Chapter 6: Rushing to See the Professor I Like – Total Chaos Five Minutes Ago
Indeed, the situation at the door with the Mist Flower Class plaque was a complete mess, swarming with gathered students.
“Someone stop her!”
“Oh my god, this can't be happening...”
“What the hell is Countess Ainheart thinking, going after the Grand Duchess...!”
The sporadic screams pierced my ears noisily. Anyone could see it was a crisis.
“Make way! Please step aside!”
“Get Her Highness the Grand Duchess to the infirmary, quick...”
“If you drop her on the ground, you'll get the death penalty!”
And right then, pushing through the crowd came the northern Grand Duchess on a stretcher.
“Jesus.”
I didn't know exactly what she'd been put through, but her glossy jet-black hair that should have shone was now dull and frizzy.
“Ugh.... Hng....”
More than that, her eyes were so unfocused she couldn't even close them properly. Those red pupils were fully visible under eyelids on the verge of flipping back.
Oof. That looks painful. Check out those wounds. But why's her moaning like that? She must've hated losing even in death. What the hell happened for things to drag on this bad?
But whether she was carted off or not, there were people who had no choice but to face down the rampaging Zigrinde.
The academy's security guards, tasked with maintaining order.
“Countess Zigrinde! Lower your sword at once!”
They bellowed clearly even over the chaotic crowd like a flea market. Or was it a scream? Naive students might think they were just stiffly yelling, but if you couldn't read their inner thoughts, you weren't a functioning adult.
Poor bastards.
I didn't know why they fought, but with the Grand Duchess already injured, suppressing her or not, they were all getting their heads on the chopping block.
So couldn't they hear the desperate pleas in their minds? Please stop, pleasepleasepleaseplease...
But Zigrinde, who couldn't give less of a shit since it was just students, stood tall and shouted back.
“Nah, don't wanna?”
No, “stood tall” wasn't the right phrase. She was acting like a total psycho.
“...If you keep this up, we'll have no choice but to use force to subdue you!”
“Heh heh... Try it if you dare! I knew the moment they found out I went full throttle on the Grand Duchess, I had nowhere to run. You catch me, and it won't end with suspension, right?”
Clang—!!
“So I'll resist as much as I can. Wonder if you've got what it takes to stop me...”
Hmm. I knew it already, but this girl must've swapped common sense for shit.
Just like she knew herself. Hell if I knew why she picked a fight with the Grand Duchess in the first place. Maybe 'cause she's young, her crisis management was zero.
Me? The second her skirt hem brushed me, I'd be flat on the ground groveling. And since she went and beat her unconscious, I'd strip buck naked, apologize profusely, and shove my head up my own ass.
“Capture her without injury!”
“Come at me!”
But it wasn't baseless confidence. She fought back against the charging guards, wreaking havoc.
Clang, clash—!!
...Whoa. She fights damn good, for real.
“Weak. You're all so weak... Keep coming if you want. Bring it on.”
“...Tch. Reinforcements! Call more reinforcements! Student Zigrinde's gone berserk!”
“It's not berserk. It's valor—!”
Even as grown men rushed her, she stayed calm. Her strikes came from angles you couldn't predict. It was pure mad dog instinct, a realm of genius that left even me, arriving just in time, stunned.
But.
But...
One blink, and the armor crumpled. Scratches appeared on the guards before they knew it.
The moment I caught myself watching unconsciously.
Hold up. This ain't the time...!
My sense of duty as a professor slammed into my skull.
A bit ago, in the department office, what had I done? Got bullied, thought Look at these assholes...! and cockily accepted the professorship.
Her name was on the Mist Flower Class roster I took on. I was even dragged here by some low-level admin.
So, as a professor!
Who'd cover the damaged armor on those flying out? Who'd take responsibility if any died?
Me. Me.
Fuck. No way.
My deposit money was flashing before my eyes. I'd gotten distracted by how well she fought, better than expected. But if I stood here gawking and ended up with massive debt on top...
I had to stop it. Desperately.
“Hold on, lemme through. Students...”
So I parted the crowd of students watching half-curious, half-scared.
Quickly. Or more like, legs don't fail me now, toward her.
Of course, all eyes turned to me.
“Huh...?”
“Who's that guy?”
“A bum? But his face looks familiar?”
They were circling the Mist Flower Class room anyway. Cutting straight through like this was bound to draw stares.
But calling me a bum? Come on, kids? My class student was rampaging, so I rushed out unshaven in my underwear.
But as I passed the collapsing guards, our eyes met Zigrinde's. She froze for a sec, then her eyes sparkled.
“Whoa, you! Ooh, you...?”
...I know you. You know me, right? No way.
“I know you! Joseph, Demon King Slayer. The Nameless Sword Emperor Joseph!”
Ah. She knows. Loud as hell.
Fuck.
“Thanks for not calling me a bum. But how do you know Nameless Sword Emperor... you?”
Demon King Slayer, sure, that's what they called me after killing the bastard.
But Nameless Sword Emperor... Are you kidding? That's ancient history!
I hate even saying it. Back when my name first got out, a mocking nickname 'cause my origins were so low-born I didn't even have a surname.
Dunno if the girl beating up the Grand Duchess had the brains for mockery, but it didn't seem like that's what she meant...
Honestly, with professor duty and avoiding debt on top of my deposit, hearing that soured my mood.
No, more than that. They're all watching. I thought it'd been forgotten. What the hell are you saying in front of capital folks...!
“How do you know that title...?”
Whether she noticed my glare or not, she just beamed with pure joy at seeing me.
“Duh, who doesn't know the guy who took the Demon King's head?”
“Lower your voice, Zigrinde.”
“Honestly, I'm a huge fan. As a kid, I made my nanny read me articles about you every day...”
But the surprising part? She seemed to really like me.
Thing is, when catching criminals, the last thing you want is building rapport.
So I stayed calm, didn't veer off, and recited quietly.
“I get that you like me. We can talk all you want. Lower the sword now, student. We can still end this cleanly.”
But the second I said that.
“Ah—.”
She licked her lips and said it, eyes crescent-shaped, silver hair swept back with one hand.
“Nah. Mister. I wanna talk swords with you.”
“Don't call me mister. And what mister? I'm still young.”
...Yeah. I figured as much. No way common sense works on a psycho.
When I got this class assignment, you were second on my watchlist out of those eight.
No, third maybe. Damn it.
“I always wondered if I could break the sword that reached the Demon King. Thought it was a shitty day 'cause the Grand Duchess got cocky. But nope. You pop out of nowhere? Jackpot—♥”
“Please. Lord, let this end normally.”
“No way! Wanna stop me? Then do it. Take it from me!”
And then.
She tossed her sword aside and drew the one at her waist, charging me.
Whoosh—!!
Basic feint, huh?
“I went easy on them. But with you, for real's fine, right? Die—!!”
—Or not. She was seriously trying to stab me dead.
Breathing ragged, face flushed like a runaway train on the edge.
Having thrashed the Grand Duchess till she was carted off and groggied the guards, she was in peak high.
...Well then. No choice.
Did it have to be the hard way...?
I drew my sheathed sword from my waist and just placed it in her trajectory.
Claaang—!!!
Her blade caught. I flicked the sheath up, and her tip pointed skyward.
Straight thrust like that? Meaningless unless it splits the sheath.
“...You read it?”
Who wouldn't read you?
“Whoa, you read it. You totally read me...! As expected. Amazing. Makes me wanna go all out...?!”
“Heh. All out, huh?”
“......Huh?”
“I've been dying here since earlier.”
“Guh...?!”
Right then, something hit her. She paled, face drained like she'd seen a ghost. Hyperventilating?
But this was my chance. Whatever, hit 'em while surprised.
“Student.”
“W-Wait...”
“No informal speech.”
I instantly kneed up. Size difference meant it sank deep into her solar plexus.
“Kh, guh—?!”
Zigrinde choked, glaring as she grimaced.
“No glaring either.”
Whoosh—.
No openings—I tripped her leg, toppling her.
“Ugh?!”
Thud—!!
She crashed spectacularly. Super embarrassing.
This'd haunt her nightmares for months.
...But hey, her fault.
If she hadn't drawn this crowd, it'd be just between us.
Now? Not so much.
Anyway, sprawled red-faced, she caught her breath, then.
“W-Wait! That was bullshit! What was that vibe? That killer miasma... You wanna die?!”
She wasn't wriggling—pride wouldn't let her. She bristled, yelling at me.
“Not me.”
“...Ah.”
“Professor.”
“Wh-What?”
“...Don't make me repeat. Everyone heard.”
“Eep.”
I hit the key point bluntly. Zigrinde, glaring defiantly, dropped her eyes unwittingly.
Flick—.
No, couldn't accept it—glanced up once.
Flick—.
Then fully deflated.
Deep in martial arts, she surely knew. I was the Demon King Slayer. To her, a mere student, I wasn't someone to tangle with.
Compare like with like. No need to pit a pencil against train tracks.
This posture was good. For me, deposit gone and livelihood shaky, no spreading incidents was enough.
“Zigrinde Ainheart.”
“What.”
Ha, fuck. Why so curt lately? Why so damn prickly?
“...As your professor, I'm telling you. Before it gets worse, tuck in your tail and stay put.”
“...What're you gonna do to me.”
“Do to you?”
I gave her the look, and she huffed, mumbling smaller.
“Wh-What're you...!”
“Good girl.”
“Tch, treating me like a dog...! I asked what now!”
“What now? Isolation till punishment's decided. You're too big a bomb.”
Snort—.
“Ahh, so that's how it is. You're the same.”
But for her, quite the letdown. She grumbled to herself oddly.
“Gonna treat me like a bomb, a monster, a problem child anyway.”
But I had words for that.
“The Grand Duchess thing... Ha, seriously... I'll work hard to sway her.”
Perfectly timed, overlapping her mutter.
“Huh...?”
“What? Why stare?”
Why's she like that?
“N-No. Didn't hear right... Heard you say something about the Grand Duchess.”
Oh, that.
“The rudeness to her—if she forgives, it's done. I'll try to turn her around.”
“............Huh?”
“No guarantee she'll forgive, but this teacher's gonna bust ass. Leave the rest to me, and you...”
Ideally, whip her back till she repents, but nah.
Write lines from Reflections on Things at Hand or something...
“Sigh, just write a ton of apologies to Her Highness the Grand Duchess. Whatever happened, that was out of line.”
“No, Professor.”
“What—!! Busy guy here—!!”
But Zigrinde calling me... Her face seemed softer, tamer. My imagination?
“I messed up, sure. Why look out for me?”
“What.”
“...No. I, I just figured you'd expel me or whatever.”
Expel? Great for me.
But tanks my performance review. Pay gets fucked.
This obvious shit from my mouth? Fuc—
“I took responsibility for you all. You think I'd let even one go like that? You seemed to know me earlier—don't peg me as that irresponsible.”
“Ah....... Got it.”
“Now go. Thanks to you, I'm beat. Don't feel like working anymore.”
“...Yes, Professor.”
And as the guards dragged her off, the mad glint from before was gone.
How beautiful the back of one who knows when to leave.
Scattered petals. Spring was blooming on campus, after all.
Maybe she took my good intentions. I injected 'em, sure.
“...Alright, students.”
So, with everything settled, I addressed the dear sons and daughters who'd gathered.
“Been wanting to say— this ain't a show. Disperse quick, back to normal life.”
Of course, some couldn't.
Tok tok tok—.
“Uncle!”
“Oh, Miss Sion.”
“Uncle, I heard everything. What's this about?!”
It was Sion Lagrange.
From a peek earlier, she'd shielded classmates from Zigrinde's madness in the class's back corner.
“Uncle's a professor? For our class?!”
..........
.........
.....
Oh!
Right, didn't tell her I took the job.
Well, it happened. Our lady!