Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: If You Do It, It Works. (2)
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# 68
8. If You Do It, It Works. (2)
#2 Their Circumstances: A Certain Professor's Circumstances
“Ughhh~ I'm so tired~”
I stretch my arms out wide, feeling the jolts from the rattling carriage.
I went back to my hometown after so long, but all I got was an earful of nagging.
Sure, even among elves, I'm infamous as a troublemaker, but I can't hold a candle to our princess.
I'd heard rumors that she'd been searching for someone for ages, but who would've thought Professor Niserwin knew about it...
Thanks to that, she grabbed me by the collar and shook me silly for not having dug up any info yet.
And right before I boarded the carriage to return to the academy, she shook me again, demanding I find out no matter what—kidnap Professor Niserwin if I had to.
My precious going-out clothes that I only wore outside and babied to death got all stretched out around the collar, which bummed me out, but she tossed me a pouch of gold coins as "hazard pay" and vanished.
Our princess, as always.
She has an art form when it comes to handling people as a leader.
Pleased with my now-bulging pockets, I tipped the coachman generously, unpacked in my room, then headed out to check on my workplace now that I was back.
Hm, it's vacation, but things don't look all that different from usual.
Why? Because even on vacation, Yuglasia Academy still has classes for the students!
Man, I never imagined this.
Elves don't study like this at academies, so at first I thought all humans learned their lore this way.
No wonder humans get so strong in such a short time!
I was impressed and all, but then I saw the other students sharing my carriage back from the elven forest and realized Yuglasia was the weird one.
When I asked if they didn't have classes during vacation, they laughed like it was hilarious and chatted away—the memory's still fresh!
The looks of despair and agony on Yuglasia students' faces as they saw those smiles flashed through my mind for a second. Secret's safe with me, though.
Right as I went to open the academy gates.
“Oh, Professor Harian. You're back?”
“Huh? Y-yeah?”
The door swung open first, startling me.
And the one who opened it was the student council president!
Why's this guy coming out here at this hour?
Did Professor Niserwin finally grow a conscience and let the students go home?
Or did a parent show up like Aris's dad last time and complain?
“Sir, we're in a bit of a rush right now. Mind if we head out first?”
“Uh, s-sure.”
Some inexplicable aura made me nod automatically.
I stepped aside from the door, and suddenly a horde of students burst out, sprinting for the gates.
“Wh-what's going on?”
Their footsteps were frantic, but they carried an undeniable spirit you couldn't ignore.
What the—fleeing with that kind of spirit?
Is that even possible?
I dazedly watched the students pour out of the academy, then headed inside.
What I saw was.
“M-Muam?”
“P-please don't call me that...”
A body slumped on the floor.
Not a corpse since he's alive, but Muam looked so limp you could've fooled anyone.
“Wh-what happened to you?”
The mightiest spirit summoner of the gnome race.
Muam, known as the servant of the Water Spirit King, lay there powerless in a way that didn't suit him at all. He seemed unfazed, though.
“What do you mean? I just did my job, that's all.”
Groaning and clutching his back as he rose didn't match his boyish looks that made him seem younger than the academy's students.
It fit his actual age, though.
He's younger than me but pushing early fifties, so I blankly watched him mutter, “Ow, my back...”
But before that.
“Your job? As in your duties?”
He did his job and duties?
Professor duties don't include getting thrashed like this—anyone could see he'd been thoroughly beaten.
“Urgh, yes. That's it.”
Muam stretched, his whole body aching in that boyish form, looking all too natural.
“What happened with the students?”
“Same routine as always. They tried to go home, and we blocked them to make them learn.”
“So you're saying the students got the better of you, Muam?”
“Yes. And please don't call me Muam.”
“Don't you think you went too easy on them, even if they're pitiful?”
I asked the grumbling Muam seriously.
Even I think it's sad that these kids are stuck studying (aka battling) at the academy during vacation.
But the new professors here all joined for a reason, and Professor Niserwin holds the key to that.
What she wants is for the students to break through our defenses.
Refusing that would make it harder for my clan to get what it wants.
But Muam has a soft heart and couldn't do it.
Otherwise, the Water Spirit King's contractor—
The race's top spirit summoner wouldn't get breached by students.
Unless god-tier summoners like Aris reached second or third year and mastered it.
Or unless a Swordmaster popped out of nowhere—breaking the water barrier is impossible.
Even veteran soldiers like Professors Maroon and Arhan can't breach Muam's barrier!
“Well, it's natural to think that, I guess?”
Muam brushed off my earnestness all too casually.
That's too much! Here I, an elf, was actually worrying for once!
“You'll get a pay cut.”
“Hmm... You'll understand what I mean tomorrow, Professor Harian.”
He spoke indirectly, but Muam ignored me!
Then he just waltzed into his office!
“Hmph, understand what?”
Grumbling, I prepped my office for vacation classes since I was back after so long.
After dinner and finishing some simple tasks, I got the rundown from Muam—who's off on vacation starting tomorrow.
Just before the gates closed, I waved to Muam boarding his carriage, and he yelled,
“Tomorrow, you really have to give it your all!”
Hmph, I'm not going easy!
I have to do my best until I get the info on the princess's person from Professor Niserwin!
Our princess is the cool kind who pays handsomely!
And the next day.
“Huh?”
-Contractor, this academy really is insane.
My contracted god, Boreas—the god of the north wind among wind gods—muttered, and I agreed wholeheartedly.
The sight before my eyes.
I get that the students are trying to break through us.
But that red energy rippling on Aris's sword up front—it's not sword aura, is it?
Compared to right before vacation when she was on the cusp of Swordmaster, it's way too vivid!
If a pre-Swordmaster's realm advances further?
Next step after pre-Swordmaster is just Swordmaster, right?
Aris, did you become a legendary hero or something?!
“H-hey, kids? Hold up a sec?”
Dumbfounded, I tried talking first.
“20 minutes left, but just in case—let's wrap this quick!”
“Gah! Stop swinging while you talk! Let's chat, come on!”
The red sword beam shredded Boreas's wind barrier like paper.
So easily, so simply!
“Boreas, put some muscle into it! Getting outlasted by some spirit king is embarrassing!”
-Ugh! I don't wanna lose to a mere spirit king either!
Boreas blew wind furiously, but it tore apart the instant Aris's sword touched it.
And then the students poured through the gap with flawless teamwork!
Damn it, Muam! You should've warned me Aris hit Swordmaster!
Just "experience it yourself" my ass!
“I can't lose right after getting back!”
“We can't wait around for the demon to show!”
Boreas, the roughest, most violent of the wind god brothers.
Unleashing his full power, a freezing storm rose to block Aris.
Swordmaster—yeah, a Swordmaster!
We barely have any back home, and even around the princess they're rare—and now one's at this academy!
But I won't lose!
Three minutes later.
“Thanks for your hard work!”
The last student bowed to me and bolted for the gates.
For an elf in my prime, my whole body ached.
And... I have to keep blocking students like this from now on?
I just got back from vacation?
“When does vacation end...?”
Thus began my long yet short vacation.
***
“Ugyaaaaa...”
On the spacious desk piled high with papers—plenty of room to spare—the iron bat sprawls belly-down and starts making weird noises.
“Spit it out straight.”
“Uwaaaaaaaa...”
I shouldn't have said anything; it's getting worse.
“You've goofed off enough already.”
“But stiiiilllll~”
Head down toward the floor, its voice sounds like it's sinking into the earth.
“Keep it up and I'll roll you.”
That worked—it flipped over while lying down, facing the ceiling.
And then
“Uwaaaaaaaaaiiiieeeeee.”
Same crap!
“Roll, then!”
“Gah, what're you doing, Master! I almost fell!”
I grabbed it and rolled it off the desk, but its split-second reflexes—that let it smack every single student—kicked in, grabbing the edge with one hand.
“I said I was gonna roll you.”
“A fragile goddess lost in despair has the right to go uwaaaaa!”
No clue what "uwaaaaa" right that is.
“I have the right to do my work on my desk. And this is my room! Therefore, I have the right to suppress your uwaaaaa!”
“Master and I are one! Thus, Master's room is my room! I have the right to aaaaaawwa!”
“That's a different right from before?”
“It's fiiiine, it means the same for a moan of utter desperation!”
“You're so eloquent.”
“Gah, gotta be good with words at leeeast! I'm an unemployed goddess noooow!”
Watching it thrash around on the desk howling "uwa wang!" reminds me of cartoons from my childhood.
Back then, that pink critter had me seriously terrified of having kids.
Realizing I didn't need to fear that came later.
Anyway, that pink thing toughened me up—this level of tantrum is nothing.
At least go "uwaaaang! Cut the crap! Shove it!" in that grating voice!
Ugh, just thinking about it pisses me off!
“...Master? Master? I'm the one throwing the fit right in front of you, but you're glaring at some weird thing and raging solo—what am I supposed to do here?”
Maybe embarrassed at its solo meltdown, the iron bat turns its head slightly and grumbles.
“That's on you for a lame tantrum.”
“Gah, can't sulk more or it'll ruin my goddess dignity!”
A tantrum-throwing goddess—nothing but this water god wannabe.
“Master knows all the weird gods too well.”
That's the power of subculture.
“And you, worrier over unemployment. I'll teach you the secret to escaping joblessness.”
“For realsies? For real? Now that kids go home free, where do I fit in?”
“Yep.”
“How? Spill it quick! I'm dizzyyy!”
It's going nuts like I need to boil instant ramen and serve it.
“Simple principle. If the students are too advanced for you to punish.”
“If?”
Then it's easy.
“Put them in an environment where they deserve punishment.”
“Such a fresh idea!”
Fantasy academy means somewhat freewheeling Yuglasia!
But rules exist, written in the student handbook from orientation—though who reads that!
Internet terms? Just click agree—that was the law of my past life!
Worlds differ, people don't!
“Thus, starting today—school rules get stricter!”
“Awesome, Master protecting the academy's dignity is too cooool!”
Flattery, but it feels good.
Sorry, students, but for my peaceful workdays, you deal with this thing a bit.