10. Test (1)
10. Test (1)
Ttogak. Ttogak.
The front door of the classroom opened, and the sound of shoe heels resonated.
The already quiet classroom froze as if doused in cold water with the entrance of a single person.
"Pay attention."
The figure standing before the podium was a young woman with a height rivaling that of most adult men.
Her neatly tailored suit barely covered a chest that looked ready to burst at any second.
A long, vicious scar running across her face, along with a black eyepatch covering one eye.
It was an appearance that looked as though she walked around with 'I am a battle-hardened veteran who's been through it all' stamped right across her forehead.
"......."
'She's a former mercenary. Looks like she has quite a lot of real combat experience too.'
Her appearance aside, her solid lower body and disciplined movements could be felt from her gait alone.
Though not openly displayed, the chilling aura unique to someone who had smelled blood radiated strongly from her.
To put it simply, she was one of our kind.
"H-Hello, Profess...."
Just as the students sitting in their seats were flinching in awkward postures—neither fully standing up nor staying seated—
"That's enough. There's no need to stand up, so just sit and listen."
As if she had already expected this much.
Without even looking, she waved her hand to stop them from standing.
"I am Vanessa Carlyle, the professor in charge of Class A-1 who will be handling you all, as well as the instructor in charge of Practical Survival Strategy."
Tak.
Setting down a thick attendance roster on the podium, she scanned the lecture hall with her remaining eye.
'She definitely doesn't seem like the friendly type.'
I quietly sighed at the sight of her looking at the students with a stiff expression.
It was only natural for a former mercenary. After all, maintaining a gentle personality is something only possible for bastards who have never experienced war.
Or unless one possessed enough skill to have survived this long with such a personality.
Though by all appearances, that professor seemed to be the latter.
"......."
The sound of several students in the front row facing her swallowing dry spit was loud enough to be heard all the way in the back.
"There are empty seats. Absent on the very first day of school? Either they've got serious guts, or they're insane."
'Absences?'
Come to think of it, I did see a few empty seats around.
I thought they were just left vacant, but they really didn't show up?
"Well, absentees will be penalized with point deductions. Annoying as it is⋯ I suppose I have to take attendance."
The expression of Professor Vanessa, lightly scowling, was the face of someone who clearly hated working.
"⋯Haa."
No, no matter how much you hate doing it.
Isn't she making it a bit too obvious?
"Attendance number 1. Iris de Erlote."
"⋯Yes."
The back of the imperial princess lightly raising her hand while remaining seated came into view.
"I trust you will manage well on your own."
"⋯Yes."
After giving a slight nod, the professor called out the next turn.
"Next, number 2⋯."
Thanks to the class not having very many students, calling up to the last number did not take very long.
"As you all know, Class A is a place where only those with outstanding talent even within Eldain Academy can enter."
"In other words, you bastards are the ones possessing the greatest talent here in Eldain Academy."
"Hardly news at this point."
"Hmph. Speaking of myself, I am the eldest son of the prestigious Chetshu family in the Empire, so isn't that only natural?"
As her words continued, proud smiles spread across several students' faces.
They were likely proud of their own families, bloodlines, and talents.
The problem was what came next.
As if she had already expected this much.
Because her following words completely shattered every single one of their smiles.
"Don't get cocky. In my eyes, every single one of you is just a pampered greenhouse brat."
"......!"
At the words from the professor's mouth, the classroom's atmosphere instantly froze.
No matter how relatively free the academy was from authority and social status.
To dare, in a place with the imperial princess and noble scions present.
They probably never imagined a professor who seemed to be of commoner origin would spit out such vulgar curses.
"......."
I didn't care either way, though.
After all, right from day one, I had casually used informal speech and even cursed at Lucia.
Whether they disliked the professor's words.
Or perhaps the expression 'greenhouse plant' grated on their ears.
"...Tsk."
"Professor or not. A mere commoner dare to...."
Whispers badmouthing the professor in hushed voices so she wouldn't hear could occasionally be heard.
"Ahem...."
A few were openly staring at her in displeasure and coughing dryly, but as if wanting to say 'So what?',
under the gaze of the professor looking down with a cold expression, no one dared open their mouths openly.
"What. Does it bother your ears that I, a professor who isn't even a noble, am belittling you bastards?"
"......."
"Do you think an opponent's blade will swerve around you? Do you think monsters won't rip your throats out because they care about family prestige?"
"In my class, I don't give a damn where you come from. There is only one thing you must prove."
"The survivability to stay alive by any means. And the skill to slit your enemy's throat. Understood?"
It was an extremely bloodcurdling statement, hardly something one would expect from an academy professor.
Yet even amidst that murderous atmosphere.
'...Is it because she's a professor? She knows her stuff.'
I was secretly admiring her, nodding slightly.
Yeah. That's how it should be.
Social status or whatever, what use is any of that crap when your life is on the line?
On a battlefield where your head could fly off at any second, the one who's good with a blade is the absolute truth.
'A true teacher.'
"So, if you have the guts to sinisterly talk behind my back, say it right to my face. I'll take you on."
Umjjil.
"......."
As if stung by her glare, which locked onto the exact direction of the bastards who had been bringing up commoners.
The bastards, flinching visibly, immediately hung their heads low.
Good grief. Why put on such pride when they tuck their tails between their legs so quickly?
"Seeing how quiet it is, I guess there's no one."
When she talks like 'Come at me if you've got a problem,' who would openly charge in?
If they had that kind of courage, I'd at least be impressed by their sheer grit.
Because that would mean having the balls to headbutt right into a professor.
"Originally, since it's the first day, I intended to quietly just explain the syllabus and move on...."
As if imagining something amusing.
A smile was forming at the corner of the professor's mouth.
"Assemble at the training grounds right this instant."
"...What?"
With those final words, Professor Vanessa smirked, grabbed the attendance roster, and strode out through the front door in a flash.
The moment she vanished after only saying what she wanted, groans erupted from all over the classroom.
"I heard the rumors, but to think she'd be such an uncultured person...."
"...Just as expected of someone from a commoner background."
"Shh! What if she hears you again!"
Leaving behind the complaints of the idiots who failed to recognize a true teacher, I slowly stood up from my seat.
An outdoor class right from our very first meeting.
I felt like losing all motivation already, but.
"......."
No matter how much I didn't want to go, when you're told to do it, you do it. What choice do I have?
Ciel came trotting over to my side.
I gave her a brief nod and mingled into the crowd heading toward the training grounds.
*
On the way to the training grounds.
Naturally enough, most of the students' expressions were far from pleasant.
Whether the professor's taunt about being greenhouse plants hit a sore spot,
or they genuinely hated the idea of getting their uniforms dirty.
Maybe it was both.
The preciously raised young masters and young ladies walked along, relentlessly venting their complaints and grievances.
"......."
I walked among them in silence.
'This is why sheltered brats are so...'
Is rolling on the ground really that big of a deal?
If your clothes get a bit dirty, you can just wash them.
'Then again. Maybe it's because they're freshmen.'
Students at that age do have that kind of thing, after all.
Caring about appearances, wanting to look cool for no reason.
"Hanah."
"What?"
"Our professor... doesn't she seem like a really scary person?"
Walking stuck right by my side, Ciel asked in an anxious voice.
As if she was terribly nervous, her pretty face was even paler than before.
"Scary, my foot. She just seems like a neighborhood noona with a bit of a nasty temper."
"A-A neighborhood noona, of all things.... Didn't you see the scar on the professor's face? Rumor has it she used to be the captain of an incredibly famous mercenary group in the past...."
"Even so, she's still just human."
Yeah. No matter how much she flies and crawls, in the end, she's human.
Besides, there's nothing in particular to be afraid of.
It's not like what came out of the professor's mouth was a lie. She was only speaking facts.
She wasn't saying anything wrong either.
What reason is there to stand on pride and make an enemy of the professor?
"If you're really that scared, just fall back behind me and hide."
"Y-Yeah...."
Answering casually, we arrived at the training grounds to find Professor Vanessa already standing in the center with her arms crossed.
The training ground we arrived at was a massive dome-shaped facility reminiscent of an indoor gymnasium.
The ground was composed of magic-treated, reinforced soil and stone, designed to quickly recover from moderate spells and impacts.
"Look at your movements. Are you out on a stroll?"
As Professor Vanessa's roar thundered out, the lingering students flinched in shock and hurriedly fell into formation.
Ciel and I also took a spot around the middle and stood there.
She nodded as if satisfied and scanned the students with her single eye.
Professor Vanessa's gaze passed by Lucia, who was positioned in the front row, looking at each and every face as if engraving them into memory, until—
Meomchit.
"......."
Her gaze came to a stop at me, located in the middle.
Whatever she was thinking so deeply about, her expression was shifting strangely.
'What is it?'
Just as I was about to tilt my head, wondering if she had something to say.
"...Mmm."
Whether she wanted to tell herself it was just her imagination.
Her gaze on me slowly shifted toward another figure.
"...I have no intention of tormenting you from the start."
Ttogak. Ttogak.
Professor Vanessa slowly moved her steps and began circling among the students.
"What I am going to teach you is simple in the end. It's how to pull your own weight without freezing up even in front of demonic beasts."
"......."
"So, before the next class, I plan to conduct a few tests."
Real combat. Demonic beasts. Tests.
The moment those words dropped from her mouth, I intuitively realized what she was trying to do.
'An endurance test.'
What is the very first thing that must be taught to bastards with no real combat experience?
Swinging a sword until hand and blade become one?
Memorizing formulas over and over until magic is possible without chanting?
Neither is incorrect, but neither is the true answer.
In terms of percentage, maybe around 30%?
If explained based on the 100% correct answer.
It is getting used to the pressure of a situation where real lives are on the line.
And.
The fastest and most definitive way to test that was simple.
A powerhouse. Specifically, making them endure the killing intent unleashed by an overwhelmingly superior powerhouse.
"Ten minutes. From now on, endure the killing intent I unleash for ten minutes. Anyone whose knees touch the ground or faints will do nothing but physical training in the next class."
"What? What are you even...."
"Professor Vanessa. Know your limits. Just what do you take us for...!"
'Good grief, you little chicks.'
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
No matter if this is a world inside a rom-com.
For creatures living in this world to take killing intent so lightly.
I wondered if they didn't even know that the killing intent unleashed by genuine warriors carries physical pressure.
Faint-hearted bastards could froth at the mouth and faint just from facing it, or fall into trauma and never be able to hold a sword again for the rest of their lives.
Cheok.
"Hanah?"
"Keep your wits sharp from now on."
You might think it's overprotective, but.
Because I didn't believe for a second that this combat-veteran professor would go easy on us.
I stepped in front of Ciel as if to protect her.
"Professor Vanessa! There's a limit to how much you can look down on us...!"
Right at the moment when rebellion was about to erupt among the students.
Woowoong─!
The light in Professor Vanessa's eye flashed, and thick killing intent erupted explosively centered around her body.