Top Instructor of a Third-Rate Academy

190

"A match is not possible right now."

"Why is that?"

"Because I have to go teach class."

At my words, the Spear God narrowed his eyes and broke into a mischievous grin.

"Do you think that is a valid reason?"

Why was it not?

Class is a sacred thing.

Just as students arrive at the classroom on time, a teacher must enter the classroom on time.

And during class hours, one does one's utmost to conduct the lesson.

That was the sacred rule of class time.

"A trivial class like that! Boy. Do you know why I was hated in the Holy Kingdom?"

"No."

"Because I have never once properly listened to whatever people said was important!"

The Spear God said this proudly.

Inwardly, I thought:

There is nothing to be proud of.

No matter how you looked at it, it was not the thought pattern of a normal person.

"No. Instead...... we can have a similar kind of match."

I pointed at the end of the corridor with a finger.

"I shall go to the classroom to keep my promise with my students. If I reach the classroom, I win. If you block me from going, the Spear God wins."

The Spear God pulled up one corner of his mouth into a smile.

"A match that clearly favors me. Do you have confidence?"

Instead of answering, I began to walk.

The corridor I was walking along was wide enough for ten people to run abreast.

It had been designed, during the Academy-City renovation, to accommodate dozens of people moving together.

The height was also a generous three meters.

Which meant the Spear God could use his spear to move freely up, down, and everywhere.

"Hup."

The Spear God, as though doing a pole vault, used his spear to leap lightly, flinging himself to the far side of the corridor.

The dead center of the passage I had to pass through to reach the classroom.

"First, take this!"

A thrust infused with the spear's signature Turbulent Snatch principle came flying at me.

It looked like simple repeated thrusts, but each one traced a semicircular arc.

If I tried to block with my sword, the sword would clearly get deflected, or else the thrust would wind around the blade and drive down onto me.

Despite his advanced age, it was a strategy that leveraged a body stronger than mine.

'Not bad, but.'

I tried to disperse those thrusts through intent alone.

At that, the air in the corridor flowed like a sea current, deflecting every one of the opponent's attacks.

None of his attacks reached my body — they only scattered.

"Oho?"

But as if he had anticipated this situation, his spear began to strike me in broad, sweeping motions.

It was the Spear God's signature attack style.

'Predictable.'

A signature attack style meant it was an attack style I had already seen many times.

I fired sword aura at the axis — the most central point — of that attack.

"Tricks!"

The Spear God scoffed and whipped his spear this way and that.

The sword aura I had fired was wiped out by the spear's trajectory and dissipated.

Into the brief opening that created, my body slipped through.

"You think so!"

The Spear God pulled his spear in close and, holding it short, launched combination strikes targeting my whole body.

And I.

'Leap.'

Lightly jumped past the Spear God's range and landed.

Perhaps due to the effect of the Phantom Steed Fantasy, my body felt as light as a leaf riding a rapids, fluttering gently across.

"Here we are."

"Ha, haha."

From behind, the Spear God let out a hollow laugh.

In most situations, he would have continued attacking.

But right now I had already reached the classroom door using the power of the Phantom Steed Fantasy.

"So I have won, correct?"

"As I said before, in my entire life I have never been bound by promises or rules with people!"

I scratched my chin.

"That is not the reason."

"What was that?"

"Your spear......"

I pointed at the Spear God's spearhead.

The spearhead was completely ruined.

"W-when? You never drew your sword."

That was right.

I had not drawn my sword during the fight with the Spear God.

I had simply set my intent and swept my hand.

'I think I can use my whole body like a sword.'

To be precise, my hands and arms, feet and such.

Any part I could swing like a weapon could discharge energy.

While lightly slipping past using Phantom Steed Fantasy, at a precarious distance I struck down the spearhead thrusting at me.

And my Aura broke through the Spear God's Aura and ruined the spearhead.

The way it was done was so subtle and swift that even the Spear God apparently could not properly register my movement.

This is going to be quite useful.

I smiled at the Spear God and answered.

"I hear the Crownhardt Ducal House, which just arrived, has some skilled blacksmiths."

"Y-you brat! I can fight without a spearhead too."

"Rozalin?"

At my signal, Rozalin, who had been following me, circled around behind the Spear God and locked her arms around his neck.

"Gkk?!"

"All right, gramps, from here on this is obstruction of Academy classes. I am arresting you for obstruction of official duties~"

"Y-you brat! This is not official duties!"

"Oh my. Defying a security guard's orders makes it obstruction-of-obstruction-of-official-duties."

"Release me and talk!"

"Oh my. Obstruction-of-obstruction-of-obstruction-of-official-duties~"

While Rozalin handled the old Spear God excellently, I hurried through the classroom door and entered.

There, the students were waiting for me.

Quite packed — including new faces.

***

The mood in the large lecture hall was unsettled.

That stood to reason, because starting today, roughly five hundred new students — knights from Crownhardt and soldiers up to the rank of centurion — had suddenly joined the class.

The existing students in the class numbered about fifteen hundred.

The lecture hall, which had looked spacious at the start of the semester, was now packed with no room to step.

As a result, voices of discontent slowly began to rise among the students.

'We fought through competition of hundreds-to-one to barely enroll here. And now senior citizens who got in through competition of merely tens-to-one — no, even single-digit-to-one — are taking classes alongside us? It degrades us.'

'Our Kingdom of Namress is facing the threat of extinction. In times like this, should they not be educating people like us more, and supporting the revival of the Kingdom of Namress?'

'He instantly restored Chamson's Aura, they say. Is it not better to teach us — people who can be thrown into combat immediately — rather than these young kids?'

'Our Teacher is frail, if he teaches this many people at once and collapses, what then...... Must protect the sickly-beautiful middle-aged man......'

Cassian skimmed over such people's expressions.

He did not know the students' grievances precisely, but he could tell that their satisfaction had dropped.

The expressions toward himself were still sparkling, but whenever they looked at their neighboring classmates, their faces turned peculiar.

Many had their tone lowered, and many outright wore irritated expressions of dislike.

It might look like a simple student-to-student conflict, but leaving it alone would ruin the class atmosphere.

Because the class Cassian ran was a swordsmanship class.

Serious problems could occur during sparring, and excessive competition could lead students to make wrong choices.

To prevent such situations.

"Since many new students have joined, I would like to change the class format a bit."

Make the students interact with each other and come to value each other.

Had not the once-in-a-lifetime couple of Bridget and Eleveth been formed through this very class last year?

So.

"I will be conducting group-based lessons."

They are bound to like this class.

With that certainty, Cassian outlined the class plan.

"I regret suddenly introducing a new evaluation method midway through the semester."

Translation: Sorry for bringing in something not in the syllabus.

"However, since many new students have flowed in and there is also a wide deviation between grade levels, I believe this kind of group-based class will create good synergy by evening out your average levels outside of class hours."

Translation: Your deviation is too wide. You keep dumping students into my class. So let us share that burden, shall we?

"Among you are students of excellent skill. And then there are people with long careers despite perhaps lacking skill somewhat. That experience will be a valuable opportunity that my lessons alone cannot fill."

Translation: Specifically, you elders lack skill. If you are going to sit in class, make yourselves useful.

"Come to think of it, the time for midterm grading is approaching. I hope your cooperation will proceed in the right direction."

Translation: I am grading soon. Anyone who does not cooperate with the group lessons properly and muddies the water is failing.

"I will think about the midterm exam from now on. I will prepare an exam that is difficult to handle alone, but beneficial when taken together in groups."

Translation: It will be hard. You cannot solve it alone. Prepare yourselves.

As Cassian's words went on, the students' expressions rotted further.

This was a gathering of outstanding geniuses — at worst, of prodigies.

Not a single person failed to understand what Cassian was saying.

The students began to glance nervously at those around them.

Most of their looks said, What if I end up in a group with that one?

Only the freshmen who had just enrolled, or the students of the Advancement Class who had spent long periods with Cassian and deeply trusted him, held their positions without agitation.

'Can I end up in a group with Teacher?'

Or rather, those types actively scanned the crowd with shining eyes.

'If Teacher said it will be difficult, a difficult exam will come out. So I must compose my group as perfectly as possible.'

As Cassian had said, the deviation among students in this class was wide.

Take Pan, for example.

His level was Sword Expert, and he was a prodigy who could replicate and supplement others' swordsmanship in an instant.

Bridget and Eleveth were at Sword Adept level, but the two together could spar on equal footing even with Pan, at Expert level.

Freizia, despite her timid personality, swung a beautiful and aggressive sword.

Kantaros, with the exception of his tendency to occasionally fling off his burly muscled shirt, boasted excellent tanking ability.

He even had the strength to split an opponent in half with his shield.

Pan raised his hand.

"How will the groups be decided?"

"I will combine existing students, auditors, and knights of the Crownhardt House as best I can to maximize synergy."

"Will the balance work out?"

"It will be fine. This is not just something I will do alone — Duke Crownhardt's adjutant and the teaching assistants will be doing the hard work."

Translation: I will dump the work on Shasha, Jacy, and Latrine.

At Cassian's words, Shasha and Jacy — who had been dazedly watching the class — flinched and turned to look at Cassian.

Far away, Latrine, who had been handling administrative affairs to help ordinary citizens settle in well, flinched at an unsettling premonition.

"Wh-what is this?"

"Is something wrong?"

"No...... I just have an ominous feeling that someone is about to take advantage of me."

"Are you exhausted from overwork since arriving here?"

"Maybe......"

And two hours later, she would come to understand the reason for the chill she had felt.

It was a dreadful day.