Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Monster Hunter (2)
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I spent the night at the hotel provided by the academy.
The next morning, I arrived at the school gate right at dawn.
I made eye contact with students heading to class from outside the dorms.
Upon spotting me with the snake-head staff draped over my shoulder alongside my black jacket, they fled in haste.
"Th-that guy's...!!"
As if they'd just seen the boss of some massive criminal syndicate.
"He doesn't look all that burly though?"
"Yeah, tell me about it. Wonder how much the papers exaggerated."
A few hot-blooded types crossed their arms and watched me insolently from afar.
But ridiculously, from a very safe distance.
'Knight family brats, huh. Right at that age where the blood's running hot.'
I smirked and walked past them.
Once inside the gate, I locked eyes with a man holding a black umbrella.
Professor Doiter, who'd come to fetch me.
"Welcome, Mr. Derek Minster."
"Pleasure's mine. Didn't expect a proud academy professor to escort me personally."
I removed my leather glove and offered a handshake.
His grip revealed calluses from countless wounds and the marks of years spent in battle.
In my previous life, I never visited the academy after growing older, so I had no intel on folks here.
In a situation like that, a single handshake offers big clues in the probing game.
"Your hands are rougher than expected. Guess you haven't just been playing corporate overlord."
"My real job's warden, after all. More days gripping iron bars than pens."
I wasn't the only one probing.
True to his roots as a seasoned vice-commander, he'd sized me up from first impressions alone.
"Well, Berryhill's always been where the worst scum ends up. Takes real force to run a place like that."
"Same for the academy, I'd say. Teaching all that youthful vigor requires tough military types like you, Professor."
Doiter said no more.
But he quietly adjusted his glasses, gauging my reaction.
"The dean couldn't greet you personally—tied up with other business."
"No worries. Just a guest lecturer for a week; no need to trouble himself."
"Not at all. We made a point to greet the literature lecturer who arrived just before you."
"Sounds busy."
I knew he wasn't, really.
Just a pissing contest with this damn old coot.
"Yes, literature's demanding enough, but our academy's proud tradition—the Monster Subjugation course—deserves even more care. He'll drop by during your lecture later."
"If the dean's observing in person, I'll have to bring my A-game."
Doiter gave me a meaningful look.
As expected, he was on high alert around me.
"We'd appreciate that. The students—and our faculty—have high expectations for you, Warden."
We strolled side by side through the academy corridors.
The arched, antique stone ceilings stirred up old, filthy memories.
This was where my classmates had beaten me half to death.
'Who'd have thought I'd return here.'
Even with a new body, the instinctively etched terror sent chills down my spine.
With tense steps, we reached the temporary faculty office.
"You'll use this for the next seven days. As an important guest, stick to the hotel we provided for lodging."
"Cozy spot."
Wood tones throughout, flanked by stately bookshelves.
Smaller than my Berryhill office, but they were treating me like proper faculty.
"Need anything? Ring the bell under the desk—our assistant TA will come."
"Thanks."
Before leaving, Doiter glanced back at me.
And issued a grave warning.
"Please prepare your lectures properly. This is a historic institution—we demand fairness in our classes."
"Not sure what you mean. Why would I run an unfair lecture?"
The middle-aged man with fierce, owl-like eyes.
He lightly rapped the wall of the storied building.
"Don't use this lecture opportunity for personal grudges or political stepping stones with our students."
"Noted."
I smiled back at the professor who'd come to check on me, lest the students freak out.
That damn academy stayed alive this long thanks to scary, upright profs like him.
"……"
Doiter met my shadowed smile in silence, then left the office.
He departed with quick steps, as if he'd encountered some ominous demon.
"He really does have the face of a traitor."
Alone now, I waited silently until his footsteps faded completely.
Once his presence vanished entirely.
I drew a deep breath, savoring the academy scent after so long.
"Still a shithole."
This very office was where I'd sought refuge from brutal bullying back then.
The prof here—fired now—ignored my pleas entirely.
Worse, he told my tormentors I'd come crawling, egging them on.
My villainous father, busy stacking karma, offered no help either.
He just pitied me for folding under hardship.
A horrific, barren place.
Should be brimming with life's energy from all the growing kids.
Everything here's cold, gray-toned.
Like a place where children learn adults' filthy underbelly early.
"This spot should have a view of 'that place'."
I rose from the desk and approached the window.
From here, peering out, you could see behind the dorm building.
Where seniors lined up juniors for punishment drills.
Profs could see it all from their windows but never cared.
Sure enough, the time-honored tradition of punishment drills was underway outside.
Noble kids hazing scholarship students from common homes.
Probably over some bullshit reason again.
Those hazed would then take it out on even lower scum like old me.
And this system persists blatantly even after graduation.
Thus, the academy lays bare the rot festering in noble society.
No wonder during the civil war, subordinates slew superiors more often than firing at the enemy.
I lit the cigar Clea had slipped me, inhaling nicotine I only indulged around the Grand Elder.
'How to break this idiotic mess.'
I gently stroked the snake-head staff in my hand.
In the sunless office, my venom-green eyes gleamed faintly.
'Yeah, for those who bully to lord over others...'
"A stronger hand smacking them down has always been history's answer."
My image can't get worse anyway.
They'll all think like Doiter—that I staged that drama for a shot at lecturing.
Time to teach those bastards proper.
Show 'em how well the kid they tormented grew up.
「First order of business: Observe another class.」
A literature guest lecture was scheduled before mine.
Meant to watch and get a feel for teaching style.
'Alright, let's go.'
I headed into the viper's nest with no allies on my side.
Stepping into the hall toward the classroom.
Students I passed eyed me warily, whispering from a distance.
No one bothered greeting first.
With a grim expression, I entered the senior classroom alone.
Already packed with kids hyped for the famous lecturer's literature class.
My sudden appearance there...
Turned the bright vibe pitch-black in an instant.
"...Wasn't today swordsmanship and literature? No way that's the lecturer?"
"Nah. Probably just here to observe."
Students in pristine white uniforms.
I wove through to the table tucked in the corner.
Like a black knight barging into the white side of a chessboard.
「Mr. Derek Minster.」
Who sticks the guest lecturer's desk way back here?
But I plopped down without a fuss.
The buzzing atmosphere went dead silent.
Because right now, in this room...
The mafia overlord, northern serpent, ruthless politician who'd faked drama for status was sitting in.
"……"
The classroom grew solemn.
I alone bowed my head, absorbed in lecture prep and papers.
The only sound was the faint rustle of my pages turning.
"……"
Guess students gonna student.
A few hated the awkward quiet and started whispering again.
Especially the guys, loud about the exchange students it seemed.
"You guys see those exchange students who just arrived?"
"Western? Or eastern?"
"Both unreal. What do they feed girls over there to get bodies like that..."
Giggling idiots.
They heated up talking about the incoming girls from other academies.
"They're joining today's lecture too. That's why I rushed to sign up."
Explains why the room was jammed.
Meant for 100, extra desks crammed in 120.
Some even peeking through the hall windows.
All here to ogle exchange students, huh.
'Thought they came for infamous me. Dodged a bullet.'
I smirked inwardly and dove back into materials.
About three minutes later.
―――, ―――.
The classroom door opened.
Clicking heels echoed in.
"Here they come."
"Where? Whoa..., no way."
Even these nobles, jaded by beauties, were stunned speechless.
Kids' eyes don't lie.
No matter the mouth's bullshit, it shows in the gaze.
But I spared no glance.
What did pretty exchange girls have to do with me?
Focused solely on today's materials, planning to clear up the self-drama misunderstanding.
"…………"
Then.
The elegant heels halted right before me.
Sensing something off, I lifted my head just a bit.
There stood three pairs of legs at my desk.
Sleek, haughty black stockings.
Plump, glossy bare thighs.
And dainty, cute knee socks.
"………?"
Perplexed, I looked up fully.
That instant.
My ever-sharp eyes flashed wide.
"Hello, Professor."
This crisp, icy tone.
"You're the Monster Subjugation professor, right?"
Slightly accented imperial tongue.
"So you're today's lecturer? You look pretty shady."
And this weird colloquial drawl.
Mature figures for girls, barely contained in short skirts and shirts: Clea and Myoran.
And Jinjo, all cute in her baggy shirt down to her thighs topped with a sweater.
The girls who'd stolen every guy's gaze had all approached me.
'What the hell? A dream...?'
"Looking forward to the week ahead, Teacher."
Their clever eyes filled my vision.
The boys glared daggers at me.
'How the hell did you girls get here?! And Vice Warden, even you!!'
Clea met my eyes then slyly looked away.
Acting like she knew nothing.
As if my wandering ass was the problem, fiddling only with her uniform tie nestled in her tight curves.