This Instructor Really Knows How to Teach (2)
Where the hell am I? Who am I?
The rumor that I was a secret agent dispatched from the imperial family to strengthen the students’ combat power… surely they didn’t rig the team assignments or anything, right?
Iris shook her head from side to side. No matter what, that was probably an overreaction. Even if the other side really did have the authority to arbitrarily pick team members, there was absolutely no reason for them to single her out specifically.
Her grades weren’t bad by any means, but if they were going by that standard, there was the prince from the Morians and the sword-wielding heir from the Grand Duchy. Why would they bother choosing someone as mediocre as her?
Besides, it was true that the instructor was an outstanding person. If she learned a thing or two from him, it might actually be… helpful?
While Iris’s mind was tangled in complicated thoughts and her attitude remained half-hearted, the reactions of the other two who had been placed on Chrome’s team were crystal clear.
“Kyaa! Baron Midas! I admire you so much! Please give me your autograph!”
“…Goddamn it, why did it have to be this bastard of all people…”
The clarity was split between two extremes, though.
The female student with wavy pink hair and a voluptuous figure was bouncing around in delight as if she had met her lifelong hero. Meanwhile, the male student with long bangs covering one eye wore an expression full of pure irritation.
Since Iris had entered the Academy with power-oriented goals and therefore kept herself well-informed about the people around her, she immediately recalled the personal details of the two.
Cuella Panel, a noble girl from an imperial viscount family. And Riverhill, a commoner from the Empire—though quite wealthy, from what she knew.
Huh? Something feels off.
Logically speaking, shouldn’t Cuella, who came from a prestigious house, be acting haughty while Riverhill—the commoner—be the one treading carefully? Why was the world running in reverse?
After pondering for a moment, Iris decided to step forward. Since things had already come to this, avoiding involvement was impossible. In that case, it wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression.
“Excuse me, what kind of attitude is that? He is an imperial noble. Moreover, a properly enfeoffed baron, not merely a family heir. How can you be so rude to him?”
Riverhill looked momentarily flustered at being called out by a fellow first-year, but he quickly scowled and shot back.
“They said at the entrance ceremony that there’s no distinction between nobles and commoners. And I didn’t even say it to his face. Can’t I even mutter to myself in my own head?”
“Then let’s move past the noble-versus-commoner talk and call it basic courtesy toward a senior. Or does simply lowering your head and avoiding eye contact count as muttering to yourself?”
“……”
Apparently at a loss for words, Riverhill’s mouth opened and closed uselessly. Seeing that, Iris’s opinion of him dropped even further. If he couldn’t even properly refute a mild rebuke like this and could only stammer, why had he acted that way in the first place?
The one who ironically rescued the cornered Riverhill was none other than Chrome—the very person he had been badmouthing.
“Alright, that’s enough from both of you. And Miss Panel? There’s no need to call me ‘Baron’ or anything inside the Academy. Just call me senior, casually.”
“Then please don’t call me Miss Panel either! Just use my name! You can speak comfortably too!”
Wow, this girl is something else.
Her aggressiveness rivaled that of noble young ladies at social gatherings who set their sights on a promising catch. The determination to latch onto a successful man practically overflowed from her. Unlike those provincial noble girls who often went too far and ended up repelling their targets, her offensive power was considerable. Even Iris, who was the same gender, could see how every single movement radiated an irresistible charm.
But Chrome’s response was remarkably dry.
“Calling you by name is fine, but I’ll keep the speech formal.”
“Why?”
Cuella tilted her head in confusion, and Iris felt the same way. Was he trying to maintain some kind of decorum? Or had he simply not grown accustomed to his new noble status yet?
Chrome’s answer was neither.
“Earlier, something similar came up between you all. Between people, there needs to be a baseline of basic courtesy. If you get too familiar, you inevitably cross lines without realizing it. It’s necessary to maintain a certain distance.”
“Even if you say whatever you want, senior, I won’t get upset at all!”
“No, it’s not about me. It’s about having a justification to explain to the professors when you do it.”
“What kind of explanation would that be?”
“What do you think?”
“……”
Faced with that ominously loaded rhetorical question, even Cuella—who had been charging forward almost invincibly—froze in place. Beside her, Riverhill let out a hiccup.
Watching Chrome seize control of the mood in an instant, Iris felt a shiver run down her spine. Regardless, he continued speaking in a relaxed tone.
“Whether you like me or not, we’ve become one team. If I mess up, your grades take a hit. If you mess up, my grades take a hit. We’re truly in a delightful community of shared fate. So, Cuella. In this context, what does ‘doing well’ mean?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Cuella fumbled for a moment before answering.
“Not fighting with each other and getting along well…?”
“Yes, that’s important too. But that’s not the answer I’m looking for. Next, Riverhill.”
With the atmosphere having lost some of its earlier sharpness, Riverhill spoke up.
“…Each individual’s personal skill level being outstanding?”
“Close in direction, but a bit too vague. Next, Iris.”
Iris, who had already organized her thoughts after listening to the previous two answers and Chrome’s responses, replied immediately.
“Achieving excellent results through the overall strength of the entire team.”
“Yes, a model answer. The kind professors would love during class.”
Is that a pass…?
Even so, his tone sounded strangely ambiguous.
“Cooperation, skill, grades—those are all good. However, there’s a much simpler and clearer standard.”
As if finally revealing the answer he had been deliberately holding back, Chrome spoke.
“Just completely crush all the competitors. That’s what ‘doing well’ means. Pretty easy, right?”
……
…………Huh?
Iris’s face went blank for a moment, and the other two didn’t look much different.
“They deliberately split up the first-years into groups of three and assigned them to twenty second-years. Teaching methods are completely free. The only objective given is the incredibly vague instruction to increase each individual’s ability however you can. So how do you think they’ll verify that increased ability? By making us fight each other, of course.”
“W-wait a second. Did you hear something specific from above?”
“I didn’t hear anything. But it’s obvious. You shouldn’t expect things like human decency, recognition, or common sense from this Academy. It’s run by a bunch of fundamental lunatics. Have you already forgotten the entrance exam? I heard yours wasn’t much different from ours.”
When the chilling memory resurfaced—of being thrown into an unfamiliar place and suddenly having to fight strangers with real weapons—Iris felt the credibility of Chrome’s words skyrocket.
“The specific method of competition might vary a little. Maybe it’ll be about who can take down set targets the fastest. But even if it’s that kind of contest, we’ll end up fighting each other anyway.”
“So,” Chrome added, “it doesn’t matter if we don’t get along, if our individual skills are lacking, or if the team’s overall impression is a complete mess. Just focus on crushing the other teams. The Academy will acknowledge that. I’ll teach you all the most efficient ways to thoroughly dismantle the other teams. Understood? For now, take this paper.”
When they looked at the paper Chrome handed over, it contained not only detailed information on notable first-years with outstanding skills, but also thorough strategies for dealing with them. There was no way this amount of data could have been gathered in just a day or two.
When exactly had he started investigating? No—before that…
“I-is this really okay? Isn’t this against the rules…?”
“There are no rules against winning in real combat.”
“B-but what about noble honor, fair and square competition…”
“Riverhill said it earlier, didn’t he? Nobles and commoners don’t matter here.”
“Still, that’s…”
“Memorize the documents thoroughly and then burn them. The day before the match, I’ll give you potions to enhance physical ability and stamina, so don’t eat anything else beforehand that might interfere with their effects. Oh, and although I’ve already done some preliminary research, tell me again about your majors and specialties. I need to prepare custom equipment for each of you.”
“……”
“Don’t worry. I don’t particularly care if we lose due to individual combat power, but losing because of poor training or support is a matter of pride. Ah, would you like to try spinning the Midas Cube? I’m planning to close up shop soon anyway, so I can clear out some inventory.”
Looking into Chrome’s sparkling eyes, Iris realized that no matter what she said, it was pointless. The feeling that they had stepped onto a completely wrong path was overwhelming, but it was too late to turn back now.
Watching Chrome rattle off dazzling explanations about various magical tools while her teammates grew increasingly captivated, Iris simply decided to let go. Somehow, it would all work out.