8
Chapter 8
"That's all for today's class."
I announced the end of the class, but unlike before, no one replied with a polite greeting.
As I slipped out of the classroom, I swept my gaze over the kids and saw that their faces were full of complaints.
It was understandable; making them self-study for two weeks straight while I snoozed in the back was bound to elicit this kind of reaction.
At this rate, a complaint demanding a new instructor would arrive any day now.
It might have even been submitted already.
'Isn't this going too far?'
'About what?'
'Are you seriously asking? I know you hate teaching, but what did those little kids do to deserve this?'
'Why should I care? The training materials have everything they need to learn anyway.'
It seemed Ark didn't like my half-hearted approach to teaching.
He had already read my memories, so he should have known the full story.
Honestly, while I did only make them self-study, I didn't completely neglect the kids.
I kept watch from the back to make sure they didn't goof off, and for those who asked questions, I explained things properly just like I promised in the beginning.
'Can't you hear the kids cursing you?'
Just as Ark said, I could vividly hear the voices of the trainees pouring out their grievances about me from the classroom I had just left.
'I'd say that's a good thing, though?'
'Is getting cursed at your kink or something?'
No way.
I definitely don't have weird tastes like that.
'I just want to leave this Belliard Academy and go back to my hometown.'
'You're an orphan, so it's not even your real hometown.'
Why is this bastard hitting me where it hurts?
'Ahem, it's my spiritual hometown. And do you think I'm doing this just for myself? It's for everyone's happiness.'
If I get fired, I'll be happy to go home, and a passionate, capable new instructor will take my place, which is good for the kids.
In other words, everyone ends up happy.
'I can't believe you're saying that...'
Ignoring Ark's grumbling, I arrived at the faculty office.
Everyone looked bright and cheerful; come to think of it, today was payday.
Should I grab a drink with Old Man Daph for once?
Since tomorrow is the weekend, I could drink to my heart's content.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind drinking on a weekday, but the old man is always busy.
"Now, everyone, please give me your attention for a moment."
Chief Instructor Berman clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention.
"Remember what the Dean said this morning about having a faculty dinner?"
Damn it. So there was a dinner.
A staff dinner on a precious Friday night.
"The venue is Aria's Shelter on 12th Street, so wrap up your work and join us early."
"Instructor Berman, I have some personal matters to attend to today, so I'm afraid I won't be able to make it."
"Is that so? Understood."
A few other instructors approached Berman to excuse themselves, so it didn't seem like attendance was strictly mandatory.
I immediately walked up to Berman as well.
"Chief Instructor Berman..."
"There are orders for all new instructors to attend."
He must have caught on, because he preempted me.
"I don't believe you mentioned that earlier?"
"Since you're new, wouldn't this be a good opportunity to build some camaraderie? Especially you, Bio. You seem particularly awkward around the other instructors."
He had a point, so I couldn't argue.
Maybe the guy whose wrist I broke at the start spread some nasty rumors, because even though it's been two weeks since the semester started, not a single instructor has spoken to me privately.
Well, I have no interest in people who ostracize me based on rumors.
It's not like I plan on staying here for long anyway.
I'll just make a brief appearance and then find a way to slip out.
I finished grading today's pop quiz and clocked out.
After changing clothes in the dormitory, I headed back out toward the academy entrance.
Just as I was about to leave the gates, huh?
A woman in a sharp suit, standing at the entrance, approached me.
It was Instructor Amelia, who was in charge of the Ranger Class practicals.
With her platinum blonde hair and striking looks, she was popular with both students and instructors.
Unlike her appearance, she had a down-to-earth personality and was known for being a passionate teacher whose classes were well-received—quite the opposite of a certain someone.
"Instructor Bio?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"You're on your way to the faculty dinner, right? Let's go together."
'Oh, I think this might be a green light.'
Green light?
'It means she's interested in you.'
Interested in me?
"With me?"
"Is that a problem?"
I was suspicious at first, but I could sense a certain earnestness in her expression.
Bio's still got it.
Of course, that's only because my reputation here at Belliard is a bit tarnished.
Back at Seinty Academy, I was quite popular with my fellow instructors and trainees.
Ahem, though I've seen at least three instructors get shot down after hitting on Amelia, so maybe I'm wrong.
"I don't see why not. But I'll only be staying for a short while."
"I don't plan on staying long either. Then why don't we just make our presence known and then go grab a drink just the two of us?"
This seems pretty certain now.
I'd heard she was down-to-earth, but she's being way too aggressive.
Unfortunately, she's not really my type.
Besides, if I leave soon, it would turn into a long-distance relationship, which is a bit...
"Instructor Bio?"
"Ah, that might be difficult. I already have plans."
I hadn't actually made a specific plan with the old man, but since I'm leaving soon, I figured it was best to draw a line rather than get attached.
"Well, it can't be helped then. Let's at least talk while we walk."
I thought she'd be embarrassed and go alone after being rejected, but she seems more persistent than I thought.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not really looking to meet anyone right now."
I had no choice but to be blunt, but for some reason, her expression soured.
She didn't look hurt by the rejection; it was more like she was disgusted...
"Wait, do you seriously think I asked you to walk with me because I'm interested in you?"
"Ah... you weren't?"
Looking at her face, she definitely wasn't.
"I just wanted to talk to you about your classes."
She spoke with a voice so cold it felt like a freeze, making me want to find a hole to crawl into and hide.
Sigh, if she had been interested, she would have made it obvious a long time ago.
"My classes?"
"Are you aware that there's a lot of talk about you among the students lately, Instructor Bio?"
"I see."
Now I finally get it.
"What do you mean, 'I see'? It's not good talk—everyone is full of complaints. I heard you've just been making them self-study instead of actually teaching."
I thought she'd go to the Dean or the Chief Instructor if she wanted a change in instructors, but then again, it's not weird to talk to a fellow instructor first.
"As you know, Instructor Amelia, the Ranger theory training materials are exceptionally well-made, aren't they?"
"Even so, making them only self-study is..."
"I told them they can freely ask me questions individually anytime they don't understand something. I'm keeping an eye out to make sure they focus on self-studying and don't goof off, and I'm also conducting weekly assessments."
"I understand what you're saying, but the trainees are hoping to be taught a bit more properly."
"Properly, you say... That's a bit harsh. Isn't it ultimately up to the instructor's discretion how to run their class?"
"That may be true, but I'm just worried about you getting a bad reputation for no reason, Instructor Bio..."
Even though I kept speaking rudely, she tried to remain polite; it seemed she was genuinely a good-hearted person by nature.
"It's quite alright. Personally, whether it's magic, swordsmanship, or the Ranger Class, I believe the will to learn on one's own is the most important thing, which is exactly why I'm teaching this way."
'Talk about making up excuses to fit your narrative. You really laid it on thick.'
'This much is just the basics.'
The Black Agent training curriculum included rhetoric and persuasion, after all.
Even the kind-hearted Instructor Amelia seemed exhausted by my stubbornness and fell silent.
"Instructor Amelia?"
She stood there blankly for a moment before saying she would head off first and left.
Honestly, I was fully prepared to get cursed at for spouting nonsense, but I guess she really is just too nice.
Anyway, with a much lighter heart, I headed to the venue for the faculty dinner.
If word had already reached the other instructors, my termination was now only a matter of time.
After about a ten-minute walk, I arrived at the restaurant.
It was a high-end tavern located in the bustling part of town, and it seemed they had reserved the entire place; aside from the familiar faces of the instructors, there were no other customers inside.
Instructor salaries weren't even that much, but maybe because everyone here was a noble, they certainly had money to burn.
Since I only planned to make a brief appearance before slipping away, I looked for the Dean, but huh?
Sitting next to the Dean at the central head table was Instructor Amelia.
They were engaged in a serious conversation—had she already tattled on me in that short time?
From my perspective, that wasn't a bad thing at all.
"Oh, Instructor Bio. Could you come over here for a moment?"
"Yes, sir."
As I approached the Dean, Instructor Amelia glared at me sideways.
"Instructor Amelia was just telling me that there are a lot of complaints from the trainees you teach..."
"Uh, well, about that..."
"There's no need to explain. I'm sure you have your reasons for doing things this way."
"But... Dean? Even so, only making them self-study is..."
"Instructor Amelia here might not like it, but I trust you."
God damn it.
I thought I'd at least get a reprimand or fall out of his favor, if not get fired on the spot, but what the hell was this?
It seemed the trust I had built up by kicking out the troublemaker of the Heinz Marquis family from the school was still holding strong.
"Dean, listening to Instructor Amelia, it sounds like the trainees' complaints are quite significant."
The Chief Instructor, who was standing nearby, chimed in to back Amelia up.
You're doing great, Berman.
Put a little more effort into it!
"Ahem, isn't this because you all misunderstand our Instructor Bio's true intentions? I didn't want to say anything to avoid unnecessary rumors, but Instructor Bio is a talent whose abilities were recognized and personally recommended by the Imperial Family."
With the Dean, Marquis Banks, drawing a firm line, Berman immediately clamped his mouth shut.
Seriously, what kind of man has so little boldness?
That damn Imperial Family recommendation was seriously the worst thing to happen to me.
'Our Bio must be so happy to have someone who recognizes his greatness.'
That bastard Ark was just being sarcastic.
"Even so, as an instructor of the Ranger Class, I cannot agree with Instructor Bio's teaching methods."
"Are you openly saying you intend to infringe upon his right to academic freedom?"
Marquis Banks spoke with a clearly displeased expression, but Instructor Amelia didn't even blink.
I thought she was a pushover since she backed down without being able to say anything earlier, but looking at her now, she actually had quite a bit of spine.
"Instructor Amelia, enough is enough. It's not like you're teaching Knights or Wizards; why make such a fuss over teaching Rangers?"
"That's true. Most of them will be dispatched to the Principality of Dmitri anyway."
Perhaps noticing the Dean's mood, the other instructors nearby chimed in one by one.
It carried a nuance of looking down on Rangers, but nobles acting like this was nothing new.
Amelia glared fiercely at the instructors who had spoken up.
"How can an instructor say such a thing?"
"What, did I say something wrong?"
Honestly, it wasn't completely wrong.
While Rangers are stationed all across the borders, the place with the highest concentration of Rangers is indeed the Principality of Dmitri.
As the Empire's closest ally, at the very northernmost tip of the Principality of Dmitri...
...countless monsters pour out every year from that place known as the Frozen Earth.
I heard that the monsters themselves have adapted to the harsh climate, making them far more powerful than those found elsewhere, and their numbers usually reach around a hundred thousand, sometimes even exceeding four hundred thousand at their peak.
The Principality couldn't possibly handle the monster hordes on their own, and if the Principality of Dmitri were to fall, the Empire would have to deal with them instead, which is why the Empire provides them with all sorts of support.
Regular soldiers are rotated out after serving a certain period, but due to the nature of their missions, Rangers are rarely ever transferred from the region they were initially deployed to.
Given these circumstances, many of the Rangers dispatched to the North end up changing their nationality.
Realistically, the Principality of Dmitri becomes their new home, so it can't be helped.
In the first place, more Rangers die than are newly dispatched, so their numbers aren't even that high, but there's no way nobles would ever take that into consideration.
They just think of Rangers as ungrateful wretches who will become citizens of another country anyway, so why bother teaching them.
Anyway, it seemed Amelia's focus had shifted from me to the other instructors.
The atmosphere was getting heated, so I tried to slip away, but Amelia suddenly marched right up to me.
"You're a Ranger Instructor too. Doesn't it make you angry to hear them talk like that?"
I had no idea why she was suddenly biting my head off.
It wasn't like I was a real Ranger, so why would I be mad?
"Uh... I guess so?"
I tried to gloss over it as smoothly as a Silk Snake slipping over a wall, but judging by Amelia's expression, it didn't work.
"'I guess so'? Do you have any idea whose fault it is that I'm even hearing this? You're seriously impossible to talk to."
Her pretty face was filled with so much malice that she looked ready to punch me at any second.
"Since you say we can't communicate, then I'll be on my way."
"Where do you think you're going? Stop right there!"
"If words won't work, then there's only one thing left to do."
As she spoke, Instructor Amelia took off her gloves.
Wait, hold on. Don't tell me...
Plop.
As the saying goes, 'don't tell me' kills you; Instructor Amelia threw her removed gloves right at me.
"Instructor Amelia?"
"I will prove that I am right through a duel."
I knew she had some backbone, but I never expected her to actually challenge me to a duel right in the middle of a faculty dinner with everyone watching.
Unexpected or not, this was seriously pissing me off.
Did I really look that easy to push around?
"The loser has to resign as an academy instructor!"
I was going to teach her a lesson for running her mouth without knowing her place, but if she was offering these terms, that changed things entirely.
I was about to eagerly accept, but someone stepped in even faster than me.
"I cannot allow such a condition."
"This is a duel between the two of us. Please do not interfere."
"Let's calm down. Wouldn't it be a loss to our Belliard Academy to lose capable and skilled instructors like you over such a petty matter?"
"I believe that under Article 3, Section 11 of the Beluga Empire's duel laws, any condition is permissible as long as both parties agree."
It seemed Amelia was desperate to kick me out of the academy by any means necessary.
Good job, Amelia.
"So you want to go by the law? Fine by me. The authority over personnel at Belliard Academy belongs to me, the Dean. Even if you or Instructor Bio submit a resignation letter, I will not accept it."
He put on an utterly solemn expression and spoke in a serious tone, but then he casually glanced my way and winked, making me want to lose my mind.