Beacon Academy.
The most prestigious school for aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses in the entirety of Remnant. While others could perhaps boast the most high-tech equipment or even the most numerous graduates, none could argue against the quality of Beacon's newly-minted elite.
There are many arguments as to why Beacon gained such acclaim. Some say it's the neighboring city-kingdom of Vale, with its central location and abundant natural resources providing Beacon with plenty of supplies and equipment. Others say it's the students, whose variety of backgrounds and skillsets ensure a rich learning experience. Another theory states it's the curriculum, carefully constructed to be able to accommodate any and all trainees.
They'd all be wrong.
For what good would resources be without someone to direct their usage? What could students learn without someone to guide them? And what use is the curriculum when there is no one to put it into practice?
The true core of Beacon, the real reason why the school has garnered such fame, lies with its elite corps of teachers, Huntsmen and Huntresses both active and retired who have dedicated their lives to teaching and educating the bright young minds of the next generation, future defenders of human and faunus kind, heirs and heiresses to the mantle of beacons of Light against the Dark.
One such teacher has taken a well-deserved week-long vacation, leaving the rest of Beacon's educators to pick up the slack.
God help them.
Ozpin took a sip of his coffee.
One might think the position of Headmaster of Beacon, the overseer of the most prestigious Huntsman academy of all of Remnant, would be extremely challenging; a high-intensity career where one's mind and skill would be put to the test every single day.
The truth was it was extremely boring at times.
Oh sure, Ozpin had to fill out the occasional paperwork authorizing a new shipment of Dust, send out monthly reports to the Council and then listen to whatever complaints they had, and perhaps hand out some life-changing advice to any enterprising student whom he encountered on his random strolls throughout the campus. But the vast majority of his days were spent up in the tower drinking his coffee.
Today seemed to be no different. He lied back in his chair, letting the steady tic-toc-tic-toc of the massive clockwork gears slowly lull him to sleep.
The slap of papers on his desk and the clearing of a throat broke his short slumber. Sitting up, he opened his eyes to a familiar face. Glancing down, he saw a small set of papers, and with practiced motion Ozpin pulled out his pen.
"Quite early for paperwork, isn't it?" he asked.
"It is currently one in the afternoon." A slightly irritated voice tinged with amusement could only belong to one Glynda Goodwitch.
Ozpin had known Glynda for a long, long time. She had proven time and time again to be a stalwart companion both on the battlefield and here as an educator. While there was no doubt things the two of them have disagreed on, things they continued to disagree on to this day, Glynda was someone Ozpin knew he could depend on from fighting Grimm to organizing an assembly for the first-year trainees.
"And it is seven in the morning in Vacuo. Time is merely relative; what may be early morning for one may be late in the evening for another." Ozpin absently said as he wrote out his signature.
"Save your insight for a student. You've already given me that excuse a week ago." Glynda retorted with harmless irritation.
Switching the subject, Ozpin asked, "So whose paid vacation am I authorizing today?"
At this Glynda actually looked…ashamed? Nervous? How odd. "That's actually mine. Sir."
A raised eyebrow. "Oh? I've never taken you for a vacation person Glynda." A pause. "In fact, the only other person I've seen work harder than you is Celeste when she gets into one of her moods. What brought this on?"
"I was actually talking with the woman a week ago. She mentioned her niece forcing her to take a break when the semester ended, and that reminded me I haven't used my vacation days either." She pushed her glasses up her brow. "After a bit of rumination, I decided it was time for me to have a rest from teaching for a while."
"With paid leave?"
"Of course."
Ozpin simply shook his head, a very slight smile on his face. "Very well. As always, you have all the paperwork in order. When are you off?"
"I'll be taking a Bullhead in the evening to Callie Spoils Resorts. The reviews are acceptable and the location is close enough that I can respond to anything that comes up back here."
Ozpin raised his eyebrow. "Are you saying this school would fall apart in the few days that you're absent?"
Glynda gave him a flat stare. "To be frank, yes."
Ozpin returned the stare, locking eyes with his longtime friend and subordinate. After a brief minute, he broke eye contact and shook his head, a short chuckle managing to escape his smiling mouth. "Glynda, I think you've been eavesdropping on the other staff members a bit too much. Your contributions are, while significant and certainly vital to the wellbeing of this school, aren't the sole factor preventing Beacon from descending into anarchy."
Ozpin gestured outside to the vast array of buildings that made up the campus. "The rest of the staff and even some of the students are more than capable of covering your absence."
Glynda's serious expression held on for a few scant moments before it melted into a smile. "Perhaps I have." She picked up the papers. "Although I'm a bit concerned how you're going to function without a steady intake of coffee each day."
Ozpin furrowed his brow. "What exactly are you implying here?"
The woman gestured to the mug that Ozpin just realized was nearly empty. "It's just I've never actually seen you get your coffee by yourself. I've always brewed and brought it to you."
"Glynda, I'm the headmaster of Beacon. If I didn't know how to operate a coffee machine we'd have plenty more problems besides any caffeine-related deficiencies."
Glynda simply shook her head. "Whatever you say. In any case…" She handed Ozpin a fresh coffee mug that she'd been holding all this time, which he accepted gratefully. "It's about time for me to return to class. Have a good day."
"As to you."
With a ding, the elevator doors opened and closed, leaving Ozpin once more alone with the steady clockwork rhythm overhead.
As if I didn't know how to brew my own coffee. This week will be over without incident, that I'm sure of.
In retrospect, Ozpin realized that was his first mistake.
A/N: And here's the debut of my third fanfic: Glynda's Week Off! In which our ever-reliable riding crop-wielding Huntress takes a week-long vacation.
