Begone, You Beasts. No, Please Go Away.
The birds were chirping, and a cool breeze slipped through the cracks in the window.
It was an unusually pleasant, refreshingly clear morning.
“Mmm… What time is it…”
I woke up a little earlier than usual.
I neatly straightened the bed, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the faucet. I washed my face with cold water, roughly rinsed away the soap bubbles, and picked up my toothbrush.
And then.
“Whoa…!”
My hand slipped.
The toothbrush fell, bounced off the sink, and plopped straight into the toilet bowl whose lid had been left open.
“…I must have gone to bed without closing it last night.”
I stood in silence for a moment.
It felt as if the world itself were trying to tell me something from the very start of the morning, but I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard a thing.
I took a new toothbrush from the cabinet, brushed my teeth, and left the bathroom as if nothing had happened.
Creak.
“Hmm, hmm-hmm. Hmm-hmm-hmm.”
Humming to shake off the bad luck, I was buttoning my shirt when my fingers suddenly groped empty air.
“Huh…?”
The middle buttons were missing.
Not one—three of them.
Wondering if they had fallen off, I checked the floor, under the chair, under the bed, and inside the laundry basket.
Nothing.
The three buttons had vanished without a trace.
“…How strange.”
It had definitely been an unusually refreshing and pleasant morning.
Yet every little thing seemed to be grabbing hold of me, whispering the same warning.
Don’t go.
“Huu… Well, everyone has days like this.”
I decided to brush it off as nothing important.
I put on a fresh shirt, grabbed my bag, and opened the front door.
The moment I stepped outside, the misfortune from inside the house suddenly felt trivial. Warm sunlight wrapped around me, lifting my mood.
“Mm. Nice weather.”
Basking in that pleasant sunlight, I headed for the academy.
Even though it was still early, a few diligent students were already on campus. I exchanged greetings with them as I entered the building, climbed the stairs, walked down the hallway, and stepped into the staff room.
I sat at my desk and organized my belongings, then checked the day’s class schedule.
“Ahem, um… Rowell, sir?”
“Ah. Mr. Kowalski.”
At the deep, resonant voice I turned to find Mr. Kowalski, the sociology teacher.
“What can I do for you?”
“Well, that class you agreed to take over for Mr. Erdin—I’ve decided to handle it myself. You should head to the Hall of Stars.”
“The Hall of Stars? Has it already been completed?”
“It has. I’m quite envious you’ll be the first to teach there. Hahaha.”
“Haha…”
The Hall of Stars—an annex built two years ago in a remote corner away from the main Lagrange building.
I’d heard it was constructed on a rather grand scale for a specific purpose, but…
“Thank you for telling me. I nearly went to the wrong place. Though I wonder why the headmistress assigned this to me of all people…”
“Haha. The headmistress is a very busy woman. Anyway, do your best!”
“Thank you!”
“Oh, and there’s a separate staff room in that building, so you can move your things there. Here, take this key as well.”
“Pardon…?”
“It seems she really didn’t explain anything… There’s also a dormitory for teachers in the building. From now on you can commute directly from there to the hall.”
“Ah…”
“Don’t worry about your luggage. I’ll have it moved for you. Since it’s a bit of a walk, you’d better get going.”
“There must be quite a lot of it… Thank you!”
“No, no. I’m the one who should be grateful…”
“Sorry?”
“Never mind. Off you go.”
I thought I’d heard something strange at the very end, but thanks to Mr. Kowalski’s kindness I had avoided whatever bizarre class I was supposed to teach, so I counted it as a win.
I quickly gathered my things and headed for the Hall of Stars.
Slide. Thud.
The door closed.
Kowalski stared at the closed door for a long moment, then solemnly clenched his fist and pressed it to his left chest.
“…Thank you, Mr. Rowell.”
The Hall of Stars was farther than I expected.
After leaving the main Lagrange building, I crossed the garden and continued along an outer path that students almost never used.
After ten minutes I assumed they had simply built the new facility far away.
After twenty minutes I figured it was the headmistress’s taste.
And after thirty minutes I finally realized.
“…Is this really the path to a classroom?”
The building stood completely isolated, practically a place of exile.
Still, when I finally arrived, the structure itself was impeccably clean and enormous. And above all—
“…This is the headmistress’s magic power… and it’s a twenty-layer barrier…?”
At this level it could easily contain beings capable of driving the world to ruin.
Well, if it was for the students’ safety… I suppose it made sense…
“The headmistress has always been rather suspicious…”
Suspicious indeed.
But she had always been that way, and I had suffered for it many times before, so I decided not to dwell on it.
Anyway, I entered the building, accepted the attendance register Mr. Kowalski had given me, and headed for the assigned classroom.
Since the class hadn’t been officially announced yet, there was only one room prepared for lessons.
On the way there, feeling a little lonely, I opened the attendance book.
Attendance number one: Elena Astria.
“Huh?”
No, I must have misread.
Attendance number two: Serena Silverrain.
“………”
Huu… No way.
Attendance number three: Brynhild Valen.
“…..What is this?”
Well, the world was full of people with the same names. So if I just looked at the next—
Attendance number four: Luciel Nightveil.
Attendance number five: Ariel Lifewood.
“No. No, it can’t be…!”
With a heart surging with emotion, I hurriedly turned the page.
Attendance number six: Raia Goldmane.
Attendance number seven: Valeria Astra Dracul.
Attendance number eight: Thetis Abysscrown.
“Ha…. Hahaha…. Hahahahahaha!!”
Every single name that followed was one I knew.
And the moment I burst out laughing, a familiar wave of magic power suddenly washed over me from above.
“It can’t be…! It’s really them…!”
Now certain, I sprinted toward the classroom.
My heart was so full of joy that I wanted to see them as soon as possible.
Had they been eating properly?
Had they been sleeping well?
All sorts of worries flooded my mind. And above all else…
What if they hated me now? What if they no longer cared?
When they were little we had spent so much time together. I had fed them, put them to bed, taken care of everything myself.
After all the years apart, I was terrified that the bond between teacher and students might have cooled completely… That worry weighed on me more than anything.
That same worry turned my sprint into a brisk walk, and before I knew it the distant classroom had become the door right in front of me.
“….Huu. That’s right. I’m their teacher. Even if they hate me, there’s nothing I can do about it…”
Yes. I was a teacher. I was not their parent, nor their partner. There was no need to
worry about such things.
Those children would always be my students, and I would always be their teacher.
Slide! Thud!
“All right! Hello, everyone!”
Bursting with warm feelings, I threw open the door and greeted my fate.
The moment I stepped inside, every beloved face was there. And they simply smiled, welcoming me with those bright expressions.
Seeing their smiles, I instantly understood what they wanted.
I walked straight to the lectern, opened the attendance register, and cleared my throat.
“Ahem. Elena Astria?”
“Yes! Teacher!”
She even stood up from her seat, my wonderfully energetic student.
Elena Astria.
The current generation’s hero who had defeated the Demon King and returned in triumph. I had heard she was praised as the strongest hero in all of history, old generation and new combined.
Smiling at her liveliness, I called the next name.
“Serena Silverrain.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
My student answered in a gentle voice while sitting politely.
Serena Silverrain.
The saintess of the hero party, beloved by every race—my incredibly popular student.
I had worried so much because she used to be so fragile, but it seemed she had done well in the outside world. What a relief. Thinking that, I called the next name.
“Brynhild Valen.”
“Yes.”
A short answer. A blunt expression. Yet I could clearly read the welcome in her eyes.
The warrior of the hero party, known as the strongest shield and a top-tier combatant.
Her bluntness remained unchanged, but she no longer walked with her head down like before, so I smiled and called the next student.
“Luciel Nightveil.”
“Yes. Rowell.”
I gave a wry smile at how boldly she answered with just my name.
The mage of the hero party, Luciel Nightveil. A child born with the blessing of the Endless Night, one of the great stars.
Being close to a demigod, she had always struggled with human emotions. She used to be as blunt as Brynhild, but seeing her smile, I felt relieved and called the next name.
“Ariel Lifewood.”
“Yes. Teacher, it is Ariel Lifewood.”
Her elegant reply made me smile again without thinking.
The archer of the hero party who had defeated the Demon King and returned, now reigning as Queen of the High Elves—my student.
Grateful for the gentle gaze she still gave me, I called the next name with a heart that felt ready to burst.
“Raia… Goldmane.”
“Hehe… Did I wait nicely like you told me to, until Teacher called my name?”
The lively lion beastgirl answered with sparkling energy.
Raia Goldmane.
I never imagined I would call that name again. This era had been called the Time of Turmoil; information between nations had been completely cut off.
Because of that I hadn’t heard any news of the children and had barely eaten or slept for five months…
Seeing her again now, I fought back the tears welling in my eyes and the tightness in my throat, then called the next name.
“Valeria Astra Dracul.”
“Hmph. To call This King’s name so late. It deserves severe punishment, but since it is Teacher, I shall overlook it.”
She was still overflowing with confidence. I hadn’t expected her to bring her own personal chair…
Valeria Astra Dracul.
When I was first told to teach a dragon over a hundred years old, I had been bewildered… but she turned out to be completely childlike.
Still, the power she possessed was genuine, so teaching her had been quite the ordeal.
Recalling those old memories, my heart warmed and I called the next student.
“Thetis Abysscrown.”
“It has been a long time. You.”
She didn’t even use the title “Teacher” anymore. She truly hadn’t changed.
Thetis Abysscrown.
The girl from the deep abyss of the sea had not spoken a single word at first. It was because of her race’s trait—the Siren’s hypnotic voice.
Thanks to my Blossom Map, I was immune to any non-physical effects from my students and was the only one who could hear her voice clearly.
That was how we first became teacher and student.
Remembering how she had cried the first time we truly spoke, I called the next name.
“Airel Ethirbloom.”
“It’s been a while. Teacher, I’m back.”
She answered the call because of the promise we had made long ago.
Airel Ethirbloom.
A unique spirit who had manifested in human form. Her free-spirited nature had made it hard for her to fit in with others.
Yet she was the student who eventually opened her heart thanks to my persistent teaching.
Proud of her spirit-like purity in remembering and keeping our old promise, I gave her a warm look and called the next name.
“Mirabel Dreamglade.”
“Heehee! Yesss~ Teacherrr. ♥”
She answered in a bright, mischievous voice.
Mirabel Dreamglade.
Among the fairies, she possessed an outstanding talent for turning illusions into reality. She was also excellent at reading minds and loved to test people with playful pranks.
But since she couldn’t read my mind, she had shown an unusual amount of interest in me.
There had almost been a terrible accident… but she had grown up so well now…
Still as adorable as ever, I looked at her with a fatherly warmth and called the next student.
“Roselia Nachtrosen.”
“Roselia Nachtrosen answers Teacher’s call.”
She answered with impeccable politeness.
When she was young, unfortunate circumstances had left her practically feral.
Teaching her had involved many painful moments, yet she held no resentment. That was only natural…
I nodded at how gracefully she had grown and called the next name.
“Astella Velvetnight.”
“Huuung~♥ Yesss~♥”
She answered in a voice dripping with seductive charm.
Astella Velvetnight.
As a succubus she used to look at me strangely for only taking care of her, keeping her distance before suddenly closing the gap again—a very capricious child.
She was the one I had scolded the most for treating her own body so lightly.
Unable to find a safe place for my eyes on her now-mature figure, I called the next student.
“Asteria Deathcrown.”
“You are late. Teacher, why do you call my name so slowly?”
She answered with clear dissatisfaction.
Asteria Deathcrown.
The child at the very core of my past sins. She who had resented the entire world and raged at everything.
The one who threw the most tantrums. And I had no choice but to listen—no, I had to listen. I held no regrets or negative feelings about that.
It was a sin I had to bear, the right thing to do, and the atonement I needed to pay.
Smiling at how admirably she had cast off all her resentment and anger, I called the next student.
“Bellina Moonthread.”
“This maiden answers Master’s call.”
She answered with the same courtesy as Roselia.
Bellina Moonthread.
In the past she had been a child who would never let go of anything once she got her hands on it. To put it bluntly, her obsession… was severe.
Instead of teaching her to release things, I had shown her how to make them return to her. After that, there was a memory of her always binding the kind-hearted me and asking whether I had the heart to return to her.
Smiling at the graceful lady she had become, I called the final student.
“Ophelia Grimcodex.”
“I have waited a very long time for you to call me, Teacher.”
She emphasized her long wait.
Ophelia Grimcodex.
She was an archdevil of contracts. In the past she had believed relationships were formed by entangling others with her abilities as collateral.
So I had taught her how to build relationships based on trust, using quite… substantial contracts as the foundation.
Hmm…
Now that I had finished calling roll, it was time for my greeting.
“It is good to see you all. I am Rowell Ackerman, the teacher who will be instructing you from now on. Please take care of me.”
At my words some of the lively children cheered, others nodded in agreement, and a few clapped politely in quiet welcome.
Haha. They were no longer children—they were young women now.
To think they had grown so splendidly and returned like this filled me with endless pride.
“But Teacher? We sent quite a lot of letters. Why didn’t you reply to any of them?”
“Huh…?”
“Our letters. Did they never reach you?”
Huh…? Letters…?
At Valeria’s words goosebumps erupted across my skin.
Cold sweat drenched my back, my palms burned and turned clammy, my jaw moved on its own making my teeth chatter, and my heart pounded violently.
“…..I’m sorry.”
“Hoo?”
“I, I thought they were joke letters… so I…”
“Heee… You threw them away without even reading them. Is that what you’re saying?”
The crimson light in Valeria’s eyes slowly began to fade…
“Teacher, that’s too cruel! I even attached so many photos!”
Raia jumped to her feet and voiced her complaint.
“I’m sad. I wrote so many poems while thinking of you…”
Thetis rested one cheek on her hand, looking sorrowful.
“I-I’m truly sorry… There were no names, just titles like Dragon King, Beast King, Sea King written that way…!”
The classroom fell into brief silence at my answer.
Just as I was feeling grateful and relieved that the children seemed willing to understand, Ophelia suddenly stood up.
“Teacher?”
“Yes? Ophelia, what is it?”
She walked to the front of the lectern holding something in her hand.
What she held was… a crystal ball…? Purple meant it was for storing recordings…?
“Everyone, please watch this for a moment.”
At her words, as if by magic, every student instantly sat up straight and looked forward.
To display such leadership—our Ophelia had truly grown wonderfully…!
While I was still moved, her crystal ball activated and displayed a recording.
It was footage of me teaching them when they were children.
While I was fondly watching their adorable younger selves—
The atmosphere in the classroom changed the moment those words left my past self’s mouth.
The bright, warm air vanished, replaced by something heavy and stifling…
“Teacher?”
“Uh… Uh? Ophelia… Yes, what is it…?”
I tried to look around to check for an ambush, but Ophelia’s voice drew my gaze back to her.
Was this truly the Ophelia I knew? She wore an unbearably seductive, dangerous smile and was no longer looking at me as her teacher… but as something else entirely.
“First, we have five witnesses from our demon stars faction. When I asked the remaining stars, they confirmed that Teacher said the exact same thing to them.”
“Uh… That’s right…?”
I remembered. It was a tactic I used whenever the children didn’t want to study or train…
“That’s correct! Teacher remembers too!”
“Haha, they’re memories with all of you. Of course I remember.”
“So that’s how it is. Everyone?”
At Ophelia’s words, my disciples began rising from their seats one by one.
“Children…? Why are you looking at me like that…”
“Teacher… No. Honey.”
“What…?”
“We all talked it over. We discussed what each of us wanted… and it turned out we all shared the same goal.”
At her words the children began warming up their weapons and abilities…?
“Please come quietly. Honey?”
“….Damn it, I raised a pack of beasts!!!!”
I spun around instantly. The net of magic power that had been aimed at my previous position collapsed limply onto the floor.
“….Teacher. Why are you avoiding us?”
Luciel asked in a flat, puzzled tone.
“You are my students! I am your teacher!”
Bang!
The moment I finished speaking, Raia kicked the desk in front of her aside. The desk smashed through the classroom wall and flew into the distance…
“Teacher… No, Honey. The right to choose belongs to the strong.♥”
Crack.
A horrifying sound came from her knuckles.
It happened in an instant. Her eyes changed from those of an innocent child to the eyes of a predator staring at prey…
Slide! Bang!
Overwhelmed by indescribable terror, I fled the classroom.
My mercenary instincts screamed at me.
If they catch me, I die.
Ah, so this was what today’s misfortune had been trying to warn me about.
Damn it—with what heart did I teach you all…!
You are all hereby expelled.
“Begone, you beastly bastards!!!!!”
I screamed in fear as I sprinted down the corridor. Glancing back for a brief moment…
The beasts were chasing me with relaxed smiles on their faces.
“I’m sorry! Please just go away!!!”
It was a sight that made polite speech spill from my mouth, pride as a teacher be damned.