I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 45

“Of course, that is not all.”

There are other matters that weigh heavily.

“There will be no shortage of comments and interferences regarding the military’s prestige, especially now that we are drastically reducing our armaments.”

In truth, Professor Lilian, being the eccentric she is, half-expected some resistance when she devised this.

How else could she have managed to cover part of the budget out of her own pocket?

“Well, indeed…”

It was not a point that Ideale had overlooked.

However, what she had underestimated was how much more conservative the Ministry of Defense was than she had anticipated, and that they still limited their view of the enemy to the Empire.

In fact, at this point, those who considered creatures as foes were few and far between.

“Honestly, it is ambiguous in many ways. The training dummies are only used in wartime, and in peacetime, they are just spun around for practice. Haaam.”

Amidst a long yawn, her dissatisfaction as a researcher mingled with the air.

Moreover, when she considered the costs of maintaining and repairing them in the future, Ideale had no choice but to quickly fold any lingering possibilities she had entertained.

‘For the time being, using them for training seems to be the best option.’

Still, her aversion had lessened compared to when she first heard the story from Jin Crow.

Of course, it was still lessened, but that did not mean she fully endorsed the method of education…

How should she put it?

As they embarked on this peculiar endeavor, the results aligned with the lecture’s content and appeared to serve educational purposes, leaving her with little to argue against.

“Ah! I hit a bone!”

At that moment, Dokoran’s cry, laced with pain, erupted as a series of arcs plunged into the earth.

KWA-aaaNG!

The sound was louder than expected, drawing worried glances, but sure enough, Dokoran soon sprang up like a weeble, unleashing a mix of irritation and exasperation.

“Damn it! I’m dead!”

Watching this scene unfold, Professor Lilian, who had been floating in her chair, murmured in surprise.

“Surprisingly resilient. Honestly, I thought five minutes would be the limit…”

Ideale shifted her gaze back to the cadets, soon taking in the sight of the second squad, who, as Lilian had said, were holding up remarkably well in many ways.

Of course, no matter how high the cadets’ level, it was inevitable that they would start to falter.

“Uh, uh-oh!?”

“Ugh!”

Once again, Dokoran charged in, only to be helplessly bounced back, entangling with Beatus.

But just as she had once shattered the training ground, her fists were never light, and the momentary falter of the training dummy, which had been overwhelmingly superior to the first years, left a deep impression.

“Hm.”

Jin Crow slowly checked the time.

The sparring had lasted about six minutes.

Longer than expected, as Lillian had said.

Yet, Jin Crow, having witnessed it, merely gazed at the cadets without uttering a word.

“……”

Ideale watched him in silence.

Typically, instructors fell into one of four types.

The authoritarian instructor.

The devoted instructor.

The indifferent instructor.

And lastly, the instructor who becomes a guide unto themselves.

Though she had spent more time on the battlefield, she too was a cadet who graduated from the Central Special Officer Academy, and while her role as a school head might not shine through, she was not indifferent to the instructors and cadets.

From her experience, most instructors were either authoritarian or indifferent.

‘In a way, that’s only natural.’

All the disciplines they taught were rooted in violence.

It was not a discourse that condemned violence as evil.

Even if the reason was for protection, it did not mean one could ultimately defend the very foundation itself.

Whether conscious of it or not, the authoritarianism and indifference of the instructors stemmed from that.

‘Whether they crush spirits from the start or completely withhold affection.’

Because of that, she could not deny the method, even if she disagreed with it.

Until just recently, Instructor Jin Crow had embodied both of those aspects.

His lectures were always dogmatic, and he maintained a thorough indifference towards the cadets.

The only difference from other instructors was whether he displayed it openly or concealed it.

‘But, he has changed.’

More precisely, since the onset of the creature invasion, he had shown restraint in drinking and devoted himself wholeheartedly to everything.

And her thoughts intertwined with his words about turning creatures into training dummies.

‘Just doing what needs to be done…’

At this point, unless one were a fool, it was impossible not to notice that the reason for his change was the creatures.

‘……I must investigate.’

What could she possibly know, and what had she seen, that this broken and weary soul would dare to rise again?

She chewed on the question.

And thought further.

‘Perhaps.’

Yes, perhaps truly.

Could Jin Crow be becoming the rare and ideal guide as an instructor?

“Instructor, should I tell Poppy to hold on a bit longer? She seems to be enduring more than expected.”

“Not yet. That wouldn’t be fair.”

“Right… So next time, I can just push it to the brink of death, then?”

“We seem to think quite alike, Professor.”

…Or perhaps not?

Ideale was engulfed in confusion.

*

KWA-aaaNG!

Before long, cracks spread across the battered training ground, and a woman with bronze skin jerked herself upright, nerves fraying.

“Pah!”

The woman, no, Dokgoran, glared through the swirling dust at the training mound.

Her shoulders rattled as she wiped away the sticky sweat mingled with dust, but she merely muttered, her irritation palpable.

“It hurts like hell!”

“……I can relate.”

In a rare moment of agreement, Hino Kanae, who despised anything lacking in dignity, nodded.

She adjusted her signature black hair and gripped her special-purpose weapon, resembling a katana, tightly.

In contrast, Beatus, who had been assisting Dokgoran, Hino Kanae, and Baek Hui-young on the front lines, loaded armor-piercing rounds into the pistols he held in both hands and aimed straight ahead.

– KRaaaH!

Amidst the thunderous roars of the beast, which had become annoyingly familiar, gunfire erupted.

Then, unlike Dokgoran and Hino Kanae, who appeared far from unscathed, Baek Hui-young, standing without any visible wounds, charged forward, kicking the ground with determination.

A floating sensation.

A wavering vision.

It was a time when everything felt dizzying, like a student’s days, yet his gaze remained calm, akin to that of any instructor—or rather, a seasoned superhuman in the heat of battle.

“I can handle this alone.”

Kagagagakang!

Dodging the outstretched fist, I kicked into the creature’s abdomen and leaped, soaring through the air, my thoughts racing.

It’s a mass-produced weapon, but not of poor quality.

Moreover, the opponent is not a living, breathing creature, but merely a heap of machinery inside.

The only difference is that it pretends to be a beast born solely for slaughter, not human or of any other race.

Buuung.

I evaded the creature’s hand, which swung like a spear, and as I caught it, slipping away, Bai Huiying’s calm eyes saw its weakness laid bare.

“Whether I aim for the power source or pierce its eyes to block its vision, I could slice through all its joints without hesitation.”

In a world I had faced countless times, I had encountered monsters known as Lords or Legion Commanders.

Even if all I possessed was a Triple Gear, its potential was already fully realized.

“Kuht.”

But Bai Huiying ultimately twisted the spear, piercing the palm of the creature that sought to stab him, and landed firmly on the ground.

No one uttered a word.

In fact, some of the instructors seemed to admire the fact that even while suspended in the air, they twisted their bodies to evade the creature’s spear and counterattacked, letting out small gasps of astonishment.

And the moment he set foot on the ground.

“Uaaah! Kugh!”

Throwing away the pride of the Doggo clan’s martial arts, Doggo Ran, half-mad with rage, charged at him only to be struck by the spear he had dodged, tumbling once more to the training ground floor.

“Haah, haah…”

“Phew.”

The air was thick with the scent of defeat.

This was a sentiment shared by all of Team Two, except for Doggo Ran, and Bai Huiying thought it was only natural.

‘It’s only to be expected.’

It was impossible for cadets who had trained for less than half a year to face a Pawn.

Of course, in the future, a Triple Gear cadet could stand against a Knight, but that was a distant prospect.

For now, this was the right outcome.

‘It’s time to wrap this up.’

Already, about ten minutes had passed.

There was no point in dragging this out any longer.

Based on his past experiences, most would fall within five minutes at most.

Of course, there are those who do not, but they too will not last even ten minutes.

‘It was the same in the past.’

In truth, the expressions of the other cadets waiting for their turn were far from bright.

It was only natural.

For those who had studied doctrines, tactics, and combat against humans, a hulking beast driven solely by the instinct to kill was an utterly foreign adversary.

“Grrrraaah!”

As he had anticipated, the first to fall was Dokoran.

Letting out a shriek that would explain why Pamiu called her a wild boar, she flew straight into the blunt tip of the creature’s spear and lost consciousness.

“Everyone, step back! Support team!”

“Yes, yes!”

In a rush, the assistant instructor, Ginatios, dashed forward to assess Dokoran’s opponent, and soon the support team of psychics, who had been waiting to one side, began to evaluate the situation.

“Ugh, ugh.”

Though she hadn’t completely lost her senses, her eyelids fluttered, and the thin stream of blood trickling from her was far from a pleasant sight.

“…Oh.”

“Ugh.”

And naturally, the second team, watching this unfold.

Hino Kanae, Beatus, Pamiu Dimezeiar, and Baek Hwi-young stared at one another, each waiting for the other to speak.

“Instructor, we give up here.”

“We’ve reached our limit.”

“Team 2. Ten minutes and twenty-three seconds.”

Their gazes soon landed on Jin Crow, who was checking the time with his usual impassive expression from one side of the training ground.

“Not bad. Next.”

He murmured this, devoid of any emotion in his black eyes, then turned his head toward Team 3, who were stammering in front of him.

“Team 3, step up.”

“Poppy can’t go on any longer. Shall Leo take the stage now?”

And Lilian, facing off against Team 2, sent the battered Poppy… no, Training Dummy No. 1, back, bringing forth the second dummy that stood behind.

Naturally, the cadets of Team 3 could only swallow hard at the sight of the second training dummy, which was as good as new.

“Eek, eek.”

And, of course.

“Gaaah! Ru, run!”

KWA-aaaNG!

“Th-this is madness. This is sheer madness!”

“C-Commandant.”

“You won’t die. Next.”

Jin Crow’s first practical exam concluded with a resounding impact, leaving behind a staggering record of 43 injured, regardless of instructor or cadet.

“You know well what I’m about to say, don’t you?”

“I’m sorry.”

“……Get out.”

Ideale, now wearing a serene smile of enlightenment, gifted him with ten pages of written reprimand and a three-month salary reduction.

“If the budget is tight, just say so. It may not be much, but it can help with maintenance costs.”

“Forget it. How much does a soldier’s salary even amount to?”

Of course, neither Jin Crow nor Professor Lilian cared in the slightest.

“…….”

The only thing that Giannatio, the assistant instructor, could do while watching this unfold was one thing.

‘Poor souls.’

To express his sympathy for the cadets.

Truly, that was all.