From Ancient Times, the Rod Has Been Medicine - 6
There's a saying that getting started is half the battle.
Class C's first victory had breathed new life into their morale, planting the seed of hope that they, too, might just be able to win. Matching that rising expectation, I taught them how to solidify their advantage and seize the momentum for good.
The result...
"This is impossible! It can't be!"
The final tally: thirty-two matches, twenty-one wins and eleven losses. For the record, the twenty-one wins belonged to Class C. The eleven losses were Class A's share, and upon seeing the outcome, Professor Bradley wailed in a voice thick with despair.
"Aren't you Class A? The class packed with the kingdom's foremost geniuses! And you're telling me you lost to those dropouts? Does that even make sense?"
"Professor Bradley, watch your language. We swapped classes for this bet, but aren't the Class C kids the ones under your charge?"
"Shut up! You parachute hire who crawled in by sucking up to the headmaster—don't you dare lecture me!"
Grrrr—!
As Professor Bradley raised his voice, refusing to accept the result, Chaos let out a low growl. I gestured for Chaos to stay put and stepped closer to Professor Bradley.
"So, how does it feel to lose to that parachute hire?"
"Cut the crap! This bet was rigged from the start! You and those Class A brats planned this whole gameboard from the beginning! There's no other way this result could have happened!"
"...If you really think that, why don't you take a look around?"
The Class A students who had given their all only to lose. Bradley's claim that they had colluded with me only made Class A feel even more miserable. The entire Class A glared at him with eyes full of resentment. Meanwhile, the Class C kids who had been belittled by their own homeroom professor wore looks of contempt and disgust.
"Hey, looks like the students' protests will have you stepping down from your post soon, so I'll drop the formalities."
"There's no way the academy would discard an elite like me...!"
"This guy still hasn't come to his senses? Let me give you one piece of advice for your sake."
I raised my hand high.
SMACK—!
The sound of the slap echoed across the entire training ground as I struck Bradley's cheek hard.
"When you teach kids, approach it with a reverent mindset. A teacher is supposed to be a role model for the students—if you act like a child yourself, what are they supposed to learn from you?"
SMACK—!
"I don't know how hot shit you were as a student, but at the end of the day, you were just a frog in a well. Don't swagger around just because you've taken a few more steps outside the well than the kids."
SMACK—!
"More than anything, the academy is a place of learning. Not a place to show off."
I'd hit him a bit too hard; blood was seeping from Bradley's cheek. I shook the blood from my hand and looked down at him as he crumpled to the floor. Apparently he'd never been hit much in his life; Bradley was still dazed and out of it. I'd thought an academy top graduate would be used to pain, but it seemed he was the type who just lobbed magic from the back and claimed easy credit.
"T-Teacher!"
While I was pondering how best to deal with Bradley, someone carefully poked my back with a finger and spoke up. Turning around, I found the Class C class president holding out a handkerchief with both hands.
"If it's all right, please use this...!"
"Hmm, you sure? The handkerchief will get stained with blood."
"I don't mind! Compared to the grace we've received from you, Teacher, a dirty handkerchief is nothing!"
"Then I'll gratefully use it."
I accepted the handkerchief from her and wiped my hands clean. I'd only been doing my job as a teacher, yet looks of respect and admiration followed one after another. I know that in this field, without real skill, it's hard to earn the students' goodwill. Just from the descriptions in Adokchoe, I'd heard that talented students surpass their teachers as easily as breathing. But skill alone doesn't reveal the essence of a teacher.
The students' personalities, strengths, habits, and so on. You observe carefully, watch over them, and deliberate on what education they truly need. If you can't attend to every student in detail, at least consider the characteristics of the class as a unit. But Bradley's focus had been on himself, not the students. Failing to fulfill his duty as a teacher was probably his greatest shortcoming.
"Anyway, since you lost, spend the day vigorously shouting 'Sex!'."
I squatted down and engraved a seal onto Bradley's forehead. I had to make sure to collect the full price of losing the bet.
The day after the mock battle between Class A and Class C. All sorts of rumors sprang up like weeds throughout the academy. Class C had been doping, it was a collusion between me and Class A, and so on. There were quite a few rumors, but they didn't last long thanks to the testimonies of those who had been present at the scene. Instead, a rumor took root that I was a master instructor who turned the impossible into the possible.
That rumor has some questionable aspects as well, though.
"Which part do you find unconvincing?"
Making the impossible possible. It kind of sounds like a person who twists normal thinking into something weird.
"...Considering the class you held the other day, that isn't wrong."
Did I hold some weird class?
"The fact that you have no self-awareness leaves me speechless. Well, this body rather likes that about you, though."
Rattle—!
As I walked down the hallway chatting with Frach, before I knew it I was in front of the classroom. I flung the classroom door open with force, and the Class A students came into view. Until yesterday they would chatter noisily and only shut up when I entered. Today, for some reason, the atmosphere was already subdued before I even came in.
"Everyone, stand!"
"W-What?"
"Greet Teacher Bern!"
"Good morning!"
At Irem's command, they all sprang to their feet as one and bowed at a full ninety degrees in greeting. Their sudden change made me furrow my brow.
"Did you all eat something weird as a group? Doing stuff you never normally do—what the hell?"
"After personally experiencing the miracle you showed us yesterday, Teacher, we came to a realization."
"At first we were frustrated about losing to those Class C brats, but as time passed and we thought about it, we felt exhilarated."
"Because it means you're our Class A homeroom teacher!"
The students gazed at me with uncharacteristically sparkling eyes. I found their gazes rather unpleasant. There was no way those black-hearted brats from just a little while ago had reformed so suddenly. Unfortunately, character isn't fixed that easily. They'd definitely extract the secret to getting stronger from me, train, and then go back to bullying the weak ones. Those were the kinds of kids they were, with a high probability of that.
I can see right through your true intentions, you sly little bastards.
I smiled brightly and set the attendance book down on the lectern. The Class A brats intended to use me. In that case, I would toy with them like playthings until their twisted characters were fixed.
"That's enough flattery. My ears are dripping with honey."
"It's not flattery—it's our true feelings!"
"Fine. Leaving that aside, there's still something we need to settle, right?"
"Settle?"
"Yeah. The brats who lost to the Class C kids yesterday, step forward. As a way to knock some sense into you, let's start by having each of you die once at my hands."
"Um..."
Even while putting on their best acting, their expression management started cracking one by one at my death sentence. Seeing their flustered faces finally satisfied me. Their mismatched behavior had been putting me in a bad mood, but this was better.
"You keep spouting nonsense, so I tried joking around a bit myself. Besides the promise to let you off if you won, I didn't stake anything else, so no need to be scared."
"Phew...! Please refrain from jokes like that as much as possible."
"Irem, you're the exception. I warned you yesterday, and you still lost, didn't you?"
"Th-That's because you were giving real-time advice to the Class C students, Teacher...!"
"Are you going to make excuses and petulantly refuse to accept it like Professor Bradley?"
"Ugh...! Fine! I'll just do it!"
"Stay behind in the classroom after all classes end today."
I was pleased at the thought of drawing Irem into the profound world of the sword.
Rattle—! Bang—!
Suddenly the Class A door was flung open roughly. Everyone's heads, including mine, turned that way. Standing in the doorway was someone familiar. Once a mountain peak, now a sheer cliff. My childhood friend, whose carefully cultivated pink hair now had only a few strands left.
"Y-You... why are you here?"
"I should be the one asking that. Didn't you leave the academy following Kang Junhyuk?"
"Answer my question first!"
"Still as hysterical as ever. To explain briefly..."
After the bet with Bradley, I'd been summoned by the headmaster and received a wooden plaque from him. Though I was a temporary instructor, I'd been granted authority similar to the academy's headmaster. The plaque was the proof of that. He'd given it so other professors wouldn't ignore me, I supposed. Anyway, I pulled out the plaque guaranteed by the headmaster and waved it proudly.
"I received a direct offer for an instructor position from the Headmaster!"
The situation of a childhood friend I'd cut ties with suddenly showing up after making it big, take two. Pinky's face began to twist severely once again.