Eisen Teams Up with Professor Rodellini and the Alchemy Rioters
Just a few days earlier, during class in the Alchemy Department, Eisen had made a certain proposal. Word spread like wildfire through the academy that the entire department had erupted in cheers and was now shuttling back and forth exclusively between their labs and Eisen's workshop. Upon hearing this, Reina naturally downed a handful of headache pills and sank into thought.
What kind of project is this? He said he was scaling things up, but he really meant it.
At the time, she'd been too busy watching the prince's escorts, who moved like shadows, to even chat. Still, she'd been present and overheard the conversation. She'd figured Professor Rodellini would compromise by sending just a few people, but seeing her step up so aggressively herself, it looked like Eisen had succeeded big time.
Should I praise him for this or scold him?
Back when she first observed Eisen, he'd struck her as too self-centered. He handled most things alone, probably because he accomplished so much single-handedly. But after gaining his own territory—Arklite Territory, perhaps—he seemed to have gained some insight. Now he was actively pulling in outsiders, spreading golem technology further. Depending on the perspective, it was like eating away at his own gains or a cultural invasion Eisen-style. To Reina, though, it felt like growth: Eisen was more proactively building his own allies and network.
That said, she couldn't just praise him outright.
"Professor Reina! The Alchemy Department guys are rioting like a mob! They're trying to check out every technical book in the library, throwing their weight around, and dropping Professor Rodellini's name so we can't refuse…!"
"Professor! The Alchemy Rioters are demanding a big plot of land, booking the arena indefinitely under their own names! They've challenged each other to duels and taken it over completely!"
The Alchemy Department students had basically become Eisen clones. Always poor and starving, but driven to advance their knowledge and skills—they'd hung out with Eisen for just a few days and turned into mass-produced versions of him overnight. What used to be Eisen raiding supplies under the excuse of "dissecting them for study" had now shifted to the Alchemy folks doing the same with book loans. They'd been restrained by common sense until now, but once free of those shackles, they went berserk in all directions.
To fix this, I need to hit the head.
Chasing down the Alchemy Department thugs one by one—practically a mob now—would just waste time. Calmly swallowing the last of her headache pills, Reina asked quietly, "Where's Eisen?"
"He got caught in an explosion while researching some floating device and flew off somewhere!"
"Professor Rodellini?"
"She stepped up to tweak it her way and ended up the same!"
This is insane. No wonder the underlings are rampaging when the leaders are like this. Rodellini was at least somewhat sensible, but she shared Eisen's core traits. Give her a proper research environment, and she'd pull the same stunts. Still, it had to be resolved.
Reina took a deep breath, racking her brain as she rapidly drafted documents and letters, then began pointing at people.
"You, deliver this to the dean."
"You there, round up the rest of the Knight Department. I'll grant a special class exemption, so get Professor Iserina and the Magic Department to help suppress the rioters. Grab Noel and Erika too—they're probably wandering around somewhere."
"You lot, scout where the rioters are holing up and arrest them. Use my Cyclops if needed. Just don't smash the buildings."
"You, pick three agile people and search the rioters for Saintess Mina. That saintess is Eisen-like too—she's probably slipped in to snag something. If you spot her, take her down without a word. Don't engage; she'll try to tempt you with profit-sharing."
With orders barked out swiftly, Reina stood.
She buckled on her trusty longsword, then quietly equipped the club she'd prepared for this day.
"This weight feels reassuring."
It had to be this heavy to land a proper hit on those unnecessarily tough guys who could instantly gather mana to reinforce their bodies and become even tougher.
Watching Reina swallow another headache pill, the Knight Department student reporting to her gulped and asked, "And you, Professor…?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Reina smiled coldly.
"Time to shake off some dust."
To punish the two who'd sparked this mess and vanished. Reina set out, trusty sword and club in hand.
Hanging daintily from a tree branch, waiting for rescue for hours.
"There you are!"
Minutes ago, Professor Reina had appeared almost like teleportation, with a demonic scowl. She'd sliced the tree, caught him mid-fall, and given him a thorough clubbing.
He'd shielded himself with mana, but her exquisitely painful strikes broke his guard. Rolling on the ground, he quietly lifted his head and replied.
"I don't know the reason, but I'm innocent, Professor."
"You're guilty, so it's your fault."
Professor Reina sighed.
"Get up. The pain should be gone by now."
"Yes, ma'am."
Reina's strikes when he messed up hurt like hell in the moment, but miraculously faded soon after. They called her one of the kingdom's five strongest, but had she mastered the art of inflicting just that split-second agony without lasting damage? Considering her rep as a rogue knight who'd barely contained her violent side, maybe she'd honed non-lethal discipline hits.
"You're thinking rude thoughts."
"You read minds now too?"
She had uncanny intuition.
"Anyway, hit first, ask later—what happened, Professor?"
"The Alchemy Department is tearing up the academy like you did months ago. No guesses?"
Reina began tapping her palm with the club. Thwack, thwack.
Five more hits incoming.
"I just gave them some funding and told them to treat the entire academy as research material and experiment freely?"
"Right. Five more it is."
The club flew. It artfully dodged vitals, inflicting pain without even a bruise—perfect control for instant agony only.
Reina nodded in satisfaction.
"Mm. Tough as ever. That's enough."
"You're getting too into hitting people. It's so old-school."
"Is there anyone who grows without a beating?"
She said that, but dropped the club at "old-school." Pointing behind her defensively, she added, "Look at that sorry excuse for an adult. That's what happens without beatings."
"You don't need to stretch for excuses… Why'd Professor Rodellini get hit?"
"Her students went full mini-you, rampaging, and she didn't stop them."
Deserved it.
He thought, eyeing the limp Professor Rodellini. Bushes rustled nearby, and soon Alchemy Department students were dragged out one by one.
"Reporting, Professor! Rioters suppressed and escorted here!"
"The ones hunkered in the arena are being fetched with the Cyclops!"
"Saintess Mina captured too! She was in the Alchemy crowd, swiping abandoned metal scraps from the warehouse corner!"
"Not swiping. Repurposing for value."
Mina brazenly declared, marched in beside him.
"Why were metal scraps abandoned in the warehouse?"
"Magic tools have stuff rarer than gold, and what I found was junk."
"…Still academy property. Ha…."
Sighing at his and Mina's cheeky grins, Professor Reina had the Alchemy students kneel in a row, with him, Mina, and Professor Rodellini up front.
…So in this setup…
"Guh, kill me!"
"Sure, Eisen. One more."
He reinforced his shoulder with mana and blocked Reina's swung club. It was light—no real force. Her mood had lightened; she was just playing along.
"That guy's thing? No market for it."
"If there is, that's scarier."
"…Enough games, get serious. My mood's better, but the academy can't just let this slide."
Her relief probably from the satisfying thrashing. The other Alchemy students had snapped to attention too.
Reina narrowed her eyes.
"First off, declaration: Reflection essays. Ten pages each. Bill Eisen or the saintess for ink and paper. No exceptions."
"…Wait, me too?"
"Obviously. Write it."
Professor Rodellini protested late, but Reina—rather than firm—slightly raised her club.
"I'm great at reflections. Famous for masterpieces in school. Look forward to it. I'll make 'em literature, not essays."
"…Not interested. Take the punishment without whining."
The commotion wrapped up for now. After more bustle, Noel, Erika, and the Magic Department appeared.
"SorrysorryI'llkeepabetterwatch…."
"Ah, we looked everywhere—you were strung up here, Eisen?"
Noel apologizing profusely, Erika who'd searched after hearing he'd been launched.
Reina surveyed and nodded.
"All here. Let's wrap this up. Sit comfortably—Knight Department, Magic Department too."
"Pardon?"
"Sit."
Everyone froze at Reina's sudden command. Puzzled, they sat one by one. Rodellini was helped up by Reina; Noel and Erika sat beside him.
"What's going on?"
"We don't know either…."
Even Noel was clueless. Then space ahead warped briefly.
And from it emerged a woman with Professor Iserina.
"Eisen, you've probably never met her properly. Orientation was a mess, and you've been everywhere."
Reina muttered, noting his confusion. Stepping aside for her, she said,
"Everyone. Pay attention."
As all eyes gathered,
Reina quietly spoke.
"Dean Calliope has a message for you all."
The academy's dean had arrived.