyway—he wanted to head straight for the manor gate.

But Gara had already disappeared inside.

Of course he had. Whether Agus entered the mansion or not, Gara had to go in first.

He needed to make sure Ares wasn’t wandering outside.

Luckily, he found Ares training behind the house.

The dragon boy could only look dejected when he realized his brief freedom was about to end. His shoulders drooped as he walked into the mansion.

Gara felt a little bad watching him.

Should I tell Sir Agus about Ares?

He can keep my identity and this space secret. Keeping Ares a secret shouldn’t be difficult for him, right?

Still pondering that thought, Gara exited the dimensional space to meet Agus.

Agus stepped out immediately, clearly eager to continue his postponed experiments. Gara followed behind him.

The centuries-old man glanced back and noticed the unease in Gara’s movements.

"What’s wrong?" he asked.

"I want to check the harvest," Gara replied. Not entirely honest—but not a lie either.

Agus nodded and didn’t press further.

Young people had to learn to make their own decisions. They couldn’t be coddled—or forced.

Meanwhile, Gara’s mind was in turmoil, debating whether or not he should tell Agus about his plans.

When they reached the mansion gate, Agus was about to say goodbye, but Gara kept walking straight ahead, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.

"The farm field is that way, isn’t it?" Agus reminded him.

Gara snapped out of his daze. He nodded, said his farewell, and turned to leave.

After only a few steps, he stopped and turned back.

"Sir Agus! There’s something I want to tell you."

Agus waited calmly.

Gara took a deep breath and revealed Ares’s existence.

"Ares is a good child. He hasn’t done anything wrong. He was just born at the wrong time... and crossed paths with that spoiled prince." Gara finished his explanation while watching Agus’s reaction closely.

Agus listened with a composed expression.

"Yes. The child is not at fault. That young Dragon Lord needs an elder to guide him."

Gara felt a flicker of unease. Earlier, Agus had also referred to Professor Aura as "that young Aura." Now he was calling the Dragon Lord young as well.

It made Gara realize he needed to be far more humble and careful around Agus Soren. He hoped his occasional lack of restraint hadn’t planted any resentment.

More than that, Gara felt a quiet sense of relief.

It seemed Agus had no intention of exposing Ares’s existence to the Dragon Lord.

"I’ll inform Magnus to take a look at his younger generation," Agus said, leaving Gara confused.

Magnus?

The question was written all over Gara’s face, and Agus explained without being asked.

"Magnus is Ares’s biological grandfather. He’s the younger brother of the previous Dragon Lord—and the uncle of the current one."

Gara remembered Hilda once telling him about that ancient figure. As far as he knew, the being had spent centuries inside his cave and hadn’t been seen in public for hundreds of years.

Do ancient beings who dislike appearing in public have their own ways of meeting? Gara wondered.

"Don’t let your imagination run wild," Agus said, shaking his head slightly.

Gara could only chuckle when his thoughts were exposed so easily.

Without warning, Agus began venting his frustrations.

"The professors keep insisting that I become headmaster. They’re asking for something far beyond what they can even comprehend."

He clicked his tongue, clearly irritated.

Gara simply nodded along, saying nothing. He didn’t understand why Agus had suddenly decided to unload his grievances onto him.

Agus continued,

"So I went to Palapa Peak, dragged that old dragon out of his cave, and forced him to take the position."

"...Ares’s grandfather became headmaster?" Gara stared at him, stunned.

Agus nodded, his irritation already fading.

"There’ll be a welcoming ceremony next week, but he officially started today."

Something clicked in Gara’s mind.

No wonder Agus had time to return to the dimensional home today. He had dumped all his responsibilities onto the new headmaster.

"He likely already knows his grandson is alive," Agus said casually.

"I’ll have him reprimand the Dragon Lord. After that, that boy Ares won’t need to live in hiding anymore."

Gara stared at Agus, blinking slowly.

Can a single reprimand from an elder really fix the Dragon Lord’s malfunctioning brain?

Gara would be overjoyed if that truly happened, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up too high. Not even when those words came from Agus Soren himself.

After Agus finished venting about how unbearably busy the past month had been, they finally parted ways.

Agus headed toward the manor gate, while Gara went to check the harvest at the farm fields.

The workers’ and slaves’ quarters already looked like a small village. Gara could easily imagine the community inside his dimensional home growing even larger in the future.

The manager overseeing the farmers noticed Gara’s arrival and immediately approached him. Knowing the purpose of his visit, the man went straight to the report.

"Master, the main crops will finish harvesting within a week. Both the quality and quantity far exceed our usual yields. The herb garden can continue producing steadily until the end of the season. The apple trees will be harvested starting next week, after the crop harvest concludes."

"As for the chrona flowers, we began harvesting them today, following your instructions."

The farm manager, Haldor, then went into more detailed explanations about each field’s condition after harvesting.

Gara nodded along. The first harvest was bountiful—especially the chrona flowers, which had once been impossible to grow at all.

Together with Haldor, Gara toured the farm fields. Every farmer who saw him smiled and greeted him. They were no longer distant like they had been before.

The past few months had made them realize that the landowner here wasn’t like the nobles outside. He was approachable, willing to mingle, and didn’t throw sudden tantrums.

Gara was pleased to see that change.

The next day, after classes ended, Gara brought five boxes of chrona flowers to the Alchemist Association building.

Ambar greeted him with sparkling eyes.

"You really did it, Gara. I’ll prepare a special storage room and start drafting the project plan. Your name will be listed right at the front."

Gara responded modestly. He wasn’t particularly interested in the longevity elixir project at first, but once he started researching, he found himself craving the creation of something new. If he was allowed to join, he wouldn’t refuse.

"You can inform the lab staff of your available hours. I’ll send the research schedule within the next few days," Ambar said.

Gara nodded in response.

...

Just as Agus Soren had said, a ceremony was held to welcome the new headmaster.

All the students already knew who the new headmaster was. Gara had no idea how the information spread so quickly, but he wasn’t especially curious. After all, most students at Gyakarta Academy came from influential families.

Magnus the Dragon entered the great hall, stirring a wave of commotion among the students.

Gara had always thought that beings who lived for hundreds of years wouldn’t look old—but this elder dragon had silver hair, a silver beard, and a deeply lined face.

And because of that appearance, he seemed far more composed, his aura vastly heavier than any powerful figure Gara had ever encountered in the kingdom.

Gara never imagined that after the ceremony ended, he would be summoned to the headmaster’s office.

...