Faculty Meeting (2): Astar Arenrise
Astar Arenrise. Even in the original story, he was the character with the "arrogant elite teacher" trait.
An extreme elitist who constantly picked fights with the protagonist, a commoner. Later, he fell for the protagonist, shed his elitism, and became devoted to him—but that hadn't happened yet.
He was the picture-perfect arrogant elite teacher.
'And right now, he's my potential savior who could get me fired.'
"Everyone here must know of, or at least have heard about, the new teacher who joined the academy this time: Mr. Otto Becker."
The conference room buzzed with murmurs.
Some nodded, and the glances toward me shifted from fleeting to outright stares.
"Name: Otto Becker. Affiliated with the Imperial Ministry of Education... and, astonishingly, a mage who has reached the 2nd Circle."
"2nd Circle?!"
"Did I hear that right? 2nd Circle?!"
The murmurs swelled like a rising tide.
Even the teachers who had been zoning out or fiddling with distractions snapped their heads toward me.
Whoa, my face is gonna get drilled. These stares are too intense.
"As you all know, Mershu Academy gathers the empire's finest talents. Our faculty is composed accordingly, of elites befitting that standard."
"Mm, true."
"We occasionally have 6th Circle mages, but 2nd Circle... This can't be right...!!"
Murmurs erupted from all corners.
Academy teachers were monsters with at least 5th Circle strength. 5th Circle was high-level, but it drew side-eyes among peers—let alone 2nd Circle?
No wonder they were stunned. In modern terms, it was like a high school kid without a teaching license becoming a university professor.
'Well played...!'
The room filled with distrust and contempt toward me.
I mentally gave Astar a thumbs-up.
Dirty personality aside, the guy was smart at steering the crowd. Perfect. Trash-talk me more. Hate me more. Despise me more...!
Please just kick me out of the academy...!!
"A moment, Mr. Astar."
At that point, the glasses-wearing woman who looked rigidly strict interjected. She had been leading the meeting from the center since the start.
"Mr. Otto's appointment was approved by the academy director herself."
No. Please don't.
I'm a total useless teacher—please just boot me out.
"Miss Pelicica. Since when has Mershu Academy been the director's royal palace? Are you saying we can't question her judgment?"
Astar shot back sharply.
As expected of the rude villain famous before his redemption arc with the protagonist—every word grated. From my perspective, though, each jab boosted my survival odds, so I just sat there clapping silently.
Nice one. Who knew being a jerk could be so helpful?
"I wasn't thrilled about the empire sending a teacher in the first place. The academy is an independent institution—this feels like interference in internal affairs."
"Even the esteemed director... this just isn't right."
"A 2nd Circle mage has the same strength as any passing student. How could someone like that teach?"
"And for the Special Class, no less? Those problem kids need someone who can overpower them physically. How can he be their homeroom teacher?"
"Isn't it simple? Every kid in Special Class is 3rd Circle or higher. What could a 2nd Circle possibly teach them? Thud thud thud. End of story~."
"And he's scrawny too!"
Last one doesn't matter.
Anyway, things were flowing perfectly in my favor.
Sure, getting booted meant returning to civil service drudgery, plus some gossip and backlash—but compared to a year of trembling in the same building as Abel, who wanted me dead or enslaved? No contest.
But then, Pelicica—who had been cut off by Astar earlier—spoke up again.
"No, everyone is being too hasty."
"Miss Pelicica. I understand your respect for the director. We all do. But even so, 2nd Circle is too much."
"Hear me out, Mr. Astar. Unless your tongue is so pathetic you can't let others finish."
"...Very well. I apologize for my rudeness. Please, continue."
"Don't act like you're granting permission. I say what I want."
Their power struggle had me on edge.
They clearly weren't on good terms, glaring daggers—until Pelicica suddenly turned to me.
Her eyes blazed with murderous intent, like I was her mortal enemy, radiating killing aura if things didn't go her way.
A short, elderly man asked her.
"What makes it hasty, Miss Pelicica?"
"The academy has never selected teachers based solely on power. Some here have high Circles but poor combat skills."
Circle rank and combat prowess weren't proportional.
Circles measured magical attainment, not battle prowess in killing spells.
Higher Circles averaged stronger, sure—but even a 7th Circle teacher might struggle against 4th or 5th Circle imperial soldiers.
"Fair point. This academy hires who the director picks."
"That's what I'm getting at: the director's criteria for teachers."
"Oh? Something like that?"
"Yes, it's in the academy rules."
Pelicica swished her finger in the air, and dozens of books flew to land before the teachers.
I wondered if we'd need to open them—then the pages flipped themselves to the exact spot.
"It's real. Right here."
"'A teacher at the academy is one who can teach others something.'"
"Haha! Even we don't read this massive rulebook cover to cover!"
Bragging about not reading the rules? Fair, though—this 2,000-page tome was intimidating. The academy had piled up rules over nearly a millennium.
Even I hadn't dreamed of tackling it all.
"Hah, what meaning could this farce have?"
Astar scoffed at the reactions.
"Even a 2nd Circle could teach etiquette, manners, morals—trivia like that, so we pass him? Is that it, Miss Pelicica?"
"Of course not. But I trust the director's judgment."
"Trust how?"
"Even at 2nd Circle, if he can teach something 'magical,' it's fine."
"Heh heh, heh heh heh!! Well said indeed, Miss Pelicica."
Astar grinned meaningfully.
"Then let's have proof right here."
Pelicica's face soured.
"No matter how curious, we needn't grill him so hastily."
"A 2nd Circle joining the continent's top academy—unprecedented. Such an event demands new procedures."
Astar slammed the desk.
A light mana wave swept the room.
Seizing attention from Pelicica, he raised his voice.
"To be frank, Mr. Otto—I find you distasteful."
"Mr. Astar!!"
"We all earned our seats here. Publishors of paradigm-shifting theses. War heroes who felled countless magical beasts. Each with achievements warranting our place."
All eyes turned to me.
I met them with a blank face—too tense to emote.
"Prove your worth. Or, if unworthy, please leave this academy."
Prove it, huh.
Just sit still, and they'd boot me, right?
He seemed set to, but Pelicica behind him looked terrifying.
Do nothing, and she'd leap over to kill me—I instinctively gathered mana in my fingertips.
Pathetic mana that Iruka would punch on sight, but my best effort.
"Heh heh. Cute little mana."
Astar smirked at it.
Pelicica openly gestured: thumbs up, then slashing her throat.
Straighten up or die.
'What more do you want?'
It looked half-assed to them, but I was serious.
Stay passive, though, and death loomed—I racked my brain.
'Oh yeah—last time, Iruka used my mana for a spell.'
The cleaning magic that scrubbed grime like a pro finally clicked.
Not my spell, so vague—but maintaining it all night left the activation feel in my hands.
'Let's see... roughly like this.'
I closed my eyes, focused, then opened them.
A beautiful magic circle formed atop my hand from the jiggling mana.
Satisfying for me, but pitiful to them. They just stared silently.
"…."
"…."
"…."
Everyone staring wordlessly is scary, guys.
This proved my incompetence, right?
"Then I'll take my leave first."
No need to stick around—I stood.
My steps felt lighter than imagined.
"Ah, Mr. Otto! Over here!"
"Guide? What are you doing here?"
"Figured the meeting's wrapping up. Here to guide you."
Guide beamed.
Man, if he weren't a guy, I'd seriously consider confessing. Sadly, even if the sky fell, I wouldn't swing that way.
"So, how was the faculty meeting?"
"How was it..."
I glanced back at the now-closed conference room.
"...A good experience."
"Ooh! Nailed your debut, huh?"
"Quite the opposite."
Not a debut—a retirement.
"Eh, went bad?"
"No, the outcome was perfect. My treat tonight. Follow me."
"...??"
I laughed with the head-tilted, confused Guide as we headed downtown.
Ten minutes after Otto left, no teacher had budged.
Not due to any spell effect—just pure shock from his magic.
"Uh, what did we just witness...?"
"...No idea. My head's still spinning."
Teachers gradually recovered, clutching their heads.
"...2nd Circle?"
"That was... unique magic...?"
Astar and Pelicica were equally stunned.
As top mages among them, the shock hit harder.
Magic fell into two types.
One: "general magic," refined over eons by countless mages.
The other: "unique magic," forging new paths beyond convention.
Unique magic often lagged behind general in polish.
To surpass millennia-honed general magic, one needed either innate "unique mana" incompatible with standard spells...
...or genius ideas transcending the foundations.
Otto's wondrous circle was unmistakably his own unique magic.
"Hah, hah ha. No clue what I just saw."
Astar sweated coldly.
High-level mages could gauge levels from circles alone.
At 8th Circle—top among professors—Astar couldn't believe his eyes.
Otto's circle revealed a "vast sea" beyond.
An endless ocean of magic, depth and breadth unimaginable, overwhelming at a glance.
Unconsciously, Astar mimicked it with his own magic—like a child reaching for a sparkle.
He could replicate most sub-3rd Circle spells on sight, but sneered at his feeble copy.
"Looks like the director was right."
All eyes fixed on Astar's hand—the crude imitation of Otto's spell.
Lacking depth, awe, thrill—it proved Otto fit the academy.
Astar dispelled it hastily, staring at the door Otto had exited.
"Teacher Otto Becker... I'll remember you."
Next time, I won't lose.
Astar's fighting spirit ignited.
That evening after the faculty meeting.
Knock knock.
I was packing in the staff room when someone tapped my window.
Thinking intruder, I tensed—then spotted the owl with rainbow wings.
"Oh right, these guys exist."
I petted the academy's messenger owl and untied the scroll from its leg.
"Took you long enough."
Definitely my forced retirement notice.
Like a kid ripping open a Christmas gift, I unrolled it eagerly.
Let's see—
Dear Teacher Otto Becker,
We apologize for the rudeness shown this morning.
Your appointment to the Special Class has been fully approved by the director.
Please care for the students well.
Mershu Academy Faculty Council
"Teacher Otto Becker, we apologize for this morning's rudeness...? Huh?"
Wait, not the opening I expected.
With trembling hands, I read the whole thing.
Unusually long for an official notice, but the gist was...
"Special Class kids... please take good care of them...? Why...???"
What the hell did I even do back there?
Maybe the cleaning magic looked handy, so they're stalling by assigning me old school building cleanup before firing me?
"Sigh, my life."
I unpacked my prepped bags one by one, swallowing tears.