Chapter 46
Chapter 46
I hurriedly pushed away the thought that had popped into my head.
It just so happened that the two of them belonged to the Liberal Arts Faculty and the Support Faculty, but there was no way.
‘Maybe the usually well-behaved protagonists just happened to oversleep today.’
…Even I knew that was a far-fetched possibility, but I made an effort not to give up hope and headed for the Director’s office.
There was a general announcement for the newly appointed Temporary Professors.
‘A formal notice came down from the Ministry of Education? What’s going on?’
Kansir and Ballas, who had arrived before me, showed their hostility toward me.
“…Tch. The semester’s barely started, and already I have to look at your miserable face, Ban.”
“Professor Ban, your days of smug triumph are over. The new semester has begun, so prepare yourself.”
But unlike before, I sensed something other than the contempt with which they’d looked down on me.
—I absolutely will not lose.
At that moment, a message spell sounded in my ear.
—How dare they be rude to my benefactor. Shall I kill them both?
It was Amanda!
‘…Could you stop saying terrifying things with that vacant expression? When you say them without changing your face, it sounds like you mean it.’
No, she probably really did mean it. She was from an assassin clan, after all.
I shook my head to stop Amanda, then turned my gaze—and met the eyes of someone else.
Rune.
‘Rune. Come to think of it, who is he, really? A prodigy of the Sky Island?’
The Sky Island was a sacred land of magic.
It was a place where eccentrics gathered, caring nothing for worldly affairs and indulging solely in magic.
Even I didn’t know exactly what kind of people lived on the Sky Island.
‘Somehow, I feel like I might have encountered Rune in the scenario before.’
The Grandmaster’s intuition was telling me so.
Rune was definitely no ordinary newly appointed professor.
And then—
‘…Did he just smile?’
I thought I might have imagined it, but I hadn’t.
Rune gave me a faint, sidelong smile.
Only, it wasn’t a pleasant smile.
I couldn’t explain it exactly, but something about it felt off.
Just as I was about to open my mouth—
“Ah, greetings, newly appointed professors!”
Director Karak appeared, looking ridiculous, with jewels draped all over him like a peacock.
“Seeing you all looking so gallant fills my heart with pride. Professor Ban in particular—I’ve heard all about your performance during the Magic Faculty professors’ training session.”
When Director Karak singled me out, the people around us began to murmur.
For the record, this gathering wasn’t limited to newly appointed professors in the Magic Faculty. Newly appointed professors from every faculty had assembled, so there was quite a crowd.
“It was nothing.”
“Hehe. Your modest pretense, paired with your arrogance, makes my heart flutter completely. I look forward to seeing just how impressive you’ll be from now on—especially in the assignment I’m about to announce.”
At the word assignment, everyone in the room tilted their heads in confusion.
I, too, looked puzzled.
‘What assignment, all of a sudden? And for professors?’
Director Karak looked troubled.
“The Ministry of Education sent us a formal notice. This new semester, even newly appointed Temporary Professors are to be assigned a ‘Welcome Class.’”
The unexpected news sent a murmur through the room.
“You all know that students have a two-month adjustment period ahead of them. During that time, they take common classes regardless of their faculty, and if they wish, they may take an exam and transfer to another faculty.”
A ‘Welcome Class’ was a temporary class students belonged to during this adjustment period. It was usually led by lower-ranked junior professors.
‘But they’re assigning one to Temporary Professors, too? They’ve never done that before. Could it be…?’
A cold, ominous chill ran through me.
The Ministry of Education was under the influence of the Second Prince, an Apostle of Ouroboros.
And sure enough—
“However, since you newly appointed Temporary Professors are not yet full professors, students will be free to choose whether to join the Welcome Classes you lead. Only students who volunteer will be placed in your classes.”
“!!”
I saw through the Ministry of Education’s intentions—or, more precisely, those of the Second Prince Lenius, the Apostle of Ouroboros.
‘My reputation is still Ban the Trash. No student is going to choose me, so they’re going to make me fail this assignment and get me kicked out of the Academy.’
“Hehe, this was the Ministry of Education’s directive, but I think it’s a fine idea. Getting students to choose you can be considered part of a professor’s ability, after all.”
“……”
“The results of your Welcome Class instruction will be reflected in your professor evaluations, so I ask you all to do your very best. Professor Ban in particular—I’ll be watching your progress with special interest, hehe.”
Director Karak flashed me a sickening smile, as if to say he’d be keeping an eye on me, then disappeared. I frowned.
The formal notice from the Ministry of Education listed the evaluation criteria in detail, and among them was the following:
It was plainly aimed at me.
Linden and Hans made a fuss.
“Senior Ban, is this going to be okay? There’s no way six idiots are going to sign up for your class, are there?”
“Good heavens! Linden, you rascal! What do you take Young Master Ban for?! Even if he’s kicked out of the Academy, there are plenty of places for Young Master Ban to go! Should I ask the Duke to look into a position for you in advance?”
“You know you’re even more irritating than I am, right, old man?”
The announcement was made shortly afterward, and the First-Year Students grew restless.
“We can join the Temporary Professors’ Welcome Classes, too?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to join the classes taught by the full professors?”
“No. A lot of renowned people have joined as new temporary professors this time. Honestly, they’re better than the lower-ranked junior professors.”
“I’m going to apply for Professor Ballas’s class. He’s a genius of Magic Theory.”
“I’m applying for Professor Kansir’s class. He’s from a Prestigious Swordsmanship Family.”
“I’m interested in a career as a War Mage, so I’m thinking of applying for Lady Amanda’s class. The Black Bird.”
And it wasn’t just those students.
The new temporary faculty at Rubiness Academy was unusually strong this year.
Regardless of faculty, the first-year students flocked to the famous instructors.
Of course, that had nothing to do with me.
“Hey, there’s a name here: Ban Ecclesia. Is that the Ban Trash I know? Is it really true that Ban Trash has been appointed a temporary professor at our academy?”
“He must’ve been appointed through nepotism. The Ecclesia family talks about being upright and just, but then they pull a stunt like this. I’m disappointed.”
“But I’ve been hearing a strange rumor lately. That Ban Trash has changed.”
“Do you believe that? Ban Trash has changed? It’s more likely that my family’s hunting dog will evolve into a Cerberus.”
“I heard a different rumor. That Ban Trash went crazy and developed delusions. They say he goes around claiming he’s the hero of a legend.”
My reputation was even worse among the first-year students than it was among the general public.
It was probably because the young students had heard about me through rumors spreading among themselves, rather than getting their information objectively.
Thanks to that, Kansir and Ballas were feeling pretty pleased with themselves.
“Try harder, Ban. If you get kicked out after failing to fill even six spots, despite being the man who beat me in a Duel, it’ll make me look bad. Well, no matter how hard you try, I doubt you’ll manage to fill six.”
“Honestly, I’m worried too many students will flock to me. Should I let you have a few of the students who come my way? Of course, it’s not as if any of them would agree.”
Black Bird Amanda, who could no longer stand watching, went so far as to say:
“Should I kidnap, threaten, and torture the students into joining Professor Ban’s class?”
“…Hold yourself back.”
For the record, more than ten students had applied to the classes of both Amanda, that loose-cannon member of the assassin clan, and Rune, the gloomy man from Sky Island.
Out of all the temporary professors across every faculty, I was in a league of my own at dead last.
‘It’s not as if I have absolutely no applicants.’
I had two.
And who were they, you ask?
“Here, these are the class application forms. Sign them. What’s with that look? It’s not like I’m applying because I like you, Professor Ban. I’m only doing it out of pity, since it looks like nobody else is applying to your class.”
“I-I really did apply because I like you, Professor. Please accept me into your class.”
…They were the last people I wanted to see.
Katrinne and Libel.
“Not interested.”
I tore up their applications.
“Hey, what are you doing?! I went to all the trouble of applying because I was worried about you! Don’t you know you’re in danger of being kicked out?”
“I-I’m not doing it because I’m worried. I just like you, Professor.”
“That’s right, Senior Ban. This isn’t the time to be picky. Whoever they are, you should be bowing and scraping to bring them on board!”
“Master Ban, if it’s because of your pride, I’ll bring the students over for you myself—no, Linden will! Linden, you fool! What are you waiting for? Bow to those precious students!”
Linden and Hans, too, made a fuss.
But—
“I said I wasn’t interested.”
“This is no time to be saying—!”
“Who exactly is in danger here?”
Everyone clamped their mouths shut.
I spoke calmly.
“You’re all misunderstanding something. What about this is a crisis? I’m Ban Ecclesia. Something like this is nothing to me.”
They all stared at me in disbelief.
They seemed to think I was just putting on a brave front.
‘The situation certainly isn’t good.’
I had only one week left.
Recruiting six students in that time wouldn’t be easy, and even if I somehow managed to gather six through a miracle, that wouldn’t be the end of it.
‘Six is only the failing threshold right in front of me. To remain at the Academy as a professor in the end, I have to rank first among the temporary professors.’
In other words, to take first place, I had to recruit at least thirty first-year students.
That was about how many students had gathered around Ballas, who was currently in the lead.
It seemed impossibly far off, but—
‘I used to be the Sales King. I’ve been in situations more hopeless than this countless times.’
Even in the worst situations, I had always managed to achieve the best results.
This time would be no different.
“You don’t need to worry about me. So take these applications back.”
“……”
“Go find professors who can actually help you, rather than me.”
To be honest, I was grateful to them.
They’d gone out of their way to show their concern for me.
Even so, one had to keep work and private matters separate.
‘…No matter how grateful I am, I can’t become the class instructor for the two leading heroines.’
More than anything, the two of them needed to meet professors who could truly help them, not a phony like me.
“Katrinne, I think Professor Karl in the Knight Faculty would suit you well. During the adjustment period, you can apply for classes regardless of faculty. Or, if you prefer, Sir Ian, a junior professor in the Magic Faculty and a Sword Mage, would suit you too.”
“…I don’t need them.”
“…What did you say?”
“I said I don’t need them!”
Katrinne shouted at the top of her lungs.
Her face bright red, she glared at me.
“I didn’t apply because I was worried about you, Professor. I just want you to teach me! Do I really have to spell it out for you? You’re so annoying.”
“……”
I was at a complete loss for words.
Beside me, Libel muttered with a dark look in his eyes.
“I-I’ve told you all along: I applied simply because I like you, Professor. So… please don’t abandon me.”