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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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One of Minerva Academy’s outdoor training grounds.
This was the location I had reserved for today’s class.
Arriving punctually after a leisurely breakfast, I was met with a sight far exceeding my expectations.
“An outdoor class for the first session?”
“Must mean it’s going to be practical.”
“I’m looking forward to it. I wonder if it’ll be too difficult.”
“You signed up without that kind of resolve?”
The students, gathered in small groups, chatted amongst themselves.
Their sheer number made the training ground feel cramped.
I have to control this many students by myself?
This was a terrible joke.
“Hmm… should I have compromised after all?”
My head spun as I looked at the sea of students before me.
Of course, some would inevitably give up and drop the class as the semester progressed.
Especially the latecomers, since this class wouldn’t count towards their final grades.
That thought eased my mind somewhat.
I slowly stepped before them and shouted,
“Quiet!”
Imbuing my voice with mana for maximum impact, the training ground fell silent.
Now what?
I couldn’t proceed with my original lesson plan since the new students weren’t caught up.
But I couldn’t teach them separately either; I wasn’t capable of being in two places at once.
Still, they had come to attend my class, so I wanted to offer them something…
“…Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Is this also part of the class…?”
Lost in thought for a moment, the murmur of chatter began to rise again.
Right, I needed to establish some order.
I smiled and channeled my aura.
“I said quiet.”
“…!”
Two students, their faces paling upon meeting my gaze, fell silent.
I hadn’t done anything special.
Just a light display of dominance, recalling my days as a vanguard on the battlefield.
What was the role of a vanguard?
To break the enemy’s imposing momentum.
There were various methods: single combat, night raids, preemptive strikes.
But in my experience, the most effective was to make them realize the sheer difference in our power.
“…Ugh!”
“……!!!”
Simply channeling and radiating my aura, suppressing the atmosphere around me, was enough to silence them.
In the subcultures of my past life, this was called “Haki” wasn’t it?
Usually, I’d add a touch of killing intent, but that would be overkill for these fledglings.
Now that I had effectively demonstrated the disparity in our power, what next?
Show them the difference between a rookie and a veteran.
Once they understood that not all soldiers—or students—were created equal, the rest would be easy.
There was a reason for the hierarchy in any organization.
Now, who to choose?
After a moment’s consideration, I called out the only commoner in my class.
“Reinhardt.”
“Yes!”
As expected of a veteran, he seemed to grasp my intentions immediately, responding with a resounding affirmation.
This level of pressure didn’t faze him in the slightest.
“You’re the teaching assistant today. I’ll give you control of the Wood Golem. Teach the new students how to deal with Shadow Serpents.”
“Understood!”
His confidence was admirable, but he would need help.
I gestured to the rest of the class.
“Everyone except the graduating class, assist Reinhardt. Of course, I’ll be helping as well.”
“Yes! Everyone, follow me!”
Reinhardt, responding energetically, quickly organized the other students.
He was one of the most skilled swordsmen in my class, rivaling even Ariana.
He would do a good job.
Perhaps I should offer an explanation.
“First, let me apologize. I can’t be in two places at once. Until the new students catch up, classes will be conducted this way. If you have any complaints, feel free to drop the class. It won’t affect your grades anyway.”
The students’ expressions were mixed.
I couldn’t end it there.
I quickly raised my voice.
“However! For those who persevere, I guarantee significant improvement. You’ll be able to easily take down monsters, at the very least!”
Those who had heard rumors of my graduating class’s performance on the Isle of Wisdom would understand that my words weren’t empty promises.
If it weren’t for those damned Heretics, they all would have passed the exam without issue.
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
As expected of students seeking self-improvement, their eyes burned with passion.
In this harsh world, the ability to hunt monsters opened countless doors.
As bright minds, they had likely calculated that this was a worthwhile investment.
Once the students had followed Reinhardt to the other side of the training grounds, only familiar faces remained before me.
“Hee hee~ Is this what they call ‘passing the buck’?”
Ariana, the girl with striking blue-black hair, approached me with a sly grin.
I sighed and replied,
“Would you prefer to start from the beginning with everyone else?”
“Nah, that’s not what I meant. I was just curious how you’d handle it.”
“This was the best I could do. I’ll have more help soon. Things will be different then.”
I had sent a letter to Master, but there was no telling when she’d reply.
I hoped it would be before the new students caught up.
“So, what are we doing today?”
“Won’t this put us behind Reinhardt’s group?”
Amy and Sena tilted their heads, questioning me.
I smiled and replied,
“You’re the graduating class. You need to prepare for the midterm replacement assignments.”
“…Eh?”
“So…”
“……”
As expected of my bright students, they seemed to understand my implication.
Why else would they suddenly back away from me?
I adjusted my aura output to match their level and said,
“Come at me. We’re going to dominate that inter-academy competition, whatever it is.”
My students should rightfully claim the top four spots.
I grinned ferociously as they charged towards me, each in their own unique style.
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After the incident on the Isle of Wisdom, my students must have trained relentlessly, even without my guidance.
There was no other explanation for the sweat dripping down my brow.
“…Are you sure he’s still alive?”
“I’ve never seen Amy collapse before.”
“He’s merciless, even to the Princess…”
“Is he a demon?”
The students’ murmurs reached me from afar.
Was I being too harsh?
If this had been my class back then…
“Don’t lose focus on the battlefield!”
“Ack!”
“Aaack!”
Before I could finish the thought, screams echoed through the training grounds.
Reinhardt had efficiently dealt with the distractions.
His skill was a testament to the numerous beatings he had received from me.
“Lose! Focus! And! You! Die!”
“How are we supposed to block that?!”
“Then you’ll die!”
“Kraaagh!”
Hmm, had I pushed him too hard?
I could sense an unusual amount of anger in his precise strikes…
I blinked, a flicker of doubt crossing my mind.
“Opening!”
While I was momentarily distracted, Ariana lunged, thrusting her sword towards my throat.
I sidestepped easily, tripping her as I moved.
“Ugh…!”
“If you’re going for a surprise attack, mask your presence. And always have an escape plan. A one-hit kill leaves you vulnerable if it fails.”
“Damn it, I’m so frustrated!”
Ariana, covered in dirt, bit her lip.
As a front-line fighter, she had the best stamina in the group.
The others were already sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
“Already tired?”
“H-how… are we supposed to… keep up…”
“Can we rest for a bit…?”
“……”
Lux couldn’t even speak.
Perhaps I should start with physical conditioning. Even mages needed basic stamina.
“Well… I suppose with a little more training, you’ll be ready. Let’s end it here for tod—”
Just as I was about to dismiss the class, I sensed a disturbance in the distance.
A clash of powerful auras, and amidst it, a familiar magical signature.
“…Aile?”
There was no mistaking the mana of my former comrade-in-arms.
I didn’t know why Aile’s mana was detectable within Minerva, but…
It was clearly a dangerous situation.
“Something came up. Class dismissed. Please inform the others.”
“What? What happened?”
“It’s not dangerous, is it?”
“Don’t tell me…”
My abrupt announcement seemed to alarm them.
I had forgotten how recently they had experienced a traumatic event.
I composed myself and smiled reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. It seems we have visitors from afar. One of them is Aile.”
“Aile?”
“Why is Amy’s brother here?”
My explanation seemed to calm them.
Amy and Ariana wore puzzled expressions.
I shrugged and replied casually,
“I have no idea. He seems to be lost. I’m going to help him. So, I apologize, but I have to go.”
Seeing them nod in understanding, I immediately dashed towards the source of the disturbance.
The clash of auras continued as I ran.
“This is Master level… who could it be?!”
Suddenly, a chilling killing intent washed over me.
“…Don’t tell me?!”
A familiar killing intent, though different in scale.
It was undoubtedly someone I knew.
I spotted three figures confronting each other in the distance.
I had already identified Aile through his mana.
The large figure was undoubtedly Leo.
And the shadowy figure clad in black…
“Black Wolf…?”
Head to toe in black… even though it was a distant memory, that fashion disaster of an outfit could only belong to Black Wolf.
But why was she fighting Leo?
And within the academy, no less!
Without hesitation, I threw myself between them, shouting,
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
Unleashing my aura to neutralize theirs, I quickly addressed Leo, who still had his sword pointed at Black Wolf.
“She’s not an enemy. She’s Black Wolf, an agent of the Blackwater. So, would you mind putting your sword away?”
“Hmm, if you vouch for her…”
Leo sheathed his sword, a look of disappointment on his face.
Had he simply wanted an excuse to fight, regardless of who his opponent was?
I massaged my temples, suppressing a headache, and turned to Black Wolf.
Her killing intent had vanished the moment I appeared.
She had become a Master.
I wanted to congratulate her, but the situation wasn’t conducive to celebration.
“Why are you here? On vacation?”
“Vacation? No. I quit.”
“Quit what… don’t tell me you left the Blackwater?!”
Was it even possible to just quit the Blackwater?
As far as I knew, it wasn’t that kind of organization…
But she had said it herself, so there was nothing I could say.
“That aside… why are you fighting here?”
“I was going to see Allen, but this human stopped me. I did nothing wrong.”
“…Sigh.”
Her indignant tone made me sigh.
Black Wolf had a habit of moving stealthily.
I could picture the scene perfectly.
Leo, mistaking the cloaked figure for an assassin, had confronted her, leading to this confrontation.
What a headache.
I shook my head and said,
“This conversation is going to take a while. Let’s move.”
Where should I take them…?
After a moment’s thought, I headed towards the Headmaster’s office.
My battlefield instincts told me that was the place to be.
I glanced around, noticing the damage to the surrounding area.
…I’d have to bill Leo for the repairs.
As a Zodiac Knight, he could afford it.
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[THE ONE PIECEEEEEE! THE ONE PIECE IS REAL!!!!!!!!!]
Thanks for the chapter
Great chapter!!!!