I’m Just an Ordinary Clown at the Academy

18 – Elysia 2

“Rocky, come forward.”

“Yes!”

I quickly ran forward at Professor Elysia’s command.

Professor Elysia, the second youngest among the academy professors after Professor Hydra, appeared young and had ash-colored hair tied back for ease of movement.

“So, what’s the reason for being late on the first day?”

The students in the special class stared at me, curious about the reason for my tardiness.

Among them, Lucas was waiting for my explanation with an incredulous smile.

“There is a tremendous reason hidden behind my tardiness!”

“Go ahead, tell us.”

I exaggerated my gestures as if a storyteller addressing an audience and said, “Let me tell you the reason.”

“Last night, knowing I had to go to the academy the next day, I went to bed earlier than usual after finishing my practice.”

“But?”

“Perhaps because I went to bed earlier than usual, I woke up earlier than usual this morning. However, the problem arose here.”

As I spoke, cutting my words appropriately, the students and Professor Elysia eagerly awaited my story with keen interest.

“Waking up earlier than expected, I thought I could sleep more, so I went back to sleep!”

At my words, both the students and Professor Elysia looked at me with disbelief.

Professor Elysia sighed briefly and asked, “So, were you late?”

“No. Even when I woke up again after sleeping more, I had enough time to prepare leisurely and walk slowly without being late!”

“But then why were you late?”

By now, the students, as if suggesting they wanted to know why I was late, listened to my words again, leaning in to hear.

“If there was enough time not to be late even if I walked slowly, wouldn’t it be better to sleep more and run faster? I thought that, but I slept more than I thought and ended up being late!”

“Ha.”

Someone made a sound, trying to suppress laughter.

How trivial of an issue is this?

Professor Elysia sighed deeply and, with furrowed brows, said, “So, the reason you got penalized from the first day was just oversleeping?”

“Well… if you put it briefly, yes.”

“Ha, kneel down and raise your hands.”

“Yes!”

I knelt next to Professor Elysia and raised both arms.

Being in the front, I could see all the students at a glance. A few of them glanced at me discreetly.

Then, a student met my eyes and burst into laughter.

“hahahaha!”

Other students, too, seemed to be holding back their laughter at my appearance.

In reality, as an academy student, kneeling with my hands up was indeed quite comical.

“Everyone! Even though I may be good-looking, wouldn’t it be disruptive if you keep staring and laughing while the professor is speaking?”

As soon as I finished speaking, I felt a shock on my head.

“Ouch! It feels like my head is going to split open.”

Professor Elysia had given me a light tap on the head. Fortunately, it seemed like she didn’t hit me too hard, as I only felt a slight pain.

If she had hit me for real, my head would have definitely split open.

“Stop being dramatic and just go in and sit down. And don’t be late next time.”

“Got it!”

I quickly got up and returned to my original seat.

“Now we can finally talk. It’s late, but let’s do self-introductions. I am your assigned professor, Elysia. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

The first person to ask a question was Clara.

“Why is the special class located underground?”

Although Clara asked the question, everyone here was secretly curious about Professor Elysia’s answer.

“The reason is related to the classes you’ll be taking. As special class students, you have two differences from the other first-year students.”

As someone who played the croaca, I was aware of the differences between the special class and the other classes.

“You guys are different from other freshmen in that you experience real battles from your first year. By real battles, I mean dungeon exploration and demon subjugation.”

As far as I remember, dungeon exploration and demon subjugation were only possible from the third year.

“Then what’s the other thing?”

“All your morning classes will be with me. In the afternoon, you’ll be divided into two groups to attend classes with other professors.”

Normally, there are four morning classes, and while other students attend one class each with four different professors, we were told that we would have long sessions of Professor Elysia’s class during that time.

“How does that relate to our classroom being in the basement?” Clara asked.

With a sly smile, Professor Elysia responded to Clara’s question, “Well, it would be bothersome if the noise spread around, wouldn’t it?”

“Excuse me?”

“From now on, you will battle with me every morning. Well, ‘battle’ might not be the right word. All of you will hunt me.”

“What does that mean?”

Clara and all the special class students were bewildered, but Professor Elysia ignored their reactions and continued, “In truth, there’s not much that other professors can teach you.”

Professor Elysia’s gaze turned towards Clara.

“No one can teach magic to a disciple of the Tower of Magic.”

This time, her gaze shifted to Sepia.

“No one can teach a spirit user with such affinity for the four elemental spirits, to the extent of forming contracts with all four major spirits.”

And now, her gaze turned to Kuran.

“No one can teach tribal warfare to someone who has inherited the strong blood of the Isar tribe.”

Elysia Professor explained why everyone except me couldn’t learn normally.

Finally, her gaze turned to me.

“No one can teach unique magic.”

Everyone fell silent. In that silence, Elysia Professor was the only one who could speak.

“You will become incredibly strong in the future. And you will have to fight against the weaker ones.”

However, she added with a follow-up.

“Not now. Those stronger than you are already established. That’s why you will learn how to fight against the strong so that you can grow.”

“When will we start fighting?”

This time, it was Lucas who asked. Lucas drew his spear as if he was ready to fight anytime.

Not only Lucas but everyone was ready to fight. Sepia summoned a spirit, and Clara prepared to memorize incantations.

Elysia Professor, smiling as if not worried even when everyone was ready to fight, said, “Of course, it starts now.”

After Elysia Professor’s words ended, when everyone was about to attack, my voice echoed in the classroom.

“Just a moment!”

.

.

.

“Just a moment!”

As Loki’s words echoed through, all the students rushing towards Elysia came to a halt. Elysia suddenly asked Loki who shouted.

“What’s going on?”

“Since ancient times, the grace of a teacher has been compared to the sky. How can I, who received Professor Elysia’s kindness, wield a sword against her?”

At first, everyone thought Loki was joking. However, unlike usual, there were no exaggerated gestures when he spoke, and his voice was incredibly serious.

“Professor, you may not remember, but about six years ago, I ignored the words of the villagers and went deep into the forest, getting lost.”

“·······”

“I was surrounded by monsters, and it was Professor Elysia, who was an adventurer at that time, who saved me.”

“·······”

“From the day I decided to become as strong as you, Professor, until now, I have worked hard every day without rest. How can I wield a sword against you?”

Everyone fell into silence. No one expected such a past from Loki, who always seemed playful.

In the classroom, where only silence continued, Elysia was the one to break it.

“It was six years ago from now, to be exact. I remember. I wasn’t an adventurer back then.”

“””????”””

“Oh! We’re caught~!”

The serious voice disappeared in an instant, replaced by a purely playful voice.

Even the voice seemed to come from above, not where Loki originally was. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice.

There, Loki was hanging upside down from the ceiling.

“Next time, I’ll have to investigate more thoroughly and script my lines.”

Saying so, Loki pulled something from the air.

Everyone knew what the identity of the thing Loki pulled was. It was the powerful rope that bound the golem on the day of the entrance ceremony test.

The powerful thread that had bound even the golem now bound Elysia’s body.

“Hmm.”

The thread that had bound the golem was easily severed when Elysia exerted her strength.

“Seems tougher than I thought.”

“I don’t think it’s your place to say that, considering how easily it was cut.”

Roki rushed at Elysia and swung his staff. She easily dodged his attempts to strike at her head, heart, and other vital spots using Shadow Step.

If the emperor had been moving at his own speed, he might have been able to dodge her, but Elysia effortlessly evaded him.

It was as if she was teaching him how to truly fight against a strong opponent.

“Have you really become this much stronger in the meantime?”

Elysia grabbed Roki’s staff aimed at her neck and threw him against the wall.

Crash!

With a tremendous sound, Roki was slammed into the wall.

Fortunately, he managed to twist his body just before hitting the wall to minimize the damage.

Roki, still dazed, addressed the students who were watching.

“What are all of you just standing there for? Not going to join the fight?”