Reawakening
It seemed the academy had made its own preparations. In A-dong, which housed the lecture halls and offices, I received a private office. In C-dong, the faculty dormitory, they assigned me a room several times larger than my own home. And in D-dong, the research building, I got a laboratory even bigger than the head instructor's. In one sense it could be called preferential treatment, or rather it was practically an overt special privilege, but I actually felt a bit of dissatisfaction with it. I had wanted to blend into academy life as quickly as possible, even if it meant using a shared office, an ordinary room, and a communal lab.
"So this punishment is......"
And there were other aspects that seemed to displease her even more. Siena. The girl who had followed me all the way to my office while radiating that same light was now sporting eyes that looked precisely half-dead.
"Any problems?"
"Well, couldn't a machine handle leaving mana on the paper or something—"
"It's a punishment. If you don't want to do it, shall I substitute it with something else?"
"If it's something else...!!!"
"How about having your mana sealed and running about thirty laps around the training ground?"
"I'll stick with this one...!!!"
With that dramatic agreement, Siena immediately snatched up the blank paper from the desk and began infusing mana into each sheet one by one.
"Heh heh."
A small chuckle escaped me at the sight. No matter how you looked at it, her personality didn't seem particularly bad.
Scribble scribble scribble—
Class began at ten. With little time left, tension was slowly creeping in. I would have been nervous anyway, but now, in addition to simple worries about the class itself, my mind was filled with all sorts of concerns.
I hesitated for a moment, then looked at the girl who was still absorbed in infusing mana into the papers.
"Siena."
"Ah, I'm almost done...!!!"
"No, I'm not rushing you. I just wanted to ask a few personal questions. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"Personal... Yes! Ask me anything!"
It felt like sunlight was once again flooding the face that had been somewhat gloomy.
...... She really was so lively and cheerful. It was nice.
"Did you attend Prodigium before the academy?"
"Yes. I awakened a little early, so I waited two years before enrolling."
"I see. I also enrolled two years late myself."
"Oh, now that you mention it, you did too, teacher...... Hehe. We have one thing in common......"
".....? Anyway, that would mean it was the Prodigium affiliated with the central academy, right?"
"Yes. That's the case for most first-years. Since the whole group advanced together, seventy-seven out of the ninety-eight came from Prodigium. I heard the proportion increases every year."
"That makes sense since you can often spot the potential right from the first awakening......"
As we talked, it seemed there weren't many differences from my original world. Though it was something I'd already confirmed to some extent.
"Then you must be close with your Prodigium classmates? The external students' faces probably aren't entirely unfamiliar either."
"Yes, actually those kids also transferred in from other academies halfway through their third year."
"Then is there some kind of group chat? Do you still use Halo as the messenger these days?"
"...... Well, um. Did you want to see it?"
At my question, Siena's complexion darkened slightly. Not only that, but a strangely murky aura began creeping around her body. It was thick with negative emotion. A few strands of her hair even stood on end as if on guard.
Had they been badmouthing me in the group or something? Even if not exactly that, there seemed to be content I shouldn't see.
"No, of course I have no intention of that."
Even if that were the case, I had no plans to flip through their chat. It would be a genuine overreach of authority that wouldn't be permitted in the first place, and there would be nothing to gain from it for me.
"...... That's a relief. If you saw it, you'd immediately develop a new case of misogyny—"
"What was that?"
"Ah, it's nothing! I've finished the papers!"
Oho. She must have continued working in between the conversation, because she'd wrapped it up quickly.
After checking the state of the papers, I nodded and stood up from my seat.
"Then bring them and follow me."
"Huh?"
"Time's up. You know Applied Combat Studies is required for first-years, right?"
"Aha......"
To Siena, whose face was practically screaming But you have a handbag with spatial magic, so do I really have to carry them and follow—?, I flashed a refreshing smile.
"That counts toward your punishment too."
"Yeees."
Together with the now thoroughly sullen girl, I headed for the lecture hall while swallowing my worries.
***
In truth, my teaching ability wasn't particularly good. This wasn't self-deprecation, disparagement, or undervaluation, but an evaluation based purely on facts. I wasn't exceptionally knowledgeable in theory, and my combat sense was only upper-middle tier at best. And that was the assessment from an academy ranked around seventh in the country, not the central one. Therefore, it likely wouldn't be very satisfactory by the standards of Central Academy's 'elites.'
That was—when excluding my unique ability, that is.
"...... Has attendance been taken?"
When the unique ability was included, the story changed somewhat. In a way, it felt a bit like a cheat skill. Concept-type abilities that assisted other awakeners' growth were rare enough to be more uncommon than A-grade unique abilities.
The reason I could surpass those far more knowledgeable, stronger, and better at lecturing to successfully get hired was all thanks to that. In this world, it seemed like they would have just given me the position if I asked, regardless of my unique ability, but...... anyway, I had rightfully claimed this spot.
"I hope they listen well."
"...... They'll listen super well, you know?"
Siena responded to my mutter with a slightly incredulous look. Her expression suggested I was stating the obvious.
I could only offer a small wry smile in return.
"That would be good."
And I meant it sincerely.
In fact, Siena was quite the special case. Normally, in the original world, the majority of cases couldn't activate my unique ability immediately.
To manifest my unique ability, the subject first had to sincerely regard me as an educator. That was merely the first step in activating the ability. To see proper effects, a certain level of goodwill and trust was required.
But how much trust could they place in an average-spec twenty-something awakener with a non-combat unique ability?
For that reason, the real challenge for most began at the moment I used the ability.
Yet with Siena, the ability had manifested from just that brief encounter.
In front of the lecture hall door. The door opened along with the biometric wave scan, and I stepped inside.
The faces I'd seen in the auditorium were packed tightly inside the spacious lecture hall. Fortunately, it appeared everyone was present. Moreover, there were no students displaying overtly rebellious attitudes as I'd feared.
...... Or were there? There were a few somewhat odd ones visible in the distance, but it didn't seem to be because of me.
Magical girls...... aren't completely the same as awakeners, are they.
While male awakeners were an exception, the female awakeners here—that is, the Magical Girls—all seemed capable of transforming, just as the name implied. Furthermore, since their personalities could change through that transformation, the side effects sometimes caused them to behave in rather strange ways.
That meant I had to be understanding of the girl hugging three teddy bears at once and playing with them, the one dressed fully in pajamas and seriously dozing off, and even the one baking bread on her desk as if she'd turned into a cat......
It was seriously going to drive me insane.
Fortunately they didn't remain that way continuously but cycled through periods of side effect manifestation and recovery at regular intervals...... Still, it was rather exhausting to watch.
"Set the papers down here and return to your seats."
With a mouth shape that said "Yes sir—", Siena placed the papers down and scurried back to her seat. Everyone looked at her with strange expressions. Somehow it even seemed mixed with hostility, which made me break out in a cold sweat unnecessarily. It felt like all those uncomfortable emotions in their gazes were because of me.
"...... Hello, everyone. You've probably all seen me once in the auditorium, right? I am Jang Geon-woo, and I will be teaching you Applied Combat Studies until you graduate."
"......"
"The subject of Applied Combat Studies may be unfamiliar to you. But that's not much of a problem. You know there were teachers assigned to the basic grade curriculum that you would have for three years, correct? It's not much different from that. During your time enrolled at the academy, we'll be seeing so much of each other that we'll get sick of it."
"......"
Damn it. Couldn't they at least give some kind of response?
The icy atmosphere of the lecture hall made cold sweat come out automatically. The students' gazes that simply stared blankly in this direction felt like they were stabbing into me like daggers.
"Anyway, this class won't be that difficult. For the most part, it'll be conducted in places like the training room, mock battlefields...... or dueling rooms rather than the classroom. Since today is the first class, I've only prepared a few brief tests to get to know you all lightly."
I sent the magic papers that were on the lectern flying individually to the students. It might look like some kind of telekinetic manipulation ability, but I was simply imitating it using my D-grade Mana Reinforcement skill.
...... It was my second and final hidden card, learned from a skill book I had purchased using a full loan back in my student days.
Ooh, wow.
Still, since I could be confident that my mana control in this area was at a fairly good level, small exclamations burst forth in the previously quiet lecture hall as expected.
Of course, it was of absolutely no use in combat. The ballpoint pen I'd thrown at Siena earlier would have been stopped without any impact if she had actually blocked it.
So this kind of performance was nothing more than a cheap trick.
But in my heart, rather than any sense of self-loathing for such behavior, there was only desperate hope. Cheap trick or whatever, it was all fine as long as these kids would give me some trust or belief.
Only then would I be able to teach them properly.
"You've all probably tried FME at least once before. It's similar. Try projecting your mental imagery onto the paper using mana as the medium. The theme doesn't matter. It can be monsters or villains...... or you can lightly think of friends or even the teacher."
Additionally, I hoped the curriculum I had prepared would resonate well.
After all, due to my characteristics, the first class was the most important, and I'd spent several months just on this.
When I thought about all the time spent designing those magic papers that looked like ordinary blank sheets...... I felt like I could cry.
"Um, teacher."
Just as I was unconsciously falling into recollection, a voice came from a seat around the middle row. It was the long straight-haired student sitting next to the seat Siena had gone to. Her impression seemed somewhat cold, but that rather suited her perfectly...... She had the unmistakable air of someone raised in a prestigious family.
Her name was...... Yu Se-ra. The name tag attached to the front of her uniform was slightly curved, making it hard to read for a moment.
Kids these days grow up so fast in so many ways.
"Yes. What is it?"
"By saying it's okay to think of the teacher, do you mean yourself?"
"...... Yes, well. That's your choice, isn't it?"
"!!!!!! Understood."
Having finished her question, she immediately focused intently and began infusing mana into the paper. While it looked like excellent class attitude, on the other hand, a strange sense of unease surged up.
...... It's not going to produce some weird image, is it?
Her particularly dignified posture and face made such wild thoughts arise even more strongly. She was emanating such cold energy that it seemed like she might shout that she had no intention of receiving instruction from the likes of me at any moment.
Seeing the other students suddenly begin focusing as if stimulated by that question made me even more anxious.
Perhaps today would be my last class.
"Wow, it's coloring time!!! Beummiddang loves coloring!"
"Rei, quiet down. We're in the middle of class."
"Oung! Okie!"
"......"
No, perhaps that would actually be following the natural order of things.