Patch Notes:
Changing Chamber Master to Archmage.
Changing Saint of the Sword to Sword Saint.
The first is natural, and the second is subject to change.
***
The next morning, when I entered the classroom, I saw that the students were quite tense.
Well, it was only natural. They all had ears, so they must have heard the rumors circulating around the academy.
“Come in.”
As the anxious students flinched, the classroom’s front door opened, and two beauties entered.
Sowol and Lena.
“It’s the Sword Saint…”
“Isn’t that the Archmage of the Colorless Chamber…?”
There was no one who didn’t know about Sowol, the highest-ranking priestess just under the Pope in the Church and goddess of the battlefield, and Lena, the genius mage who became the youngest Archmage.
The Church, in particular, wielded great influence across the continent, so quite a few students followed its teachings.
This was all the more so because many citizens of the Yggdrasil Empire adhered to the Church, constantly pushing to make it the state religion.
As Ludwig gaped at Sowol, I glanced at Lumina. Though a princess, she was also a mage of the Ivory Tower. So being confronted by an Archmage, the pinnacle of the Tower, must have left her at a loss.
Everyone else also looked tense at Sowol and Lena’s appearance.
“Starting today, these students will be joining you for classes. You may know them as the Sword Saint and Colorless Archmage, but now that they’re in my class, they are simply fellow students.”
Whether crown prince, princess, saint, or archmage.
Once they were under me, it was only natural for them to follow
Sowol and Lena nodded slightly in agreement.
“Let’s start with a brief self-introduction. Sowol, you first.”
“Yes.”
Sowol stepped forward with a demure smile. Lightly surveying the class, she spoke in a calm tone.
“Hello, everyone. I am Sowol, one of the lambs who follows the light. This is my first time learning alongside so many people under such an excellent teacher. Though I may be lacking, I hope you will accept me with a smile.”
– Clap, clap, clap!
The students were hesitant but immediately applauded as Sowol finished her greeting. Smiling, Sowol stepped back, and I looked at Lena.
Will she be alright? Perhaps burdened by standing before so many people, Lena’s face was pale.
“You don’t have to if it’s too hard.”
“I-I’ll do it…”
Gulping, Lena stood beside me. She must have steeled herself but couldn’t help trembling. Lena glanced at me with teary eyes, then timidly grabbed the hem of my clothes.
Only then did she seem to relax a little. Taking a deep breath, Lena spoke in a barely audible voice.
“Um. I-I’m Lena… the Archmage of the C-Colorless Chamber in the I-Ivory Tower. P-pleased to meet you all…”
Unlike the confident Sowol, Lena appeared quite frail. However, no one looked down on her. When applause similar to Sowol’s rang out moments later, Lena bowed her head deeply.
“Alright. Go sit in the empty seats… Class rep, come to the faculty office after class today to help me with some work.”
“Okay teacher!”
Alicia, the class representative, answered with a bright smile. Looking somehow dissatisfied, Sowol suddenly raised her hand.
“I think it would be too much of a burden for Alicia to assist you alone! Please let me help too!”
“I-I want to help Teacher t-too…”
I’d be grateful if they volunteered to assist. It’s not like I had anything to give them…
“I’ll make you both vice class reps, so go with Alicia later.”
“Vice class rep means…”
“Assisting the class rep.”
I couldn’t exactly ignore Alicia, who was already the class rep.
“Even as vice rep… will I get to see Teacher often?”
“I can’t say it’ll be infrequent.”
From class prep to miscellaneous tasks, a teacher had quite a bit to do. Of course, I could manage alone, but I was also preparing for other things to ensure the true ending, so I did need some help.
With Alicia, Sowol, and Lena all pitching in, it’s all the better for me. What’s so hard about giving them a title or two?
“I’ll do my best!”
“I-I’ll give it my all too!!”
Yeah. Work hard so we can reach that true ending.
“Teacher! I want to do something, too!!”
Seeing how happy the two were, Ludwig shot his hand up.
“You can be in charge of cleaning.”
He nodded, looking oddly proud. Then Lumina raised her hand. Why were there so many kids wanting titles?
“You can be the secretary.”
“Thank you!”
After that, a few others also wanted roles, so I randomly assigned them positions. Once the tumult died down a bit, I lightly clapped to get everyone’s attention.
“This morning’s class is combat training. Change into your training clothes and gather at the training grounds.”
“Yes sir!”
Combat training at the academy was divided into two types. The first was person-to-person combat training, literally assuming battles against other humans. In this case, the curriculum focused on sparring-based drills. Students not actively sparring would hone their skills using wooden dummies or by sparring with each other.
The second type was anti-monster combat training. For this, students would form parties to face off against golems that substituted for monsters.
Today’s lesson would be the latter, so forming parties took priority.
“In today’s class, we’ll be practicing how to deal with large monsters.”
– Thud! Thud! Thud!
A massive golem climbed onto the training field. Seeing the leopard-shaped golem growling, some students looked nervous.
This, too, was a collaborative creation of the Ivory Tower and dwarves. It is one of the academy’s facilities that regenerated when infused with mana.
In the game, it was a common enemy in chapter 1.
“With 25 people total, it would be best to form teams of 8. Class rep, vice reps.”
“Yes!”
“A group of nine will be made with class rep Alicia. The rest will be split between vice reps Sowol and Lena.”
As the three stood at the front, the students began to move. Those lacking confidence in their abilities went to Sowol and Lena’s sides, while those with faith in their skills, like Ludwig, Lumina, Riina, and Etell, were lined up by Alicia.
It made sense. It would be hard to stand out if they joined Sowol or Lena’s teams.
“Sowol, your team will start first.”
“Yes!”
Seeming experienced in fighting large monsters from her time as the Sword Saint, Sowol quickly assigned roles to her teammates. Mages on rear support. Swordsmen and other vanguard classes on containment and defense.
Rather than taking direct action, Sowol would focus on commanding.
“Begin.”
“Uwooooh!!”
As expected, they fought well. No wonder she was called the goddess of war. Seeing her defeat the golem with just commands and no direct intervention.
“Wooow!!”
The students cheered as the battle ended. Total time – 5 minutes 17 seconds. Not a bad record.
“Well done. Next, Lena.”
“Y-yes!”
Mages composed the majority of the group. The party composition was a bit iffy, but would it work out? However, my worries proved unfounded, as Lena’s team also took down the golem without issue.
“Wonderful application of spells. You did well disrupting their attacks with well-timed counters.”
“Eh heh heh…”
“Good. Excellent. Next.”
Alicia’s team took the stage. They had one more member than the other teams, but how would they fare without a seasoned commander like Sowol or Lena?
“Let’s do our best! Fighting!!”
Alicia shouted with a bright smile, and their test began.
Oh… unexpected. The team centered around Alicia moved swiftly to bring down the golem.
Alicia’s inherent brightness and affability were key in syncing the teammates properly.
In the game, Alicia’s presence boosted the party’s attack and defense. Was this how that was applied?
“Phew~!”
The golem collapsed, and Alicia and all her teammates let out sighs of relief. It took a bit longer, but it was enough to earn a passing grade.
“Impressive. Well done.”
“I got praised!!”
After patting Alicia’s head, I looked around at everyone. There were no issues to point out in particular, so I should continue classes like this in the future.
“…Hm?”
I felt some stares. Glancing around, I spotted Sowol and Lena sitting in their seats, looking directly at me.
Did they have something to say?
Combat training ended, and lunchtime came. I was alone in the cafeteria, eating lunch while reviewing documents, when it happened.
“Teacher!”
“T-Teacher!”
Sowol and Lena came to find me, still in their training outfits. Did they need to tell me something?
“…I didn’t get praised!”
“M-me neither…”
Huh? Praise? Pondering what they meant, I remembered the earlier class.
“But for a saint and archmage, isn’t that level of performance expected?”
“S-still…”
“…Hng…”
Geez. When will these kids ever grow up? I looked at Sowol and Lena, then nodded with a smile.
Fine. It’s not like praising them costs money. I should at least do this much.
“Okay, okay. You did great. Having you two puts me at ease.”
Come to think of it, it had been a while since I last patted their heads. Sowol’s pink hair was still soft as silk. Did she take good care of it?
As Sowol, who had been quietly closing her eyes, began to blush, I moved my hand to pat Lena’s head as well.
“Eh heh heh…”
Lena wiggled in delight, a pleased grin on her face.
They may be a Saint and Archmage, but in my eyes, they were still kids.
“By the way, what about your lunches?”
“Ah, that.”
“I-I want to eat w-with Teacher…”
“Lady Saint!!”
“Lady Archmage! You were here?! Let’s have lunch together!!”
Just then, the students of Class A who spotted us outside the cafeteria called out loudly.
“Wow! Teacher is here too?! Let’s all eat together~!”
“Students should normally eat with students… I wonder if it’s okay for me to join.”
“Come with us, Teacher!”
“Y-yes. It will t-taste better if T-Teacher joins too….”
“But wouldn’t it be a bit odd for an old man like me to intrude?”
“Not at all!!”
“N-not at all!”
“Right~?”
With Sowol, Lena, and even Alicia confidently insisting, there was no way I could refuse.
Alright. Let’s go eat together.
***
“Lee Hyun alone was problematic enough, but the Sword Saint and Colorless Archmage too…”
What a shame.
Even if only Lee Hyun had been absent, the crown prince and princess would have died to the Giant Rock Worm. That chaos would have shaken the academy and even spread turmoil across the entire continent.
But that lynchpin plan had crumbled from the start, and now, there were even more obstacles.
However, that didn’t mean he had any intention of giving up.
The Asura Church had suffered far too much damage at the hands of Lee Hyun, the Sword Saint, and the Colorless Archmage. To recover from those losses, they needed to create even greater chaos. And needless to say, the starting point of that chaos had to be the academy.
Dangerous as it may be, it must be done. He had to make it succeed, even at the cost of his own life.
Biting his lip lightly, he muttered under his breath.
“All for Asura…”