Today’s lesson ends here.
Even though I said class was over, unlike before, no one responded with “thank you for your hard work.”
As I left the classroom and glanced over the students, every single one of them looked dissatisfied.
Well, that’s only natural. I’ve made them do nothing but self-study for two straight weeks while I sprawled out in the back and slept.
At this rate, it won’t be long before complaints come in asking to replace the instructor.
Maybe they’ve already been filed.
Don’t you think this is going too far?
What is?
Are you seriously asking because you don’t know? Even if you don’t want to teach, what did those kids do to deserve this?
What do I care? Everything they need to learn is already in the materials anyway.
Seems like Ark isn’t too happy with how half-heartedly I’m teaching.
If he’s read my memories, he should already know the situation.
To be fair, even if I’ve only been making them do self-study, it’s not like I’ve completely neglected them.
I’ve been keeping an eye on them so they don’t slack off, and whenever someone asks a question, I explain it properly just like I said I would at the start.
Can’t you hear them talking trash about you?
Just as Ark said, I can clearly hear the students from the classroom I just left complaining about me.
I’d say that’s a good thing.
You into getting insulted or something?
As if.
I don’t have that kind of weird preference.
I just want to leave Veliyard Academy and go back home.
You’re an orphan; it’s not even really your home.
This bastard really knows how to hit where it hurts.
Hey now, it’s my home in spirit. And I’m not doing this just for myself. It’s for everyone’s happiness.
If I get fired, I get to go home, and the students will get a new instructor who’s motivated and capable.
In other words, everyone wins.
That’s ridiculous…
Ignoring Ark’s grumbling, I headed to the faculty office.
Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Then I remembered, today’s payday.
Maybe I should grab a drink with old man Daph after a long time.
Since tomorrow’s the weekend, I can really go all out.
Even though it’s a weekday, it doesn’t really matter to me, but the old man is busy.
“Alright, everyone, just a moment.”
Head Instructor Berman clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
“You remember the Headmaster said this morning that we’re having a staff dinner, right?”
Damn. There was a dinner.
A staff dinner on a precious Friday evening.
“The location is Aria’s Shelter on 12th Street, so try to wrap things up and join early.”
“Instructor Berman, I have something to take care of at home today, so I don’t think I can make it.”
“Is that so? Alright.”
Soon, a few instructors approached Berman to explain their situations and excused themselves.
From the looks of it, attendance doesn’t seem to be mandatory.
I walked straight over to Berman.
“Head Instructor Berman…”
“There were instructions that new instructors must attend.”
As if he had already caught on, he cut me off first.
“I don’t recall hearing anything like that earlier?”
“Since you’re new, wouldn’t this be a good opportunity to build relationships? Especially you, Vio. You seem a bit distant from the other instructors.”
He’s not wrong, so I can’t really argue.
Maybe it’s because the guy whose wrist I broke spread bad rumors, but even after two weeks into the semester, not a single instructor has approached me privately.
Well, I don’t want anything to do with people who judge me based on rumors anyway.
I don’t plan on staying here long, regardless.
I’ll just show up, then slip out midway once the timing feels right.
I wrapped up organizing the quiz results from earlier and left work.
After changing clothes at the dorm, I headed back out toward the academy entrance.
Just as I was about to pass through the gate… huh?
A neatly dressed woman standing at the entrance approached me.
It’s Instructor Amelia, who’s in charge of the Ranger class practicals.
With her platinum blonde hair and striking looks, she’s popular not only among the students but also among the instructors.
Despite her appearance, she has an easygoing personality, and unlike someone else, she teaches with real passion, earning great feedback from her classes.
“Instructor Vio?”
“What is it?”
“You’re on your way to the staff dinner, right? Let’s go together.”
Oh, this feels like a green light, doesn’t it?
A green light?
It means that girl is interested in you.
Interested in me?
“With me?”
“Is that a problem?”
I was doubtful at first, but there’s a sense of earnestness in her expression.
Guess Vio’s still got it.
Sure, my reputation here at Veliyard isn’t great.
But back at Sainty Academy, I was quite popular among fellow instructors and students.
Ahem, though… I’ve personally seen at least three instructors try to hit on Amelia and get rejected, so maybe not.
“There’s no reason it can’t be. But I’ll just stop by briefly and leave pretty quickly.”
“I wasn’t planning to stay long either. Then how about we just make an appearance and grab a drink, just the two of us, afterward?”
At this point, it really seems certain.
I’d heard she had an easygoing personality, but this is a bit too forward.
Unfortunately, she’s not really my type.
Besides, I’ll be leaving soon anyway, and it’d turn into a long-distance relationship, which is also…
“Instructor Vio?”
“Ah, that would be a bit difficult. I already have plans.”
It’s not like I actually made plans with the old man, but since I’ll be leaving soon, it didn’t feel right to get attached, so I drew a line.
“Then it can’t be helped. Let’s at least talk while we head there together.”
Since I turned her down, I thought she might feel awkward and go on her own, but she seems more persistent than she looks.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not really looking to meet anyone right now.”
I had no choice but to be direct, but her expression doesn’t look good.
It’s not the look of someone hurt by rejection, but more like… disgust?
“Wait, don’t tell me you thought I asked to walk with you because I’m interested in you?”
“Ah… wasn’t that it?”
Judging by her expression, definitely not.
“I just wanted to talk about your classes.”
Her voice turns cold, filled with a chill, and I honestly feel like I want to crawl into a hole and hide.
Man, if she were interested, she would’ve made it obvious already.
“My classes?”
“You do know there’s been a lot of talk about you among the students lately, right?”
“I see.”
Now I get it.
“‘I see’? It’s not good talk. They’re full of complaints. I’ve heard you’ve just been making them do self-study instead of actually teaching.”
If they wanted to replace the instructor, I figured they’d go to the dean or the head instructor, but then again, it’s not strange to bring it up first with an instructor they see often.
“As you know, Instructor Amelia, the Ranger theory materials are already very well put together.”
“Even so, just making them do self-study is…”
“I told them that if there’s anything they don’t understand, they’re free to ask questions individually at any time. I’m also keeping an eye on whether they’re staying focused during self-study or doing something else, and I conduct weekly performance tests as well.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but the students want to be taught more properly.”
“Properly… that wording is a bit much. In the first place, isn’t how a class is conducted up to the instructor’s discretion?”
“That’s true, but I’m worried that Instructor Vio might end up getting a bad reputation for no reason…”
Even though I keep responding in a crooked way, she still tries to put things nicely, so she seems like a genuinely decent person by nature.
“It’s fine. Personally, whether it’s magic, swordsmanship, or the ranger class, I believe what matters most is the individual’s willingness to learn on their own, which is why I run things this way.”
Talk about dressing things up. You really greased your tongue.
This is basic stuff.
There’s even rhetoric training in the Black Agent training program.
It seems even kind-hearted Instructor Amelia has grown tired of my forced reasoning because she went silent.
“Instructor Amelia?”
She stood there blankly for a moment, then said she would head off first and left just like that.
Honestly, I was even prepared to get cursed out for talking nonsense, but she really is too kind.
Anyway, feeling a bit lighter, I headed toward the dinner gathering.
If it’s already reached another instructor’s ears, then getting fired is probably only a matter of time.
After walking for about ten minutes, I arrived at the dinner venue.
It’s a high-end tavern located in a busy district, and it seems they rented the whole place out, since there are no other customers inside besides the familiar instructors.
The instructor salary isn’t even that high, but maybe because they’re all nobles, they sure have a lot of money.
I planned to just show my face and slip out at the right time, so I looked for the dean, and then—
Huh?
Sitting beside the Headmaster at the central seat of the tavern was Instructor Amelia.
They’re talking with serious expressions. Did she already go and report me?
From my perspective, it’s not a bad thing.
“Oh, Instructor Vio, would you come over here?”
“Yes.”
As I approached the Headmaster, Instructor Amelia shot me a glare.
“Instructor Amelia tells me that the students you’re teaching have quite a few complaints…”
“Well, about that…”
“There’s no need to explain. I’m sure you have your reasons.”
“H… Headmaster? But still, just having them do self-study all the time is…”
“Here, Instructor Amelia may not be very pleased, but I trust you.”
Damn it.
I thought at the very least I’d be reprimanded or fall out of favor, even if it wasn’t immediate dismissal, but what is this…?
It seems the trust I built by expelling that troublemaker from the Heinz Marquisate is still having a significant effect.
“Headmaster, from what Instructor Amelia has said, it seems there are quite a few complaints from the students.”
The head instructor beside him stepped in to support Amelia.
Nice one, Berman.
Push a little harder!
“Now, now, isn’t it simply that you all don’t understand Instructor Vio’s sincerity? I didn’t want to mention it in case strange rumors spread, but Instructor Vio is someone whose abilities were recognized and recommended by the Imperial Family.”
As Marquis Banks, the headmaster, drew a firm line, Berman shut his mouth.
What kind of man lacks that much backbone?
That imperial recommendation is really complete nonsense.
Looks like our Vio has someone backing him up. Must be nice.
Ark just snickered sarcastically.
“Even so, as the instructor of the ranger class, I cannot agree with Instructor Vio’s teaching methods.”
“Are you openly saying you intend to interfere with another instructor’s discretion over their class?”
Though Marquis Banks spoke with an expression of displeasure, Instructor Amelia didn’t so much as blink.
Earlier, she couldn’t say anything and simply backed down, so I thought she was timid, but now that I see her, she’s quietly quite resolute.
“Instructor Amelia, that’s enough. You’re not teaching knights or mages…why make such a fuss over training rangers?”
“That’s right. Most of them will be dispatched to the Duchy of Demitri anyway.”
Perhaps noticing the headmaster’s mood, the other instructors nearby chimed in one by one.
There was a clear undertone of looking down on rangers, but that was nothing new among nobles.
Amelia shot a sharp glare at the instructors who had spoken.
“How can an instructor say something like that?”
“What, did I say something wrong?”
Honestly, it’s not entirely wrong.
Rangers are stationed all across the borders, but the largest number of them are in the Duchy of Demitri.
The Empire’s foremost ally, the Duchy of Demitri lies at its northernmost edge.
In that place, known as the Frozen Lands, countless monsters pour out every year.
The monsters themselves have adapted to the harsh climate, making them far more powerful than those found elsewhere, and their numbers typically reach around 100,000. At their peak, I’ve heard they even exceeded 400,000.
The Duchy cannot handle such a monster horde on its own, and if it were to fall, the Empire would have to face those monsters instead, so the Empire provides all kinds of support.
While regular soldiers are rotated out after a certain period of service, rangers, due to the nature of their duties, are almost never reassigned once they receive their initial posting.
Given these circumstances, many rangers stationed in the north end up changing their nationality.
Realistically, their lives become rooted in the Duchy of Demitri, so it’s unavoidable.
To begin with, there are fewer newly dispatched rangers than those who die, but it’s not like the nobles would take that into account.
They just think there’s no point in training rangers, since those ungrateful bastards will end up becoming citizens of another country anyway.
In any case, it seems Amelia’s target has shifted from me to the other instructors.
It felt like things were about to escalate, so I tried to quietly slip away, but Amelia suddenly approached me.
“You’re a ranger instructor too. Hearing all that, doesn’t it make you angry?”
I have no idea why she’s suddenly picking on me.
It’s not like I was ever really a ranger, so why would I be angry?
“Well… I’m not sure?”
I tried to brush it off casually, like a silk snake slipping over a wall, but judging by Amelia’s expression, that didn’t work.
“I’m not sure? Do you realize we’re hearing all this because of you? You really are impossible to talk to.”
Her pretty face looked like it could lash out at any moment, filled with hostility.
“If you say we can’t have a conversation, then I’ll be on my way.”
“Where do you think you’re going? Stop right there!”
“Me?”
“If we can’t talk this through, then there’s only one way to settle it.”
At the same time she spoke, Instructor Amelia removed the glove she was wearing.
Wait. Don’t tell me…
Thud—
They say a bad feeling never misses, and sure enough, she threw the glove she had taken off at me.
“Instructor Amelia?”
“I’ll prove I’m right through a duel.”
I knew she had resolve, but I never expected her to challenge me to a duel at a dinner gathering in front of everyone.
Unexpected or not, it’s extremely irritating.
Did I really look that easy to push around?
“Then the loser will resign from their position as an academy instructor!”
I was about to teach her a lesson for getting ahead of herself without knowing her place, but if she’s putting those conditions on the table, that changes things.
I was just about to accept without hesitation, but someone stepped in faster than I could.
“I cannot allow such conditions.”
“This is a duel between the two of us. Please do not interfere.”
“Calm down. Wouldn’t it be a loss for our Veliyard Academy to lose such capable and talented instructors over a trivial matter like this?”
“As far as I know, under Article 3, Clause 11 of the Beluga Empire’s law, any conditions are permissible in a duel as long as both parties agree.”
It seems Amelia is determined to drive me out of the academy no matter what.
Nicely done, Amelia.
“So you want to go by the law? Fine by me. The authority over faculty appointments at Veliyard Academy lies with me as the headmaster. Even if either you or Instructor Vio submits a resignation, I won’t accept it.”
He spoke in a solemn tone with a stern expression, then glanced my way and gave a quick wink.
I swear, this is driving me crazy.
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