The Academy Slave Instructor
Leila Redford hated the vile.
Leila Redford hated the vile.
Even though dawn had only just begun and people were just starting to stir, Leila had been awake far earlier. She stood in the garden, swinging her sword with precise, unyielding strokes.
Her daily morning training wasn’t for the sake of “training” anymore. It had become her way to clear her mind. As an academy instructor who also belonged to the military, she handled the duties of a teacher, supervising Rai Redford, and managing her full workload as an imperial officer. Yet among all the responsibilities, the early hours in the garden felt like the only true refuge—time when she could simply breathe and reset.
She wiped the sweat from her brow, sheathed her sword, and began preparing for the day. A quick shower, a crisp uniform prepared the night before, and then the familiar breakfast she always ate. She scanned the morning newspaper and reports for any updates, finished her meal without delay, and rose.
“Lady Leila, I hope you have a peaceful day today.”
Paulo, her long-time butler with his immaculately groomed white hair and beard, offered the greeting. His voice was always warm, respectful, and steady.
“Thank you, Paulo,” Leila replied with a slight nod, then stepped out into the academy grounds. Her first duty of the day was to meet Headmistress Selenas and confirm whether there were any additional assignments.
Supervising Rai Redford was a mundane task on paper, but Leila never took it lightly. The man was the Devil of All Nations—a walking bomb of danger. His careless words, reckless behavior, and constant irritation only made her vigilance sharper. Perhaps some of his “harmless” actions today were deliberate distractions. If he ever escaped, the empire would plunge into chaos.
As the man who had once spoken from prison, Leila knew he had only partially been absorbed into the Bernies Empire. How many years did he expect those who had lived their entire lives as citizens of the fallen Keilen Kingdom to simply “integrate”? It was naïve at best.
Underground resistance cells still lurked, waiting for the perfect moment. For them, the greatest threat was the awakening of national consciousness among the citizens being assimilated. And the reappearance of a war hero like Rai Redford could ignite that flame.
Just imagining the resistance army under the Devil of All Nations sent a chill down her spine. His mobility was unmatched, his hit-and-run tactics terrifying. If he ever truly rebelled, the casualties would be catastrophic.
Even with the various schemes that had placed him here, the sheer number of influential witnesses spoke volumes. Headmistress Selenas herself, Joshua the Marquis of the Intelligence Department, the Duke of Burge, and even Supreme Commander Edelian—each had vouched that Rai Redford was not foolish enough to do something reckless.
Above even the Supreme Commander, only a handful of people in the empire had agreed to his release. Could it be the person Leila secretly suspected? She decided not to dwell on the thought; it would be sacrilegious to speculate on such matters alone.
From her perspective, Rai Redford was a ticking time bomb. Yet everyone who had lived through the Era of Strife—the brutal, multi-decade war that had nearly shattered the continent—saw him as safe. They had witnessed something in him that Leila had never had the chance to meet on the battlefield.
If she had been born just a few years earlier, she might have crossed blades with him. The thought left her chest strangely tight.
She frowned, suddenly embarrassed by the unexpected warmth blooming inside her. No one could possibly be that irritating… could they?
Her mood darkened. Students passing by instinctively gave her a wide berth.
“Ah! Lady Leila!”
She turned to see a group of instructors gathered in the garden pavilion. The morning assembly was still hours away, so they had claimed the bench for a quick chat.
Leila accepted the invitation from a blonde male instructor and joined them. They offered expensive tea; it paled in comparison to Headmistress Selenas’ private blend. Leila simply sipped a small amount, set the cup aside, and listened.
These were all research-track instructors teaching introductory classes: Elbert of Mana Theory, Kraon of Barrier Defense, Kali of Alchemy, and Alsera of Magic Stone Crafting.
Leila knew every instructor’s name and background. She observed them now, noting their postures and expressions.
None of them had ever worked in the field. While experience couldn’t be the only measure of quality, the fact that they were stuck teaching the same basic courses year after year made Leila suspect they lacked real talent. Elbert was the exception; his short teaching record was deceiving, but his proven achievements placed him in the upper tier.
Since she had to monitor Rai Redford’s surroundings, she paid extra attention to anyone who stood out. Elbert already held the rank of Baron, earned purely through merit rather than family ties.
He appeared kind and accomplished, but reports from the military had described his arrogance and subtle intimidation behind closed doors. Yet right now he was charmingly steering the conversation.
“Speaking of which, tomorrow, isn’t it?”
“Tomorrow? What day is that? I don’t recall any academy events scheduled.”
“Captain Kali must have forgotten. Tomorrow is the day.”
Kraon jumped in with a grin. Kali let out an exaggerated “A~!” and laughed.
It was a staged duel between instructors and students—Rai Redford had used a student as his proxy. The entire academy had been buzzing about it. Elbert leaned in, feigning concern.
“They say his opponent is the daughter of the Serios family. This is terrible. A mere cadet barely passing as a proxy…”
“If he loses, he’ll be expelled from the academy, right?”
“Of course. A new instructor whose skill was exposed has no choice but to leave. Hahaha, or would you prefer to stay and suffer embarrassment?”
“Vice Principal Bright was furious too.”
Leila understood their irritation perfectly. These instructors had clawed their way into their positions through relentless effort. Then someone who had done nothing suddenly appeared and stirred resentment. But their complaining was petty. If they truly disapproved, they should say it to his face instead of hiding behind sarcasm.
“It’s so sad to be colleagues with such a person,” one muttered.
“How did he even become a colleague? Did we somehow mistake this for an arts academy? Turning students into bards? Insane.”
Elbert tried to defend him. Kraon wrinkled his nose and launched into a tirade against Rai Redford.
“Students might hear us. Keep your voice down. Still, how will the duel turn out?”
He’s the worst of the worst.
Leila turned the warm teacup between her fingers and studied Elbert. He played the concerned friend while subtly planting more “bait” into the conversation.
“It’s obvious what will happen. He’ll be humiliated and laughed at. I hope the students realize how outclassed these instructors are.”
“I agree. The gap is simply too wide. Their judgment must be terrible. They don’t deserve the title of instructor.”
“I’d give Philia my vote too. I thought she’d be rebellious after hearing the story, but she turned out to be steady and admirable.”
Everyone assumed Philia would win. Elbert nodded at his colleagues’ reactions, then finally turned his gaze to the quiet woman by the window.
“Lady Leila, you’ve achieved remarkable feats in the field. How do you view them compared to our research-track instructors? I’m sure your opinion is far more elevated.”
“…”
Leila stared at the smiling man, then answered calmly.
“I haven’t properly evaluated the two sides. I can’t say.”
“You’re postponing judgment? I heard you were a bold military woman, yet you seem strangely cautious.”
“Still, I have an idea.”
Leila chuckled softly and slowly set her teacup down.
“I find it surprising that not all academy instructors are of high caliber.”
“…”
The instructors stared, stunned. Even the angry Kraon rose from his seat and shouted.
“What did you just say?!”
“Did you not hear me? Allow me to repeat: I said their caliber is low.”
“Hah! Instructor Leila! Have you lost your mind? A new instructor dares to insult us like this?!”
“New instructors don’t have the right to insult. This is the first time I’ve heard such rudeness. Only those with long tenure are allowed to badmouth others, aren’t they? You seem to have nothing better to do. Enjoy your time, though.”
Leila ignored the furious glare and continued walking. Kraon’s shouts followed her, but she had no patience for petty complaints. In any organization, the worthless inevitably multiplied as numbers grew.
On her personnel list, the four instructors she had just met were now marked as “worthless.” She headed toward the headmistress’s office, knocked politely, and received no answer. Curiosity piqued, she gently opened the door.
Rai Redford was massaging Headmistress Selenas’ shoulders. He hummed happily.
“Ah~ Our Headmistress’ shoulders are so tight. All the hard work must be taking a toll. I’ll handle it perfectly now. Here, here. This spot, right?”
“Aah… yes… that feels wonderful…”
Leila, who had seen something she shouldn’t, slowly closed the door without a sound. After a moment of stunned silence, she pushed it open again. Rai was still close to Selenas, whispering.
“So, Headmistress, even a little more… I mean, even a third of what you’re giving me… I’m completely broke. I can’t even visit the tea shop inside the academy…”
“No… ah, right there… focus a little more…”
Leila’s face twisted. She had been told by Selenas that owning something and indulging in consumption increased quality of life. She hated three types of people: those without self-respect, those who gossiped behind someone’s back, and those whose flattery was too obvious.
Today she had encountered two of them. If she added the third, it would be a perfect triple.
She hurried inside and closed the door. Rai turned with a bright smile.
“Wow! Leila! Still as beautiful as ever! Did you move your bangs five millimeters to the side? Looks great. By the way…”
“I’m not lending you anything.”
“Huh? What are you talking about? What do you mean? I’ve always been grateful to you. I wouldn’t dare ask for anything. But listen, I have a great business idea you might like to hear.”
Leila’s face turned red with rage. She clenched her fists and trembled. Fighting for a scoundrel like this made her feel pitiful.
“May I make a request first?”
Leila asked with an uncharacteristic grin. Rai flashed a wide smile in return.
“Of course! Ask for anything. Between you and me, I can handle a small favor.”
“Really? Then let me punch you once.”
“…”
Rai closed his mouth, looked at her for a moment, and then spoke.
“One gold coin for one punch.”
Before he finished, Leila flicked her fingers. A gold coin flew into the air. She gathered mana in her fist and stepped forward.
“Hey! Wait—mana? Wait—!”
* * *
“Did the building shake just now?”
Philia looked around, concerned. Seset, slumped lifelessly over her desk, answered casually.
“If an earthquake had hit, that would have been great. Then next period would be canceled. But why do you look so excited?”
Philia’s face was strangely flushed. Seset sat up and asked.
“Something… feels good.”
“That’s a very lewd face.”
“Not that kind of good! It’s like a chest-exploding, refreshing feeling!”
“Chest?”
“Mom, she’s hopeless.”
Still teasing, Seset ran at Philia and tickled her. Philia squealed and swatted her hands away.