Chapter 185
Chapter 185
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 185
Chapter Title: Dragon Enrolled in the Academy (2)
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First impressions are always important.
A person's evaluation can vary wildly depending on that first impression.
In that sense, what kind of evaluation would a instructor who shows up late on the first day of class receive?
"Showing up late on the first day... I'm worried people will hate Dad."
Sigh—
Choryun, tucked into my waist belt, looked up at me with worried eyes.
Even as I sprinted down the hallway toward the classroom, I couldn't believe it.
"If I'm late, you're late too, Choryun!"
"I'm fine, Dad."
"Why are you fine?"
"Because everyone likes me. No one's ever hated me so far!"
Heh heh—
Choryun said it with utmost pride.
No matter how important first impressions are.
Maybe because she had the weapon of an adorable appearance to smooth over any bad ones.
She was acting completely confident.
"Sigh, I wish I'd been born a cute girl too."
"No way! Then I couldn't marry you, Dad! Stay a man forever! It's forbidden! Absolutely forbidden!"
Choryun earnestly warned me that I mustn't.
Even as a joke, maybe I shouldn't say things like that in front of her.
"Hoo..."
We kept up the light banter as I dashed down the hallway.
We barely made it to the classroom without being late.
"We still cut it close... Choryun, you go in first."
"Why? Let's go in together, Dad!"
"Then we'll look weird. Lucky no one saw us coming here. Anyway, go on ahead. It's gotta stay a secret."
"Okay..."
Did she want to go in together?
Choryun's shoulders slumped a bit as she entered the classroom.
"Ahem. First time, so gotta look proper..."
I checked my reflection in the window and fixed my appearance.
I straightened my slightly messy hair and smoothed out my suit.
"This looks good enough. Time to head in?"
First lecture.
Aptitude test.
For all the first-year students.
"Hoo."
With my heart pounding from slight nerves.
I carefully opened the classroom door and took my historic first step inside.
"Everyone, have a good—"
Splash—!
"..."
Drip, drip—
The suit I'd just fixed was now soaked with water.
A bucket full of water rolled around on the floor.
"Ah."
In that moment, I realized.
The students I had to deal with starting today were infamous middle schoolers who never listened.
"You little punks with no sense... This suit cost a fortune... You're all dead today..."
Our first impression was the worst.
***
I gathered the students in the classroom and headed to the outdoor practical exam area.
To test their aptitudes.
'Nice facilities. All the testing equipment I saw at the association is here.'
Let me see.
I pulled a paper from my suit pocket with the lecture sequence written on it.
Of course, it was soaked, and the ink had smeared.
'...I didn't memorize it all.'
But I vaguely remembered the first part.
I shouted at the murmuring students.
"Alright, we're starting the aptitude test now. Everyone, go through that device one by one."
The big-headed students gave me bored looks and headed to the mana detection device.
It looked like an airport metal detector.
Beep—!
Each time one passed through, the results were saved to the data center and printed out immediately.
"Lee Soo-won. Mana B-rank. Attribute is fire. What magic can you use?"
"I can just spew some fire. That's all I can do—got a problem?"
"..."
This kid's got some nerve.
I wanted to smack him, but.
I just memorized his name and moved on.
"Back in my day, we didn't even have devices like this. Now they even distinguish mana attributes. Next!"
As students passed through one by one and took their papers.
"Dumb dad."
It was Hwaryun's turn.
She was pouting, looking uncomfortable for some reason.
I whispered quietly to Hwaryun.
"Didn't Choryun tell you not to call me Dad?"
"She did."
"Then why do you?"
"Because I want to."
Hwaryun seemed determined to keep calling me Dad.
But not at the academy.
"Yi Hwaryun."
"What."
"If you keep calling me Dad, no more meat dishes from now on."
"...I never had a dad to begin with!"
"That doesn't mean you erase my existence. Don't do it at the academy."
Nod—
Hwaryun nodded that she understood, passed through the device, and got her results.
She looked at them and yelled in shock.
"Why am I B-rank mana?! This can't be right!"
"You're wearing that mana-control bracelet. B-rank fire attribute is spot on."
"Eeeeek! I don't accept this!"
Hwaryun couldn't accept anything less than the top.
She tried to take off the bracelet sealing her dragon mana.
I quickly grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Quiet down and go wait over there!"
"Eeeeek!"
"Next."
"Hmph!"
Hwaryun huffed and stomped off.
"Don't lose to a human, you idiot instructor!"
She grumbled as she left.
Was that why she was in a bad mood?
'Cute.'
After Hwaryun's turn passed.
I continued the kids' mana tests.
"Yi Soo-ryun, S-rank mana, water attribute. What magic can you use?"
"Should I show you here, instructor?"
"...No need for that."
Even with her dragon mana sealed, Suryun got an S-rank.
Same as the top student girl.
For reference, that top student had the same neutral attribute as me.
"Next!"
"It's me right away! Dad... I mean, instructor!"
"Yi Choryun, A-rank mana, earth attribute. What magic can you use?"
"Growing plants! They grow super fast!"
"That's magic too, I guess."
My daughters could use more magic.
But I didn't bother recording it all.
The range was too broad, and no point in logging it anyway.
"Mana test's done. Now... hmm..."
What to do.
The next step was smeared beyond reading.
I didn't remember it at all.
"Hmm."
No choice.
As long as I evaluated their aptitudes, it didn't have to be the standard method.
I pointed at the three rowdy boys in the back.
"Hey, you three."
"Us?"
"Yeah, you guys. Lee Soo-won and those other two I don't remember. Come up front."
"What a pain."
They sauntered out lazily.
They looked like kids who'd lived arrogantly relying only on their talents.
"Even the dragons aren't this arrogant."
"What?"
"You three. Grab your preferred weapons from that box."
"Tch, why keep ordering us around. Can't even dodge a water bucket. Ruining my mood."
Grumbling—
They each pulled weapons from the box.
Two practice swords, one spear.
I said to the ones gripping their weapons.
"Attack me with everything you've got from now on."
"What?"
"Land even one hit on me, and I'll be your dog."
They were slightly taken aback by my words.
But they quickly exchanged glances and grinned.
"...No take-backs on that?"
"A man doesn't take back his words."
"Acting all high and mighty, instructor! We're stronger!"
Whoosh—!
One wrapped his sword in fire-attribute mana and swung at me.
'Not bad movement. Still miles behind my daughters, though.'
I deflected his flaming sword with my bare hand.
"M-My sword with bare hands?!"
"You're not suited for close range. I learned from my daughter. That's not how you swing a sword."
I snatched the flaming sword from his hand.
Then I swung it at the spear-wielding student approaching from behind.
'Like how Hwaryun swung it.'
Just like Hwaryun's form in my memory.
A savage yet clean slash.
From waist to arm, every motion connected, transferring power perfectly.
Slash—!
With a clean sound, the spear shaft hit the ground.
Not even a nick on the blade.
'Hwaryun's was cleaner, but this ain't bad.'
Guess the body matters.
A body that could replicate the scene in my head perfectly.
I said to the last sword guy.
"You not going?"
"I-I..."
"Gotta do the aptitude test. Just come at me already."
"Y-Yes! Hiyah!"
Suddenly polite, he swung at me.
As a result, he dropped his weapon and rolled on the ground.
It happened after about 30 seconds.
"Got a rough idea anyway. Your aptitudes. I'll compare and score later."
Sample size too small now.
I'd score them later.
I beckoned the remaining students.
"Wanna do aptitude tests via sparring like this? Who's next?"
"Me, me!"
"I'll do it! Teacher!"
Hands shot up from kids eager to fight.
They'd seen me and wanted to challenge.
"Even ganging up is fine. But too many and I can't track 'em properly."
If the brain's no good, overwhelm with numbers.
Using my dragon body's toughness, I sparred with the students.
They went all out against me, and I lightly parried.
'S-rank hero's son and the top student are different, huh.'
And.
I could feel the gaps between students skin-deep.
Of course, I knew my daughters' levels.
"Hmph, finally my turn! Here I go!"
I dodged Hwaryun's fierce sword attack.
"Yi Hwaryun, physical ability B-rank."
"Why?! I can fight more!"
"I don't wanna. It's over."
"Eeeeek! Idiot teacher!"
Gave a fair assessment.
Maybe because I conversed with their bodies through sparring.
I'd earned some trust from the students.
"What did you do as a hero, teacher?"
"Just closed dimensional gates."
"How do I get as strong as you, teacher?"
"Get lucky."
I answered lazily.
But for some reason, they liked those answers more.
Of course.
"Hmph, liking him makes you total idiots! Stay surrounded by humans forever!"
"...Academy sucks."
"My little dad who's only mine... isn't just mine anymore..."
My daughters hated seeing that.
Quite a lot.
"Grrr—!!"
"Why keep touching. He's mine."
"...Makes me wanna wipe out half of humanity for Earth's sake."
My daughters' glares were all murderous.
***
After finishing the first lecture safely.
I was immediately summoned to the director's office.
The director was a former hero known for making a name in the past.
She managed well, and with mana rich in her body, she looked super young.
Like a successful career woman.
'She's hot. Married? Probably.'
Her expression was a bit fierce, though.
The director glared sharply and asked.
"I heard you didn't follow the official curriculum for the first lecture. You could've just put the students through the aptitude simulation stations nearby. Why do it hands-on? No need to log aptitudes manually either."
"Yeah, but there were circumstances—"
"Discipline. One month pay cut."
"What."
The academy said they'd gather the students later for a separate aptitude test.