The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 44

Morning’s first class, Swordsmanship.

Amon, who guided me to the training ground where the class would be held, left saying he would return when the class ended.

‘I’d like to observe the class with you for today at least, but I’m too busy with work to do so.’

‘Ah, you must be very busy with work.’

Actually, he wasn’t particularly busy with work, but needed to prepare for the ‘teacher certification’.

However, at Kai’s convenient interpretation, Amon nodded and said.

‘That too, but…there are circumstances.’

‘Pardon? What circumstances…’

To that question, Amon only showed a sad smile instead of answering.

Since the person himself wouldn’t tell, Kai had to deliberately put aside his doubts.

‘…What kind of story could it be?’

Soon, when class was about to begin, three students appeared.

And one of the students, a boy, spoke with wide eyes.

“Huh? Who are you?”

“I’m the new teacher who came today. Please take care of me from now on. I’m Kai.”

“Ah! Hello. I’m Boris.”

“Nice to meet you, Boris. And you all?”

At Kai’s question, Chloe briefly glanced at him like a cow looking at a chicken and said.

“I’m Chloe Aran.”

“I see! Looking forward to working with you.”

“Yes.”

“Then you are?”

“I’m Raymond Namark.”

Kai’s eyebrows twitched.

‘Namark? A descendant of the Azure Sky Sword King? Ah, so that’s why he’s here.’

Kai smiled with relief as he realized why Reinbelt was here.

‘But it’s almost class time, where is the swordsmanship instructor?’

Shouldn’t they be here early to prepare for class?

“By the way kids, where is your teacher?”

“Huh?”

Boris tilted his head at that question and pointed somewhere.

“They’re right there though?”

“…What?”

Kai turned his head with a start and opened his eyes wide.

In one corner of the training ground, something like a caterpillar had already raised its upper body and was staring this way.

‘A caterpillar…no, that’s a sleeping bag? Were they sleeping?’

Judging by the blindfold covering their eyes, it seemed so.

Soon, something wriggling in the sleeping bag lifted the blindfold and yawned.

“Hmm… ah, is everyone here…?”

“Yes! Teacher!”

“Mmm…then let’s start class….”

The wriggling caterpillar rolled over towards the students, and upon noticing Kai belatedly, startled and said.

“Hm? Who are you?”

“…I-I’m Kai, the new teacher.”

“New teacher?”

The caterpillar, Sloth, lifted her blindfold a bit more and frowned.

“Another new person in a place like this…?”

“…Pardon?”

“Nothing. Anyway, I’m Sloth Pid. Nice to meet you.”

Kai nodded with a bitter smile.

Sloth of the Pid family.

He already knew that she was a teacher here.

“Looking forward to working with you, Senior Sloth.”

“Mmm. So you’re here to observe class?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Then sit or stand, do as you like….”

Sloth, who had managed to crawl onto the bench despite her sluggishness, said.

“Now then, children.”

“Yes, teacher.”

“Chloe, continue what you were doing last time, Raymond and Boris, self-study.”

“Yes!”

“Then let’s begin.”

Kai’s mouth gaped open as he watched Sloth giving instructions to the students while wriggling on the bench.

Only Chloe was receiving anything like a proper lesson in front of Sloth, while Boris headed to the shade with some magic book, and Raymond was swinging his sword in a separate area.

‘Is, is this a class?’

Kai, seemingly bewildered, quickly approached Sloth and said.

“S-Senior, what is this?”

“What?”

“There must be a set curriculum, but one student is reading a book, that student is practicing swordsmanship alone…is this okay?”

Sloth tilted her sleeping bag.

“Is it not?”

“…Pardon?”

“Why not?”

“Uh….”

Sloth tried to point at Boris with her finger, but when the sleeping bag blocked her hand, she frowned and struggled to pull out one hand.

Then pointing at Boris, she said.

‘Boris seems to have chosen the path of magic. He said something seems to fit well after continuing to read and learn. So rather than learning swordsmanship he’ll never use, he’s using that time to read one more page of magic books.’

“…”

‘And Raymond belongs to a separate sword school, so he can’t train while showing others. He’s actually better than me, the teacher, to begin with.’

That’s why Boris and Raymond had to do self-study.

While Kai could understand this logically, he couldn’t accept it emotionally.

“B-but isn’t there a regular curriculum? There must be an education curriculum recommended by the Imperial Education Department, but to do this so recklessly…”

Sloth frowned.

“Are you a commoner or noble?”

“Huh? Uh…”

I can’t exactly say I’m the crown prince!

He decided to use the fake identity he had prepared in advance.

“I-I’m a noble from the Straw Viscounty.”

“You’re from a noble family? Then do you know what size to cut seed potatoes?”

“…Pardon?”

How would the imperial crown prince know such a thing?

“I-I don’t know.”

“Right? You only need to learn and know what you’ll use.”

It felt like his educational views were being shattered!

Kai quickly collected himself and spoke.

‘But Senior, even for a mage, learning swordsmanship would help prepare against enemy knights and build physical strength!’

No, that’s what he tried to say.

But looking at Boris sitting and reading in the shade, Kai could understand.

Despite his young age, his somewhat solid build and correct posture sitting straight against the tree trunk made it easy to imagine his standing posture as well.

In fact, the students, including Boris, were doing separate physical training.

Class time was literally just for acquiring knowledge!

‘It seems they’re consistently doing physical training and their posture is proper. They seem to have learned enough swordsmanship to consider it cultured….’

Thus, Kai felt like his intended logic had been shattered.

Nevertheless, his mouth stretched out about ten feet to add one more thing.

“But there’s a recommended curriculum…”

At those words, Sloth frowned and seemed about to say something as her lips moved, but then she closed her mouth, sighed, and squeezed out the words.

“Fine, I’ll incorporate the regular curriculum from the next class.”

“Ah…yes.”

How much time passed like that?

While Raymond trained alone, Boris read his book, and Chloe diligently trained under Sloth’s instruction, Kai just stood there blankly.

‘…Nothing to do.’

He licked his lips and slowly approached Sloth.

After all, he felt the need to build rapport since they would be colleagues from now on.

Moreover, he also intended to hear some evaluations about Amon, since he came to understand that person.

“Um, Senior.”

“What.”

“There’s something I’d like to ask…”

“Ask away.”

“That, about Teacher Amon…”

As soon as that name, Amon, came up, Sloth said.

“That trash, why?”

“…Pardon?”

“No, why about Amon?”

“Ah, no. I just talked with him briefly earlier, and was wondering what kind of person he is.”

“Hmm…that trash, no. You’re asking what kind of person Amon is?”

“…”

“Simply put, he’s trash. Quite an impressive guy. That’s all.”

Kai had quite liked Amon even before coming here.

Moreover, his first impression when meeting him earlier wasn’t bad.

Yet here was Sloth, whose class attitude was a mess, who didn’t follow the curriculum at all, and who was currently rolling around wrapped in a sleeping bag, badmouthing Amon.

‘Who’s trash! You’re the trash!’

Though those words rose to his throat, Kai forcefully swallowed them and laughed awkwardly.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. I see.”

“Don’t get close to him either.”

“I. Un. der. stand.”

“That guy is such trash that…”

Kai wrote Sloth’s name and evaluation in his mental evaluation notebook while letting Sloth’s words go in one ear and out the other.

‘Sloth Pid. Aptitude as a teacher, 5 points.’

For reference, it’s out of 100 points.

* * *

After swordsmanship class ended, Amon, who came as promised, guided him to the classroom where magic class would be held and said.

‘Junior, how was your first observation?’

“Uh…that…”

He couldn’t say that he only heard painful insults directed at Amon.

“It was…unique.”

“…I hope you mean unique in a good way.”

“…”

Kai sighed and carefully said while reading the atmosphere.

“Um, but Senior.”

“Yes?”

“…No, nevermind.”

Though he swallowed his words since it wasn’t a question to ask suddenly, the perceptive Amon quickly understood what Kai was trying to ask.

“You were going to say that Senior Sloth seems to hate me, right?”

There really wasn’t any other question worth hesitating over.

But Kai hurriedly denied it.

“N-no, that’s not it.”

“What do you mean it’s not? It’s okay. I already know.”

“…”

“Well, it can’t be helped that they hate me.”

“…Pardon?”

Amon muttered with a bitter smile.

“It’s all because I’m lacking.”

“…”

At that sorrowful and pitiful muttering, Kai bit his lip hard.

‘This makes me so angry.’

Amon’s proper mindset as an educator that he had directly heard!

The shower of praise from Principal Anar’el!

The trust and ability to be designated as the head of academic affairs!

For such a person to be slandered by a delinquent teacher who rolls around in a sleeping bag!

‘And yet you, Teacher Amon, blame yourself saying it’s because you’re lacking… Ah, what a pitiful thing…!’

His anger towards Sloth who called Amon ‘trash’ gradually grew.

In fact, considering the exchange event, Sloth’s evaluation was entirely justified, but Kai, who knew nothing of this, only felt sorry for Amon.

“Well, anyway, this is the magic class classroom. See you when it’s over.”

“Yes, Senior Amon.”

As Amon walked away again, Kai heaved a deep sigh.

‘…Well, the magic teacher must be a proper person. Wasn’t it Viscount Marion Random who was a meritorious retainer from the Great War?’

Kai gathered his spirits and opened the classroom door energetically.

And the sight he saw as soon as he entered.

“Hic! This hits the spot! The alcohol’s going down smoothly today!”

Kai’s legs gave out and he collapsed at the sight of Marion drinking alcohol while eating peanuts.