# Ivan Petrovich Yeremorov
Isabel was walking unsteadily with exhausted eyes. Krasilov, where winter had swiftly arrived, was bitterly cold.
It was now mid-November. Generally, this season in Krasilov is called the "real winter." For reference, this country has three more "fake winters."
Foreign students were considering whether they should amputate their toes despite taking every possible cold-weather precaution. The low hill path leading to the campus was covered in ice.
"I really can't believe it..."
"The weather—*sniff*! Because of the weather?"
"No, because of the final exams..."
Isabel grumbled to Asidis, who was sniffling.
"I saved an entire country and risked my life in a siege battle, and when I come back, all I get is final exams? I don't have the courage to live in this world anymore..."
"Come on, what does it matter? We're just first-years!"
"That laziness is so typical of someone from Droan. No, actually, it's just typical of people. Yes, people are just like that."
Elfihera quietly laughed beside her.
"I agreed to drop formalities, not my humanity."
"Well, it's better than dropping your studies, isn't it?"
"Put down your weapon. One of you is going home early today."
"Planning to skip finals with a sick note? That's quite impressive for a Droan person."
Since the two bickering was a daily occurrence, Isabel simply sighed lightly and continued walking.
"It's really, really cold."
Isabel shook her head.
Today, he felt stares piercing into him. This was not good.
A trained agent should be able to maintain secrecy and naturalness anywhere. No matter where they were or what position they held, they should always blend in with their surroundings.
Ivan stopped walking and looked around.
"!!!"
"Hey, I-I saw him here!"
"He doesn't seem to be an undergraduate..."
"A diplomat? That's the vibe, right?"
Students murmured and hurriedly turned their heads away. Ivan narrowed his eyes and examined them one by one.
All the personal information about the students at this school unfolded easily in his mind. None of them seemed suspicious.
So if there were no spies attached...
'If not a spy from an allied foreign country... Did Count Valika have me followed?'
There was still something to settle with Count Valika. In exchange for Ivan gifting him the dwarven munitions industry, the Count had dispatched the 2nd Corps to rescue him.
He would need to meet with him at headquarters soon, but the Count was a difficult old man, as military commanders from wartime typically are. He was not someone to be taken lightly.
The proof was in those stares right now.
'Is he doing preliminary work before negotiations? Well, if he's switched to the Princess faction now, he might want to compete for loyalty.'
The Counterintelligence Command could be considered the Princess's longtime confidant. If the military had been recruited in the midst of this, it wouldn't be strange for them to prepare countermeasures.
Ivan continued walking, conscious of the heavy presence of the pistol inside his coat.
Separated from her companions, Elfihera sat with furrowed brows. Though the university hadn't changed from usual after her long absence, the annoying people seemed to have doubled.
"Oh, Miss Grikenkos. Are you preparing well for the finals?"
"As well as Miss Rustfitz's engagement."
"B-but mine is going well?!"
"That's exactly what I meant."
After getting rid of one clingy girl, she sank back into her worries. Unlike last semester when she had filled her transcript with A+s, this time she wasn't confident.
Of course, the exam content was all familiar to her, but she had severely lacked preparation time.
"But what's important is..."
Ivan Petrovich Yeremorov.
How to take that madman to Kalion.
She absolutely had to return home during the break. Asidis wasn't a concern, but Isabel... and.
'Elizabeta Kirillovna Krasilov.'
That cunning woman would be by Ivan's side during her absence.
'What kind of relationship do they have...?'
Elfihera bit her fingernail, lost in thought. What could possibly connect a princess and a soldier? Even though he had been in the Royal Guard, that period was brief, and during that time, Ivan had belonged to the late king's direct strike team.
At that time, the princess was barely in her late teens. How could she have connections with a frontline strike team...?
'Wait.'
Come to think of it, the princess held a marriage duel last summer.
The reason Lord Yeremorov participated wasn't because he wanted to get married, but...
'Coercion...!'
Lord Yeremorov is a soldier, and currently all military authority in this country belongs to the princess. If the princess had been targeting Lord Yeremorov since then... (It's true.)
"I absolutely, definitely must take him with me during winter break."
She would monopolize Lord Yeremorov for three months, away from all the other thieving women. If she could teach him about Kalion's beautiful cities, outstanding scenery, delicious food, and excellent culture...
He would surely decide to leave this cold, lonely, dark human country and finally naturalize. The conditions for naturalization would include life extension and marriage to a Kalion Privy Council noble.
"Hehehe..."
As the young elf woman was salivating and making inappropriate sounds, she suddenly glanced out the window and tilted her head.
Outside the window, she could see a group of students following Lord Yeremorov. That was impossible.
She blinked several times, rubbed her eyes firmly, and briefly checked her magic levels.
"Did I use magic? No, I didn't cast any spells today."
She hadn't used [Grikenkos-style Illusion Shaving] today...?
Why couldn't she see his beard?
Professor Ivan Petrovich Yeremorov had many nicknames. The Bearded Monster, The Torturer, The Ghost...
Due to his intense first appearance and his subsequent disappearance like the wind, rumors snowballed. In truth, there wasn't much else to do in Krasilov during winter.
He had opened three courses, tortured students thoroughly, acted like he was going to teach something, and then vanished. Of course, the students didn't complain.
Partly because Enrique, who came in as a substitute professor, was very popular, and partly because it was a golden opportunity to pass a 15-credit course just by attending.
*thud*
So that day, the students remembered.
*thud*
The terror of being tortured by Professor Ivan.
"Everyone be quiet."
A familiar voice, chilling gaze. But from a completely different person who had appeared.
Before fear, questions arose first.
The perfectly reasonable question of why he had been covering it up all this time.
"Focus. I'll briefly go over what will be on next week's exam."
The lecture hall fell silent. Ivan didn't even need to tell them to be quiet. They had already heard rumors of his return, but for a different reason.
The students were blankly staring at the man standing on the podium.
"Assuming everyone has completed Professor Enrique's classes, I will create the exam from within that scope. The exam will consist of 30% written and 70% practical—"
No one dared ask why there was a final exam for a Pass/Fail course. They couldn't even think to ask that question.
Isabel listened blankly to Ivan's words and found herself nodding.
"The class is fun..."
Why is it fun? It's fun just looking at him. How strange... and then.
I should go home and make kimchi soon, she decided.
"Essie!! Essie!! Did you see him? Did you see the mister?!"
"Shh, be quiet, Isabel!"
Having just finished the conducting written exam, Asidis hurriedly covered Isabel's mouth. Isabel was still grinning despite having her mouth firmly covered.
Has she finally lost it? Poor thing.
How much pressure from the exams had she been under? She wasn't usually one to study so hard.
"What's going on?"
"You have to see this yourself. It's absolutely insane!"
"What is it? Tell me."
"Big brother shaved."
"Hey! Don't spoil it!"
Isabel shouted and smacked Yu-jin's back repeatedly. Yu-jin simply shrugged.
"Well, everyone in the Chivalry Department is talking about it anyway. They were making such a fuss that even the Theology Department heard about it."
"Sh-sh-shaved? Why?"
"That's what I want to ask. Are you free this evening? We're all gathering at my place for dinner as a post-exam celebration. The mister himself told us to all get together!"
"Even if I wasn't free, I'd have to make myself free for this!!"
Asidis stomped the ground in regret. Ah, I should have gone to that class! I skipped it to prepare for the final ensemble, but why did it have to be today!
She grumbled while tightening her coat made of northern fox fur.
And finally that evening, facing Isabel's feast prepared with all her might.
Ivan, who had been silent, surveyed the party and opened his mouth.
"Within five years, the United Kingdom will certainly collapse."
The party members dribbled their kimchi stew.