Even so, maybe because she’s a practical training instructor, it didn’t take Amelia very long to recover her breathing.
About three minutes, I’d say.
Her breathing had steadied, but maybe she was embarrassed that she’d collapsed without even being able to respond, because her face was bright red.
“You’re still flushed. Looks like you haven’t fully recovered yet, so you should rest a bit more.”
“I’m fine.”
Judging by the fact that she could answer, she must be feeling a bit better now.
“Alright then, there’s no problem now, right?”
“I’ll admit that you assigned something you can do yourself. But it’s still far too much for the students.”
“If it’s easy, does it even count as training?”
“Even so, you should increase the intensity gradually. Forcing them like this isn’t suddenly going to improve their stamina.”
Even after seeing it for herself, she’s still saying this.
“Instructor Amelia, what is the purpose of the supplementary class?”
“It’s to prepare for the Grita competition.”
“So you do understand. Then do you think students who can’t even keep up with this basic physical training will be able to achieve results in Grita?”
“They haven’t even finished a semester yet, so it can’t be helped. And were you asleep during the meeting? The headmaster said participation itself would be a valuable experience for them.”
“That’s what I heard as well, but I see it differently. They probably won’t even make it past the preliminaries, let alone reach the main event. Wouldn’t an overwhelming defeat be more likely to leave them with trauma rather than experience?”
“Then you should’ve said that during the meeting.”
“I didn’t realize their physical condition was this poor. I’m a theory instructor, after all.”
Maybe my sophistry worked, because Instructor Amelia fell silent.
Now that I’ve taken the momentum, I should press further.
“You knew the students’ level well. Doesn’t this show a lack of care on your part?”
“Wh-What did you just say?”
“I don’t want the students I teach to go through something that awful.”
“No, that’s not—”
“I’m not finished yet. Before starting the training, I clearly gave the students a warning.”
“What kind of warning are you talking about?”
“I didn’t place any restrictions on applications, but since this is a supplementary class aimed at the Grita competition, I clearly stated that anyone who can’t keep up with the class level won’t be able to continue.”
I said it with a faint smile, and Amelia’s already sour expression completely crumpled.
From the look of it, she hadn’t heard that part, so there was no need to waste more breath explaining.
“Oh, would you look at that. It’s already getting dark. If you don’t have anything else to say, I’ll be heading out. It’s been a while since I ran, so I’m a bit tired. Oh, and Instructor Amelia, you still have two laps left, right?”
“What? You already finished, so why would I keep running?”
She looked dumbfounded.
“Come on, since you’ve already started, you should finish it. You are an instructor, after all. It wouldn’t look good if you quit halfway like the students… You should go ahead and finish your remaining laps. I’ll be on my way.”
After saying goodbye, I quickly made my way back to the dorm, worried she might try to grab me and drag things out.
I glanced back, and whether my sophistry had worked or she was just too frustrated, she thankfully wasn’t chasing after me.
Isn’t she going to tattle and make things more troublesome for you?
Let her. I’ll just tell the headmaster the exact same thing.
They told me to teach, so I did and I was honestly shocked they couldn’t even handle basic physical training.
I had no idea their level was this low, but at this rate, it’s more likely to leave them with trauma rather than serve as experience, so I’ll just recommend withdrawing.
Humming to myself, I took a shower and opened the window.
The gentle breeze felt nice.
If I can just get through my conversation with the headmaster tomorrow, I’ll finally be free from this supplementary class I was forced to take on.
With that weight off my mind, I decided to try the training method Ark told me about.
I sat cross-legged and straightened my back.
Apparently, in his time, this posture was called the lotus position. It felt pretty uncomfortable at first, but now I’ve gotten fairly used to it.
According to Ark, it’s a kind of mental cultivation method once practiced by one of the Seven Stars.
He said it’s similar to the mana training techniques of this era but slightly different. The explanation was so complicated that I still don’t fully understand it.
I’m not even sure how effective it is yet, but it leaves me feeling refreshed, so I do it whenever I get the chance.
But for some reason, I can’t focus today.
I handled Amelia’s objections and everything is going just as planned, yet something about it doesn’t sit right with me.
Whenever I feel like this, things tend to go wrong. Maybe something will go sideways tomorrow?
Still, the chances of that happening are slim.
I didn’t earn that trust myself, but the headmaster trusts me quite a bit.
I couldn’t focus, and my eyelids were getting heavier, but uneasy or not, I decided to get a good night’s sleep first.
I thought it would be just another ordinary day.
I woke up at my usual time, stopped by the cafeteria to eat, and went to work. Surprisingly, nothing unusual happened in the faculty office either.
Normally, Amelia would’ve run to the headmaster early in the morning to complain about yesterday, so I was planning to get ahead of it. But the headmaster didn’t show up.
When I asked the head instructor, I was told he had taken two days off, from yesterday through today.
It’s a bit disappointing since I had already planned out the entire conversation while eating breakfast, but I can just talk to him when he gets back.
Still, the moment I walked into the classroom for my first lesson, I sensed something was off.
The students’ stares were so sharp that I wondered if I had entered the wrong classroom.
Sure, my reputation isn’t great since I make them do self-study every day, but they’ve never looked at me like I was trash before.
Is this because of yesterday’s supplementary class?
Well, I suppose some of them had high expectations for it.
I ignored it and started taking attendance, but then—
“Huh? Is Mei absent?”
“Mei is in the infirmary right now.”
“The infirmary? Is she sick?”
…Huh? Did I say something wrong?
All I did was ask if she was sick because she was absent, but the students’ expressions turned even more hostile.
“Instructor, don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
“What do you mean by ‘a bit much’?”
“Do you even realize why Mei ended up like that…?”
The way they said it made it sound like it was my fault.
What, do they think I beat her up or something?
Even if my goal is to get fired, I wouldn’t lay a hand on students. That wouldn’t get me fired. It’d land me in prison.
From the looks of it, she probably just overdid it yesterday and ended up with severe muscle soreness. This is ridiculous.
“Sounds like she came down with something after yesterday’s supplementary class. Understood. I’ll mark it as a sick absence.”
“What did you say?”
“Am I wrong?”
“Excuse me, Instructor. Yesterday, Mei was missing during the dormitory evening roll call, so we went looking for her and found her collapsed on the ground in a corner of the ranger training field. We moved her to the infirmary.”
“The infirmary mage said it would be best for her to rest until today, so she’s currently resting there.”
…So this must have been the source of the uneasiness I felt yesterday.
It had been bothering me, like I’d forgotten something.
To be honest, it did cross my mind right before I fell asleep, but it was already very late, and she had looked so unwell that I naturally assumed she’d given up and gone back.
“I see. So that’s what happened. It doesn’t sound serious, so I’ll begin the class now.”
“Wait a moment. That’s it?”
“It’s class time. Shouldn’t we be starting the lesson?”
“You should apologize. Even if you’re the instructor…”
“As those of you who attended yesterday’s supplementary session know, before training began, I clearly instructed that if you couldn’t continue, you should give up and return.”
No one openly argued, but their expressions, as if looking at trash, didn’t change at all.
“Although I did step out during the supplementary session, it wasn’t for a personal matter. Instructor Amelia came to find me.”
“Don’t use Instructor Amelia as an excuse. If you were in charge of the supplementary class, you should have come back and checked!”
“Before I stepped out, student Mei appeared as though she would give up soon. By the time I finished speaking with Instructor Amelia, it was already past dormitory roll call, so I judged that she would have returned. Do I need to explain further?”
I responded firmly without shrinking back, and the piercing gazes softened, if only slightly.
Of course, there were still far more unfriendly looks.
You cold bastard. Did you really have to say it like that? The girl collapsed.
A girl? Student Mei is twenty. In the Beluga Empire, one is considered an adult from sixteen.
No… forget it. I shouldn’t have said anything.
Now isn’t the time for me to be idly bantering with Ark either.
“I acknowledge that there was an error in my judgment. However, the person I should apologize to isn’t here right now, is she? I’ll speak with student Mei about that matter separately. Let’s begin the class.”
I finally managed to start the lesson, but the sharp stares continued throughout.
Of course, I acted as if it didn’t bother me at all, having them read the usual materials and study on their own.
With this incident involving Mei, my already poor reputation feels like it’s been dragged straight into the gutter.
Usually, during self-study, one or two students come up to ask questions, but today not a single one did… now that I think about it, one of them was Mei.
I had a lot on my mind as well, so I didn’t sleep today.
As soon as the bell signaling the end of class rang, I gave a brief closing and left the classroom immediately.
You bastard. Don’t you feel any guilt?
I didn’t want to show weakness in front of the students, so I responded firmly, but I’m only human. It’s not like I don’t feel sorry.
No, the moment I heard she had collapsed while training alone, my chest already felt heavy.
What is Grita, anyway.
Mei? It goes without saying that her written scores are excellent, but her practical skills are terrible.
Even if she made it to Grita, she wouldn’t win anything. She probably wouldn’t have even been selected as a school representative under normal circumstances.
It’s one thing to feel sorry, but I can’t help wondering what she was thinking, pushing herself until she collapsed.
She’s smart, so why would she do something so foolish?
Well, I’ll find out when I hear it from her directly.
Skipping lunch, I headed straight to the academy’s main building where the infirmary is located.
It’s my first time coming here in person, but I remember being told when I first joined that the infirmary was in the main building.
Following my memory, I went up to the second floor and walked a bit, and it came into view almost immediately.
I gave a light knock and opened the door, and right in front of me was a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties with short blue hair.
Judging by the white robe she was wearing, she seemed to be the infirmary’s resident mage.
“What brings you here?”
“I heard one of my students collapsed yesterday and is being treated here.”
“If you’re the instructor in charge of student Mei…ah! So you’re the one responsible?”
So the rumors have spread here too… well, it started yesterday, so it would be stranger if she didn’t know.
“I’m Vio, the instructor in charge of Ranger theory. And just to add, I’m not ‘the one responsible’.”
“If you’re not, is there another Ranger instructor? Instructor Amelia said someone else handled the supplementary session.”
Since she brought up Amelia, it seems they know each other. I’d better watch what I say.
There’s no way that woman said anything good about me.
“There are two Ranger instructors, and I did handle the supplementary session, but I can’t agree with being called ‘the one responsible’.”
“So you’re saying you didn’t push her too hard and cause her to collapse?”
“You’re mistaken. I never forced her to train.”
“If you didn’t force her, then why would she train until she collapsed…?”
“That’s exactly what I came to find out. Where is Mei?”
“Instructor Vio?”
Speak of the devil….just as I was talking about her, the curtain to my left was pulled aside and Mei appeared, dressed comfortably.
“So you were here. I heard you collapsed yesterday. How are you feeling?”
“I-I’m fine, but the mage here keeps telling me I need to rest… I’m sorry for being absent.”
She bowed her head in apology, and seeing someone who had just collapsed act like this only made me more uncomfortable.
Top of her class for a reason. She’s worrying about class even now.
“I marked it as a sick absence, so don’t worry about that. If you’re feeling okay, let’s talk for a moment.”
After speaking, I looked toward the mage.
She gave me a look as if to ask what I meant. Maybe because she knows that woman, but she’s completely lacking in awareness.
“It’s lunchtime. Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I usually eat lunch late. And it’s not certain that you’re not responsible, is it? Besides, I’m not comfortable leaving an injured student alone with you.”
…I can understand everything else, but what does she mean she’s not comfortable leaving an injured student alone with me?
Does she think I’d do something to a student?
I considered saying something, but forget it.
No doubt that woman, Amelia, filled her head with nonsense.
There’s not much time for lunch anyway. I don’t have the time to argue with her.
It’s not like we’ll be seeing each other often.
“Then we’ll have to move somewhere else. Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
As I helped Mei to her feet, the mage stepped in front of us, blocking the way.
“The effects of the herbs used in her treatment haven’t fully worn off yet, so she shouldn’t be moving around too much.”
“Did you use Largo?”
It’s an herb used to wake up unconscious patients. Although it was very effective, its potency was so strong that moving around without adequate rest could cause dizziness and nausea.
“Sounds like you really are a Ranger instructor. Fine. I’ll step aside, so just talk here.”
Would it have hurt to step aside from the beginning?
“Oh, and I almost forgot…see that crystal orb up there? It doesn’t record audio, but it captures video very clearly, so don’t even think about trying anything funny.”
…Alright, that’s enough.
We just met, and considering the situation I let it slide once, but putting up with it twice would make me a fool.
“Mage Ariel, you said something like that earlier too. Our instructor isn’t that kind of person, so why do you keep talking like he is? Please apologize right now!”
I was about to say something sharp myself, but she Mei beat me to it.
What’s gotten into her?
Hey, this really seems like a green light this time, doesn’t it?
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