"No one touches my students."

"What's that!? You think just because you're in a wheelchair we will be nice to you!?"

"No, no. Not at all. I'm just here to say that you should pay for your food. You seem to have already finished them all before complaining that they don't taste good."

"Tch."

One of the men raised his eyebrow as he slowly stomped his way towards Viel. His other companion, however, remained silent as he stared at Viel.

"Seeing as you two are visitors, it would be bad if something happens to the two of you because of not paying. Everyone has been agitated due to the impending war, you see. What do you think would happen if the only remaining restaurant in town closes down due to a rude visitor not paying for their meal?"

As soon as the other diners heard Viel's words, they all let out a unified hum as they stared at the two men that were causing a ruckus.

"I would hate it if this would be the last town you will ever visit in your life." Viel let out a warm smile as he slightly tilted his head to the side.

"What!? You think you can threaten us just becau--"

"Fine."

Before the younger one could finish his words, his companion stopped him. He still remembered the pressure that he felt when Viel was approaching them. If what he felt wasn't just his imagination, then this golden-haired man in front of them was a hidden expert.

"What!? But brother, we can't just let them--"

"Shut up."

Once again, he did not let his brother finish his words as he placed a bag of coins on the table. "Let's go."

"Tch. Be grateful my brother is generous today!"

Seeing his older brother hurriedly leaving, the younger one didn't have much of a choice as he followed him out. But not before spitting on the floor for no apparent reason.

"Why did you pay, brother!? We could have had a free meal!" As soon as the two were alone, the younger brother let out a long and deep sigh.

"No, let's not get involved with that wheelchair dude. We should also probably leave as soon as possible."

"But we just got here! We haven't even earned any coins yet… and we even lost some!"

"Don't worry. We won't leave here empty-handed. I am sure there is someone else we can target before we leave."

"Oh, how about those two then?"

"Hm? Oho. Good eye."

The older one quickly nodded as he looked in the direction where his younger brother was pointing to. "They look like country bumpkins."

"Think they can even understand us?"

"Pft. Even better if they can't."

With a unified chuckle, the two approached a dark-skinned man with a huge bag. There was also a young girl holding his hand, but they didn't really pay her any mind as their focus was on the huge bag.

"Wow, this city looks so different from our village! Are these supposed to be houses!? Our whole village can live inside one of these!"

"Hm… If you visit my home planet, you'd see bigger ones. Even bigger than this little town itself."

"What, when would we visit!?"

"Once you're old enough. Maybe after 100 thousand years."

"One… one hundred thousand!? How many is that!? Will I be an adult by the--"

"Hello there, you two seem lost?"

As the two… country bumpkins were leisurely talking with each other, the younger brother approached them, his smile seemingly genuine.

"Lost? Eh!? Are we lost again, father!?"

Hearing the words of the man that suddenly approached them, the young girl could not help but punch her companion's stomach.

"No," the dark-skinned man seemed unaffected, however. "He is definitely here somewhere. I detected him just now."

"Oh, are you looking for someone? Come, follow us. We know the guards here, they could surely find the people you are looking for!"

"Really? Then I thank you in advance, human."

The dark-skinned man immediately handed a small pouch towards the younger brother as he said his thanks.

'Jackpot!' The two brothers thought. A country bumpkin with a loose pocket.

The two brothers could not help but let out a slight giggle as they beckoned to the dark-skinned man to follow them.

The dark-skinned man and his young companion continued to follow the two brothers into an alley.

"Oi, what the. These are shells!?"

"You kidding me, oi!"

"Hand over that bag you have with you!"

Their roars and screams seeped through the alley, but after a few seconds, all that remained was silence…

...and the two brothers were never to be seen again.

***

"Thank you, really thank you!"

Back in the restaurant, Lillia and her parents were paying their respects, bowing their heads towards Viel. Cheers and clamor also echoed throughout the restaurant as the other diners clapped their hands.

"N… no. It's nothing," Viel could only scratch his hair, also slightly bowing his head towards the other diners and gesturing them to stop. "It's only natural. I just did what I had to do as Lillia's teacher."

"Oh, you're our daughter's teacher!?"

"Lillia has been helping around the shop so she has not been able to go to school, we're sorry about that."

"No. She is welcome to come back anytime she wants to. There's not much for me to teach really. In the end, their efforts matter the most. I am more a guide than I am a teacher for these children."

"T… Thank you!" Lillia's eyes lit up as soon as she heard her teacher's words. At first, she was embarrassed to show herself in front of her classmates, since she suddenly went away without even a single word.

But seeing Viel now and hearing his words, she could not help but feel a certain warmth in her heart.

"Really, thank--"

"Huwhat!?"

Before Lillia could say her thanks once more, a thundering shout reverberated in the entire restaurant, almost deafening those who were unfortunate enough to be near the source. All the people in the restaurant looked in the direction of the loud voice, only to find a boy with half of his face covered by a scarf.

"Why are you accepting her and not me!?" The boy raised his hand, his finger trembling as it pointed back and forth between Viel and Lillia.

Andrew, who instantly recognized the boy's words, could not help but widen his eyes.

"Ed… ward?"

"Huk!" The boy covered with a scarf slightly backed away as he saw Andrew also pointing at him.

The truth is, Edward had been following Viel and Sofia even before Edward and the rest were discovered. He had been waiting outside the school and has been following them ever since they left the premises.

He wanted to find out where they lived and was going to kneel in front of Viel's house. After all, if there was one thing he learned… is that persistence is the key.

But when he saw teacher Viel accepting Lillia just like that, he lost it.

"Aha! I knew you treat your students unfairly!"

And suddenly, out of nowhere, a group barged inside the restaurant.

"B… brother!?"

It was Edward's brother, Arphonse, who had also been following him even before Edward started following Viel. There were three other men behind him, their eyes all filled with hostility.

"Is this him!? Is this the guy who suddenly hit you in the back!?"

"Tch. Don't think that just because you're a cripp-- Ugh!"

Before the group could even finish their words, a sharp whistle echoed throughout the restaurant, followed by the sound of Arphonse and his men screaming as they were blown away by what seemed to be a colossal gust of wind.

Their bodies rolled all the way outside of the restaurant like ragdolls, their clean and stylish clothes now painted with mud.

"..."

The diners inside the restaurant could not help but blink a couple of times as they stared at the swiveling door. What just happened? They all thought.

Viel's students, however, slowly turned their heads towards the quiet woman seated at their table. Unlike the rest of the people inside the restaurant, they felt a cool breeze brush past them, and it came from none other than their teacher's wife, Sofia. And seeing as she currently had her hands stretched, the wind magic definitely came from her.

"..."

"Sometimes, violence is good."

***

"Bye!"

"See you tomorrow, teacher Viel!"

"You too, teacher Sofia! Please teach us the magic arts you used earlier!"

After another hour, the group finally decided to leave the restaurant and bid their farewells, leaving Edward alone inside the restaurant, contemplating his short life.

"All of you go straight home, okay?" Viel raised a finger, "Tomorrow, we're going to see if all of you can break through to the next realm. Have a good night!"

"E… Eh?"

The students widened their eyes in disbelief as they watched their teacher's back, or rather Sofia's back as she pushed Viel away.

"Did… did teacher Viel just say we will break through tomorrow?" Gary said as he looked at his classmates.

"To the Elemental Realm!? But it hasn't even been half a month!" Andrew shook his head, but there was an excited smile forming on his face. "He… he is joking, right?"

"I… don't think so." Tina could only furrow her eyebrows as a single sweat trailed on her face.

"Ha… haha! Lucky! We're so lucky!"

Even though they were already at a distance, Sofia could not help but smile as she heard the excitement in the students' voices. "It would seem that your students really like you, Vi."

"Do they?"

"Maybe because you're also a kid?"

"What, me? Psh, no. I'm old enough to even have my own children right now."

"Pft!" Sofia instantly burst out in laughter as soon as she heard the words that came out of Viel's mouth, "You? Do you even know what that means!?"

"O… of course!"

Viel's eyes twitched as the mockery inside Sofia's tone was obvious. Her continued laughter also did not help.

"Tch. Then let's do it! Let's do it right now!"

"Haha… wait, what?"

"Let's do it tonight!"

"I… I was just kidding with you, Vi."

"No, I will show you that I know how to do it!"

Hearing the dedication and sincerity in Viel's words, Sofia could not help but take a gulp. "L… let's not talk about this anymore!" She raised her voice as her steps became wider.

[No, Viel. You can't do it!]

"What!? Even Miss Lu Yi is telling me that I can't do it! That's it, let's do this tonight!"

"It… it's not a challenge, Vi! This is something that you do with… with the person you love!"

"Eh!? Then I don't see the problem with this. I love y--"

*BOOM*