Chapter 256
Chapter 256
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 256
Chapter Title: Wow! Double the Nightmare! (2)
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The atmosphere was anything but ordinary.
Gripping the doorknob, Lania quickly assessed the situation. Standing right in front of her was Garahal—the man who had monopolized the recent buzz among the students, a walking whirlwind of chaos.
And behind him?
A crowd of students.
"What was that just now?"
"Did she just ask if you had time?"
"What's going on...!"
The whispers of female students covering their mouths with "What's this? What's this?!" echoed in her ears. Here and there, other students pushed forward, craning their necks to peek.
This wasn't good.
After her duel with Kelrhalam not long ago, Lania had endured lukewarm stares from those around her for a while. No matter how oblivious she might be, she wasn't about to repeat the same mistake.
She needed to act fast.
Lania made her decision on the spot.
"Come in for now."
"Thank you for making time."
But that response turned out to be a mistake.
The murmurings grew even louder at Lania's words.
"She used informal speech? Did she just drop the honorifics...?"
"What’s their relationship...?"
"Do they know each other?"
Lania clicked her tongue and shut the office door. The whispers continued outside, but no student dared peek through the crack.
"So..."
Catching her breath briefly, Lania leaned against the door and directed her question at Garahal.
"What brings you here?"
"Well, it's like this."
Suddenly dragged into the professor's office, Garahal blinked for a moment... then scratched the back of his head. He seemed to struggle with his opening words.
'Is it about the rift?'
Lania recalled the rift she had sensed from Garahal not long ago. Had he realized she noticed it and come to confess?
She had been thinking that grabbing him by the collar to interrogate him wouldn't look good.
'To think he'd come to me on his own.'
It was cause for celebration.
Lania smiled softly and opened her mouth.
"Speak freely."
"I came because I have a question."
Lania nodded as if to say, go ahead.
Garahal swallowed briefly and continued.
"Could you tell me about teaching?"
It was completely different from what she had expected.
Lania's expression crumpled instantly.
2.
"You want to know how to teach the students?"
"Yes, since I've been assigned classes."
I shot a glare at Garahal, who sat on the sofa sipping his coffee. He muttered something about how good the coffee tasted, looking utterly nonchalant.
'So he didn't notice?'
I had more or less figured out what Garahal was hiding. He couldn't possibly be unaware of that. Back then, he had looked at me with suspicious eyes too.
"You know..."
"Yes?"
"...Never mind."
Asking wouldn't get me anywhere.
Once he decided to hide something, he never spoke until he felt ready.
"Garahal."
I tapped the table lightly and spoke up.
"Your subject is Basic Physical Training, right?"
"Yes. I'm clueless about magic, so... it seems Dean Aron was being considerate."
"Then just teach it, no?"
What was so hard about Basic Physical Training?
Just show them some basic movements and how to build muscle.
"You've trained on the battlefield, haven't you?"
I pointed at Garahal's palm.
"You said swinging a spear a thousand times a day was necessary to hone your skills. Didn't you train by skimping on sleep?"
"...How do you know that? I didn't even show the knights much..."
"...Raniel told me."
'Damn it.'
Whenever the topic turned to the battlefield, this guy's mouth ran wild. I broke into a cold sweat and averted my gaze.
"......"
By coincidence, my eyes landed on my master sitting there, her eyes narrowed in a look that was far from ordinary.
'Behave yourself, Lania.'
She mouthed the words.
I nodded vigorously, plastered a brazen expression on my face, and faced Garahal again.
"When you said you were coming to Aphria, I heard all sorts of things. This was one of them."
"I see."
"Yeah."
"You must be close with Raniel."
Of course we'd be close—it's me we're talking about.
He seemed to buy it without suspicion.
"Anyway, can't you just teach the way you trained? What more do you need?"
"I could, but I don't want to half-ass it."
Garahal set down his coffee cup.
"I've heard all the students at Aphria are talented."
"...Yeah, they are."
They were handpicked after rigorous selection.
"I don't want to waste their time. Even if it's something simple, I want it to be truly helpful."
Garahal looked at me.
"I don't have much to teach... but I want to do my best. Within my limits."
His expression was deadly serious.
'Well...'
Garahal had always been like that.
Giving his all in everything, earnest to a fault.
"Fair enough."
Remembering that afresh, I let out a chuckle. I leaned forward slightly and looked at Garahal.
"I can teach you all about that."
I slipped my hand into my robe.
In it was the notebook where, since taking up my professorship, I had steadily jotted down my insights.
Flip!
I quickly turned the pages to the section I'd summarized at the end of the first semester. There, circled in red, were three words.
"Here, repeat after me."
I held up one finger.
"First: Experience."
"Experience?"
"Yeah. Experience."
Teach what you've experienced.
Lessons from experience ring true.
And truth has value.
As I explained, I raised a second finger.
"Second: Lead by example."
"Lead by example."
Act first.
Show it first.
By demonstrating, let students realize 'I can do it.' If I can, so can you. Instilling that belief is key.
"Finally."
Finishing up, I raised my third finger.
"Persuasion."
"Persuasion...?"
"Yeah. Or 'baiting' them, but that sounds a bit cheap."
"Baiting...?"
Garahal wore a puzzled expression.
As if questioning if that was right.
I gave him a magnanimous smile.
'That's normal.'
Profound truths distilled from insights are hard to grasp. Accepting his doubtful gaze with grace, I continued.
"Even if you share your experience and lead by example, students often won't buy it. 'How do I do that?' 'Why should I learn this?' They start doubting."
"Isn't that reasonable doubt...?"
"No."
What nonsense.
"Doubt is poison. It steals their passion. So, always attach a compelling reason."
In other words, justification.
"What happens if you learn this. What you can become if you master it. Dangle that bait in front of them."
"Bait...?"
"Yeah, wave the prey right under their noses... Ow!"
Thwack!
Something struck my crown hard.
I whipped my head around to see my master standing there, holding a textbook. It looked like she'd hit me with the corner.
"Teaching such fine lessons, Lania."
"No, this is actually..."
"Sure it is."
Thwack!
My master smacked my head again, then rested the textbook on it as she continued.
"Garahal, was it?"
"Ah, sorry for the late greeting. Lord Rosel."
"Just call me Professor. Anyway, Garahal, what my disciple said isn't entirely wrong."
But, my master added.
"Think of the last one as motivation instead of persuasion or justification. That'll make it easier to understand."
"Motivation...?"
"Yes. Teaching is ultimately just pointing the way. Guiding them to the path. Their passion to walk it is what matters most."
No matter how good the lesson, it means nothing if students don't follow.
It was something my master always said.
"So, motivate them. Show them the rewards at the path's end to spark interest in learning, or cite great figures as examples. In that regard, you're in a great position."
"Me?"
"Yes. What do they call you?"
The most heroic of heroes.
Hero Garahal.
"You're a hero, an object of admiration for students. You have achievements, honor, skill. No one would question your qualifications."
My master smiled.
"So, share your experiences. Tell them how you reached that position, the countless efforts you made... That alone will motivate them."
"I see..."
Garahal nodded deeply.
His eyes looking at my master shone with respect, a far cry from the suspicion he'd shown me.
'How rude...'
It was the same message, just phrased differently. Was this the difference a speaker makes?
"Wise words. I'll keep them in mind."
"Glad you think so."
Once my master returned to her seat, Garahal thanked me too.
"Thank you, Professor Lania, for the great advice."
"......"
"I mean it. It helped a lot."
"...Good, then."
"Great coffee, by the way."
Saying that, Garahal stood. As he headed for the door, he suddenly turned back.
"Something else?"
"...A personal question."
Garahal asked me.
"Do you still keep in touch with Raniel?"
"We exchange letters."
"I see. Then ask Raniel directly. It'll be faster."
As I opened my mouth to ask what—he raised his palm. The same hand we'd shaken recently. Pointing to it, Garahal gave a wry smile.
"That friend would know."
...He does know.
Because I've experienced it too.
"Even if you get an answer, please keep it secret. For now, it's a secret I don't want anyone knowing."
"...Got it."
"Thank you."
With that, Garahal opened the door and left. Skillfully deflecting the clamoring students' questions, he vanished into the crowd.
I watched his back for a long while.
3.
The Spear Hero, Garahal.
News that he would teach classes at Aphria spread like wildfire throughout the academy. The rumors didn't stay contained; they leaked out through the students' word-of-mouth.
The hero is teaching classes.
The hero imparting wisdom to future knights.
It was perfect headline material. Visit requests poured in from all sides, but naturally, none were approved. Refusing them outright wasn't easy, though.
"It's the Harpea family! The kingdom's right arm, the Harpea family! The head of Le Pyuné sent a personal letter—should we really refuse???"
We had to refuse.
By the rules, yes.
But with such heavyweights sending letters, Chancellor Aron was dying inside. Beating around the bush in refusals reminded him of his youth amid the storms of power struggles.
Aron's remaining hair was withering away.
"I'll ask a connection."
Unable to bear seeing Aron's increasingly receding hairline, Lania spoke up. Aron half-doubted her, but the next day's news left him wide-eyed.
📰 Breaking News Banned from visiting Aphria. Do not send letters. Do not speak of it privately or set foot here. Aphria is a place of learning for young sprouts. Have you all forgotten your age and seek to intrude on children's studies? Of course, learning is a noble virtue, never to be neglected regardless of age. Yet, you who show no interest in magic suddenly request visits to a magic academy? As princess, I find your attitudes suspicious. I must entertain reasonable doubts. Will you not dispel them? If you crave learning so, come to the Ivory Tower instead. I shall teach you personally, carving out time from my valuable schedule. Do not refuse. Especially you, Lord Harpea—see me after. I have much to say to you. First Princess Leruel.
The strongest contender for next monarch had banned visits to Aphria. Aron gaped at Lania... who just shrugged.
"Looks like it worked out."
"What in the world are you...?"
A mere professor on close terms with the First Princess.
Close enough to ask favors.
Yet somehow, it fit this girl... so Aron nodded unwittingly.
With the issue settled,
the morning of Garahal's first class dawned. Though Basic Physical Training was far from magic studies, the classroom filled not just with Combat Magic students but droves more.
Essential basic fitness.
For health.
Waist risks from long sitting...
And so on—plenty of flimsy excuses drew students from other departments.
"Waaaaaaah!"
The female students who came to see Garahal's face went wild at his lightly dressed figure on the podium. Waving to their cheers, Garahal spoke.
"First."
He smiled.
"Let's start with some light warm-ups."
The 'light' warm-up lasted thirty minutes.
Half the students collapsed within thirty minutes of class starting.
Only Combat Magic students remained.
"Huff, huffff!"
"Need... a breather...!"
"Wait, just a sec, huff...!"
Even they weren't unscathed.
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