Old Rivals and New Beginnings
Everyone has a youth. And for most people, there comes a time when they believe they’re special. I was no different. Born in the capital, I trained with the sword under generous support and was even hailed as a genius. But that arrogance shattered on the day of the academy entrance exam.
My opponent was the top admit, the one they called the kingdom’s strongest. At first I thought I could win. Back then, I didn’t yield to any of my peers. The moment our blades met, however, I understood instantly.
Ah. This person… I can’t beat them.
The result was total defeat. I passed the entrance test itself, but afterward I grew reluctant to swing a sword in front of others. I also came to dislike strong people. An inferiority complex, most likely.
Hmm…
On the outskirts of the royal capital, Illumina, I stood lost in thought with a letter in my hand.
Should I really accept this?
Eterna Royal Academy Official Notice
We hereby request that you assume the position of homeroom teacher for the incoming freshmen of the new semester…
— Headmaster
If this had been the old me, I would have torn the letter to shreds and burned it. But my circumstances were a little special right now.
These days it’s hard enough making a living as a mercenary. Maybe I should give it a try? They probably won’t stick someone like me with the S-Class anyway. I can just teach the basics, then bolt once next year rolls around. Easy profit.
My income had been terrible lately. With a lighter heart, I stuffed the letter into my pocket and stepped into the nearby mercenary guild.
Jingle!
“I’m back~.”
My friend Babel, seated across the room drinking, glanced over.
“Look who finally showed up, you drunk. Already ordered for you. Sit down, Kalts.”
“You’ve got more sense than your face suggests.”
“The hell are you on about, you pretty-boy bastard?”
We looked at each other and burst out laughing. I spoke first.
“Actually, I’ll be working at the academy starting next month.”
The look on Babel’s face was truly a sight to behold.
“What…? Pfft! You? Don’t joke around. A piece of trash like you, working at the academy where all those fancy nobles study?”
Was it really that hilarious?
“What’s the big deal? You know I used to be pretty good back in the day.”
“Yeah, I know that much. It’s the only reason you’re still breathing, isn’t it?”
In truth, I had never told Babel the full story of my past. Even when I did mention it, I only said I used to be decent. Nothing more. It was an embarrassing history, and I had no desire to revisit it.
“I never told you this, but I actually attended the academy once.”
Babel answered with an expression that said he had expected as much.
“Figured as much. When I first saw you holding a sword I thought you were just some amateur, but the way you fought was clearly different. It felt like you had a proper foundation, unlike the rest of us who fight purely on instinct.”
I was secretly impressed. Babel usually came across as a brainless barbarian, so I hadn’t expected such sharp deduction.
“Anyway, do your best.”
Thump!
His massive hand slammed into my back.
“Ugh… Two more encouragements like that and I’ll be dead.”
“What, you can’t handle that much?”
After exchanging a few more rough pleasantries with Babel, I left the guild and breathed in the crisp air.
“Huu—ha~ Right, time to get ready.”
I pulled out the coin pouch from my pocket and counted the contents.
“Five hundred silver. That should be enough.”
Good. From this moment on, I would become someone else.
The academy was the absolute peak of what people called the “sunny side” of the world. It wouldn’t do for someone from the underside like me to show his real face there.
Step by step, my feet carried me to the market. Everything I needed could be found in one place.
First, I entered a clothing shop and bought an oversized robe that reached my knees. Second, I stopped at a general store and picked out a mask that suited my face. Finally, I visited the blacksmith and purchased a cheap sword hanging on the wall.
Once I had put on every item I had bought—
“Perfect. From now on, I’m Kyle.”
Academy instructor Kyle had made his debut. The mercenary Kalts was now a man who had left on vacation to the southern reaches of the kingdom.
Satisfied, I strolled down the street in search of a place to eat lunch.
“Sir Kalts?”
A familiar yet unwelcome voice came from behind me. I turned around and cursed inwardly. Of all people, it was the very one who had planted such a massive inferiority complex in me.
“Elena?”
It was Elena Kastina.
“What brings you to the middle of the street dressed like that?”
As expected of a mage. She had instantly seen through my identity despite the mana I used to conceal it.
“Mind your own business, Grand Mage.”
Whatever she said, I had no response. Or rather, I had plenty—but none of them were pleasant.
“Kalts, it’s not that I don’t understand why you treat me this way. Still, starting next month—four days from now, to be precise—we will be colleagues at the same academy. Perhaps it’s time we spoke more comfortably with each other?”
Her brilliant golden hair caught the midday sun and shone even more brightly. The blonde locks and clear blue eyes that seemed to mirror the sky and sun were her trademarks.
Wait. What did she just say? Colleagues?
I stared at her with open astonishment.
“What? Colleagues? Did I mishear that?”
She answered with a perfectly blank expression.
“You did not mishear. Starting from the entrance ceremony four days from now, you and I will be jointly responsible for one of the new student classes. Which class remains to be seen.”
Damn it. If I had known this would happen, I never would have accepted. I had already spent all my money on the disguise and had nothing left… Although, even if we were colleagues, we didn’t necessarily have to see each other, right?
“There’s no rule saying fellow teachers have to go around together, is there? Right, Teacher Elena?”
She turned on her heel and began walking away.
“Well, one never knows how things will turn out. In any case, I look forward to working with you, Teacher Kyle.”
She vanished into the crowd on the street.
Hold on—when did she learn my alias? And how long has she been tailing me?
A chill ran down my spine. I glanced around several times before resuming my original path.
—
“All prospective students, please gather here to take the entrance examination~”
In the wide plaza in front of the academy, the countless people who had come for admission followed the voice and filed into the large building. Once the crowd had disappeared, I found myself standing alone in the square. I scratched the back of my head and headed for the main gate.
I had shown up at the academy with the letter the moment I decided to become a teacher, but I had no idea what to do next. The letter hadn’t specified a location.
As I approached the gate, the guard standing nearby blocked my path.
“Outsiders are prohibited from entering. Please leave.”
Flustered, I stammered and held up the letter.
“Um… well, you see. My name is Kyle. I’ve been hired as a teacher starting today. I came here on the day of the entrance ceremony after receiving the letter, but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now.”
The guard stared hard at the letter in my hand before answering.
“That seal… belongs to the headmaster. Please wait a moment. I’ll fetch the headmaster right away.”
He turned and ran inside the academy. Once again left by myself, I stood there awkwardly, scratching the back of my head.
“What kind of school is this, anyway?”
That was when something began to glow. Suddenly a magic circle appeared beneath my feet.
“A magic circle?”
I leaped backward in an instant and drew the sword at my waist, falling into a combat stance.
“Every magic circle I’ve encountered in my life has only brought trouble. I won’t let it happen this time.”
Mana gathered along the blade. I had chosen mana over sword qi because it could cut through magic itself. I remained on guard, ready to slash apart the circle the moment it reappeared on the ground.
Then the light began to shine again—only this time it came from above.
“They’re casting it in the air? Who the hell—!”
Unfortunately I couldn’t dodge it. The light from overhead intensified until I couldn’t see anything. After several seconds the brilliant glow gradually faded and finally disappeared.
When my vision returned, I was no longer in the plaza but standing inside a room.
“Teleportation magic?”
Teleportation required an enormous amount of mana; it wasn’t something an ordinary mage could use. Applying it to a moving target like me made it even more difficult.
“Welcome, Kalts.”
Only then did I notice the person standing behind me.
“Who are you?”
I couldn’t see their face clearly.
“It’s me. Lucy.”
Lucy? The name rang a bell. It belonged to the mage who had visited our home to teach me magic in the past. But why was that name coming up here?
“Are you by chance the same Lucy who taught me magic back then?”
“Correct. At the time I was merely a 5th-class mage, but thanks to you I rose to 1st-class and even became headmaster of this academy.”
Thanks to me? What was she talking about?
“Thanks to me? All I remember is receiving lessons from you. What are you saying?”
At those words Lucy slowly approached, took hold of the mask she wore, and spoke.
“This story may take a while. Why don’t you remove your mask, have a seat, and we’ll talk properly?”