Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: 7. Is the Back of Your Head Safe? (13)
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“Hoh?”
After Vice President Resen’s escape, the student council had been surprisingly quiet, which felt off, so I looked into it separately. The results were intriguing.
“The tightrope walk is fantastic.”
As the iron bat peeking over my shoulder said, Vice President Resen’s tightrope act was indeed fantastic.
Drawing on his experience living alongside them, he used items the students needed as bait to turn them into his allies one by one.
On top of that, by providing food and basic necessities, he positioned himself as indispensable. The result was a resounding success.
“This takes all the fun out of it.”
“Master? Didn’t you say you wanted to teach the students the value of attending school and instill passion for their studies? But fun? Fu~un?”
“Genius always beats those who enjoy it, as they say.”
“That’s for the ones involved. Master’s fun has nothing to do with it!”
Lately, this one had been picking at me more often.
Was there something I didn’t know about? Why was she suddenly so concerned for the students?
“Of course, it’s because the students are just too pitiful!”
What on earth was this one saying?
“I’m certain the students wouldn’t have a single complaint even if you didn’t hit them.”
“Eek? No way!”
Why were the students risking their lives to escape the academy?
A huge part of the root cause was their desire to avoid this one’s pummeling.
“So from now on, your exploits don’t count.”
“Master, didn’t you say pain is what makes youth? That’s why students going through their school days need me!”
What a quick pivot.
Just a tad faster, and she could’ve been a politician in her past life with that turnaround speed.
“Nani-kang! The epitome of swift and precise!”
The fact that her swift precision was for hitting people was the key feature.
“So, Master, what’s the plan? Sanctions on the vice president, or penalties for the rooftop-dwelling student council?”
What a cold way to put it.
“I’m thinking of doing nothing.”
“No way my master would do that.”
What kind of person did she think I was?
“Obviously, a ruthless one worthy of the Apostle of the Evil God, more wicked than any demon!”
“What Apostle of the Evil God? Don’t throw that around carelessly, or I really might get caught.”
“Eh, the Apostle denying the Evil God? Ow!”
Since she kept harping on the Apostle of the Evil God bit, I smacked her on the head, and she bit her tongue in pain.
Did metal bats feel pain from biting their tongues? Or which part was the tongue in her original form? It’d make for fascinating research, but students came first right now, so I’d shelve that intriguing topic.
“Anyway, it’s about time they’d come bursting out on their own, so a little cooperation doesn’t hurt.”
“About time? From what I see, they’re still far off.”
Those on the front lines always know the situation best.
The iron bat, directly guiding (violently) the students on-site, probably had it right.
In fact, no one had broken through Professor Muam on the first floor yet.
“But that’s exactly why they’ll try to escape even faster!”
“Master’s words are always full of nonsense—I can’t make heads or tails of them!”
Hmph, she knew too little about the creature called “student.”
“Hmph, it’s all because of Master that those poor youths can’t even attend the academy!”
“You’re not even school age yourself.”
“Eh? That’s true?”
I casually dropped that reality check, and she nodded.
“Students, by definition, are ones who study.”
“Of course? I know that much!”
Right, a student’s duty is to study.
“And by nature, when you tell someone who’s crying not to cry, it just makes them want to cry more. That’s human nature.”
“Yeah?”
She tilted her head, not quite getting it.
Time for a tailored example, then.
“What if Aris begged you not to hit her, sniffling and pleading?”
“Hah? Our hand-kissing Aris sniffling and begging... No, I couldn’t stand it, sis! Ack! S-so that’s the feeling!”
“Yeah, that feeling.”
It was a bit—no, quite a lot—different, but since she got it, I’d let it slide.
“That’s human nature, so keep telling them to study, and they’ll hate it even more. It’s only natural.”
“But they have no choice, right? Master’s forcing them to stay and study.”
“People run from what they hate, and those who run get locked up and made to study.”
Then they try to escape again, and the teachers do their utmost to stop them.
The endless Möbius strip of education was the same in every world.
“What does that have to do with the students escaping now?”
“Simple logic. They want out, but it’s blocked. Right in front of them looms a massive barrier—one too big to overcome, without which they can’t leave.”
“So they can’t get out?”
“But an even greater trial looms behind that.”
“Me?”
“No, the new semester.”
“Eh?”
The iron bat’s eyes went wide.
Yeah, she wouldn’t have thought of that.
The students were running desperately from early dismissal to avoid her, but their primary goal was always to enjoy vacation.
But what if vacation was ending?
Back to regular academy life.
Without having enjoyed a single moment of delightful break time.
“Vacation’s down to less than a month now. And for the student council, with Imperial Tournament prep, they’ll even get called back during break.”
“P-poor things...”
“So to enjoy vacation, they’ll have to try even harder.”
Especially the first-years—they wouldn’t want to waste their very first break like this!
#15 Their Circumstances: Lady Aris Lil Retia’s Circumstances
“Kwaaaagh!”
As the daughter of a marquis house—no, as a noble lady—I knew I shouldn’t scream like this.
But sometimes, you just couldn’t help it.
“What’s wrong, Aris?”
“Lady Aris, is something the matter?”
“Did a demon appear?!”
The other students gathered around me as I clutched my stress-aching head, but they had no idea why.
The reason for my scream was simple: I’d checked today’s date.
And what it meant.
“Exactly one month left.”
“Until the Imperial Tournament? No, that’s over two months away.”
“One month? What happens in a month?”
Yeah, they didn’t know.
Yeah, it was unimaginable.
“Lady Aris, what do you mean one month left?”
I told my innocent classmate the shocking truth I’d realized.
“Vacation—one month left.”
“...Pardon?”
Silence fell around me.
Yeah, I figured.
We’d never had a break, yet vacation was already almost over.
Others went home to rest, traveled with like-minded friends, or stayed in the dorms sightseeing the imperial capital—that’s normal vacation life.
We hadn’t enjoyed any of it, and vacation was ending.
“Kyaaaagh!”
“Noooo!”
After a long silence, screams erupted from every corner of the classroom.
In an academy full of nobles, this wasn’t normal—yet in Yuglasia alone, it happened all the time.
“Now you get it. In one month, we’re back to night self-study.”
“N-no way, right?”
“There’s no way! Vacation started, but we have no memories of vacation life!”
“All I remember is getting beaten by demons and passing out every day!”
The uproar I started didn’t stop until the professor entered for class.
“As expected... this is the only way!”
And my conclusion.
To fix this absurd vacation.
“How can we break through?”
“Hmm... You’ve come to me for that?”
The short-statured professor gave me a baffled look.
I’d gone straight to Professor Muam—our final barrier—for the breakthrough.
“Yes!”
After pondering my bold declaration, Professor Muam sighed, gave a wry smile, and said,
“Become a swordmaster.”
“Anything else?”
“No.”
My face probably mirrored his from moments ago.
Swordmaster.
The dream realm all swordsmen chase, called the end and beginning of the sword.
Some reach its threshold young but never cross it before death; others leap over it in old age.
A domain overseen only by the God of Battle and the God of Magic.
To reach it... for vacation.
“...Do you think that makes sense?”
Even Lady Rea, Sword Princess of the Alesta marquis house—continent’s and empire’s youngest official swordmaster—hadn’t become one at my age.
And she wanted me to?
“No, even among humans, famed for overflowing talent, that kind of monster is hero-level at best.”
Professor Muam shook his head firmly at my words.
“But think of it the other way, Lady Aris—it’s only natural.”
“Pardon?”
“I may not look it, but I’m the gnome tribe’s strongest spirit user, contractor of the Water Spirit King—one of the four great spirit kings who always makes history whenever he appears. Isn’t it weirder that talented students are breaking through me?”
“T-that’s...”
He had a point.
Our opponent was contractor to one of the four most famous great spirits: the Water Spirit King.
We had to defeat him in 30 minutes, after taking out all the other professors.
...Professor Niserwin had given us an impossible mission from the start!
“At least a swordmaster could pierce the spirit king’s barrier, and exploiting that gap might allow escape. But without one? Impossible.”
“Yeah.”
After his answer, I stood blankly outside his office for a while, then hurried back to class at the echoing class bell.
Then, the next break.
“It’s impossible, isn’t it?!”
Unable to focus in class, groaning the whole time, I finally sought out Professor Niserwin and had to shout.
But.
“Just become a swordmaster, right?”
My opponent: Professor Niserwin!
Against my protests about the swordmaster-or-bust difficulty, he claimed we were wrong for not being swordmasters.
“No, do you think becoming one is even possible?!”
“I don’t think it’s impossible.”
He wasn’t getting it.
No, he said it like it was the most obvious thing.
“It’s impossible!”
“It’s not like I’m telling you to become a legendary grand swordmaster. What’s impossible about it? I even heard Lady Aris is already at the threshold.”
This person knew spirits inside out but clearly nothing about swords.
“Countless swordsmen make crossing that threshold their life’s goal.”
“Life is fleeting. People live overlooking what’s right in front of them—that’s life.”
“Then, Professor, do you know how to become a swordmaster?”
I’d snapped a bit, speaking as one swordsman to another against his dismissive tone, but his response was unexpected.
“I know the trick.”
“Pardon?”
What did this person just say?
“Hmm... Could you fetch Professor Muam for a moment?”
So brazenly.
I didn’t believe it was true, but my body was already off to summon Professor Muam.
“What’s this, Professor Niserwin? Lady Aris said you were looking for me.”
“I have something to tell Lady Aris, and I need Professor Muam’s help.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Professor Muam nodded at Professor Niserwin’s words and followed his instructions.
“This work?”
Soon, Professor Muam conjured pure white snow.
The winter kind piled up on Professor Niserwin’s desk. He gently rolled some into a snowball and showed it to me.
“See?”
“Yes.”
As I nodded, he grinned and said it.
While smashing it into my face.
Splat!
“Does it hurt?”
...Professor or not, you wanna fight?