067

My body having recovered, I returned to class for the first time in a while.

And I was literally dumbfounded by the number of students filling the auditorium.

"...Ugh?"

130 students.

Not only my original Class F students, but also the Class C students had all flocked to sit in on my class.

"Why, why?"

I hurriedly looked at Jessie, the homeroom teacher of Class C, who was sitting in the front row with her textbook open, looking at me.

"Why on earth are so many students gathered here, and why are you sitting there, teacher?"

"I-I'm a bad instructor who almost got my students killed because I'm incompetent... I-I want to learn properly from you, teacher, and become a good teacher for my students!"

Good grief.

I understood her intention, but what kind of teacher volunteers to be a TA for another teacher's class during the semester?

I sighed, clutching my throbbing head.

"Do you think the students will like this method?"

"W-well, the students said they were all for it, as long as they could take classes with Class C..."

Teacher Jessie said that and then quickly looked away.

It seemed she was also aware of how ridiculous and embarrassing this situation was.

Next to her sat returning students like Pan and Bridget, and they also seemed embarrassed to be sitting with their teacher in class.

"Could you come up here, please?"

If I proceeded with the class like this, it seemed likely that either Teacher Jessie would die of shame or students like Pan and Bridget would be crushed by the pressure.

At my call, Teacher Jessie hesitantly came forward.

Up close, Teacher Jessie looked to be in her mid-twenties, much younger than Gwen.

That might be why she was swayed by the teachers of Class D and E.

I didn't have any particular feelings about it.

I thought it was perfectly possible for someone who didn't know me to be jealous of the special treatment, attention, or other things I received.

Even I thought my value was too overestimated, and that the things given to me were too excessive.

"Please draw your sword."

"D-don't tell me you're going to cut me down?"

"I don't know what you're imagining, but since it's come to this, could I ask you to be the teaching assistant for my classes? You'll be demonstrating most of the time."

If I just did the things I could do one by one, at some point, the outside matters would be sorted out and everything would return to its place.

"Our teacher is a sickly, handsome middle-aged man, so he's not in good health!"

"He's in pain, so he can't even swing a sword properly!"

"You have to help him, teacher!"

...The slander from those students would also disappear.

I brushed off the playful remarks of the Class F students and looked at Teacher Jessie's sword.

Her stance was unique.

She wasn't very tall, but the muscles in her body were surprisingly firm.

And for good reason, as she was a longswordsman who used a two-handed sword as tall as herself.

'This is the first time I've seen such a powerful sword.'

There were many who fought using heavy swords, that is, using their weight and strength.

Bridget's Chestra swordsmanship also emphasized destructive power, and although not swordsmanship, Hati's fighting style also centered on his strength and stamina.

"Here?"

"Swing it."

"Like this?"

In an instant, time seemed to slow down to a crawl, and my gaze was drawn to her sword.

From her sword, to her hand, wrist, arm, shoulder, body, gaze, foot, leg, everything conveyed a variety of information.

I'll be cut.

No, I'll be beaten senseless.

It was a style that swung the sword itself like a huge club, so even if I dodged the sword that rushed in at the shortest distance, I would still be hit by the sword's surface and the wind pressure that followed.

'I have to deflect it.'

Not just dodge it, but meet the sword head-on and deflect it accurately.

I recalled the time Viscount Chestra had used his swordsmanship.

One step forward without dodging.

The larger the sword, the more important the center of gravity is when swinging it.

I dug into that center and pushed it.

With a 'thud', Jessie was pushed back and rolled on the ground.

...Huh?

Roll, roll, roll, roll.

Thump.

"Kkwekk."

Jessie fainted.

...?

"Hey, Teacher Jessie?"

Murmur, murmur.

"Teacher, hey, um, are you okay? That wasn't my original intention, but you swung your sword at me so suddenly..."

Did I kill her, no, Teacher Jessie was the one who didn't believe in our teacher's skills and acted up, what are you saying to our teacher, no, he just told her to swing the sword, but she attacked so suddenly, shouldn't a person who swings a sword be able to withstand its weight? Our teacher can withstand the weight of a sword the most!

The students' murmurs mixed together.

When I glanced at the students, their noise stopped abruptly.

"Pan. Go get Yuria, or... there should be a priestess in similar clothes, could you call her?"

At my instruction, Pan quickly got up and went outside.

I checked Teacher Jessie's condition again.

She really had fainted from that single blow.

'I've gotten stronger. Why?'

I carefully reviewed the process after I woke up.

I woke up, the Saintess healed me, and she told me various things about my body.

There was one possibility.

'Was the Saintess's healing power so strong that it helped my body more than Yuria's healing?'

If not, my current strength couldn't be explained.

Just in case, I lightly gripped the lectern.

Creak—.

I could feel a part of the wooden lectern slowly breaking.

It wasn't dynamic enough to completely shatter the lectern, but it was still a growth that surpassed my usual strength.

I might have to go ask Berlis later to find out exactly what happened.

As I was thinking that.

"T-Teacher!"

Pan came running in a hurry.

A panicked expression, clothes that weren't even properly arranged as if he had run at full speed. Cold sweat and constricted pupils.

"What's wrong?"

"Th-the priestess and Teacher Berlis!"

I immediately left the classroom and ran towards the direction Pan had come from.

Damn it, I had hoped nothing would happen, but of all things.

I ran blindly, but it wasn't hard to find where to go.

Paaaaaang!

The sound of energy clashing repeatedly from beyond the hallway pierced my ears.

"Oh my~ Ahahaha. A Saintess, this is a bit much. Aren't your hips a bit too heavy to come all the way to a third-rate academy like this? You must have gotten quite old too~."

"We seem to be around the same age, isn't it a bit petty to talk about age? It's like spitting in your own face. Besides, I've aged gracefully according to God's providence, but you're dying day by day after selling your soul to the devil, aren't you?"

"Hey~ my soul isn't cheap like yours. I'm not a fool who just goes along with whatever God says is right~."

The sound of a verbal battle sharper than the energy also continued.

Hahaha, hohoho, laughter mixed together, but each one was like a sharp dagger stabbing at the opponent.

The scene at the place I finally arrived at was a mess.

The hallway connecting the classrooms was half-destroyed as if a war had broken out.

The glass windows were all broken, both inside and out, and some pillars had collapsed.

The floor was deeply gouged, as if a giant had passed through.

But what was more ominous were the two people who had created this situation.

Next to Ganemia, a griffin shrouded in a purple aura was spewing flames from between its beak, and Berlis's shadow was undulating as if it were alive.

From the shadow writhing on the ground like a wave, a foul smell emanated just from looking at it.

It was the first time I had seen the true nature of Berlis's magic.

"Stop, both of you!"

I rushed between the two of them.

"Teacher Cassian~ Oh my. Your body has gotten a little stronger in the meantime."

"You must be the homeroom teacher. I heard you called, but it's difficult for me to visit right now due to circumstances. Can I come after I've taken care of some urgent business?"

"No, both of you, step back."

I glanced around.

As the commotion was so loud, gazes had gathered here to check the situation.

Dozens of people, from students to teachers, had gathered.

If the fight escalated in this state, innocent students would surely be harmed.

"This is the academy. Teacher Berlis is our academy's magic instructor."

"That's right~ No matter how much I handle black magic, I'm still a person who works and lives in the open, you know? You're still as quick-tempered as ever, beating up anyone you see~."

"Teacher, please don't be so provocative either. Ms. Ganemia came all the way from the Holy Kingdom, putting aside her busy schedule, to treat me."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, then collected their energy and stepped back.

However, that didn't mean Ganemia was persuaded by me.

She was looking at me with eyes that were much more filled with anger, yet colder, than what I had seen in the infirmary.

"You're protecting a black magician."

"This is not the Holy Kingdom, but the Belmein Kingdom. It's not a place where being a black magician is a crime in itself."

"To think Yuria is in a place like this."

Looking at her, I could understand why Yuria was so hostile to Berlis.

Seeing the Saintess react so excessively, it seemed that the Holy Kingdom defined everything outside of its doctrine as evil.

From behind, I could hear Berlis laughing hohoho, as if she found it amusing.

Ganemia, who was looking at her, warned me.

"You will regret it. Black magicians are not such an easy beings. Many people have been deceived by their friendly appearance and had their souls mortgaged."

"Then, conversely, has the Holy Kingdom never once oppressed and killed innocent people just because they were black magicians? Which side has more?"

"Even if we kill a hundred innocent people, if we kill just one black magician, we can save a thousand, ten thousand people."

"No, that's just covering up the incompetence of not being able to find one evil black magician with a hundred lives."

"Ahahahat."

As if she liked my words, I heard Ganemia's sweet laughter from behind me.

It was the clearest and most beautiful voice I had heard so far.

"Incompetence, incompetence. It's a nice thing to hear, but you're the first person I've seen to slam the Holy Kingdom as incompetent to a Saintess's face."

On the other hand, Ganemia's eyes became extremely cold.

I stared at Ganemia.

It wasn't just to defend Berlis.

Because I didn't think what I said was wrong.

This was something I wanted to say to the Chairman as well.

I understood that the academic system and system that Avril had reformed were good.

I also understood that the textbook I made was effective.

But just because it's good, you can't just give the textbook and system to the students without any thought.

The better it is, the more thought it requires.

Increase efficiency, and anticipate and eliminate any potential drawbacks.

That was what I thought was the right education.

Some might think it's frustrating, but this kind of frustration could protect innocent students and people from harm.

A teacher should pursue this kind of frustration, not efficiency.

"For years now, the Holy Kingdom has maintained the same attitude towards heretics and witches. Because it's the word of God, because it's the absolute truth, because it's perfect. That's just a pretty way of wrapping up the fact that you're not thinking at all."

"...To think Yuria is in a place like this."

"Yes. Student Yuria is in a place like this."

Ganemia repeated the words she had said before with a deeper sigh, and I returned her words.

"We are thinking more than anyone else. Enough for you to trust and entrust her to us."

"I will pray that your confidence is right."

Ganemia lightly threw herself onto the griffin.

The griffin, which had been spewing flames, slowly flapped its wings and rose into the air.

"This will be the last time I am called like this and retreat like this. Next time, I will come in a different way, and I will not retreat."

The surrounding debris scattered in a complicated manner, mixed with the wind.

I briefly covered my eyes with my arm to block the dust, and when I lowered it, I could no longer see Ganemia.

It seemed she had left.

...Um, then what should I do about Jessie?

I looked at Berlis and asked.

"By any chance, are you good at waking up fainted people?"

"I woke you up once before. Will that do?"

"Excellent."

And soon.

"Ugyaaaaak?!"

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