New Student, New Instructor
Zeroa Bandes, that’s me. I’ve got a noble title, but I’m a commoner. I’ve only ever lived in the Empire, so I didn’t realize how different things are elsewhere. Apparently, in other countries, only nobles get that kind of surname—commoners don’t even get one.
Anyway, the fact that I have the title isn’t really the big deal. What matters more today is that I just enrolled in Legandia Academy.
I hadn’t been thinking much about the future, so I’m still in a total daze.
My little sister slipped my application in secretly, took the test, and somehow I passed. A normal guy like me getting into the Empire’s top academy… does that even make sense? Did my test score get swapped with someone else’s? Is someone playing a trick on me?
I’m not arrogant or lacking confidence. It’s actually both a strength and a weakness—whatever I do, I just end up average. My family wasn’t rich, so I worked since I was little, but the biggest compliment I ever got anywhere was, “You at least know how to pay your own way.”
I never once heard anyone say I was good at anything. There were always people better than me, and there were always people who weren’t better either. I was just… average.
So how did I end up at an academy that’s supposed to be full of elites? I still don’t get it.
But I don’t have the mental energy to keep wrestling with that mystery. There are so many unfamiliar faces in the room, and I’m already tense.
The Empire doesn’t have as huge a gap between nobles and commoners as I’d heard, but that line wasn’t fully set when I was born. Some nobles can’t adapt to changing culture, and when they get angry, the commoners without money or power are the ones who suffer.
Yet the people who come from other countries are stunned by the Empire’s class differences. I wonder how different things really are there.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Huh?”
I’d been scanning the classroom and suddenly met eyes with someone terrifying. Short green hair and sharp eyes fixed on me.
“Oh… uh, I don’t know anyone… I was just looking around…”
The green-haired guy stared at me for a second, then gave a tired look and moved to another seat. He greeted the people around him like he already knew them.
Close… friends? The second I approached, a guy casually slung an arm around another guy’s shoulders. It could’ve been roughhousing, but it looked more like friendly banter.
In an academy full of elites, I might be the weakest one. If I accidentally catch the eye of troublemakers, I won’t have any way to fight back.
Especially the new students this year. Violet and Sozeta are legendary—geniuses that even someone who doesn’t listen to rumors knows about. And don’t forget the princess enrolled too. As a commoner, the thought of studying with a princess is almost unbelievable. What if I accidentally step out of line? My name and my family’s could be in trouble.
Thankfully, our class isn’t full of famous faces, but my heart is still racing from nerves.
While I waited for my homeroom instructor, someone sat down right beside me. Even though the seats were mostly empty, I at least had to say hello properly.
“Hello, my name is—”
The words died in my throat. I’ve never seen anyone like this. Wait… is that a person?
Long, silky black hair and eyes that glowed like polished rubies—jewel eyes, they called them. The moment those red eyes locked onto me, I froze solid. The statue of the goddess I saw as a kid in the temple wasn’t even close.
It wasn’t just me. Everyone in the class was staring at her.
She quietly turned her gaze away from me, opened a small book, and started reading.
I forgot about the fact that I’d been ignored and kept staring at the side of her face, feeling guilty, before quickly looking away. The rest of the seats around me were now filled with other students also watching her.
They were all empty before… what happened?
While I was still in shock, the door slammed open with a loud bang. A brown-haired guy strode in and shouted, “Good day, you brats! I’m your homeroom instructor, Rai Redford!”
Despite his friendly-looking face, he introduced himself with a rough edge. The whole class stared. He wasn’t smiling, but his eyes still looked warm, and he seemed much younger than expected.
“What are you staring at? Sit down already. I’m taking roll.”
Even though everyone was silently staring, the instructor walked to the podium without a care. The chaotic energy faded, students sat down, and he crossed his arms while looking at the blackboard.
“Speaking of which, how’s the spelling? R? L? I-E? A-I? The name was ambiguous, so maybe I-E?”
He shrugged, turned around, and announced, “Hello, I’m Rai Redford. I’ll be your homeroom instructor for the next year.”
Wait… was he actually thinking about his own name just now? No way. I didn’t understand the joke, but maybe it was just playful.
Look, everyone’s laughing… except they’re not.
“Age doesn’t matter, and the subjects are Mana Control and Basic Tactics. I don’t know why there are two, but apparently this class takes two courses each. I’m new here too, so we’re both freshmen.”
Rai-sensei didn’t seem to care about standing, so he sat on the podium and kept talking comfortably.
“I’m pretty strong and have a lot of experience, so feel free to ask me anything. What do you want to know? I don’t know much about the academy, so skip that part.”
As soon as Rai-sensei finished, a girl in the front raised her hand. She waited quietly until he pointed to her, then stood up.
“I’m Philia Serios. Nice to meet you, Instructor.”
“Nice to meet you too.”
“Excuse me, but you look really young for an instructor. What kind of experience do you have?”
Rai-sensei glanced at the ceiling, thought for a second, and smiled. “A lot, but the only thing I can tell you is about the Battle of Rennen. I was a survivor of that battle.”
The mention of Rennen’s survivors sparked huge interest. Most students didn’t even know the battle happened, and those who did only knew fragments. The mystery itself—conspiracies, unbelievable stories—pulled in anyone who liked that kind of thing.
Even the black-haired girl next to me was staring at Rai-sensei with fascination.
“Everyone, quiet down. And you—” He pointed at someone. “You’re pretty, but… wow, you’re really pretty. Interesting. Anyway, staring like that at someone else’s face is a little weird when you do it yourself. Close your mouth and keep it that way.”
Her face turned red from embarrassment. She shot a quick look at the black-haired girl, then couldn’t lift her head again. When the instructor’s attention shifted, he clapped his hands to refocus the class.
“We’ll go around one by one. Look as much as you want now, but pay attention to me right now.”
Just like when he first arrived, the door slammed open again. A platinum-blonde woman entered without reacting to the shocked stares.
“Hey, did you take the attendance sheet?”
“No? I did. I checked the class list.”
Rai-sensei shook his head, double-checked the sheet, and turned to the platinum-blonde instructor. “You’re the homeroom one, right?”
“No, I’m the homeroom. How many times did I have to search the faculty room for that?”
“No, I’m the one here. You got it wrong.”
Both of them were arguing that their own explanation was correct. The platinum-blonde instructor closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.
“Yeah, you’re right too. I’m right here too.”
“What does that even mean?”
“I’m the B-class homeroom instructor. You’re the B-class assistant homeroom instructor. Got it?”
Rai-sensei quietly glanced at the attendance sheet, then slowly raised his head and handed it to the platinum-blonde instructor. He stepped down from the podium and, palm out, told us, “So far I was the assistant. And the homeroom is Leila Cloud.”
… …
… … Hmph—
Someone in the silent classroom couldn’t hold back a laugh, and the sound spread like wildfire. Students started giggling. The green-haired guy from earlier, who’d met my eyes before, couldn’t resist and slammed the desk while laughing loudly.
“Heh heh heh— what is this?!”
“That was hilarious. Ah, my stomach hurts…”
Leila-sensei checked the attendance sheet with a blank face and turned to the class. Her blue eyes were cold, like she was staring down an enemy.
“Quiet down.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried enough power to instantly silence the entire room. I’d been smiling quietly too, but the moment I heard that voice, chills ran down my spine and I couldn’t laugh anymore.
Leila-sensei slammed the attendance sheet onto the podium and frowned.
“Is a homeroom instructor supposed to look like she’s laughing?”
“No, she’s not that serious.”
From behind, Rai-sensei muttered softly. Leila-sensei turned and glared at him, then continued.
“Homeroom instructors are human too. We can make mistakes. It’s not a huge deal, but small mistakes can happen anytime. All the academy instructors are talented people. Even if one of them is human and makes a small error, they’re still teaching you. Treat them with respect.”
“You’re the worst.”
Some students stirred, trying not to laugh at Rai-sensei’s comment. That was good—because if they had laughed, they would’ve been in trouble from the scary Leila-sensei.
After just a few words, Leila-sensei calmly introduced herself. She was new to the academy like Rai-sensei, but quite a few students already knew her name because of how famous she was.
She looked brilliant and outstanding, but too cold. I somehow felt more familiar with Rai-sensei.
* * *
“Heh heh, really?”
“Yeah… worst case.”
Rai was sprawled on the headmistress’s couch, staring at the ceiling and sighing heavily. Celenas smiled softly at him.
“You’re surprisingly sensitive to that kind of thing? I thought you were an optimist.”
“When commanding a unit, the first impression matters. You need to either knock them out in one go or build mystery. Well— I guess ‘unit’ isn’t the best word either.”
But instead of building mystery, he only got a big laugh and another sigh. Celenas, sipping tea slowly, set the cup down and asked, “So how was your first day at the academy?”
“It was more than I expected. The atmosphere was exactly as you described—free and easy. The students blended in perfectly.”
“That’s great. I worked hard to create this academy, so hearing the students say that feels good.”
She gave him a kind smile, left the tea untouched, and brought more cookies for Rai, who was happily munching on his own.
“This year’s class has high expectations for your lectures. Even though the academy has a long history, so many talented students came in this year that it’s almost unfair.”
“If the Empire is calling them talented just because they’re not enough for it, they must be incredible.”
“Yes. Corrett’s Violet and Sozeta have talents that even the Emperor knows their names. Add Diana and the others from the Desubella family, and suddenly there are too many prodigies crammed into one class.”
Celenas let out a bittersweet smile, as if enjoying the happy dilemma. “And now we have Sixth Princess Emilia Shane Bernies too. Legandia Academy has received an enormous honor. The instructors assigned to them have a heavy responsibility.”
“Um… I’m sorry, but none of the names that just came up are in my class. Plus, I’m only the assistant.”
When Rai asked about the strange situation, Celenas gave him a wink.
“It’s probably because entrusting the Empire’s future to you…”
“Might mean I could accidentally implant weird beliefs or ruin everything?”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but the problem was obvious—Rai’s past as the Empire’s enemy.
“I’m not saying it that way. But I truly can’t say there’s zero worry about that kind of person. Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. That’s exactly what assistant instructors are for. I’m just the assistant anyway.”
Rai, shocked by the assistant part, slumped back into the couch again. Celenas got up, walked behind him, and started massaging his shoulders. With her large bust, even when she leaned in, it was hard not to feel the warmth on his back.
“Hang in there. I couldn’t give you the main class because you didn’t have enough experience yet.”
“I understand. I’ll just build up my record. That’s my specialty.”
“Yes, please try your best. Even if the class is different, you’ll see the same students in your lectures. I’ll be counting on you, Rai.”
“If the owner says so…”
“Hoo— that sounds good. Say it again?”
The voice came from behind him as Celenas massaged his shoulders. Rai fell silent.