Even on Suspension, the Teacher Remains Busy
About two hours later, I sat there in a daze, waving a magic pen across the page and filling it with words.
Life is full of twists and turns, just as the old proverb says. Father, if I had to name the single phrase that best captures my days of late, it would be this one.
The days when the waves of time rolled in as naturally as the tide. Back then I believed I was doing nothing but wasting my life away, yet looking back now I see that those very waves were slowly carving the raw gem that is myself.
The stone you polished with such care now steps into the secular world. As the eldest son of Eisenwald, I intend to fulfill the duties I have long postponed.
The road to fame and glory is still distant, but I have fortunately met two women with whom I wish to share my life and take as my wives. I will soon bring them with me to pay my respects.
[Omitted]
When that time comes, I hope we may share a drink and speak at length as we once did. Wishing you good health, I look forward to seeing you soon.
3rd Month, 11th Day
To the Lord of the House, Gustav von Eisenwald.
Your eldest son, Ludo von Eisenwald.
The omitted middle section covered “the well-being of my two younger sisters” and the “two suspicious daggers Father supposedly sent.” Whether our family’s treasures were doing well, whether the blades had truly come from him—there were so many questions I wanted to ask that the letter grew heavier than I intended.
“Surprisingly formal. I was worried Teacher Ludo might not even hold his tongue in front of his own father.”
“What exactly about me made you think that?”
“Perhaps because the memory of you pouring wine over Walter’s head during the orientation tournament is burned into my mind? That incident seems to have become your defining image. The way that man’s mustache drooped was so pathetic, and when I looked around, the sight of so many other young ladies desperately trying not to laugh was itself hilarious. It left quite an impression.”
Even thinking back on it, the scene had been funny. I glanced at Aisha. She sat with her legs elegantly crossed, savoring a leisurely moment like the true mistress of the trading company.
It was class time, yet here I was—the homeroom teacher—sitting in her shop for a very specific reason.
“Ludo. We know full well that you do not particularly care for Walter. We also understand that when one is unilaterally provoked, anger is bound to surge beyond control.”
“However, as fellow teachers, we cannot help but feel disappointment at the act of standing idly by while students—who are not even your own—were turned into frozen statues.”
The one-day suspension had been handed down without warning. When I asked Principal Sekhmet why, her serious reply left me speechless.
“We have taken into account the warning you gave Walter, so this time the fault lies with him. Yet had there been casualties, even you could not have escaped reprimand.”
“The same applies to us for allowing Brynhild and Baek Biseol—the true culprits behind this incident—into the academy in the first place.”
“As teachers we must separate public duty from private matters. Enjoy yourself if you wish, but take every precaution to ensure other students are not harmed.”
Truly, even if I had ten mouths I would have had nothing to say. What I had thought was merely a way to mess with Walter had, in reality, been spitting in my own face. Thanks to that, I could only apologize politely and ended up taking refuge here at the Nasriya Trading Company.
“Still, the principal can be rather cold, can’t she? She’s supposed to be your patron and supporter, yet she suspends you over something so minor. Even if it’s only for a day, don’t you think it’s too harsh~?!”
“Don’t blame her too much. Just as she said, I share the fault for not helping Walter and simply watching until the orientation tournament ended.”
“But it was someone else’s event! You had already warned them not to recruit him, yet they caused the trouble and dragged you into it. Does that make any sense?”
“Even so, the fact that I ultimately stood by while students were injured remains true. Even if they were from another class, it is disappointing behavior for a teacher.”
“Hmph. They’re the ones who shit on the floor—why do we have to clean it up!”
“Even so, it’s a little much to hear a princess talking about shit…”
Looking back, I had gone too far. It had felt refreshing to watch Walter self-destruct, but in hindsight I should have chosen a different method.
“How did the principal react?”
“She was angry, but it didn’t seem like she was truly furious.”
“Hmm. From what I saw earlier, it looked like genuine disappointment.”
“Ah, that’s not quite—”
Later, as I was leaving, she had added:
“But that is that, and this is this!”
“Seeing that greedy Walter fellow end up in such a state makes us laugh!”
“Well, it is called suspension in name only. In truth it is simply a day’s vacation, so go stroll around the academy grounds and rest~☆”
“She draws the line so cleanly even in a situation like this. As expected of the principal.”
“She really is the type to toy with people’s hearts, isn’t she?”
Thanks to her words, I was able to accept the punishment with humility. I sincerely hoped this could become an opportunity for me to become a better teacher.
“So what is Teacher Walter doing now?”
“From what I hear, he’s running around bowing his head everywhere. He seems to be using his family’s influence to arrange compensation. It looks like the vice principal is watching his back, so the whole thing will probably be smoothed over.”
“No major punishment, then?”
“No. For now they’re focused on cleaning up the big incident; punishment will come later. Principal Sekhmet said it would likely involve me, so I should prepare myself thoroughly…”
“Involve you?”
“Who knows. Given that idiot, maybe they’ll make me duel him?”
Both women immediately chimed in with “That makes sense,” perfectly in sync. Since it concerned me, that was the only plausible scenario. All I had to do until then was keep my condition sharp.
“For someone who might have to fight, you don’t seem the least bit afraid, husband. If you lose to that mustache it will be a tremendous humiliation—punishment or not.”
“I have no intention of underestimating my opponent, but I also have no intention of undervaluing myself.”
“So you’re saying you absolutely will not lose.”
“Does Teacher Ludo have some basis for such confidence?”
“If that guy had ever been strong enough to threaten me, he would have aimed for the husband-searching tournament hosted by the Bellamore royal family instead of settling for homeroom teacher of the Spinsters Class, wouldn’t he?”
“Ah… that’s true.”
With that, I moved my hand again. After magically editing the finished letter here and there, the text was finally complete.
“Here. Send it for me.”
When I handed Aisha the letter, she took it as if she had been waiting, placed it inside an expensive-looking envelope, and immediately ordered a servant to deliver it.
As this demonstrated, the Nasriya Trading Company had already made its comeback. Elena and I were now enjoying a leisurely tea service inside the newly refurbished shop.
“But Teacher… do people usually visit their students while on suspension?”
“They never told me to stay in my room or to avoid meeting students. Who would dare complain?”
“What a willful man you are.”
Yet she didn’t seem to dislike it; she refilled my empty cup once more.
I didn’t know the name or the exact flavor, but it suited my palate perfectly. As I gulped it down, I watched the expressions of the two women.
“So, you didn’t come all the way to our company just to send a single letter. Might you tell me now why the two of you have graced us with your presence?”
“No need to look so suspicious. It’s true I came with a purpose, but Elena simply followed me out of pure curiosity.”
“Isn’t the Spinsters Class currently in session?”
“Today is the day they choose clubs. The students who actually attend—Selena, Tam, and the rest—are probably touring the club building with Teacher Nora right about now.”
Students already belonging to clubs didn’t need to attend the selection process. Selena had come to my room earlier and clearly wanted to follow me, but unlike her older sister Elena she had no club, so I forced her to participate.
“What club did Elena join again?”
“I like flowers, so I’m in the botanical research club. What about you, Miss Aisha?”
“Me? I’m nominally in the commerce club. The moment I step inside, everyone—including the president—becomes so intimidated that after adding my name to the roster I’ve never actually set foot in the room again.”
“Hahahahaha!!”
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s obviously hilarious. It’s like children starting a lemonade stand to earn pocket money, only for the chairman of a massive corporation to suddenly appear and ask if he can open a store with them. Of course everyone would feel overwhelmed~!”
“I didn’t intend anything of the sort…”
Even without intending it, when the difference in status was that vast, suspicion was inevitable. It seemed the club members had chosen to keep their distance rather than approach her; the slight bitterness in her eyes revealed as much.
“Anyway, I asked why you came.”
“It’s nothing major. I came to ask you something as a teacher, so don’t get too tense.”
“Are you here to conduct a future-aspirations survey or something?”
That was indeed the sort of thing a teacher would do, but unfortunately it wasn’t. I shook my head, took a pleasant sip of tea, and answered plainly.
“Would I come all this way to ask something like that of a woman who owns a building this large? The reason I came is to ask about the previous terror attack.”
“The terror attack. The information those bastards possessed has already been confirmed through the guard. Using that, I contacted the main family and demanded they present the head of whichever fool was responsible. The head that arrived, I personally and politely taxidermied, gold-plated, and locked away in my vault—”
“I didn’t come here to listen to such a bloody story, so please stop there.”
“Our teacher is surprisingly delicate.”
I deliberately ignored the unpleasant revenge method she had described and cut to the point.
“I received the same information. From what I understand, when they set the fire they used a talisman created by the Miyazaki family—more precisely, one made by Kagurayama?”
“Ah, so that’s what this is about. I didn’t expect you to dig that deeply, Teacher.”
“I’m a concerned party and a teacher. When I requested the information be released, they happily provided it.”
It probably helped that Garara and Eagles had been the ones handling my request. For some reason those two were excessively fond of me.
“Teacher Ludo. Are you worried that the two Miyazaki daughters in your class might be connected to this terror incident?”
“That’s part of it. I thought this would be a good opportunity to approach them. Up until now they’ve refused to even meet me, but when it concerns their own family’s business, the story changes. At the very least they might show their faces once, don’t you think?”
“To think you’re scheming even while on suspension…”
“Why? Does it look sinister?”
“No, I consider it admirable. That is not flattery; I mean it sincerely.”
Fortunately Aisha seemed to have an idea. She left her seat briefly and returned with a half-burned talisman.
“This is?”
“The very talisman the assassins used. It appears to have been employed to summon fire elementals. It was lying nearby after the incident, so I picked it up and kept it. I’ll give it to you, Teacher. Use it as an excuse to go speak with them.”
“Is it really all right to just hand this over? From their perspective it’s important evidence.”
“Am I not the victim of this incident, with every right to know the truth? While you investigate the terror, I hope this helps you grow closer to the students who have been refusing to attend class.”
We smiled at each other, acknowledging that it was mutually beneficial, and I gladly accepted the talisman before rising from my seat.
“Both of you, visit often. Especially you, Teacher. If you need anything, I will prepare it here. Should you buy daily necessities from any other shop, I will kill you.”
“Your customer-retention policy is rather terrifying, you know?”
“I’m not joking~♪”
A chill ran down my spine at her words. I sat back down, placed the orders for everything I had intended to buy today right here in her shop, and only then was I finally able to leave.