After escorting Sieg to his destination, the staff member quietly took his leave.
Knock, knock, knock~
Sieg took a deep breath and gently knocked on the office door. From within, an aged, hoarse voice responded.
"Come in~"
Sieg pushed open the old wooden door, and a faint, elegant fragrance seeped out to greet him.
What unfolded before his eyes was a study filled with scholarly air. Both walls were embedded with towering bookshelves, each lined neatly with books of all kinds.
The room exuded an air of quiet refinement. At the center, behind a large desk, sat a hunched, bald old man.
Clad in a short black robe, the old man slowly lifted his lifeless, fish-like eyes as Sieg entered.
"You're the breeder recommended by Roxanne?" the elder mumbled, lips barely moving.
Sieg replied with utmost respect, "Yes,sir, my name is Sieg. I'm a junior-level breeder."
From the way the old man casually referred to Roxanne, Sieg instantly caught on, this was no ordinary school principal. If he could so freely address a Gym Leader by her first name, his status had to be exceptional.
"Heh, no need to mind this old bag of bones. Half my body's already in the grave~"
He waved his hand with a raspy chuckle.
But even with such words, Sieg remained respectfully still, quietly standing by the doorway, not daring to step further inside.
Although there was an air of decay clinging to the man, the pressure he exuded in every slight movement spoke volumes. This was not someone to be taken lightly.
It was the distinct authority of one who had long occupied a position of true power.
Sieg prided himself on his observational skills, considering them sharper than even his innate talent as a trainer or breeder.
Click!
Just as the room settled into an odd, tense silence, the door creaked open once more.
Roxanne walked in slowly. Sieg's gaze flickered with subtle emotion, but before he could say a word, the usually composed and dignified Roxanne broke into a light jog toward the old man's side.
"Grandpa, why didn't you eat the breakfast they made for you in the cafeteria? That's bad for your stomach. How is your body supposed to recover if you keep this up?"
With worry written all over her face, Roxanne helped him sit up properly, softly scolding him in a concerned tone.
"Heh, Roxanne, aren't you supposed to be busy with your Gym duties? What brings you here worrying about an old man like me?"
The old man bared the few yellowed teeth he had left, voice hoarse as sandpaper.
Sieg quietly listened from the side as the two exchanged words. Before long, both of them left the room together.
As Roxanne gently closed the door behind her, she turned to Sieg and explained in a hushed voice, "Grandpa Muto was the previous Gym Leader of Rustboro, and also my mentor."
At her words, Sieg gained a new understanding. His eyes instinctively shifted back to that old wooden door, and his impression of the decaying old man deepened with newfound respect.
Soon after, Roxanne led Sieg toward another academic building. Along the way, students greeted her one after another with reverent smiles.
"Our school is divided into three levels of students, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Normally, they enroll at sixteen and graduate by nineteen, after which they head straight into the League tournament."
"As for the uniforms you saw, white, gray, and black represent the three grade levels. Of course, there are always a few slow learners who get held back…"
Roxanne explained everything with thoughtful care, guiding Sieg through all the key details of the school.
"You'll be serving as a temporary breeding instructor this time, mainly focusing on Pokémon care and nurturing."
They stopped in front of an elegantly furnished classroom, and Roxanne gave a final reminder.
"Here's the list of the students in your class."
Sieg took the sheet she offered. A quick glance revealed that the class was pitifully small, barely more than a dozen names.
Clearly, this academy followed an elite education model.
Looking up at the plaque above the door, Sieg took a moment to gather himself. Some of these students were even a year older than he was, and now he was expected to teach them.
He didn't quite know how to describe this feeling.
With a mix of anticipation and tension, he pushed the door open.
In an instant, more than a dozen curious gazes landed on him.
Without revealing a hint of discomfort, Sieg silently counted the students, then smiled gently.
"Hello everyone. Starting today, I'll be your temporary breeding instructor for the next week."
Instantly after he was done talking, a hand shot up from below.
As Sieg focused his gaze, he immediately felt a flicker of familiarity. After a moment's thought, he remembered, this was the same student who had repeatedly mocked him during his battle with Roxanne.
If I recall correctly, his name was Lucius, someone with a bit of background, it seemes.
Sieg maintained a calm expression and gave him a nod to speak.
"Teacher, may I ask, how old are you this year?" Lucius asked, face full of doubt.
"I just turned seventeen not long ago."
Sieg answered with his usual gentle smile.
But the moment those words left his lips, the entire classroom stirred. A dozen or so students stared at him in astonishment. This man looked about their age, yet he was their teacher?
"Is that so? Teacher, you certainly look very young. Are you sure you're capable of teaching us properly?"
Lucius's tone was laced with mockery, his expression filled with disdain and challenge.
Sieg's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the student who had now provoked him more than once. A flicker of murderous intent rose within him.
Though to outsiders Sieg seemed like a naturally kind-hearted and gifted breeder, he had never once forgotten his true roots.
A pirate.
A profession that had left countless corpses buried in the ocean's depths.
"This is the hassle of walking the League's path. Everything has to be done by the book. If this happened on sea, I would've killed him already."
Sieg slowly suppressed the killing intent in his heart and maintained a pleasant smile on the surface.
Meanwhile, several other students perked up with interest. They were eager to see how this young teacher would handle the situation.
Sieg stepped down from the podium and casually walked over to Lucius. Without a word, he picked up a book from the desk and rolled it into a tube.
Smack!
The book struck Lucius squarely on the forehead.
"You-!"
Before Lucius could shout in anger, Sieg's voice cut in sharply.
"Next time you address your teacher, do so with respect. That is the very least you owe to someone who is here to pass knowledge on to you."
Lucius was from a prestigious family, the kind used to getting away with anything in school. Even the faculty usually gave him a wide berth.
When had he ever been treated like this?
"A mere trainer like you dares to treat me this way? Let me tell you, my family-"
Before he could finish, Sieg's icy gaze locked onto him.
In that instant, Lucius's entire body froze, cold sweat breaking out across his back.
Sieg had the blood of a pirate running through his veins, the kind of ruthless savagery that couldn't be faked or hidden. Normally buried deep, once unleashed, it was not something the pampered second-generation elite could even begin to handle.
After giving Lucius a fitting lesson, Sieg calmly returned to the podium. He picked up a brush and, with steady strokes, wrote 4 large letters across the screen.
Sieg.
"This is my name. I am a junior-level breeder. Teaching you the fundamentals of Pokémon care and breeding… is more than within my ability."
The moment his words hit, the students below opened their eyes wide in shock.
Some of them hailed from influential families in Rustboro, while others came from various cities across the region.
But recently, they had all received the same directive from their families—to get close to a rising star in the breeder world, someone named Sieg.
They had heard rumors. Whispers of a prodigy who, at the age of seventeen, had passed the junior breeder certification with flying colors.
None of them expected that the very same Sieg was this seemingly ordinary, same-aged boy standing before them.
Not as a peer.
But as their teacher.