Practical Training (2)
The Imperial Academy holds lectures about killing monsters under the pretense of practical training. And that very practical class was today.
“Everyone, gather over here.”
As usual, I ordered all the first-year Class A students to assemble in front of me. They came fluttering over like a bunch of baby chicks.
Well. If you only look at them like this, they really are cute students.
Of course, there might be traps among them!
Just as Jukchang-i said, poison was mixed into that group. Sena, the Saintess candidate, was definitely one of them.
Master. Look at that woman’s eyes.
I know even if you don’t say anything.
She was staring at me with eyes so heavy it was obvious to anyone. She no longer seemed to have any intention of hiding her feelings.
What about the princess or the other candidates, Master?
Hmm. Not sure. I haven’t used Mind Reading yet.
Huh? Master, have you lost your mind?! Why haven’t you used it yet? After going through all that trouble just to be able to use it!
I was starting to have reasonable doubts about whether this thing was truly my weapon. What kind of weapon nags this much?
If I use it now, I’ll burn through all my mana. The monsters will go berserk soon anyway, so there’s no harm in being careful.
So Master actually does have a brain.
Did you think I didn’t?
If you did, you wouldn’t have created heroines like that or a secret weapon like me in the first place!
I agree with that weapon.
Jukchang-i and the author were cowardly ganging up on me. I lightly ignored the pair’s opinions and changed the subject.
Anyway, there’s something else that’s been bothering me.
Huh? Something bothering you?
Yeah.
The moment I was about to answer Jukchang-i’s question—
“Sir Elric, you must take the students inside immediately.”
Bale, the homeroom professor of the neighboring class whom I had beaten on the first day, carefully spoke to me. The positive look in his eyes—unlike last time—suggested my lesson had taken root nicely.
“Understood. We’ll head in right away.”
With those words, I led the students into the gate dimension before us.
The gate dimension. Simply put, think of it as the “door to anywhere” from a children’s cartoon. Once you enter, you can travel to any designated location.
What greeted our eyes after passing through the gate was—
Shaaaaa.
A lush, overgrown forest and the refreshing sound of the sea.
Master. Where are we?
Just think of it as an uninhabited island.
Of course, it wasn’t an ordinary uninhabited island. Monsters specially released by the Empire lived here, so it was essentially no different from a dungeon.
“Then let’s head inside before the other classes arrive.”
““Yes!””
The students answered energetically. I led them into the building in front of us.
The next moment.
“Before the other classes get here, put these on first.”
I pulled silver anklets from my subspace pouch and handed them out. The students immediately frowned and glared at me, clearly misunderstanding something.
Master. You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking, right?
What exactly do you take me for?
Well, if Master were a lolicon from the start, you wouldn’t have left me alone.
Leaving Jukchang-i to her own strange conclusions, I quickly cleared up the misunderstanding.
“You’re misunderstanding. It’s not what you’re thinking. These anklets are necessary for today’s class.”
““?””
All the students tilted their heads. To help them—including Sai, the protagonist of the novel—understand, I continued my explanation.
“Let me explain their function. These anklets absorb impact. They also come with a transfer function.”
““?!””
The students’ eyes widened in shock. I added a word before they could get the wrong idea.
“Of course, the only place they can transfer you is right here.”
““Ah····.””
They were trying to get something for nothing. Transfer magic was supposed to be something only archmages could use. Yet these students had tried to snatch such high-level magic for free. Of course, one of them would indeed become a future archmage.
“So put them on. That way, there won’t be any fatal accidents.”
““Yes!””
With that, the students fastened the shiny silver anklets around their ankles.
A moment later—
Wow. Master. If they just wore prison uniforms on top of that, it would be perfect.
I can’t even deny it.
The silver anklets were so blindingly shiny they stood out far too much. If they hadn’t been wearing school uniforms, no one could blame you for thinking they were criminals.
Just who the hell invented these things?
While I was inwardly dumbfounded, the other classes seemed to have finished gathering as well. Murmurs began rising around us.
At the same time—
“Have you already finished your explanation?”
A woman with a clear voice approached me. I turned my head toward her.
Then Jukchang-i spoke in an unusually serious tone.
Master. That woman.
Yeah.
Brown bobbed hair, strict-looking features, and a chest that proudly asserted itself even beneath armor. It was Eve von Ross, the one destined to become a future Grand Master and Sword Saint.
If you only look at her like this, she seems like a true talent of the Empire.
The problem was that this future Sword Saint was one of the yandere candidates who had chased me all the way to the Demon King’s Castle in the previous timeline.
As I secretly observed her with caution—
“Um… aren’t you staring a bit too much?”
She lowered her head deeply, her face burning with embarrassment as if she had completely misunderstood.
Feeling awkward, I cleared my throat and spoke.
“Ahem. Ah, yes. I’m sorry. You’re simply so beautiful.”
“Ah, thank you.”
From where I’m standing, Master has issues too.
Shut up.
While snapping back at Jukchang-i, I continued.
“Anyway, to answer your question, Lady Eve, I finished the explanation beforehand. I saw no need to repeat it later. I hope that wasn’t a problem?”
“Ah, not at all! Of course it’s fine!”
Eve frantically waved her hands and shook her head. I nodded and said,
“I see. Then I still need to continue with the explanation—”
“Ah, yes! Please excuse me!”
She bowed deeply and dashed away. Watching her, I felt the usual sense of absurdity.
Really, if you only look at her like this, she doesn’t seem like a yandere at all.
Master. Don’t fall for it. Her touch feels incredible, but you must never let your guard down.
As Jukchang-i said, her usual appearance made her seem like a very shy person, but in reality…
Ew, I don’t even want to imagine it.
The moment I recalled our “dance” from the previous timeline, goosebumps erupted across my arms. As I brushed them away—
“Sir Elric. Have you finished all your explanations?”
Bale, who had apparently finished his own instructions, asked. I nodded.
“Ah, sorry. I’ll explain to the students right away.”
With those words, I gave Class A a full briefing on the lecture.
The practical training was actually simple. All they had to do was survive twenty-four hours on that uninhabited island. That was it. Nothing more.
All the professors, including myself, were watching the crystal ball screen.
Hmm. So far, it’s no different from the previous round.
The monsters’ sudden rampage didn’t happen at the start of class. I couldn’t remember the exact moment, but I was pretty sure it occurred around the halfway mark.
While I was staring at the screen with lukewarm interest—
“Wow. Haven’t the Class A students improved tremendously?”
“Right? They definitely weren’t this good during the entrance exam.”
“Looks like the rumors about Sir Elric’s lectures are true. They’ve changed that much.”
“I’d like to observe one myself.”
The professors were praising Class A’s movements. They were right—the students’ skills had certainly improved. I had passed on my training methods along with a few secret techniques.
However.
Still, there’s no need to overhype it like that.
I hadn’t even begun real education yet. If I had decided to give them proper Korean-style training, every student would have grown far more than this. But I didn’t think it was necessary to push them that hard yet.
I’m still figuring out how to deal with the Demon King.
Hmm? Weren’t you going to catch her yourself, Master?
I thought so at first too.
When I really considered it, there didn’t seem to be any benefit. In reality, the Demon King hadn’t been nearly as weak as I expected. The moment I seriously tried to finish her off, the author would probably start whining about running out of content again.
Therefore, it would be better to strengthen the novel’s protagonist and let him defeat the Demon King.
Well, that’s just one plan among many.
Master really is thorough at times like these.
Being thorough is a good thing.
Anyway, although I had gone off on a tangent, the reason the professors were praising me was obvious. After all, I was one of the heirs of the Empire’s three ducal houses.
They’re just trying to butter me up.
Hmm. The way their faces are turning red, I don’t think that’s it.
Hey. If Master says that’s what it is, then that’s what it is!
I deliberately ignored Jukchang-i’s opinion and kept watching. Then—
Hmm?
Suddenly, noise began interfering with the screen.
That’s…
The monsters on screen started emitting a far more vicious aura than usual. The moment I saw it, I realized.
The monsters’ rampage had begun.
Ten minutes before the monsters went berserk.
In the previous timeline, Elric had been too busy trying to survive to learn the truth. The rampage wasn’t a natural phenomenon.
There was an entity that had artificially triggered it.
And that entity was—
“Ugh…! It’s finally done!”
A demon moving under the orders of a Demon King executive. Side stretched with the relaxed face of an office worker who had just finished overtime.
She fluttered her wings and slowly turned around.
“Just how did Her Majesty create something like this?”
A round orb of demonic energy floated in the air. On the surface it looked like an ordinary black sphere, but it actually contained the power to drive monsters into a frenzy. Since it was still in the testing phase, the effect would stop after a while.
Anyway, I just need to watch and see if it works properly.
Thinking that, Side smiled as she observed the rampaging monsters.
Completely unaware that the legendary Jukchang—the very one that had made the Demon King cry—was present on this island.