I'll Flatten Your Noses!
Eri let out a sneer at the change in tone driven by his rebellious spirit, while Ios furrowed her brow in clear displeasure. The watching students reacted as if it were just the bluster of a servant, not an instructor.
"You're getting so full of yourself just because I'm listening quietly. Is that puny ambition of yours really all you've got?"
"Oh, puny? That puny thing?"
"Quiet! Student Eri! I didn't give you permission to speak!"
Until now, the position of Punishment Instructor had felt like an overwhelming burden, something far too grand for me. I'd even thought it was obvious that holding onto it would only bring trouble to Helena and Sena, so I'd planned to step down. But not like this. Watching these witches, it was clear this rebellion was inevitable from the start. I was just the convenient excuse for them to trip over.
These insolent brats who dared to pierce the heavens—hell, poke God in the ass—stirred an uncontrollable surge of defiance in my gut. Sena and Helena had backed me up, along with Nagisa for reasons I couldn't fathom. If I just cowered and accepted their help, the title of Punishment Instructor would never hold any weight. To smash these arrogant noses flat, I was the one who needed to steel myself. Let them call me shameless—I'd snatch this position right up. If they fanned the flames of distrust toward me, I'd boldly trample their fire and snuff out every last ember.
"Swallowing up Luna, dreaming of rebellion. Listening to you, your greed outstrips your capacity by miles."
I whipped around. Aiming straight at Eri, who embodied that overflowing ambition, I shouted outright.
"Did Helena the principal seize her position with such a petty method like yours?"
"Y-You... you...!"
"Or did she become principal by crushing opponents with brute force, regardless of time or place?"
This time, I pointed directly at Ios. She quickly withdrew the hand reaching for the wand hidden in her clothes.
"You lot, with no power, no talent, no capacity whatsoever, yapping about rebellion. At least prove it with some skill!"
What right did talentless nobodies have to dream of the heavens? If you can't hack it, just shrivel up and stay quiet. Ios and Eri ground their teeth and glared, but they couldn't muster a retort. Deep down, they knew. No matter how hard they flew, they couldn't even reach Sena's ankles, let alone the principal's seat.
"Can't handle a single person's power, so you band together and raise your voices like that."
I unleashed a torrent of scorn with all my might, then swept a glare over the other students.
"You bystanders are no different! Stepping aside like it's not your problem, whispering among yourselves. All while groveling in fear that the sparks might fly your way."
Tsk. I clicked my tongue and steeled my resolve. I had zero intention of bowing to these types.
"I declare it here and now. By Helena the principal's appointment, as Luna's Punishment Instructor, I will properly straighten out the loose screws in these students' heads!"
"A m-mere servant acting so boldly...!"
"All who resist, refuse, or ignore me will be punished at my discretion, as students. No reports needed. If you absolutely can't accept a puny servant like me..."
I thrust my finger skyward. It pointed to the top floor, where the principal's office was.
"Go topple Helena the principal right now. If you can't do that but still refuse to accept me..."
This time, I jabbed toward the main gate.
"Get out of Luna this instant. If you hate the temple, the monk must leave. Why cling on?"
The academy wasn't mine, and I had no real claim to it. To some, this might look like tyranny, but for a better future, I'd weather the criticism. I was declaring this in Helena's stead right here.
"Any objections?"
Silence.
I bellowed again, louder. "Any objections?!"
"N-No."
"None... no."
"Uh, yeah."
I'd seized the initiative completely. And I'd given myself solid grounds to punish these students. Ah, well done, Instructor Lee Hyun!
In truth, without Sena here, I wouldn't have made a peep. They'd have crushed me before I could even speak.
"Hmph."
As if she had nothing more to say, Eri snorted and turned on her heel. She shot me a venomous glare full of rage before stalking off. Ios did the same, leaving without a word. It wasn't fear—it felt more like "just you wait," which was even scarier.
Once they were gone, the other students began slinking away. With the frozen time resuming, I could finally face Sena.
"Sena. Sorry."
For dragging her into the same crosshairs. I scratched the back of my head, belatedly shrinking back, when Grand suddenly clamped my shoulders like he was slapping them.
"You're a guy who gets it done when he commits, huh. I misjudged you."
"I just made things worse."
"You know what? Your actions right now pale compared to the sins I committed in the past."
Grand stepped back, and Sena let out a short sigh.
"No. You did well."
Her words eased my mind. I wondered if there'd been a better way, but this was the best I could do. She knew it too, praising me even as a complicated look crossed her face.
"Oh, and also."
Nagisa, who'd helped separately. I turned to give her a belated thanks, but she'd already blended into the crowd, heading off. Her tall frame made her head bob above the rest, and she just flashed me a bright smile.
"You two know each other?"
Sena asked, but I shook my head.
"No way. I only learned her name this morning."
"Then why'd she help you?"
"Beats me."
Yeah, really. No reason for her to help me.
"Maybe she likes punishment?"
"No chance."
Right. No way. Though... there could be girls who like that. My club junior from back home always popped into my head at times like this. But a girl like her liking punishment? Wait, actually, thinking about it, maybe precisely because she's like that, she would enjoy it. A tough girl with the grit to hold her chin high even before stronger folks, her build screaming athletic talent. Boyish style that'd make her popular with girls too—probably prefers leading over being led... or so I'd thought, the cliché. Turns out, strip it away, and she was a massive masochist who loved being treated like a toy.
Come to think of it, she hadn't shown any resistance when I was appointed Punishment Instructor. Hmm, worth suspecting for real.
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"Use this as the Intensive Punishment Room from now on."
The room Helena showed me was on the floor with the magic elevator leading straight to the principal's office. Sharing a floor with the elevator meant it was that important. Even professors' meeting rooms and key labs were downstairs—my floor being higher was extravagant favoritism.
"You sure it's okay for me to use this?"
"No other rooms available. Besides, it's not that big."
Lighting a candle revealed a space perfectly sized for office work—about the square footage of a large hotel suite.
"This is plenty."
"Could expand it with magic if you want."
"One or two times—no, let's make it three times bigger."
If I'd decided to embrace the Punishment Instructor role, I'd borrow Helena's power properly, special favors or not.
"Got it. And it's a bit dirty, right?"
Less dirty, more abandoned—clutter scattered lightly, dust everywhere. At the room's center sat a massive crystal orb, cracked and lifeless, its magic spent.
"Dirty? It's just empty. I'll handle the cleaning."
"Anything else you need?"
"I've got plans for the rest, so no help required."
Yeah, the Intensive Punishment Room had a specific layout in mind. Morally questionable to punish students in a custom BDSM setup I'd designed? This world wasn't moral anyway.
"So, how do you plan to decorate?"
Helena asked innocently as she inscribed magic runes in the corners.
"I'd given you the room and delegated the rest, but now I'm curious."
"Oh, the room?"
I grinned.
"Gonna make it dark and scary. Need some tools for that, so I'll be out and about busily for a bit."
"What kind? Can't you give me a hint?"
"Heh heh heh."
Doubt she'd get it even if I told her straight. The concept didn't exist here.
"A BDSM room."
"Bidi...? What's that make you laugh so hard?"
"It's pretty dangerous."
Horny. Coercive. Sexy.
"Very lewd."