7
Chapter 7
I've always had a good sense for things.
Especially when it came to bad premonitions, they never missed the mark.
"Then let's all work hard starting with our first class today."
I thought I would safely get fired when I smoothly lied to the Dean, claiming that the medicinal herbs for treating Marquis Heinz's son might not suit his constitution and that I had merely brought it up privately.
I should have known better the moment that bastard Ark started spouting nonsense.
Instead of firing me, Marquis Heinz transferred his son Damian to another academy in the Capital.
This happened even after I made it crystal clear that I had no lingering attachment to Belliard Academy.
Phew,
'The ground is going to swallow me whole. I told you so.'
'Shut up.'
After warning Ark, I gathered the lesson materials and tried to leave the Faculty Office, but the Dean signaled me to follow him.
I quickly grabbed my things and stepped out of the Faculty Office, finding the Dean standing in front of me.
"What is it?"
"I felt like I never properly thanked you. Thank you."
"Pardon? I'm not sure what there is to thank me for..."
"Isn't it thanks to you that the biggest headache of our Belliard Academy disappeared? Not just Damian, but the whole gang that hung out with him left the academy. It feels like a diseased tooth was completely pulled out."
Damian transferred, but the group of kids who used to hang out with him all dropped out.
Marquis Heinz must have pressured them.
The Marquis was convinced that those kids had tempted his son into doing Maricho.
"No, it's not like I did it on purpose. I was just doing my job."
"Look at you being so modest. Honestly, I liked you from the very beginning."
"Excuse me?"
"Everyone kept their mouths shut out of fear of Damian's background, but you confidently called it out as bad behavior right in front of the Marquis."
"Well, that was just..."
My goal was to get fired, so I didn't need to care about stepping on anyone's toes.
"Yet you didn't refuse to treat him. You are a true educator. I hope you keep that mindset and continue to do well in the future."
I think I really screwed up.
The Dean's eyes were practically overflowing with trust as he looked at me.
My goal was to get fired, but I somehow ended up buying the trust of the Dean, who held authority over all personnel decisions for the instructors...
"Haha. Yes, I will work hard."
"Good. If you ever find yourself in a difficult spot, come talk to me anytime."
When I agreed, the Dean waved his hand dismissively, so I took my leave.
He'll probably make you a lifetime instructor at this rate. Our Bio is going to be so happy.
I ignored Ark's teasing and stepped out of the main building.
The Ranger Class classroom was located in the old building on the left side of the main building.
The Dean had held me up, so I didn't have much time left and hurried my pace.
I heard that the 80 Trainees in the Belliard Academy Ranger Class were randomly divided into Class A and Class B, with 40 students each.
While Class A took theoretical lessons, Class B took practical lessons.
Back in Seinti, I taught both theory and practice, but here at Belliard Academy, they were strictly separated.
I was assigned to handle the theory classes.
It seemed they assigned me to theory because I was missing an arm, but I honestly preferred it.
[Ranger Class B]
This month, Class A has practical lessons in the morning, so I'm with Class B.
I flung open the classroom door the moment the bell rang.
It sounded a bit noisy from the outside, but it was surprisingly quiet once I entered.
I took a breath and walked toward the podium.
Seeing that the trainees I saw in the dining hall weren't here, they must be in Class A.
"Nice to meet you all. I am Instructor Bio, and I'll be in charge of your Ranger theory education."
"Nice to meet you!"
Even though I hadn't specifically told them to answer, a thunderous response came back.
Perhaps because it's the first day, everyone is overflowing with enthusiasm, which makes me feel even more sorry for them.
Because I have absolutely no intention of reciprocating that enthusiasm.
"Since it's the first day, we'll start with brief self-introductions, followed by an explanation of the curriculum and schedule. Let's start from the left of the first row."
'Self-introductions? Isn't he taking it too easy?'
'This is how the first day always goes.'
I memorized their names, cross-referencing the students who stood up one by one with the attendance sheet.
I had received a directory with basic information on the Ranger trainees a few days ago, and as expected for the Ranger class, there were only ten nobles in total between Class A and Class B.
Even among those ten, there were no high-ranking nobles worth worrying about, which makes sense since being a Ranger isn't a "major" path.
For those who can feel and utilize mana but lack the talent and aptitude to become a wizard or a knight, becoming a Ranger is the next best option.
That's why no one aims to be a Ranger from the start.
If there's anyone worth noting, it might be the red-haired one introducing herself now.
"I am May Levi. I'm twenty years old."
She had a simple style with a neat bob, but with her small face, distinct features, and slender build, she was quite pretty.
Of course, I wasn't paying attention to her because of her looks; this trainee, May, was the overall top scorer in the written portion of the entrance exam.
I heard that the top scorer for the written exam had always come from the Wizard class.
She's a poor soul—brilliant, but lacking the talent for mana.
Before I knew it, the introductions had ended, and no one else stood up.
"Are the introductions finished?"
The student responded, confirming that she had been the last.
"Alright. Then listen carefully as I explain the upcoming educational schedule."
"Um, Instructor, aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
"I believe I mentioned my name earlier?"
"You didn't tell us anything other than your name..."
"Bio Rain, rank of Junior Baron, no estate, twenty-nine years old. Before coming here, I spent two years at Seinty Academy in the southern part of the Empire, and I have ten years of experience."
It was experience as a Black Agent, not a Ranger, but it's similar enough if you exclude a few specific missions.
"If there are no more questions, I will explain the curriculum. In addition to the midterm and final evaluations, there will be a test every Friday."
"T... Tests?"
"Wait, tests that often...?"
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Just like the trainees at Seinty Academy, the ones here at Belliard Academy were no different in their hatred for exams.
"Quiet. It's only natural to verify what was learned during the week. These will be reflected in your final evaluation, so put any thoughts of slacking off aside."
'He said he'd teach half-heartedly, but isn't he being too diligent with these weekly tests?'
I wonder if that's true?
"Now then, let's begin the lesson immediately. Everyone, take out your books."
Following my instructions, the trainees placed their books on their desks one by one.
The basics of being a Ranger.
Made by the Belliard Academy, this textbook covered everything from Herbology, Dagger Technique, Archery, Tracking Technique, to the geography of the Empire, all in one massive volume.
"The scope for this week's test is chapters 1 and 2 of Herbology. You will now begin self-study."
'Self-study on the very first class?'
Not just that bastard Ark, but all the trainees wore expressions of shock at the mention of self-study.
I had expected this kind of reaction roughly.
"I will be watching you from the back, so don't try anything funny. If there's anything you don't understand, you may come up to me and ask."
After finishing my words, I moved to the back of the classroom, opened my Subspace, and pulled out a folding chair.
There wouldn't be any fools asking questions on the first day, so I figured I might as well catch up on some sleep.
****
"It's time. That's all for today. Good work, everyone." "Thank you for your hard work."
The moment the instructor left, the majority of the trainees collapsed, burying their heads in their desks.
"Isn't this seriously too much?"
Starting with someone's outcry, complaints began to burst out one by one.
"What the hell is this!"
Honestly, I couldn't completely not understand where they were coming from.
When he said on the first day that we would have weekly tests in addition to the midterms and finals, I thought he was an instructor full of passion for teaching, but I was completely mistaken.
It has already been a week since the new semester started.
From the first day up until now, every single theory class has been self-study.
There was a test last Friday, but it barely lasted an hour.
What's more, the questions were taken straight from the lesson materials without a single change, so the majority got a perfect score. No one got more than one question wrong.
"May, what do you think?"
"Me? I'm just whatever. I don't really think much of it?"
"Right? How is someone like him an instructor? He doesn't look capable at all; isn't he just a nepotism hire?"
Many trainees, including Luna next to me, vented their complaints, but honestly, I wasn't all that dissatisfied with the current teaching method.
It's all self-study, but the classes were originally meant to proceed using the lesson materials anyway.
The materials were extremely well-made, and he told us to ask questions if we didn't know something.
Truth be told, it hasn't been long since classes started, but there were some general subject instructors who felt like they favored certain students.
I could let it slide if they just showered them with bonus points for trivial things, but there were definitely times when they received perfect scores just like me, even when there were clearly blanks all over their test papers.
Compared to those instructors, Instructor Bio didn't particularly favor anyone, even if he only made us self-study every day.
Instructor Bio is equally discourteous to everyone.
However, he wasn't actually that discourteous in reality.
I actually asked him a few questions, and although he made it blatantly obvious that he was annoyed at being woken up, he faithfully answered whatever I asked.
"We pay expensive tuition to attend, what kind of class is this?"
Ah, one more thing: I'm a top student, so my tuition is waived.
"With such a smooth face, didn't he get in just by his looks?"
"Come on, no way. Let's just go to the dining hall."
"Yeah. Still, the practical instructor teaches us really well."
"Right. Our Instructor Amelia is different."
Unlike Instructor Bio, who only made us self-study every day, Instructor Amelia, the practical instructor for the Ranger Class, truly did her absolute best to teach us.
Contrary to her flashy appearance, she was incredibly passionate and strict, but she always personally demonstrated the techniques and meticulously corrected each and every one of our postures.
"Instructor Amelia is truly amazing. Especially the boys, they're all completely smitten with her, hanging onto her every word."
"Hmph, do you think someone like her would look at those immature boys? She probably has a handsome boyfriend."
As we chatted, we arrived in front of the Dining Hall before we knew it.
We got our food and sat down, but the topic of conversation still hadn't strayed from the instructors.
"Seriously, Instructor Bio should at least try to be a little more like Instructor Amelia."
No matter how much they dislike him, he's still an instructor; isn't it a bit much to gossip about him like this?
"By the way, did you guys hear? Instructor Bio caused a huge incident before the semester even started."
"An incident?"
"I heard he got into a fight with another instructor right here in the Dining Hall?"
"I knew it. He doesn't even teach properly and just causes trouble. Shouldn't we file a petition to get him replaced at this point?"
Their gossiping was getting worse, and just as I was about to tell them to drop it and eat, a male and female trainee sitting to our left walked over to us.
"You guys are in the Ranger Class, right?"
"So what if we are?"
"Don't talk so carelessly about Instructor Bio when you don't even know the whole story."
"What? The nerve. Who do you think you are? You're a New Student too, aren't you?"
"You don't even know why Instructor Bio did that. You weren't even there, so watch your mouth."
"You're a funny one. Hey, I don't know how old you are, but you look like a Commoner, and we're Nobles, alright?"
"Even if trainees don't discriminate based on status inside the academy, don't you know it's a whole different story once you step outside these gates?"
Sigh, my face is burning from second-hand embarrassment.
They approached us first and started hanging out with us, but I had no idea they were this kind of people. I'm going to have to keep my distance from now on.
"You trainees over there... What's going on? You're all familiar faces. Don't you know the basic manners of not causing a ruckus in the Dining Hall?"
"Instructor Amelia?"
The Practical Instructor, Amelia, was standing there, having arrived without anyone noticing.
"We weren't being noisy for no reason; they came over and picked a fight with us first."
"Pick a fight? You guys were the ones badmouthing the instructor first."
"That's right. When you don't even know what really happened."
"Badmouthing the instructor? Surely you don't mean me?"
"Of course not. We weren't talking about Instructor Amelia, but the theory instructor, Instructor Bio...."
"We didn't really badmouth him either. We just said it was a shame that he only makes us self-study and doesn't teach us properly."
"Don't change your story. You were cursing him out, saying someone who causes trouble like that has no right to be an instructor." "When did we ever..."
"That's enough."
It was on the verge of turning into a screaming match, but everyone fell silent as if they had agreed to it beforehand at Instructor Amelia's sharp remark.
"I heard the story about Instructor Bio as well."
"Right? See."
"It really seems like Instructor Bio has no interest in teaching. I mean, he's only made us self-study from the very first class."
"And I heard he caused a scene fighting with another instructor in the Dining Hall right before the semester started. We weren't making things up."
"No. The reason Instructor Bio did that is..."
"That's enough. Even if it's true, it's not right for trainees to gossip so carelessly about their own instructor. I will speak with Instructor Bio separately, so stop this and just eat."
Instructor Amelia gave us a warning and immediately left the table.
The students who had approached us also glared at us once, perhaps because of the warning, before walking away just like that.
Thanks to Instructor Amelia, the situation was sorted out, but I couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Since Instructor Amelia said she would talk to him, there would definitely be some kind of change.